Practice Of Vocational Education Research Articles

Continuing Vocational Training in Enterprises

This article presents a comparative analysis of Continuing Vocational Training (CVT) in companies in the Czech Republic and Hungary based on selected indicators from the European Union's CVT survey. The study examines the participation of employees, the time dedicated to training, and the primary targeted skills of CVT courses. The results highlight significant differences in participation rates and focus on specific skills between the two countries, with a higher percentage of employee participation in training in the Czech Republic and a particular focus on IT skills in Hungary. The findings suggest that CVT plays a crucial role in enhancing employee skills and organizational competitiveness, highlighting the need to explore further the reasons behind these differences between countries and their impact on policy and practice in vocational education. The study also emphasizes the importance of adapting CVT programs to the rapidly changing labor market and the employer's need to effectively respond to new challenges in skills and competencies.

Good practices for differentiated instruction in vocational education: the combined perspectives of educational researchers and teachers

ABSTRACT Teachers are increasingly encouraged to meet students’ individual learning needs through differentiated instruction (DI) and the body of literature regarding the teaching practices constituting effective DI continues to grow. Although it could be argued that vocational education has certain characteristics that enhance the importance of DI, the amount of studies exploring this approach in the vocational education context is very limited. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to identify the perceptions of educational researchers and teachers regarding the extent to which previously identified DI principles inform good practices in vocational education (2) to identify which challenges vocational teachers encounter in the implementation of DI. To this end, we conducted focus group interviews – structured around vignettes – with 15 participants from the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium. Our findings imply that the principles identified in other contexts are perceived as relevant in vocational education, but that this context requires a somewhat different implementation of these principles and additionally results in specific challenges that teachers need to address. The insights obtained in this study can be used in the (re)design of professional development initiatives targeted at improving the DI practices of vocational teachers.

An Overview of Chinas Vocational Education Practices and Implementation Policies from 2018 to 2022

China has given secondary vocational education more and more priority in recent years. In Chinas education community, topics such as student types and training methods are frequently discussed. The nation has released an increasing number of secondary vocational education policies in recent years. This study examines the secondary vocational education policies passed by The State Council of China from 2018 to 2022 in an effort to better understand the development orientation of Chinas secondary vocational education. 364 policies pertaining to secondary vocational education were acquired and coded by Nvivo screening. A questionnaire was created based on the coding results, and it was broken down into six dimensions: the professional teaching degree in the classroom, Internet use, 1+x certificate penetration level, educational resources, the schools promotion of students overall development, and the integration of industry and education. At the same time, special education, which involves the education of the disabled but is rarely included in the policy, is treated as a separate component. For the questionnaire survey, 153 secondary vocational students in total were chosen and dispersed around the nation. Spss and Amos tested the questionnaire. The test passed, and more analysis of the survey results was done.It is determined that while policy implementation is generally going well, there are still issues with student development overall, certificate penetration, and the integration of business and education. This study suggests remedies based on this, such as expanding practical operation training and enhancing school-business collaboration.

职业教育称谓的中国演进

Vocational education, as an exact academic term, originated from “Tianpin Putong Jiaoxiwen” written by Yao Wendong, the general manager of Shanxi Agriculture and Forestry School in 1904. However, the practice of vocational education as a type of education runs through the development of Chinese society, and its emergence and development have experienced a relatively long evolution process. In China, vocational education has experienced the development of traditional apprenticeship, industrial education, vocational education, technical education, and vocational and technical education. With the promulgation and implementation of the Chinese Vocational Education Law in 1996, and vocational education practice and theoretical exploration for more than 40 years since the reform and opening up, it was not until the 2014 national policy document that vocational education was finally adopted as a parallel education type of Chinese general education. Only when there is a clearer understanding of the characteristics and essential attributes of vocational education as a type of education and a consensus is reached, the dispute over the title of vocational education will gradually subside in the academic circle.

The Factors Influencing Digital Literacy Practice in Vocational Education: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

<p style="text-align:justify">In the future, vocational students will face all changes and developments in technology and information. In this context, students' digital literacy skills need to be trained to adapt to the demands of the world of work. This article aims to present the results of a study on factors that can improve the digital literacy practice for vocational students as a roadmap for digital learning in the current era. The sampling technique used purposive random sampling of 8 Vocational Schools in East Java Province, Indonesia. The number of respondents in this study amounted to 355 second-year students. The study has found that online learning, motivation, and technology introduction are influenced by students' digital literacy practices, while teacher readiness and infrastructure must be mediated by online learning. The findings in this study indicate that collaboration from various parties is needed from teachers, school administrators, and policymakers in planning learning that focuses on students' digital abilities.</p>

Discussion on Front-line Practical Teaching Mode of Tourism Service and Management Major in Secondary Vocational School

In the teaching of tourism service and management major in secondary vocational school, how to improve its theoretical foundation and improve its practical application ability remains one of the main courses of secondary vocational colleges. However, the latter is often overlooked in the current teaching practice of vocational education in this specialty. Therefore, this paper analyzes the teaching status of the secondary vocational tourism service and management major, and puts forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions for the existing problems in order to help improve the teaching mode of the major.

A conceptual review of the effectiveness of flipped learning in vocational learners' cognitive skills and emotional states.

An inverted method of teaching is an instructional model where traditional classroom activities take place before class while class time is devoted to discussion, problem-solving, and interaction among students. Flipped learning is a learner-centered and technology-driven approach that benefits from the inverted method of teaching. Recently, instructors have begun to employ innovative pedagogies like flipped learning approach, to change the conventional practices in vocational education as flipped learning gives them a chance for professional development. In order to find out the reasons of the improvement of vocational education through the use of flipped learning approach, this review examined the effect of the flipped learning approach on vocational learners' cognitive skills and emotional states in earlier studies. The earlier investigations showed the significant effect flipped learning approach on vocational learners' emotions, such as engagement, motivation, self-efficacy, and their cognitive skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, learning skill, learning strategies, and communicative competence. However, this review implicated that flipped learning, as a type of blended learning, may be beneficial for learners, instructors, and students' parents to be aware of this valuable learner-centered approach in vocational education.

Coaching to support apprentice’s ability to manage their own (further) competence development: results of a case study and their implications

ABSTRACT In vocational education and training, coaching can be used to support apprentices’ ability to manage their own (further) competence development ‘on the job’. This is largely requested among employees at workplaces in internationally competitive sectors of the economy which require of their workforce a great deal of flexibility and learning ability. So far, little is known about coaching practices in vocational education and training. The aim of this paper is to explore how coaching is used in vocational training in a large Swiss enterprise of the communication- and IT- services sector. The for this purpose analysed case study data comprises 30 interviews with apprentices, workplace trainers, coaches, and members of VET management of the enterprise, protocols of site visits and an analysis of VET related documents. As also VET schools must train learners for the contemporary world of work and must foster their ability to increasingly manage their own (further) competence development, coaching could be an interesting approach to be used in VET schools. This is critically discussed in the second part of the paper, respecting the different conditions that apply for supporting learning at the workplace- and supporting learning in the VET school context.

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Tertiary cultural education в in new social and political reality. Review to the book by S. Vitkalov "Tertiary cultural education in Ukraine: regional discourse..."

The war imposed on Ukraine by the russian federation forced a new look at many aspects, in particular the organization of the educational space: learning in new realities is an important factor not only in the formation of relevant professional competences in young people, but also in the education of patriotism, social activity, high civic positions, the role of which is especially relevant in the conditions of the war. In this regard, we will analyze a thorough study by S. Vytkalov "Higher cultural education in Ukraine: regional discourse: through the prism of the activities of the Department of Event Industry, Cultural Studies and Museum Studies of the Rivne State Humanitarian University". It is dedicated to the specified department, which in 2021 celebrated 50 years since its foundation and continues to provide the cultural space of the region with professionals. Based on the method of historical reconstruction, we will find out the role of this book for the theory and practice of vocational education in the region and the country in general.

"Laying bricks to build integrated career guidance plans": Best practices in vocational education and training in Andalusia, Spain.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) policies are paying increasing attention towards the need to develop quality career guidance processes. Career guidance plays an essential role in this challenge by enabling people to develop the career management skills that allow them to become aware of their full potential and to construct life projects that facilitate the emotional management of uncertainty and complexity, participating as responsible agents in their environment. After conducting a literature review on each of these key elements, we set out to identify best practices in VET as “building blocks” for the construction of an integrated career guidance plan in VET. This study adopts an approach based on qualitative methodology, specifically a documentary type of research has been carried out. The documents analysed correspond to 88 best practices identified in Andalusia (Spain). The analysis strategy used was a content analysis. For this purpose, a system of categories has been designed, from a deductive perspective, which has contributed to a systematic analysis of them. One of the first conclusions of the study is the uneven development o best practices in the different VET professional pathways. The practices carried out in the centres begin to incorporate different elements and thus facilitate the creation of a suitable context for the development of comprehensive career guidance plans in VET. The article closes by offering implications for the development of guidance in the education system (at VET level) and discusses lines of future research.

Teachers’ training schemes and their preparation for secondary vocational education Practices and concerns in Greece

The analysis conducted in this paper provides useful insights about training of vocational and technical teachers, both in terms of the theoretical framework surrounding the concept and how it’s applied in Europe in general and Greece in specific. Taking the analysis of technical teachers’ training into account, as well as its basic concepts and characteristics, it is clear that the central aim of the concept is to combine the need for teachers to acquire the necessary professional skills to practice their profession and be consistent with labour market and industrial standards at the same time. In order for these objectives to be achieved, vocational and technical teachers need to be subject to professionalization, which shall accompany throughout the whole duration of their professional career. These needs are summarized in that teachers must be characterized by discipline, acquisition of certain academic knowledge, and their combination with pedagogical studies. The case study of ASPETE’s training program for vocational and technical teachers was very indicative of what these teachers actually need, in order to effectively practice their profession. Essentially, training programs must focus on the changing roles and tasks for vocational and technical teachers in modern years, as well as combine academic courses with real-life practice, so that prospective teachers are exposed to real teaching activities, long before they officially start building their professional career.

Teaching vocational pupils in their pyjamas: a socio-material perspective on challenges in the age of Covid-19

PurposeDue to the global outbreak of Covid-19, Swedish teachers in upper secondary education were forced to conduct emergency remote teaching. As of today, there is a stream of research that addresses digitalization in education in light of the pandemic. Previous studies show that the challenges with the sudden intensification of digitalization have been particularly challenging in practical and aesthetic subjects. The research question is as follows: What challenges did vocational teachers experience during the emergency remote teaching caused by Covid-19 and what emergent tactics can be identified in vocational teaching practice?Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data consists of (1) interviews with two vocational teachers and, (2) workshops with 25 teacher students from different vocational programmes that addressed vocational teaching during the Covid-19 crisis.FindingsEmergency remote teaching meant challenges due to the changed socio-material environment that cannot easily be transformed to a vocational teaching setting. The challenges were related to authentic situations and material, problem solving and dexterity. Tactics that emerged as a response to the challenges were mainly connected to attempts to mimic vocational practices.Originality/valueContributions include explaining specific challenges and possibilities in developing vocational competence when teaching is digitalised. Furthermore, it increases the understanding of the relationship between theory and practice in vocational education. By adopting a socio-material perspective on vocational competence, the authors enhance the understanding of the importance of a shared socio-material environment.

PECULIARITIES OF MOTIVATION OF EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF EDUCATORS WITH DIFFERENT STYLES OF COGNITIVE ACTIVITY

The article presents an analysis of the current state of the problem of the formation of cognitive activity of applicants for higher education, the insufficiency of its development in the theory and practice of vocational education. The development of cognitive activity contributes to the formation of a positive attitude toward theoretical knowledge, educational and professional activities, the acquisition of practical skills, the formation of professional and personal qualities of applicants, their motivational, cognitive and organizational readiness for professional self-education, creating the basis for the development of an individual style of professional activity, ensuring professional mobility of the future specialist.An empirical study of the characteristics of educational and professional motivation of applicants for higher education with different styles of cognitive activity allows us to state that the subjects have divergent, accommodative and assimilative styles of cognitive activity, among which divergent and accommodative ones predominate. The leading motives for the educational and professional activity of applicants with a divergent style of cognitive activity are the acquisition of knowledge, obtaining a diploma, the desire to become a highly qualified specialist, and achieving the approval of parents and others. For applicants with an accommodation style – the acquisition of knowledge, obtaining a diploma, the desire to become a highly qualified specialist, ensuring the success of future professional activities, acquiring deep and strong knowledge. Applicants with an assimilating style of cognitive activity have mastered a profession, received a diploma, successfully continued their studies in subsequent courses, and successfully passed exams. Thus, it has been proven that a different style of cognitive activity has a significant impact on educational and professional motivation. When organizing the cognitive activity of applicants for higher education in order to activate it, it is necessary to take into account the following individual psychological characteristics of a person: temperament, which manifests itself primarily in the style of activity; degree of education – the level of development of intellectual abilities, one’s own experience in the knowledge of the world around; cognitive styles, intellectual lability; the dominant type of perception of information: visual (visual), auditory (auditory), kinesthetic; motivation of cognitive activity; manifestation of will; relationships with teachers, fellow students; emotional state, ability to self-organize.
 Keywords: motivation of educational and professional activit; applicant of higher education; cognitive activity; style of cognitive activity; activity style; cognitive style; education; higher education.

LABOR MARKET REQUIREMENTS AND KEY TRENDS IN THE FORMATION OF “QUALITY” FUTURE SPECIALIST OF THE SECOND AND THIRD LEVELS OF PREPARATION FOR PREPARATION SPECIALTIES 011 “EDUCATIONAL, PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES”

the article is dedicated to the topical problem of forming a “quality” future teacher-leader in the conditions of Master’s and postgraduate studies under the specialty 011 “Educational, pedagogical sciences”. The essence of the term “quality seeker for higher education” in the dimension of the theory and practice of vocational education is defined. Based on the defined labor market requirements to the skills of modern specialists in higher education and experimental data on the experience of undergraduate and graduate students training under the specialty 011 “Educational, pedagogical sciences” in NTU “KhPI”, key trends in future lecturers training are identified and substantiated. It is proposed to consider and implement in the university the prospect of increasing the level of professional competence of lecturers of non-pedagogical profiles.

Practical subjects in the vocational curriculum: A critical review of the literature

There is a growing number of studies in the field of vocational education and training, but not many focus on the practical subjects that prepare students for transition to workplaces. This critical review of the literature on practical subjects in vocational colleges set out to contribute to debates on the relationship between theory and practice in vocational education through a particular focus on the knowledge forms that are evident in curricular and pedagogical practices in practical subjects. The critical review identified the conceptual, procedural, technical, and contextual forms of knowledge in practical tasks and activities. Based on these findings and drawing on the concept of semantic gravity in Legitimation Code Theory, we found stronger and weaker forms of semantic gravity in practical knowledge and propose that strengthening and weakening semantic gravity through the purposeful selection and sequencing of tasks and activities enables cumulative knowledge building towards competent practice.

Entrepreneurship education in Brazil: Brazilian and Scottish approaches to policy and provision in vocational education

PurposeThis paper examines entrepreneurship education (EE) in Brazil and Scotland and unpacks convergent and divergent practices in vocational education (VE). The authors evaluate access to EE in VE and suggest and how it might be advanced in Brazil.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); interpretative analysis of interviewee experiences with 12 educationalists, in management and academic roles, from two Brazilian and two Scottish VE institutions, contextual findings inform advances.FindingsIn Scotland, there is a well-defined entrepreneurial ecosystem where government policy and partners support and monitor provision of and accessibility to EE. In Brazil, government does not regulate policy provision of EE, and there is no defined entrepreneurial ecosystem of partners. IPA enabled the authors to examine divergent entrepreneurial education provision and evaluate accessibility to EE in Brazil.Research limitations/implicationsImplications include ways to advance educational inclusivity and accessibility for VE students in Brazil and a call to address availability through policy is underpinned by empirical data. Contextual characteristics of the study might be considered limiting but address a broad call to contribute to EE in VE settings.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study equip educationalists with new knowledge about advancing EE provision and delivery in VE, which in turn supports inclusivity.Originality/valueThe authors contribute directly to an agenda that will create impact for young Brazilians through accessible EE models that place EE in VE at the forefront of social change in Brazil.

The categorical framework of the theory of the formation of communicative creativity of university students

The role of communication, the specifics and flow of communication processes and, accordingly, the requirements for their participants, is increasing in modern society and in all spheres of professional activity. In this connection, the problem of the formation of the communicative creativity of students at the stage of professional training at the university is actualized. At present, this aspect of the vocational training of students in technical areas lacks attention both in theory and in the practice of vocational education. The article examines the theoretical foundations of the theory of the formation of the communicative creativity of university students, interpreted as a set of interrelated and interdependent components that represent a certain integrity based on the use of a set of scientific approaches: systemic, participatory and discursive, implemented on the basis of the principles: transformation of cognitive content into emotional, freedom choice of communications, social reinforcement of creative behavior. The scientific approaches considered in the article were the theoretical foundations for the development of the theory of the formation of the communicative creativity of university students. The materials of the article are of practical value for organizing the process of vocational training in the context of the development of the communicative creativity of students.

The influence of Worldskills technologies on the formation of professional competence of college students

The international experience shows that the mechanism of the WorldSkills competitive movement contributes to the development of the vocational education system. The study aimed to consider the Russian competition movement Worldskills Russia (WSR), as part of the international movement in terms of research problems: what is the pedagogical potential of WSR technologies and how effectively it provides the formation of the necessary professional and general competencies of students of secondary vocational institutions in blended learning (for example, medical college). The subject of the analysis was Russian and foreign research related to the formation of the competition movement; special attention was paid on materials that reveal the use of WSR technologies in educational institutions of the secondary vocational education system. The questionnaire was used to get students’ vision of WSR, their motivation for participating in the WSR. It was determined that the development processes of WSR included: the formation of the legislative framework; the allocation and use of significant state budget funds for professional training of teachers with the receipt of certificates of WSR Experts; significant costs for conducting exams according to the WSR standard, aimed at increasing the competitiveness of specialists for the innovative economy of the Russian Federation. A survey of medical college students shows that the involvement of the student audience in professional competitions is not ubiquitous; only 24.6% of first-year students of the first-year vocational education system are informed about the WSR movement. Only 16.9% of students were motivated to participate in Worldskills competitions. The integration of Worldskills technologies into the educational process in the blended learning model, along with project activities, ensures the formation of the necessary professional and general competencies of students of secondary vocational institutions. Methodological guidelines for the practice of vocational education in preparation for Worldskills require the solution of a set of related pedagogical and didactic problems. The research results can be used in the educational process of the secondary vocational education system.

Teachers’ Readiness to Develop Students’ Moral Concepts in Innovative Educational Contexts

Introduction. The development of students’ moral beliefs about the world is an essential component in the process of moral education. Various issues concerned with the transmission of moral and ethical values across generations are investigated in the theory and practice of vocational education. However, the problem of teachers’ value perceptions about the world as a means of developing students’ value systems has attracted little research attention. For the first time, this study aims to identify the levels of teachers’ value perceptions about the world as their most important competence in developing students’ moral beliefs. Materials and Methods. The research sample included 216 teachers from different regions of the Russian Federation. On the basis of a review of available scientific publications, a theoretical analysis and systematization of Russian and foreign experience in the moral and ethical development of school-age students was carried out. The empirical research consisted in a survey aimed at revealing the respondents’ attitude towards improvement of their professional competencies in the field of moral and ethical education. The teachers’ value perceptions about the world were identified using two series of the projective technique “Incomplete sentence...”. Results. The conducted empirical research confirmed the hypothesis that teachers’ competence in implementing the moral and ethical education of schoolchildren is based on their existing value systems. An analysis of the respondents’ beliefs about objects and facts of reality from the standpoint of their own value system allowed two levels of value perceptions to be revealed: value-associative and meaning-generating, which differ in the nature of the moral categorization of objects and phenomena of the world. Discussion and Conclusion. The study confirmed the significance of teachers’ professional and personal competences in developing students’ moral and ethical values. The findings can be of interest for teachers, tutors, psychologists, professors and those investigating various aspects of the process of forming students’ moral values.