The abstract concerns a current research project about students’ creation and perception of meaningfulness in different learning environments in vocational education and training (VET). In a pilot study conducted in 2022-2023 we combined a literature review about meaningfulness in VET with a minor qualitative empirical study including focus group interviews with students in four VET programmes.

The results from the literature review shows that the concept of meaningful is frequently used in VET research. However, the concept is not defined and seems to be perceived as an automatic consequence of specific activities in VET. Thus, meaningfulness is related to training and learning in authentic environments (Nordby, Knain & Jónsdóttir, 2017; (Andersen, Benthien, Hersom, Hjermov & Pedersen, 2022). Authentic environments can be established through digital simulation (Brito, Almeida & Osório, 2021) e.g., in ‘third learning environments’ (author, 2022a) Meaningfulness is related to the students’ goal orientation (Author, 2022b; Hacıeminoğlu, 2021; Schmid, Jørstad & Nordlie, 2021). Meaningfulness has also been shown to be related to negotaing how to solve practical task (Asplund, Kilbrink & Asghari, 2021) and to teachers’ feedback on students’ work (Johannsson, Wärvik & Choy, 2019).

Inspired by Ausubel’s concept of ‘meaningful learning’ (Ausubel, 1968), Jonasson et al have found that meaningfulness is strengthened through students’ active reflection as part of the learning process (Jonassen, Howland, Moore, & Marra, 2003). Howland, Jonassen, & Marra propose five dimensions of meaningful learning: the students should collaborate, be active, relate learning to the real world, relate previous learning to current learning, and formulate own learning goals (Howland, Jonassen, & Marra, 2012).  

The empirical qualitative study of the pilot study showed that the students related meaningfulness to close interrelation between theory and practice, to social interactions with fellow students or with colleagues in the work-based training, and to committed teachers.

Based on the results from the pilot project, the main project (April 1-December 31, 2023) will focus on defining and operationalising meaningfulness and on studying meaningfulness in relation to authentic learning environments and situations of social interaction among students.

Third learning environments have become increasingly important due to lack of real apprenticeships, to a limited scope of tasks and consequently training opportunities in real workplaces, and to the expenses related to making mistakes in real apprentices. Assuming that a third learning environment combining simulating authentic tasks with reflection will enhance students’ opportunities for creating meaningfulness, the main project will mainly focus on third learning environments. Third learning environments can be situated in school workplace contexts, serving as a supplement to training in real workplaces.

The main project concerns the following research questions:

1. What does meaningfulness mean to VET students?
2. How do the students create meaningfulness in VET?
3. Concerning creation of meaning, how do third learning environments distinguish themselves from the learning environment in school-based respectively workplace-based part of VET?
4. How can meaningfulness be strengthened in third learning environments?

The project combines a mapping of third learning environments nationally and internationally with qualitative cases based on observation and interviews with students and trainers about creation and perception of meaningfulness in third learning environments. Furthermore, the interviews should include eliciting ideas about opportunities for developing third learning environments that underpin meaningfulness. Development of the research methods is in progress. However, the study is expected to include 3-4 different types of third learning environments. In the pilot project we have tried out methods in the interviews with the students that activate the students. Apart from choosing focus group interviews with 4-5 students the students have been asked to take notes about their perception of meaningfulness and to select photos that they perceive as showing meaningful aspect of the education and the future profession. These methods having been proved to activate the students, we plan to continue using these methods in the main project. Concerning the theoretical framework, psychological needs having been shown to influence sense of meaningfulness (Martela, Ryan & Steger, 2018), the theoretical frame will include self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Furthermore, the tradition from David Ausubel (Ausubel, 1968) is expected to be useful as well as John Dewey’s concepts of action, reflection, and experience (Dewey 1933).

The design of the study is currently being developed. The study is expected to shed light on the following assumptions: 1. Sense of meaningfulness is related to the psychological needs of feeling autonomy, competence, relatedness, and beneficence. These needs can be particularly strengthened in third learning environments avoiding the work load of real work practices. 2. Meaningfulness is not only a question of relating to authentic tasks and practices; the perception of meaningfulness depends on reflecting on authentic tasks. 3. Compared to school-based training and workplace-based training, third learning environments will be particularly suited for strengthening the students’ perception of meaningfulness, because the students can combine action and reflection, performing in environments that allow for making mistakes.

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