From the Back Cover
This book draws on experiences from a range of vocational education systems in different nation states and re-examines the purpose of providing experiences outside educational institutions; the kinds and extent of those experiences; and efforts made to ensure the integration of students' experiences across sites. Analyses of the various vocational education systems, their purposes and practices across nations, and challenges experienced by different stakeholders illustrate different approaches to the integration of learning at different sites. The book includes a consideration of what constitutes the integration and reconciliation of experiences, and their attendant educational implications. This extends an appraisal of the concepts of integration, reconciliation, curriculum and work readiness, each of which has a range of connotations. Integration or reconciliation is differentiated from transfer of learning, which is commonly based on simple assumptions that the educational institutions will provide theory and that the workplaces will provide practice from the workplaces, and that the two can be easily linked by students. The contributions from different nation states clearly demonstrate that integration is a collaborative process and requires the agency of stakeholders operating at global, national and specific learning site levels.
Dr Sarojni Choy is an Associate Professor of Professional, Continuing and Vocational Education at Griffith University. Her responsibilities include teaching graduate and postgraduate courses, and supervising higher degree research students. Her research and writing activities focus on workplace learning, integration of learning, employment based training, continuing education and training, and workforce capacity building. Professor Choy serves on the editorial boards of two international journals, and is a regular reviewer for three international journals and international conferences in vocational education. She is currently assistant editor for the journal Vocations and Learning: Studies in Vocational and Professional Education (published by Springer), and co-editor of the monographs: Supporting learning across working life: Models, processes and practices; and Practice Theory Perspectives on Pedagogy and Education, published by Springer.
Dr Gun-Britt Wärvik is an AssociateProfessor of Education at the Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg. From 2011 to 2017 she was a member of the steering board of two research schools in vocational education. Her work primarily includes teaching graduate and postgraduate courses, supervising PhD students and research. Her research interests concern the political aspects of educational phenomena, including educational restructuring, lifelong learning and vocational education.
Dr Viveca Lindberg is an Associate Professor of Education and Learning in Working Life and Adult Learning at the Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg. From 2011 to 2017 she was coordinator of two postgraduate programmes in vocational education. Her work chiefly includes teaching, supervising PhD students and research. Her research interests concern vocational knowing in context, as well as assessment of students' vocational knowing.
