Supporting the Workplace Learning of Vocational and Further Education Teachers: Mentoring and Beyond

Supporting the Workplace Learning of Vocational and Further Education Teachers is written to help people understand the arrangements in a workplace that enable and constrain teacher learning – and then to do something about it. It provides an accessible, research based, and practical guide to making changes in the workplace to enable teacher learning. The book illustrates approaches to supporting workplace learning through the extensive use of vignettes from real teachers and real teaching workplaces. With a focus on mentoring as an important component of teacher learning, it introduces the concept of a trellis of practices together with approaches for developing arrangements in the workplace that support teacher learning. It also examines the spaces between the personal and the professional and how these can become Communicative Learning Spaces where professional learning occurs. The strategies and ideas provided in this book can be implemented at a whole-of-organisation, teaching department, small team, or individual level. An essential resource for Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Further Education (FE) teachers and managers, as well as others who support teacher learning in the workplace, this book is written to help make a difference.

Table of Contents:
1. Teacher learning in the workplace 2. Vocational and Further Education teacher vignettes 3. Teachers learning how to go on 4. Workplace arrangements that enable and constrain teacher learning 5. A trellis of practices that support learning: More than mentoring 6. Mentoring 7. Learning in in-between spaces: Creating communicative learning spaces 8. Leading learning: Building a trellis of practices to support professional learning 9. So what, now what: Where to from here?

About the Author :
Susanne Francisco is a researcher and teacher. Her background includes teaching in vocational education, supporting worker learning in large organisations, and working with teachers to support their ongoing learning. Susanne’s research focus includes: workplace learning; the learning of teachers, academics and education leaders; professional learning; leading learning; and mentoring.

Review :
"If only this book had been around when I began my TAFE career, and especially when I was managing a team of both experienced and new teachers. Its theoretical underpinnings, supportive ‘nuts and bolts’ suggestions, and the vignettes telling stories from a wide range of practitioners and work sites, keep it very real. It also has one of the best concluding chapters I have read in a nonfiction book, in that it provides an overall moral and ethical framework which will inspire action." Denise Newton, former TAFE practitioner and leader "This book provides a solid foundation for those seeking to support teacher learning. I found it a delight to read: it flows well, is easy to understand, and provides a multi-faceted approach by addressing the ideas in a range of ways including through teacher stories, an overview of relevant research, and discussion of possible strategies. I particularly like the way the author 'speaks' to the reader. As I was reading, I found myself planning how to put the ideas and strategies in place in my own context." Tracey Dodimead, VET teacher, manager and leader of teacher learning