Changing Direction to Make a Difference: New Voices in VET in Schools

When asked about the reasons they had elected to leave their careers in industry to become secondary teachers of technology and VET in Schools teachers in NSW, the most common response was that they 'wanted to make a difference'. Now the research participants are in their second year of teaching, mainly in rural and remote schools because of their indenture with NSW DET, they have been invited to reflect on their change in direction and their approach and stance in their new roles as part of a longitudinal study of their pathways from industry to school. This paper will discuss the backgrounds and training of these teachers in an Accelerated Teacher Training Program (ATTP) and in particular examine some of the early findings of the research in terms of their orientation to teaching and their experiences during their first two years in rather challenging rural schools. Of particular interest to the researcher is the fact that these new teachers, unlike most of their colleagues, came to teaching after, in many cases, having a less than successful school career and extensive experience in industry and the workplace. They have obvious strengths in terms of technological knowledge, but they have a very different view of pedagogy, student achievement and ability and the purposes and intent of the school system. One of the emerging themes that have already been identified is the desire to make school a more rewarding experience for the average and lower achieving students. By critically exploring the backgrounds of the participants, their beliefs and pedagogical approach, the researcher aims to tell the stories of this very different group of new teachers in VET in Schools.