Testimonial
[MSc Thesis] A broader perspective: How educators stimulate identification and reflection among agricultural VET-students
Joanne Malotaux did her Master “Leren en Innoveren” at AERES Wagenigen University of applied sciences. Teachers from WUR are also involved in parts of this Master programme, teaching students about boundary crossing. Joanne got so interested in the topic as she saw this conceptual framework as fruitful for helping teachers in Vocational Education and Training (in Dutch: MBO) to help their students to view real life problems from different perspectives, and to also more critically reflect on their own perspective.
This thesis gives concrete operationalisations of the BC learning mechanisms Identification and Reflection, and how teachers use them with tangible and small (easy to implement) teaching strategies to stimulate students to more thoroughly explore diverse perspectives.
Students experience that educators can use small actions to help them gain insight into how their own practice relates to other practices and to become aware of their own and other people's perspectives
After their education, agricultural VET-students start their career in a rapidly changing sector. This requires students to be open to different perspectives and be able to learn from them. The boundary crossing learning mechanisms identification and reflection can be used to gain insight into other people's practices and perspectives and to broaden one’s own perspective. This research aimed to explore the ways in which educators stimulate identification and reflection in students according to students. An inventory was made of the extent to which the students experienced identification and reflection during the lessons of a practical educational program. Interviews were used to identify what the students experienced the educators contributed to their perceived identification and reflection. The findings of this study show that students regularly experience identification and, to a lesser extent, reflection. The students experience that educators contribute to this by introducing new insights and concepts from other practices. They indicate that educators could stimulate more identification and reflection by asking students about the characteristics of different practices and about their own perspective. This research shows that students experience that educators can use small actions to help students gain insight into how their own practice relates to other practices and to become aware of their own and other people's perspectives.
Joanne's thesis was assessed by Judith Gulikers (Education and Learning Sciences Group). To read Joanne's thesis, please contact Judith at judith.gulikers@wur.nl.