1. Co-construction of Knowledge between University and Kindergarten What lessons can be learned from case studies of practice in Work Based Learning in England and Norway ? Work in progress
Lucy Currie, Anne Furu, Kay Heslop, Karen Marie Eid Kaarby, Inger Marie Lindboe and Liz Atkins
Oslo and Akershus University College, Norway
and Northumbria University, England

2. International Community of Practice since 2012
Sharing good practice through academic and student exchange visits
Conferences
Research partnership
Joint publications (aspiring)
Developed an interest in work based projects – during visits

3. Northumbria Programme
Work Based Learning Programme - Professional Practice Awards
A mode of learning for employed people to extend their skills, capability and individual effectiveness at work
Places the workplace at centre of the learning.
Focuses on professional development needs of individuals and organisation
Built around Employer’s own provision, designed for specific need, reducing time away from workplace
Available from levels 4 to 7 (UG and PG)
BA (Hons) Early Years Practice is one route available
One of the popular modules is the Work Based Project

4. HiOA programme
Work based learning programme designed for part-time employees in kindergartens
Bachelor degree early years teacher,
Combines the workplace and campus as centres of learning
Focuses on professional development needs of individuals and organisation
Built around a fixed national curriculum, 4 years, 90 days a year set aside for studies. Studies in Norway are free and / or all students are entitled to financial support.
In the fourth year an in-depth study about managing pedagogical work with staff in kindergarten.

5. Research aim
To identify how work-based projects facilitate learning in work-based contexts.
The research question:
How do students describe their learning processes, outcomes and impact?

6. Methodology Analysis of different programmes
Gathering of qualitative data (based on a questionnaire focusing on students’ learning outcomes and learning processes) to generate student narratives to explore the impact of work based learning for practitioners in Norway and England.
Two selected students from each institution,
Criteria: high grading, variety of topics
Thematic analysis

7. Student Narrative 1 (England) Nursery Deputy Manager
Why Work Based Learning
Work Based Project learning and impact
Researched outdoor learning underpinned by theory
Incorporated skills of enquiry and critical reflection
Developed confidence, project management skills
Championing change in the setting with practitioners and parents
Change sustained
Positive outcomes for children
Flexible
Accessible
Enticed by Accreditation of Prior experiential learning (APEL)
More relevant to development than traditional routes

8. Student Narrative 2 (England) Senior Early Years Teacher
Why Work Based Learning
Work Based Project: learning and impact
Introduced by manager
Included Early Years Professional Status (now known as Early Years Teacher Status)
Identified the need for change relating to new employees
Developed induction process
Personal and professional development in relation to leadership
Benefits to children

9. Student Narrative 3 (Norway) Part-time assistant in early years setting / Early Years Teacher
Why Work Based Learning
Professionalism
Opportunity to gain degree while working to support the family
Work Based Project: learning and impact
‘Earthworm’ science project
Building upon children’s interests
Learning by leading co-workers to engage with children
Learning through exploration of earthworm
Learning about how children learn
Reflections with Children
Spurt i siste studieår.

10. Student Narrative 4 (Norway) Pedagogical leader on exemption in early years setting
Work Based Project: learning and impact
Desire to improve her staff’s engagement with children outdoors and to develop theoretical knowledge
Established structured learning situations in the forest
Exploration of theory behind the concept of the ‘third pedagogue’
Reflection on activities
Change agent within setting
Reinforcement of professional self-confidence
Benefits for children
Why Work Based Learning
Encouraged by co-workers
arose from prior experience in early years and being a pedagogical leader on exemption

11. Analysis – Colley et al.(2003) Formality and informality
With the context being work-based learning we found this framework to be the most appropriate for analysis. Formality and Informality in Learning provided the opportunity for a focused analysis of differences and similarities between the two contexts and therefore the particular strengths of each context.
Process
Location and Setting
Content
Purpose

12. Process Differences Similarities Aspects of formality and informality
Designed for employed people
Lead to academic qualifications up to Masters
Grounded in students’ own practice
Oslo has structured study groups
Formal Supervised placement in different nurseries
Oslo take examinations according to national curriculum standards
Northumbria follows a negotiated scheme of work

13. Location and setting Similarities: Differences
Learning takes place at work, at home, at the university, on-line- individually and collectively
Differences
In Oslo there are regular visits to different nurseries and placements in different nurseries.
At Northumbria they generally stay at their workplace unless they require specific experience with an age group

14. Purposes Similarities Differences
to facilitate students from a widening participation cohort to gain an academic award.
To offer Early years teacher education to employees in nurseries / kindergartens,
To increase competence at the workplaces and to develop a pedagogy in close collaboration with the professional field.
Enhancing career opportunities
Study has potential to readily translate to positive outcomes for children and the organisation.
Differences
Oslo is based on a specific contract with the municipalities.
Northumbria provision has more flexibility

15. Content Differences Similarities
In Oslo the formal content is equal in all three programmes ( full time, part time and work-based).
At Northumbria there is more flexibility
The Oslo programme consists of different fixed academic modules.
Pedagogy of the work-based programme distinguishes it from the traditional programmes, focussing on the special combination of regular switching between different learning locations and engaging with different stakeholders.
Similarities
Formal aspect of the programme focusses on drawing clear relationships between expert knowledge/research and practice.
As such, the content from the university could be argued to complement practice.

16. Findings
Aim was: To identify how work-based projects facilitate learning in work- based contexts.
The research question: How do students describe their learning processes, outcomes and impact?
TIME- students learned how to manage a project over an extended period of time.
CHOICE MOTIVATED
FINDING SOLUTIONS TO IDENTIFIED NEEDS
ENGAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION OF CHILDREN - stimulating
ENGAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION OF CO-WORKERS –
COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS
OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CHANGE
USE OF CRITICAL REFLECTION

17. Findings
Findings suggest that despite the significant differences in culture and curricular approach, both programmes appear to enhance the practice of practitioners in early years.

18. Findings and discussion
The most striking finding is the similarities in students’ statements concerning their professional learning and self-efficacy as well as their projects impact on children and staff in their kindergartens. This contrasts with the differences both in curricula and structures of educational programmes.
Another finding is the influence exerted by the students’ projects on the kindergarten as a community of practice (Lave & Wenger 2001). Individual learning processes seem to have great impact on children and staff in kindergarten: Individual learning may promote and support collective learning.

19. Questions?

20. References
Atkins, L. and Tummons, J. (2017, in press) Professionalism in Vocational Education: International Perspectives Research in Post-compulsory Education
Billett, S. (2010) The Practices of Learning through occupation. In Learning Through Practice. Professional and Practice based Learning: models, traditions, orientations and approaches (S.Billett ed. ). Dordrecht: Springer.
Colley, H; Hodkinson, P. and Malcolm, J. (2003) Understanding Informality and Formality in Learning – a report for the Learning and Skills Research Centre. London: Learning and Skills Research Centre
Kaarby, K. M. E. & Lindboe, I. M. (2016). The workplace as learning environment in early childhood teacher education: an investigation of work-based education. Higher Education Pedagogies, 01/2016, Vol.1(1), pp
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated learning. Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

21. Contact Details Inger Marie Lindboe IngerMarie.Lindboe@hioa.no
Anne Furu -
Karen Marie Eid Kaarby -
Lucy Currie –
Liz Atkins -
Kay Heslop -