Onboarding Early Career Teachers in Vocational Education and Training Workplaces

How are the conditions and possibilities for developing the professional competences of early-career teachers constituted in the workplace of VET?

This question forms the starting point for the project, in which we will use the dual concept of inertia–acceleration to investigate the conditions and opportunities for new teachers’ participation in workplace learning.
The goal is to generate knowledge and insights that can support the onboarding of new teachers in vocational schools, promoting professional learning and integration into the school's communities of practice.

Why this project?
Danish vocational education and training (VET) has long faced challenges related to low attractiveness, making it necessary to continuously improve the quality of teaching. New teachers in vocational schools often encounter major challenges, as they typically lack pedagogical and didactic experience. This is a significant factor contributing to a turnover rate of 30–35% among VET teachers. Such high turnover creates instability, which hampers the continuous development of teaching quality.

Unlike teachers in other upper secondary education programs, VET teachers are often professionals who transition from fields such as nursing or carpentry into teaching roles without formal pedagogical qualifications. This transition can be especially challenging and is often marked by high stress, as described by one new teacher:
"I was on my knees after the first six months. I couldn’t sleep at night, and everything was a blur. It’s only because I want to help young people so badly that I didn’t run away screaming."

While there has been significant research into the formal education of VET teachers (such as the VET Teacher Education Programme – DEP), there is a lack of deeper understanding of how early career support and workplace learning contribute to the pedagogical and didactic development of new teachers.

Participating vocational schools:

Roskilde Technical College
Education Center Møgelkær (UCM)
Social and Health School Central and Western Jutland
Asmild Kloster Agricultural School

Project team

The project is a collaboration between researchers from Copenhagen University College, VIA University College and AAU, Department of Culture and Learning.

The project is led by Anne-Birgitte Nyhus Rohwedder Anne-Birgitte Rohwedder - Aalborg University Research Portal and the project team also consists of:

Anne Stouby Persson Anne Stouby Persson - Aalborg University Research Portal

Mette L Rasmussen Mette Leisgaard Riis Rasmussen - Aalborg University Research Portal

Henrik Hersom Henrik Hersom - UC Viden - Professionshøjskolernes Videndatabase

Felicia L Benthien Felicia Lind Benthien - Københavns Professionshøjskole

Lars Bang Jensen - UC Viden