Learner role strain and its impact on perceived quality of dual-track vocational education and training in Switzerland
The thesis project was focused on the understanding of quality in dual-track, upper-secondary-level vocational education and training (VET) in the French-speaking region of Switzerland and the consequences of this quality for the stakeholders ’in the field’, in particular apprentices.
This doctoral thesis was part of the project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) entitled “How is the quality of upper-secondary-level VET understood by its players, and how does it influence learner commitment? An analysis of the various learning locations and the development of a scientifically-based assessment tool.”
As part of their professional socialisation during their apprenticeships in training companies, apprentices can face various forms of role tensions related to an ambiguous status. For example, apprentices are considered as learners to some extent, while at other times during their apprenticeship, they revert to the role of employees.
These role tensions has been identified as characterising perceived quality in upper-secondary-level VET, which is why the notion of quality will be explored in relation to the role tensions of apprentices in dual-track VET.
The consequences related to the perceived quality – such as satisfaction and educational and professional commitment – will also be investigated in conjunction with role tensions. Accordingly, the experiences and perceptions of apprentices in their training company will be further emphasized, without overlooking school experiences, which also constitute part of the reality of dual-track, upper-secondary-level VET.
The aim is to show to what extent and how these role tensions contribute to characterising perceived quality in dual-track VET and its consequences, particularly in terms of apprentices’ satisfaction and commitment.
Thesis supervisors:
- Prof. Dr Jean-Louis Berger (University of Fribourg)
- Prof. Jonas Masdonati (University of Lausanne)
The theoretical framework was primarily based on the work psychology and educational sciences approaches. The project focused on dual-track, upper-secondary-level VET in the French-speaking region of Switzerland in four occupational fields: construction, hair and beauty, retail and commercial employee. The use of mixed methods was favoured in this thesis project: focus group discussions – held amongst apprentices, vocational school teachers and in-company trainers – were thematically analysed. Hence, the resulting themes formed part of a questionnaire submitted to apprentices, the results of which have been analysed numerically. Longitudinal analysis were also conducted with a second administration of the questionnaire planned.
The first thesis paper highlighted learner role strain as having a negative impact on perceived quality in vocational education and training. Learners, vocational school teachers and workplace trainers all described role strain in a dichotomous fashion, referring to it both in terms of the vocational school and the host company. Depending on the context and learning location, learners fluctuated in their descriptions, sometimes calling themselves 'learners', sometimes 'apprentices' and other times 'employees'.
The second thesis paper identified specific types of role strain experienced by learners and statistically validated these types as factors. Various aspects of role tension were found to have a negative impact on learners' perception of the quality of their training. Analysis also revealed that role strain was linked to certain quality outcomes such as feelings of self-efficacy, commitment, satisfaction and intention to terminate the apprenticeship contract.
The third thesis paper explored various aspects of role strain among learners and identified four distinct profiles. Respondents described the level of intensity of role strain on a scale ranging from minimal, moderate, average to major. Differences among learners by year of apprenticeship and by occupational field were also observed. Finally, research findings indicate that the four profiles are associated with different levels of motivation in the choice of apprenticeship, different levels of identification with the chosen occupation and different levels of intention to terminate the apprenticeship contract.