Preparing students in need of support for work-based learning: vocational teachers’ experiences and pedagogical approaches

Work-based learning is a core element of vocational education and training in Sweden, designed to support students’ transition from school to the workplace. This study explores how vocational teachers prepare students in need of support for WBL within upper secondary education. Drawing on Biesta’s (2020) three educational domains qualification, socialisation, and subjectification. The research analyses how teachers develop students’ vocational skills, facilitate adaptation to workplace norms, and encourage personal autonomy. Based on semi-structured interviews with fifteen vocational teachers across nine schools and programmes, the study reveals that teachers play a crucial mediating role between school and workplace demands. Findings indicate that preparation involves a blend of vocational instruction, behavioural guidance, and scaffolding towards independence. While teachers actively address qualification and socialisation, efforts to promote subjectification especially among students in need of support are often constrained by institutional and contextual limitations. The study highlights the need for inclusive, integrative pedagogies that align educational and vocational expectations while fostering student agency and belonging.