VOCATIONAL PEDAGOGY: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
Ardian Wahyu Setiawan1)
Politeknik Manufaktur Bangka Belitung, Airkantung Industrial Area, 33211 Email: ardian.setiawan@gmail.com
Abstract
Although vocational pedagogy has been acknowledged as a useful concept in vocational education, particularly in the context of higher education, it has been under-theorised and under-researched. Moreover, interpreting the concept and bringing it to practice have been a challenge. This article discusses the concept of vocational pedagogy and interprets it using Shulman’s tripartite framework. It further proposes practical methods for applying vocational pedagogy. The nature of vocational pedagogy is presented as a basis for bringing the concept to practice. It is proposed that as part of ‘signature pedagogies’, vocational pedagogy should be focused on developing three aspects: ‘habits of the mind’ which refer to the ways the teachers and students think, ‘habits of the hand’ which are the practical -habitual activities done by teachers and students, and ‘habits of the heart’ which refer to teachers’ and students’ attitudes.
Keywords: vocation, vocational pedagogy, vocational education
Abstrak
Meskipun pedagogi vokasi secara umum telah dianggap sebagai konsep yang bermanfaat dalam pendidikan vokasi, terutama dalam konteks pendidikan tinggi, tidak banyak studi yang berkaitan dengan konsep ini. Terlebih, memahami dan menginterpretasikan konsep tersebut serta membawanya dalam ranah praktis merupakan suatu tantangan tersendiri. Artikel ini membahas konsep pedagogi vokasi dan menginterpretasikan konsep tersebut dengan menggunakan kerangka tripartite oleh Shulman. Metode-metode praktis untuk menerapkan pedagogi vokasi diajukan dalam artikel ini. Sifat dan karakteristik pedagogi vokasi disajikan sebagai dasar untuk membawa konsep tersebut ke dalam ranah praktis. Sebagai bagian dari signature pedagogy, pedagogi vokasi harus mengembangkan tiga aspek: habits of the mind yang merujuk pada cara berpikir pengajar dan siswa, habits of the hand yaitu kebiasaan-kebiasaab praktis yang dilakukan oleh pengajar dan siswa, dan habits of the heart yang merupakan sikap pengajar dan siswa.
Kata kunci: vokasi, pedagogi vokasi, pendidikan vokasi
VOCATIONAL PEDAGOGY
Generally, the view that vocational education should focus on students’ practical
skills has been accepted. It becomes one of the reasons justifying that vocational education requires vocational pedagogy. Despite the ongoing debates on the concept of vocational pedagogy, it has been acknowledged as a useful concept in vocational education, particularly in vocational higher education. However, as Lucas (2014) argues, it has been under-theorised and under-researched. Taking such a circumtance into account, this article discusses the concept of vocational pedagogy; it further
interprets the concept using Shulman’s tripartite framework and proposes practical
methods for applying vocational pedagogy.
vocational education needs pedagogies which are specific, adjusted to the needs and modes of learning of the subjects. The term ‘signature pedagogies’ coined by Shulman (2005) covers the specificity of pedagogies required by vocational education. Vocational pedagogy is a pedagogical concept which can be used to address the need of vocational education of specific ‘signature’ pedagogies. It is ‘the science, art and craft
of teaching and learning vocational education’ – in a simpler definition, it is ‘the sum
total of the many decisions which vocational teachers take as they teach, adjusting their approaches to meet the needs of learners and to match the context in which they find
themselves’ (Lucas, 2014). In other words, vocational pedagogy is an umberella term covering the approaches that vocational teachers use to deliver specific, contextual, and needs-based learning to students.
THE NATURE AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF VOCATIONAL PEDAGOGY
–How can we apply the concept in our teaching?
Understanding the nature of vocational pedagogy is important as it will help
teachers provide learning experience which matches students’ needs. It also encourages
vocational teachers and researchers to think about the main objectives of vocational education, which can improve its status (Lucas, 2014).
Vocational pedagogy, which is often called as the sub of andragogy, should be student-centered, needs-based, and dynamic (adjustable).
Student-centered: The student-centeredness of vocational pedagogy is based on constructivism (the constructivist learning theory) which emphasizes the critical role of students in constructing meanings from information/knowledge and prior experience. Vocational pedagogy covers teaching methods which shift the focus of instructions from teachers to students. Therefore, it develops learner autonomy and independence. Its student-centeredness puts learning responsibility in students’ hands. Therefore, instructions in vocational pedagogy, which focus on practices, enable independent problem solving and lifelong learning.
Needs-based: Vocational pedagogy should be based on the needs of learners.
Dynamic (Adjustable): Students’ needs are various, depending on many factors, such as students’ required knowledge and competence, age, and socio-culture. Therefore, vocational pedagogy becomes dynamic (adjustable).
In his work, Shulman (2005) explains that ‘signature pedagogies’ shape ‘habis of the mind, habits of the hand, and habits of the heart’. This means that ‘signature’ –
specific pedagogies, which include vocational pedagogy, should focus on the three
aspects: ‘habits of the mind’ which refer to the ways the teachers and students think, ‘habits of the hand’ which are the practical-habitual activities done by teachers and
students, and ‘habits of the heart’ which refer to teachers’ and students’ attitudes. Ideally, vocational pedagogy should be focused on developing the three aspects.
Further, Shulman’s tripartite framework is employed to bring vocational pedagogy from theory to practice.
‘Habits of the mind’ – which are undertood as the ways students and teachers think
– can be developed by using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a practical framework. The taxonomy reflects the levels of thinking skills expected in vocational learning. By using
Bloom’s taxonomy, learning activities which develop students’ thinking skills can be
understanding-Figure 1. Thinking Skills Framework Source:
https://student.unsw.edu.au/sites/all/files/uploads/group40/critthinking_bloom.png
Depending on the levels of learning, teachers can create activities based on the categories. Table 1 presents some sampe activities which teachers can create to develop
the ‘habits of the mind’ based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Table 1. Sample activities based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
Categories Learning Activities
Knowledge-development activities
Ask students to recall facts and basic concepts
Understanding-development activities
Ask students to explain ideas or concepts
Application activities Ask students to use
information in new/different situations
Analysis activities Ask students to draw
connections among ideas Evaluation activities Ask students to justify a
stand or decision
‘Habits of the hand’ refer to the habitual-practical activities done by students. With
regard to vocational education, this aspect is important as it develops students’ practical
skills. Many researchers have designed models or frameworks which can be employed
to translate the ‘habits of the hand’ and particularly to design tasks which develop students’ practical skills (Kennedy, Hyland & Ryan, 2006). For this study, psychomotor domain model by Ferris and Aziz (2005) is used to decsribe students’ levels of practical skills and the abilities expected from each level. The pschomotor domain model is employed as it focuses on manual tasks requiring the use and manipulation of objects and physical activities (Merrit, 2008). While psychomotor domain model fits the ‘habits of the hand’, other practical models or approaches for
developing students’ practical skills can also be employed.
Table 2. Psychomotor Domain Model
Level Descriptions
Recognition of tools and materials
Able to recognize tools and materials
Handling of tools and materials
Able to handle tools and materials
Basic operations of tools
Able to perform certain basic tasks using the tools
Competent operation of tools
Able to perform a range of tasks requiring the use of the tools
Expert operation of tools
Able to use the tools effectively to
perform a range of tasks on a regular basis
The third aspect of Shulman’s tripartite framework of ‘signature pedagogies’ is
‘habits of the heart’. This aspect refers to the formation of students’ positive attitudes in doing certain tasks and, more importantly, in learning. As part of the affective domain,
‘habits of the mind’ are difficult to observe and measure. However, teachers can
implement particular activities to form/shape students’ positive attitudes. According to Veerplanken and Aarts (1999), habit and attitude is interdependent. Subsequently,
students’ attitudes are not isolated from their habitual activities or practices. In other words, habitual activities can be understood as shaping students’ attitudes. Taking this socio-psychological view into account, in students’ learning, teachers should ‘insert’ positive values. Not only are teachers responsible for developing positive habits, they are also in charge of developing positive attitudes.
CONCLUSIONS
Vocational pedagogy, which has been acknowledged as a useful concept in vocational education, has been under-theorised and under-researched. To interpret the concept and bring it from theory to practice have been a challenge. Shulman’s (2005) tripartite framework can be employed to apply vocational pedagogy. It has been
proposed that as part of ‘signature pedagogies’, vocational pedagogy should be focused on developing three aspects: ‘habits of the mind’ which refer to the ways the teachers
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