Examination as knowledge development: A case study from vocational education and training

Abstract

Post-graduate and further education can easily be overlooked as a contribution to collective knowledge and practice development in a field of practice. An overarching theme of this article is how the organisation of a post-graduate and further education initiative can influence collective knowledge in vocational education and training. This article aims to inquire about what teachers and school managers in vocational education and training experience with an examination format where the teachers conduct a university exam at their school, with their management as audience and potential participants. This case study is based on qualitative data from four focus group interviews with teachers and five focus group interviews with school managers at five vocational training schools. The teachers participated in the ‘Vocational Teacher Training Initiative programme’ (YFL) in Norway. ‘The third space’ is used as the overarching theoretical framework. Through a thematic content analysis, the findings were crystalised into three categories. 1) The examination format facilitated a proximity to practice. 2) Knowledge sharing appeared as concrete actions. 3) The examination format revealed new possibilities for co-creation with higher education. The result is that the examination format seemed to function as a bridge between conventional teaching practices in higher education and collective development in vocational education and training. Minor changes in the examination format appeared to open the door to what is termed ‘a third space’ between higher education and schools.