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The integrative pedagogy model: integrating theory and practice through self-regulative knowledge

1.4 Pedagogical models to integrate workplace and school learning

1.4.2 The integrative pedagogy model: integrating theory and practice through self-regulative knowledge

If the Erfahrraum model makes more general reference to the use of technology as tools to bridge the gap between school and the workplace, the Integrative Pedagogy model (Tynjälä et al, 2006; Tynjälä, 2008; Heikkinen et al., 2011; Tynjälä and Gijbels, 2012) focuses more on the use of specific tools,

Giulia Ortoleva  Writing to Share, Sharing to Learn

28 which are considered as key mediating elements between theory and practice, such as writing, mentoring and discussion. This model moves from the premises of the different models of work experience identified by Guile and Griffith (2001). The five models are: 1) The traditional model, in which learners are inserted in a workplace without particular guidance. The collaboration between the learning environments involved in the process is limited, producing a net separation between the formal and the informal learning contexts. 2) The experiential model, in which the focus is the development of learners through the direct experience of the workplace. The accent is therefore put on the reflection on workplace situations, and the collaboration between school and the workplace becomes more relevant, as the school setting aims at preparing and debriefing learners respectively before and after their insertion in the workplace setting. 3) The generic model emphasises the importance of learning outcomes, as work experience is considered as the key moment in order to provide learners with the generic skills they will need in their future work. The role of school is to support learners in self-manage their competence acquisition, through a set of possible tools, including, for example, portfolios. 4) The work process model focuses on the development of a holistic understanding of the workplace environment. This model requires both theoretical and practical knowledge, which implies that a close collaboration of school and workplace is needed. Finally, 5) The connective model, consists of the idea of bringing learners to make a connection between formal and informal learning, focusing both on learners’ conceptual development and on their capacity to work in changing and new environments. This model, which is considered as the ideal way to exploit workplace experience, requires a strong collaboration between school and workplace.

If, according to Guile and Griffith (2001) all models, but the connective one, can be found in the vocational education systems in use in different European countries (and within the same countries, as different models may be associated with different professional domains, Virtanen & Tynjälä, 2008), Tynjälä (2008), with her Integrative Pedagogy model (Fig. 3), designs a way to apply specifically the connective model in the vocational setting.

29 Figure 3. The Integrative Pedagogy model (Tynjälä & Gijbels, 2012)

According to the Integrative Pedagogy model, professional expertise is constituted of four main components, which are conceptual/theoretical knowledge, practical/experiential knowledge, self-regulative knowledge and socio-cultural knowledge. Theoretical knowledge is mainly constituted by the knowledge acquired in school, which is universal, formal and explicit, whereas practical knowledge is represented by the procedures and skills acquired through workplace practice, which can be defined as implicit and tacit, as well as contextualised in the specific workplace situation. The third type of knowledge involved in this model, the self-regulative knowledge, comprehends metacognitive and reflective skills (Bereiter, 2002; Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1993), which are activated through the use of mediating tools essential for the process of linking theoretical and practical knowledge. A strong self-regulative knowledge is constituted by reflective evaluation of one’s own activities, awareness of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and development of competence. Finally, the fourth type of knowledge, the socio-cultural knowledge, represents all the knowledge that is embedded in the social practices of workplaces and is learned through participation in these practices. The arrows visible in the representation of the model (Fig.3) characterize the relationship between these types of knowledge. If both conceptual and practical knowledge can relate with self-regulative knowledge thought the use of reflection, the relationship between the other two is slightly more complex.

Conceptual, theoretical knowledge can be transformed so that it becomes available to be used in practice, while practical, experiential knowledge has to be explained and conceptualize in order to be

Giulia Ortoleva  Writing to Share, Sharing to Learn

30 related to theoretical concepts. The socio-cultural knowledge appears more separated from the other types of knowledge, as it is embedded in the practice and not always explicit. Additionally, this type of knowledge, in contrast with the other three, is not personal to each individual, but proper to a workplace environment. However, it plays an important role as it is always in the background of the other types of knowledge, having connection with the three of them.

While traditionally these four types of knowledge have been treated separately, Tynjälä (2008) asserts that modern pedagogy should integrate them in a coherent whole by teaching them together.

According to the integrative pedagogy model, theory should be considered in light of practical experiences and vice versa. To encourage this process and to prompt the self-regulative knowledge, different mediating tools, which activate reflection and meta-cognition, can be used. Among these tools are tutoring/mentoring, discussion, and writing activities. Tynjälä (2008) identifies three types of implications associated with the implementation of this model to learning situations implying direct workplace practice: 1) The development of professional expertise is a process which requires both theory and practice and the two of them cannot be considered separately. 2) When involved in problem solving processes (which is one key activity in which learners need to integrate the formal knowledge acquired in school with the experiential knowledge developed in practice; Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1993), learners have to be provided with both theoretical and practical experience. 3) The participation in real working situation is a necessary condition to develop professional expertise, but is not sufficient, as theoretical, practical, self-regulative and socio-cultural knowledge are all needed for learners’ professional development.