TO EARN OR TO LEARN ? IDENTITY IMPLICATION OF MICROTRANSITIONS FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS IN WORKING CLASS ADOLESCENTS IMPLIED IN INNOVATIVE VOCATIONAL TRAINING Laura Bonica & Viviana Sappa Department of Psychology University of Turin Italy International Conference Turin, September 17th and 18th, 2009
28
Embed
TO EARN OR TO LEARN ? IDENTITY IMPLICATION OF MICROTRANSITIONS FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS IN WORKING CLASS ADOLESCENTS IMPLIED IN INNOVATIVE VOCATIONAL TRAINING.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
TO EARN OR TO LEARN ?IDENTITY IMPLICATION OF
MICROTRANSITIONS FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS IN WORKING CLASS
ADOLESCENTS IMPLIED IN INNOVATIVE VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Laura Bonica & Viviana Sappa
Department of PsychologyUniversity of Turin
Italy
International ConferenceTurin, September 17th and 18th, 2009
In most developmental researches, the choice of vocational paths is considered a psychosocial risk for identity development, as it is interpreted as an avoidance of learning tasks and a desire for immediate autonomy at the cost of inhibiting exploration and greater ambitions (Tilton-Weaver, Vitunski, & Galambos, 2001; Bonino, Cattelino, 2002; Largie,et al., 2001)
However, the pathways following dropping out of school the teaching - learning characteristics of vocational
learning contextsand the perceived quality of learning experience,
have rarely been questioned in relation to these students’ motivational orientation, despite the recognised “excessively
theoretical” nature of Italian schools, which especially has negative implications upon the vocational paths (Bottani, 2002).
an ambiguity arises:
both the institutional and the theoretical level seem to be implicated in this process, but the failure is often attributed only to the students
themselves or to the characteristics of the social background from which they originate.
This seems to still confirm an interpretative model of the school failure inspired by the deficit model.
Given this ambiguity, it is difficult to ascertain if the working class adolescents choosing national vocational system and dropping out of these schools, must be considered at risk because they are mainly motivated to earn as soon as possible, at the cost of inhibiting exploration and greater ambitions, or rather they would like to better learn a job, but the cultural model adopted by the school left, did not fit with this aim (Bonica & Sappa, 2006, 2008).
In our hypotheses this ambiguity is founded on a poor consideration both of the plurality of intelligence and cultures (Gardner,1991) that converges in today's school, and of the increasing importance assumed by learning in the world of labour (Heinz, 2002, Engestrom, 2001).
with the consequence to:
1. Perpetuate the traditional dichotomic conception of the relationship among “learning” and “working”, “head” and “hands”, “thinking” and “doing”.
2. Interpreter the learning motivation of the young people choosing vocational schools in term of “weakness”
Starting from this background, we believe that vocational identity development (Erikson, 1968; Heinz, 2002) must be addressed within:
• a non-dichotomic conception of learning both in and outside of school (Lave, Wenger, 1991; Sennet, 2008; Resnick, 1987; Engestrom, 2001; Gardner, 1991; Pontecorvo et al., 1995)
• and adopting cultural - ecological research approaches, alternative to the deficit model (Cresas, 1978; Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bateson, 1972; Valsiner, 2002) that give greater visibility to the dynamics of interaction between subject and context (Bonica, 2008).
The aim of this presentationis to contribute to overcome the ambiguities,
proposing a new approach to study vocational identity, which starts from a pilot study designed on the basis of these
theoretical and methodological premises.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND AIMTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND AIMTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND AIMTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND AIM
RESEARCH DESIGN AND RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGICAL OPTIONSMETHODOLOGICAL OPTIONS
RESEARCH DESIGN AND RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGICAL OPTIONSMETHODOLOGICAL OPTIONS
Our pilot longitudinal study, starting in 2000, involved 503 adolescents and young adults (15-21 years old, 89% male) belonging to working class families of Turin, while they were living a microtransition from school failure to success in two excellent vocational training centres in the metal mechanic field.
Two specific methodological options were valorised:
the opportunity of comparison among different contexts/models of teaching-learning, interpreted as a transformation experiment (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).
the adoption of a multi level reflexive approach based on self comparison between contexts over time (Bonica, 2008).
TRADITIONALHIGH SCHOOL
Frontal lessonsFrontal lessonsFocus on theory Focus on theory
Abstract, individual and Abstract, individual and decontextualised decontextualised
knowledgeknowledge
(IARD, 2009, Resnick,1987; Bottani, 2000)
SCHOOL FAILURESCHOOL FAILURE SCHOOL SUCCESSSCHOOL SUCCESS
Comparison on the perceived quality of the learning settings
Learning by doingLearning by doingApprenticeship, Apprenticeship,
Evaluation of pratical skills, Evaluation of pratical skills, cooperative learning cooperative learning
(Pontecorvo et al., 1995;Resnick, 1987; Ajello et al. 2000; Slavin, 1990; Bonica e al., 2007)
2400 hours, 8 hours per day. (1600 workshop-800 work experience)
SCHOOL FAILURESCHOOL FAILURE SCHOOL SUCCESSSCHOOL SUCCESS
Self comparison between contexts over time as a minimum unit of analysis
“diaries of surprise” in which subjects were asked to write freely about whatever surprised them in the new experience;
in-depth biographical interviews on their learning experiences.
items regarding the perceived quality of the learning experience (Bonica, 2001): the students were asked to compare their personal scholastic experiences on the basis of how many times in both the training and the previous school contexts they had certain experiences
Contrasting situations evoke emotional-cognitive mechanisms (for example, surprise) that stimulate the opportunity to make comparisons (Sclavi, 1989; Bonica, 2005, 2008). The comparison of one’s own experiences between contexts and over time encourages subjective reflection (Bruner,
1990) and causal exploration (Weiner, 1985), from which personal meaning and new constructs may emerge (Bonica, Sappa, 2008).
Context 1 – Vocational Training Centre (CFPA)Grant – entrance selection – connection with a metal mechanic company - certain job placement -technologically advanced simulated workshop – work experience at the first and second years
Context 1 – Vocational Training Centre (CFPA)Grant – entrance selection – connection with a metal mechanic company - certain job placement -technologically advanced simulated workshop – work experience at the first and second years
Context 2 – Vocational Training Centre (CFPA)Open to at-risk adolescents - religious educational institution - links with small local firms - work experience only in the second year – specific interest in personal education and rehabilitation
Context 2 – Vocational Training Centre (CFPA)Open to at-risk adolescents - religious educational institution - links with small local firms - work experience only in the second year – specific interest in personal education and rehabilitation
Welcome
Sept. 2000 2005
VOCATIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL
Education
VOCATIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL
Education
Follow upQuestionnaire(125 subjects CFPA)
Sub-sample (10 subjects
CFPA)
12 and 18 months after qualification
Vocational Training Experience Total sample
Diaries “surprise”Observations
Work stage
Work stage
Research designResearch designResearch designResearch design
RESULTSRESULTSRESULTSRESULTS
For this presentation, we selected those findings we considered more salient in order to overcome the institutional and theoretical ambiguity concerning vocational identity construction processes.
Starting from the reflexive perspective of the students, we selected data coming out from the analysis of both the questionnaire (extensive data on all the sample) (Bonica, 2001) and the narrative material (intensive data on part of the sample).
Analyzing the narrative material, particular attention was put to the “contrastive structure of the discourse” (here…there; now… before; I…they) interpreted as discursive expression of the process of self comparison between contexts and over time of our interest.
We have organized our findings in these 2 macro-categories:
1. Comparison of Self between contexts and over time. This set of findings reflects on personal change in terms of new identity positioning and questions the deficit presupposes of weakness attributed to these population.
2. Comparison between contexts over time in which our focus shifts from the individual to the contexts. This set of findings reflects on the optimal conditions to overcoming the dichotomy between “school” and “work”, and questions the institutional fragmentation and rigidity.
Comparison of Comparison of Self Self between contexts and over timebetween contexts and over timeComparison of Comparison of Self Self between contexts and over timebetween contexts and over time
73% of the whole sample dropped out of a high school at least once
37%
27%
72%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
I didn't like to study I was immature I didn't have good theachers
I don’t have the brains to study …only my arms
to work
FROM AVOIDING LEARNING TASKFROM AVOIDING LEARNING TASK……
Why did you choose this course?
82%
68%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
At the beginning of the course (T0)
To learn a job To work as soon as possible
TO PERCEVERANCE, COMMITMENT, AND LEARNING TO PERCEVERANCE, COMMITMENT, AND LEARNING MOTIVATIONMOTIVATION……
85% promoted, 77/100 average marks of qualification
4,12
3,20
0,000,501,001,502,002,503,003,504,004,50
Investment in learning a job Investment in earning money early
Motivational orientation
Paired sample t-test, t=14,309 Sig<.005
How do you define yourself?
18% 15%
47%
33%32%
43%
3%9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
After 3 months from beginningcourse (T1)
At the end of the course (T3)
Only worker Only student Mixed Other
75% claimed they wanted to resume their studies
Transitional behaviours
open to emancipatory
trajectories
Ex. 1 “I plan to stay here….then I’ll look for something better...and in the meantime I’ll get my diploma. It’ll be hard but I have to do it…it’s hard, but what I didn’t do before I’ll do now”
New identity positioning
connected to the experience
of an overcoming of the dichotomy “learning” and
“work”
COMPETENT
SELF
Ex.2 “Here, they explain to you first what you have to do and then you have to put it into practice. It never happened that I didn’t understand”.
Ex.3 “In our previous school, when I made a mistake I gave up immediately...since attending this school I realized that I have to use my head more instead of setting my hands to the task straight away. Now they [the teachers] have taught me how to think”.
a year and a half after the qualification:
Ex.4 “(in the vocational training) I also learned to think that anyhow if I see something that is hard at first, then when you learn it keeps getting easier, and this changed me because I had always been afraid of getting started and also afterwards because “what if I can’t manage”…whereas now I understand that if the first time is difficult then if you keep going it gets easy”.
TO NEW IDENTITY POSITIONINGS AS COMPETENT SELFTO NEW IDENTITY POSITIONINGS AS COMPETENT SELF……
Comparison between Comparison between contextscontexts and over time and over timeComparison between Comparison between contextscontexts and over time and over time
The comparison between perceived learning settings highlights the relevance of founding a vocational identity construction on a
significant learning experience embedded in a framework of “shared challenge”.
The optimal conditions in order to overcome the presupposed weakness of these students and the supposed dichotomy between learning and working seem, in fact, to derive from the perceived
challenge shared with teachers and tutor who daily demonstrated their commitment in teaching, connecting “doing” and
“knowing” and promoting students’ learning in a relational context of reciprocity.
8. Feel oppressed by the thought to having to go to school?
2,66 (0,9) 2,01 (0,93) 7,193 .001
Opportunity of personal
experimentation
Emotional-cognitive and
relational quality of the
involvement in the learning activities
Recognition of a sense of belonging /
alienation in the learning
community
.817
.583 .664
Wellcome and support
Wellcome and support
Perception of meaning
Perception of meaning
Put into practicePut into practice
.849
Cognitive engagement
Cognitive engagement
.730
.819 .857
.884
Stressed but
satisfied
Worried and take care not to
miss information
Feel wellcome
Not succeed in understanding the explanation given
[r]Fell afraid to
ask for explanations
[r]
Feel oppressed [r]
Ask yourself if it really makes
sense to be there [r]
Put into practice
EXP 1: PREVIOUS EXP 1: PREVIOUS SCHOOLSCHOOL
Motivation to learning a job
Motivation to learning a job
EXP 2: TRAINING EXP 2: TRAINING INNOVATIVE INNOVATIVE
CENTRESCENTRES
Mastery experimentation
Mastery experimentation
Shared objectiveShared objective
.382**.320**
Stressed but
satisfied Worried and take care not to
miss information
Put into practice
Feel oppressed [r]
Feel wellcome
Ask yourself if it really makes
sense to be there [r]
Not succeed in understanding the explanation given
[r]
Fell afraid to ask for
explanations[r]
NS NS
NS
NS
.777
.512 .580
.666
.651 .503.744
.593
Bonica & Sappa, 2005
THE SHARED CHALLENGE FIND CORRESPONDENCE ON THE LEVEL OF THE SHARED CHALLENGE FIND CORRESPONDENCE ON THE LEVEL OF ….….
Relationship with teachers
The correspondence of a motivation to
learn a job
Ex. 5 “I was really surprised by the warm welcome we received on the first day. It seemed as if they really wanted to get to know us and to help us get ahead in the job we had chosen” .;
Ex. 6: “I imagined a normal school…but here they’ve actually invested in us students. You can really see that they want everybody to understand, not just the grade.”
At the work
stage recognition of
tutors as competent both on cultural and technical skills
Ex.7 “With the tutors it was one big family…they were very competent and sociable. They had told us (the teachers) that we would be supported by people who were competent in their field and who didn’t only know what to do, but also how to talk”
New model of emancipatory identification
In family
synergy of meanings
in the family context, whose positive effects
are shown in new form of dialogue
on learning, inspired by
greater trust and reciprocity
between children and parents
Ex.8 Before (my parents) went to meeting with the teachers at the school and always came back angry, now they live peacefully, they don’t even try to tell me to study anymore, by now they know I like it and they’re relaxed
Ex. 9 My father always saw the schools I went to before as normal schools...but now he constantly asks me...”what did you learn?” and he asks me questions and I explain.
Ex. 10 Before my parents said. “Did you study?” And now they ask me: “What did you do today?”
Ex. 11 “In the family we were sitting at the table and discussing PLC [Programmable Logic Controller, a microprocessor-based industrial control system] and I started to explain to my mother, father and brother...the lecture took half an hour … I felt a little prouder and happier to attend this school because it gave me another chance at home too”.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (1)DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (1)DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (1)DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (1)
By our outcomes and narratives, we have tried to demonstrate that the image of “weakness” attributed to these youths , and the supposed dichotomy between “learning” and “working”, could be challenged.
Regarding the role of institution the self comparison between contexts over time, highlights the relevance of founding a vocational identity construction on a “shared challenge” (Bonica, Sappa, 2006), also in term of greater institutional flexibility between, at least, the different vocational pathways (Bonica,2007)
It is important to consider that AFTER THE QUALIFICATION THE NEW COMMITMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF THESE STUDENTS, CHALLENGED A RIGID SCHOOL- WORK SYSTEM, which reintroduced the dichotomy between school and
work, discouraging the young people from continuing their studies (Sappa, 2005).
The skills acquired guaranteed good
continuity between training and employment
But, their need to learning was often ignored or dismissed in the
work context
When I started working in this factory...I really knew a lot...the director and the
foreman were surprised too. (They said) “You attended a really good school”...
The employer arrived and asked me to work immediately … a colleague whom I asked for help told me: “If they hired you, it’s because
you can do the job and you know how to work … so you should just go there and do your
work” (without any help)
I said to myself, “It’s up to me... if I want to improve myself “I can” .. and I enrolled in the evening school… but my employer told me, “I need someone who works 8 hours, so you can
go to school or come here”.
Institutional obstacles
• not recognition of the qualification by the educational system
• difficulty in obtaining permission by the work context to attend evening classes, or time to learn on the work place (Sappa, 2005)
• The effective continuation of studies after the qualification concerned mainly the youths who had the opportunity to continue within the same context (CFPR)
80% attended the 3° year of training
• Further educational aspirations were harder to realize for the CFPA students, whose only option was to return to the national educational system, but without recognition for the two-year training course completed.
Only 8.2% of these actually resumed studying
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONSDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONSDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONSDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, we believe that the aspects highlighted constitute, particularly with reference to the specific cultural features of this population, useful elements in order to study and to support the process of constructing vocational identity, trying to overcome the ambiguities described above. The theoretical and methodological choices appear to have been a good starting point.
Finally, our study of scholastic and school to work transitions is being extended to working class families, parents and their sons interviewed separately at home (Bonica & Sappa, 2009), and to populations involved in other trajectories, including other professional profiles and a female population (Bonica et al., 2007; Bonica & Sappa, 2009; Sappa, in preparation).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (2)DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (2)DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (2)DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS (2)
References Ajello, A.M. (2002) (Ed): Orientare dentro e fuori la scuola. Roma: Carocci.Bateson, G. (1972) tr. it.: Verso un’ecologia della mente. Milano. Adelphi, 1976.Bonica, L. (2001): Io e la transizione scuola-formazione-lavoro, Questionario. Dipartimento di Psicologia, Laboratorio di Psicologia dello sviluppo, Università di Torino.Bonica, L. (2005): “Credevo che”…Significati dell’incoraggiamento nei discorsi di adolescenti in transizione tra la scuola e la formazione professionale. In: C. Pontecorvo (Ed), Discorso e Apprendimento. Roma: Carocci, 214-221.Bonica, L. (2007): Modelli di transizione scuola-lavoro:fattori di rischio e di protezione per lo sviluppo dell’identità. In G. Bozzeda, A. Magnabosco, S. Suzzi (Eds), Per una transizione sostenibile. Bologna: Carocci, 61-80.Bonica, L. (2008): Transizioni e sviluppo nel ciclo di vita. In L. Bonica, M. Cardano (Eds), Punti di svolta e analisi del mutamento biografico. Bologna: Il Mulino, 49-96.Bonica, L. e Sappa, V. (2005): “Cultura e contesti di apprendimento: un confronto tra percezioni e vissuti nella scuola e nella formazione professionale”. In: T. Mannarini, A. Perrucca , S. Salvatore (Eds), Quale Psicologia per la scuola del futuro?. Roma: Carlo Amore, 665-686.Bonica, L., Sappa, V. (2006): The need for “shared challenges”: successful experiences among former school dropouts. In: A. Delle Fave (Ed.), Dimensions of well being. Research and intervention. Milano: Franco Angeli, 330-349.Bonica, L., Sappa, V. (2008): “Io non ho la testa”. Transizioni precoci al lavoro e costruzione dell’identità. In L Bonica., M Cardano (Eds), Punti di svolta e Analisi del mutamento biografico Bologna: Il Mulino, 173-209.Bonica L., Sappa V., Savarino L. (2007) Rapporto tra esperienze ottimali e percezione del setting nei diversi cicli di scuola, in Delle Fave A. La condivisione del benessere. Contributi di Psicologia Positiva, Milano, Franco Angeli, pp. 248-269. Bonino S., Cattelino E. (2002). La scuola e il benessere degli adolescenti. In Di Stefano G., Vianello R. , Psicologia dello sviluppo e problemi educativi, Firenze: GiuntiBottani, N. (2002): Le competenze scolastiche dei quindicenni. Bolona: Il Mulino, 293-301.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979): The ecology of Human Development. Experiment by nature and by design. Cambridge M.A.:Harvard University Press. Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Engestrom, Y. (2001), Expansive Learning at Work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization, Journal of Education and Work, 14(1), 133-156.Erikson, E. (1968): Identity, Youth and crisis. New York: Norton. Gardner, H. (1991), tr.it.: Educare al comprendere. Stereotipi infantili e apprendimento scolastico. Milano: Feltrinelli, 1993. Heinz, W.R. (2002): Transition discontinuities and biographical shaping of early work careers, Journal of vocational behaviour, 60, 220-240.Largie S., Tiffany F., Hernandez-Reif M., Sanders C. & Diego M. (2001). Employment during adolescence is associated with depression, inferior relationship, lower grades and smoking. Adolescence, 36, 146, 395-401Pombeni, M.L. (1993): L’adolescente e la scuola. In A. Palmonari (Ed), Psicologia dell’adolescenza, Bologna, Il Mulino, 271-291.Pontecorvo, C., Ajello, A.M., Zucchermaglio, C. (1995), I contesti sociali dell’apprendimento. Milano: Led.Resnick, L. B. (1987): Education and learning to think. Washington DC: National Academic Press.Sappa V. (2005): Percorsi di transizione al lavoro di un gruppo di adolescenti e giovani adulti torinesi di origine operaia. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Torino.Sclavi, M. (1989): Ad una spanna da terra. Milano: Feltrinelli.Slavin, R.E. (1990) Cooperative Learning. Theory, research and practice, London, Allyn e Bacon.Sennet, R. (2008): L’uomo artigiano, Milano: Feltrinelli.Tilton-Weaver, L.C., Vitunski, E.T., & Galambos, N.L. (2001). Five images of maturity in adolescence: What does ”grown up” mean? Journal of Adolescence, 24, 143-158.Valsiner J. (2002) The concept of attactor: how dynamic system theory deals with future, paper presented at the 2° International Conference of Dialigic Self, Gent.Weiner, B. (1985): Human motivation. New York: Springer-Verlag.