View in EDS

Vocational Teachers' Work at the Boundary of School and Work: A Scoping Review

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Vocational Teachers' Work at the Boundary of School and Work: A Scoping Review
Language: English
Authors: Kari-Anne Kverneggen, Evi Schmid, Silje Andresen
Source: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training. 2026 13(2):237-260.
Availability: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 24
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Career and Technical Education Teachers, Education Work Relationship, Work Based Learning, Secondary School Teachers, Educational Research, Research Methodology, Models, Foreign Countries, Apprenticeships, Internship Programs
Geographic Terms: Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, Australia, Denmark, United Kingdom (England), Germany, Iceland
ISSN: 2197-8638
2197-8646
Abstract: Context: VET programmes in most countries are organised as a combination of learning in schools and learning in workplaces, with elements of workplace learning ranging from a few hours of job shadowing to longer duration internships or full apprenticeships. While there is no doubt about the benefits of work-based learning opportunities for young people, combining school learning and on-the-job learning also poses challenges for learners. Learning in a school context and in the workplace are inherently different, with different rationales, cultures and purposes, and research has emphasised that students and apprentices often experience difficulties in their transitions between school and the workplace. Approach: This scoping review aims to systematically map the international research over the last two decades on vocational teachers' work at the school-work boundary in upper secondary vocational education and training. Following a comprehensive search of seven databases, 18 studies from 10 countries were selected as eligible in line with predefined inclusion criteria. These articles were systematically screened by means of a coding scheme to identify the following information: country of origin of the study, its aim, research design and methods, theoretical framework and key findings. Findings: Findings show that vocational teachers employ a range of school-specific and work-resembling activities and practices that can potentially facilitate student learning; however, there is a lack of research on the effects of teacher work on student learning and outcomes. Furthermore, the findings show that communication with workplace supervisors is in many ways crucial to the work of vocational teachers in their efforts to facilitate learning between school and the workplace. At the same time, however, teachers experience various obstacles to communication with workplaces, and there is a gap regarding evidence on how to address the challenges that teachers experience in their communication with workplaces. Conclusions: This review presents numerous examples of how vocational teachers can play a crucial role in supporting students and apprentices in their learning between the two learning environments. However, the findings highlight the need for quantitative, longitudinal and intervention studies to analyse the effects of different pedagogical and didactic approaches on facilitating learning between school and the workplace and to identify and evaluate measures to facilitate communication between teachers and workplace supervisors.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505935
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1505935
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1505935
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Vocational Teachers' Work at the Boundary of School and Work: A Scoping Review
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kari-Anne+Kverneggen%22">Kari-Anne Kverneggen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Evi+Schmid%22">Evi Schmid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Silje+Andresen%22">Silje Andresen</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+for+Research+in+Vocational+Education+and+Training%22"><i>International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training</i></searchLink>. 2026 13(2):237-260.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 24
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Information Analyses
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education+Teachers%22">Career and Technical Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+Work+Relationship%22">Education Work Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+Based+Learning%22">Work Based Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Teachers%22">Secondary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Research%22">Educational Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+Methodology%22">Research Methodology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Apprenticeships%22">Apprenticeships</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Internship+Programs%22">Internship Programs</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sweden%22">Sweden</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Switzerland%22">Switzerland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Netherlands%22">Netherlands</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Norway%22">Norway</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Denmark%22">Denmark</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28England%29%22">United Kingdom (England)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Germany%22">Germany</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Iceland%22">Iceland</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2197-8638<br />2197-8646
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Context: VET programmes in most countries are organised as a combination of learning in schools and learning in workplaces, with elements of workplace learning ranging from a few hours of job shadowing to longer duration internships or full apprenticeships. While there is no doubt about the benefits of work-based learning opportunities for young people, combining school learning and on-the-job learning also poses challenges for learners. Learning in a school context and in the workplace are inherently different, with different rationales, cultures and purposes, and research has emphasised that students and apprentices often experience difficulties in their transitions between school and the workplace. Approach: This scoping review aims to systematically map the international research over the last two decades on vocational teachers' work at the school-work boundary in upper secondary vocational education and training. Following a comprehensive search of seven databases, 18 studies from 10 countries were selected as eligible in line with predefined inclusion criteria. These articles were systematically screened by means of a coding scheme to identify the following information: country of origin of the study, its aim, research design and methods, theoretical framework and key findings. Findings: Findings show that vocational teachers employ a range of school-specific and work-resembling activities and practices that can potentially facilitate student learning; however, there is a lack of research on the effects of teacher work on student learning and outcomes. Furthermore, the findings show that communication with workplace supervisors is in many ways crucial to the work of vocational teachers in their efforts to facilitate learning between school and the workplace. At the same time, however, teachers experience various obstacles to communication with workplaces, and there is a gap regarding evidence on how to address the challenges that teachers experience in their communication with workplaces. Conclusions: This review presents numerous examples of how vocational teachers can play a crucial role in supporting students and apprentices in their learning between the two learning environments. However, the findings highlight the need for quantitative, longitudinal and intervention studies to analyse the effects of different pedagogical and didactic approaches on facilitating learning between school and the workplace and to identify and evaluate measures to facilitate communication between teachers and workplace supervisors.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1505935
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1505935
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 24
        StartPage: 237
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Education Work Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Work Based Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research Methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Apprenticeships
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Internship Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sweden
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Finland
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Switzerland
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Netherlands
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Norway
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Denmark
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (England)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Germany
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Iceland
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Vocational Teachers' Work at the Boundary of School and Work: A Scoping Review
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kari-Anne Kverneggen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Evi Schmid
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Silje Andresen
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2197-8638
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2197-8646
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 13
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training
              Type: main
ResultId 1