Teachers’ training schemes and their preparation for secondary vocational education Practices and concerns in Greece

Abstract

The analysis conducted in this paper provides useful insights about training of vocational and technical teachers, both in terms of the theoretical framework surrounding the concept and how it’s applied in Europe in general and Greece in specific. Taking the analysis of technical teachers’ training into account, as well as its basic concepts and characteristics, it is clear that the central aim of the concept is to combine the need for teachers to acquire the necessary professional skills to practice their profession and be consistent with labour market and industrial standards at the same time. In order for these objectives to be achieved, vocational and technical teachers need to be subject to professionalization, which shall accompany throughout the whole duration of their professional career. These needs are summarized in that teachers must be characterized by discipline, acquisition of certain academic knowledge, and their combination with pedagogical studies. The case study of ASPETE’s training program for vocational and technical teachers was very indicative of what these teachers actually need, in order to effectively practice their profession. Essentially, training programs must focus on the changing roles and tasks for vocational and technical teachers in modern years, as well as combine academic courses with real-life practice, so that prospective teachers are exposed to real teaching activities, long before they officially start building their professional career.