Learning Work: A Critical Pedagogy of Work Education

With increasing belief by educators that education should include some type of vocational or career-related training, concerns have arisen over just how such programmes can be effectively implemented to meet the needs of the teachers, students, and community groups. Teachers and community-based educators have questioned how work education may provide students with an understanding of the realities of life in the job market and at work, while at the same time helping them determine the practices that will define their own working lives. Learning Work directly addresses this concern. Through discussions of teaching methods and actual lesson suggestions, the authors demonstrate how the perspective of a critical pedagogy can be used to develop a clear and principled practice of work education. Numerous examples drawn from interviews and classroom observations involving a cross-section of urban, suburban and rural schools are included, illustrating the practical implications of a theory of critical pedagogy. Practical lesson suggestions are included in each section. A valuable resource for teachers and education students, this book makes a substantial contribution to current debates regarding the place and purpose of work education in secondary schools, colleges, and community-based service agencies.