Exploring the Potential of Active Learning in the Apprenticeship Scheme in Switzerland

The purpose of this thesis was to suggest a change in Switzerland’s apprenticeship scheme by changing the pedagogical approach adopted by in-company coaches in Switzerland’s labour market because of the high noncompletion of apprenticeship. The literature review showed that there is a gap in the literature covering in Switzerland’s apprenticeship scheme. Nevertheless, pedagogy and andragogy provide a useful orientation even if apprentices are – because of their age – in transition form childhood to adulthood and therefore not children anymore but not adult yet. The pedagogical tool to promote active learning will therefore be a fusion between pedagogy and andragogy. Along the research questions, the principal tenets/presupposition of constructivism as a theory of learning were identified. Using a deductive approach and a qualitative design, the methodology used in this thesis is participatory action research by adopting the position of reflective practitioner. A suggestion of a process or practical instructional approach (called IPERKA) is used as a foundation to be developed to IAZPERKA and set of principles that flow from constructivism’s learning theory for the development of in-company coaches towards being reflective practitioners have been proposed. Implementing IAZPERKA as pedagogical tool derived from constructivism and embedded in active learning, has been proven to be an effective way to enhance the professional partnership between in-company coaches and apprentices. It can be stated that IAZPERKA encourages and values the personal understanding/knowledge construction by apprentices, and the design of learning is apprentice-centred. Understanding that there are multiple ways that knowledge is absorbed and constructed, there are several conditions in the learning setting that should be encouraged and seen/felt by in-company coaches as essential to constructivism. Learning is iterative and lifelong; fosters active, higher-level thinking and reflections and is social in nature. It builds upon shared negotiated meaning and upon the apprentice’s interests. It is situated within realistic authentic tasks and complex problem-solving based on and found in the world outside the ‘classroom’. In-company coaches share authority and assist apprentices in adopting intellectual responsibility for their own learning process. In-company coaches are flexible in their support of apprentices’ expressions of varying levels of knowledge while critically merging the learner’s knowledge with disciplinary insights and personal experiences. Assessment should include apprentices’ reflection on their goals and accomplishments and avoid overly narrow measurements of skills or knowledge without a complete context of interpretation. In addition, recommendations are included for further research, and suggestions are made for the use of IAZPERKA as a pedagogical tool of active learning in light of constructivism in Switzerland’s apprenticeship scheme