Retreat, refocusing or repositioning On the future of European research in the field of Vocational E

1
Retreat, refocusing or repositioning? - On the
future of European research in the field of
Vocational Education and Training

• Pekka Kämäräinen
• ECER 03
• Hamburg, September 2003

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Overview

• Basic options for the development of VET systems
  and vocational learning cultures
• New preconditions for European policy
  development regarding the field of VET
• Main options for shaping European cooperation
  activities in the field of VET
• Basic role models regarding the participation of
  research in VET-related policy shaping
• Alternative perspectives for the development of
  European VET research

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Basic options for the development of VET systems
and vocational learning cultures

• Cultural amalgamation of current VET systems
  into general macro-menus for lifelong learning
• Cultural branding of separate industry-linked
  initiatives for work-related learning
• Cultural reorientation towards new curricular
  initiatives that build upon the intermediate
  character of vocational learning
• Is their room for common dialogue on the future
  development of VET cultures?

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New preconditions for European policy development
regarding the field of VET

• European policy development based on common
  objectives and criteria for educational
  transparency
• European policy development based on a common
  area for transnational mobility and exchanges
• European policy development based on common
  platforms for initiative-based knowledge
  development
• Is their room for common reflection on European
  policy learning in the field of VET?

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Main options for shaping European cooperation
activities in the field of VET

• Safe issues that refer to consolidated
  research designs and to stable partnership
  policies
• Hot issues that require mobility across
  priority themes and flexible partnership policies
• Generative issues that refer to interfaces
  between research and development and to creation
  of learning research communities
• Is their room for common research dialogue based
  on diverse European cooperation initiatives?

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Basic role models regarding the participation of
research in VET-related policy shaping

• Researchers as independent reviewers that provide
  evaluative feedback on VET policies
• Researchers as mobile explorers that provide
  insights into emerging areas of VET development
• Researchers as committed partners that support
  knowledge development on innovations in VET
• Is their room for trans-cultural dialogue on the
  contribution of VET research?

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Alternative perspectives for the future
development of VET research in Europe

• Retreat from VET-specific questions to general
  educational research themes (with a focus on LLL)
• Refocusing on boundary-crossing initiatives in
  the border zones between education, training and
  work
• Repositioning of VET-specific developments as
  bridging elements between societal innovations
  and social inclusion
• Is there a need for a common position regarding
  the role of VET in future research agendas in
  Europe?

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Alternative perspectives for the future
development of European VET research

• Retreat from trans-national cooperation to
  reporting on national developments in VET
• Refocusing on allegedly system-independent
  innovations in education, training and work
• Repositioning of trans-cultural studies on VET
  as contributions to mutual learning between
  different education and training cultures?
• Is there a need for common initiatives that
  promote Europe-wide and intercultural knowledge
  development in the field of VET?