Reshaping vocational education and training in Aotearoa New Zealand - book link and overview

 

Disclaimer: I am co-author for this book. 

This book, the fruit of two years of effort by many authors from across Aotearoa New Zealand, records the many initiatives, innovations and developments across the vocational education and training (VET) sector as the country enacts the outcomes of the recent reform on VET (RoVE). Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) with 30 years of history and service to their industries, and Institute of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), many with contributions of over a century to VET, all merge into Te Pūkenga, the NZ Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) as of January 2023. 

There are 20 chapters: 4 chapters covering the histories of the ITOs and ITPs, along with the rationale, outcomes and possible implications of RoVE. There are chapters on how ITOs and ITPs work towards addressing inequitable access and outcomes especially for Māori, Pacific, workplace learners and women in the trades. "Innovations" across the sector are also covered, including the application of design thinking towards development and deployment of a culinary arts degree programme, degree apprenticeship in infrastructure asset management, networked/distributed learning in degree midwifery programmes, collaborative development and delivery of the Bachelor in Engineering Technology (BEngTech) programme across 6 ITPs, recognition of prior learning, learning design for practice-based learning, definitions of distance and online learning, and the need for ongoing professional development to assure quality VET provision.

All in, the book makes a contribution towards recording the sector as it moves towards new ways of collaborating and managing VET in Aotearoa NZ consolidates. 

INAP - International Network on Innovative Apprenticeship 2019 DAY - 1 Morning

Notes taken. I will tidy and add links etc. when I get back to work in May J

The International Network on Innovative Apprenticeship (INAP) is holding its biannual conference at the University of Konstanz. Konstanz is a picturesque town on the shores of Lake Konstanz which is on the German / Swiss border. A small conference of just over 100 participants, mainly from Germany with small contingents from Switzerland, Estonia, Italy, China, Ireland, India, Austria, Australia and Canada.

The theme for this 8^th conference is ‘Contemporary apprenticeship reforms and reconfigurations’.

Conference begins with welcome from the Conference committee chair, Professor Thomas Dessinger. Followed by welcomes from the vice-rector for research at Konstanz University, Professor Dirk Leuffen and Professor Philipp Gonon, President of the INAP board.

The first keynote is with Professor Lessa Wheelahan, now based at the University of Toronto, who presents on ‘The relationship between vocational education and the labour market in Australia and Canada – a comparative perspective’. Professor Wheelahan moved to Toronto 5 years ago and shifted there from an illustrious career in Melbourne. Presentation builds on 10 years of work in Australia and Canada. Question was ‘why are qualification in vocationally orientated tertiary education in Anglophone countries have weak links to occupations’. Most of explanations are not in vocational education’s role or employment and educational pathways but a consequence of structures of the labour market and the way employers use qualifications to select graduates to enter and continue. Tighter links important but governments do not do this due to philosophy of letting the market find its place. Presented on the similarities and differences between the two courntries; and understanding what each has done. One major difference is Canada does not have a federal system and each state ‘self-govern’. Obtaining national data is a challenge. VET has higher esteem in Canada when compared to many other Anglophone countries. Canada has VET as part of the higher ed. Sector, whereas with Australia TAFE is not HE. Similar issues – skills mismatches, weak VET in schools, pathways, and weak links between qualifications and work. Canada has a high number of people who have completed Diploma level type qualifications and in total has the second highest percentage (70% - Korea is slightly higher) of people 16 -64 with qualification. In Australia, the short cycle vocational programmes tend to be together with VET / with training the objective. In Ontario, short cycle is still Higher Ed / with emphasis on education.

Presented on varieties of capitalism. Liberal market economies use market to match graduate and jobs. Coordinated market economies used social partnerships. Tight links between ed and work in coordinated market economies, loose links in liberal market economies. Transition systems are important. Coordinated market economies – strong links to work, weaker connections with HE, value outcomes / employment logic. Liberal market – weak connections to work, signal ability – educational logic. Warning – employment or educational logic does not dictate curriculum and assessment. Northern Europe ‘employment logic’ apprenticeship system has strong ed. Component. Liberal market economies use qualifications as a sieve.

Proposed all qualifications should support entry to and progressions in the labour market; further study and lifelong learning; and social inclusion. In unregulated occupations, prepare students for a wider field of practice. ---- Many points here which need to be thought through in relation to the NZ Reform of Vocation Education.

The paper presentations begin and there are 4 streams. I present in the ‘teaching and learning’ stream and stay with the stream through to lunch.

I am first up and present on the findings from one of the eassessment for learning sub-projects – supporting the learning of the sociomaterial: Novices’ perspectives on virtual reality welding simulators. In summary, presented on the precepts of sociomateriality and its importance in trades teaching and learning. The pros and cons of VR welding simulators are discussed based on perspectives from novices. Important sociomaterial aspects of welding are not replicated on the simulators but the opportunities for feedback from learning analytics and accompanying peer learning effects are important positive contributors.

Next, Aine Doherty from the Institute of Technology, Sligo (Ireland) presents on ‘reflective learning is a two way street: using student feedback to improve teaching, learning and assessment in online apprenticeship’. Context is apprentices in the insurance industry completing a 3 year degree apprenticeship leading to a Honours Bachelor qualification. Students work 4 days and meet one day a week online using Adobe Connect. E-diaries were one aspect of reflective learning. Programme now in the third year. Student perspectives were collated and reported in the presentation. 300 word reflective essay every week / every other week in year 2, worth 20% of final mark. Online survey with just over 50% completion of first and second year students. Lowering requirement to a diary essay every other week assisted and student satisfaction improved. Good to see update of this programme which was presented at the last INAP conference.

Then, Dr. Silke Fischer, from the Swiss Federal Institute for VET, Switzerland, shares the principles for ‘The effectiveness of further teacher education (FTE) in Switzerland’. Outcomes from a small part of her thesis. To begin, introduced the VET Swiss system and the school intern further teacher education programme. FTE is a required part of Swiss teaching. VET teachers generally have a discipline specific degree and many teach only part-time. School-intern FTE is where the entire school staff are involved in further learning processes to improve teaching. Generally, a once a semester activity (one day) with expectation teachers will implement the approaches into their lessons. Topics (since 2005) include blended learning, school improvement, videos and numeracy deficits. Sample of 240 plus participated (almost 50%) with most having taught at least 9 years. Results indicate significant discrepancy between knowledge framing the topic between part-time (less) and full-time teachers. Effectiveness of FTE doubtful and lack of transfer in to practice. Topics often not strategically selected and organised.

The final presentation in this session is with Dr. Martin Berger, from the Department of VET, University of Teacher Education, Zurich, on ‘Teacher credibility at vocational school’. Based on his thesis. Defined teacher credibility as the good sense (subject credibility), good moral character (trustworthiness) and goodwill (care of students' learning) which is conferred by students. Image of the teacher, provides an effect of 'an image transfer mechanism (Kopperfield, 2007), helping students' learning through improved engagement to the subject. Quantitative study with VET students. Asked if in assessing the credibility of their teachers, do VET students distinguish between competence, trust and caring; do students assess the credibility of teachers of different subjects differently; and does teacher credibility have an effect on students' subjects perception. Sample of over 600 students between 16 - 21 across 41 occupations covering two subjects - language, communication and society (general education) and vocational subject. Used McCroskey and Teven (1999) three dimensional structural model of teacher's credibility. Extended with instrumental and affective dimensions as well. Found students assessed teacher credibility globally (simple heuristics) rather than separately. There was no difference between credibility of teachers across subjects. More important in general education than the vocational. VET have to cover all the bases of good sense, moral character and care to have effect. More important in general education than in vocational subject. 

National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference - 2014 day 1

At the annual National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference, at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), Invercargill for the next 3 days. Looking forward to catching up with many NZ staff developers and gathering new ideas to share with CPIT colleagues.
dbol
Day one begins with traditional Maori Mihi whakatau, welcomes from conference MC, Sally Dobbs - Academic and Relationship leader (SIT) and SIT CE - Penny Simmonds, Invercargill mayor, Tim Shadbolt. First keynote from Dr. Kerry Reid-Searl - Professor of Nursing from Central Queensland University, with an extension on her keynote from last year. This year, 'Anywhere, anytime: a simulation teaching strategy preparing learners for real world practice beyond the classroom walls'. Challenged teachers to try different and innovative ways to engage students with learning. Introduced the classroom in a small suitcase - based on -simulation - to have a realistic programmes with fidelity and believable. Did a role-play similar to one last year with an elderly patient. Extended on simulation with pedagogical framework - how relationship to 'person' and hearing his journey helps students learn respect and see things from a different perspective. Many dispositional skills including need to learning how to listen and empathise. Mask Ed simulations introduces 9 characters who carry through the 3 years of the nursing programme. Learners build up relationships with the characters, learning by stealth (the hidden educator).

After lunch, attend Aidan Bigham, Trudy Harris and Jackie Messam on 'course design for student centred learning,'. Changed brought about by move into new facilities. Modified OTARA to OSCAR - objectives, success criteria, context, resources. Learning spaces fully flexible with a central 'street' to use whole space or divide into smaller spaces. Team teaching with project based / student based learning. Need to prepare for teaching in a different format, not just concentrate on content. Learning activities are more important to work through than content. Learning around a one semester project to solve engineering problem. Problems based on real-world scenarios or a design brief to be completed by a 'client'.

Then afternoon tea, followed by my keynote on CPIT's experiences with technology enhanced learning (TEL) post-earthquakes with emphasis on our 'project surface tablet' titled - 'flexible and mobile delivery @ CPIT post-2012: Shaken, stirred and poured'. Presentation stressed need to plan, identity learning objective, select pedagogical approach, prepare students and teachers and  evaluate and improve as project progresses.

After keynote, a series of 3 sessions. Firstly, Terry Kapua from Waiariki (Rotorua) with 'mobile device education: tino rangitiratanga for learners'. Introduced an iPhone app to learn Maori allowing for pronunciation to be checked. Correct pronunciation provided. Learner records their version and sent best one to learning management system to mark it. Trialing with 80 students and learning pitfalls and ways to help meet the challenges.

Next, John Hitchcock and Gerry Duignan from Weltec on 'growing 21st century tertiary teachers through a career pathway model'. Discussion groups identified professional development as beginning, intermediate ( 1 - 4 years) and 'experienced' (more than 5 years) teachers. Pattern of -how can I be a teacher, how can I understand learning and for more experiences, how can I understand learners and what can I do to help learners learn?? Discussion on what is 21st century learning. From discussion, introduced an academic staff career framework to try to capture and frame professional / capability development for polytechnic tutors.

Last up today, Cath Fraser and Ruth Petersen with 'getting connected: principles and theories that mean any time anywhere works for students'. Introduced the Goalpost resource produced as an Ako Aotearoa resource for tutors. A just in time resource for new tutors to get them up and running and a follow-up from the Signpost resource  which was a first stop resource for people starting out as tutors in the NZ polytechnic, wananga and private sector. Two resources are supported by Teaching tips 1 and teaching tips 2 workshops to provide interactive sessions.

Conference that headed to the SIT downtown campus for a'night market' set up by students to showcase their work.

AVETRA 2013 day 1 afternoon

After lunch, the keynote is with Colleen Hayward on ‘training and work from an indigenous perspective'. Colleen presented on the many complex challenges in indigenous education and some of the initiatives designed to address them. Both the education and employment environments have been complex, multi-layered and difficult to navigate for indigenous people. In comparison to the broader Australian demographic, indigenous peoples are more likely to be poorer, less educated, under-employed and have poorer physical and health. Of importance is the younger demographical population, hence the need to work at engagement with education to lead to better life outcomes. Some goals to 'close the gap' include ensuring indigenous pre-schoolers receive pre-school opportunities, school completion moving closer to the main population norm etc. Government can legislate but the work still requires whole community focus.
need to understand that causes are multifarious and one challenge impacts on another, exacerbating the challenge. An example is how poor housing leads to poor health in indigenous students. Continuous poor health may lead to continual hearing infections, impacting on students' learning at school. Poor attendance caused by poor health then makes it difficult to catch up.
Strategies to meet the challenges also need to be innovative and recognize the many impacts. For instance, providing tutorial assistance at tertiary level, along with opportunities for supported 'cadetship' leads to support during study both academically and financially. Cadetships also may lead to later employment.

Again, I stay in the VET practice stream – with Christine Liveris from Central Institute of Technology, Perth presenting on ‘practical strategies to facilitate self-regulated learning in vocational education and training business students'. based on an MPhil study of 8 students in a business programme suggests students engaged in a writing activity have little 'recursive activity'. a set of practical strategies to improve students' self-regulation used to improve teaching and learning. Self regulation has many definitions, including goal setting, time management, learning strategies, self evaluation, self attributes, seeking help or information and self motivational beliefs including self-efficacy and intrinsic task interest.  Good students often have self-regulatory characteristics. Phenomenological study to find out students perception of their own self-regulation - students wrote a short report two weeks before interviews carried out. Relationship between ways feedback is used to self-regulated learning. Cognitive strategies used included knowledge of task, positive self-efficacy statements, elaboration strategies (note taking, paraphrasing, summarizing and creating analogies) and some assessment tasks encourage surface rather than deep learning. good writers use recursive problem solving so metacognitive strategies of planning and evaluation are present. Therefore students need to be encouraged to interpret tasks in terms of existing knowledge and self-beliefs; set proximal goals, have authentic writing skills, have models for self regulatory skills, be in environment that supports  self-efficacy. Feedback, both internal and external, is a prime determiner of self-regulatory processes. Use feedback strategies that give learners a more central and active role in the feedback process.

Next up, Kenneth Meyer from CSU, Wagga with ‘ improving imagination skills in order to assist abstractive learning'. positive interventions used to improve students' learning of difficult abstract concepts - physics concepts applicable to electrical trades. Electrical physics is non-sensory therefore difficult to 'experience' with lots of jargon, algebra, abstraction and symbols. Understanding involves creation of idiosyncratic mental model. Improving imagination, mental modeling, abstraction abilities leads to improvement in learning electrical physics. A side effect is improvement in individual motivation. Participatory action research over three semesters with one cohort of students. Strategies included playing imagination and strategy games. Analysed narrative data through activity and tension field (Illeris) learning theories. Findings include that learning electrical physics requires the building of mental models, imagination assist with complexies of abstraction, creating space to problem solve in new ways, imagination illuminates new ways of knowing.

After afternoon tea, I move across to the ‘Teachers and PD’ stream to attend Teresa O’Brien’s (C.Y. O'Connor Institute) presentation ‘ technology pedagogy and content knowledge in action: perspectives of Vocational and training teachers from a regional western Australian institute’. reports on parts of a PhD project, using a mixed method approach, to find out VET teachers' epistemic beliefs about the use of technology to support teaching. Great need to use technology in sparsely populated areas of NW Australia, a key being the capability of TAFE tutors. Study uses a social constructivist perspective positing that technology can provide social, cognitive and emotional support to enable communication and connectivity between learners. technology skills become another requirement of VET teachers who already have to maintain currency in industry expertise and demonstrate teaching expertise. TPACK framework represents knowledge constructed from intersection of technology, pedagogy and content (Koehler & Mishra, 2008). Intersections indicates technology integration. Study added the extra influence of teachers' epistemic beliefs to ensure that TPACK integration occurs. Teacher's beliefs found to be content transmission based. Therefore a mismatch between TPACK framework principles and teachers' beliefs. Need to have PD for teachers that covers all components of TPACK framework.

Last presentation of the day also in the same stream – Melanie William’s (timeFUTURE) presentation on ‘engaging in mixed sector scholarly practice’. Examines the scholarship of teaching and learning (Boyer, 1990) in one Victorian public mixed sector institution in an effort to find out what contributes to 'quality scholarship'. The functions of scholarship include discovery, integration, teaching and application. In Australian context, regulatory requires scholarship but there is no clear definition. Transplanting university understandings to VET problematic. engagement in applied research is one method. Definition of engagement by Boyer (1990, 1996) involves scholarly service; dynamic interaction between theory and practice; tied directly to scholars' professional field; applies and contributes to human knowledge; applied to avoid irrelevance and be useful. Rice (2002) challenged by suggesting that engagement had to involve pedagogy, be community based and collaborative. Method was to commission 3 narratives on scholarly engagement accompanied by reflective commentary. Analysed using grounded theory and emergent themes compared and contrasted. How is scholarly engagement practiced? what makes it distinctive? Three narratives include winery, cookery book development and professional textbook (open source software as topic) writing. All 3 cases involved elements of discovery, integration and/or teaching as well as engagement. Distinctive aspects included the research financed and justified through teaching; scholarship conducted outside professional environment; some funding through crowdsourcing, self publishing on the internet and internet/social media used to make scholarship accessible to the public. Peer review key mechanism for ensuring quality but understood differently from universities. dialogue and collaboration occurred, work was rooted in the literature. Findings include Boyer's framework more useful as analytical than categorical mechanism; scholarly engagement in these cases highly innovative; democratization of the knowledge production process; consideration given to what constitutes quality scholarly practice; and consists of systematic processes of inquiry coupled with scholarly work.

AVETRA AGM followed by conference dinner makes for a long by eventful day.

Visible learning for teachers: book summary

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. London: Routledge.

A follow up to  Hattie’s 2009 book Visible learning: A synthesis of 800+ meta-analysis on achievement, with an emphasis on applying the research findings to enhancing student learning. A powerpoint summarises key points and main messages / arguments.

The 2012 book arrived in the library last week. Had time over the weekend to work through and glean the important messages of relevance to vocational education.

Chapter one provides a short 6 pages introducing the book and purpose - to make the findings from the meta-analysis, accessible and applicable for teachers.

The second chapter summarises the findings from the 2009 meta- analysis – influences on students’ learning, including the conclusion that the teacher plays a big role in helping students learn. The term ‘visible learning’ is defined as occurring when “ learning is the explicit and transparent goal, when it is appropriately challenged, and when the teacher and students both (in their various ways) seek to ascertain whether and to what degree the challenging goal is attained”. Visible learning occurs when there is deliberate practice to attain a learning outcome, appropriate feedback is provided or asked for and when both teachers and students are engaged and passionate about learning. (page 18)

Chapter 3 puts forward the case for the ‘passionate. Inspired teacher’ and identifies traits of expert teachers as being able to:

- Identify the most important ways to represent the subject that they teach

- Be proficient at creating an optimal classroom learning climate

- Monitor learning and provide feedback

- Have the belief that all students can reach the success criteria

- Influence the learning outcomes of students with respect to deep or surface outcomes.

The next part (part 2) from chapters 4 – 8 presents the recommendations for teachers on preparing, starting, structuring the flow for learning and feedback and ending the lesson.  This part is recommended NOT as a linear process but provides concrete connections with findings from the 2009 meta-analysis on the effective things teacher can do to enhance students’ learning.

Chapter 4

Firstly, a need to establish ‘what the student already knows’ and what the students is able to achieve (Piaget). Secondly, learning is a social and collaborative process between teacher/student and student/student interaction. The chapter summaries the various ways students approach learning – their self-efficacy, readiness and motivation to learn. Then connects to how teachers plan lessons to establish students’ readiness, chart progressing and raise student goal expectations.

Chapter 5

The chapter ‘starting a lesson’ discusses setting a climate for learning and tracks the various studies on the ‘flow’ of a lesson and how learning can be improved.

Chapter 6

This chapter follows on to concentrate on the learning aspect of the flow of the lesson. Summaries of various phases of learning (capabilities in thinking, phases of thinking, motivation, how we learn) and discussion on various methods useful towards meeting students’ learning needs. Includes differential instruction, various learning strategies, backward strategies, deliberate practice, concentration and persistence.

Chapter 7

The role of feedback in the flow of the lesson is discussed in this chapter. A summary of the three feedback questions (where am I going? How am I going there? Where to next) and the four feedback levels (task and product, process, self-regulation/ conditional and self).  Overview of studies of feedback including frequency, types , formative, prompts. Also the role of peers.

The last chapter presents the need for teachers to commit to establishing ‘mind frames’ with support from school leaders and the school system. These mind frames are important through professional development, teachers’ own reflection and on-going commitment, towards adopting, developing and sustaining the concepts presented through part 2.

Eight mind frames are presented. They are:

- A belief that teachers’ fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students’ learning and achievement.

- A belief that success or failure in student learning is about what they, as teachers do, or did not do.

- Encouragement for teachers to talk more about learning than teaching

- To see assessment as feedback on teachers’ impact.

- To engage in dialogue, not monologue.

- Enjoy the challenge and never give up on ‘doing their best’

- The teachers’ role is to develop positive relationships in classrooms / staff rooms

- For teachers to inform ALL about the language of learning.

Overall, the book is easy reading, introducing a wide range of teaching concepts and philosophies through a ‘talking to the teacher’ writing style. I have now placed an order to purchase the book as the book is a ‘must-read’ for anyone in teacher education. I can then highlight and bookmark the many pertinent sections of the book, of which there are many.

Almost all the recommendations are generalizable to the vocational education sector. However, the book is pitched at the school sector, hence the discussions in part two on ‘lessons’ are based around NZ classroom practices and the studies used to substantiate recommendations come from a wide range of mostly Western education school systems.  A synthesis between the workplace based learning literature and the recommendations from this book will be useful for vocational educators. As although there are many commonalities, vocational education has different learning objectives and an intended curriculum which impinges heavily on how teaching and learning is delivered. 

NCVER 2010 day two morning

A later start today, which allowed me to get into town to the local Apple store (beautiful layout) to try to get an ipad. Alas, none available, so put in my registration to be on the list. Not likely I will get one by the time I leave on Saturday. Will have a trawl around the other prospectives this evening if I can fit it in.


First keynote at 9.30am by Trevor Gale from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Ed. at the University of South Australia who spoke on 'Has equity's time come for VET? How can we embed it into the system. He provided the guidelines between difference & similarity. These include the following myths, difference being innate, social difference is the result of hard work & commitment, difference is everything, difference, difference is about equality:treating everybody the same. Much has been changed but much still stays the same :( VET in Oz has not received the same attention from policy makers on equity issues as compared to schooling. In thi, there is perhaps a clear difference between NZ & Oz, where NZ has for a longer time, had policies to support Maori & Pacific peoples. He proposed 10 equity observations & principles. These 10 equity policies may form a foundation for the development of VET approaches to equity. A thought provoking presentation which covered key principles related to issues of equity.

Then three presentations this morning relating to VET teacher training or teaching. First up, Hugh Guthrie from NCVER on initial teacher training. Research undertaken in late eighties, early nineties and later half of the nineties. Since then, not much done, hence this piece of research. Currently, VET teachers need to have a qualification over & above the level at which they teach & the Cert IV qualification. Also, VET teachers need to also keep competency & currency in the their specialise area. Plus the need to build skills as a teacher. NCVER stats show large number completing Cert IV (26,000) but only small numbers go further (800!) & perhaps 400 complete HIgher Dip. in Voc Ed.There seems to be very few Higher Ed. institutions offering further Voc. Ed. qualifications (only 14). Advocates individual organisations should offer PD relevant towards upgrading VET teachers. Perhaps too many expectations placed on Cert IV & there may need to be recognition of alternative approaches. One reason being that Cert IV tends to replace a need for organisations to put in place their own PD programmes.

Next, Emma Curtin from the L.H. Martin Institute at University of Melbourne on the quality of VET teaching. Emma provided an overview of the project including the conceptual model used. Also provided the context, project phases & some themes. This research is to eventually makde recommendations on quality of VET teaching, VET teacher quals & continuing PD (CPD) & the impact this has on student teaching. Project one of 3 concurrent, the other two mapping existing VET teacher prep programmes (Hugh Guthrie in presentation just before this one) & exploring perceptions of recent Cert IV grads (Berwyn Clayton from yesterday's pecha kucha). Literature review available on ACE website. Data collection mainly completed, data analysis to continue with final report due end of 2010. Initial findings include Cert IV a starting point but needs to be extended further with mentoring / expert guidance for new tutors, CPD needs to be formalised with opportunities for maintaining industry currency, attaining pedagogical knowledge with quals. & CPD as being interdependent. Mixed responses to how quality in teaching can be quantified. there seems to be need from some to recognise VET teaching as a profession - pehaps registration or accreditation? Some thoughts raised by initial data - one size does not fit all, may need to rethink structure of profession, more research needed on VET pedagogy.

Last session before lunch, by Susanne Francisco from the Canberra Instititute of Technology on 'how novicel TAFE teachers learn how to teach' based on her proposed doctoral research. This is a very under-researched area which has implications on VET quality of delivery etc. There is demand for TAFE teachers to have an increasingly sophisticated pedagogical repertoire (Guthrie et al, 2006). Focus of project on finding out how novice teachers learning how to teach through their practice both within and outside of TAFE. Uses Schiatzki which proposes 'bundles of practices & material arrangements'. Practice is made up of 'actions & structures which consist of know how, rules, teleogical - affective structuring and understanding. Also uses Kemmis (2009)who premises practice as doings, sayings and relatings.

Perspectives of new trades tutors - final report now on Ako Aoteoroa website

The report prepared for Ako Aoteoroa Southern Hub on 'perspectives of new tutors: Towards a scholarship of teaching and learning for vocational educators" now reviewed and uploaded on to the main Ako Aoteoroa website.  It currently features on the main page :) and the full report access page also provides for a short summary.

I really enjoyed working on this project.  My grateful thanks to the tutors who took part in the interviews, the staff developers (you know who you are!) who assisted in making contact with the research particiapnts, organising venues and other logistical issues, Bridget and Pat at Southern Hub and my teaching colleagues in staff development and adult educatin at CPIT.  Collegial support provided by all which provides me with confidence to embark on this year's research projects.

I am hopeful that the report provides a viewpoint on how trades tutors bring in a wealth of skills and knowledge but then have to 'boundary cross' into the corporate/organisational maze which make up most polytechnics/insitution's cultures.  The suggestions provided at the end of the report are to springboard from the workplace based pedagogical understandings of trades people. Using principles of social cultural / participative theories of learning including situated learning, cognitive apprenticeships, workplace learning and learning as becoming to ignite interest and engagement with other humanistic/critical approaches to adult learning.

I have learnt much from working on this project. Much of the learning will transfer directly into the three research projects I will be working through this year.  The Ako Aoteoroa National project funded 'belonging, becoming and being: Perspectives of first year apprentices",  the CPIT Foundation funded http://mportfolios.blogspot.com/2009/11/learning-trades-skills-using-multimodal.html and the ongoing project on using mobile phones to compile eportfolios on mobile styled website/pages.