From training workers to educating global citizens: how teachers view their opportunities of addressing controversial global issues in vocational education

In the context of global crises, the priorities of vocational education and training (VET) need to be reconsidered. VET should educate critically reflective global citizens who are capable of acting to create a more just and sustainable world both in their workplaces and in society at large. This study examines VET teachers’ views on addressing controversial global issues, and how cultural-discursive, material-economic, and socio-political arrangements enable or hinder their opportunities to address these issues in Finnish upper secondary VET. The data comprise questionnaire responses (N = 187) and focus group discussions (N = 12). The mixed method approach uses basic statistical and reflexive thematic analysis methods, with the theory of practice architectures as the theoretical and methodological framework. The findings show that teachers are open to engaging with controversial global issues beyond curricular requirements and the diversity of students supports pluralistic discussions. However, the role of VET teachers as global civic educators is not recognised in the Finnish VET system focusing on efficiency and acquiring individual competencies, preferably outside the school. Reduced contact teaching limits teachers’ opportunities to deal with complex and uncertain global issues, and to create the safe, open classroom climate necessary for difficult conversations to take place.