Conference Agenda

In the Netherlands, and also in other European countries, there is a growing trend to merge vocational and secondary (teacher)education, including those for vocational and general secondary education teachers (e.g. Graus, 2024; Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2025; Novotný, 2025). This consolidation risks producing “one-size-fits-all” generic education that may neglect the specificity of individual occupations (Novotný, 2025). We can also see this one-size-fits all trend in vocational teacher training programs (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2025)

Scholarly work in vocational education underscores why this risk is particularly acute in the VET context: Klatter and Van der Klink (2021) argue that in vocational education the occupational context is crucial and that this demands a distinct, occupation-oriented didactic approach rather than a generic pedagogy.

The core research question for this sub-study is: What do we gain or lose when occupational context disappears from a teacher-education track?

The objective is to provide insight into how the disappearance of profession-specific context in teacher education impacts vocational teachers’ professional identity, professional preparation, and to articulate a viable alternative in the form of a context-driven teacher education design.

We ground our conceptual framework in the notion of “signature pedagogy” (Lucas et al. 2012) which posits that each profession has its own traditions in ways of thinking, knowing, doing, and being shaped by the profession’s knowledge base, values, norms and practices.

Furthermore, we draw on literature on vocational teacher education and VET teacher induction, in which it is argued that initial teacher education (ITE) for VET teachers should not only impart generic pedagogical skills, but also has to integrate occupational expertise, inclusive pedagogies and responsiveness to changing occupational demands (e.g., digitalization, sustainability) for long-term teacher retention and relevance (Psifidou, 2025).
In essence, this is about developing a professional identity: which encompasses factors such as views, attitudes, norms, and values (Beijaard et al., 2004; Schaap et al., 2009).

In vocational education, this identity formation can be characterized as a process of belonging-becoming-being (Koopmans et al., 2025). This process takes place through participation in the professional culture, by building up a repertoire of professional actions, and by developing professional knowledge. According to Koopmans et al. (2025), it is essential that future craftspeople have role models around them who know this process from the inside. Generically trained teachers and teacher trainers cannot be adequate role models.

By combining these perspectives: signature pedagogy, professional identity formation, and VET-specific ITE needs, we situate our project within both educational theory and vocational education policy. Given the dynamic and transnational nature of labor markets, this has clear European relevance: a generic, merged teacher–education system risks undermining the alignment between VET teaching and occupational needs across different (inter)national and regional contexts. Designing context-driven ITE programs may better serve Europe’s VET policies around skills shortages, labor mobility and quality assurance. And may also contribute to the job satisfaction of subject teachers.

To situate this sub-study within the larger research agenda, it is important to note that the question explored here forms part of a broader inquiry: the design of an occupational-context-driven teacher training trajectory. While this particular study examines what is gained and lost when occupational context is removed from teacher education, the overarching aim of the full project is to conceptualize, develop, and critically evaluate an integrated teacher-training model that preserves occupational context as its core pedagogical driver. These framing underscores both the theoretical and practical relevance of our work and points toward future phases of research and design.

The AEQUALIS4TCLF project (Addressing Skills Gaps in the European Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear TCLF-industries, with a focus on Equality, Innovation, and Resilience) is a four-year Erasmus+ “Alliances for Innovation” initiative running four years starting from 2024. The consortium brings together nineteen partners from Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovenia and the Netherlands, representing industry associations, chambers of commerce, higher education and vocational education institutions. The project is coordinated by EURATEX - European Apparel and Textile Confederation, representing the interests of the European textile and clothing industry at the level of the EU institutions.

The project aims to address skills shortages in the TCLF-sectors by conducting comprehensive skills needs assessments and gap analyses in participating regions, developing new curricula and learning materials at both vocational and higher education levels, and piloting training programmes that respond to emerging digital, green, and sustainability demands. A strong emphasis is on equality, inclusion, and diversity, ensuring that training and employment opportunities are accessible to underrepresented groups and migrant workers, and that all activities promote fairness and non-discrimination.

In the poster presentation in ECER we are focusing on the piloting process of the learning program developed in the project. The pilot plan is built upon the Work Package WP4 of the project, led by the partners in the Faculty of Textile Technology of University of Zagreb in collaboration with the project partners from the VET and HE sectors. In WP4, based on extensive experience with the development of international study programmes and successful implementation of micro-credentials in Croatia, a total of eight (8) thematic micro-credentials (MCs) were created. Each of the 8 MCs follows a standardized structure and includes 40 courses (usually 1–2 ECTS/ECVET) that formulates 18 modules of 1-3 courses. The modules are planned to meet the current and expected needs of the industry. The curriculum aims to offer comprehensive learning opportunities for both HE and VET students as well as adults in working life seeking for upskilling and reskilling education in TCLF.

In the Work package WP5 led by the partners in The Faculty of Textile Engineering of the Technical University of Liberech (TUL) the deliverable 5.1 Learning Strategy Document makes a firm basis for building the pilot plan. Each MC formulates the learning materials guidelines for which has been developed in the WP5.

Tampere University of Applied Sciences TAMK is responsible for planning the piloting process and publishing the “Lessons Learned Report” of the process. The DigiCampus learning management system has been chosen as the platform for the piloting process. DigiCampus has been created in TAMK to promote and offer digital education platform and pedagogical support for projects, networks, and stakeholder collaborations coordinated by universities making possible also cross-institutional studies.

The pilot plan is to be ready for implementation by September 2026 and in the poster we are presenting the planning process and the research plan to be conducted during the implementation of the piloted modules and courses. The piloting process is also planned as a co-research with partners and also with the participants of the courses and modules to be piloted. The research is based on pedagogical mode of address (Hakala 2007) that is inviting and inciting participants to study and learn the course content and based on that they are also welcomed, encouraged and supported with the teaching and learning design to collaboration for developing new perspectives and orientations to try out new innovations, practices and methods in using their new competencies. The participants of the piloting process are invited to give feedback and suggest improvements for the contents and methods of the course.

In the course of internationalisation, changes in the economy, society, education and technology are leading to new conditions for vocational education and training (VET) as a result of trend-driven novelties (Störmann, 2025). International vocational education and training research therefore focuses, among other things, on adapting VET on the basis of changing requirements and innovations in work, life and society, on international VET cooperation between different countries and numerous actors, including the transfer of VET between different systems (see, for example, Gessler, 2019; Pilz, 2017). International vocational training research thus focuses on issues related to the interaction of international influences, trend-driven innovations and transfer-related cooperation. The German vocational training system is regarded internationally as particularly successful, meaning that various funding initiatives at national and international level offer German vocational training providers a multitude of opportunities in international markets. Consisting of a wide variety of actors in the context of origin and target of the transferred VET programme, joint projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research on the German side for the implementation and the establishment of cooperation and network structures. This contribution focuses on international VET transfer and the role of international actors in vocational training, addressing the subject of transfer, the resulting innovations and processes, and the networks that are being formed. In other words: "Innovations are made by people, so it seems only consistent that their contribution is placed at the centre of the analysis" (Gessler, 2019, p. 270; translated by the author).

Therefore, the main research question is as follows: How do German and international vocational training stakeholders transfer vocational training in an international context? To answer this question, the focus is placed on the subject of international transfer activities in the form of four empirical approaches.

First, the complexity of vocational training services in international contexts is addressed in order to examine what types of VET services are transferred (Meyne, 2022). This study uses the complexity assessment model by Blockus (2010), which focuses on the input, potential and output of services. This model is adapted for the framework of international vocational training services and expanded to include a new complexity dimension with three associated complexity characteristics (Meyne, 2022). As these services are transferred in the form of innovative business models, they are subsequently addressed in terms of their degree of innovation (Meyne & Kühn, 2023). The theoretical basis is formed by the business model approach according to Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010) and the business model innovation scale according to Taran et al. (2015).

Furthermore, the mapping of network structures of international VET actors is pursued using social network analysis (SNA), which addresses social capital for capturing personal networks (Meyne & Siemer, 2025). In terms of theoretical references, previous work by Bourdieu (1983) on the concept of social capital and key works on network research e.g. by Granovetter (1973) are drawn upon. This addresses the analysis of the social capital of international vocational training cooperations in terms of network development and its sustainability in an international consortium.

Finally, the focus shifts to adaptation processes in transfer when vocational training services are transferred between different contexts (Meyne & Peters, 2022). In addition to other theoretical approaches, the policy transfer framework developed by Dolowitz and Marsh (2000) and the transfer levels identified by Gessler (2017) form the basic theoretical framework for understanding the transfer concepts of key players and identifying adaptation processes in vocational training transfer in the form of predominant transfer types in this study.

Secondary vocational education plays a crucial role in the development of students’ professional identity, understood as a dynamic and evolving process in which skills and professional functions, knowledge, values and ethics, as well as personal and group identities, are integrated within specific work contexts. (Chien et al., 2022; Fitzgerald, 2020). Professional identity is constructed over time as students move between school and workplace, navigating who they are and who they might become as future workers.

The main research question is: “How does the process of creating professional identity unfold among students in vocational secondary schools?”, examined through the perspectives of various groups of participants relevant to the school context.

In vocational pathways, aforementioned identity work is closely related to the interplay between school‑based and workplace learning. A review of students’ learning processes in vocational education and training (VET) shows that alongside expertise and motivation, professional identity development is one of the central concepts when students combine classroom instruction with work placements. Vocational schools and workplaces are organized around different logics (learning/theory versus working/practice) so students must actively forge connections between abstract knowledge and situated tasks and henceforth they develop an anticipatory sense of “being” a member of a vocational community (Schaap et al., 2012).

Research from professional fields underline the centrality of practice experiences and socialisation. Fieldwork placements enable students to engage directly in professional practice, compare the ideals taught in school with the realities of everyday work, and confront dissonances that they must subsequently integrate and make sense of within their self‑narratives (Arreciado Marañón & Isla Pera, 2015; Ashby et al., 2016). Another important aspect of students’ professional identity formation is the role of VET teachers. Pylväs et al. (2022) emphasize the significance of social support and positive feedback provided by VET teachers during vocational training lessons. According to students, experiencing a sense of equality with their VET teachers is also beneficial. Related to this is the positively perceived sense of belonging and autonomy that students report during VET lessons (Hegna, 2019). These experiences reveal how identity is shaped not only by competence but also by emotions, relationships and perceived legitimacy as a professional (Timoštšuk & Ugaste, 2010).

In the European context, the issue is notable. Many European countries have expanded or reformed VET to address skill shortages, youth unemployment and social inclusion issues, positioning VET as a crucial bridge between education and work (Lamote & Engels, 2010; Schaap et al., 2012).

Understanding how secondary VET students develop, negotiate, or resist professional identities within these systems is crucial for addressing early detachment from the labour market and the ongoing reproduction of classed and gendered vocational pathways. (Schaap et al., 2012; Vähäsantanen, 2015).

The DEVISE4KE project addresses the challenge of aligning vocational education and training (VET) with changing occupational requirements in the context of digital transformation and the competence-based curriculum (CBC) in Kenya. In many VET systems, learning and teaching practices are insufficiently connected to real work processes, as teachers often lack structured support to translate occupational requirements into competence-oriented learning designs. Also, teachers themselves often lack the necessary digital competences.

The disconnection between educational practice and workplace requirements is especially pronounced in resource-constrained contexts, such as Homa Bay County in Western Kenya, where schools are confronted with numerous interrelated challenges. These include infrastructure deficits such as inadequate ICT equipment and unreliable energy supply, insufficient teacher training in both competency-based pedagogical approaches and digital teaching methodologies, and a fundamental lack of work-based learning opportunities due to limited industry partnerships and geographical isolation from major economic centres. Moreover, the implementation of Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum since 2017—which emphasises learner-centred approaches, competency development, formative assessment, and 21st-century skills—has created additional demands on teachers who were not systematically prepared for this pedagogical shift. The regional context is characterised by significant educational disadvantages stemming from poverty, which renders traditional internships and company collaborations largely unfeasible for students. This necessitates the development of innovative approaches to facilitate the incorporation of authentic work experiences into the classroom setting.

This contribution focuses on the project’s Work Package 2 (WP2) and Work Package 4 (WP4). WP2 identified and structured occupational requirements and work tasks in selected occupational fields as a basis for competence-oriented VET. WP4 built on these results to enable VET teachers to design their own learning and work tasks using a digital Task Manager, aligned with the occupational requirements identified in WP2.
The guiding research question is:

How can VET teachers design competence-oriented learning and work tasks based on empirically-identified occupational requirements?

The objectives of this contribution are to:

1. describe how occupational requirements and work tasks were analysed and structured in WP2;
2. explain how these results were transferred into a digital Task Manager in WP4; and
3. Analyse how teachers’ task design practices developed through supported task development processes.

The conceptual framework is grounded in competence-based and work process–oriented VET, emphasizing authentic work tasks as a core didactic element that links work and learning. Teachers are understood as key actors in curriculum enactment and task design. The project follows a design-based research perspective, combining the development of digital tools with iterative reflection on pedagogical practices.

Theoretically, the project draws on the Learning and Work Tasks (LWT) methodology developed by Howe and Knutzen (2021), which provides a structured approach to designing work-process-oriented learning activities. This methodology organizes learning through four distinct phases—Acceptance, Planning, Execution, and Termination—mirroring authentic occupational work processes while systematically addressing professional, methodological, social, and personal competences. The LWT approach explicitly tackles both professional competences specific to occupational fields and transversal competences that are transferable across contexts, including collaborative problem-solving, learning to learn, adaptability, and initiative-taking. Additionally, the project employs the DigiComp 2.2 framework (Vuorikari et al., 2022) to structure and assess digital competence development across five key dimensions: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem-solving. This dual theoretical foundation enables systematic integration of work-based learning principles with comprehensive digital competence development, addressing the specific needs identified in the Kenyan VET context.

The European and international dimension is central to the project. European approaches to occupational analysis, competence orientation and work-based learning task design were transferred and adapted to the Kenyan VET context through international cooperation and joint development activities.