Experiences and Research Results of the TTT4WBL Project

The experiences and research results of the TTT4WBL project were presented in EAPRIL Conference in Tartu on 28.11.2019. The European Association for Practioner Research on Improving Learning (EAPRIL) promotes practice-based research on learning in the context of lifelong learning. EAPRIL wants to promote and develop practices in educational, business and professional contexts, including workplace learning. (https://eapril.org/)

The EAPRIL annual Conference is a popular meeting for educational practitioners and researchers. It brings together hundreds of practioners, researchers and policy makers from European countries in order to support Practice-Based Research and its contribution to practice and theory. This year the EAPRIL conference was held in Tartu on November 27-29th, 2019.

The Finnish research team Leena Kaikkonen, Irmeli Maunonen-Eskelinen and Arja Pakkala accompanied with Ritva Ylitervo from JAMK prepared for the EAPRIL2019 conference a practical workshop called A Journey to Student’s Learning Path in Work-Based Learning to display the results of the TTT4WBL research complemented with perspectives of recent Finnish research and development projects on WBL.

In connection with the presentation and dissemination of the results of the TTT4WBL research, the participants were invited to take a hands-on learning journey into students’ learning path in Work-Based Learning (WBL). This learning journey consisted of three learning stations ‘Before, During and After WBL’ in which the participants discussed what happens during VET-students learning path from VET school to workplace and again back to school.

The participants considered how the student gets himself ready for WBL, and how the teacher and the workplace tutor in their part prepare the student for the WBL period. Furthermore, the participants focused on how students, teacher and tutor perform in their different roles in order to the student to achieve his learning goals of the WBL session, and how to follow up the student’s learning experiences.

In the end, the workshop participants compared the results of the diverse stations and summarised them. Finally, these learning path summaries were reflected against the research results of the student questionnaires in the TTT4WBL research. The presenters and the participants emphasised on what is important in student WBL guidance using the research results of the TTT4WBL project.

Text: Leena Kaikkonen, Arja Pakkala
Pictures: Hannele Torvinen