EXPLORING LEARNING OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING STUDENTS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The paper explores the learning and working activities of vocational education and training ( VET) students in seven European countries. The paper finds that i) there are large differences among the countries in the time spent in school, ii) that learners spend very little time studying for school at home, iii) interest in 'academic' school subjects is very low, iv) much time is spent on socialisation and passive forms of learning and v) a large number of VET students are engaged in paid work. Drawing on both information process and social learning approaches the paper recommends that strategies for VET development - curriculum, pedagogy, institutional organisation and pathways - should be informed by a better understand of the perspective of the VET learner as an individual with a range of activities, interests and attachments rather than simply viewing learners as customers or clients for VET provision.