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The integration of theory and practice constitutes an anchor of today's technical vocational education and training (T-VET) and a major determinant of professional development. Understanding such integration is expected to contribute to pedagogical advancement and to provide new research tools. Current knowledge on the epistemological roots of pedagogical approaches is not automatically informative of the conceptions and beliefs of the students and their instructors in particular learning contexts. Therefore, if we are to disentangle further the theory-practice integration in T-VET, a first step is to grasp how these key actors conceive of theoretical and practical knowledge and the relationship between these kinds of knowledge. Thirty-eight subjects in dual T-VET in the field of chemical process technology, participated in serial and single focus groups. While adopting a grounded theory approach, the present qualitative study reveals the negotiated epistemological perspectives of students, school-instructors and workplace-instructors: forms of knowledge that respond to conceptions of theory or practice, the relationships between these forms of knowledge and the multiple agents who perform each connecting activity. The findings reveal a possible expression of the overall 'integration of theory and practice' as involving a network of relationships that are embodied by multiple agents. The implications are discussed.

The integrative learning of theory and practice has been widely recognised as a cornerstone of today's technical vocational education and training (T-VET). Considerable uncertainty persists regarding how to construe such integrative learning, let alone regarding how it proceeds or what it generates. This article reports an in-depth qualitative study designed to clarify the concept of integrative learning by advancing current understanding of what constitutes the integrative learning of theory and practice (ILTP) in terms of both its process and its outcome aspects. In all, 48 key actors in dual T-VET (students, tutors and mentors) participated in serial focus groups, class observations and apprenticeship observations. The constant comparison method was used to generate a description of both the learning process and the learning outcome based on descriptive axial dimensions along which learning and knowledge were positioned. More specifically, we distinguished three process dimensions (intentionality, time of the prompt and locus of learning) and three outcome dimensions (purpose, logic and locus of integrated knowledge). All in all, the findings can be understood only in consideration of co-existing perspectives on integration according to which the separation of theory and practice is more or less marked. The article discusses expected implications for practitioners and future research.

The aim of this study was to investigate the transfer of learning of professional competences from vocational colleges to the workplace context in vocational education. Concretely, the study examined the relations between the professional competences learned at school and the use and further development of those competences at the workplace during the "practice module" in vocational education programmes in Spain. The study analysed individual, educational design and work environment factors that facilitate or hinder transfer of learning. The study took a multidimensional approach to professional competences by observing four dimensions: hard-specific, hard-generic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. The data collection drew from a questionnaire administered to students of vocational education programmes (N = 379) after they had completed the practice module scheme. A moderation analysis was applied to observe the effect of individual, educational design and workplace factors on the relation between the competences learned at school and those used at the workplace. The findings showed that compulsory placement, school-work alignment, work-based supervisor, access to resources and task complexity are significant moderators between the competences learned at school and those used at the workplace. The study highlights the coherence between the school and workplaces and work environment characteristics as factors conducive to transfer of learning.

Peer-group mentoring (PGM) is a new model designed to support the professional development of teachers in Finland. This study examines the experiences of mentees participating in PGM and potential differences in the experiences of teachers in general education and vocational education. It also addresses the mentees' perceptions of the results of PGM with regard to the professional, personal and social dimensions of professional development. Quantitative research methods were used. An online survey was completed by 69 teachers in general education and 47 teachers in vocational education (n = 116). The results showed that the participants saw PGM as an important tool for professional development throughout the entire teaching career. In general, there were few significant differences between vocational teachers and their colleagues in general education in their perceptions of PGM. The study further suggests an alternative conceptualisation of professional development based on the following components: development of skills and knowledge, strengthening professional identity and self-confidence, and development of a work community.

Purpose: A central issue in the field of workplace learning is how work-related learning can be stimulated so that a powerful learning work environment is created. This paper seeks to further enlarge understanding on this issue. Based on the demand-control-support the aim is to investigate the influence of job-characteristics on the work-related learning behaviour of the worker such as job demands, job control, social support at work on the one hand and self-directed learning orientation on the other. Design/methodology/approach: The study took place in the ICT-department of a large company in Flanders. By means of an online questionnaire, all employees of the ICT-department were asked to complete this questionnaire, which, apart from general information on the participants (age, gender, prior education, etc.), consisted of statements on five scales (job demands, job control, social support, self-directed learning orientation, and work-related learning behaviour) adapted from validated instruments. There was a total of 73 participants (response rate of 52 per cent, 73 per cent men, 27 per cent women, age varying from 20-51 years old). In addition, all scales had Cronbach's alpha values above 0.79. Relations between the variables under study were tested using the Pearson correlation. The predictive value of the variables for the variance in work-related learning was tested using the enter method of a multiple regression analysis. Findings: The regression analyses show that job demands and job control were moderately positive and significantly linked with work-related learning behaviour. Social support did not show a significant positive correlation with work-related learning at all. Self-directed learning orientation on the contrary had a strong and positive relation with work-related learning. The results of the linear regression analyses indicated that only the self-directed learning orientation scale significantly predicted the work-related learning behaviour. Originality/value: The study is one of the few investigations that takes into account both the role of personal and workplace-related variables in order to better understand work-related learning. The results stress that personal related variables such as self-regulated learning orientation need to be taken into account in further research and in the daily practice of human resources development. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

Based on the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model, the present paper aims to investigate the influence of job characteristics such as job demands, job control, social support at work and self-directed learning orientation on the work-related learning behaviour of workers. The present study was conducted in a centre for part-time vocational education in Flanders (Belgium). The students in the centre work for 3 days a week and attend school during the other two days. A questionnaire using scales adapted from validated instruments was used. Students were asked to complete the questionnaire with the job in mind they were doing at present. A total of 115 students from different sectors completed the questionnaire. It was assumed that high scores for self-directed learning orientation and high scores for the job characteristics job demands, job control and social support would be associated with more work-related learning behaviour. All scales had acceptable Cronbach alpha values. The results of the linear regression analyses indicated that only the self-directed learning orientation scale predicted the work-related learning behaviour to a significant extent.

Pupils' and students' learning in the workplace and dual education has drawn increased attention because it is, among others, relevant in combating youth unemployment, increasing individual employability, and organisations' ability to provide high quality services and products. However, research focusing on pupils' and students' readiness to participate in learning in the workplace is scarce and scattered. The present study was conducted to get a deeper insight into readiness to participate in learning in the workplace, and more particular in the Flemish (Belgium) context of dual education. The study applied a multi-method approach including literature review, document study, semi-structured interviews and member checking. The study resulted in a conceptualisation of 'willingness to participate in learning in the workplace' and 'maturity for learning in the workplace' including clusters of competencies related to participation in the workplace, learning in the workplace, and motivation for learning and participating in the workplace. This conceptualisation contributes to the development of policy and practice through providing a basis for assessing readiness to participate in dual education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace learning is becoming a central tenet for a large proportion of today's employees. This seems especially true for so-called knowledge workers. Today, it remains unclear how differences in the quality of workplace learning are affected by differences in perception of the workplace environment and the motivation of knowledge workers to learn. Moreover, the possible role of motivation as a mediating factor between workplace climate factors and learning is underexplored. This paper therefore investigates direct and indirect links between perceptions of the workplace climate, motivation to learn and approaches to learning in the workplace. Knowledge workers ( N = 202) in one knowledge intensive organisation were questioned using existing and adapted questionnaires to measure learning approaches, motivation and workplace climate. Correlations and multivariate regression analyses were carried out to assess direct relationships amongst variables. Path analysis was carried out to assess the mediating role of motivation. Results show that both workplace climate factors and motivation directly influence employees' approaches to learning. Some direct relationships between workplace climate factors and motivation were also uncovered. Results regarding the mediating role of motivation showed that the effect of good supervision on deep learning is completely mediated by autonomous motivation. The effect of choice independence on deep learning approach is partially mediated by the same motivational drive. A-motivation was found to partially mediate the link between good supervision and a surface disorganised approach. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author comments on the studies related to the assessment of vocational competence in higher education published in the special section of the journal. He states that the studies present good examples of current research on the assessment of vocational competences in higher education, however they also illustrate the difficulties faced by research in this area. He states that these difficulties may be due the due to the difference between higher education and working life.