Teacher Education Schools and Teacher Education Workplaces in Vocational Teacher Education

The project looks at development of an organizational theoretical, didactic model for collaboration between educational institution and field of practice, and challenges and needs connected to this.

The government’s strategy document “Teacher Education 2020” provides guidelines for establishing new “Teacher Education Schools”. The purpose is to ensure high quality of practice teaching and to strengthen research- and development (R&D) collaboration between schools and universities responsible for teacher education. 

The Department of Vocational Teacher Education (YLU) at OsloMet, the departments of education in Viken and Oslo county municipalities, and two upper secondary vocational schools, Strømmen and Kuben, collaborate in an innovation project on establishing teacher education schools in vocational teacher education. The Norwegian Research Council funds the project. The aim is to develop a binding and lasting cooperation between the schools and OsloMet on the best possible vocational teacher education and vocational education. 

Main activities

A.1. Implement school-based education in mentoring, with meeting places for teachers and teacher educators. The main purpose is to help practice supervisors and teacher educators develop a common understanding of vocational teacher education. It is also to start the development of a new infrastructure. Project managers and school leaders together are responsible for the main content.   

A.2. Establish R&D-groups where practice teachers, instructors and teacher educators work together. The group shall meet regularly and prepare plans for carrying out, evaluating, documenting and spreading of R6D-projects and results. 

A.3. Establish collaborative groups between teachers, practice teachers, instructors and teacher educators on planning, carrying out and evaluating continuing education and training at Strømmen and Kuben. 

A.4. Dialogue meetings / conferences within each organization and between the parties (Strømmen, Kuben, YLU) to:

• a. strengthen common understanding of key challenges in vocational teacher education and vocational education.
• b. organize and systematize collective and individual experience learning in daily work (systematizing real competence development).
• c. develop and build new infrastructure between YLU and the field of practice at Strømmen, Kuben).

A.5. Dialogue meetings with practice schools and training companies. 

Data will be collected from each of the main activities. The aim is to gain knowledge of how collaboration between teacher education institutions, schools and firms can be organized to obtain relevant, professional-based education and what key obstacles and opportunities are.