Teaching for difference in VET: Learning and working together in mathematics

In this paper I will address from theoretical and practical perspectives the issues associated with working in different communities of practice that constitute VET teaching arenas. Further, local sites of teaching and learning are uniquely constituted by the ontogeny of each of their participants embedded within more global socio-cultural forces which impact upon all vocational educational settings. I will draw upon personal experience of mathematics and statistics teaching, ranging from return-to-study access programmes to industry-based teaching to vocational diploma classes to discuss implications of difference for program design and delivery.