Work in Progress

The Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Learning: Understanding learners and learning

• Summary
• Purpose
• Approach
• Research questions
• Methodology
• Organisations

Summary

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which learners and the processes of learning are constructed, understood and embedded in developmental pathways that lead to the attainment of the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.

Approach

Case studies in 17 registered training organizations that deliver the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training in five different states / territories

Research questions

The issues and their related research questions that will be addressed this project are:

Understandings of learning represented in documentation used in Certificate IV programs

1. How is learning described and represented in documents (curricula, learning materials, texts, training plans etc) used in the provision of initial VET teacher / trainer development programs?

2. What orientations to learning (behaviourist, cognitivist, humanistic, social learning or constructivist) are most prevalent in this documentation?

3. How are learners described and represented in documents (curricula, training plans etc) used in the provision of initial VET teacher / trainer development programs?

4. What characteristics of learners (psychological type, learning styles, culture, philosophy, experience, life stage, autonomy, values, self-directedness) are most prevalent in this documentation?

5. How do these understandings of learners and learning differ across contexts in terms of the breadth and depth to which they address issues relating to understanding learners and learning within the VET context?

Constructions of learners and learning embedded in the discourses of staff responsible for the delivery of Certificate IV programs

1. How are learners represented and understood in the discourses of staff? What key theories inform their ways of working in providing initial training for VET teachers / trainers?

2. How are the processes of learning understood and articulated? What key theories inform ways of working when providing initial training for VET teachers / trainers?

3. In what ways do staff seek to impact on teachers?/ trainers knowledge, skills and understandings in relation to the diverse nature of learners and the learning processes that currently are in evidence in the VET sector?

4. How is this achieved through the development pathways provided in programs?

Constructions of learners and learning held by recent graduates of the Certificate IV

1. How is process of learning described by recent graduates of the Certificate IV? What orientations to learning are most prevalent in these descriptions?

2. How are learners described by recent graduates of the Certificate IV?

3. What characteristics of learners are most prevalent in these descriptions?

4. How do these understandings fit with the ideas embedded in the curriculum documents, training plans etc used in the programs that these teachers / trainers have recently completed?

5. How do these understandings fit with the stated discourses of staff providing the programs for these recently graduating teachers / trainers?

Implications of the research

1. What implications do these findings have for the preparedness of recent graduates of the Certificate IV to address the diversity of learners undertaking VET and their knowledge and understandings in relation to the process of learning?

2. What are the consequences for any observed variability or contradictions observed in different understandings of learners and learning embedded in the learning pathways leading to the attainment of the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training?

Methodology

A case study methodology will be used in this project. The research will involve case studies in 17 registered training organizations that deliver the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training in five different states / territories - 14 in the VET sector (4 in Queensland, 4 in New South Wales, 4 in Victoria and 2 in South Australia), and 3 registered training organisations based in the higher education sector (one in each of NSW, NT and Victoria).

Throughout the project the research team will be required to liaise with the National Assessors and Workplace Trainers (NAWT) body. The researchers will also be required maintain contact and work with the team undertaking an ANTA-funded project to scope teaching and learning strategies in use in the sector, and any subsequent projects arising from it if appropriate.

Data gathering at each case study site will involve

* a detailed content analysis of the documents (curricula, training plans, learning materials etc) using an evaluation framework devised especially for this study

* face-to-face interviews with staff involved in the delivery of the Certificate IV program

* face-to-face interviews with two recent graduates from each program site

* transcribing, collating and returning the interview material to the persons who were interviewed for verification. The verified material will then be comprehensively analysed, summarised and incorporated in a series of cases studies which clearly document the issues raised by, and implications of, the case study findings.

Organisations

This research is being jointly undertaken by the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work (CREEW) at the University of South Australia, Centre for Advancement of Innovative Learning (CAIL) and The Vocational Education and Training (VET) Research Group at Charles Sturt University

CREEW is a recognised and funded research centre within the University of South Australia. Its website at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/creew/index.htm lists previous projects undertaken which provide the grounding for this study based on the established networks and successful record in VET research developed by CREEW over time.

CAIL, operating under the auspice of the TAFE Queensland Centre for Innovation and Development was initially established in 1993 to respond to a rapidly changing VET system. Since the Centre's inception, CAIL has been involved in various research projects, TAFE Qld strategic projects, flexible delivery initiatives and developing and delivering professional development programs for instructional staff in private training organisations, public training organisations and industry. Its web site is at http://www.widebay.tafe.net/fac/cailhome.htm

The Vocational Education and Training (VET) Research Group at Charles Sturt University is involved in a range of funded and unfunded research. Most members of the team were involved in the Group for Research in Employment and Training (GREAT) which had an outstandingly successful record of obtaining national and State grants and consultancies during the period 1994-2002. Its web site is at http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/edu/vetfolder/researchgr.htm)

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