What is it about?
–The article describes the organization of workplace learning in Finnish polytechnics, models developed for this purpose, and their challenges. – First, it describes and analyses the models for embedding workplace learning in the curriculum. Second, it investigaes the conflicting factors encountered in building the network of expertise to support students' workplace learning . Third, the article suggests questions raised by the introduction of the concept connectivity that might be explored to better understand the similarities and differences between workplace learning and learning at school (polytechnics). The study was carried out in five Finnish polytechnics in 2002‐2006. It focused on the bachelor' s degree programmes in the fields of social services, business administration and engineering. Data were collected through thematic interviews conducted with teachers supervising and organising workplace learning. The different models utilized in the five polytechnics with respect to the three educational fields are incorporated into a single holistic model on the basis of a theory‐led content analysis of the interviews. Further analysis of the interviews indicates the institutional barriers and obstacles that exist to the development of placements. The findings show that placements in working life exhibit considerable variety. The cultural practices that guide and limit the organising of placements are presented. These include the location of placement in the curriculum, negotiation of students' contracts, guidance in the workplace and practices, assessment including self‐assessment, student remuneration, and rewards for employers. The development of quality in workplace learning is heavily dependent on local initiative, as introducing connectivity is a practical process that has to be implemented and reflected on by networks of expertise. The debate on similarities and differences of workplace learning and learning in education could be enhanced by a more detailed exploration of the questions on what is learned and where.
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Why is it important?
Higher education institutes and polytechnics can use the described placement models as a tool in reflecting on their own models. Furthermore, the questions presented here within a framework grounded in a socio-cultural approach may be used by teachers and developers of education as stimuli in developing quality assurance tools and in analysing the strengths and weaknesses of their placement systems.
Perspectives
The article is one of the series of four peer-reviewed articles on internships of Finnish polytechnics. Altogether, the articles explore the internships from the perspective of different actors, i.e. not only teachers, bu also employers and students. In Finnish the original study reports area available in the series of Finnish Institute for Educational Research. Summary of the four articles was presented in my dissertation - Toward connectivity: internships of Finnish universities of applied sciences. It is available from https://ktl.jyu.fi/julkaisut/julkaisuluettelo/julkaisut/2014/t029.pdf In the summary the theoretical background is explored in more in depth. In particular, the concept of connectivity reinvestigated by Michael Young in Young, M. F. D. (2008). Bringing knowledge back in: From social constructivism to social realism in the sociology of education. London: Routledge, is scrutinized. I elaborate on the relations of sites of learning and types of learning on the basis of Young´s work and try and relate it to discussions on boundary crossing and the modes of recontextualisation (See: Evans, K., Guile, D., Harris, J., & Allan, H. (2010). Putting knowledge to work: A new approach. Nurse Education Today, 30(3), 245–251. Evans, K., Guile, D., & Harris, J. (2011). Rethinking work-based learning: For education professionals and professionals who educate. In M. Malloch, L. Cairns, K. Evans, & B. O’Connor (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Workplace Learning (pp. 149–161). London: Sage. ).
Ms Maarit H Virolainen
University of Jyvaskyla
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Workplace learning and higher education in Finland: reflections on current practice, Education + Training, June 2007, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/00400910710754444.
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