Article Gold Open Access 2021

Reclaiming the educative power of vocational placements: Experiences from agriculture education practice in Uganda

International Journal of Training and Development
Journal · Vol. 25 · Issue 2 · pp. 144-159
Abstract

Amidst the global pressure on education systems to harness youth employability and transition to the world of work, there is increased interest in vocational placements. It is evident that Uganda's tertiary education sector, like others in similar context, is struggling to optimise vocational placements for better students’ learning and labour market outcomes. This article explores the “educative” potential of vocational placements offered as a component of study programmes by a public tertiary agricultural training institution in Uganda. It draws on data generated from a qualitative case study that engaged 70 stakeholders namely students, graduates, lecturers, administrators and workplace supervisors. Undertaken between 2016 and 2019, the study reveals the complexities and prospects associated with the design and delivery of vocational placements in stressed education and labour market contexts. From a social constructivist perspective, we make contextual pedagogical propositions for unleashing the educative power of vocational placements in Uganda and similar contexts. © 2021 The Authors. International Journal of Training and Development published by Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords

Author Keywords

workplace learning Agricultural education vocational placements

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Globalisation Studies Groningen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, Youth and Work, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
Graduate School for the Humanities, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Uganda Martyrs University, Kampala, Uganda
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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