Vocational Education And Training Students Research Articles

'It's Powerful'The impact of involving children and young people in developing paediatric research agendas: A qualitative interview study.

There is a growing consensus that children and young people (CYP) should be involved in matters that concern them. Progress is made in involving CYP in developing pediatric research agendas (PRAs), although the impact of their involvement remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the impact of involving CYP in developing PRAs and assess the extent to which postpatient and public involvement (post-PPI) activities were planned. We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews to identify and gain an in-depth understanding of the impact of involving CYP in developing PRAs. The transcripts were uploaded to Atlas.ti to be coded and organised. Dutch-language interviews were analysed and interpreted together with vocational education and training (VET) students. These students were aged between 14 and 18 years and were training to become nurses. Three CYP and 15 researchers decided to participate. We focused on three categories of impact: agenda-setting impact, individualimpact and academic impact. Involving CYP creates a more enriched and clarified agenda. It ensured that both CYP and researchers underwent personal or professional growth and development, it created a connection between the people involved, awareness about the importance of involving CYPand it ensured that the people involved had a positive experience. The participants were unable to indicate the academic impact of their PRAs, but they did understand the key factors for creating it. In addition, the need to measure impact was highlighted, with a particular focus on assessing individual impact. Our study outlines the diverse subthemes of impact that arise from involving CYP in developing PRAs. Despite the potential of research agendas to amplify CYP voices, only a minority of researchers strategized post-PPI activities ensuring impactful outcomes, prompting the need for thorough evaluation of various impact forms and consistent alignment with the overarching goal of transforming the research field. We involved VET students in the data analysis and interpretation phase by forming a young person advisory group. The data analysis of the interviews analysed by the VET students revealed four distinct themes: 1. Learnt new knowledge. 2. Learnt to collaborate. 3. Learnt to listen. 4. Assessment of the individual impact.

Harmonizing Pedagogy and Technology: Insights into Teaching Approaches That Foster Sustainable Motivation and Efficiency in Blended Learning

This study aims to investigate the impact of blended learning strategies on various student outcomes in Vocational Education and Training (VET) contexts, addressing gaps in the existing literature and informing the refinement of blended learning approaches to enhance educational experiences. The main goal of the study was to explore the impact of teaching approaches used on student attitudes, satisfaction, motivation, and the workload of VET students. Data were collected from 106 students across seven VET programs through an online survey. The findings reveal that collaborative learning significantly enhances student engagement and satisfaction, while the integration of technology in blended learning environments improves educational experiences. However, challenges such as perceived overload are acknowledged. The study also highlights the critical role of assessment and feedback in fostering student satisfaction and competence. Based on these results, the study recommends enhancing collaborative learning through strategic support for diversity and technology integration and optimizing assessment and feedback mechanisms to improve engagement and reduce stress. These recommendations aim to refine blended learning strategies in VET, contributing to better educational outcomes and addressing the identified gaps in the literature.

Are Creativity, L2 Motivation and Soft Skills Related? A Study in VET Students

Vocational Education and Training (VET) studies aim to improve students’ skills to carve their niche in the labour market. Speaking different languages, showing teamwork skills and creativity are among the skills most in demand by employers. Thus, understanding students’ motivation and their perception of their teamwork skills and creativity level may help to identify their weaknesses and strengths and to develop educational programs adapted to the current demands. This research was conducted with 596 students of higher-level and intermediate Vocational Education who answered an online questionnaire in class. The answers were analysed to seek the link between the students’ motivation, their manifested teamwork skills, and their perceived level of creativity. The results confirmed the positive correlation between the three of them. However, and despite the positive results, further empirical research is needed, especially to understand how motivation, soft skills and creativity develop and what kind of initiatives have an impact on these variables.

Empowering Vocational Students: A Research-Based Framework for Computational Thinking Integration

Vocational Education and Training (VET) faces significant challenges in equipping individuals for modern workplaces, which increasingly require digital literacy and Computational Thinking (CT) skills. This paper addresses the imperative of integrating CT into VET programs and outlines key research questions. Our methodology primarily involves a systematic literature review, resulting in the identification of 29 relevant papers. Through qualitative content analysis, we develop a CT integration framework that connects CT practices and integration elements to the engineering design process, while highlighting the VET context. Arguably, the innovative aspect of this framework lies in its core dimensions of harnessing computational power for enhanced efficiency. Raising the question of whether computers can optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of specific tasks is paramount for addressing challenges in technology-rich environments. Therefore, this inquiry merits unwavering attention at every stage of the process. The proposed framework provides educators with a structured approach to identify integration opportunities and help prepare students for multifaceted vocational careers. Furthermore, other key findings underscore the inherently interdisciplinary nature of VET, the growing demand for STEM competencies, and the transformative potential of CT integration. Implications emphasize the need for further research, supportive policies, and practical CT integration. Despite limitations, this study strongly advocates for CT integration, empowering VET students for success in the contemporary workforce.

Relationship between smoking and mental health in educational settings with high smoking rates: a cohort study among Danish youth

Background: Smoking and poor mental health in youth represent important public health priorities. This study aimed to (i) compare tobacco-related behaviors and mental health in two educational settings with high smoking rates: vocational education and training (VET) schools and preparatory basic education (PBE) schools, and (ii) examine associations between smoking at school start and mental health 5 months later. Methods: Data were obtained from baseline ( N = 1843) and follow-up ( N = 1039) assessments conducted as part of a school-based trial in two rounds (baseline in August 2018 and August 2019). Students’ characteristics were presented by adjusted prevalences. Logistic regression analyses assessed associations between smoking and measures of mental health: school-related well-being, overall loneliness, and stress. Results: More PBE students than VET students reported daily smoking (40% vs. 27%), nicotine dependence, perceived benefits of smoking (e.g., stress reduction: 41% vs. 33%), low smoking-related self-efficacy (e.g., ability to resist smoking if offered by a friend: 20% vs. 32%), school-related loneliness, and low school connectedness (25% vs. 11%). Daily smokers at VET and PBE schools had lower odds of school-related loneliness (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.35–0.74) and higher odds of stress (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI: 2.00–3.80). Smoking was associated with better classmate relations in VET schools but not in PBE schools. Conclusions: Our study suggested that students in PBE schools constitute a more vulnerable group in terms of smoking and mental health compared with students in VET schools. Smoking seemed to prevent loneliness in school but was associated with heightened stress levels.

Critical-democratic citizenship in Dutch tertiary vocational education: Analyzing opportunities for growth

Previous studies suggest that secondary school students in vocational tracks receive fewer opportunities to practice with critical-democratic citizenship than students in academic tracks. Less is known about the role of critical-democratic citizenship education in tertiary vocational education and training (VET). Utilizing questionnaire data collected in 2021 amongst 350 Dutch VET students, a structural equation model was constructed in which we conjointly studied to what extent differences in students’ attitudes towards societal awareness and sound opinion forming are associated with 1) students’ experiences regarding the curriculum content, 2) openness of the classroom climate for discussion, 3) autonomy and structure provided by the teacher and 4) intrinsic value of the experienced citizenship education. This latter element was found to be especially relevant, as it was associated with both societal awareness and sound opinion forming, whereas classroom climate played only a minor role. Students’ societal awareness was also associated with both the experienced curriculum content and the autonomy and structure offered by the teacher. These results offer important practical implications to further improve opportunities for critical-democratic citizenship in VET.

FEEDBACK METHODS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND/ DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING: A LITERATURE REVIEW

<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> Feedback is considered to motivate students and enhance their learning. In Vocational Education and Training (VET) and workplace settings, feedback methods have been implemented to ensure a better connection between teaching and learning. However, to date, not much seems to be known about feedback methods used on students with learning disabilities/difficulties in VET. This literature review study examines the current feedback methods and outcomes among students with disabilities and/or difficulties in learning in vocational education, training, and workplace settings. <strong>Methods:</strong> For this purpose, ERIC, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Web of Sciences were used to identify relevant literature between 2015 and 2022. The review was conducted following the PRISMA-P guidelines. Amongst the studies identified, four studies met the inclusion criteria to be included in the study. The feedback methods identified in the studies include videotaped feedback dialogues between students and teachers, video modelling with video feedback interventions, peer feedback through collaborative writing activities, and a combined peer-teacher feedback method. <strong>Findings:</strong> The results showed that students received feedback from peers, teachers, and instructors in vocational education and training schools and workplace settings. The feedback, such as communication, reflection, and practical learning capabilities, assisted these students with their working lives. It significantly impacted their learning capacity, enhanced their persistence, increased their perceived abilities, enabled them to understand their learning development better, and improved their performance as they acquired new skills by doing tasks. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Generally, the feedback methods were perceived as supportive, constructive, and motivating, prompting reflection and inspiring performance. Notwithstanding, more research on feedback methods and their outcomes on students with learning disabilities/difficulties in vocational education and workplace settings is needed. This must be in conjunction with research on how these same students experience/perceive the feedback methods used on them. This will enable new measures to facilitate the effective transition from school to employment for this category of VET students. </p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0069/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Effect of Standing Versus Sitting on Creativity in Adolescents—A Crossover Randomized Trial: The PHIT2LEARN Study

AbstractCreativity is important for school performance. As several brain mechanisms involved in creativity are stimulated by low‐intensity physical activity, standing might influence creativity. Few studies on the relationship between standing and creativity have been executed, and none among vocational education and training (VET) students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether standing influences creativity in VET students. In a randomized crossover study, 192 VET students were randomly allocated to standing or sitting (i.e., control) for 30 min. After 15 min, they performed two creativity tests: Guilford's Alternative Uses Test (divergent thinking) and Remote Associates Test (convergent thinking). Subsequently, conditions were switched, and the procedure was repeated. Multilevel analyses showed no significant effect of standing on divergent or convergent thinking test performance. Our results show that 30 min of standing does not affect creativity in VET students.

Scoping Review of Positive Mental Health Research for Students in Vocational Education and Training

Context: In this scoping review, we examine the knowledge base concerning positive mental health studies for students in vocational education and training (VET). The VET student population embraces approximately 30-52% of secondary school students in the Nordic countries, and 40% of the global student population. The risk of early school leaving (ESL) is substantially higher in VET than in general education and mental health may be a relevant factor in this matter. Yet, an overview of mental health studies in VET is lacking and therefore, this article aims to map empirical research studies that have explored positive mental health in VET students. The positive mental health framework, with its origin in Antonovsky's (2002) salutogenesis and positive psychology, focuses on factors that promote mental health and wellbeing rather than taking on a pathological perspective. Methods: For our scoping review, we searched four databases, and 19 articles were found eligible for inclusion. These articles were systematically screened by means of a coding scheme to identify the following information: Country of origin of the study, its aim, research design, measures, conceptualization of mental health, and main findings. Results: The evidence suggests that positive mental health is understood as a multifaceted concept, and wellbeing is the dimension that is explored most often, followed by resilience and quality of life. The majority of the included studies used a validated questionnaire to assess various aspects of positive mental health, and most of them sought to explore correlations between different dimensions of positive mental health. Main findings of the studies suggest that a supportive school environment, physical activity, and a strong vocational identity may contribute to positive mental health for students in VET. Furthermore, correlations have also been identified between environmental factors and positive mental health. Finally, findings from the review illustrate how even small-scale interventions may have far-reaching effects, due to the interrelatedness of the different dimensions within the positive mental health construct. Conclusion: Findings from this review illustrate that numerous factors may affect the wellbeing of students in VET. In particular, a strong vocational identity, a supportive school environment, and physical activity may contribute to positive mental health. These findings suggest that VET teachers may promote the wellbeing of their students by providing a supportive psychosocial learning environment at school.

Development and Feasibility Test of a Theory- and Evidence-Based Multicomponent Intervention to Reduce Student Smoking at Danish Vocational Schools

The smoking prevalence among vocational education and training (VET) students is high. This paper describes the development and feasibility test of a multicomponent intervention designed to promote non-smoking behaviour at VET schools. We applied the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) stages and the capability, opportunity, and motivation for behaviour (COM-B) model to develop the intervention components based on theory, evidence, and a thorough needs-assessment study. Moreover, we feasibility-tested the preliminary ideas. All in all, our study was based on the literature, survey data, fieldwork, workshops, and expert and stakeholder involvement. The final intervention programme targets VET students’ smoking behaviour at the school, class, and individual levels through (a) a comprehensive tobacco policy to limit the physical and social opportunities to smoke, supplemented with a two-day staff course in conversations about smoking and an edutainment session (a lecture that both educates and entertains) to support a smoke-free environment; (b) classroom curricular with teaching materials to increase knowledge and social support, along with a quit-and-win competition to increase motivation; and (c) the national Quitline adapted to VET students to increase access to cessation support. The BCW model enabled a systematic and comprehensive development of an intervention, which demonstrates relevant techniques and delivery options to have the potential to reduce smoking in VET schools.

Exploring Chinese and Ethiopian higher VET adolescent learning motivation through the lens of self‑determination theory.

Ethiopia and China share a common educational agenda in cultivating and obtaining competent vocational graduates who fulfill the need of the modern, technologically advanced industrial workplace. Unlike most evidence, the present study adopted Self-determination Theory to understand Ethiopian and Chinese higher Vocational education and Training (VET) college students' learning motivation. Hence, this study recruited and interviewed 10 volunteers senior higher VET students from each setting to unfold their satisfaction with psychological needs. The study's main finding affirms that although both groups felt the autonomy of choosing the vocational field they sought to master, their learning process was submissive to their henpecked teaching method, which ultimately restrained the participants' feeling of competence for being enclosed in less practical training space. As per the study findings, we forward feasible policy and practical implications suggested for meeting the motivational needs of VET students and promoting learning stability.

Data Science and Machine Learning Teaching Practices with Focus on Vocational Education and Training

With the development of technology allowing for a rapid expansion of data science and machine learning in our everyday lives, a significant gap is forming in the global job market where the demand for qualified workers in these fields cannot be properly satisfied. This worrying trend calls for an immediate action in education, where these skills must be taught to students at all levels in an efficient and up-to-date manner. This paper gives an overview of the current state of data science and machine learning education globally and both at the high school and university levels, while outlining some illustrative and positive examples. Special focus is given to vocational education and training (VET), where the teaching of these skills is at its very beginning. Also presented and analysed are survey results concerning VET students in Slovenia, Serbia, and North Macedonia, and their knowledge, interests, and prerequisites regarding data science and machine learning. These results confirm the need for development of efficient and accessible curricula and courses on these subjects in vocational schools.

Preparing VET Students in Vocational Education for Affective Involvement in a Value Conflict: Practicing Affective Perceptual Awareness

ABSTRACT Students in vocational education and training (VET) need to be prepared for coping with value conflicts they will face in their professional lives. Development of awareness of one’s feelings is an essential aspect in this regard. Students need to be aware of their own inner feelings to decrease the unconscious influence of inner feelings on their actions in a value conflict. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a theoretical and practical basis for the design of affective learning experiences aimed to elicit VET students’ receptivity to inner self-exploration of their feelings and values. Students were put in an affective learning experience. Three groups of first- and second-year VET students (N = 36) participated in the affective learning experience. Most students did start to self-explore their feelings. However, our findings showed that they did not arrive at affective perceptual awareness. According to the students, deepening inner self-exploration into one’s own feelings and values can be stimulated by paying explicit attention to inner feelings, concrete instructions, room for reciprocal exchanges between students and the teacher’s participation in sharing inner feelings.

The competence-based VET curriculum and teaching of work values: the case of Lithuania

Purpose This paper aims to explore how the competence-based vocational education and training (VET) curricula facilitate shaping of work values of VET students. It discusses methodological and ideological orientations of competence-based VET in teaching work values and discloses the typical characteristics of teaching work values in the VET system of Lithuania. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach leading to a survey method is adopted to investigate how VET students acquire and apply work-related values and attitudes to work. Findings The survey of the VET students has disclosed that students are open to accepting different values of work, including cognitive values, social prestige and altruist values. However, orientation of the VET curricula to and provision of instrumental values lead to relatively weak internalization of the work values related to societal and spiritual dimensions. Originality/value The paper provides empirical evidence regarding the implications of the competence-based curricula for teaching students work values in the school-based VET.

Differences in self-perceived employability between university and VET students: an analysis of emerging adults in Spain

PurposeThe present study analyzes differences in self-perceived employability (SPE) among Spanish university and vocational education and training (VET) students. It also aims to determine whether factors such as gender, work experience and perceptions of the precariousness of the job market have a differential effect on SPE in accordance with the training pathway chosen by emerging adults.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,715 university students (64.7% women) and 488 VET students (37.1% women) aged between 18 and 29 years completed a self-administered questionnaire that included measures of perceived employability and precarious employment.FindingsThe results indicate higher SPE among VET students than among their university counterparts. Female university students scored lower also than their male colleagues, an effect that was not observed among VET students. Prior work experience improved internal SPE among students on both training pathways. However, among university students, work experience and precarious employment reduced external SPE, an affect that was not observed among VET students.Practical implicationsThe analysis of differences in SPE between university and VET students highlights the importance of an educational curriculum that includes practical competences for enhancing employability. The results also reflect the negative consequences of precarious employment on feelings of employability during this life stage, particularly among those studying at university.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to analyze the perceived employability of emerging adults on two different training pathways in Spain.

Sense of Coherence Among Apprentices in Vocational Education and Training in Norway: Exploring General Resistance Resources in Work-Based Learning

Purpose: In the face of constant and rapid development achieving a work–life balance requires highly qualified and motivated professionals who can deal with stress and the demands of the future. In response, by facilitating school- and work-based learning, upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) prepares and qualifies adolescents for professional practice. In relation to VET, two fundamental salutogenic concepts can explain how humans cope with stressful and demanding situations: Sense of coherence (SOC), which entails comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, and general resistance resources (GRRs), theorised as resources within individuals themselves (i.e., internal) and/or in their surroundings (i.e., external). Against that background, in our study we aimed to identify and explore which GRRs contribute to SOC among apprentices in VET and how they influence work-based learning. Methods: Data were collected from 11 VET student in Norway at three time points—at interviews during their final semester of school-based learning (i.e., spring 2020), at interviews during their work-based learning (i.e., spring 2022) and, for register data, following their completion of trade certificates (i.e., autumn 2022). The students' experiences of work-based learning as apprentices formed the basis of this study's analysis. The stepwise deductive–inductive method was used to generate and analyse the data. Findings: The apprentices' GRRs emerged in emotional, cognitive, physical, professional, social, relational, material and cultural dimensions. Identification and utilisation of GRRs were both individually and socially conditioned. The apprentices were able to identify, both consciously and unconsciously, internal GRRs to further identify external GRRs, and vice versa. Each identified GRR appeared to affect at least one, if not all, of the three components of SOC. Conclusion: Salutogenic VET can provide personal, social, environmental and physical resources (i.e., GRRs) that ensure coherent learning experiences. For that reason, by supporting VET students in identifying GRRs, teachers and supervisors can promote their SOC and work-based learning and thereby prepare them to be highly qualified and motivated professionals.

Being someone or doing something: How students in municipal adult education view their future vocation

Being an adult, deciding what to do with your life, and trying to understand the consequences of educational choices can be difficult. Vocational education and training (VET) programmes within the Swedish municipal adult education (MAE) offer an opportunity to learn a vocation, and last 6–18 months. This study aims to explore how adult VET students perceive desirable vocational habitus and is based on 18 interviews comparing students from two vocational MAE programmes in assistant nursing and floor laying. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the beginning of the students’ training and data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The results show that choosing a VET programme is a process of choosing what you want to do for work but also who you want to be. However, whether or not students see themselves as suitable is contrasted between how they perceive their future vocation and what the vocational community expects from them, which in turn affects their learning process and development of a vocational identity. Noticing the discrepancies between students’ perceptions and vocational expectations can both reduce the risk of losing students during training and reduces the risk of reproducing unequal ideals.

Literacy in vocational education and training: scenario-based reading and writing education

Many students in vocational education and training (VET) have difficulties with reading and writing. To date, there is little research on whether and how the development of VET students’ writing skills may benefit from teaching approaches that integrate reading and writing. This study reports results from a semester-long intervention study conducted in Switzerland in 2018/19 (N = 285) in which we investigated the impact of a scenario-based integration of reading-to-write-tasks on the development of VET students’ text quality. In the approach, problem-solving processes are set in motion by scenarios representing real- or work-life situations. Reading-to-write tasks form part of the student-initiated problem-solving process, and result in situated argumentative writing. A small experimental intervention effect was found where text quality developed significantly better in the experimental group than in a matched control group (F1,178 = 7.40, p < .01, Cohen’s f = 0.20), as measured in a writing test before and after exposure to the teaching method. Outcomes suggest tangible benefits may result when applying this approach to literacy education in VET, particularly for academically weaker students. We discuss the consequences and implications of these findings, as well as open questions to be addressed by further research.

Between structure and individual needs: a discourse-analytic study of support and guidance for students with special needs in Finnish vocational education and training

ABSTRACT The reformed Finnish vocational education and training (VET) system is a competence-based, customer-oriented educational programme with two overarching aims: to develop a skilled labour force and to promote social inclusion. Support and guidance have become increasingly important in Finnish VET in recent decades. This study focuses on how linguistic constructions of support and guidance for VET students with special educational needs are constructed in the dynamics between institutional ideas and the language use of VET staff. Data were collected through focus group discussions among different categories of staff. Through a psychological discourse analysis, three different linguistic constructions emerged: a package of support measures, a structure falling apart and dialogue as a bridge builder. Tensions and contradictions were identified between the different constructions. The results point to the need for balance between institutional structures and the possibilities of staff that daily interact with the student to provide holistic support measures.

Low socioeconomic status students transitioning from Vocational Education and Training (VET) to university: examining definitions of success

ABSTRACT Within Australia, Vocational Education and Training (VET) is promoted as a pathway for low socioeconomic status (LSES) students to enter Higher Education (HE). However, greater equity will only occur if these students achieve successful university outcomes. But how should such success be defined? This paper examined two data sources (i.e., nine years of archival achievement data from one multi-campus Australian university, 18 qualitative interviews with LSES VET students who had transitioned to HE) to consider varying measures of this group’s success. Quantitative achievement measures indicated that although VET-entry students performed as well as or better than those entering based on secondary school results, LSES students had systematically lower academic achievement across both groups, suggesting equity goals are yet to be realised. While interviewed students frequently mentioned grades, they also described seeing improvement, making connections, experiencing satisfaction and growing confidence as markers of success. Data highlighted the negative consequences some LSES VET students experienced when grades were viewed as the sole metric of success. Findings suggest it is important for universities to continue to promote VET pathways and normalise diverse conceptions of success to encourage persistence when academic achievement goals are not immediately reached.