Teachers’ individual action theories about competence-based education: the value of the cognitive apprenticeship model

Seezink, A., Poell, R. F., & Kirschner, P. A. (2009). Teachers' individual action theories about competence-based education: The value of the cognitive apprenticeship model. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 61, 203-215.Dutch prevocational secondary schools are reforming their educational programmes to make them more competence-based. This reform has substantial implications for the roles played by teachers. Yet, little empirical research has been conducted on teachers’ processes of competence development in vocational settings. This study explores teachers’ individual action theories regarding the introduction of competence-based prevocational secondary education. The cognitive apprenticeship model provides a conceptual framework for addressing this issue. The research questions addressed here are: How do teachers value elements of the cognitive apprenticeship model in designing and delivering competence-based prevocational secondary education?, and, What individual action theories do teachers have regarding competence-based prevocational secondary education? The study was designed in two phases. In the qualitative phase, interviews and concept map techniques were used, while the quantitative phase employed a questionnaire. Teachers valued elements of the cognitive apprenticeship model differently, and suggested two additional features: a custommade educational approach and the professionalisation of teachers

SOAP in Practice: Learning Outcomes of a Cross-Institutional Innovation Project Conducted by Teachers, Student Teachers, and Teacher Educators

Seezink, A., Poell, R. F., & Kirschner, P. A. (2010). SOAP in practice: learning outcomes of a cross-institutional innovation project conducted by teachers, student teachers, and teacher educators. European Journal of Teacher Education, 33(3), 229-243.This paper reports on a case study investigating learning outcomes at the individual and organizational level of a cross-institutional innovation project based on the SOAP approach. SOAP integrates Schooling of teachers, Organizational development of schools, Action- and development-oriented research, and Professional development of teachers. The innovation project was aimed at combining teachers, student teachers, and teacher educators in an alliance to design and develop new competence-based vocational educational arrangements for pupils. An inductive qualitative analysis of 37 semistructured interviews among the participants revealed seven main categories of individual learning outcomes: attitudes, project design and management, collaboration, action theory, teaching practice, educational principles, and developments within secondary vocational education. Three main categories of organizational learning outcomes were identified: institution-level learning, project-level learning, and combining institution-level and project-level learning. A tension was identified between the participants’ individual interests in learning and personal development, and, the need for organizational learning aimed at improving organizational processes

De 'droom' van Johan

Johan heeft zich altijd sterk gemaakt voor competentiegerichte en vitale / innovatieve beroepsopleidingen. Zowel in het VMBO en MBO als ook t.a.v. de lerarenopleiding. In het hoofdstuk waarop wij willen reageren, heeft Johan zich geconcentreerd op het SOOP-principe, en hoe dit principe kan bijdragen aan de lerarenopleiding. De essentie van het SOOP-principe houdt in dat School- en instituutsontwikkeling en innovatie, Opleiding van beginnende leraren, praktijkgericht Onderzoek en Professionele ontwikkeling van docenten op een geïntegreerde manier worden aangepakt. Een aanname die hieraan ten grondslag ligt, is dat het vormgeven van loopbaan- en competentiegericht beroepsonderwijs-op-maat een kernopgave is, waar docent en lerende beide verantwoordelijk voor zijn. Lerarenopleidingen als organisaties, en lerarenopleiders en docenten-in-opleiding als individuen horen actief en kritisch betrokken te zijn bij de innovaties in het VMBO en MBO. Zij vormen een belangrijke schakel in de kennisproductie- en circulatieprocessen die op gang moeten komen. Door het samenbrengen van onderzoekers, opleiders, docenten en studenten kan een krachtige leeromgeving gecreëerd worden