The importance of relevance: Factors influencing upper secondary vocational students’ engagement in L2 English language teaching
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3089308Utgivelsesdato
2023Metadata
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Originalversjon
https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2023.2250360Sammendrag
While student engagement is important for meaningful learning
experiences in school, vocational students are known to perceive
general subjects, such as languages, as irrelevant and unengaging. For
this reason, general subjects are often taught in a manner adapted to
the students’ vocational education. In Norway, such teaching is known
as the vocational orientation approach (VO). This qualitative study
investigated how VO relates to student engagement in L2 English
lessons. Using data from 13 group interviews with Norwegian
vocational students, the study showed how perceived relevance is a
main contributing factor. Furthermore, the study also identified social
and active work methods, as well as caring teachers, as key contributors
towards engagement. The findings support the contention that a VO
approach promotes engagement in vocational L2 classrooms, especially
when it builds on student perceptions of relevance.