Reforms in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) landscape have generated significant interest in the changes to the delivery and nature of formal (off-the-job) training provided by Registered Training Organisations. Existing research has provided valuable insights into the evolving role of teachers, and speculated upon the changing identity and concerns of these educators through broad-based and over-arching analysis. It was considered valuable to complement this literature with a contextual investigation that acknowledges the uniqueness of a specific VET programme. Consequently, this study aimed to reveal the cultural identity of a group of TAFE teachers as they responded to a revised curriculum. The research argues that for trade teachers working in traditional apprentice programmes, the consequences of an externally restructured landscape are moderated by their strong antecedent experiences (having worked as a tradesperson in industry), and a perceived professional commitment (as gate keepers) to maintain their trade. Despite the reticence to change their pedagogy, the teachers capitalized upon the inherent flexibility in the Training Package framework to tailor and create opportunities for apprentices to apply and contextualize their knowledge and skills to realistic workplace tasks. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.
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