Laura Bonica & Viviana Sappa Department of Psychology University of Turin Italy

1. International Conference Turin, September 17th and 18th, 2009 TO EARN OR TO LEARN ?IDENTITY IMPLICATION OF MICROTRANSITIONS FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS IN WORKING CLASS ADOLESCENTS IMPLIED IN INNOVATIVE VOCATIONAL TRAINING Laura Bonica & Viviana Sappa Department of Psychology University of Turin Italy

2. INTRODUCTION (1) ITALIAN VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PATHS Low social class and poorest grades at school students (Pombeni, 1993; Bonica, 2007) NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM REGIONAL TRAINING SYSTEM 3-5 years 1-3 years 20-35% failed 13% shift to vocational training Qualification + Diploma Qualification

3. INTRODUCTION (2) In most developmental researches, the choice of vocational paths is considered a psychosocial risk for identity development, as it is interpreted as an avoidance of learning tasks and a desire for immediate autonomy at the cost of inhibiting exploration and greater ambitions (Tilton-Weaver, Vitunski, & Galambos, 2001; Bonino, Cattelino, 2002; Largie,et al., 2001) However, the pathways following dropping out of school the teaching - learning characteristics of vocational learning contexts and the perceived quality of learning experience, have rarely been questioned in relation to these students’ motivational orientation, despite the recognised “excessively theoretical” nature of Italian schools, which especially has negative implications upon the vocational paths (Bottani, 2002).

4. an ambiguity arises: both the institutional and the theoretical level seem to be implicated in this process, but the failure is often attributed only to the students themselves or to the characteristics of the social background from which they originate. This seems to still confirm an interpretative model of the school failure inspired by the deficit model. Given this ambiguity, it is difficult to ascertain if the working class adolescents choosing national vocational system and dropping out of these schools, must be considered at risk because they are mainly motivated to earn as soon as possible, at the cost of inhibiting exploration and greater ambitions, or rather they would like to better learn a job, but the cultural model adopted by the school left, did not fit with this aim (Bonica & Sappa, 2006, 2008).

5. INTRODUCTION (3) In our hypotheses this ambiguity is founded on a poor consideration both of the plurality of intelligence and cultures(Gardner,1991) that converges in today's school, and of the increasing importance assumed by learning in the world of labour (Heinz, 2002, Engestrom, 2001). with the consequence to: 1. Perpetuate the traditional dichotomic conception of the relationship among “learning” and “working”, “head” and “hands”, “thinking” and “doing”. 2. Interpreter the learning motivation of the young people choosing vocational schools in term of “weakness”

6. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND AIM Starting from this background, we believe that vocational identity development(Erikson, 1968; Heinz, 2002)must be addressed within: • a non-dichotomic conception of learning both in and outside of school(Lave, Wenger, 1991; Sennet, 2008; Resnick, 1987; Engestrom, 2001; Gardner, 1991; Pontecorvo et al., 1995) • and adopting cultural - ecological research approaches, alternative to the deficit model(Cresas, 1978; Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bateson, 1972; Valsiner, 2002)that give greater visibility to the dynamics of interaction between subject and context(Bonica, 2008). The aim of this presentation is to contribute to overcome the ambiguities, proposing a new approach to study vocational identity, which starts from a pilot study designed on the basis of these theoretical and methodological premises.

7. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGICAL OPTIONS • Our pilot longitudinal study, starting in 2000, involved 503 adolescents and young adults (15-21 years old, 89% male) belonging to working class families of Turin, while they were living a microtransition from school failure to success in two excellent vocational training centres in the metal mechanic field. • Two specific methodological options were valorised: • the opportunity of comparison among different contexts/models of teaching-learning, interpreted as a transformation experiment(Bronfenbrenner, 1979). • the adoption of a multi level reflexive approachbased on • self comparison between contexts over time(Bonica, 2008).

8. “Trasformation experiment” : significant variables Comparison on the perceived quality of the learning settings SCHOOL FAILURE SCHOOL SUCCESS INNOVATIVE TRAINING Learning by doing Apprenticeship, Evaluation of pratical skills, cooperative learning (Pontecorvo et al., 1995;Resnick, 1987; Ajello et al. 2000; Slavin, 1990; Bonica e al., 2007) 2400 hours,8 hours per day. (1600 workshop-800 work experience) TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Frontal lessons Focus on theory Abstract, individual and decontextualised knowledge (IARD, 2009, Resnick,1987; Bottani, 2000) Similar daily COMMITMENT FORMAL CONTEXTS OF VOCATIONAL LEARNING In metal-working filed CFPA “work”: sure job CFPR no sure job Continuity discontinuity Comparison on the dominant motivation (to earn vs to learn a job)

9. Multi level reflexive approach Self comparison between contexts over timeas a minimum unit of analysis SCHOOL FAILURE SCHOOL SUCCESS Contrasting situations evoke emotional-cognitive mechanisms (for example, surprise) that stimulate the opportunity to make comparisons (Sclavi, 1989; Bonica, 2005, 2008). The comparison of one’s own experiences between contexts and over time encourages subjective reflection (Bruner, 1990) and causal exploration (Weiner, 1985), from which personal meaning and new constructs may emerge (Bonica, Sappa, 2008). “diaries of surprise” in which subjects were asked to write freely about whatever surprised them in the new experience; in-depth biographical interviewson their learning experiences. itemsregarding the perceived quality of the learning experience(Bonica, 2001): the students were asked to compare their personal scholastic experiences on the basis of how many timesin both the training and the previous school contexts they had certain experiences

10. Research design 2005 Sept. 2000 Context 1 – Vocational Training Centre (CFPA) Grant – entrance selection – connection with a metal mechanic company - certain job placement -technologically advanced simulated workshop – work experience at the first and second years Vocational Training Experience Total sample Path following Vocational Training Questionnaire Follow up Questionnaire (125 subjects CFPA) Diaries “surprise” Observations VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Education Welcome Workshop Test Work stage Work stage 12 and 18 months after qualification 1st year 2nd years Interview Sub-sample (10 subjects CFPA) Sub-sample (30 sobjects) Context 2 – Vocational Training Centre (CFPA) Open to at-risk adolescents - religious educational institution - links with small local firms - work experience only in the second year – specific interest in personal education and rehabilitation

11. RESULTS For this presentation, we selected those findings we considered more salient in order to overcome the institutional and theoretical ambiguity concerning vocational identity construction processes. Starting from the reflexive perspective of the students, we selected data coming out from the analysis of both the questionnaire (extensive data on all the sample) (Bonica, 2001) and the narrative material (intensive data on part of the sample). Analyzing the narrative material, particular attention was put to the “contrastive structure of the discourse” (here…there; now… before; I…they) interpreted as discursive expression of the process of self comparison between contexts and over time of our interest.

12. We have organized our findings in these 2 macro-categories: • Comparison of Self between contexts and over time. This set of findings reflects on personal change in terms of new identity positioning and questions the deficit presupposes of weakness attributed to these population. • 2. Comparison between contexts over time in which our focus shifts from the individual to the contexts. This set of findings reflects on the optimal conditions to overcoming the dichotomy between “school” and “work”, and questions the institutional fragmentation and rigidity.

13. Comparison of Self between contexts and over time FROM AVOIDING LEARNING TASK…… 73% of the whole sample dropped out of a high school at least once I don’t have the brains to study …only my arms to work

14. Why did you choose this course? TO PERCEVERANCE, COMMITMENT, AND LEARNING MOTIVATION…… 85% promoted, 77/100 average marks of qualification Motivational orientation Paired sample t-test, t=14,309 Sig<.005

15. How do you define yourself? 75% claimed they wanted to resume their studies

16. TO NEW IDENTITY POSITIONINGS AS COMPETENT SELF……

17. Comparison between contexts and over time The comparison between perceived learning settings highlights the relevance of founding a vocational identity construction on a significant learning experience embedded in a framework of “shared challenge”. The optimal conditions in order to overcome the presupposed weakness of these students and the supposed dichotomy between learning and working seem, in fact, to derive fromthe perceived challenge shared with teachers and tutor who daily demonstrated their commitment in teaching, connecting “doing” and “knowing” and promoting students’ learning in a relational context of reciprocity.

18. Opportunity of personal experimentation Emotional-cognitive and relational quality of the involvement in the learning activities Recognition of a sense of belonging / alienation in the learningcommunity

19. EXP 1: PREVIOUS SCHOOL Feel oppressed [r] Ask yourself if it really makes sense to be there [r] Not succeed in understanding the explanation given [r] .819 .857 Worried and take care not to miss information Feel wellcome Stressed but satisfied Fell afraid to ask for explanations [r] Perception of meaning Put into practice .664 .583 .730 .884 .817 .849 Wellcome and support Put into practice Cognitive engagement NS NS NS NS Motivation to learning a job EXP 2: TRAINING INNOVATIVE CENTRES .320** .382** Fell afraid to ask for explanations [r] .593 Mastery experimentation Shared objective .777 .666 .744 Stressed but satisfied .512 Feel oppressed [r] .651 .580 .503 Not succeed in understanding the explanation given [r] Put into practice Ask yourself if it really makes sense to be there [r] Worried and take care not to miss information Feel wellcome Bonica & Sappa, 2005

20. THE SHARED CHALLENGE FIND CORRESPONDENCE ON THE LEVEL OF …. New model of emancipatoryidentification

22. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (1) By our outcomes and narratives, we have tried to demonstrate that the image of “weakness” attributed to these youths , and the supposed dichotomy between “learning” and “working”, could be challenged. Regarding the role of institution the self comparison between contexts over time, highlights the relevance of founding a vocational identity construction on a “shared challenge” (Bonica, Sappa, 2006), also in term of greater institutional flexibility between, at least, the different vocational pathways (Bonica,2007) It is important to consider that AFTER THE QUALIFICATION THE NEW COMMITMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF THESE STUDENTS, CHALLENGED A RIGID SCHOOL- WORK SYSTEM, which reintroduced the dichotomy between school and work, discouraging the young people from continuing their studies (Sappa, 2005).

23. When I started working in this factory...I really knew a lot...the director and the foreman were surprised too. (They said) “You attended a really good school”... The skills acquired guaranteed good continuity between training and employment The employer arrived and asked me to work immediately … a colleague whom I asked for help told me: “If they hired you, it’s because you can do the job and you know how to work … so you should just go there and do your work” (without any help) But, their need to learning was often ignored or dismissed in the work context I said to myself, “It’s up to me... if I want to improve myself “I can” .. and I enrolled in the evening school… butmy employer told me, “I need someone who works 8 hours, so you can go to school or come here”.

24. Institutional obstacles • not recognition of the qualification by the educational system • difficulty in obtaining permission by the work context to attend evening classes, or time to learn on the work place (Sappa, 2005)

25. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS • The effective continuation of studies after the qualification concerned mainly the youths who had the opportunity to continue within the same context (CFPR) 80% attended the 3° year of training • Further educational aspirations were harder to realize for the CFPA students, whose only option was to return to the national educational system, but without recognition for the two-year training course completed. Only 8.2% of these actually resumed studying

26. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (2) In conclusion, we believe that the aspects highlighted constitute, particularly with reference to the specific cultural features of this population, useful elements in order to study and to support the process of constructing vocational identity, trying to overcome the ambiguities described above. The theoretical and methodological choices appear to have been a good starting point. Finally, our study of scholastic and school to work transitions is being extended to working class families, parents and their sons interviewed separately at home (Bonica & Sappa, 2009), and to populations involved in other trajectories, including other professional profiles and a female population (Bonica et al., 2007; Bonica & Sappa, 2009; Sappa, in preparation).

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