Learning how to «relaunch» an educational activity : Vocational training in the field of Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This article focuses on the identification and development of professional competences in the field of Early childhood education. Following an interactional perspective on training and work, a detailed analysis addresses the real practices deployed to learn how to relaunch an educational activity. First, the article discusses the notion of “relaunching” (relance), used by practitioners in the field. It then presents the theoretical perspective of interactional analysis. An empirical case study follows, consisting in a fine-grained description of a relaunching activity conducted by an intern student in collaboration with her mentor. The analysis focuses on the dynamics of participation amongst different participants, who gradually converge towards a joint activity. The concluding section sheds light on the links between the phenomenon of relaunching an educational activity and the challenges of vocational education and training.