Authentic Workplace Learning in Technology-Enhanced Vocational Education: Examining Situated Learning Principles in Industrial English Training

Situated Learning theory emphasises authentic workplace contexts as fundamental to effective vocational education, yet technology-enhanced learning environments present unique challenges in achieving genuine authenticity. This qualitative study examines how Legitimate Peripheral Participation and Communities of Practice principles manifest within a blended learning programme for vocational English in Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas industry. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with 36 participants—students, teachers, trainees, and trainers—the research reveals critical gaps between academic language instruction and industry-specific workplace communication demands. Findings demonstrate that while learners progressed from peripheral to more central participation roles, authentic workplace preparation remained constrained by misalignment between general business vocabulary and technical terminology required in specialised industrial contexts. The study introduces the concept of ‘simulated authenticity’ to describe technology-mediated learning experiences that approximate but cannot fully replicate workplace complexity. Results indicate that technology enabled valuable preparatory participation in workplace-like scenarios, yet over-reliance on automated assistance sometimes undermined authentic skill development. These findings extend Situated Learning theory by illuminating how digital mediation creates alternative pathways for workplace preparation while simultaneously highlighting authenticity limitations. The research offers practical implications for designing vocational programmes that strategically combine technology-mediated preparation with authentic workplace engagement, creating gradual pathways from simulated to genuine professional participation.