Professional Construction Research Articles

Becoming a ‘Professional’: Researching the development of career practitioners’ professional identity in a New Zealand context

This paper outlines my current PhD research which examines how career practitioners’ professional identity construction is affected by their environment. The research takes a post-structural approach, focusing on the issue from the perspective of the ‘subjects’ or careers practitioners, rather than the structural, ‘top-down’ requirements of policy-makers and other agencies. The paper introduces the research, identifies the research problem, gives a brief insight into the literature, sets out the aims and methodology, and identifies the potential contribution to understanding the effect of the environment on career practitioners’ professional identity. Once my PhD is completed, I hope the outcomes of the research will contribute to understanding how practitioners construct their identity in relation to the discourse of professionalisation.

Research on the Teaching Reform of Environmental Art Design Course under the 1+X Certificate System

The "1+X" certificate system, namely the "diploma certificate + several vocational skill level certificates" system, is an important reform task proposed in the "National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan". This system aims to strengthen the integration of 1+X certificate pilot and professional construction, curriculum construction, teacher team construction, etc. through the combination of academic certificates and vocational skill level certificates, in order to improve the quality of vocational education and students' employment ability. The "vocational education + additional vocational qualifications" system in foreign countries has a high degree of similarity with China's 1+X system, both of which encourage students to obtain vocational education diplomas while actively obtaining various types of vocational skill certificates, expanding students' employability, promoting the connotation development of vocational education, and connecting vocational education with the needs of economic and social development to improve the quality of talent cultivation. For environmental art majors, this system provides new opportunities and directions for professional teaching reform.

Professional Sports Event Attendance and Construction Workers’ Job Burnout: The Mediating Role of Leisure Spillover

In recent years, with the increase in work intensity and the more complex working environment in the construction industry, the problem of job burnout among construction workers has become increasingly prominent. Job burnout not only affects workers’ physical health and work efficiency, leading to more serious safety hazards, but also deeply affects the well-being of construction workers. This study adopts an alternative perspective to explore the impact of professional sports event attendance on construction workers’ job burnout and to analyze the mediating role of leisure spillover in this process. Through a questionnaire survey of construction workers, 641 data points were collected for empirical statistical analysis. The results of the study show that the attention of construction workers’ sports career events can effectively reduce job burnout, and that leisure spillover plays a partial mediating role in this process. This study verifies the positive role of sports career events in promoting construction workers’ mental health through empirical analysis and provides practical references for occupational health management and the mental health development of construction worker groups.

<b>From Imagination to Practice: Unravelling the Professional Identity of a Pre-service EFL Teacher</b>

This study uses a narrative inquiry method, focusing on the transformation journey of a pre-service EFL teacher named Brandon (pseudonym), to explore the complex process of professional identity construction and reconstruction for pre-service teachers to teach EFL from a teaching practicum. The study gathered information about critical events that shaped Brandon's professional identity through semi-structured interviews and diaries before and during his teaching practice. Using an innovative "story constellation" approach, the research creates a three-dimensional narrative, weaving together temporal, personal, social, and contextual aspects. This exploration of Brandon's journey illuminates the core tenets of effective language teaching, including adaptability, empathy, continuous learning, and a student-centred approach, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the (re)construction of EFL teachers' professional identities. This study widens knowledge of EFL teachers' pre-teaching professional experiences and offers important implications for teacher education programs.

Research on the Training Mode of Digital Marketing Talents in Vocational College Based on Professional Group Construction

With the rapid development of the digital economy, the demand for digital marketing talents is growing day by day. As an important base for training applied talents, vocational colleges and universities need to keep up with the development trend of The Times and conduct in-depth discussions on the training of digital marketing talents. Based on the construction of professional groups, this paper analyzes the current situation and problems of digital marketing talent training in vocational colleges, and puts forward a digital marketing talent training model and implementation strategy to meet the requirements of the new era.

The Effect of Motivation on Professional Construction Workforce Commitment and Project Performance

The Effect of Motivation on Professional Construction Workforce Commitment and Project Performance

Research on the Cultivation of Artificial Intelligence Professionals in Vocational Colleges

With the rapid development of the global economy and the continuous advancement of technology, the artificial intelligence industry has become a new engine for the development of the world economy today. China's vocational colleges have launched a wave of professional construction in the era of artificial intelligence. However, during the construction process, there have been problems such as a mismatch between the level of education and the needs of industry enterprises, a dilemma in the positioning of talent training goals, curriculum construction lagging behind the actual application of enterprises, a lack of teaching staff and low level of specialization, low coupling of demands between school enterprise cooperation, and obvious lag in the construction of practical teaching conditions. In response to technological changes and industrial development trends, vocational colleges should actively take measures to address these issues under the macroeconomic regulation and specific coordination of the government, with the full participation of industry enterprises. To cultivate more high-quality talents with innovative spirit, practical ability, and international competitiveness for the artificial intelligence industry.

Understanding EFL teacher identity and identity tensions in a Chinese university context

AbstractIn the past few decades, teacher identity has been a popular topic in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. As a construct that is socially constructed, teacher identity is influenced by situational contexts and is not fixed but multifaceted. While many studies have examined pre‐service and novice teachers’ identities, relatively fewer paid attention to experienced language teachers’ identities and the conflicts they may encounter. This study investigates one seasoned EFL teacher's multiple identities and the tensions that existed in her identity in a Chinese university setting. Data included a semi‐structured interview, class recordings, a stimulated recall, and artifacts such as the teacher's materials for classroom teaching. Findings demonstrated that the teacher practiced three sub‐identities in her teaching, namely, an English language teacher, a guide, and an academic advisor. Additionally, tensions within her identity as an English educator were identified, consisting of the popularity of technology‐driven tools in students’ English learning activities and the need to conduct research while not possessing sufficient research skills. The pedagogical insights generated underscored the importance of teachers’ agency and institutional support in resolving the tensions to facilitate experienced language teachers’ ongoing professional development and identity construction.

“To prosper you must be willing to pivot”: The career construction journeys of language teacher educators in Hong Kong

AbstractConsidering the essential role of language teacher educators in shaping the views and practices of future generations of language teachers, the limited attention that has been given to how these educators construct their professional identities is surprising. This article reports the results of a qualitative study that contributes to addressing this gap in knowledge by exploring how three experienced language teacher educators construct their professional identities in Hong Kong. Drawing upon elements of career construction theory, the study used in‐depth interviews to investigate the responses of these educators to the complex and challenging demands they encounter in research, teaching, and institutional service throughout the pursuit of their professional identities construction goals. Results suggest that the three educators value career adaption and operationalize adaptability as the willingness to both constrain their concerns and accept the necessity for compromises and trade‐offs. Implications for leaders of higher education institutions concerned with supporting language teacher educators' identities construction are discussed. Suggestions for future research are also considered.

Exploration and Practice of Course Ideology and Politics Construction in Engineering Course of Application-oriented Universities

This paper analyzes the problems in the construction of course ideology and politics, uses information technology to enable the change of thinking mode, and explores the innovation research on the new carrier and new model. The concept of tree in computer science and technology is applied to the construction of course ideology and politics, based on that a standardized ideological and political case base is built and a closed-loop model is proposed. Through the integration design of the core value system and the entire process of education and teaching, the integrated development of professional construction and ideological and political education is realized.

Practical experience in the implementation of innovative building materials and products

The improvement and creation of new production technologies is largely determined by the level of innovation in the field of materials science. In this paper, the experience of practical implementation of innovative building materials and products made of light steel thin-walled structures in the real sector of the economy is considered. Suggestions are given for possible use in state programs for the restoration and development of new territories of Russia. The problem of economic recovery, creation of new jobs, implementation of development programs for specific subjects of new territories can be solved by consolidating the subjects of the Russian Federation and forming professional construction teams on the basis of specialized enterprises of the subject of the Russian Federation for the implementation of state programs. The authors, if necessary, offer services for training and transfer of scientific and technical knowledge to Customer specialists at the place of construction of prefabricated facilities.

Professional Construction Workforce Commitment Model in Maintaining Project Performance in East Kalimantan

The impact of labor quality on project effectiveness is crucial, influenced by factors like leadership style, motivation, and work-life balance. Companies must consider the commitment model of professional construction workers to enhance project performance, especially in resource-scarce regions like East Kalimantan. Researchers aimed to identify this commitment model's role in East Kalimantan's projects. Using a mixed method with 250 respondents, including various stakeholders, the study found that authentic leadership positively affects worker commitment and project outcomes (accepted hypotheses H1, H2, H5, H7), while other hypotheses were rejected (H3, H4, H6). Data were collected via questionnaires and interviews, analyzed using SEM SmartPLS for quantitative data and qualitative methods for interview data.

Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilization: the Fundamental Principle of Postgraduate Training of International Chinese Education

The important discussion of civilization exchange and mutual learning is not only an important way to build a community with a shared future for mankind, an important driving force to promote the common progress of human civilization and world peace and development, but also provides a theoretical basis for the construction of international Chinese education, and effectively solves the academic debate on the nature of international Chinese education. Build human destiny community, civilization exchange mutual learning and international Chinese education constitutes the complete system of the world, build human destiny community is civilization exchange mutual learning and the ultimate goal and fundamental task of international Chinese education, civilization exchange mutual learning and international Chinese education is the concept of building human destiny community guarantee and implementation path, civilization exchange mutual learning is the fundamental follow the international Chinese education, international Chinese education is an important support to promote communication between Chinese and foreign civilizations. Therefore, the international Chinese education should take the important discourse of civilization exchange and mutual learning as the fundamental adherence of the professional construction and the guiding ideology of the curriculum setting, and list it as an important professional course or an important content of the professional course

Exploration of the Cultivation of Innovative Talents in Intelligent Construction in Application-oriented Universities

Relying on the first-class construction discipline platform, the field research was conducted on the application-oriented colleges and universities that have opened the intelligent construction major, and the necessity of the establishment of the intelligent building major, talent training, professional construction, practice base construction, and teacher construction were discussed. The new generation of information technology, such as BIM technology, 3D printing, assembly, unmanned aerial vehicles, smart construction site sand tables etc., optimizes and adjusts the training program and curriculum system of civil engineering professionals, and integrates them into the corresponding courses. Combine smart construction site and virtual simulation technology with practical courses to explore the cultivation of innovative talents in application-oriented universities. The exploration of the cultivation of innovative talents in intelligent construction in application-oriented colleges and universities pays more attention to application-oriented training, explores new modes of practical teaching, and constructs a smart construction site simulation practice teaching system and virtual simulation practice teaching project group from practice, so as to provide reference for colleges in the later stage of intelligent construction professional declaration and construction, and application-oriented talent training.

The Insights and Influence of the Sydney Accord on the Teaching Reform of Vocational Education in China: A Case Study of Professional Curriculum Achievement Evaluation

Scientific curriculum evaluation methods are critical for achieving talent training objectives. The Sydney Accord, one of the three major engineering education certification agreements, focuses on the training of “engineering technologists.” Its logical system and three core principles align well with the connotation development of professional construction in China’s higher vocational colleges, offering significant insights for promoting reform and development in engineering education in Chinese colleges and universities. By incorporating the core principles, elements, and graduate quality defined in the Sydney Accord and focusing on the evaluation of curriculum achievement against “graduation requirements,” the quality of vocational education can be enhanced, making it an important direction for future teaching reforms in vocational education.

Bifurcating and balancing: Language teachers’ emotion regulation motives and professional identity construction in cross‐cultural contexts

AbstractThis study investigated language teachers’ emotion regulation motives (ERMs) and their identity construction in cross‐cultural contexts. Drawing upon qualitative data about eight Chinese as a second language teachers for international students through semi‐structured interviews, classroom observation, and document collection, the study identified three overarching motives and six identities of language teachers: teacher as instructor and disciplinarian who regulated emotions for improving teaching effectiveness, teacher as caregiver and observer who regulated emotions for navigating teacher–student relationships, and teacher as mediator and defender who regulated emotions for reconciling cultural differences. These findings revealed the multifaceted, discipline‐specific, and contradictory nature of language teachers’ ERMs and reflected their balancing of sub‐identities to construct their professional identities in cross‐cultural contexts.

Sociocultural Environment and Agency in Identity Construction of English Language Teachers

Identity is an emerging field in educational research focusing on how teacher education programs, training, reflective practices, and short-term interventions impact the identity negotiation of teachers (Gautam, 2018). However, this study reports how different levels of sociocultural environments influence teachers and what initiatives they take for professional development and identity construction. Drawing on Wenger’s (1998) notion of communities of practice and Norton’s (2013) investing, this study sought to uncover the interchange of the development of learning communities and teachers by investigating the life history of four secondary-level English language teachers derived through informal conversations and in-depth interviews. Teachers’ life stories revealed that the environment's micro, meso, and macro levels influenced their professional development and identity construction. Teachers also influenced these contexts, with the most negligible macro-level influence. Despite the massive positive and negative impact of contexts, teachers have also taken initiatives for their professional development, quality enhancement of education, and students’ learning outcomes. Although agency influences the different learning contexts, a minor intervention at the macro level is apparent, implying the need for acknowledging teachers’ opinions in policy formulation.

Healthcare professionals’ well-being at work: a professional and organizational identity perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to test a model of healthcare professionals’ well-being seen as a consequence of a process of motivated professional identity construction, a variable that mediates the influence of the organizational identity (utilitarian or normative) and the perceived reputation of the profession on well-being.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional design, based on a survey of 384 healthcare professionals. Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to test the model.FindingsThe data provide empirical evidence supporting the proposed model. We find that organizational identity (utilitarian and normative) and perceived professional reputation positively relate to professional identity, a variable that positively relates to well-being. Professional identity mediates the relationship between organizational identity (normative and utilitarian) and perceived professional reputation and well-being. Utilitarian organizational identity and perceived professional reputation are also directly related to well-being.Originality/valueThis research significantly departs from the current focus of explaining the well-being of healthcare professionals by resorting mainly to individual factors and introduces organizational and institutional determinants.

Construction and Implementation of a Digital System for Logistics Majors from the Perspective of Smart Education

Background: Faced with the new demand for logistics engineering talents in the modern logistics industry's mathematical transformation and upgrading, building an applied logistics engineering talent training system that meets the requirements of the new era is a key task of current teaching reform. Contribution: The contribution of this experiment is focuses on the current situation of school enterprise integration in school logistics engineering construction, and proposes a construction. Method: This experiment using framework method to strengthen the logistics engineering profession, clarify integration goals, build targeted curriculum systems, establish assessment and evaluation frameworks, and improve the mechanism of industry education integration. Results: The collaborative educational role of logistics professional construction and innovation and entrepreneurship education and cultivate more comprehensive logistics professionals. Based on this, this article will conduct a digital system for logistics majors from the perspective of smart education in vocational colleges under the background of intelligent logistics. Conclusion: Curriculum construction is built on a dynamic and authentic practical process, which reflects the logical interaction between curriculum builders and courses, shifting understanding from project logic to subjective logic

Recognition and Motivation: A Study on the Strategies for Improving the Career Attractiveness of Nursing Workers in Nursing Institutions

Nursing staff in nursing institutions are the guardians of the growing "silver age" of the elderly, and they are the solid arms of the elderly institutions to support the happiness of the elderly in their old age. The project members investigated 6 different types of elderly care institutions in Nanjing, and explored the basic situation and career attractiveness of institutional caregivers through qualitative interviews, and analyzed the dilemma of occupational attractiveness. Adhere to the problem-oriented, combined with the logic and influencing factors of the construction of the professional self-identity of the nursing staff, from the aspects of the social environment, institutional system and personal development of the professional self-identity construction of the nursing staff, and put forward constructive and targeted suggestions, aiming to promote the construction of the professional self-identity of the elderly care workers in China, and promote the improvement of nursing quality and the healthy development of the nursing career.