Offshore Teaching Practice in the Australia-Pacific Technical College: A Case Study in the South Pacific

This paper investigates teaching practices at the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC), which comprise a unique official development assistance (ODA) program funded by the Government of Australia (GoA) and managed through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) with the aim of training and equipping workers from the Pacific Island Forum member countries with Australian technical qualifications that will be recognized by the industry and governments in the concerned countries. Using both an online survey and structured interviews with teachers who are currently working (or have worked) in the program in one of the four campuses of the APTC on the island countries, the research looks into off-shore teaching experiences, practices and identities of these teachers. Themes that are addressed include the professional development needs of VET teachers who are working on short and long-term overseas assignments, teaching practices in an aid/development context, and the identities of VET teachers who work on aid/development projects.