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2. Identifying Work Skills: International Case Summaries. Support Document
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia) and Siekmann, Gitta
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The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. The Organisation for works with countries to develop skills strategies tailored to specific needs and contexts. The Organisation prepared a global skills strategy outline over the period 2011 to 2013. Each national skills strategy country project offers a tailored approach to focus on the unique skills challenges, context and objectives of each country. Each project leverages OECD comparative data and policy analysis, fosters collaboration across ministerial portfolios and levels of government while engaging all relevant stakeholders--employers, trade unions, and civil society organisations. In its paper "Towards an OECD Skills Strategy" (OECD 2013), the OECD sets out the main issues which must be addressed by efficient and effective policies for skills formation and skills use. The majority of material in each of the 13 case summaries presented here has been lifted mostly verbatim from original sources. These sources are stated at the beginning of each case summary. [This document is an added resource for the report "Identifying Work Skills: International Approaches. Discussion Paper" which can be accessed in ERIC at ED579874.]
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- 2017
3. Microelectronics: The Nature of Work, Skills and Training. An Analysis of Case Studies from Developed and Developing Countries. Training Discussion Paper No. 51.
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International Labour Office, Geneva (Switzerland). and Acero, Liliana
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Microelectronic technologies have had an impact on the nature of work in industry for both white-collar and blue-collar workers. Evidence from sector- and enterprise-level studies shows changes in skills and job content for blue-collar workers involved with numerically controlled machine tools, robots, and other microelectronics applications. Maintenance jobs have decomposed into two separate functions--electromechanical and electronic maintenance. The introduction of microprocessors into office work has also brought skill changes. Analysis of research challenges the view that loss of production workers' skills is balanced by an upgrading of office workers' skills. In the occupations of designers and drafters, programmers, and clerical workers, a group of semiskilled workers has appeared. Upgrading of some white-collar occupations--specialist engineers, systems analysts, and top managers--has occurred. Industrial training policy implications for developing countries include the need to develop a work force with competence in information technology, to provide practical experience, and to encourage participation of experts from abroad in training. Research into the impact of microelectronics at both the sectoral and enterprise levels and into microelectronics applications and intercountry studies are needed. (An eight-page bibliography is appended.) (YLB)
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- 1990
4. 360°-Video Reflection in Teacher Education: A Case Study
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Tarantini, Eric
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360°(degree-)-videos inherit interesting potentials for teaching competence development. Reflecting on personal teaching performance from multiple perspectives potentially increases the depth in situated reflection and provides new learning insights for pre-service teachers. In this light, this paper describes a case study conducted at the University of St.Gallen where 360°-videos were used for reflection on personal performance of pre-service teachers in order to clarify, whether they add value to reflective observations compared to classical video recordings. Key findings are that (I): 360°-videos can add value to reflection processes in teacher education when combined with feedback and situated learning processes in a learning design and (II): 360°-videos offer advantages to follow teacher-student-interactions and to reflect upon personal teaching performance from multiple perspectives. [For the full proceedings, see ED621108.]
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- 2021
5. Academic Entrepreneurs in University Decision Making. AIR Forum Paper 1978.
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Deniozos, Demetris
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Organizational differences among universities in Switzerland were identified through study of budgeting, professor appointment, and planning. University or state authorities intervening in the decisionmaking process are classified in four groups corresponding to four levels of organizational authority. Universities are subdivided into three groups according to the kind of authority involved in the different steps of the budgeting procedure. Activity undertaken for the appointment of professors is relatively concentrated at the sectorial level. The main differences among universities in the appointment of professors concern the degree of formalization of the decision structure and the existence and intensity of control by central and state authority. Several cases in different systems were studied to determine the impact of the different management systems on teaching and research activities. A case study is presented concerning a public college science professor's actions to create a laboratory for reorienting his research. The most important means the academic entrepreneur uses to achieve his goals in university affairs are described. The institutional entrepreneurs take initiatives favoring university interests and reputation and defend it against public authorities. Although entrepreneurial activity at the institutional level contributed largely in some universities to the development of a teaching and research policy, it seems insufficient. Case studies showed that the formal organizational systems are not able to control and orient entrepreneurial activity if they do not have a pre-established policy. (SW)
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- 1978
6. Personnel for Health Care: Case Studies of Educational Programmes. Public Health Papers No. 70.
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World Health Organization, Geneva (Switzerland)., Katz, F. M., and Fulop, T.
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Innovations in the training of community health personnel that emphasize the importance of the development of health personnel able and willing to serve the community by providing health care, promoting health, preventing disease, and caring for those in need are examined. The need for effective and efficient training programs relevant to present and future community requirements as well as to the characteristics of learners is discussed. Such programs seek to maximize the effectiveness of the teaching/learning process by basing it on community problems, by introducing the concepts of integration and active learning, and by using appropriate technology. A sample of 14 innovative programs from various countries are described including: The Institut Technologique de la Sante Publique, Constantine, Algeria; The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; The Medical School of the University of Brasilia, Brazil; The McMaster Programme of Medical Education, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Fiji School of Medicine, Suva, Fiji; The Medical University of Pecs, Hungary; University Center for Health Science, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel; The Rijksuniversiteit Limburg, Maastricht, Netherlands; Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand; School of Medicine, Hacettepe Yaounde, United Republic of Cameroon; College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University; The Upper Peninsula Health Education Corporation, Marquette, Michigan; The WAMI Program, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle; Ecole Inter-Etats d'Ingenieurs d'Equipement Rural, Ouagadougou, Upper Volta. (SF)
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- 1978
7. Leadership for Primary Health Care. Levels, Functions, and Requirements Based on Twelve Case Studies. Public Health Papers No. 82.
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World Health Organization, Geneva (Switzerland)., Flahault, Daniel, and Roemer, Milton I.
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This book considers the role of and the need for primary health care leadership, drawing upon case studies and research from the World Health Organization (WHO) communities. The differing levels and functions of leadership in primary health care are delineated, with particular emphasis given to regarding the leadership concept as "effective management." Twelve case studies are presented of primary health care programs in WHO member countries and functions of the programs and training programs to develop leadership are detailed. The first three reports, from Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, and Viet Nam, are general accounts of national primary health care programs. Reports from Cuba, Finland, Papua New Guinea, and Somalia analyze one sample locality in a national primary health care program. Projects in Bangladesh, France, Kenya, Liberia, and the Philippines are analyzed in terms of one or more special primary health care projects in a given country. A chapter on "Levels and Functions of Leadership" includes consideration of planning and setting objectives, recruitment and training of primary health workers, promotion of community involvement, and evaluation of such programs. The chapter on "Requirements for Effective Leadership" discusses variations among countries and individuals, adequate resources for leadership, personal characteristics of leaders, and prerequisite education and experience. (CB)
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- 1986
8. Hybrid Teaching and Learning: A Conjoint Analysis of Student Preferences in Online and Onsite Scenarios
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Patricia Feubli, Douglas MacKevett, and Jürg Schwarz
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Background: This research paper presents a cross-sectional study that examinefs the preferences of students for hybrid teaching and learning scenarios. Unlike previous studies that merely describe hybrid scenarios, this research prioritizes them, offering evidence-based findings for informed policy decisions. Methods: The data collection method involved eight choice-based tasks using the conjoint analysis technique conducted with 'Sawtooth' software. The study surveyed students at a mid-sized university across four departments in Central Switzerland. The sample analysed in this article comprised 319 respondents from the Lucerne School of Business. Results and Conclusions: Our survey found that students' own location during a teaching session played a significant role in determining participation preferences, followed by that of the lecturer. Factors that influenced students' preferences whether to attend onsite or online include workload, didactical format, perceived level of difficulty, student residence, and semester. Forms of hybrid collaboration and student--student interaction did not significantly influence student preferences. Takeaways: The value of this study lies in its evidence-based findings for specific hybrid scenarios, which can provide useful insights for policymakers in degree programs and faculty in hybrid classrooms. This study is one of only a few to use conjoint analysis with such a high respondent rate to determine student preferences for hybrid attendance.
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- 2024
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9. Evaluating Eco-Innovation of OECD Countries with Data Envelopment Analysis
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Mavi, Reza Kiani and Standing, Craig
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Government regulations require businesses to improve their processes and products/services in a green and sustainable manner. For being environmentally friendly, businesses should invest more on eco-innovation practices. Firms eco-innovate to promote eco-efficiency and sustainability. This paper evaluates the eco-innovation performance of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with data envelopment analysis (DEA). Data were gathered from the world bank database and global innovation index report. Findings show that for most OECD countries, energy use and ecological sustainability are more important than other inputs and outputs for enhancing eco-innovation. [For full proceedings, see ED571459.]
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- 2016
10. Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs about Inquiry-Based Learning after a Professional Development Course--An International Study
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Maass, Katja, Swan, Malcolm, and Aldorf, Anna-Maria
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Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is a more student-centered approach to mathematics teaching that is recommended by many policy and curriculum documents across Europe. However, it is not easy for teachers to change from a more teacher-centered way of teaching to inquiry-based teaching as this involves a change of their role in class. Professional development courses are one way to help teachers with this endeavor. Within the discussion of effective professional development, beliefs are often named as an important influencing factor. In this respect, much research has been carried out on how beliefs on mathematics teaching impact the outcomes of the course. However, there has been much less research on what beliefs mathematics teachers develop on inquiry-based learning and how this might impact their (perceived) classroom teaching. Therefore, this paper presents an international research study carried out within the European Project Primas, in which professional development courses on inquiry-based learning were conducted in 12 countries. Using the case-study approach, this paper aims at answering the following questions: 1. What kind of beliefs about IBL do mathematics teachers across Europe develop? 2. How do these beliefs relate to teachers' perceived enactments of IBL?
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- 2017
11. Student Perceptions on the Motivational Pull of Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS): A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
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Printer, Liam
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This paper explores a group of secondary school students' feelings about Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) using a self-determination theory (SDT) lens. It adds to the limited, existing literature on TPRS and is the first to study it from a purely motivational perspective. The paper analyses the extent to which students perceived that TPRS satisfied SDT's three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. It employs a case study approach, using data from classroom observations, background group interviews and focus group interviews. The findings conclude that TPRS is a decidedly motivating and engaging method for foreign language (FL) learners. The three needs of SDT were found to be highly interrelated with satisfaction of one influencing positively on the others. The findings suggest that the autonomous nature of co-creating stories with the teacher, result in a heightened sense of personal ability and belongingness to the group. The results reinforce conclusions from other studies, suggesting that activities that are perceived as fun, interesting, novel and different are most likely to develop intrinsic motivation in FL learners. The findings have implications for increasing intrinsic motivation in FL classrooms around the world.
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- 2021
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12. Cooperative Learning about Nature of Science with a Case from the History of Science
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Wolfensberger, Balz and Canella, Claudia
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This paper reports a predominantly qualitative classroom study on cooperative learning about nature of science (NOS) using a case from the history of science. The purpose of the research was to gain insight into how students worked with the historical case study during cooperative group work, how students and teachers assessed the teaching unit, and in what ways students' ideas about selected aspects of NOS changed as a result of the teaching unit. In cooperation with two biology teachers, a four-lesson teaching unit about NOS and the early research on Archaeopteryx was developed, field-tested, modified, and tested again. Altogether, five classes of 10th and 11th grade students from two Swiss schools participated. Data were collected by videotaping group work, interviews with student groups and teachers, questionnaires, and pre- and post-tests about NOS conceptions. Results show that group work was mostly of good quality, both with regard to students' cooperation and understanding of the case study. Second, both the topic and the instructional design of the unit were judged very positively. Third, students showed more informed views on the selected target NOS aspects after the teaching unit. The paper ends with conclusions regarding teaching and learning about NOS, cooperative learning and questions for future research.
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- 2015
13. Case-Exercises, Diagnosis, and Explanations in a Knowledge Based Tutoring System for Project Planning.
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Pulz, Michael and Lusti, Markus
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PROJECTTUTOR is an intelligent tutoring system that enhances conventional classroom instruction by teaching problem solving in project planning. The domain knowledge covered by the expert module is divided into three functions. Structural analysis, identifies the activities that make up the project, time analysis, computes the earliest and latest start and finish times of each activity, as well slack times and critical paths, and cost analysis computes the minimum project time and the project costs by crashing all the activities. PROJECTTUTOR consists of two subsystems: the authoring component and the tutoring component. The authoring component, which offers natural language text and graphical network representations, is used by the teacher to specify case problems; a case problem consists of a text describing the problem and a framework describing the structure of the problem. The student uses the tutoring component to work on the case exercise. At any time, the student can ask the system to diagnose work, give hints for further solution steps, check whether a solution is correct, explain errors, or produce a (sub-)solution. A qualitative evaluation was carried out, showing that the students appreciated the advantages of the system compared to paper-and-pencil exercises. (Contains 11 references.) (AEF)
- Published
- 1994
14. Alumni Networks--'An Untapped Potential to Gain and Retain Highly-Skilled Workers?'
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David, Alexandra and Coenen, Frans
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In times of increasing skills shortage, regions and particularly non-core regions, need to attract highly-skilled workers. It is better for these regions to (re)attract highly-skilled workers that gained knowledge and contacts elsewhere and because they once lived in the region for study have already ties to the university region than trying to attract outsiders without such ties. In general, social networks can contribute to nurturing a "warm place" perception among potential workers. This paper looks at special kinds of social networks. It focuses on higher education alumni networks and discusses their role in retention and (re)attraction for increasing the highly skilled workforce in their university regions. Being part of a university community means that alumni networks are able to maintain continuous contact with their alumni and have a positive effect on students remaining in the region. This can occur through co-operation with the regional economy. However, the current study found that the analysed alumni networks were set up primarily as communication instruments for graduates and alumni and not for regional economy purposes. If elements of retention and (re)attraction are found in the network activities, this is more an unintentional side effect than a purposeful attempt to contribute to the regional economy. This paper argues that alumni networks could take on such a retention and (re)attraction function if they broadened their scope of activities and reorganized their management structure. Alumni networks are an untapped potential, which can be activated for regional purposes.
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- 2014
15. Socio-Cultural Challenges in Global Software Engineering Education
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Hoda, Rashina, Babar, Muhammad Ali, Shastri, Yogeshwar, and Yaqoob, Humaa
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Global software engineering education (GSEE) is aimed at providing software engineering (SE) students with knowledge, skills, and understanding of working in globally distributed arrangements so they can be prepared for the global SE (GSE) paradigm. It is important to understand the challenges involved in GSEE for improving the quality and experience of educators and students. This paper reports the findings of an empirical study on the socio-cultural aspects of GSEE. A case study was conducted involving 14 participants from ten different universities in eight countries. The data was analyzed using grounded theory's open coding procedure. The key contributions of this paper are the identification and description of seven dimensions of socio-cultural distance that caused several significant challenges in the courses: 1) language differences; 2) concept of time; 3) attitude toward grades; 4) assumptions about national culture; 5) differences in autonomy; 6) influence of the course lecturer; and 7) work habits. Recommendations from this paper that are expected to benefit GSEE educators and students include: cross-cultural orientation of students prior to the course; use of various strategies to support better comprehension of different English accents (e.g., speaking slowly, replaying recorded video messages, and text chatting); and educators familiarizing themselves and their students with the relevant GSE and GSEE literature.
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- 2017
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16. Enabling University Educators to Equip Students with Inter- and Transdisciplinary Competencies
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Di Giulio, Antonietta and Defila, Rico
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Purpose: Inter- and transdisciplinarity are core concepts in almost all education for sustainable development (ESD) competence frameworks and curricula. To equip students with inter- and transdisciplinary competencies is highly demanding for educators. Educators must not only know how to teach students such competencies, but need to be experienced in inter- and transdisciplinary research and must have some technical knowledge about inter- and transdisciplinarity. This paper aims to show how university educators can be supported in their teaching. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a case study based on research and on experiences in interdisciplinary teaching and in supporting educators in their interdisciplinary teaching. Findings: The paper presents a competence framework of interdisciplinary competencies to guide university teachers that has been developed, implemented and refined in interdisciplinary study programmes belonging to the field of ESD. It shows how the professional development of educators could be addressed referring to the experiences in these programmes. The measures presented consist for one thing of interdisciplinary processes among the educators and of measures directly supporting educators in their teaching for another thing. Originality/value: The case study the paper refers to is of special value, first, because the experiences are based on long-standing research and on two decades of experiences. Second, because considerable efforts were made to deliver coherent and consistent interdisciplinary teaching in which interdisciplinarity was not only a teaching subject for the students but showed by the educators as well so that the educators involved did not only talk about competencies for inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations but also set an example in their own doings.
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- 2017
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17. Learning from Errors in Dual Vocational Education: Video-Enhanced Instructional Strategies
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Cattaneo, Alberto A. P. and Boldrini, Elena
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Purpose: Starting from the identification of some theoretically driven instructional principles, this paper presents a set of empirical cases based on strategies to learn from errors. The purpose of this paper is to provide first evidence about the feasibility and the effectiveness for learning of video-enhanced error-based strategies in vocational education and training. Design/methodology/approach: Four different cases are presented. All of them share the same design-based research perspective, in which teachers and researchers co-designed an (iterative) intervention in the field. Two cases are preliminary investigations, while the other two profit from a quasi-experimental design with at least one experimental condition based on error treatment and a control group. Findings: The four cases show the effectiveness of learning from error (and from error analysis). More specifically, they show the validity and flexible adoption of the specific instructional principles derived from the literature review: the use of inductive strategies and in particular, of worked-out examples; the reference to a concrete, possibly personal, experience for the analysis task; the use of prompted writing to elicit self-explanations and reflection; and the use of video for recording and annotating the situation to be analysed. Research limitations/implications: The four cases constitute only a starting point for further research into the use of errors for procedural learning. Moreover, the cases presented are focused on learning in the domain of procedural knowledge and not in that of declarative knowledge. Further studies in the vocational education and training sector might serve this research area. Practical implications: The paper provides concrete indications and directions to implement effective instructional strategies for procedural learning from errors, especially within vocational education. Social implications:Errors are often identified with and attributed to (individual) failures. In both learning institutions and the workplace, this can engender an intolerant and closed climate towards mistakes, preventing real professional development and personal growth. Interventions on learning from errors in schools and workplaces can play a role in changing such a culture and in creating a tolerant and positive attitude towards them. Originality/value: The majority of studies about learning from errors are focused on disciplinary learning in academic contexts. The present set of cases contributed to filling in the gap related to initial vocational education, because they deal with learning from errors in dual vocational training in the field of procedural knowledge development. Moreover, a specific contribution of the presented cases relies on the use of video annotation as a support that specifically enhances error analysis within working procedures.
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- 2017
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18. Transforming to Excellence: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)
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Jiang, Xiaohua, Cheng, Ying, and Wang, Qi
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This paper investigates an institutional transformation at a European research university, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) by adopting a qualitative case study method. Open-ended interviews were held with 45 faculty members and administrators to investigate the driving forces and overall transformation of EPFL as well as their effects on the success of EPFL. The study reveals that the then president played an important role in driving the university's transformation under the support of the federal government during his tenure. His strategies aimed at integrating American systems into the European context led to an improvement in the university's academic culture, contributing greatly to the concentration of talent, the acquisition of competitive research funding, and the scientific excellence of EPFL. Furthermore, it also shows that leadership needs to gain the support from faculty members to secure a successful transformation.
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- 2021
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19. Training Design Conception and Reflexive Practice: How to Answer Teachers' Questions?
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Clottu, Régine
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This research studies the practices related to the conception of training "on demand" in the field of continuous training of teachers. Training "on demand" adapts itself to the problems of professionals. The analysis of the demand faces the complexity of the different contexts as well as the diversity of professionals' questions. This paper emphasizes relevant elements based on a case study to show how the trainer who designs the concept takes into account factors present during the conception i.e. the various aspects of context, contents and learners. The method chosen for the research is qualitative and built related to a specific scholar context in which the teachers have difficulties in their daily work specifically in the field of French language. The training design provides various modalities including conferences, discussion groups, and support in the classes in the presence of the pupils. Different measures to support the teachers in regular classes are provided by specialized professionals. As the schoolchildren come from a great number of cultures, speak diverse languages and attend the courses of regular schools near their homes, this original design takes place in an inclusive context and aims at enabling the teachers to develop reflective practice.
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- 2017
20. Transitional Woes: On the Impact of L2 Input Continuity from Primary to Secondary School
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Pfenninger, Simone E. and Lendl, Johanna
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In this paper, we discuss the problem of articulation between levels in the educational system, as the transition from a rather more communicative, content-based and holistic approach to English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching at primary level to more formal and explicit ways of foreign language (FL) teaching at secondary is often experienced as problematic by students and teachers alike (see, e.g., Muñoz, Tragant, & Camuñas, 2015). The results of a mixed methods analysis are presented, in which we analyzed, through a questionnaire and language experience essays, perceived continuity between input received in primary school and secondary school, as well as learners' beliefs, attitudes and self-efficacy before and after they transitioned to secondary school. Twelve primary schools and six secondary schools in Switzerland participated in the study, with a total of 280 early learners of EFL (biological age 12-13 years, age of onset 8 years). We will argue that one of the main reasons why early FL instruction seems not to bear fruit later in secondary school is that, on the one hand, coherence in curriculum design and practice vary in a few--but crucial--aspects within and between primary schools. On the other hand, the fact that secondary education becomes a meeting point for mixed ability classes also seems to mitigate the potential advantages of an earlier start.
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- 2017
21. Assessment of a Multinational Online Faculty Development Program on Online Teaching: Reflections of Candidate E-Tutors
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Adnan, Muge, Kalelioglu, Filiz, and Gulbahar, Yasemin
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Teaching online requires different skills, roles and competencies for online instructors compared to teaching in traditional learning environments. Universities should offer ongoing support in various forms to help academic staff through their online journey. This paper provides insights into a multinational faculty development program for teaching online, elaborating on results of expectancy and satisfaction surveys. From a local program to a subproject within the Swiss National Science Foundation Project Scopes, e-Tutor aimed at expanding competencies in online lecturing and providing OER material for training colleagues. Designed in the form of a descriptive case study, this research was conducted with 34 attendees of e-Tutor. Data was collected using an e-learning readiness and expectancy questionnaire, and open-ended questions after the program to measure satisfaction. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data and content analysis for open-ended data. Participants considered e-Tutor a well-planned and targeted program with good theoretical and practical balance. Duration of such courses, opportunities for adaptation to real-life situations, and localization of the content are areas to be explored further. For future studies, it would also be interesting to see whether participants can apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to create efficient online learning environments.
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- 2017
22. Higher Education in Federal Systems. Proceedings of an International Colloquium (Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, May 8-10, 1991).
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Queen's Univ., Kingston (Ontario). Inst. of Intergovernmental Relations. and Brown, Douglas
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This volume contains the proceedings of an international colloquium on higher education in federal countries with complex divisions of responsibility for the many facets of higher education. The volume is organized in four parts. Part I contains one paper, "The Federal Context for Higher Education" by Ronald L. Watts and a description of the discussion that followed its presentation. Part II offers detailed descriptions of higher education in seven federal systems: "Higher Education in Seven Federal Systems: A Synthesis" (David M. Cameron); "Higher Education in Federal Systems: Canada" (David M. Cameron); "Origins and Development of Federalism in American Higher Education" (Martin Trow); "Higher Education in Federal Systems: Australia" (Robert H. T. Smith and Fiona Wood); "Higher Education in Federal Systems: Switzerland" (Augustin Macheret); "Higher Education in Federal Systems: Germany" (Ulrich Teichler); "Higher Education in Federal Systems: Belgium" (Ignace Hecquet); and "Higher Education in Federal Systems: The European Community" (Pierre Cazalis). Part III summarizes discussions held at the colloquium on four issues in higher education: organization, planning and management; financing higher education; student mobility; and research planning and financing. Part IV covers the final session and contains rapporteur's comments titled "Hasty Generalization, Missed Opportunities and Oversimplifications: Overcoming the Obstacles to Understanding Higher Education (Whatever That Is) in Federal Systems (Whatever They May Be)" by J. Stefan Dupre and the discussion that followed. Many papers include reference notes. A list of participants and their addresses is also provided. (JB)
- Published
- 1992
23. How Country Size Matters for Institutional Change: Comparing Skill Formation Policies in Germany and Switzerland
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Graf, Lukas
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This paper argues that country size can play a crucial role in shaping the type of gradual change observed in collective skill formation systems. Collectively governed dual-apprenticeship training has its base in the industrial and crafts sectors of the economy and builds on the decentralised cooperation of multiple public and private stakeholders. As a result, it tends to be strongly path dependent, which favours gradual over radical forms of change. However, in recent years, dual-apprenticeship training has been increasingly challenged by the rise of the knowledge and service economy and the growing popularity of academic forms of education. In this context, I compare policy responses in Switzerland and Germany, which represent one small and one large collective skill formation system, respectively. The historical-institutionalist analysis finds that the dominant trajectory of change is conversion in Switzerland but layering in Germany, with different implications for the future viability of collective skill formation.
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- 2021
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24. Pragmatic Epistemology of Focal Teacher Thinking.
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Tochon, Francois V.
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Pragmatic epistemology of focal teacher thinking appears tightly shaped by modular connections between task domains and pragmatic organizers. Discussions with a group of language teachers identified four domains of tasks: (1) oral activities; (2) writing activities; (3) reading activities; and (4) language technique activities (grammar, spelling). Three pragmatic functions are noted: the narrative pragmatic function, which transforms curricular knowledge into themes and images; the instrumental pragmatic function, which organizes curricular intentions in terms of skills, operations, and procedures that could be transferred from one domain to another; and the experiential pragmatic function which transforms curriculum knowledge into global actions, interactions, and actualized experiences. These three pragmatic functions of focal teacher thinking, spontaneously developed in teachers' epistemology, seem to be ways of motivating students. An excerpt from an interview with one teacher is presented and analyzed to demonstrate its pragmatic epistemology. (JD)
- Published
- 1990
25. Challenge Based Innovation: Translating Fundamental Research into Societal Applications
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Kurikka, Joona, Utriainen, Tuuli, and Repokari, Lauri
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This paper is based on work done at IdeaSquare, a new innovation experiment at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The paper explores the translation of fundamental research into societal applications with the help of multidisciplinary student teams, project- and problem-based learning and design thinking methods. The theme is approached through challenge based innovation (CBI), a pilot course coordinated by IdeaSquare in 2013-2014 in collaboration with three universities. The approach, including a visit to CERN, appears to motivate the participating students to really strong, self-directed learning and can produce new, innovative concepts for societal applications with an inspirational connection to CERN. As a result of their iterative development, the student teams created two concepts: EDUMIND to help autistic kids to communicate through augmented reality technology, and CMPRSSD to use advanced data processing to record and compress project meetings. Both of the projects were also developed further by their stakeholders after the course.
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- 2016
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26. Cooperative VET in Training Networks: Analysing the Free-Rider Problem in a Sociology-of-Conventions Perspective
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Leemann, Regula Julia and Imdorf, Christian
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In training networks, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises pool their resources to train apprentices within the framework of the dual VET system, while an intermediary organisation is tasked with managing operations. Over the course of their apprenticeship, the apprentices switch from one training company to another on a (half-) yearly basis. Drawing on a case study of four training networks in Switzerland and the theoretical framework of the sociology of conventions, this paper aims to understand the reasons for the slow dissemination and reluctant adoption of this promising form of organising VET in Switzerland. The results of the study show that the system of moving from one company to another creates a variety of free-rider constellations in the distribution of the collectively generated corporative benefits. This explains why companies are reluctant to participate in this model. For the network to be sustainable, the intermediary organisation has to address discontent arising from free-rider problems while taking into account that the solutions found are always tentative and will often result in new free-rider problems. [See: Online Submission article, at ED562559.]
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- 2015
27. Cooperative VET in Training Networks: Analysing the Free-Rider Problem in a Sociology-of-Conventions Perspective
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Leemann, Regula Julia and Imdorf, Christian
- Abstract
In training networks, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises pool their resources to train apprentices within the framework of the dual VET system, while an intermediary organisation is tasked with managing operations. Over the course of their apprenticeship, the apprentices switch from one training company to another on a (half-) yearly basis. Drawing on a case study of four training networks in Switzerland and the theoretical framework of the sociology of conventions, this paper aims to understand the reasons for the slow dissemination and reluctant adoption of this promising form of organising VET in Switzerland. The results of the study show that the system of moving from one company to another creates a variety of free-rider constellations in the distribution of the collectively generated corporative benefits. This explains why companies are reluctant to participate in this model. For the network to be sustainable, the intermediary organisation has to address discontent arising from free-rider problems while taking into account that the solutions found are always tentative and will often result in new free-rider problems.
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- 2015
28. Youths with Migration Backgrounds and Their Experiences of Physical Education: An Examination of Three Cases
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Barker, D., Barker-Ruchti, N., Gerber, M., Gerlach, E., Sattler, S., and Pühse, U.
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While understanding young people has never been easy, migration trends make it increasingly difficult. Many classrooms have become culturally heterogeneous and teachers are often faced with pupils with diverse linguistic and cultural heritages. Current scholarship suggests that as a discipline, physical education has not adapted to this diversity. In fact, commentators have suggested that physical education alienates pupils from minority groups and that traditional practices work to maintain cultural difference. The broad objective of this paper is to provide insights into how physical education intersects with biographies shaped by migration. Drawing from a case study investigation, this paper presents interview data from three youths with migration backgrounds living in a German-speaking region of Switzerland. The cases were selected because they highlight various ways in which physical education (PE) comes to make sense for adolescents. The key arguments that we develop are that ethnicity often works at an implicit level in PE, that young people experience the effects of migration backgrounds in diverse ways, and that migrants themselves support official educational discourses that work to disadvantage people with migration backgrounds. A key implication is that in a cultural milieu in which generalisations are normal and sometimes considered desirable, both researchers and practitioners need to be wary of racialising discourses. As an alternative, it is suggested that focusing on individual processes can improve the conceptualisation and implementation of physical education pedagogies.
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- 2014
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29. Semiotic Creativities in and with Space: Binaries and Boundaries, Beware!
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Thurlow, Crispin
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In the way of commentary, I offer a brief, summative reflection on the complex, multifarious nature of people's semiotic engagements in and with space. Against the backdrop of three snapshot case studies, I suggest there are actually few neat boundaries to be drawn between the linguistic and non-linguistic, between the semiotic and the spatial, and between the creative and non-creative. These kinds of binarized ways of understanding linguistic-semiotic landscapes are neither helpful nor accurate. In a world of 'context collapse', we also need to attend to the ways creativity is often leveraged for its commercial indexicalities and possibilities, blurring the boundaries between play and work, and between communication and commerce. Similarly, we ought not to romanticise 'grassroots' and 'vernacular' actions as necessarily creative, reflexive or benign. It certainly behoves us to stay mindful of the political economies and class ideologies which shape semiotic landscapes and, indeed, our scholarly approaches to them.
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- 2019
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30. Caregiver Responses to the Language Mixing of a Young Trilingual
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Chevalier, Sarah
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The situation once described by Hoffmann (1985), in which children grow up exposed to three languages from an early age, is a reality for an increasing number of families. In Europe--as elsewhere--greater mobility is leading to greater numbers of mixed-language couples (Piller 2002), and, by extension, multilingual families. For such families, questions concerning the acquisition and maintenance of three or more languages in a natural environment are of direct relevance. Researchers in bilingualism have already pointed out the importance of social context for the acquisition of two languages in childhood, focusing in particular on the quantity and quality of exposure to the languages (De Houwer 1990; Dopke 1992; Okita 2002; Lanza 2004) or the prestige of the languages (Lambert 1977). In this paper, I will make use of the insights gained by such researchers and test them in a trilingual setting. The paper will focus mainly on one aspect, namely the conversational style of parents and caretakers. The data come from research being carried out in Switzerland and consist of 33 interviews with multilingual families, as well as case studies of two trilingual children. The findings attest to the importance of conversational style, but at the same time indicate that a number of further factors are also of great significance. (Contains 5 tables, 3 figures, and 7 footnotes.)
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- 2013
31. American Accreditation: Why Do It?
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Prince, Deborah
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A review of the history and purpose of accreditation followed by a brief case study of how a small specialist institution outside of the USA went through the process of becoming accredited. The changes needed inside the curriculum and inside the organization in order to make this significant organizational development are reviewed and discussed. The paper concludes with some discussion as to why a non-US based institution might decide to become accredited by an outside agency.
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- 2012
32. Organizing the University-Industry Relationship: A Case Study of Research Policy and Curriculum Restructuring at the North-West University in South Africa
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Boersma, F. K., Reinecke, C. J., and Gibbons, M.
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A major requirement for transformation contained in the new education policy in South Africa is that the graduate outputs of the higher education system should match the needs of a modernizing economy. This paper addresses the organizational aspect of university-industry relationships that is an element of the transformation. In empirical terms, it reflects upon the policy of the North-West University in South Africa, as embodied by means of the introduction of the Business Mathematics and Informatics (BMI) curriculum and research. Empirical results indicate that the number of students who opted for mathematics had increased dramatically. The majority of graduates delivered by the BMI programme are employed in the financial sector, both nationally and internationally. This paper indicates that the organization of university-industry relationships enforces a difficult institutional balancing act that attempts, on the one hand, to meet the benchmark of international scientific indicators, and on the other hand, "fitness for purpose" in the local context. (Contains 4 figures and 1 note.)
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- 2008
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33. Learning through Transitions: The Role of Institutions
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Zittoun, Tania
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In this paper two models are proposed for analysing transitions in education. Firstly, transitions are the processes that follow ruptures perceived by people. They include learning, identity change, and meaning making processes. Secondly, processes of change are observed through a semiotic prism, articulating self-other-object-sense of the object for self, and located in a specific social frame. Transitions are thus analysed as reconfigurations of such semiotic prism. The paper proposes to highlight the role of institutions as social frames likely to facilitate, or constrain, such reconfigurations. The role of institutions in transitions is discussed through three case studies: the transition to vocational training, the transition out of a religious school, and the transition to work at war-time. (Contains 2 figures and 1 note.) [Abstract is presented in both English and French.]
- Published
- 2008
34. Cross-National Policy Borrowing and Educational Innovation: Improving Achievement in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
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Ochs, Kimberly
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This paper reports on a case study of the London Education Authority of Barking and Dagenham's borrowing of Swiss educational practices, and the implementation and internalisation of those foreign practices in the teaching of mathematics in primary schools. The study employs analytical frameworks that might be used by policy makers or researchers looking at "borrowing" educational practices and policies from elsewhere to use at home. The significance of context (e.g. social, economic, political and demographic) is highlighted, both in the process of educational borrowing and in the implementation of these ideas to improve education at home. In conclusion, the paper reflects upon "best practices" and strategies that might serve as lessons to others. (Contains 3 figures and 10 notes.)
- Published
- 2006
35. Integrating Research and Teaching on Innovation for Sustainable Development
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Posch, Alfr and Steiner, Gerald
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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to point out the necessity of implementing more appropriate approaches instead of the traditional single disciplinary approaches, in order to be able to cope with the ill-defined, highly complex problem of sustainable development in systems such as organizations or regions. Design/methodology/approach: Based on empirical data concerning expert and stakeholder preferences, it is argued that research and teaching on innovation for sustainability need to be both inter- and transdisciplinary. Findings: Here, the approach of transdisciplinary case studies, developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, allows appropriate integration of research and teaching activities and thus leads to mutual learning between the case study actors. Practical implications: In the second part of the paper, these conceptual considerations are illustrated with the so-called Erzherzog Johann case study, an integrative research and teaching project at the University of Graz. Originality/value: In the paper the very complex task to integrate research and teaching on sustainability-related innovation is described and illustrated with the first transdisciplinary case-study conducted in Austria according to the ETH approach. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)
- Published
- 2006
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36. Transdisciplinary Case Studies as a Means of Sustainability Learning: Historical Framework and Theory
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Scholz, Roland W., Lang, Daniel J., Wiek, Arnim, Walter, Alexander I., and Stauffacher, Michael
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Purpose: This paper aims at presenting the theoretical concepts of the transdisciplinary case study approach (TCS), which is a research and teaching approach developed and elaborated at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), as a means of transition support. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reveals the historical roots of case studies, transdisciplinarity and sustainable development as teaching and research paradigms. The TCS approach is presented, which has been developed at ETH for supporting transition management of regional, urban, and organizational systems. This approach is entrenched by an ontology that reveals the basic characteristics of ill-defined transition problems, an epistemology that refers to Probabilistic Functionalism and distinguishes between multi-layered systemic and normative epistemics, a methodology that includes a set of methods for case representation (including modelling and projection), assessment, and strategy building, and a project management model that refers to more than a dozen TCSs in the field of sustainable development. Problems of validity of TCSs as a research methodology are discussed. Findings: Three major strengths of the TCS approach presented in the paper are: that it is based on three sound paradigms, which focus on different, relevant characteristics of complex, human-environment systems; i.e. the case study approach, transdisciplinarity and sustainable development, that it is strictly organized according to an elaborated and consistent theoretical framework that includes ontological, epistemological, methodological, and organizational considerations, and that it is itself subject to an ongoing inquiry and adaptation process. All theoretical considerations of the paper are clarified be elaborated examples from the more than 10 years experience with TCS of the authors. Practical implications: The paper gives a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundation of TCS that might assist other scientists engaged in case study research and teaching to further develop their approaches. Additionally, relevant topics for further research in the field of TCS are presented which hopefully induce an inspiring discussion among case study researchers. Originality/value: As far we know, this paper is one of the first that presents a comprehensive and theoretically sound overview of applying transdisciplinary case studies as means of sustainability learning. Thus, it can be seen as a first, crucial step for establishing the new research field of TCS research and a sound research community of complex, transdisciplinary problem solving towards sustainability learning. (Contains 2 tables and 7 figures.)
- Published
- 2006
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37. Do Curriculum Reforms Affect Classroom Teaching in Geography? The Case Study of Switzerland
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Reinfried, Sibylle
- Abstract
The Swiss national curriculum for upper secondary schools requires geography to be taught according to new paradigms concerning subject contents and learning methodology. Today, nearly 10 years after the new curriculum was enacted, the question arises whether the paradigmatic changes were acknowledged by geography teachers and integrated into their teaching. This paper explores what teachers teach today in geography classes, relating it to teachers' constructs of the images of geography. The paper further describes to what extent the interests of teachers and students in the subject diverge. The paper concludes with considerations of the implications for curriculum improvements, teaching methodology and teacher education. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)
- Published
- 2004
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38. Orchestration Load Indicators and Patterns: In-the-Wild Studies Using Mobile Eye-Tracking
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Prieto, Luis P., Sharma, Kshitij, Kidzinski, Lukasz, and Dillenbourg, Pierre
- Abstract
Orchestration load is the effort a teacher spends in coordinating multiple activities and learning processes. It has been proposed as a construct to evaluate the usability of learning technologies at the classroom level, in the same way that cognitive load is used as a measure of usability at the individual level. However, so far this notion has remained abstract. In order to ground orchestration load in empirical evidence and study it in a more systematic and detailed manner, we propose a method to quantify it, based on physiological data (concretely, mobile eye-tracking measures), along with human-coded behavioral data. This paper presents the results of applying this method to four exploratory case studies, where four teachers orchestrated technology-enhanced face-to-face lessons with primary, secondary school, and university students. The data from these studies provide a first validation of this method in different conditions, and illustrate how it can be used to understand the effect of different classroom factors on orchestration load. From these studies, we also extract empirical insights about classroom orchestration using technology.
- Published
- 2018
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39. The Transition from Higher Education to the Labour Market: International Perspectives and Challenges.
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Ehlert, Holger, Cordier, Heidi, Ehlert, Holger, and Cordier, Heidi
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This book examines the transition from higher education to the labor market in 10 countries. Although the individual papers do not follow a rigid standard format, they all consider the following issues: (1) how the labor market for graduates is organized; (2) how vocational orientation is achieved in degree courses in individual countries; and (3) how the transition from higher education to employment is organized. Of the 10 countries discussed, 7 are longtime members of the European Union. Poland is included as an example of a country of the former Eastern block that is currently undergoing significant transformation, and Japan and Sri Lanka are included to illustrate the completely different Asian cultures. Despite the far-reaching structural similarities that are evident in the Western European countries examined, it is particular national characteristics rather than common features that dominate the individual country reports. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Holger Ehlert, Heidi Cordier); "France" (Valerie Canals, Claude Diebolt); "Germany" (Holger Ehlert, Heidi Cordier); "Great Britain" (Heidi Cordier); "Ireland" (Conor Geiselbrechtinger); "Italy" (Lorenzo Fischer); "Japan" (Ulrich Teichler, Kerstin Teicher); "Netherlands" (Roland Richter); "Poland (Heidi Hein); "Sri Lanka" (Charles Fernando); and "Switzerland" (Martin Teichgraber). Most papers include substantial bibliographies or substantial numbers of endnotes. (MN)
- Published
- 2002
40. Learners' Multimodal Displays of Willingness to Participate in Classroom Interaction in the L2 and CLIL Contexts
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Evnitskaya, Natalia and Berger, Evelyne
- Abstract
Drawing on recent conversation-analytic and socio-interactionist research on students' participation in L1 and L2 classroom interaction in teacher-fronted activities, this paper makes a step further by presenting an exploratory study of students' displays of willingness to participate (WTP) in classroom interaction and pedagogical activities across two educational and classroom settings (L2 classroom group work and CLIL classroom whole-class activity), both of which are characterized by the absence of teachers' next-speaker selection practices. The study focuses on occasions where students self-select to provide a sequentially relevant second pair-part within the current activity and how it is oriented to by co-participants, particularly when the expected action is not accomplished. Using a multimodal conversation analytic approach, it shows that students' WTP is indexed as a social, public demonstration of one's interest to engage in the ongoing activity through displays of attentiveness to unfolding interaction and learning activities, emerging turn-taking and speakership establishment, engaging in foci of attention and participation frameworks, and taking on relevant participant roles. These findings indicate that WTP is not an absolute and fixed concept but is rather constituted by different aspects or levels of engagement displayed by the participants in interaction on a moment-by-moment basis.
- Published
- 2017
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41. The Scholar, the Wealthy and the Powerful: Notes on Academic Culture in Elite-Focused Fieldwork
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Bertron, Caroline and Kolopp, Sarah
- Abstract
Drawing on our experiences of interviewing elites, this article suggests that methodological reflexivity yields insights into the construction of symbolic and social hierarchies in contextualised interactions. The paper focuses on "academic culture" as the "locus" through which power relations were experienced in interview situations--more so than structures such as age, gender, race and class. We argue that academic cultural resources do not always function as valuable assets in interviews with elites, and explore how different elite interviewees mobilise a wide-ranging cultural repertoire to display status.
- Published
- 2017
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42. Towards a New Directional Turn? Directors with Cognitive Disabilities
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Schmidt, Yvonne
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Drawing from my first-hand observations and embodied experiences of having collaborated with HORA over the course of several years, this paper discusses an under-investigated area within the field of disability and performance: pioneering work by directors and with learning or cognitive disabilities, an area which has not yet been addressed in the expanding field of disability and performance studies.
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- 2017
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43. How Can Curriculum History Benefit from Sociolinguistics? The Importance of Language Controversy in the Making of Citizens in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Europe
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Gardin, Matias and Gritter, Kris
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Based on small case-study illustrations from a variety of European countries, this study aims to explore methodological aspects of the study of curriculum history by expanding its traditional research scope. In so doing, it is argued that sociolinguistic issues are essential to this discussion. The main argument is that sociolinguistics and curriculum history are more closely intertwined than has been proposed by previous academic literature. Under the examination are often two sides of the same coin which are viewed from different, albeit closely related, research angles. In effect, the curriculum's contextualisation is also structured and modified by sociolinguistic considerations. In the conclusion, it is maintained that citizenship education--understood here as the historical manifestation of the dominant cultural expectations towards the citizens as the bearers of a particular nation state during a specific timeframe--should be better informed by sociolinguistic literature, and by that, also placed against those language controversies that surround the curriculum. On this basis, by adding value to the study of the curriculum as part of educational history--and by blurring unnecessary academic boundaries--this paper provides interdisciplinary insights into the study of curriculum history vis-à-vis sociolinguistics, which have so far remained too separated.
- Published
- 2016
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44. A Creative Learning Ecosystem, Quality of Education and Innovative Capacity: A Perspective from Higher Education
- Author
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Crosling, Glenda, Nair, Mahendhiran, and Vaithilingam, Santha
- Abstract
Globally, governments recognize the importance of creativity and innovation for sustainable socioeconomic development, and many invest resources to develop learning environments that foster these capacities. This paper provides a systematic framework based on Nair's "Innovation Helix" model for studying the factors of a country's creative learning ecosystem (CLE), the quality of its education system (QES), and its innovative capacity (IC). The CLE factors are "infrastructure/infostructure" (physical and digital infrastructure), "intellectual capital," "interaction," "integrity systems," "incentives," and "institutions." Using a composite CLE index for 113 countries, the findings indicate a strong correlation between a country's CLE, QES and IC. Through brief case studies of countries that measure highly in CLE, QES and IC, this study points out their higher education strategies and their best practices for other countries to emulate, in order to facilitate creativity and innovation through higher education.
- Published
- 2015
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45. Teachers' Professional Judgement in Assessment: A Cognitive Act and a Socially Situated Practice
- Author
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Allal, Linda
- Abstract
This paper presents a study of teachers' professional judgement in the area of summative assessment. It adopts a situated perspective on assessment practices in classroom and school settings. The study is based on interviews with 10 sixth-grade teachers and on the assessment documents they used when determining end-of-term grades in students' report cards. The main findings from qualitative data analysis highlight both the individual cognitive and the socially situated aspects of teachers' judgements. The findings are discussed with respect to three levels of teacher judgement and the implications for activities of social moderation. (Contains 1 note.)
- Published
- 2013
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46. A Knowledge Management Model for Firms in the Financial Services Industry
- Author
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Held, Carsten, Duncan, Glen, and Yanamandram, Venkat
- Abstract
The financial services industry faces many demanding challenges. Firms within this industry are predominantly knowledge-based, as are most of the industry's products, processes and services. The application of knowledge management represents a clear opportunity for financial services firms to confront challenges. However, no industry specific knowledge management model for financial services exists. The contribution of this paper is to develop such a model. A multi-level model is constructed by building upon and integrating the Resource-Based/Knowledge-Based Views (RBV/KBV) of the firm, knowledge strategy, methods, knowledge domains, and communities. Based on case study research, a set of guidelines is then proposed to aid in the implementation of the model. The model and guidelines offer new opportunities to become more efficient and effective in financial firms.
- Published
- 2013
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47. Patterns of Strategies in Swiss Higher Education Institutions
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Fumasoli, Tatiana and Lepori, Benedetto
- Abstract
This paper contributes to the debate on strategic capability of academic organizations by presenting three case studies of Swiss Higher Education Institutions. Strategies are conceived as instruments by which universities manage their organizational processes and deal with their environments in order to select a portfolio of activities and find an appropriate position in the higher education system. Our findings show that strategies are at the same time a matter of intentions and actions: first, they relate to current HEI's position within the national Higher education system--and to relevant normative models--as well as to the degree of institutional autonomy. Second, even within participatory governance structures, organizational strategies appear to be initiated by the academic administrators, then substantially shaped and subscribed by academics at different stages. In this perspective, the dynamic relation of formal and informal processes holds diverse functions from making academics accept a strategy, to controlling and coordinating decentralized organizational structures. (Contains 2 tables.)
- Published
- 2011
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48. Transferral of Business Management Concepts to Universities as Ambidextrous Organisations
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Tahar, Sadri, Niemeyer, Cornelius, and Boutellier, Roman
- Abstract
In the context of new public management reforms, many business management concepts were transferred to universities. Most studies on the transfer of business management concepts to universities show that transfers were not as successful as expected. These studies also provide nuances as to why it is such a delicate matter. However, a basic rationale of facilitating the transfer of business management concepts is missing. With this paper we provide a new rationale which can facilitate the transfer of business management concepts. We show that it is promising to model universities as ambidextrous organisations since they face the dilemma of simultaneously enabling creativity and efficiency. As such, using case study research, we find that ambidextrous universities operate within two different organisational structures. Consequently, management concepts such as risk management cannot be implemented uniformly across a university. They need to be adapted to the organisational context in order to be effective and accepted. (Contains 2 figures.)
- Published
- 2011
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49. Dropping out of Apprenticeship Programs: Evidence from the Swiss Vocational Education System and Methodological Perspectives for Research
- Author
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Filliettaz, Laurent
- Abstract
This paper discusses the issue of attrition in apprenticeship programs, a topic that has attracted growing attention by VET researchers and policy-makers in many developed countries. It commences with a brief overview of the key issues challenging initial vocational education in Switzerland, and links these issues to similar concerns in Australia. It then demonstrates how concerns about the workplace environments can be understood through the particular lens of linguistic methods. These methods assist by providing a fine-grained analysis of the interactional processes that can lead to attrition and change in apprenticeship pathways. A case study based on empirical material collected in Swiss workplaces and documenting interactions between a first-year apprentice, his supervisor and his colleagues provides an illustration of this linguistic perspective and illuminates the challenges faced by apprentices in the early days of work. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table, and 4 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2010
50. Research in Non-University Higher Education Institutions. The Case of the Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences
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Lepori, Benedetto
- Abstract
This paper presents the development of research in the Swiss non-university higher education sector and frames it in the debate on the organization of higher education systems in Western Europe and on the dynamics between university and non-university sector. It shows that, in the Swiss case, the applied research mandate has been used to differentiate these institutions from universities and that this endeavor has been to a large extent successful in technology, while it has been a source of major tensions in the other domains. I conclude that the development of research in the non-higher education leads to complex dynamics of convergence and of differentiation and that this process is strongly influenced by the specificities and differences between different subject domains.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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