Abstract
This study is a series of the empirical study, the Excellence of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions, which has investigated the association between four premise factors (competent teachers, relevant curricula, effective leadership, and school-industry linkages) and school performance. The purpose of the study is to provide recommendations to individual institutions who seek to develop strategies to improve their internal and external efficiencies as well as provide policy makers with empirical evidence to help develop new TVET policies that increase schools’ responsiveness to industry demands and reduce skills gap. The study assessed (1) whether or not the select school Busan National Mechanical Technical High School (BMT) possesses four premise factors; (2) how these factors contribute to the enhancement of school outcomes, and (3) which factor has the most influence in differing contexts (e.g. TVET policy, labor market conditions, social demands) and times. The selection criterion was the school’s high graduate employment rate. The study gathered data via multiple resources, including school publications, survey, and interviews. As for the survey, 555 out of 600 students and 107 out of 113 teachers responded. The interview was conducted with 10 students, 10 specialty teachers, the principal, and one vice principal. The interview style was an in-person, one-on-one with structured, open-ended questions, where each interviewee was sequestered separately in a closed room for 60 minutes. After coding the raw data, certain themes emerged. The findings suggest that BMT possesses all the stated premise factors, and the factors directly or indirectly influence the graduate employment rate via the enhancement of employability. Additionally, the most influential factor can be altered based upon various contexts and times.
Highlights
Due to rapid changes in technology, skills mismatching has become an emergent issue at the national level, as it has limited the country’s competitiveness and economic growth
This study examines the case of one Meister high school, Busan National Mechanical Technical High School (BMT), by assessing the association between four areas and school outcomes
The study suggests that four premise factors are likely to contribute to enhancing school outcomes
Summary
Due to rapid changes in technology, skills mismatching has become an emergent issue at the national level, as it has limited the country’s competitiveness and economic growth. There has been dynamic discussion among TVET policy makers and educators on how to reduce skills mismatching, with the most predominant suggestion to restructure the TVET system to become more demand-driven. TVET schools have been forced to move forward with structural changes to their teaching methods, course curricula, management practices, and industry collaboration. Korea is not an exception to this rule. It had directly experienced the ill effects of skills mismatching and shortages, especially among youth, so its government restructured its secondary TVET system. The government rebranded TVET schools as specialized high schools that help shape students into young professionals with specialized skills; in addition, a special purpose vocational school model is the government-developed Meister high school that helps equip youth with high-demand industrial skills, with particular focus on the technical and mechanical career fields
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