The learning environment at vocational colleges influences the students' learning, their well-being and drop-out rates. Consequently, the learning environment is an important factor in the learning process. In a project about learning environment at vocational colleges, we analysed factors in the learning environment that have an impact on students’ wellbeing and completion of VET. Based on a review of international research on these factors, an empirical study was conducted about the factors, their interrelation, and the development of a positive and learning environment.

The factors concern the vocational part of the learning environment as well as the social learning environment. In the current leaning situations as well as in the literature referred, these factors interact. However, we have categorized the different studies in accordance with the main emphasis in the particular projects. In this project, we have not included conditions related to the physical side of the learning environment.  

The review of the international research the learning environment included studies from the ERIC database and searches in the journals 'International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training', 'Nordic Journal of Vocational Education and Training', and the 'ECER VETNET proceedings'. Based on the review, we have identified a number of factors that have an impact on the educational environment. In the empirical study, the identified factors are elaborated and operationalized to be tested on data about learning environments at 13 Danish vocational colleges. The data included observations, interviews, and ‘mobile ethnography’. Altogether 24 VET programmes were analysed comprising a broad spectrum of vocational branches. In each programme, students and teachers were interviewed. For both students and teacher, half of the interviews were conducted as focus-group interviews, half of the interviews as individual interviews. The interviews were semi-structured conducted according to an elaborated frame. In the interviews, results from the researchers’ systematic observations of teaching situations at the college were included and transformed to questions. Each interview lasted between half an hour and one hour. The theoretical developed impact factors served as a frame for analysing the interviews. The total number of interviews were 132. This method was supplemented with a data collection using a method named ‘mobile-ethnography’. In logbooks, the students were asked to describe situations where they had experienced a positive learning environment and illustrate these situations and environments with mobile- recorded video-sequences. Like the interview data, these data provided elaborated examples of factors located in the above-mentioned review of international research.

Concerning factors related to the vocational part of the training, the analyses show that it is important for the students’ well-being and satisfaction with the training that they accomplish authentic tasks from the professions Likewise, it is important, that the students are involved actively and responsibly in the learning, and that the teachers have time for systematic differentiation. It is important, that teachers have positive expectations for the students ' performance, that the students are supported in setting goals and retaining these and that all students receive feedback. Furthermore the study shows that collaboration between teachers in the colleges and trainers in the workplaces should be developed, and the teaching should be holistic, practice-related and experimental. In relation to the social learning environment, it is important that the teachers are able to establish positive relationships with the students. These relationships include that the teachers are authentic role models for the students inside and outside the classroom. Furthermore, teachers should facilitate positive relations among the students by creating vocational and social communities that counteract bullying and gender discrimination. Finally, the colleges should ensure a smooth transition to the workplace-based training, including that the teachers collaborate with the workplace. A supportive learning environment requires that the teachers have developed social and personal competences.

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