Educating for competence based teaching in vocational education: An innovative search for powerful learning environments in technical teacher training

Over the last ten years numerous projects to reform pre-vocational and vocational secondary education ((P)VSE) have been initiated in the Netherlands. As a result of those initiatives competence-based learning environments (CBLE) were introduced. The central aspect of CBLE is the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes in terms of professional competences. Learning is supposed to take place in authentic environments and learning tasks should likewise be authentic, meaningful and functional [1]. It is assumed that in this way the transfer from theory to practice can be made more easily. In CBLE, the learning processes of students are regarded as constructive, self-regulated, goal-oriented, situated, collaborative, and individually different processes of knowledge building and meaning construction. Teachers play an important role in CBLE. They are pivotal in creating powerful learning environments [2]. They have to promote students' learning processes and the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Teachers also have to stimulate self-regulation on the part of students [2]. Many teacher training institutes (TTI) have not yet made the change towards CBLE. Until now TTIs mainly focused on learning to teach the knowledge and skills of the subject matter, and less on competence-based learning by pupils in vocational education [3]. In order to better prepare future teachers for the tasks in current vocational education the TTIs have to make the switch from a teaching and teacher-focused perspective to a learning- and learner-focused perspective [4] [5]. This process includes gaining insight into relevant characteristics and conditions that contribute to a more appropriate teacher education, and developing vocation- and learning-directed curricula and learning environments. A second reason to reform the education of future teachers is to be found in the changed social conceptions of knowledge development. Personal experience and the development of knowledge in groups and networks are considered to be highly important for the growth of practical and professional knowledge [6] [7]. This concept of knowledge development has consequences for the design of a learning- and learner-focused learning environment in teacher training. The purpose of the innovation that has started at Fontys University of Applied Sciences is to develop a competence-based curriculum and according learning environments. Personal experience and the development of knowledge in groups are the starting point for the intended learning processes in student teachers. A PhD study has been initiated by the author to gain insight into the relevant characteristics and conditions that contribute to a learning-focused teacher education. This educational change entails the transformation of the teacher training institute into a learning organization. The need to innovate and professionalise is strongly felt amongst teacher trainers. Teacher trainers are stimulated to carry out practice-oriented research in essential aspects of learning and teaching. It is necessary to critically reflect on the programmes that are developed and the way these are realized in order to make a meaningful contribution to innovative ways of learning and teaching in teacher training.