Research group Vocational and Educational Training

The research group VET/YL focuses on issues within Vocational Education and Training (VET), a well-established international field of research that studies questions of skills, qualifications, competences and professional knowledge in relation to early VET, upper secondary as well as adult VET, and advanced VET.
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The VETYL research group works with many national and international research networks on a variety of research questions. On the societal level, it may involve training systems – both historical and future development. At the institutional level, for instance, our questions concern how vocational education has been and is organized and designed in different contexts. At classroom level, attention is given to analysis and design of processes for teaching, learning, and assessment in a variety of environments.

VET covers a wide range of contents, different professional fields and diverse traditions of knowledge. The VETYL research group at Stockholm University considers collaboration between researchers from different areas as a prerequisite for the development of knowledge in the VET-field.

Core research problems in this field are characterized by interdependence and intersectionality, which demand interdisciplinary work. Issues of harmonization of education, transparency and mobility within the

European political arena, are also focus of our research attention; this often in relation with economic growth and overall social welfare. 

VET research focuses on questions about what general and specific competencies are sought within and for different professional areas, how and in what contexts one learns these are examples of questions of vocational didactic interest. At the same time as there is a desire for increased collaboration between school and working life, there are also contradictions in relation to where vocational education should be located – in school or in working life.

Likewise, questions about what promotes vocational learning and enculturation in professional cultures, how vocational teachers and students perceive their vocational subjects and how vocational knowledge and competences are developed, assessed and graded in different environments are relevant. 

VETYL research group is expected to contribute both to a research-based professional teacher training and to the development of vocational training for youngsters and adults, regardless of whether the training is carried out in school or at the workplace.

Research seminars

We continuously arrange "Vocational Education & Training Seminar", were discuss current research within the field. See our Calendar for more information.




Department of Education

Research publication becomes a Palgrave series

Since 2018 the research group Vocational and Educational Training (VETYL) at the Department of Education, Stockholm University, has published the research book series, Emergent Issues in Research on Vocational Education and Training. We are now very happy to announce that the book series from now on will continue to be published by Palgrave Macmillan publishing company under the title Palgrave Studies in Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Palgrave Macmillan is a world-class publisher of books and journals with more than 175 years’ experience in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The publication of the new book series under Palgrave MacMillan’s professional management and administration creates opportunities to reach a wider international audience in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) research field, but also a recognition of the book series that we have been able to publish with the support of our Department.   About the series This new book series emphasises the various dimensions involved in research, policymaking and practices of teaching and learning. The series illustrates the diverse tensions, challenges and research problems in various national systems of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, as well as cross-national aspects. Contributions to the series will enhance knowledge and insights within the field based on empirical research and theoretical/conceptual analyses. Unique to the series is an understanding of TVET as a complex field, where research problems and new knowledge are located and interact at macro, meso and micro levels, consequently demanding a multidisciplinary, theoretically and methodologically diverse research approach. The role of TVET in sustainable development will be given particular attention.  The 8th volume is now available on this link Series editors are: Lázaro Moreno Herrera  (Scientific leader of research group  VETYL )  Marianne Teräs Petros Gougoulakis and Janne Kontio  

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