Against All Odds

It is nearly impossible to overestimate the significance of a professional ethos in pedagogical situations. Most theories of education understand ethos and ethical acting as belonging to the core of the pedagogical profession. Despite this evidence, remarkably few empirical studies exist on ethos. This book has three main aims: 1) to conceptualize the pedagogical ethos at the theoretical level, 2) to operationalize it systematically, and 3) to study it empirically from the trainers' perspective but also from that of apprentices. Part 1 offers a critical discussion on different theoretical approaches of professional morality. These include theories on moral values or professional codes, virtue ethics, professional sensitivity, moral commitment, and caring. Identified communalities are combined to form a new model of professional ethos. More intensively than other existing theories, the ethos approach presented in this book stresses the content's situational impact on decision-making and motivation. The main question guiding the instrument development, dealt with in Part 2, asks how we can distinguish professional morality from the general notion that people should be good. In order to answer this question, vocational education but also a trainer's pedagogical duties and responsibilities are discussed. Part 3 then presents the result of two empirical studies with vocational trainers and apprentices. It offers some interesting findings for further reflection - input not only relevant for researchers but also educational institutes, professional associations, and practitioners themselves. In short: this book contributes significantly to research on professional morality as well as vocational education.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments; List of Figures; List of Tables; Against all odds: An introduction; The study's purpose; The book's structure; The study's limitation; Some side notes; A side note to the meaning of professions and occupations; A side note to the use of 'apprentice' and 'trainee'; The scope of ethos: In search of clarity; Intuitive ethos approach: First considerations; Literature review: Locating the concept of professional ethos in theory and research; The ethos culture of an institution; Ethos and professional ethics; Models of pedagogical ethos; Ethos as an attitude towards moral values; Ethos as a commitment to professional codes; Ethos as a virtue; Ethos as a cognitive ability to make a moral judgment in professional situations; Ethos as a professional sensitivity; Ethos as establishment of a caring relationship; The concept of caring; Ethos as a competence; The procedural discourse ethos; Pedagogical reference; What is missed - conclusive discussion about the various ethos models; Ethos: Supererogative commitment in situations of odds; The (moral) responsibility of professionals; The decision-making element of ethos; Dealing with odds, or - "against all odds"; Reasons behind the decision; Establishing a sound (caring) environment; The neglected persuasion of the situation; The trainer's pedagogical ethos newly considered; Some methodological considerations; Methodology; Excursus I: Dual VET and Workplace Learning; Characteristics of workplace learning; The restraints of workplace learning; Learning in Dual VET; The Swiss Dual VET system; Excursus II: The VET trainer; The trainer's responsibility; The trainer - the designer of workplace learning; The trainer's effect on the trainee's identity development; The pedagogical relationship between trainer and trainee; The Swiss vocational trainer; Selection of occupations; Exploratory pilot study; Research questions; Sampling procedure and sample size; Research design; Results of the pilotstudy; Summary conclusion; Constructing process of the survey; Developing the scenarios; Subsequent questions regarding the scenarios; Pilot testing of the scenarios; Pilot study feedback; Final selection of the scenarios; The trainers' survey: scales and measures; Research questions; Research design; Sampling procedure, data collection, and sample size; Quality criteria: objectivity, validity, and reliability; Scales and measures; Research hypotheses; The trainer's survey - a content overview; The trainers' ethos: Results; Pedagogical decisions; The scenarios; Sandro scenario; Beat scenario; Mark scenario; Daniel scenario; The predictive power of the motivational reasons; The ethos value; The three ethos levels and their differences; General findings and differences due to company and trade influences; Discussion; The impact of a trainer's pedagogical ethos experienced by apprentices; A trainer's indirect influence on apprentice's development; Sample size; Research design: The apprentices' questionnaire; Reliability and validity of the apprentices' survey; Scales and measures; Research hypotheses regarding the apprentices' survey; Results and discussion; Interpretative relationship between the trainers' and apprentices' perspectives; Conclusion; The trainer's ethos - as defined; What if there is no ethos?; Points of criticism in retrospect; Outlook: a prospective vision; References.