Conference Agenda

A recent reform in Flemish secondary education emphasizes the strong connection between vocational education and the labour market. This connection is commonly realised via work‑based learning, partnerships with employers, and teachers with professional industry backgrounds. In this context the labour market takes a prominent role in vocational education acting simultaneously as the objective of the study programme, the means by which this objective is to be achieved and the criterion by which the study programme’s effectiveness can be measured and thus justified.

Nevertheless, the context in which the connection between the labour market and secondary vocational education is realised, is ultimately that of a school, an educational project, a didactic concept and specific subject-matter teaching scenarios. In particular, while the didactical dimension in vocational education is realised through the relationships between the elements of the didactic triangle - teacher(s), learner(s), content - two other elements come into play: the labour market and also labour itself (‘work’), shaping at different levels the specificity of didactics in vocational education. The underlying hypothesis of this study is that ‘work’, as it appears in the school-related practice, occupies a specific pedagogical and didactical position: it is materially and practically mediated (“school‑worked”) and thus intrinsically different from ‘labour market work’.

This hypothesis is informed by the concept of the ‘school as a free time’ according to which ‘making school’ requires the installation of a protective distancing with respect to the outside world, requiring in turn a didactical manipulation of ‘work’ and ‘labour market’ in order for them to become school content (Masschelein & Simons, 2013).

As the main theoretical basis, our project draws on an application of the conceptual framework of powerful knowledge to vocational education (cf. Young & Muller, 2014), conceptualising “work process recontextualization” (Guile & Young, 2003) as a form of transformation, and considering learning as a collective and context-bound process of knowledge production (Guile & Young, 1999; Hiim, 2017) raising the question how to achieve high epistemic quality (Hudson, 2018; Hudson et al., 2022; Boistrup & Hällback, 2021) aiming at powerful knowledge in relation to ‘work’ and ‘labour market’ through the different school subjects and learning activities in vocational education. In addition, the project investigates existing research on ‘work as curriculum’ for potential insights into how work-related knowledge and practices are educationally transformed (cf. Rauner, 2014; Billet, 2011).

In this project we explore how the elements ‘work’ (associated with the eponymous component of the field of study) and ‘labour market’ (associated with the contexts in which students can be employed on the basis of their education) emerge in the practice of secondary vocational education, by conducting ethnographical observations in the educational practice coupled to interviews with relevant actors and to the study of relevant (practice-oriented) literature, policy documents and curricula.

We address the following research questions:

1. How do ‘work’ and the ‘labour market’ emerge during observations and interviews in the practice of selected programmes in Flemish vocational education?

2. How do ‘work’ and the ‘labour market’ appear in the vocational education pedagogical-didactical literature and relevant Flemish documents and curricula?

3. On the basis of the collected data and document extracts: how are ‘work’ and ‘labour market’ placed in relation to (subject) content, teacher(s) and learner(s), and how are they concretely mediated (“school-worked”) by the didactical practice?

4. Which situations meet the criteria for high epistemic quality, for what (powerful) knowledge in relation to ‘work’ and ‘labour market’?

The aim of this practice-oriented project is to provide teachers and teacher education with inspiring resources based on a more nuanced, practice-informed perspective on labour market-oriented programmes where the didactical approaches take centre stage.

Although the educational ideal of economic education is largely undisputed, there is controversy surrounds subject configuration and lesson allocation in education policy as well as on learning topics and learning processes in educational science (Ackermann, 2021b). This discourse intensifies during times of social crisis and conflict – and reveals conflicting knowledge bases and values. Above all, the transformation of 21^st century society towards sustainability discloses planetary (e.g. loss of biodiversity, pollutant emissions, global warming) and social boundaries (e.g. unequal educational opportunities, income gap, poverty, hunger) of economic development (Blättel-Mink et al., 2021; Steffen et al., 2015). Accordingly, societal, political, economic and cultural participation is considered an overarching goal for upper secondary level schools (Klieme et al., 2007, p. 66).

Curricula and textbooks fulfil political-normative and programmatic-descriptive functions (Künzli & Hopmann, 1998). They provide teachers with pedagogical guidance on selecting science- and practice-oriented learning topics and designing competence-oriented teaching/learning settings. This opens up three areas of tension in teaching methodology: (1) In curricula of DACH countries, topics of economic education vary in breadth and depth depending on the school level and school type (e.g. general education, vocational education) (Ackermann, 2021a; Fridrich, 2018; Siegfried & Hangen, 2020). (2) Textbooks for economic education are ‘produced’ by various actors with different motives (Ackermann et al., 2018; Engartner, 2019). (3) Economic knowledge and values contained in textbooks are ‘reproduced’ in the classroom through learning tasks and exams (Steffestun & Graupe, 2020).

In this paper, we use Switzerland as an example to examine textbooks for economic education at upper secondary school level. We address three questions: (RQ1) How can the range of textbooks be described (structural aspects)? (RQ2) What topics of economic education do these textbooks cover (thematic aspects)? (RQ3) How extensively and detailed is sustainability presented as a learning topic in these textbooks?

We are surrounded by narratives claiming that the welfare state is under pressure. The future shape and role of our communal state are being debated across Nordic countries. However, the values and ethical principles supporting welfare benefits receive little attention in public discourse. With reduced resources and increasing welfare demands, society faces difficult ethical trade-offs. Today’s students will encounter numerous ethical dilemmas and differing views on fair distribution when, as adults, they vote and manage the welfare state’s limited resources. This study seeks to explore how we can prepare children and young people to navigate these challenges.

The welfare state is an inherited good, built on the historical, economic, and cultural heritage of Nordic societies. UNESCO defines cultural heritage as “a societal good created by previous generations, a resource for the present, and a legacy we wish future generations to benefit from” (Harrison, 2020, p. 3). The welfare state, therefore, can be seen as part of the Nordic cultural heritage. In Norway, the responsibility for preserving and passing on this heritage is embedded in the Education Act, which emphasizes the importance of building upon and transmitting "Christian and humanist values" (Education Act, 2024).

Research on cultural heritage highlights two approaches: conserving heritage or preserving it as a resource for future generations (Harrison, 2020). A static view focuses on conserving the past—particularly material heritage—by maintaining memories in their original form. In contrast, a dynamic approach views the past as actively shaping the present: "Heritage is something vital and alive. It is a moment of action, not something frozen in material form" (Smith, 2020, p. 83). Such a dynamic perspective is particularly relevant for passing on welfare state values to future generations. Heritage thus becomes “an important resource for challenging received identity and cultural, social values” (Smith, 2009, p. 52).

A literature review on young Europeans’ attitudes toward the welfare state by Jakub Sowula (2024) underscores the importance of students understanding the effects of welfare policies. Who is affected when support measures are removed? What are the consequences? Such knowledge helps counteract attitudes shaped by misinformation and prejudice against vulnerable groups. Sowula also references Danish research by Petersen (2011), showing that inherited views on who is truly in need influence attitudes toward welfare services. For instance, are individuals in need due to laziness or misfortune? How does society address the fact that a generous welfare system may allow some to exploit shared resources? Questions about guilt, individual responsibility, and fairness are central to these discussions (Petersen et al., 2011). Sowula highlights the importance of engaging young people in such debates during a formative stage of their lives.

The way schools present the welfare state and involve students in ethical dilemmas they will face in the future is a compelling area of research. It offers insights into how the welfare state, as cultural heritage, is managed and passed on to future generations. These narratives are often found in textbooks, which illustrate how knowledge about the welfare state’s historical roots, impacts, and values is conveyed. Such macro-perspectives can counter the individual-focused micro-narratives students encounter on social media, providing a broader understanding of the welfare state’s challenges and opportunities.

The research question guiding this study is: How is the welfare state portrayed in school textbooks, and how do these portrayals address fundamental value questions rooted in Christian and humanist traditions while supporting the school’s overarching goals? We explore this by analyzing how textbooks emphasize the welfare state’s functions, characteristics, value foundations, and ethical justifications.