Characteristics of powerful learning environments in VET transition program for at-risk students: qualitative insights from teachers and support specialists implementing the program

Liana Roos,Kristi Kõiv,Karmen Trasberg,Egle Säre

doi:10.1186/s40461-021-00123-1

Liana Roos, Kristi Kõiv + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-021-00123-1

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Abstract

At-risk students like those with special educational needs, learning difficulties, or pupils at risk of exclusion frequently struggle in transition from basic to secondary vocational education and training, often due to poor personal, learning and social skills. Therefore, several countries implement transition programs like the choice of profession training (CoPT) in Estonia to support youngsters’ readiness to continue their studies. This study aimed to identify how the characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education (PoLEVE) appear in CoPT in VET teachers and support specialists’ experiences. The deductive thematic analysis of 16 semistructured interviews illuminated the development of learning-, life-, cooperation- and self-determinations skills through adaptive teaching and learning support in a safe and positive learning community. Nevertheless, the results also call for empowering at-risk students to cope independently, supporting their construction of vocational knowledge through reflective dialogue and intellectually challenging problem-solving.

Highlights

Across Europe various transition programs are implemented to increase the inclusion of at-risk students, to prevent learners from dropping out of vocational schools, and to support young people who have left the education system, in the transition to training or labor market (c.f., Fix et al 2019; Gonzalez‐Faraco et al 2019; Peinemann 2019; Schmid 2020; Walther 2006)
This study shows that in VET teachers’ and support specialists’ experiences, the characteristics of a powerful learning environment in vocational education are apparent in the vocational transition program choice of profession training (CoPT) with some limitations that are explicable with the program’s aim of supporting informed career choices and the diverse group of atrisk students the program is targeting
This study has identified how the characteristics of a powerful learning environment appear in a vocational transition program for at-risk students in their teachers’ and support specialists’ experiences

Summary

Introduction

Across Europe various transition programs are implemented to increase the inclusion of at-risk students, to prevent learners from dropping out of vocational schools, and to support young people who have left the education system, in the transition to training or labor market (c.f., Fix et al 2019; Gonzalez‐Faraco et al 2019; Peinemann 2019; Schmid 2020; Walther 2006). Studentsgender (Ahola and Kivelä 2007; Jørgensen 2015), special educational needs (Kalalahti et al 2020), learning difficulties, low self-esteem (Fix et al 2019), health, their poor engagement, performance, aspirations (Jäppinen 2012), and lack of learning and social skills (Beilmann and Espenberg 2016; Peinemann 2019) contribute to the diverse spectrum of student-related risk factors in transition to VET. There is evidence that often, students have not figured out their preferred study field (Ahola and Kivelä 2007; Beilmann and Espenberg 2016) and have taken a vocational pathway due to pressure to study from their parents (Beilmann and Espenberg 2016) or have overly high and unrealistic career ambitions (Kalalahti et al 2020)

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