Teachers' professional learning under the impact of internationalisation in vocational education and training

This paper focuses on the professional development needs and practices of teachers in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector under the changed circumstances of internationalisation and trans-national workforce mobility. In light of the findings of the research, it draws useful implications for facilitating teachers’ professional learning in the context of growing internationalisation of tertiary education in Europe and English speaking countries. The paper draws on a three-year project funded by the Australian Research Council that includes interviews, observations of professional development (PD) meetings and workshops and fieldworks. It uses a sociological framework drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of social practice to examine the PD needs and nature of PD practices of VET teachers and the problems confronting them under changed circumstances.