Abstract
Recent research by the author and others suggests that secondary vocational instruction may often fail to develop students' analytical and critical thinking skills. This failure, it is argued, is manifest in teacher-student “negotiation” as set in a complex social, economic, and institutional context. The article focuses on how vocational education might be reformed to address this problem. Discussed are the need for instruction in problem solving and decision making, more basic skill instruction, student involvement in the group management of entrepreneurial projects, development of critical thinking skills for the purpose of improving workplaces and society, revision of vocational teacher preparation, and a restructuring of the ways in which secondary vocational education is offered. Vocational education is redefined as academically integrated, experiential coursework in which a diverse group of students is educated broadly for work, learning, and life.
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Claus, J.F. Renegotiating vocational instruction. Urban Rev 21, 193–207 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01112402
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01112402