Bildning i yrkesutbildning – ett komplext uppdrag : En studie i bildningsbegreppets betydelse för yrkeslärare

Sammanfattning

The German word Bildung is commonly connected with academic knowledge and life and has through history not been considered a part of vocational knowledge. However, scholars have made an argument for vocational knowledge and life being part of vocational-Bildung and curriculum for vocational education today in Sweden expresses that knowledge in several other subjects should be learned in connection with aspects of the vocation and the examination objectives of the vocational education, hinting at a potential for Bildung in combining the two. Still the tension within Bildung as referring to vocational education is between instrumental and more Bildung-oriented forms of learning. This study explores how vocational teachers in upper secondary school in Sweden view Bildung as expressed in their complex daily work. The study wishes to investigate how Bildung relates to their role as a teacher considering that they teach a vocation that is determined by both curriculum and industry. Based on a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews the study shows that vocational teachers view Bildung as experience-based, relational and as theory and instrumentally learned basics coming together in practice to create deeper knowledge in wider perspective and larger context. The study also discusses the need for more organisational support for accommodating cross-curricular teaching.