Vocational students motivation and perceived success in workplace learning

Anne Virtanen & Pivi Tynjl, University of Jyvskyl, Finland

ECER 2008 Gteborg, Sweden

Introduction 1/2
One of the biggest constraints on vocational students learning is their lack of motivation (e.g. Mulder et al., 2006). Findings concerning the new workplace system in Finland VET are encouraging: vocational students are very motivated to learn real work during their workplace learning periods (e.g. Lasonen, 2001). Therefore, in this study, we will examine in more detail the factors on the background of motivational aspects and students selfassessed success in their workplace learning.

Introduction 2/2
Recent studies on employees learning at work have showed that learning through work depends both on the individuals participation and workplace affordances (Billett, 2004; Collin, 2005). Therefore, we are searching explanations for students experiences of workplace learning both from the social and individual elements of workplace learning (these include students experiences of work communities and guidance as well as their motivational orientations).

Research questions
1) What kind of motivational orientations do vocational students show in workplace learning? 2) What kind of relationship there is between students self-assessed success in schoolbased learning and work-based learning? 3) What factors do explain students selfassessed success in workplace learning?

Data and methods

Data was collected by Internet questionnaires Vocational students (N = 3106) were final-years students from six vocational fields of Finnish VET In total, 1603 students (52 %) answered the questionnaires Data was analysed with quantitative methods

Measuring students motivational orientations during their workplace learning periods

Nine statements related to students motivational orientation at work (e.g. It was important to me to complete my tasks in a way that made my trainer fully satisfied.) a four-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, 4 = strongly agree) The following aggregate scales and single variables were used in the analysis: - Achievement orientation (Cronbachs alpha = .66) - Avoidance orientation (Cronbachs alpha = .56) - Learning orientation (single variable) - Initiative orientation (single variable) - Invention orientation (single variable)

Students motivational orientations during workplace learning periods (min 1, max 4)

STUDENTS MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS Mean value SD

Learning orientation Achievement orientation

Invention orientation Initiative orientation Avoidance orientation

3.66 3.28
2.97 2.75 2.03

.58 .56
.69 .88 .74

Students self-assessed success at school and in workplace learning

QUESTIONS: 1) How do you rate your performance at school? 2) How do you rate your performance during your workplace learning periods? RESULTS (min 1, max 5): - Students self-assessed success at school (n=1552): mean value 3.63 (SD .81) - Students self-assessed success in workplace learning (n=1545): mean value 4.05 (SD .75)

Cross tabulation of students selfassessed success at school and in workplace learning (n = 1540)
STUDENTS SELF-ASSESSED SUCCESS IN WORKPLACE LEARNING
Poor + satisfactory

Moderate

Good + Excellent

Total

STUDENTS SELFASSESSED SUCCESS AT SCHOOL

Poor + satisfactory

19 %

16 %

65 %

100 % n=130
100 % n=456

Moderate

5%

22 %

73 %

Good + Excellent

1%

6%

93 %

100 % n=954

Independent variables used in the following regression analysis

Students experiences of work communities: social and interactive support, availability of individual guidance, and active membership (Collin, Paloniemi, Virtanen & Etelpelto, 2008) Forms of guidance: discussions with employees, discussions with teacher, discussions together with teacher and workplace trainer, self-assessment of ones own work, assignments from school, learning journals (Virtanen & Tynjl, 2008) Content of guidance: guidance concerning work and work environment, and guidance concerning students development (Virtanen & Tynjl, 2008) Students motivational orientations (mentioned above) Students prior work experience (Virtanen, Tynjl & Collin, 2008)

What factors do explain students self-assessed success in workplace learning?

DEPENDENT VARIABLE
Self-assessment success in workplace learning

.454
B - .176 .185 .149 .178 .157

.206
Stand. beta - .177 .169 .150 .131 .124 t -6.908 6.109 5.289 4.924 4.443 Sig. <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Avoidance orientation Invention orientation Active membership Achievement orientation Availability of individual guidance

Conclusions
Students are very motivated to learn at work: they want to learn particularly new things and also succeed well both at school and at work. Students assess their success in workplace learning better than their success at school. In other words, if school does not go well at all for students workplace learning can go much better. Students perceived success in the workplace learning depends both on the factors related to the students (i.e. their motivational orientations) and the factors related to the circumstances of the workplace (i.e. availability of individual guidance and active membership). Thus, the success of the students cannot be seen as only a consequence of students motivation, as often is believed, but the circumstances of the workplace were equally important for successful in workplace learning.

Further information:
Anne Virtanen Department of Educational Sciences University of Jyvskyl, Finland Email: anne.virtanen@edu.jyu.fi Pivi Tynjl Finnish Institute for Educational Research University of Jyvskyl, Finland Email: paivi.tynjala@ktl.jyu.fi