Mobility Among Finnish VET Teachers and Their Skill Requirements

Author(s):

Matti Taajamo(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

02. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 08 B, Teacher Development in VET

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-04

09:00-10:30

Room:

B027 Anfiteatro

Chair:

Vibe Aarkrog

Contribution

General Description

The world of work is continuously changing. Tynjälä & Gijbels (2012) describe that “we are confronted with an exponential increase in information, with growing need for innovation, skills, and knowledge”. The profession of a VET teacher is facing various challenges created by the general public, the world of work, and political decision-makers, for example (Misra 2011). This presentation focuses on two essential issues: 1) mobility and 2) skill requirements.

The mobility can be considered as an intraprofessional or a transprofessional process (Jokinen et al. 2013). The intraprofessional mobility refers to changing jobs but staying in the field of education, whereas the transprofessional mobility refers to moving from one occupational field to another. There are many lifelong related factors that are behind undertaking the profession of a vocational teacher, such as one’s own vocational training, previous work experience (Hitlin & Elder 2007), or certain turning points in one’s career (Wethington, Kessler & Pixley 2004). In addition, careers are affected by a person’s own interests and cravings, the labour market, and social support (Fernandez, Fouquereau & Heppner 2008; Evans, Behrens & Kaluza 2000). Factors or elements related to mobility are considered here from a sociological and a psychological point of view. Sociologically, the VET teacher mobility can be seen as a part of one’s life course that is based on history, social structures, and institutions, as well as on living in a particular social context. Psychologically, the focus is on an individual’s own experience, adaptation, motivation, and development. (Schoon & Silbereisen 2009.)

In the presentation, the skill requirements will be considered from the current and future perspectives. A teacher’s work is continuous intellectual, social, and emotional interaction with students and colleagues, as well as with the society. In a society where information is changing rapidly, teachers are expected to be ethically aware pedagogical experts (Välijärvi 2006). VET teachers work in a variety of circumstances and environments. As the society changes, the teachers are required to live under a continuous change, too. A VET teacher’s work is demanding and requires a continuing professional development (Parsons et al. 2009). Furthermore, the competencies that are needed are extensive. Teachers have to keep up-to-date with their particular subject-matter content and develop their pedagogical skills (Lloyd & Payne 2012). Thus, VET teachers should have more opportunities to upgrade and expand their expertise on their own terms both in the working life and in further studies.

VET teachers were identified as a target group which requires an urgent action at the national and EU level regarding their continuing competence development. Today, VET teachers should be able to act as mentors, guide and council students, take care of administrative work, design curricula, and cooperate with other colleagues as well as with working life. (Misra 2011.) This presentation is based on the project Mobility of Pedagogical Expertise in Finland. The survey of the project dealt with the grounds for choosing the teaching profession, the mobility within the field, leaving the field, and general commitment. It also investigated the underlying factors for professional engagement and mobility, as well as the constantly changing competence needs pertaining to the teaching profession. (Jokinen et al. 2013.)

One of the essential questions of the project was how to consolidate the competent teachers’ attachment and commitment to their profession. This presentation concentrates on the following research questions:

1) What kind of VET teacher mobility is there in Finland?

2) What are the main reasons for VET teachers to consider staying with the profession or leaving it?

3) What kind of skill requirements are there for VET teachers now and in the future?

Method

Method The research project Mobility of Pedagogical Expertise in Finland was implemented between 2010 and 2013. The goal of the study was to gain empirical knowledge about the reasons and trends of mobility. It also aimed to evaluate the expected future needs for teachers and to find tools to support the well-being and the professional development of teachers. The questionnaire contained both quantitative multiple-choice questions and qualitative open questions. A sample of 4,500 teachers was taken from the members of the Trade Union of Education in Finland, the Swedish Trade Union of Education and the Trade Union of Adult Educators. There were 1,938 (43 %) respondents altogether (1,356 general education teachers, 330 VET teachers, and 252 representatives of administration and education organisations). Statistical methods (e.g. t-test, chi-square, factor analysis) were used to analyse the data from the quantitative questionnaires. The open questions of the questionnaire were analysed by using a qualitative content analysis (Patton 2002). In order to deepen the view, former general education teachers and VET teachers (n=15) were interviewed. The themes concentrated on the experiences of teachers’ mobility, teacher education, induction phase, and attraction of the teaching profession. Elements of narrative research were used in the analysis of the interviews (Hänninen 2010).

Expected Outcomes

Expected Outcomes The results showed that the popularity of the teaching profession remains high in Finland. However, teachers are faced with many challenges and pressures. People choose the field of education for various reasons. In VET, the prior work experience plays a great role in this choice. Almost half of the VET teachers come from other fields. Within VET, about a fifth had moved to another type of post in their career and a fifth had left the field for other type of jobs. Teachers’ mobility is a complex process. The reasons are seldom acute or related to one factor only. Instead, the decision is often preceded by a long deliberation. The reasons for teachers leaving for other posts often included personal development, interest in advancing in their career and sometimes a desire for a change. It was also considered that a teacher’s work has become hard. The competence demands for VET teachers relate, now and in the near future, particularly to subject knowledge and pedagogic skills. Teaching is not merely work anymore - it is seen as multifaceted pedagogical profession in the future (Martin & Pennanen 2014). The results will be also compared with the findings of the TALIS 2013 project (The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey), which is an international, large-scale survey focusing on the working conditions of general education teachers and VET teachers, and the learning environment in schools. (TALIS 2013.)

References

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Author Information

Matti Taajamo (presenting / submitting)

University of Jyväskylä

Finnish Institute for Educational Research