Work stress and work based learning in secondary education: Testing the Karasek model

In this study the Job Demand-Control model was used to study the quality of working life of Dutch secondary teachers. The Job Demand-Control model of Karasek is a theoretical model in which stress and learning are both considered as dependent variables which are influenced by three different task characteristics: job demands, job control, and social support. This model was tested for Dutch secondary teachers (n = 542). Results shed light on the relationships between task characteristics, work stress, and work based learning. However, it is concluded that the Karasek model is better suited for explaining stress than for explaining learning. To explain work based learning more factors have to be taken into account in order to built an adequate theoretical model

Learning knowledge as an integral part of competencies in higher education: Effects on students' knowledge

Van Bommel, M., Boshuizen, H. P. A., & Kwakman, K. (2010, 25-27 August). Learning knowledge as an integral part of competencies in higher education: Effects on students' knowledge. Paper presented at the 5th EARLI-SIG14 Learning and Professional Development, Munich, Germany.Paper presented at the 5th EARLI-SIG14 Learning and Professional Development

Experiences of social work students with learning theoretical knowledge in constructivist higher vocational education: a qualitative exploration

Van Bommel, M., Kwakman, K., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2012). Experiences of social work students with learning theoretical knowledge in constructivist higher vocational education: a qualitative exploration. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 64(4), 529-542. doi:10.1080/13636820.2012.727857An important learning goal in higher vocational education concerns the professional domain’s shared body of knowledge. Constructivist programmes use authentic learning contexts and self-directed learning to create a close connection throughout the learning process between theoretical knowledge and other forms of professional knowledge. Critics of constructivist learning contend that the situated way of learning places too much emphasis on the instrumental use of knowledge and that self-directed learning is too demanding for students. This qualitative case study investigated these criticisms by exploring the learning experiences of 18 final-year bachelor’s students in social work in a constructivist programme. From a previous study, the differences between these participants’ theoretical knowledge were known. Results show that while all students agreed that their constructivist programme was beneficial for learning knowledge pertaining to instrumental use, they had different experiences with acquiring knowledge as a system of meaning in itself. Students with high-level knowledge felt positively challenged and actively studied theories as a whole. Students with medium- and low-level knowledge had not reached beyond the knowledge that was immediately needed in the authentic learning contexts. Hypotheses and questions for further research into differences between students are discusse

Appraising the Qualities of Social Work Students’ Theoretical Knowledge: A Qualitative Exploration

Van Bommel, M., Boshuizen, H. P. A., & Kwakman, K. (2012). Appraising the qualities of social work students' theoretical knowledge: A qualitative exploration. Vocations and Learning, 5, 277-295. doi:10.1007/s12186-012-9078-9Higher professional education aims to prepare students for entering practice with an adequate theoretical body of knowledge. In constructivist programmes, authentic learning contexts and self-directed learning are assumed to support knowledge learning and the transition from education to practice. Through an in-depth exploration, this case study aimed at defining and assessing the qualities of social work students’ theoretical knowledge at initial qualification. Participants were final-year bachelor’s students (n=18) in a constructivist professional programme of social work. Students’ knowledge concerning a real-life practical case was elicited through an interview and a form of concept mapping. A six-step procedure was used for a qualitative appraisal of students’ knowledge with the assistance of seven expert teachers. During this procedure an instrument for analysing knowledge qualities was developed, comprising 13 aspects representing four features of expert knowledge: extent, depth, structure, and critical control. Results showed that 13 students received high appraisals for their knowledge extent and depth. Only 4 students received high appraisals for knowledge structure and critical control. 5 Students who received overall lower appraisals seemed inhibited to show their knowledge qualities by preoccupations with self-concerns about their own professional role. Conclusion is that the majority of students needs more learning support for knowledge structure and critical control than offered by their constructivist programme. Further research is needed into the personal factors that influence students’ theoretical knowledge learning and which knowledge qualities can be reached by young adults in a four year educational programme.Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmege

Work stress and work-based learning in secondary education: testing the Karasek model

In this study the Job Demand-Control model was used to study the quality of working life of Dutch secondary teachers. The Job Demand-Control model of Karasek is a theoretical model in which stress and learning are both considered as dependent variables which are influenced by three different task characteristics: job demands, job control, and social support. This model was tested for Dutch secondary teachers (n = 542). Results shed light on the relationship between stress and learning, on the one hand, and the effects of task characteristics on work stress and on work-based learning, on the other hand. It is concluded that the relationship between stress and learning is mediated by the amount of job control as the model predicts. However, the results also reveal that the Karasek model is better suited for explaining stress than for explaining learning. To explain work-based learning variables other than task characteristics have to be taken into account

Interface: Establishing knowledge links between higher vocational education and business

The emerging knowledge society is one of the main reasons that underlie the appearance of the interactive combination of learning and working in higher education. It is argued that the coop education system and work-based learning can become important instruments in integrating learning and working only if coop education is organized as a knowledge network in which universities and business closely cooperate. Based on this community perspective on coop education, a literature study and secondary analysis of evaluation and policy studies with relation to coop education are performed, in order to distinguish drivers for the development of coop higher education as well as factors that inhibit the acceptance of coop higher education. To further the conceptualisation of the coop system, the cooperation between a university of professional education and a number of business partners in a particular project (the Interface project) has been explored and examined. It is concluded that the further development of a system of coop higher education requires a number of advancements among others: further conceptualisation of this specific type of higher education, a quality assurance system that makes explicit what we mean by academic standards and how students can meet these standards, and a clear description of responsibilities and obligations of the various parties involved. When it comes to the development of sustainable knowledge networks in which institutions of higher education and companies participate the design of a coop curriculum can be very helpful, but cultural differences still need to be overcome

The knowledge-productive corporate university

Purpose: In this paper the concept of knowledge production is used as a framework to study Dutch corporate universities. Knowledge production serves not simply as a desirable aim of corporate universities, as the concept also offers guidelines for the design of corporate universities. The purpose is to clarify the extent to which corporate universities fulfil this aim of knowledge production and the way they produce new knowledge. Design/methodology/approach: From different theoretical perspectives 11 design characteristics have been extracted that help corporate universities to be knowledge‐productive. Two empirical studies were carried out to find out to what extent corporate universities meet those features required for knowledge production. The first study implies an exploration of opinions of key actors within 12 Dutch corporate universities, in which data were gathered through interviews and analysis of documents. The second study can be characterised as a case study of a concrete training practice within one corporate university. Data were gathered by interviews, evaluative questionnaires, and observation. Findings: Results reveal that knowledge production is viewed as important, but that concrete measures to stimulate it are often absent. Moreover, corporate universities need to pay more attention to the working environment of their employees in order to achieve their own goals. Originality/value: Analysing the corporate university from the perspective of knowledge production may stimulate corporate universities to rethink their own goals as well as their position within the organisation