Introducing a critical dialogical model for vocational teacher education

Abstract

The purpose with this article is to conceptualise and present what is referred to as a critical dialogical model for vocational teacher education that takes into account the interaction between theory/research and practice/experiential knowledge. The theoretical framework for the model is based on critical hermeneutics and the methodology of dialogue seminars with the aim to promote the development of a 'critical self' among the vocational teacher students. The model enacts an interface between theory and practice where a number of processes are identified: a reflective-analogical process, a critical-analytical process and an interactive critical self-building process. In order to include a theoretical argument concerning the issue of content, the concept of 'learning capital' and its four sub-categories in terms of curricular capital, instructional capital, moral capital and venture capital is used. We point at content-related aspects of student learning and how a critical self has the potential to promote various kinds of 'capital' and capacity building that may be of importance in the future work-life of the vocational teacher student.

Keywords

• Vocational teacher education
• theory and practice
• critical hermeneutics
• dialogue seminars
• learning capital