Towards Competence-based Practices in Vocational Education - What Will the Process Require from Teacher Education and Teacher Identities?

Oct 15, 2026

The document examines what competence-based practices in vocational education demand from teacher education and teacher identities. It frames competence-based education as integrating knowledge, skills, attitudes, and interactivity, using lifelong learning and lifelike tasks in realistic settings that require teacher cooperation. Research collected in Oulu, Finland (2013–2014) involves newly qualified and experienced vocational teachers (N=30) using interviews and open questionnaires. Qualitative analysis and a humanistic-cognitive, experiential, and dynamic epistemic background reveal an individualistic, disciplined, and course-based model, with cooperation hindered by teachers’ self-image and fear of criticism or exposure, while cooperation is strengthened by changing practices and sharing desires.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: Competence-based education system

Competence-based system in adult and vocational education

Key principles of the system in vocational training

Towards Competence-based Practices in Vocational Education – What Will the Process Require from Teacher Education and Teacher Identities? Säde-Pirkko Nissilä*1, Asko Karjalainen2, Marja Koukkari3, and Pirkko Kepanen4 • Competence-based education refers to the integration of knowledge, skills, attitudes and interactivity as the intended outcomes of learning. It makes use of lifelong learning and lifelike tasks in realistic settings and requires the cooperation of teachers. This research was prompted by the desire to explain why collegial cooperation often seems to be problematic in schools and universities. Are there certain social structures or behavioural patterns that influence the cooperative culture in teacher communities? The research material was collected in 2013 and 2014 in Oulu, Finland. The target groups were both newly qualified and experienced vocational teachers at all educational levels (N=30) . The data collection methods were open questions in interviews and questionnaires. The research approach and analysis methods were qualitative. The theoretical background is in humanistic-cognitive and experiential learning as well as in dynamic epistemic conceptions. The findings show that the prevailing model in teacher communities is individualistic, disciplinedivided and course-based, especially among older teachers. The obstacles refer to teachers’ self-image and a deeply rooted fear of criticism or revelation of incompetence. The promoters of cooperation were connected to the changing practices and desire of sharing with colleagues. Keywords: attitude, cooperation, learning in work places, life-long and life-wide learning, professional development 1 *Corresponding Author. Oulu University of Applied Sciences, School of Vocational Teacher Education, Oulu, Finland; [sade-pirkko.nissila@oamk.fi](sade-pirkko.nissila@oamk.fi) 2 Oulu University of Applied Sciences, School of Vocational Teacher Education, Oulu, Finland 3 Oulu University of Applied Sciences, School of Vocational Teacher Education, Oulu, Finland 4 Oulu University of Applied Sciences, School of Vocational Teacher Education, Oulu, Finland Proti kompetenčnemu sistemu poklicnega izobraževanja – kaj bo proces zahteval od izobraževanja učiteljev inučiteljevih vlog? Säde-Pirkko Nissilä*, Asko Karjalainen, Marja Koukkari in Pirkko Kepanen • Kompetenčni sistem izobraževanja pomeni, da so v predvidene dosežkeučenja integrirani znanje, spretnosti, odnos in interaktivnost. Naslanja se na vseživljenjsko izobraževanje in realistične naloge v realnih situacijah ter zahteva sodelovanje učiteljev. Raziskavo je spodbudila želja ugotoviti, zakaj se kolegialno sodelovanje v šolah in na univerzah pogostozdi problematično. Ali obstajajo določene socialne strukture ali vzorciobnašanja, ki vplivajo na sodelovalno kulturo v učiteljskih skupnostih? Podatki so bili zbrani v letih 2013 in 2014 v Ouluju na Finskem. Ciljna skupina so bili učitelji začetniki in tudi izkušeni učitelji v poklicnemizobraževanju na vseh stopnjah izobraževanja (N = 30) . Zbiranje podatkov je potekalo z intervjuvanjem in anketiranjem z odprtimi vprašanji. Raziskovalni pristop je bil kvalitativni. Teoretična ozadja predstavljajo humanistično-kognitivno in izkustveno učenje pa tudi dinamičniepistemološki koncepti. Rezultati so pokazali, da med učitelji prevladuje individualističen model, razdeljen na discipline in osnovan na učnem načrtu, še posebej med starejšimi učitelji. Ovire pri sodelovanju so predvsem učiteljeva samopodoba ter globoko ukoreninjen strah pred kritiko in razkritjem nekompetentnosti. Spodbujevalci sodelovanja so bili povezani s spreminjanjem prakse in z željo po izmenjavi med sodelavci. Ključne besede: stališča, sodelovanje, učenje na delovnem mestu, vseživljenjsko in celostno učenje, profesionalni razvoj Introduction: Competence-based education system Competence-based education is becoming increasingly dominant in European countries and Australia (Clarke & Winch, 2007

FAQs

What is competence-based education described as integrating?

It integrates knowledge, skills, attitudes, and interactivity as intended learning outcomes, relying on lifelong learning and realistic tasks in authentic settings.

How did the research collect data and who were the participants?

Data were collected in Oulu, Finland in 2013 and 2014, involving newly qualified and experienced vocational teachers across educational levels (N=30) using open interview and questionnaire questions.

What obstacles and promoters of teacher cooperation did the findings identify?

Obstacles include teachers’ self-image and a deeply rooted fear of criticism or being revealed as incompetent, while promoters are linked to changing practices and a desire to share with colleagues.

Oct 15, 2026

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