1. Science education in vocationaleducation Discussion at SMERG meeting 14th of january 2011 Led by Paola V. and Peer S. D.

2. A project … • Led by project partner, funded by Ministry of Education • Teachers and students from farming and healthcare assistance are participants and informants. • Development of science education in vocationaleducation • Applicationoriented (andvendelsesorienteret) • Close to practice(praksisnær) • Development of science educationdidactics

3. Whichcontext of practice and application? • The contentcontext: the academicdisciplines and the concepts and procedures of differentscientificdisciplines • Classroomcontext: teacher, students and contents and the resourcesavailable. ”Schoolcontext” • Out of classroomcontext, but still ”school”: outdoors, informal, extramuralcontextswhere ”nature” is. F.eks. The woodsaround the schoolor the cow stable in the schoolpremises, the hospital work, elderlyhome. • The tradecontext: wherepeopleperform a trade (the farm thatproducescrops, or the work at a en elderlyhome)

4. Leads to general questions • Application: of whatintowhichsituation? • Close to practice: whosepractice and where? • What has value for whomwhen?

5. Vocationaleducation- a specificcontext • Practice in the trade/profession • School-basededucation • Manysubjects • Some of themrelates to life science disciplines: ecology, edaphology, physiology, microbiology, … • The policy • Competencedescription of aimsand curriculum • The levels of qualifications and competencerelatespartly to preparatoryeducation

6. Empiricalmaterialon the specificschools • Gråsten Farm School (FS) • Teachers: Torkild (45, graduate in agriculture), Inger (42, ditto) • 4 1st year students (2 direct from public school, 2 from highschool) • Grindsted Farm School (FS) • Teachers: Poul (52, agriculturaltechnician), Per (50, ditto) • 4 1st year students and 2 last year students all from public school • Silkeborg Health Care Assistent School (HCA) • Teachers: Jette (56, homeeconomicsteacher), Peter (54, schoolteacher) • 4 1st year students of varying age and background.

7. What the teachersexpres • Content • FS: Biology, plants, fertilization, • HCA: Hygiene, nutrition, acidity, microbiology • Methods • FS: case-based, avoidschool-like • HCA: Repetition and trainingtasks, cases • Pupil background • FS: Wants to beactive, large variation • HCA: you have to explain the relevance • Application • HCA: cleansing agents • Practice • FS: using the right terms, difficult in plant cultivation • HCA: Nutrition and preparingmeals

8. What the students expres • Interest • FS: workwithanimals, fishing and hunting • HCA: workwithhumans, nutrition • Motivation • FS: wants to be a veterinarian, plans to growtrees, educationincludespractice • HCA: like to workwithhumans, prepare for nurse education • Science: • FS: feeding of cattle, • HCA: Hygiene, rememberssomethingabout a bluecrystaland tadpoles from public school, learn a lot, getgoodexplanations • Preconceptions of trade and science • FS: a bigresponsiblity, nature preservation • HCA: Handwash, microbiology • Spare time • FS: work and spare time overlaps • HCA: ownexperiencewithcleansing agents

9. The issues of interest and motivation: Is it possibleto make mayonnaise? Arguments for science education(Sjøberg, 1998; Osborne & Hennessy, 2006 ) • The economic argument: Economicallybeneficial for the individual • The utilitarian argument: A practicaldailyusefulknowledge • The cultural argument: Part of human culture • The democraticargument: Essentiel in democraticliteracy - Part of the projectintent to balance these 4 better in vocationaleducation

10. Vocational versus preparatoryscience education Is this a Danish specialityor do yourecognizesomething from Sweden, Portugal, Malaysia, Colombia, …?

11. Canyoutrain for a trade and prepare for furthereducation at the same time? • Whatshouldbeadded and how fast shallyou stir? • Howcancompetencesacquiredduringvocationaleducationbeuseful in furthereducation? • Howcanknowledgeacquriedduringpreparatoryeducationbeuseful in a trade?

12. ? onvocational science education • What kinds of applicationcanimprovevocational science education? • Whichelements from tradepracticecanimprovevocational science education?

13. ? onvocational science education • Is vocational science education a uniqueentity? • If so by whichattributes is it distinguished from other types of science education? • Logics in • School • Policy/education driven • Practicum • Didactics: normative orcritical? • Trade • Performance/utility driven • Practice