Comparison of British advanced General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) students (n=42) and General Certificate of Education (GCE) students (N=82) revealed GNVQ students to be more aware of business needs and teamwork; GCE students emphasized leadership and self-sufficiency skills. Work experience and foreign language were increasingly…

Describes two critical dimensions of work-based learning (WBL), firm-based versus school-based, and "learn-and-stay" versus "learn-and-go." Recommendations are offered for the design of new WBL in the light of empirical findings on the employment patterns of young people as they grow older. (SLD)

When tested, 23 male postsecondary students displayed unsophisticated conceptions of learning and poor learning outcomes on a problem task. No differences were found between students with work experience and those coming from secondary education. Their limited knowledge base compared to experts suggests that training initiatives may not work. (SK)

Analyzes how students learn and develop through work experience. Presents a typology of work experience that identifies five models: traditional, experiential, generic, work process, and connective. Suggests that connectivity may provide the basis for a productive and useful relationship between formal and informal learning. (Contains 82…

From a sample of 438 British primary and 451 secondary schools, 122 and 242 respective responses were received. Compared to a 1988-89 study, attitudes toward business practices were positive, despite concerns about ethics; length of teacher placements in industry was positively associated with their perceived value; and primary teachers were less…

The emergence of community-referenced instruction as a general and special education phenomenon and as a tool for learning in the inclusive classroom is examined in this article. In addition, three specific types of instruction that can be implemented beyond school walls are presented: work experiences, research teams, and service learning.…

In this article, the author talks about his experience in moving to Perspectives, a small charter school catering for grades 6-12 located near Chicago's Chinatown. He shares how he felt about transferring in the midst of his final year at elementary school. Compared to his old school, he learned some things that are different about Perspectives…

This paper reports on a qualitative research project that explored the influence of basic skills on the school-to-work transitions of young adults. Large numbers of young people have poor skills yet it is a neglected area of study. We document how skill competencies act as barriers to learning and labour market opportunities, illustrating that…

Child and Youth Care (CYC) workers use the natural living and learning environment to create therapeutic experiences for young people with emotional and behavioral problems. Originally working in the therapeutic milieu of residential settings, CYC workers now operate in family, community, and school-based prevention and treatment programs. This…

This article analyses the main changes in the rules for validating experience in France and of what they mean for society. It goes on to consider university validation practices. The way in which this system is evolving offers a chance to identify the issues involved for the economy and for society, with particular attention to the expected…

This paper explores two different ways of understanding communities of practice in relation to workplace learning. This is based upon a case study of secondary school teachers working and learning in four subject departments in two English schools. In spite of institutional similarities, the cultures and working practices of the departments were…

Role-playing is a well regarded learning activity. By participating in this activity, students can apply their knowledge through their assigned roles in a realistic but risk-free situation. The role play stimulates class discussion, dramatizes rhetorical principles about purpose, shows how to adapt a text to an audience of employees in a…

In research across professions, the development of professional skill traditionally was seen as a process of accumulation of knowledge and skills, promoted by practical experience. More recently, this view has been modified to incorporate skillful know-how that is progressively acquired by passing through developmental stages, such as novice,…

Objective: This study identifies factors associated with child protective services (CPS) involvement among current and former welfare recipients after welfare reform legislation was passed in the US in 1996. Method: Data come from the Women's Employment Study, a longitudinal study of randomly selected welfare recipients living in a Michigan city…

A study of high school work experience programs was designed to explore the work environment in regard to employer policies, practices, processes and program ingredients to gauge their impact on high school student workers during the school-to-work transition. Two work experience programs were analyzed (North Terrytown, New York, and in Newark,…