Context and capabilities: tensions between managers’ and teachers’ views of advanced skills in VET

Abstract

The concept of ‘advanced skills’ for vocational education and training (VET) teachers is a little-debated topic in the discourse about quality in Australian VET, yet arguably what makes for a ‘good’ VET teacher ought to be a prominent issue. There has however, been some sporadic interest in the topic with Mitchell, in particular, seeking to define and measure advanced skills for VET teachers. This paper presents some initial findings of a qualitative project investigating how advanced skills are understood in Australian VET. These findings suggest that although managers and teachers subscribe to the concept of advanced skills, there is some disagreement about what they are. In particular, it was evident that managers’ conceptions were aligned with organizational goals while teachers appeared to agree on a core of skills shared by advanced teachers.