Contextualisation of Educational Change - Essay Example

The Impact of Educational Change and Implications for Teaching Practice Option 1 1. Introduction VET is generally aligned with learning for work that includes training for specific actual job requirements. However, due to globalization and changing nature of work, VET is gradually becoming increasingly market oriented. Government initiatives targeted adult and vocational education institutions because of their capacity to produce skilled workers for specific jobs. Due to increasing local and international demands initiated by globalization, most government also took the opportunity to widen the scope of VET and implemented VET in Schools. In compliance with the assignment requirements, a research and analysis of key change in adult and vocational education in Australia and its implications to teaching practice were performed including a short critical reflection of issues associated with the assignment. 2. The Educational Organization Australia has a good number of schools offering training packages ranging from project management to health and safety. Some offered courses in 3D animation while others are specializing in restaurant and catering training programs. The Canberra Institute of Technology or CIT is one of the largest providers of vocational education and training in the region with more than 450 programs for national and international students. The common students enrolling with these programs are school leavers, people getting their first job, professionals seeking additional skills for their existing career, and those with specific training requirements (CIT 2010, p.1). Generally, vocational and training in Australia is being provided in two separate categories – the post compulsory upper secondary school and the post school. However, the post-school sector comprised almost the majority of VET training programs around the country. In 2003 study for instance, about 1.72 million students enrolled in post-school VET programs while only 200,000 thousand in the VET in Schools sector (Evans 2008, et al., p.186). VET in schools enable students combine their general curriculum with vocational studies (McNevin 2006, p.123). This approach was the product curriculum reinvention in 1983 to meet the needs of students who in particular those group with little opportunity to enter a university. The main solutions were to link secondary school curriculum with a more vocational orientation, certification of vocational education alongside the academic curriculum, and broader access to different resources (Kennedy 2005, p.73). Most of the major concerns are developing nationally acceptable standards for competency-based standards. Since then VET started to serve competency agenda rather than the noble idea of learning for a good outcome. This problem however, has been recently intensified by the introduction of VET courses directly into universities (Kennedy 2005, p.74). However, this does not necessarily mean that VET had raised its status as still remains to be seen as the learning for the less bright or working-class individuals (Stromquist & Monkman 2000, p.185). Moreover, VET in schools created some unforeseen employment problems as it slowly becoming heterogeneous due to programmes being implemented by government. Companies according to Rauner & Maclean (2008, p.250), no longer trust the vocational education system as it used to since VET dramatically changed its focus. For instance, most companies like VET because it produces competencies and attitude required in the actual work thus VET alongside the usual academic curriculum is somewhat not acceptable. In Canberra Institute of Technology, there are more than 700 courses being offered for national and international students with the purpose of enabling their students to work effectively in whatever career they choose. For those who are already working or want to change career, enhance or gain some skills through CIT. However, apart from this purpose, they are encouraging students to CIT as a pathway to college by arranging 150 credit transfer arrangement with other universities (CIT 2010, p.1). Apparently, this is the recent addition to VET in this school where partnership with University of Canberra, Charles Sturt University, ANU, the Australian Catholic University, and other universities could give students studying vocational education a chance to earn a degree. 3. Globalization and the Changing Nature of Work Globalization had expanded a lot of different market including vocational education and associated training market. Globalization pushed the training industry to partnership for work placement and the rise of entrepreneurial schools that market themselves using vocational education as a vehicle to overcome their competitors (Stromquist & Monkman 2000, p.184). Moreover, VET teachers have been recast as more of a training entrepreneur rather than an educator that looked students not as learners but customers with specific needs. According to Foley (2004, p.238), VET institutions are no longer serving its original purpose but moving further to marketization and commercial training. This is because they have no choice but to live within the framework of global competitive markets and the changing nature of work in the 20th century. This also include the sharp rise in the use and development of technology such computers and other digital electronics in almost all types of industries. The changing nature of work put VET and workplace learning in the same limelight as many see them as interrelated. In Australia, work reforms contributed to the further development of adult and vocational teacher education while keeping competency in the agenda. Similarly, the workplace and work becomes increasingly being identified with vocational learning and associated teacher training programs (Malloch 2010, p.213). In the UK for instance, initiatives like the Training Opportunities Programme or Youth Opportunities Programme are all created with flexibility and adaptability to new technology and marker demands (Mansfield & Mitchell 1996, p.30). In Australia, this is seen as VET shifting away to a more outcome-based model where supervisors in workplaces have become assessors. This workplace standard also affects teachers even in Technical and Further Education or TAFE as they must attain these minimum requirements (Murphy & McCormick, 2008, p.126). 4. Lifelong Learning The change to a lifelong learning paradigm also affected some aspect of the traditional vocational education system as well as the role of a VET teacher. These include turning away from a teacher-centred approach to student-centred strategies and transforming into a learning program designer or consultants of vocational career. According to Bunning (2006, p.115), the change does not only concern VET teachers but the VET school since it will also turn into a learning organization and compete in the educational market. This phenomenon according to Edwards (2002, p.159) is ‘tender teaching’ where teachers have to work in commercialized curriculum and understand that knowledge is a commodity. Teachers will undoubtedly play a role in the changing curriculum design, delivery, assessment, and become learners themselves (Grollman & Rauner 2007, p.92). Since government initiatives generally intend to make vocational education attractive, credible, and flexible for lifelong learners, it entails new approaches in teaching and learning (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation 2000, p.67). Consequently, teacher’s role will require more emphasis on individual student coaching and guidance. According to Grollman & Rauner (2007, p.93), teachers in VET are no longer messengers of knowledge but intermediaries in individual learning. In general, the shift from teaching to learning and qualifications to competencies changes VET teachers practices significantly. 5. Key Change and Implications to Teaching The changes in the scope and ideals of VET mentioned earlier put the Canberra Institute of Technology to a different orientation. According to Ryan (2002, p.2), vocational education in schools in Australia have two different perspectives. The perspective view general education as the school’s primary concern while vocational education is being considered a curriculum reform. In contrast, the other perspective sponsors the notion that general educations have less value than vocational competence. In other words, VET in Schools is being seen as more of an alternative to general education rather than a basic school reform because of industry related concerns. However, VET in Schools is not just a matter of perspective or reform since there are number of issues involved in placing traditional outcome-based learning in mainstream education. For instance, barriers in implementing VET in Schools may include first and foremost the quality and experience of teachers and the facilities required for vocational training. It also includes issues in the relevance of school-based programs on the national recognition framework and extent of in-depth programs for basic skill qualifications. Moreover, there may be difficulties in work placement and the limitations of schools to provide relevant vocational courses for the rapidly changing industries (Ryan 2002, p.6). In fact, the final report of the 2006 Inquiry into Vocational Education and Training include addressing inconsistencies in the program quality and low level of provisions in state-based VET priorities and skills shortages (Department of Education and Training 2007, p.4). Advocates of VET in Schools have different matters to discuss such as the notion that students in VET in Schools will be more organized and oriented as they will have strong confidence, positive attitudes, motivation, and learning enjoyment (Adams & Boote 2005, p.60). This argument in support of VET in Schools initiatives is somewhat true in the sense that traditional VET is designed for specific work so that workers can enter a particular industry as plumbers, technician, and so on. In recent years, additional skills were added to enable students to work in diverse fields such as electronics, multimedia productions, and others (Bahr & Pendergast p.239). In other words, the teaching concentration is mostly technical skills rather than general education. It is therefore safe to assume that students in studying in traditional VET providers do not have the privilege of learning similar professional behaviour being offered in a regular school environment. The implications of these changes in teaching as mentioned earlier will generally come from the shift in teaching practices. For instance, a traditional VET teacher that will be hired in VET in School environment will have to alter his teaching practices and include some general education approaches or apply more academic teaching strategies. The teacher will also have to understand the link between his or her profession and market demands so he or she can perform accordingly. The new teacher in VET in Schools environment must learn teamwork and adapt to the teaching practices unique in general education. He or she can no longer perform as passers of skills but should act as teacher and learner at the same time. However, in terms of employment, a traditional VET teacher may find it difficult to land a job in VET in Schools since the program usually hires existing and appropriately qualified teachers in school. In Australia for instance, AQTF or the Australian Quality Training Framework provides the basis for the quality of VET while TAFE or Technical and Further Education but recent government initiatives change this arrangement and allow VET to be offered in schools by a suitable instructor (Bahr & Pendergast 2007, p.242). Since VET in Schools as implied earlier is not just an outcome-based initiative, teachers being considered for the job are usually those with both general and vocational education background. Moreover, VET in Schools programs are nationally accredited and requires quality assurance, consistency in instruction, assessment, and monitoring of student competencies. More importantly, they need to comply with the National Training Package curriculum in order to ensure student’s required level of competencies. In other words, a student who enter and graduated in VET in Schools with Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training will have the same level of competencies comparable to qualifications acquired from any training provider in Australia. VET in Schools is therefore a big challenge for VET teachers in terms of teaching practices and strategies as well as employment. Globalization has a great impact in almost every aspect of people’s lives and businesses around the globe (Powell 2005, p.41). Consequently, the demand for different skills in the labour market increased significantly and governments are trying every possible initiative to comply. Globalization in education expanded while most education systems are gradually losing it original function of promoting national cultures and social cohesion. This is because some governments see internationalized education as a big commercial opportunity due to the demand for skills and qualifications (Pang & Huei 2006, p.38). Consequently, VET with its capability to produce skilled and qualified workers becomes the centre of new policies that include changes with significant impact on teachers. The rise of VET in Schools and Lifelong learning in VET made vocational education a complex environment where teachers become a training entrepreneur rather than a skill developer. More importantly, VET in Schools and Lifelong learning created additional demands for teachers as aside from the usual TAFE requirements, they need to comply with the nationally accepted standards for vocational studies in school environment. The changing nature of work requires VET teachers to be flexible while keeping student competencies at its peak. 6. Critical Reflection This assignment contributed several important facts about adult and vocational education particularly in my role as a teacher. However, the most important points learned are the changes in the educational system and its impact on teaching. For instance, VET was generally a way to acquire specific skills for a certain job but changes in the educational system as dictated by several government initiatives replaced its time serving purpose into market based educational tool. Consequently, teacher’s role in vocational education was altered considerably particularly in the introduction of VET in Schools and associated national and competency based teaching standards. Awareness of these factors particularly those that can directly affect teaching changes the way in which I see the purpose of adult and vocational education. The concept is now beginning to form as a competency education rather than individual specific skills requirements. Vocation education as a whole now becomes more of a business where students are customers and industries as clients. More importantly, as far as VET in Schools is concern, traditional VET teachers have to alter their teaching practices and concentrate more in complying with market demands and maintenance of student’s competency levels. This assignment is definitely not an easy task but with the help of various online literatures and articles, information required to facilitate better understanding of VET and issues surrounding VET in Schools were accessed and analyzed. However, it cannot be denied that some more improvement is necessary particularly in detailing the direct implications of specific changes in traditional VET teachers’ roles, responsibilities, and skills training. In the future, I will make sure that more time and space will be given for a more detailed discussion and presentation of other relevant data. In my opinion, this part of the assignment is the weakest as it lacks detailed information and other helpful data such as statistics and current trend in VET teaching as affected by the changes in the educational system. The strongest part probably is the identification and analysis of implications of the changing educational system in teaching particularly the part where significant changes in teaching practices are required in school-based VET 7. Conclusion VET teaching practices changed so much that would be teachers of adult and vocational education should realize that in the current standards, they are required to change their perception and align their teaching practices to general education approaches. Never again VET could re-align itself for specific skills requirement as its present orientation is strongly focused towards market demands and competency levels. VET in Schools is a new challenge for teachers as they must alter their perception and practices. More importantly, they have to upgrade their skills and learn to go along with general education approaches to survive. 8. References Adams D. & Boote J., 2005, An Insight into the Influence of VET in Schools Programs and Lifelong Learning, VOCAL, Volume 5, 2004-2005. Bahr N. & Pendergast D., 2007, The Millennial Adolescent, Australian Council for Ed Research, Australia Bunning F., 2006, The transformation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the Baltic States: survey of reforms and developments, Germany Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, 2000, Motivating students for lifelong learning, OECD Publishing, UK CIT, 2010, Developing a Skilled Community, available online at http://cit.edu.au/ Department of Education, 2007, Improving the Delivery of VET in Schools, DET Australia, pp.1-26 Edwards R., 2002, Supporting Lifelong Learning: Making policy work, Routledge, UK Evans T., Haughey M., & Murphy, 2008, International Handbook of Distance Education, Emerald Group Publishing, UK Foley G., 2004, Dimensions of adult learning: adult education and training in a global era, McGraw-Hill International, Singapore Grollman P., & Rauner F., 2007, International Perspectives on Teachers and Lecturers in Technical and Vocational Education, Springer, Germany Kennedy K., 2005, Changing schools for changing times: new directions for the school curriculum in Hong Kong, Chinese University Press, Hong Kong Malloch M., 2010, The SAGE Handbook of Workplace Learning, SAGE Publications Ltd, UK Mansfield B. & Mitchell L., 1996, Towards a competent workforce, Gower Publishing, Ltd., UK McNevin G., 2006, Building and construction, Career FAQs, Australia Murphy P., & McCormick R., 2008, Knowledge and practice: representations and identities, SAGE Publications Ltd, UK Pang N. & Hui X., 2006, Globalization: educational research, change and reform, Chinese University Press, Hong Kong Powel M., 2005, Skill formation and globalization, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., UK Ryan R., 2002, Making VET in Schools work: A Review of Policy and Practice in the Implementation of Vocational Education and Training in Australian Schools, Journal of Educational Enquiry, Vol., 3, No.1 pp.1-16 Stromquist N. & Monkman K., 2000, Globalization and education: integration and contestation across cultures, Rowman & Littlefield, US Read More