Vocational education as general education
Abstract
It is argued that vocational education belongs in the common core of school knowledge. Distinction is made between vocational education for jobs and vocational education about work. It is the latter aspect of the subject that allows the general education claim to be made. The former aspect, it is argued, belongs beyond the secondary school. The resilience of the liberal/vocational divide is reflected upon. So is the “new vocationalism,” which seeks to narrow the divide. The ideas of those who, consistent with Deweyan ideals, have imagined a unitary curriculum that includes vocational knowledge are examined. A three-part rationale for vocational education as general education is then discussed, namely, meaning of work, practical knowledge as knowledge, and situated cognition.
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Vocational education and academic education had traditionally constituted two separate trajectories stratifying students with low academic promise into vocational education and students with strong academic promise into academic education, along with administering distinct curricula.
“Vocational education and academic education had traditionally constituted two separate trajectories stratifying students with low academic promise into vocational education and students with strong academic promise into academic education, along with administering distinct curricula (Castellano et al., 2003;Gordon, 2008;Lewis, 1998;Lynch, 2000;Plank, 2001;Scott & Sarkees-Wircenski, 2008).”
From The Relationship of High School Curriculum Tracks to Degree Attainment and Occupational Earnings (2009) · cites this paper as Lewis, 1998
The literature and prior research on the dual track indicate that the dual track may result in positive long-term student outcomes.
“In fact, the literature and prior research on the dual track indicate that the dual track may result in positive long-term student outcomes (Lewis, 1998;Lewis & Cheng, 2006;Novel, 2009;Silverberg et al., 2004).”
From The Relationship of High School Curriculum Tracks to Degree Attainment and Occupational Earnings (2009) · cites this paper as Lewis, 1998
Cites
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511815355 · Cited by 33,219 · see citing works
Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.3102/0013189x018001032 · Cited by 13,645 · see citing works
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The Relationship of High School Curriculum Tracks to Degree Attainment and Occupational Earnings
Fletcher ., E. C., & Zirkle, C. (2009) · Career and Technical Education Research · doi:10.5328/cter34.2.81 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
- Authors
- Lewis, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lewis, Theodore
- ORCID
- Lewis, Theodore
- Venue
- Curriculum Inquiry
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 1998-01
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 283-309
- ISSN
- 0362-6784 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-873X
- OpenAlex
- W2145257322
- Cited by
- 42
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Curriculum Inquiry (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Vocational and Entrepreneurial Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Education Systems and Policy
- Keywords
- vocational education, general education, liberal arts, vocationalism, meaning of work, practical knowledge, situated cognition, secondary school curriculum
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