Vocational Pedagogy: What it is and why it matters

One of the original aims of A Curriculum for Excellence was to place more emphasis on employability and skills required to meet market demand. The final report of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce has made a series of recommendations in the same vein. In Sir Ian Wood’s own words, “There should be a continuum from primary school right through into employment”. Developing a young workforce demands a culture change from all parts of the education and training system. In particular, there needs to be a focus on high-quality vocational teaching and learning, wherever and whenever it takes place. This paper challenges some popular myths – for example, that “clever people don’t get their hands dirty” – before proposing six desirable outcomes from vocational learning. Having set out the aims, Professor Lucas goes on to outline the major features of successful vocational pedagogy, or the science, art and craft of teaching and learning vocational education.