Technical Education Institutions Research Articles

Online collaborative problem-solving as a tangible outcome of digital skills in technical and vocational higher education

In today's world, specific skills are essential for success in work and life. Educators, governments, and industry leaders recognize collaborative problem-solving (CPS) and digital skills as necessary for the 21st century. However, our current understanding of these skills' interconnection and development within technical and vocational higher education remains limited. This study aims to achieve two main objectives. First, we want to examine the level of digital skills among technical and vocational higher education students in Chile and how it relates to their socioeconomic background. Second, we aim to investigate how students' different levels of digital skills influence their satisfaction with online collaboration and their assessment of group processes after completing an online CPS task. The study identified three distinct groups of students based on their digital skills: high-skilled, medium-skilled, and low-skilled. The low-skilled group faced more socioeconomic disadvantages compared to the other two groups. Moreover, students with low digital skills reported lower satisfaction with online group work and a poorer self-evaluation of the group processes involved in the collaborative online task. Insights for technical and vocational higher education institutions to foster targeted support of digital skills development for their student body are discussed.

Exploring the potential for enhancing green skills training, innovation and sustainable livelihoods in informal spaces of Harare, Zimbabwe: identifying gaps and opportunities

PurposeDespite growing emphasis on green skills, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods, research remains limited in the informal economy, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates gaps in green skills training, innovations and livelihoods among informal metal fabricators, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities within this sector. Specifically, the study critically assesses the potential for upskilling informal metal fabricators through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and university innovation hubs.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a qualitative interpretive methodology, we conducted 40 key informant interviews with small-scale informal metal fabricators operating in Magaba and Gaza home industries, two of Harare’s largest home industries in Zimbabwe. Subsequent key informant interviews were held with TVET educators and innovation hub lecturers. Observations were carried out over a period of three months to comprehensively explore the issues under investigation.FindingsGender disparities persist within informal innovation spaces, with women making strides in the traditionally male-dominated field of metal fabrication. However, challenges such as prejudices, stigma, ridicule and abuse hinder women’s full participation in manufacturing processes, often relegating them to less physically demanding roles like customer engagement and product marketing. Inequities in support for green skills training were evident, with the innovation hub model primarily catering to formally educated youth in universities, neglecting the active involvement of notable informal innovators with limited formal education. While a gradual shift toward renewable energy sources is observable in the informal economy, government-owned TVET institutions show minimal or no adjustments in course content to incorporate essential green skills. In light of the findings, the study proposes measures to ensure equitable green skills training, innovation and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the informal metal fabrication sector.Originality/valueThe findings of this study represent a novel contribution the gaps in green skills training in the informal economy and how these inform reforms for vocational learning and training practices and the incubation of innovations.

The Influence of Project Monitoring Process on the Performance of Technical Vocational Educational and Training Institution’s Construction in Kenya

This study aimed to investigate the influence of project monitoring processes on the performance of TVET Institution's construction in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive design with a target population of 146 and a sample size of 107 of TVET Institution's Construction. Data collection instrument was questionnaire. The quantitative data were analysed using inferential analysis. From the findings, the project planning process (β = 19.062, p< 0.05) was found to be positively significant to the performance of TVET Institution's construction in Kenya. The study recommends that various aspects that contribute to monitoring Processes and enhancing the performance of construction projects are monitoring project variations, monitoring project progress, resource tracking and use of monitoring tools and techniques.

APPROVAL OF FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE OPERATORS IN INFORMATION PROCESSING AND SOFTWARE

The article is devoted to the problem of researching the effectiveness of the process of forming the professional competence of future information processing and software operators in the process of professional training. It was found that the system of training future specialists in the process of professional training is aimed at ensuring their readiness for professional activity, taking into account all components of the educational process of the educational institution. It was clarified that the important factors of the problem of the formation of professional competence of future specialists in the process of professional training are inadequate readiness for professional activity and the appropriate level of their professional competence for such activity. It was revealed that the process of formation of professional competence of individuals for professional activity is influenced by the following factors: transformation of the content of training of future operators in information processing and software in professional (vocational and technical) education institutions; the prestige of the profession and its social significance; professional development and development of the personality of future specialists; acquisition of practical experience by students of education regarding the implementation of innovative technologies and project activities; purposeful mastery of professional skill and specialty; the formation of a culture of mastery and the readiness of qualified specialists for professional activity. It is specified that the formation of professional competence of future specialists in the process of professional training is oriented towards: purposeful formation of a complete system of professional competences in the process of professional training; development of motivational potential; enrichment of the development of individual and professional qualities, formation of self-assertion, improvement of personal and professional assets, acquisition of one's own style of work; accumulation of experience in professional skills for effective performance of professional activities, improvement of professional abilities and skills for further self-actualization, self-improvement of professional activities, development of quick adaptation to full-fledged future activities; improvement of assets of creative and scientific research, enabling professional self-development in professional activity. The study of the continuity of the development of future specialists to professional activity requires further development.

Building aspiring teachers' capabilities, professional and skill development: Auspice to quality teaching practice in technical vocational education and training institutions

AbstractThere is an increasing need to train and retrain personnel that would be saddled with the capabilities, professional and skill developmental requirement that meets societal needs. In this case, there is need for adequately trained personnel that will bridge the gap between societal needs; industrial needs with classroom instructions and vice versa. Therefore, this study examines the influence of building aspiring teachers' capabilities, professional and skill development as an auspice to quality teaching activities in technical vocational education and training institutions. Samples were selected using a multistage sampling technique. The collected data from 945 aspiring teachers was analysed using empirical analysis with AMOS SPSS v.23. Hayes PROCESS macro was used for mediation analyses. The result of the study indicated that self‐efficacy and professional skills with knowledge of instructional delivery and personal capabilities have strong significant linkage. There is also a mediating interaction of attention to relationship on the relationship between constructive teaching and personal capabilities. TVET institutions should ensure continuous professional development by concentrating on the requirements concerning teaching and learning, individual resources and social support for coping with various requirements.

PRINCIPLES OF COUNSELING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION STUDENTS ON YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to justify certain rules common to all entities responsible for organizing and conducting counselling on youth entrepreneurship in vocational (vocational and technical) education institutions, which will help to unite the efforts of the team and achieve the expected results – to create the right conditions for training self-motivated professionals ready to start and run their own business for the post-war recovery of the Ukrainian economy. The aim of the study is to substantiate the basic principles of counselling students of vocational education in youth entrepreneurship and the patterns of organization of counselling activities. Methods: theoretical analysis of scientific sources, comparison and generalization to identify and substantiate the guidelines necessary for the organization of effective counselling of vocational education students in youth entrepreneurship, to determine the patterns that arise in the process of counselling. Results: the guidelines for organizing counselling on youth entrepreneurship are characterized; the significance of the phenomena of "awareness" and "acceptance" of counselling principles as factors in ensuring the effectiveness of counselling activities is substantiated; the regularities that are revealed in the process of implementing counselling activities are determined. Conclusions: it is justified that in the process of organizing counselling on youth entrepreneurship in vocational education institutions, the primary priority is the awareness of organizers and consultants of the importance of adopting common norms, rules, requirements and determining mechanisms for their strict observance; the basic principles of counselling students of vocational education on youth entrepreneurship (humanism, legality, morality, fair use, systematic and consistent, practical orientation, corporate social responsibility) are highlighted; it is shown that the principles of counselling students of vocational education in youth entrepreneurship are also associated with certain regularities concerning the goals, content, technologies, forms, methods and means of counselling, as well as the system of control and evaluation of the results of counselling activities.

Evolution of Accreditation Scheme in the Nigerian Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutions and Strategies for Developing the Scheme

Quality technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is undoubtedly the fulcrum for national technological growth and development. It empowers individuals to be skillful, creative, employable and become responsible citizens. Accreditation has been regarded as an effective quality assurance instrument to assess quality of education including TVET globally. Accreditation ensures that institutions or programmes offered to the public have met the minimum prescribed standards and complied with the agreed minimum requirements. This paper examines the evolution of accreditation schemes especially among TVET institutions in Nigeria. The new development introduced into accreditation by NBTE over time and strategies that should be deployed to make accreditation a significant contributor to national development are examined in this study.

DEVELOPING THE PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF GERMAN TEACHERS (EXPERIENCE OF TU BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERG)

Problem statement. Under the influence of European integration, globalisation and with the aim of building a single European higher education area, an important task for Ukrainian educators is to study the practical experience of foreign colleagues, in particular, in improving the pedagogical competence of teachers in higher technical education institutions. This study aims to investigate the issue of improving the pedagogical competence of teachers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg (where one of the authors is studying under a double degree programme). Given the high standards set by German society for teachers responsible for training young professionals, we consider it necessary to analyse in detail the features of the current system of teacher training in Germany in order to be able to improve the Ukrainian system of training/retraining of scientific and pedagogical staff for higher technical education institutions. The purpose of the article is to investigate the professional development path that German teachers go through; and to analyse the innovative methods and programmes that help them become not only specialists in their field, but also effective teachers. Through this research, we aim to contribute to the understanding of the education process in Germany and to identify practices that may be useful in the context of improving higher education in Ukraine. Conclusions. The developed German system of retraining and professional up-skilling of pedagogical staff (represented by state academies/in-service training institutes and special centres of teacher education within universities) is aimed at comprehensive support of teaching staff for their continuous professional growth as civil servants responsible for the quality training of young professionals for the needs of the leading EU state. It is important to note the urgent need to use the achievements of German experience in practical training and professional up-skilling of teachers in the Ukrainian system of training and retraining of pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical staff in the field of professional pre-university and higher education. The analysis of the process of improving the pedagogical competence of teachers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg gives grounds to assert that this task is key to ensuring quality education in higher education institutions. It is worth emphasising that the TU Bergakademie Freiberg actively invests in programmes for the professional development of its teachers. These programmes cover various aspects, ranging from technical updates to pedagogical innovations. The combination of professional up-skilling courses for teachers and supervision of students' internships is a clear indication of the dual form of education that is well organised in German society and is currently being actively implemented in Ukraine.

Model of student engagement in the distance learning process

PurposeWe aimed to identify factors that influence student engagement in distance learning.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved a group of 671 students from economic and technical higher education institutions in Poland. We collected the data with the CAWI technique and an original survey. Next, we processed the data using principal component analysis and then used the extracted components as predictors in the induced smoothing LASSO regression model.FindingsThe components of the students’ attitude toward remote classes learning conditions are: satisfaction with teachers’ approach, attitude to distance learning, the system of students’ values and motivation, IT infrastructure of the university, building a network of contacts and communication skills. The final model consisted of seven statistically significant variables, encompassing the student’s sex, level of studies and the first five extracted PCs. Student’s system of values and motivation as well as attitude toward distance learning, were those variables that had the biggest influence on student engagement.Practical implicationsThe research result suggests that in addition to students’ system of values and motivation and their attitude toward distance learning, the satisfaction level of teachers’ attitude is one of the three most important factors that influence student engagement during the distance learning process.Originality/valueThe main value of this article is the statistical model of student engagement during distance learning. The article fills the research gap in identifying and evaluating the impact of various factors determining student engagement in the distance learning process.

Employability skills of maintenance technicians in container ports: Implications for maritime technical and vocational education and training

The study investigated the employability skills of maintenance technicians engaged in container ports in Sri Lanka. The specific objectives were to investigate 1) employability skill gaps between technicians’ evaluations of the level of current possession and the expected level to be possessed for the current job tasks, 2) employability skill gaps between technicians’ evaluations of the expected level of skills for current job tasks and immediate superiors’ evaluation of the importance of the same for current tasks, and 3) maintenance technicians’ exposure to skill development strategies after joining the respective container port terminals. The study was conducted in the two main container ports of Sri Lanka- Colombo and Hambantota. Responses were pooled from two independent sample groups- maintenance technicians and their immediate superiors. Maintenance technicians had graduated from technical and vocational education and training institutions with levels 3 or 4 National Vocational Qualification. Findings identified employability skill preferences of maintenance technicians and their immediate superiors, which led to possible skill gaps. The findings highlight the importance of TVET institutions identifying the preferences of business sectors, they should be prepared to impart employer-preferred skills to their trainees and to bridge any gaps in expectations. This will lead employees to develop realistic expectations of employer preferences. Hence, the findings of the study have implications for technical and vocational education and training institutions, students enrolled in these institutions, employees engaged in container ports, and their employers. Highlights Employability skills are vital to be employed and to remain employed Skill gaps have consequences for job seekers, employers, and training institutes This study investigated employability skills of technicians in container ports

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ МАТЕМАТИЧНОГО МОДЕЛЮВАННЯ НА СПЕЦІАЛЬНІСТЬ "АВТОМОБІЛЬНИЙ ТРАНСПОРТ"

The paper considers the use of mathematical modeling in the educational process. The influence of model experiments on the development of students' cognitive activity is noted. The role of the functioning of the student scientific group (SSG) "Research of performance of details of motor-car technique" in a higher technical educational institution in the preparation of future highly qualified specialists is assessed.

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) Practice in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Indonesia and Malaysia: A Comparative Study

This qualitative-comparative study examined the use of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Indonesia and Malaysia. It observed the use of PjBL as a student-centered learning method to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills required for the changing needs of the job market. Empirical research in Indonesia demonstrates that PjBL improves students' collaboration, communication, and interpersonal abilities. The implementation of PjBL in Politeknik Negeri Padang (PNP) Indonesia follows a structured approach categorized into small, medium, and large-scale projects, integrating various subjects and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students. Similarly, in Malaysia, PjBL supports efforts to restructure TVET to satisfy industrial demands, particularly at institutions such as Kolej Komuniti Selayang (KKSY) and Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah (PSIS). The Malaysian model stresses regular review and weekly assessment of student projects, with the goal of improving students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovative skills. However, there are significant variances in the evaluation time and the duration of project application between Indonesia and Malaysia. Overall, the comparative analysis offers insight on the changing pedagogical approaches in TVET schools in Indonesia and Malaysia, highlighting the importance of PjBL in preparing students to face the recent globalized workforce.

Reshaping technical and vocational education and training schools and institutions through digital transformation for sustainable development

Reshaping technical and vocational education and training schools and institutions through digital transformation for sustainable development

Alignment of vocational education curricula with job requirements in industrial sector: Analysis study

Many technical and vocational education institutions suffer from weak outcomes represented in qualifying their graduates to keep pace with the requirements of the industrial sector, and the negative impact on employment rates. This research has presented a way to link the training programs and curricula with the requirements of the industrial sector for the category of technicians and plant operators. By verifying the announced technical requirements for the jobs of technicians and plant operators in industrial companies with the outputs of courses and training programs in technical and vocational education institutions, as an example of this in the Jubail Technical Institute. In this article, a sample of (50) job advertisements for jobs of technicians and plant operators were used in order to extract the most required important technical skills. For this purpose, several tools and methods were used, such as text mining using the program in https://voyant-tools.org, in addition to Excel. Critical to Quality Tree was also used to clarify the importance of the technical skills required by the industrial sector. In addition, the cause and effect matrix which was used to link and evaluate the impact of training courses on the required technical skills. The article reached specific results, including extracting three of the most important skills required and declared for jobs in the technicians and plant operators and linking them with the training courses in the training program for plant operators. The impact of each training course on the required skills in the labor market, which facilitates the work of developing training courses to keep pace with the continuous improvement in the requirements of the labor markets for skills of the announced jobs.

MODERN PEDAGOGICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THE WORK OF TEACHERS OF A VOCATIONAL (VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL) EDUCATION INSTITUTION

The article theoretically substantiates and experimentally verified modern pedagogical technologies and their application in the work of teachers of professional (vocational and technical) education institutions. The main goal of an article is to perform an analysis of modern pedagogical technologies and their application in the work of teachers of the institution vocational and technical education. To achieve the goal, theoretical analysis of scientific works, synthesis, comparison, and generalization of approaches to the definition of theoretical aspects of modern pedagogical technologies and their application in the work of teachers of professional (vocational-technical) education institutions were used. It has been established that many learning technologies have been developed today, which prompts theoretical generalization, analysis, classification and selection of optimal methods of their use. The process of using traditional and introducing new (innovative) learning technologies proceeds spontaneously. In the procedure of their selection and implementation in the educational process, there are contradictions between: new goals of education and old ways of presenting and learning knowledge; growing volumes of information that need to be transferred to education seekers and the limited amount of study time; the urgent need for pedagogical innovations in the educational process and the insufficient development of the methodology of using new pedagogical technologies in education. The presence of these contradictions determines the need to study the effectiveness of using innovative pedagogical technologies. As a result of our research, it has been proven that the focus of attention of the pedagogical community is on vocational education institutions, which are designed to provide the labor market with qualified workers who are able to successfully work with the most modern production technologies. For this purpose, the regulatory and legal framework is dynamically updated: legal regulation of the functioning of the vocational education system, all its levels and subsystems, the activities of educational institutions of various types and forms of ownership, and the organization of various forms of education is ensured.

Retraction of published article due to the author's proposal, Vol. 10, pp. 236-250

The editorial board of CTE Workshop Proceedings, announces the formal Retraction of the following article:
 
 
 Zagorodnyuk, S.P., Sus, B.B., Bauzha, O.S. and Maliarenko, V.M., 2023. Organizing the synchronous remote labworks in institutions of technical engineering education. CTE Workshop Proceedings, 10, pp.236–250. Available from: https://doi.org/10.55056/cte.559 
 

At the origins of the system of extracurricular activities in technical universities in Russia. Extracurricular work with students of the Navigation School in 1701-1705.

The subject of the study is the initial stage of the history of the School of Mathematical and Navigation Sciences as one of the first Russian secular technical educational institutions. Attention is focused on those aspects of the formation of the School that had not previously been the subject of special research by historians. Based on the complex of documents of the Armory Chamber identified and introduced into scientific circulation, it is analyzed which disciplinary and offenses the first students of the school committed and why. Analyzing the specific court proceedings conducted in the Armory Chamber on the fact of these violations, the authors show how extracurricular and educational work with students was organized. The role of Leonty Magnitsky, an outstanding Russian scientist, mathematician, author of the first fundamental work on arithmetic, in organizing educational work with navigation students, is being clarified. The research was carried out using traditional methods for historical research, special attention was paid to the identification and introduction into scientific circulation of clerical sources on the chosen topic. As the study showed, the students of the School of Mathematical and Navigation Sciences came from various estates and regions of the Russian state. Once in Moscow, many of them found themselves in a social environment that was not familiar to them, faced temptations that were difficult for them to resist. In this regard, the teachers of the School, and first of all Leonty Magnitsky, paid great attention to educational work among students. An active group of schoolchildren was formed, who, on the instructions of teachers, monitored the behavior of their comrades. For the revealed violations, the perpetrators were severely punished in public. Extracurricular work contributed to the formation of a unified system of values, instilling interest in learning, instilling discipline, and eliminating vices among students. It has become an important factor in achieving the main goal for which the School was established: to train navigation specialists necessary to create a navy in Russia in the shortest possible time.

Exploring online teaching and learning challenges for the technical and vocational education and training lecturer

This paper explored the challenges lecturers face in teaching through online platforms. Online learning has become increasingly prevalent in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, offering opportunities and challenges for TVET lecturers. The transition from traditional face-to-face teaching to online environments requires lecturers to adapt to the new teaching methods, design engaging content, and navigate digital platforms. The qualitative research gathered data from 35 lecturers out of 60 conveniently and purposefully selected from five engineering campuses at a South African TVET college. Participants were accessible to the researcher and possessed online teaching experiences. Participant observation was used as a data-gathering tool. The study attempts to answer the question: What challenges are lecturers facing during online teaching and learning? The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework for Teacher Knowledge by Koehler and Mishra guided the study. Data were analysed thematically from the identified patterns and themes. The findings revealed technical difficulties like connectivity and software glitches, which disrupted the teaching and learning process. Lecturers grappled with receiving practical online support. The limited interaction and collaboration among students in virtual settings posed additional challenges in maintaining engagement and addressing individual learning needs. Furthermore, access and equity issues hindered students' ability to participate fully due to inadequate technology, internet access, and power outages. To overcome these challenges, the study recommended lecturers continuous professional development in online learning methods and technologies. Addressing the challenges contributes to the successful implementation of online learning in the TVET sector by ensuring quality education and enhancing students' skills and competencies.

Teaching Science By Inquiry In The Curricular Area Of Science And Technology

For centuries, education was conceived as the unilateral transmission of knowledge between sender and receiver, the evaluation of which stamped a classifying stamp on the participants. However, the knowledge society of which we are a part, characterized by the leading role that knowledge obtained as a product of inquiry has assumed, which, as it is not observed in our classrooms, motivates the search for changes in the methodology of teaching, with the firm conviction that it results in the formation of critical individuals. autonomous, with the ability to solve problems in their environment, finding it necessary to influence the strengthening of scientific inquiry through the Inquire of Science and Technology competition, in order to train researchers from secondary school classrooms. 
 This reality motivated us to propose in this study, the application of the ECBI program in the Indaga S&T competition, with the purpose of strengthening it. The study is positivist, applied research, experimental design with pre- and post-testing to a single group. The sample of 25 third-grade high school students from the 7 de Enero Technical Educational Institution (IET) was selected from the population of 182 students, by non-probabilistic convenience sampling.
 From the general objective, whose statistical results with p - value of 0.00, theoretical bases and comparisons with studies carried out in varied contexts, allowed to conclude that the methodology proposed in the ECBI – Indaga program, significantly strengthens the Indaga competence of S&T, therefore its application in students of all educational levels is proposed.

Faculty competences development components: an integrated model for the development of educational leaders in technical education institutes

PurposeThis study primarily aims at assessing Faculty Competences Development Components (FCDCs) that help in the development of educational leaders. The study further formulates a model using seven latent constructs that explain the development of the mechanism of development of educational leaders and extend the benefits of their development to different stakeholders including faculty, educational institutions and society at large.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify various FCDCs to construct a conceptual framework. Later, this conceptual framework was tested through empirical research using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique carried out with respect to technical institutions of Punjab (India).FindingsThe study identified that organizational roles are of the highest importance for the competences development of educational leaders followed by teachers’ attributes and teachers’ roles. The study’s findings also revealed that FCDCs significantly impact beneficiaries by developing competent educational leaders as mediators between the FCDCs and beneficiaries link. The biggest beneficiaries of development are faculty members of these institutes in terms of their performance enhancements.Originality/valueThe study is unique in terms of developing a model for the competences development of educational leaders and helpful in understanding various benefits of the educational leaders to various educational stakeholders.