Two faces have I - knowledge in the “strongmixedstrong sector” vocational.pdfVIP

Two faces have I - knowledge in the “mixed sector” vocational curriculum Chris Corbel AMES, Alphington, VIC, Australia Abstract This paper examines the role of knowledge in the vocational curriculum of higher education courses in tertiary institutions, with a particular focus on “mixed sector” (Moodie et al. 2009) TAFE institutes in Australia. The paper begins by outlining the reasons why the “voice” (Young 2009) of emergent disciplinary knowledge is missing in curriculum debate in general. It presents a social realist position that provides a principled argument for a central curriculum role f or emergent disciplinary knowledge. The position of disciplinary knowledge is particularly complex in the vocational curriculum, especially in contexts such as Australia’s VET sector with its industry- developed, competency-based curriculum. The vocational curriculum has a Janus-like quality. It is the ‘skills’ face, as opposed to the face of knowledge, which is dominant in the vocational curriculum in the VET sector in Australia. This paper argues, however, that the emerging mixed sector in Australia provides an opportunity to begin to bring the voice, and the face, of knowledge back into the vocational curriculum. Knowledge and education Over the past decade a social realist position has emerged in the sociology of education which provides a principled argument for abstract theoretical knowledge to regain a central role in curriculum. It may seem strange that such an endeavor is necessary, given the emphasis on the requirements of the ‘knowledge economy’ in government policy worldwide. Yet somehow the “voice” (Young 2009) of knowledge is missing in the curriculum in general, and in the vocational curriculum in particular. Social realist scholars1 are therefore seeking to “bring knowledge b