Perspectives of new trades tutors: Towards a scholarship of teaching and learning for vocational educators

Author: Selena Chan, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT)

Date: 2009

Funded by the Ako Aotearoa Southern Regional Hub Funding Scheme.

Summary

This study reports on the perspectives of new trades tutors who recently commenced teaching in the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) sector in New Zealand. The perspectives are collated from questionnaires and interviews of thirteen tutors, from five ITPs, who began full-time teaching around 2007. The study investigates ITPs’ induction systems, the relevance and effectiveness of initial tutor training programme/courses and issues of new tutor initiation into teaching practice as perceived by new trades tutors. In particular, the study explores the identity trajectory of established trades practitioners as they transition into teaching roles at ITPs.

The study undertakes to gather experiences from participants living and participating in a complex world (the socio-cultural paradigm) and interprets this evidence using constructive-interpretive research approaches. The perspectives of the research participants provide important contributions. Therefore, throughout this report, the perceptions of new trades tutors are represented with the extensive use of interview transcripts.

The broad themes derived by this study include the following:

• Motivators for entry into teaching were investigated to deepen understanding of initial decisions to engage with teaching. These provide important indicators of responsiveness towards an acceptance by established trades people of teaching roles.
• Concepts of teaching in an ITP as compared to training in the workplace are reported, discussed and evaluated. This theme is explored to understand the pedagogical assumptions (ways of thinking about teaching and learning), often based on workplace based experience, new trades tutors bring with them into their teaching career.
• Identity formation as trades teachers was examined. Information on how trades people undergo a form of ‘boundary crossing’ from their vocational identities as trades people towards becoming teachers as they begin and engage with teaching in an ITP is described, investigated and explained.
• Support for new tutors beginning teaching at ITPs is reported. The perspectives of new tutors on initial support available and their utilisation of support is discussed and evaluated.
• Suggestions from the participants for the improvement of teacher training courses at ITPs are reported. These include evaluations and proposals for improvement of initial tutor training courses.

The conclusions drawn from this study include the following suggestions to assist the transition of trades practitioners into roles at ITPs as trades tutors:

• Utilising a learning organisation approach in ITPs to enhance on-going staff development.
• Establishing and nurturing communities of practices (Wenger, 1998) both external of new tutors’ teaching section and within tutors’ teaching sections. Both communities of practice need to become aware of the considerable initial and ongoing influences on the future teaching practices of new tutors.
• The need to improve induction systems into teaching at ITPs.
• Aligning trades tutors’ existing workplace training based conceptualisations of teaching and learning to extend the teaching craft knowledge of trades tutors.
  The following are approaches suggested:
  a) Using the apprenticeship model to provide mentorship for new tutors. This provides a familiar support model for trades tutors. The process is useful in assisting the border crossing process involved when transitioning between the complementary vocational identities of trades person and trades tutor.
  b) Adjusting the curriculum of initial tutor training courses to include theories of learning pertinent to workplace and trades based learning and teaching into initial tutor training courses for new trades tutors.
  c) Taking cognisance of trades tutors’ multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996) and encouraging and supporting these multiliteracies to be applied towards enhancing trades students’ learning experiences.
  d) The promotion of role models for trade tutors to aspire towards. These role models are tutors who excel at both their trade/craft and teaching. They provide exemplars which assist new tutors in developing sound teaching practice based on observable relevant and complementary evidence.

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