Pedagogic practices in the context of students’ workplace learning: a literature review

Abstract

Pedagogic practices at workplaces are provided to support students’ vocational education. To contribute to the understanding of supporting workplace learning, the focus of this literature review is to operationalise how pedagogic practices play out in practice. An overview is provided of pedagogic practices applied at workplaces to support students’ vocational learning. Included studies provide descriptions of manifestations of pedagogic practices enabled by experienced colleagues, such as supervisors, in the context of students’ workplace learning. Three sets of relevant search terms were defined, including synonyms and related definitions of ‘pedagogic practices’, ‘supervisors’ and ‘workplace learning’. Forty-seven studies were selected, retrieved and processed qualitatively. Findings represent a comprehensive overview of fourteen categories of pedagogic practices. Three perspectives on supporting students are discussed: demonstrating vocational activities, stimulating vocational participation, and entrusting vocational activities.