Cultural diversity and gender in Swiss VET: Identification and analysis of organisational and pedagogical arrangements for diversity integration.

Author(s):

Elettra FlamigniBarbara Pfister Giauque

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

2. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 02 C, Literacy, Diversity and Foresight

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-28

11:15-12:45

Room:

HG, HS 26

Chair:

Philipp Christian Grollmann

Contribution

This paper is based on the intermediary report “Hétérogénéité culturelle et sociale, non-mixité et intégration de la différence dans la formation professionnelle” (Pfister-Giauque 2008). By focusing on teachers’ everyday practices, on the tools which they acquire during their education or which they develop based on their teaching experience, this project aims to increase the level of knowledge of what is done – or what is not done - regarding the issues of awareness and consideration of diversity in vocational education and training. Compared to other upper-secondary level education programmes, vocational education and training in Switzerland is characterised by a high degree of social and cultural heterogeneity among its pupils, as well as a strong gender impact on professional fields. Unlike high schools, for instance, vocational education and training not only draws a public from different regions (e.g. rural, urban), but also pupils having studied different curricula (e.g. educational options in the canton of Vaud) and socio-cultural backgrounds. The average percentage of foreign pupils in vocational education is 23-25%, and this may be higher in some professional fields. However, a large number of professional fields are almost exclusively chosen by one particular gender. Pupils who choose a profession in which their own gender is in a minority (pioneers) may be challenged by very specific situations, both in the classroom as well as during training. Given these facts, successfully integrating qualitative and quantitative minorities appears to be vital in ensuring the quality and efficiency of education. Moreover, it shows that school, as a privileged sphere of socialisation, is the best place for guaranteeing integration and social cohesion throughout society as a whole. While much research explores integration during compulsory schooling, very little is known about integration in vocational education and training. The few studies that can be cited focus on having access to VET (Imdorf 2006; Hupka et al. 2006) or on its training aspects (Fibbi et al. 2003). The specific case of integration in vocational colleges is a completely unexplored field. The aim of this project is to increase the level of knowledge of what is done – or what is not done – regarding the issues of awareness and consideration of diversity in vocational education.

Method

This research is based on qualitative methods, that means semi-structured interviews and in site observations. 9 interviews were realised during spring 2008 with key actors (specialists of migrants’ integration, teachers’ trainers, experts of VET, etc.). Afterwards, in 4 vocational colleges, 20 interviews were conducted with teachers, who were chosen in order to represent the different teacher profiles -and therefore educational background- existing in VET schools: full-time house painter or hairdressing teachers (with 2 years of teacher training), half-time teachers (meaning that they still working beside in their own field; their teacher training is faster and lighter), “general culture” teachers (they have an academic background and the 2 years long teacher training). Observations have been made in 3 classes of painters and hairdressers where migrants and pioneers where both present. Data are now being analysed with deductive and inductive approaches, and first findings are expected for spring 2009.

Expected Outcomes

The aim is to fulfil the following points: To increase knowledge of heterogeneity, focusing on cultural diversity and gender within the context of vocational education and training; retrieving teachers' perceptions and conceptions about this subject. To display pedagogical and organisational tools that are used with regard to diversity and gender, and to underline useful practices for young teachers. To identify gaps in the education of vocational teachers with regard to the handling of social and cultural diversity and gender, in order to working out improvements or solutions tracks. First findings show that teachers did not seem to be fully aware of didactic tools or practices which could help young people from migrant backgrounds and pioneers to integrate into the class or which could facilitate their learning; they quiet seem left on their own, although the vocational education in Switzerland also displays a willingness to develop citizenship and ensuring equality.

References

Berhens M. 2007. La qualité en éducation. Pour réfléchir à la formation de demain. Québec : PUQ. Borkowski A. 2001. Women and men in Swiss vocational education, In: Gonon Ph., Haefeli K., Heikkinen A., Ludwig I (eds). Gender Perspectives on Vocational Education. Historical, Cultural and Policy Aspects. Bern : Peter Lang Verlag, pp. 19-34. Croisier M. 2002. Pionniers, pionnières : quelle insertion professionnelle ? Genève : Office d’orientation et de formation professionnelle (Unité orientation scolaire et professionnelle). Dallera C., Ducret V. 2004. Femmes en formation dans un métier d’homme. Résultats d’une recherche de terrain menée dans le canton de Vaud en 2002-2003 auprès d’un échantillon d’apprenantes. Lausanne : Le Deuxième Observatoire (Institut romand de recherche et de formation sur les rapports sociaux de sexe). Fibbi R., Kaya B., Piguet E. 2003. Le passeport ou le diplôme ? Neuchâtel : SFM. Gieruc G. 2007. Quelle place pour l’allophonie et la diversité culturelle à l’école ? Suivi d’un projet d’établissement. Lausanne : URSP (Unité de recherche pour le pilotage des systèmes pédagogiques). Gokalp A. 1989. L’école face à la diversité de ses publics, Revue Européennes des Migrations Internationales, vol. 5, no 1, pp. 63-74. Gomolla M. 2006. Tackling underachievement of learners from ethnic minorities : A comparison of recent policies of school improvement in Germany, England and Switzerland, Current Issues in Comparative Education, vol. 9 (1), pp. 46-59. Gondoux Freléchoux V. 2006. Choix de formation des jeunes à l’issue de la scolarité obligatoire et des filières de transition. Résultats de l’enquête « Choix 2005 ». Lausanne : Service cantonal de recherche et d’information statistiques (SCRIS). Grossenbacher S. 2001. Women in basic and advanced training. In: Gonon Ph., Haefeli K., Heikkinen A., Ludwig I (eds). Gender Perspectives on Vocational Education. Historical, Cultural and Policy Aspects. Bern : Peter Lang Verlag, pp. 35-43. Haeberlin U., Imdorf Ch., Kronig W. 2004. Chancenungleichheit bei der Lehrstellensuche: der Einfluss von Schule, Herkunft und Geschlecht. Bern: Direction du programme PNR 43 (Collection NFP 43 Synthesis 7). Haefeli K. 2001. A long way to go – Vocational schools, teachers and teacher’s education as a focus for promoting gender equality and issues, In: Gonon Ph., Haefeli K., Heikkinen A., Ludwig I (eds). Gender Perspectives on Vocational Education. Historical, Cultural and Policy Aspects. Bern : Peter Lang Verlag, pp. 83-94. Hupka S., Sacchi S., Stalder, B. E. 2006. Does the Swiss VET system encourage inequity? European Research Network on Transitions in Youth Workshop: 14th, 2006, Marseilles, France, 19 p, http://www.cereq.fr/tiy2006/papers/Hupka_Sacchi_Stalder_TIY06.pdf Imdorf Ch. 2006. The selection of trainees in small and medium-sized enterprises. Integration and exclusion of immigrant youth at the transitional stage between school and vocational training in Switzerland, XVI ISA World Congress of Sociology, RC 34 – Sociology of Youth, 13 p. OFS. 2004. Elèves et étudiants 2003/04. Neuchâtel: OFS. Oser F., Curcio G.-P., Düggeli A., Kern M. 2006. Schlussbericht 1. Phase. Professional Minds – Handlungssituationen und Standards für die Berufsausbildung. Fribourg : Université de Fribourg. Ouellet F. 2002. Les défis du pluralisme en éducation. Essais sur la formation interculturelle. Québec, Paris : Presses universitaires de Laval, L’Harmattan. Pagé M. 1993. Courants d’idées actuels en éducation des clientèles scolaires multiethniques. Québec : Conseil supérieur de l’éducation. Pfister-Giauque B. 2008. Rapport intermédiaire. Hétérogénéité culturelle et sociale, non-mixité et intégration de la différence dans la formation professionnelle. Lausanne: IFFP. Tanner A., Badertscher H., Holzer R., Schindler A., Streckeisen U. (Hrsg.). 2006. Heterogenität und Integration. Umgang mit Ungleichheiten und Differenz in Schule und Kindergarten. Zürich: Seismo. Thiébaud J. 2004. L’intégration professionnelle de pionniers et de pionnières : une approche comparative. Lausanne : UNIL, SSP, Mémoire DESS COMCO.

Author Information

Elettra Flamigni

IFFP

R&D

Lausanne

Barbara Pfister Giauque

SFIVET

R&D

Lausanne 16 Malley

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