During the last decade, a growing number of studies in vocational didactics have been carried out (Aakre, 2022; Fejes et al., 2017; Gessler & Herrera, 2015; Haaland & Nilsen, 2023; Hansen, 2017; Herrera & Gessler, 2018; Muhrman, 2020; Pahl, 2014). They all show an interest in studying vocational teaching and vocational learning in various vocational educations. The concept of vocational didactics can be seen as planning and facilitating, implementing assessing, and critically analyzing the profession-specific learning processes in schools and workplaces. Here,  the students’ work with relevant vocational tasks is central (Hiim & Hippe, 2001).

In line with technological development and societal change, there is a need for updating the vocational didactic research field. This call for papers enables us to deepen the concept of vocational didactics in a Nordic context via peer-reviewed articles in a scientific journal such as the Scandinavian Journal of Vocations in Development (SJVD).

Since the concept of vocational didactics is ambiguous, we need to explore the concept. In addition, there are several university courses within vocational didactics at advanced levels where the concept is used. Therefore, a clarification regarding the complexity of the concept of vocational didactic is necessary. This special issue aims to develop knowledge about the concept with a deeper focus on teaching and/or learning in school- and workplace-integrated environments, in digitized society and profession (for example artificial intelligence), in vocational competence, with materials and artifacts, with governing documents as well as in professionalism. The special edition will contribute to the research field of vocational didactics in Scandinavian languages and English.

Hamid Asghari and Anna Öhman, Karlstad University, will serve as guest editors in collaboration with the editorial team for the Scandinavian Journal of Vocations in Development (SJVD). Through this open call, we invite you to submit abstracts regarding research on vocational didactics to this journal. The abstract must be written in a Scandinavian language or English. The abstract must contain a maximum of 800 words, excluding references, and describe the problem area being addressed, purpose and possible research questions, as well as theory/method and preliminary results.

Please forward your abstract as a separate document via e-mail to Hamid Asghari (hamid.asghari@kau.se). Abstracts considered relevant for this upcoming special issue will be selected in consultation with the journal’s editorial team, and authors will be notified. The final papers will be subject to a double-blind peer review.

Timeline:

• Deadline for abstracts; October 1^st 2023
• Confirmation of selected abstracts; November 2023
• Deadline for submitting complete papers; June 1^st 2024
• Publication; Winter/Spring 2025

References

Aakre, B. M. (2022). Fra didaktikk til yrkesdidaktikk. Paideia(2), 59-61.

Fejes, A., Lindberg, V., & Wärvik, G.-B. (2017). Yrkesdidaktisk forskning in i framtiden. In A. Fejes, V. Lindberg, & G.-B. Wärvik (Eds.), Yrkesdidaktikens mångfald. Lärarförlaget.

Gessler, M., & Herrera, L. M. (2015). Vocational didactics: core assumptions and approaches from Denmark, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden. International journal for research in vocational education and training, 2(3), 152-160. https://doi.org/10.25656/01:11552

Haaland, G., & Nilsen, S. E. (2023). Læring gjennom praksis: En grunnbok i yrkesdidaktikk. Fagbokforlaget.

Hansen, K. H. (2017). Hva er yrkesdidaktikk i dagens yrkesopplæring i skole? Skandinavisk tidsskrift for yrker og profesjoner i utvikling, 2. https://doi.org/10.7577/sjvd.2134

Herrera, L. M., & Gessler, M. (2018). Didactics in vocational education and training–Diversity and intercepts in the Nordic educational landscape. Ammattikasvatuksen aikakauskirja, 20(2), 30-37.

Hiim, H., & Hippe, E. (2001). Å utdanne profesjonelle yrkesutøvere. Gyldendal Norsk Forlag AS.

Muhrman, K. (2020). Yrkesdidaktik och yrkesämnenas didaktik. In K. Muhrman (Ed.), Ämnesdidaktik vid Linköpings universitet (pp. 40-48).

Pahl, J.-P. (2014). Vocational Education Research: Research on Vocational Pedagogy, Vocational Discipline and Vocational Didactics. In Z. Zhao & F. Rauner (Eds.), Areas of Vocational Education Research (pp. 17-43). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54224-4_2