Nina Kilbrink
Karlstad University, Sweden
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Published in: PATT 26 Conference; Technology Education in the 21st Century; Stockholm; Sweden; 26-30 June; 2012
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 73:29, p. 247-252
Published: 2012-06-18
ISBN: 978-91-7519-849-1
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
A gap emphasised in technical vocational education is the theory-practice divide. In relation to learning in technology and learning a vocation; the concepts of theory and practice are often mentioned and how to handle them in education is discussed and problematised. This paper is an empirical contribution to the discussion about theory and practice in technical vocational education. This study takes its point of departure from the pluralistic phenomenology of the life world and the research questions concern pupils’; teachers’ and supervisors’ experiences of theory and practice in relation to teaching and learning in technical vocational education. Pupils’; teachers’ and supervisors’ narratives from qualitative interviews have been analysed thematically; focusing on the content concerning theory and practice. The result indicates there are experiences of theory and practice concerning a traditional dualistic view; but there are also experiences concerning a more interwoven view. The concepts can be handled in a more interwoven way if the individual has a deeper; more complex underdstanding of them.
Experiences; Phenomenology of the Life World; Technical Vocational Education; Theory and Practice Relationship; Qualitative Interviews
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