The new vocationalism: A Deweyan analysis (John Dewey)

This study used the philosophical work of John Dewey to examine the “new vocationalism” promoted by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) at the University of California at Berkeley during the 1990s. Arguing that vocational education had incorporated Deweyan principles during the last half of the 20th century, researchers at NCRVE cited the thinking of John Dewey as inspiration for their work in developing a framework for vocational education reform. After a brief review of the evolving vocational education debate between the social efficiency and democratic progressives, the study began by tracing Dewey's educational development with particular attention to his work at the University of Chicago Laboratory School and outlined his theory of vocational education. It then analyzed NCRVE publications to identify foundational elements of the new vocationalism and measured them against Dewey's theory.; The study documented five integrated elements of the new vocationalism: (1) career academies, (2) Tech Prep programs, (3) all aspects of the industry (AAI) curriculum, (4) constructivist pedagogy, and (5) student internships with business partners. These elements use expanded teacher roles and an integrated curriculum approach that reflect Dewey's ideal of “education through occupations.” The academy gives the new vocationalism its form; Tech Prep, its scope; and AAI, its academic substance. Analysis of Dewey's work and that of the NCRVE indicated that the conception of the new vocationalism as an active, student-centered, collaborative investigation of industrial society led by expert teachers was consistent with Dewey's notion of vocational education as a process of reflective thinking leading to intellectual and social growth. However, the NCRVE emphasis on students learning specific job skills for immediate paid employment by business partners was in conflict with Dewey's desire to eliminate economic stress from occupations being studied. The study suggested that an increase in the number of highly trained teachers with more time for cooperative planning and increased financial resources and expanded meaningful work opportunities for program completers were crucial for the success of the reform. It concluded by suggesting some areas where qualitative and quantitative research could help policy makers understand the effectiveness of the new vocationalism as a holistic national school reform movement.