Browsing by Author "Tuomi, Marjo"

This thesis studies the development of proficiency during apprenticeships in the context of tailoring. The research goal of this thesis is to describe, analyze, and interpret, how apprenticeship as an experience manifests in the narrative of tailors and what meanings are assigned to apprenticeship in terms of personal professional development. In the traditional model of apprenticeship, the apprentice assumes the craft culture exemplified by the master – learning is socialization into the surrounding culture (Syrjäläinen, 2003, 35). The research endeavored to describe the multiplicity of this socialization of craft culture, which is why the theoretical starting point was Wenger's (1998, 5) theory of social learning, emphasizing the comprehensiveness of learning and its social, identity-shaping and meaning-producing dimensions. Because the research considers subjective experiences, it is done with a narrative research approach, in which the descriptions and meanings assigned to personal experiences are of interest (Heikkinen, 2018). The narrative research material was gathered during a group interview held with three tailors. The group interview method was selected because the interviewees had many experiences in common: they had all worked in Helsinki under the master tailor Jouni Korhonen at the start of their careers. In the analysis phase themes were identified from the transcribed interview material with two different points of view, in order to acquire both descriptions of apprenticeship as an experience, and of the meanings ascribed to the apprenticeship in terms of personal professional development. The theme identification in this thesis was done by theory driven content analysis. Based on the results apprenticeship can be a rewarding alternative way to learn a profession, if additional knowledge is needed after or studying in school form is not suitable. The results highlight that apprenticeship affords insight into how a professional thinks and acts. During apprenticeship, in addition to actual technique, the apprentice learns about professional identity, relations to the professional community, and what is valuable and meaningful in the profession. The interviewees felt that their apprenticeship was a cornerstone in their professional development‚ from which their professional skills and self-image advanced.