A Research About the Contribution of Vocational Education Centers (VEC) on Apprentices’ Professional Development and Current Problems

This study aims to identify the effectiveness of education served for apprentices in Vocational Education Centers (VEC), problems faced by apprentices, what the teachers do in terms of their vocational developments. This research is designed as mixed model and is used sample of the research includes 270 apprentices, 51 teachers and 152 craftsmen. Stratified sampling method is utilized for determining the sample of apprenticeship and craftsmen. As data gathering tool, “Contribution of VEC t Vocational Development of Apprentices Survey” developed by Tonbul and K l o lu (2011) was used in the study. The questionnaire consists of likert type questions, open ended questions and metaphors In data analysis, descriptive statistics (%, f) and content analysis technique for qualitative data were utilized. The results of the study are given in the following:Apprentices perceive VEC predominantly visit working places once a month, half of the participated teachers do not provide information about the status of the students in the school and they do not take the craftsmen’ expectations into account. Great majority of the craftsmen are not interested in what the apprentices learned. Participants are in the consensus that there is no healthy interaction with working places and Vocational Education Centers. In instructional behaviors of teachers, there are also differences between apprentices’ and teachers’ point of views. For the aim of self-development, teachers are participated academic quality vocational development activities in very low levels. Differentiation is observed in the developed metaphors by apprentices and teachers about Vocational Education Centers.