Transfer and reflection in the Danish dual model: Findings from development projects in the Danish vocational education and training programmes

Abstract

This article deals with the question about transfer between school and work in the Danish dual vocational education and training (VET) model. The article is based on an evaluation of 21 development projects carried out by VET teachers and internship supervisors aimed at improving the connections between school and internship periods. The evaluation provides a case for discussing the students’ connections making and the function of the Danish dual model on a general level at the end of the article. Connections between school and work in VET relying on the dual model are of great importance. They help the students create a sense of coherence in their education and support transfer of learning from one setting to another. Nevertheless, these connections are not easily established. The central point of this article is that the task of establishing these connections is too often individualised, making the student responsible for a successful establishment of an internship connection, rather than having that task dealt with at the institutional level. The article argues that when connections are established at an institutional level it helps VET students create a sense of coherence in their education. For instance, increasing the cooperation between VET teachers and internship supervisors enables students to better reflect upon the connection between the professional experience of their internship and the more general learning obtained at school.