Transformation av yrkeskunnande till ett undervisningsinnehåll behandlas i denna studie. I fokus är hur svetslärare synliggör ljud och hörselintryck i förhållande till lärandeobjektet ’inställningar av strömkällan i svetsmetoden MIG/MAG’, samt hur elevers förståelse kan uppvisas i undervisningen. Det saknas både praktiknära studier och ämnesdidaktisk forskning i det forskningsfält som behandlar yrkesutbildning. Syftet är därför att bidra med kunskap om vad som händer när svetslärare i en learning study systematiskt transformerar yrkesämneskunskap i undervisning av ett lärandeobjekt i svetsmetoden MIG/MAG.

Empirin består av dokumenterade lärarlagssamtal och filmade undervisningspass. Resultaten påvisar yrkesämnesdidaktikens komplexitet och däri görs kopplingar till ett yrkeskunnandes transformation till ett undervisningsinnehåll.

Transformation of welding teachers’ vocational knowing into subject-specific educational content is focused in this study. The article displays the process of a learning study, in which welding teachers make the sound visible as an aspect of making the correct settings in MIG/MAG welding and give the students’ the opportunity to display their understanding in the interaction. The aim of the study is to contribute with knowledge regarding what happens when welding teachers in a learning study systematically transform subject-specific vocational knowledge to an object of learning in the welding method MIG/MAG. 

The data consists of the welding teacher team’s documented meetings and film material from teaching situations. The complexity of subject-specific education within VET is shown with the use of the transformation concept. 

Föreliggande licentiatuppsats är en yrkesämnesdidaktisk studie som behandlar praktiska lärandemoment på det industritekniska programmet, med inriktning svetsteknik.

Det övergripande syftet med licentiatuppsatsen är att bidra med kunskap om undervisnings- och lärandeprocesser när lärare systematiskt transformerar ämnesinnehåll och yrkeskunnande till svetsundervisning. Faktorer som påverkar undervisning av praktiska moment i svetsteknik behandlas med stöd av begreppet transformation och i studien utforskas hur svetslärare kan synliggöra lärandeobjekt och stimulera elevers uppvisande av förståelse och färdigheter i undervisningssituationer av praktiska moment. Studien har samlat empiri från ett praktiknära forskningsprojekt som har vilat på det teoretiska ramverket CAVTA, en kombination av samtalsanalys och variationsteori. Projektet har designats med inspiration av learning study. Olika perspektiv av det övergripande syftet behandlas i de två delstudier som innefattas i licentiatuppsatsen. Delstudie 1 utforskar undervisnings- och lärandeprocessen när svetslärare dels transformerar ämnesinnehåll och yrkeskunnande genom  synliggörande av  ljud och hörselintryck i förhållande till lärandeobjektet, inställningar av utrustningen i svetsmetoden MIG/MAG, dels stimulerar elever att uppvisa förståelse och färdigheter av undervisningsinnehållet i undervisningspassens interaktion. Delstudie 2 behandlar synliggörande av ett lärandeobjekt och elevers uppvisande av förståelse och färdigheter  i svetsmetoden TIG. Denna delstudie fokuserar användandet av CAVTA och modellen learning study i teknisk yrkesutbildning. 

I resultaten framträder hur ett ämnesinnehåll, som är vagt definierat i kursplaner, bland annat genom svetslärares yrkeskunnande transformeras till undervisning av praktiska moment i svetsteknik. Studien visar hur undervisningen systematiskt utvecklas med stöd i det teoretiska ramverket CAVTA och ansatsen learning study. Ett snävt urval av lärandeobjekt och ett tydligt avgränsat fokus ger den undervisande läraren möjlighet att i variation synliggöra aspekter i undervisningssituationer och samtidigt stimulera den enskilde eleven att på olika sätt uppvisa sin förståelse och sina färdigheter i undervisningspassens interaktion. Förslag över hur modellen learning study kan utvecklas för användning i studier rörande praktiska moment i svetsundervisning förs fram. Implikationer från studien rör framför allt undervisning av praktiska moment i svetsning där resultaten av systematisk integrering av variation i interaktion verkar lovande, även om vissa utmaningar lyfts fram. I ett större perspektiv kan resultaten vara intressanta för utveckling av lärandeobjekt av praktiska moment inom annan teknisk yrkesutbildning.

This licentiate thesis focuses on the pedagogy of practical objects of learning in technical vocational education. The overarching aim of the thesis is to contribute with knowledge of teaching and learning processes when welding teachers systematically transform subject specific contents and vocational knowing to teaching sessions in welding. With the use of the concept transformation, aspects which impact the welding education are highlighted. The thesis explores how welding teachers can visualize practical objects of learning and encourage students to display their comprehension and abilities in the teaching situations of practical objects of learning. The data has been collected from a practice-based research project, where the approach CAVTA, a combination of conversation analysis and variation theory, has served as the theoretical framework. A modified version of the learning study model has been used to develop the teaching and learning processes of practical welding education at an upper-secondary school in Sweden. 

Different perspectives of the overarching aim surface in the two studies included in the thesis.  The first study explores the teaching and learning processes when welding teachers transform subject specific contents and vocational knowing to welding teaching sessions of MIG/MAG welding. The variation of sound in relation to the object of learning, the settings of the equipment, is manifested in this study, as is the way the teacher in the interaction encourages the students to display their comprehension and abilities to set the equipment adequately.  The second study deals with a practical object of learning in the welding method TIG. Variation and interaction in the teaching and learning processes are explored in this study as well with a focus on the use of CAVTA and the learning study model.

In the findings, it is manifested how the vaguely defined subject specific contents of the curriculum, via the vocational knowing of the welding teachers, are transformed to welding teaching sessions in the workshop. The thesis shows how the teaching systematically is developed and how the teachers are supported by the theoretical framework CAVTA in combination with the cyclic design of the learning study model. A narrow focus on a defined object of learning enables the teacher to vary specific aspects of the object of learning, thus supporting the students discerning these aspects. A simultaneous focus on the interaction with the students and what the students display in the interaction supports the teacher in revising the teaching accordingly. Suggestions regarding  how to develop the learning study model in relation to practical objects of learning in technical vocational education are proposed. Implications of the study concern mainly welding education, where a systematic integration of variation theoretic principles in combination with a focus on interaction seems promising, although challenges are highlighted. The findings may also be of interest for those who want to explore teaching and learning processes in other areas of technical vocational education. 

Hur allt smälter samman i handlingens centrum är en yrkesämnesdidaktisk studie som behandlar praktiska lärandemoment i svetsundervisning.

Undervisnings- och lärandeprocesser när lärare systematiskt transformerar ämnesinnehåll och yrkeskunnande till svetsundervisning utforskas i denna licentiatuppsats. I studien framträder hur svetslärare i transformationsprocessen kan synliggöra undervisningsinnehåll och stimulera elevers uppvisande av förståelse och färdigheter i undervisningssituationer av praktiska moment.

Resultaten visar hur undervisningen systematiskt utvecklas med stöd i det teoretiska ramverket CAVTA och ansatsen learning study. Ett snävt urval av undervisningsinnehåll och ett tydligt avgränsat fokus ger läraren möjlighet att i variation synliggöra olika aspekter av vad som ska läras. Den enskilde eleven ges på olika sätt möjlighet att uppvisa förståelse och färdigheter i undervisningssituationens interaktion.

Studien riktar sig framför allt till yrkesverksamma och blivande svetslärare, men  teori- och metodutvecklande bidrag kan också vara av intresse för lärare i andra yrkesutbildningar. I ett än vidare perspektiv av undervisning, lärande och pedagogiskt arbete kan utforskandet av handlingens centrum –  undervisningssituationen – bidra med stimulerande tankegods åt lärarutbildare och ämnesdidaktiska forskare.

Research regarding classroom pedagogy of subject specific contents in the field of technical vocational education is scarce, nationally in Sweden, but also in an international perspective. This paper presents results from a Swedish action research project and it aims at exploring the process of a learning study, which deals with the settings in MIG/MAG welding and the intervention of the new pedagogic approach CAVTA (Conversation Analysis and Variation Theory Approach). The empiric material consists of video recorded welding education in a workshop and documented meetings in a welding teacher team. The theoretical toolbox of CAVTA permeates the teaching and learning processes as the teachers in the intervention try to implement patterns of variation in the planning, enactment and evaluation of the teaching and learning processes. In combination with the variation theoretic principles embedded in the teaching, ideas inspired by conversation analysis are implemented – the main element being an enhanced interaction, thus enabling for the students to display their understanding of the subject specific contents. The results show how CAVTA can be integrated in the teaching of settings regarding MIG/MAG welding, so that certain aspects of the object of learning is visualized. Furthermore, the findings show how the integration of CAVTA support the manifestation of a student’s understanding of the object of learning. How variation and the use of several senses and simultaneous different semiotic resources are activated as essential components in the teaching and learning processes, is made explicit in the paper. Plans for a recently launched research project including several different technical vocational education programs are also presented. The lack of classroom studies regarding technical vocational education calls for exploration in research, but should not avoid the ambition of development. This study captures the design and the development of a new pedagogic approach. Our hope is that the study will contribute to a growing body of knowledge within the field of technical vocational education and spur on further studies in this field of research. 

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how critical aspects can be defined in a learning study on welding without conducting any pre-tests. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors focus on empirical examples from a learning study on welding conducted in six iterative cycles, with conversation analysis and variation theory approach (CAVTA) as a theoretical basis. The welding lessons have been video-recorded, and in the study, the authors analyze examples where the teachers try to identify critical aspects of a vocational practical object of learning in interaction. CAVTA permeates the complete process, where the analysis has been part of the iterative cycles and further developed when the six cycles were completed. Findings The results show how critical aspects can be made visible in the interaction between teacher(s) and student(s) in the enacted learning situation. In the process, the authors work with the three concepts expected critical aspects, displayed critical aspects and targeted critical features in relation to a vocational practical object of learning where conducting a pre-test to define critical aspects is not educationally possible. Originality/value Teaching vocational practical objects of learning could be seen as something different from teaching other kinds of objects of learning and the use of the traditional pre-tests in learning studies may be problematic. From that follows, that other ways of finding the critical aspects for the students regarding a vocational practical object of learning might be needed. In this study, such a way is presented.

Learning to weld in vocational education is an action research project and its purpose is to meet the demand of research regarding the relation between teaching and learning in technical vocational education.

In the research project the welding education at an upper secondary vocational school in Sweden is video-recorded in iterative cycles. The two theoretical perspectives conversation analysisand variation theory are combined and a new didactic approach is formed – CAVTA (ConversationAnalysis and Variation Theory Approach). CAVTA permeates the complete process ofthe study, where analytic tools deriving from the two theoretical perspectives have been used in the design of the teaching and in the data analysis. Learning to weld in vocational education is inspired by the learning study method but the traditional pre- and post tests have been removed. This paper focuses the second year of Learning to weld in vocational education, developing previously published material. The systematic implementation of CAVTA into welding education is in focus. The research question is formulated: How can the didactic approach CAVTA be implemented in TIG welding education?

Preliminary results of the second year of the study confirm the results of the first year. The implementation of CAVTA affects the design of the welding lessons and the evaluation of the lessons. The vocational teachers’ discussions concentrate on subject specific issues. There is an increased focus on the object of learning with its critical aspects. The discussions about how todesign the teaching to make the critical aspects discernable result in adjustment of the welding lessons. The systematic teacher and student interactions, including other semiotic resources than verbal language, gradually increase throughout the cycles.

The main implications of the paper concern the forms of teaching subject specific contents within welding education. Nevertheless, the results of the second year of Learning to weld in vocational education, may spur development of the teaching of other objects of learning. The project also contributes with knowledge in other fields, such as theoretical framework and methodology, with its combination of conversation analysis and variation theory. The collaboration between researchers and a team of vocational teachers might be of interest to anyone interested in professional development.

This paper describes ongoing research focusing on how vocational learning content in different technical vocational programmes in upper secondary schools is taught and learned in close interaction in the midst of practical learning situations. The study shows that the technical vocational learning content have some aspects in common – such as the interplay between theoretical and practical knowledge, the use of working tools, the problem solving and the complexity of interacting critical aspects. However, there are also differences between the learning content in the teaching of different vocational subjects, in relation to working methods and the nature of the objects of learning. Still, more studies are needed in order to claim that the differences are subject specific. Furthermore, the study shows that teachers often aimed to teach the learning content in a broad perspective, which could be at the expense of a clear focus for the student. In one of the studied programmes an intervention study was conducted. This study shows that an enhanced focus on fewer, specific critical aspects of the object of learning might support the learning process.