The Value of Personal

Professional Theories for

Vocational Education

Harmen Schaap, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

ECER 2008

Gothenburg
Background

Knowledge in Competence-based Vocational Education:

Formal knowledge

Professional norms and values

Personal knowledge

2
Personal Professional Theories

 Knowledge base (knowledge and beliefs)

 Formal knowledge
 Workprocess knowledge
 Beliefs concerning professional attitudes

 Frame of reference
 Professional behaviour
 Internalisation

 Related concepts
 Practical knowledge
 Action Theories

3
Value of Personal Professional Theories

Monitoring development of knowledge

Assessment

Intervention

4
Development of Personal Professional Theories

 Growing into a professional domain (Achtenhagen &

Grubb, 2001; Mok, 1973)
 Collective knowledge, norms, values and notions
 Collective and personal nature
 Domain specific

 Negotiation of meaning (Bruner, 1985; Wenger, 1998)

5
Stimulating the development of Personal
Professional Theories

Collaborative learning

Reflection activities of students

Modelling and scaffolding of teachers and

trainers

6
Discussion

 Personal Professional Theory

 Knowledge base;
 Frame of reference;
 Internalisation
 Monitoring/assessment/intervention.

 Future research
 Content and features (criteria);
 Development of Personal Professional Theories (methods,
interventions, analysis).

7
Contact

Harmen Schaap MSc.

Utrecht University
Research Centre Learning in Interaction
Heidelberglaan 1
P.O. box 80140
3508 TC Utrecht
T: 030 – 252 49 41
E: h.schaap@uu.nl