Motivation of VET Teachers, Education System, Primary School, Secondary school, Vocational Secondary School, Vocational School, Higher-Level Vocational Training, Vocational Training,

Motivation of VET Teachers

Introduction

The Hungarian vocational schools and as I think all European vocational schools can be characterized by: unmotivated teachers teach unmotivated pupils.

What is the reason of it?

Before surveying possibility of motivation have a look at the

Hungarian Education System (without adult education)

School Type

PS 4 class

SC 8 class

HE

PS 6 class

SC 6 class

PS

8 class

SC

4 class

HLVT

VT

VSS

4 class

HE

HLVT

VT

VS

2+(0.5-2) class

VS

class

1-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

11-12

13-15

16-18

age

6-10

11-12

13-14

15-16

17-18

19-21

22-24

Compulsory school attendance: between the age of 6 and 16

Abbreviations:

PS: Primary School

SS: Secondary School

VSS: Vocational Secondary School

VS: Vocational School

HLVT: Higher-Level Vocational Training

VT: Vocational Training

School Type:

PS: Primary School

Length of study time:
4 classes; ca. 5% of total number of pupils
6 classes; ca. 5% of total number of pupils
8 classes; ca. 90% of total number of pupils

Motivation is satisfactory till the end of 4^th class, but then situation changes for worse because of beginning selection of best pupils for secondary schools. After 6^th class it occurs again. Some primary schools have 9^th and 10^th classes too; these are typically deadlock classes. Pupils are there solely because of compulsory school attendance. These two years make the pupils purposeless.

SS: Secondary School

SS ensures comprehensive education.

There are 4, 6, 8 classes versions; ca. 35% of total number of pupils

End of SS: secondary school-leaving exam

Further study: HE, HLVT, VT

SS gives the best possibility to further study, pupils are motivated well.

VSS: Vocational Secondary School

VSS is a transition between secondary school and vocational school.

Length of study time: 4 classes; ca. 40% of total number of pupils

9^th and 10^th classes: vocational orientation period (10-15% of lessons are in trade)

11^th and 12^th classes: vocational basic training period (20-25% of lessons are in trade, the workshop practice is one day per week)

End of VSS: secondary school-leaving exam (without trade subjects)
To get skilled labour worker certificate they have to go on HLVT or VT.

Further study: HE, HLVT, VT
There is no restriction what profession they choose.

In spite of the fact VSS gives good possibility to further study, pupils are not motivated sufficiently.

VS: Vocational School

Length of study time: 2 classes + (0.5-2 years)

9^th and 10^th classes: vocational orientation + vocational basic period
10-50% of lessons are in trade

End of compulsory school attendance (after two years of studies): preliminary exam, (basic level examination)

11^th and 12^th classes: vocational training period

0.5-2 years depending on schools and trades

80-100% of lessons are in trade

The workshop practice is 2-4 days per week.

End of VS: trade exam to get skilled labour worker certificate (only trade subjects)

Further study: NO

VS is the worst kind of school type from the point of view of motivation.

HLVT: Higher-Level Vocational Training

Length of study time: 1-3 classes depending on schools and trades

The most of the subjects are accredited by certain universities and colleges.

80-100% of lessons are in trade

End of HLVT: trade exam (only trade subjects)

Further study: HE, HLVT, VT
Certain HE institutes accept the accredited subjects, so HE study time will be shorter.

HLVT has not fulfilled the expectation in Hungary. Neither companies nor pupils were accepted this type of vocational school.

VT: Vocational Training

VT is a transition between full time teaching and adult training.

Length of study time: 0.5-3 classes (depending on schools and trades); ca. 25% of total number of pupils

80-100% of lessons are in trade, the workshop practice is 2-4 days per week.

End of VT: trade exam to get skilled labour worker certificate (only trade subjects)

VT is the other worst kind among the school types from the point of view of motivation.

What is the Reason of the Lack of Motivation in the Vocational Schools?

Low level of pupils’ preparedness

Within a class the pupils’ knowledge and skills are rather heterogeneous.

No possibility to choose better pupils, everybody may go to VS.
Pupil as a source of income: A lot of poor families send their children to school just for the family allowance.

Learning difficulty: resurgent illiteracy, traumatic soul

Mental difficulty: misfit, hopeless, futureless personality, self-adapting difficulty, intolerance, lack of solidarity, obscene talk, aggressiveness, systematic absence, consumption of harmful consumer goods, lack of parental connection.

Family background

Over-driven lifestyle

Divorced parents

Lack of parental check

Lack of dialogue between parents and school

Lack of dialogue between parents and children

Neglect: lack of meal, clothing, warm home

Unmotivated parents: lack of encouragement, lack of secure sample, lack of reliable scale of values

Belonging to minority

Lack of socialization

Unemployment

Poverty, sense of shame on poverty

Pedagogical methods

Lack of problem recognition by teachers and parents

Lack of problem solution by teachers and parents, teachers are not prepared well for tuition

Lack of pedagogical toolbar, lack of systematic teacher further training

Lack of proper infrastructure

Traditional teacher-centre teaching

Boring curriculum, boring lessons

How Can we Change the Teaching and Learning Attitude?

The level of pupils’ preparedness and the family background are determined but teachers have responsibility for pedagogical methods.

Most of the teachers teach with similar methods as they were taught, so if we want to change the boring, unmotivated schools, we must change the education of teachers.

Project method (by J. Dewey and W. H. Kilpatrick) gives a good possibility to alter teaching method in vocational schools.

In KF GAMF we use pedagogical projects to form VET students’ attitudes very successfully. I will present what kind of projects was carried out during last 3 years and how these projects motivated students. Finally I will give some examples how our previously graduated students altered the mentality of other teachers after getting into vocational schools.

Introduction of Projects

Task of projects: production of a complete educational package

Goals of projects:

production of a new curriculum for VS in lifelike circumstances

recognition of VS education problems

test of curriculum (teaching practice)

Parts of projects:

selection of a VS (own training school in general)

selection and persuasion of a tutor in VS

selection of a subject and a topic

formation of work groups (2-3 students and 1-2 VS pupils per group)

determination of schedule and responsibility

making parts of educational package

presentation and discussion of curriculum

teaching practice in VS

making video recording and complex introducing matter (DVD) for a job interview

Demands:

clear, accurate and didactic curriculum

connection with a VS subject theme

necessities of presentation (visual aids, PowerPoint or similar skeletons, drafts, diagrams, images, films, animations, simulations, sound materials, handouts, printed and e-texts (PET) and tests)

Execution of projects:

length of projects: 3-4 months, 50-100 work hours per student

number of participants during 3 years: 80 students, 45 pupils 26 tutors

Some typical projects:

modern internal-combustion engines

path of the image beam of mirrors and lenses

simulation of difficult situations for rules of the road

preparation of electronic blank map for geography

simulation of different physical attempts

electronic pupil register

different logical plays programs (Rubik cube, Babel tower, and so on)

different special electronic circuits

Survey of project impacts

We measured 80 students’ attitudes with a questionnaire before and after projects
(scores: 0-10).

Questions

Before project

After project

Change rate %

Knowledge of educational technology (ET)

2.89

5.71

+ 49

Knowledge of PET preparation

4.5

8.43

+ 47

Knowledge of presentation preparation

4.96

7.36

+ 33

Affection of own subject matter

6.61

8.46

+ 22

Communication skills, human relations

5.50

6.05

+ 10

Ability of work in groups

4.36

4.39

+ 1

Some typical other answers - given by the students - as a result of project:

I will go to a job interview confidently

Assurance of own ability because of DVD

The new knowledge could be very profitable in my work as a VET teacher

My tutor uses my curriculum in his or her work

More and more VET teachers begin to use the project method in my practising school.

László Kiss

Kecskemét College Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Automation

Pedagogical Department

2006

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    http://www.spec.hu/

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