Vocational Education Research Articles

Unified Lifelong Technical Learning Integration with Structured Framework for The Technical Education System to Foster Expertise Using Academic Bank of Credit

Unified Lifelong Technical Learning Integration with Structured Framework for The Technical Education System to Foster Expertise Using Academic Bank of Credit

Can vocational interests of students be used to recruit suitable candidates for teacher training programmes in technical vocational education and training in Germany?

PurposeIn Germany, various approaches have been taken to tackle the current teacher shortage in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). One attempt to remedy the shortage in Bavaria has been the introduction of an engineering education study programme at universities of applied sciences. Ideal candidates for this programme should have an interest in both engineering and social interaction. For effective recruitment, therefore, it is necessary to know applicants’ characteristics such as their vocational interests. In this study, the vocational interest profiles of students in TVET teacher training programmes were identified and their interest profiles and further characteristics were compared with those of other VET students at universities and universities of applied sciences.Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire based on Holland’s interest theory and adapted from the Allgemeiner-Interessen-Struktur-Test-3 (interest structure test) was administered to 85 students in TVET teacher training programmes at universities and universities of applied sciences in Bavaria. Items regarding reasons for choosing a particular study programme, university location and other personal details were added.FindingsThe vocational interest profiles of students at universities and universities of applied sciences can be described as similar but weakly differentiated. Insights are provided by the characteristics of students such as the majority being first-time academics in the family. The reasons for choosing the degree programme and university location highlight the fact that a large proportion of students in engineering education would not have chosen a teaching-related degree programme if it had not been offered at the respective university of applied sciences.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample in this study was small and, therefore, limiting, it represented a high proportion of TVET teacher training students in Bavaria and a substantial proportion of first-year students in TVET teacher training programmes at universities and universities of applied sciences in Bavaria (section 2.2 and 3.1). Thus, the findings provide valuable insights into commonalities in interest profiles between engineering education students at universities of applied sciences and other TVET students at universities. With respect to the domain of the chosen vocational specialisation, differentiated profiles emerged that, for example, showed a stronger artistic orientation among students in construction technology/wood. For further analysis, the previous variable-centred orientation of the analysis can be supplemented by person-centred analyses (e.g. cluster analysis and latent variable mixture modelling, LVMM) (cf. Leon et al., 2021).Practical implicationsThe findings in this study reveal the potential for attracting candidates to universities of applied sciences if they prefer to study in rather rural areas close to their hometowns. With the aim to educate prospective teachers for future work not only in metropolitan regions but in rural areas too, offering bachelor degree programmes in rural areas would seem promising. A regional option can boost the recruitment of new students and attract candidates that otherwise would be unable to pursue studies or a career as a teacher in vocational education. The results of this study and those of previous studies suggest that universities of applied sciences can cooperate with universities to help solve the teacher shortage problem.Social implicationsOverall, it is apparent that the students' interests reached comparatively high values in all interest orientations and thus are only weakly differentiated. If undifferentiated profiles indicate low levels of career readiness, this significantly affects the recruitment of young people for the teaching profession. Assessing career orientation and promoting vocational interests should be prioritised during secondary school education. Vocational orientation measures are essential and should provide insight into typical activities of daily work life in different professions and thus pique and foster interests.Originality/valueThis study provides insight into how to respond to the teacher shortage in VET by identifying important characteristics of engineering education students using vocational interest profiling.

Addressing the teacher shortage in Australia: what do the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) completion data tell us?

AbstractWith projections from the Australian federal government indicating an impending exacerbation of the teacher shortage by 2025, it is timely to explore potential approaches that could help mitigate this imminent national crisis. In teaching, there is an historical tendency for the teaching profession to attract more women than men and this study therefore aims to analyse trends in female completion rates of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) degrees. The study objective was to identify the specific teaching degree levels (undergraduate and postgraduate) and modes of attendance that are most likely to continue attracting women to pursue careers in teaching. This research relies on non-identifiable open access data obtained from Australian ITE providers between 2001 and 2021, which have been collected by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The study findings reveal an upward trend in female completions of ITE programs offered through external and multimodal study modes, while the internal mode of attendance show a decline. These findings hold significant implications for policy and practice, suggesting the need to enhance the accessibility of external and multimodal ITE degrees for women.

The Impact and Mechanism of Career Expectations of Only Child Families on Academic Performance in Distance Education

Based on PISA2022 data, this study analyzes the impact of family career expectations on the academic performance of only child and the mediating mechanism. Research has found that (1) only child have significantly higher academic performance, family career expectations, self career expectations, and self-efficacy than non- only child; (2) Family career expectations positively predict academic performance; (3) Self career expectations play a mediating role between family career expectations and academic performance; (4) Self efficacy plays a mediating role between family career expectations and academic performance; (5) Self career expectations and self-efficacy play a chain mediating role in the relationship between family vocational education expectations and academic performance.

Problem-based learning and the integration of sustainable development goals

PurposeThis study explores how problem-based learning (PBL) programs can address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via the higher education (HE) curriculum, teaching materials and relevant assessments, supporting learning at scale for HE institutions.Design/methodology/approachEmploying SDGs and their indicators as the coding framework, our two-phase study evaluates the curriculum and teaching materials of seven PBL programs at a leading higher education institution (HEI). The first phase involved a content analysis to assess the degree of sustainability integration in 156 relevant courses. The second phase applied a semi-automated mapping protocol to analyze learning and teaching materials in 120 relevant courses.FindingsThe school aligns with 17 SDGs (100%), covering 94 indicators (55.62%). On average, each program within the school addresses over ten of these goals and incorporates more than 24 associated indicators. However, the study reveals an imbalance in the incorporation of SDGs, with some goals not yet deeply and comprehensively embedded in the curriculum. While there is a substantial focus on sustainability theories, the practical implications of SDGs in emerging countries, particularly through case studies and assessments, require significant enhancement.Practical implicationsMapping SDGs allows HEIs to identify strengths and gaps in SDG integration, thereby improving the PBL approach to enhance student work readiness in sustainability-focused careers.Originality/valueThrough the lens of transformative learning theory, this study provides evidence of SDG integration into PBL curricula. It highlights a mapping methodology that enables HEIs to evaluate their sustainability readiness in curriculum, teaching materials and relevant assessments.

Influence of the Talented Generation Internship Program (Magenta) on Human Resource Management Readiness At the Port of Indonesia (Persero) I Medan

PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) or Pelindo is a state-owned company which operates in the port services sector which provides opportunities for vocational/equivalent students, college students and fresh graduates to carry out internships in their environment. During the selection process, it was discovered that several of the interns accepted were interns who already had organizational experience. In carrying out an internship, interns not only help carry out supervisor/mentor duties, but interns are also helped to explore and improve their existing competencies so that they are better prepared to face the real world of work. This research aims to determine the influence of organizational experience and internship experience on work readiness of interns. This research uses quantitative research methods in the form of correlational research and explanatory research models, as well as collecting data through distributing questionnaires to interns at PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) I Medan. In processing the data, researchers used partial test methods and simultaneous tests for the variables organizational experience, internship experience, and work readiness with the help of SPSS version 26. The results of the study showed that organizational experience had a positive and significant effect on work readiness, internship experience had a positive and significant effect on work readiness, organizational experience and internship experience simultaneously influence work readiness

Arrangers and orchestrators: the diverging role of the state in Danish and German vocational education and training

Abstract This article compares the changing role of the state in initial vocational education and training (VET) in Germany and Denmark. Scholars have argued that collectivist VET systems face a stark choice between erosion through dualization or state take-over that crowds out decentralized cooperation by firms. Yet, recent work suggests that the state can revitalize the traditional firm-based system of VET through so-called state ‘orchestration’ and soft measures promoting inclusive training. Comparing Germany to Denmark, we argue that there is a second path to revitalization when the state acts as an ‘arranger’, more heavily involved in the provision and governance of VET, and using it for second-chance education. Unlike orchestration, arrangement is only possible where the state itself has achieved some independent capacity in training. We trace this divergence to small policy choices in the 1970s that have had large downstream effects on state capacity and power relations with business.

Comparative Assessment of the Mountainous River Basin in Kyrgyz-Kazakh Region of Central Asia with River Basins in Australia, Canada and USA

Central Asia is among the most heavily affected regions worldwide by climate change and water shortages. Impacts include changes in precipitation patterns, more frequent temperature extremes and increased aridity causing a negative impact on agricultural production, food availability, and environmental security. To combat this threat, it is important to enhance information literacy among all water users. This can be done through awareness campaigns, blended learning by providing the proper Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs and utilizing all available facilities. This will address relevant issues, such as miscommunication, complexities of transboundary water sharing issues, overexploitation of water resources, and poor flood-drought mitigation techniques. Proper and user-friendly lifelong blended learning for scientific information dissemination focusing water issues can provide stronger support to increase awareness among water users and decision policy makers. Worldwide, especially in North America and Australia, information literacy campaigns have proven successful. This strategy can be replicated in the Mountainous Kyrgyz-Kazakh Chu-Talas transboundary river basin. The issues concerning the Mountainous Kyrgyz-Kazakh Chu-Talas transboundary river basin is elaborated and compared with Australian, Canadian, and US river basin management programs. The foresight analysis is presented, as to what would be a rationale to improve water resources more sustainably in Central Asia. Methodologies, programs, technologies, communities-based river basin committees, snow-water collection with agroforestry, and basin-based water market opportunities were analyzed to assess potential applications in Central Asia region.

Twelve tips for final year medical students undertaking clinical assessment

Background Clinical assessors in pre-registration examinations have been shown to make decisions about student performance by drawing on two overlapping, yet slightly different perspectives: achieving academic learning outcomes, and contributing to clinical workplace function. The implication for senior medical students is that they should be aware that in ‘final’ clinical assessments they may be judged from both academic and workplace perspectives, where the emphasis may be on how well the candidate would fit into a clinical team, demonstrating reliability, trustworthiness, teachability and ‘safety’. Methods This article presents 12 tips for how senior medical students may demonstrate progress towards achieving ‘work readiness’, and so improve performance in assessments close to graduation. Results Clinical assessors may include judgment of how well the candidate might work as a junior member of a clinical team, particularly when candidates perform at the borderline level and where assessors are more experienced. This judgment is based on an impression of the student’s demonstration of reliability, trustworthiness, patient safety and teachability. While the underpinning theory was explored in final OSCEs, the suggestions may also be relevant to workplace-based clinical learning and assessment. Conclusions Senior medical students should prepare for clinical assessments that will consider more than essential knowledge and skills.

The overall fractions of coronary heart diseases and depression attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors in Europe.

The literature is nonexistent on the assessment of overall fractions of diseases attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors. The objectives of the study were to calculate the overall fractions of coronary heart diseases (CHD) and depression attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors in 35 European countries. We used already published fractions of CHD and depression attributable to each of the following psychosocial work factors: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying. We took all exposures and their correlations into account to calculate overall attributable fractions. Wald tests were performed to test differences in these overall attributable fractions between genders and between countries. The overall fractions of CHD and depression attributable to all studied psychosocial work factors together were found to be 8.1% [95% CI: 2.0-13.9] and 26.3% [95% CI: 16.2-35.5] respectively in the 35 European countries. There was no difference between genders and between countries. Our study showed that the overall fractions attributable to all studied psychosocial work factors were substantial especially for depression. These overall attributable fractions may be particularly useful to evaluate the burden and costs attributable to psychosocial work factors, and also to inform policies makers at European level.

The role of vocational education on unemployment in Indonesia

The role of vocational education on unemployment in Indonesia

ATTITUDE OF GIRLS STUDENTS TOWARDS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOL OF JAJPUR DISTRICT

Vocational education is the education that prepares students or individuals to stand independently in finance by pursuing any of the vocational courses rather than having higher education in a college or University. The present study aims to understand the attitudes of girl students towards vocational education in secondary schools of Jajpur district Odisha.  100 girls students were selected as samples from secondary schools in Jajpur district. By using a three point likert-scale attitude of the girls students towards Vocational education were measured by the interview. The researcher adopted a standardized questionnaire tool developed by G. Sundharavadivel, by the help of that tool researcher able to measured the attitude of girl students of secondary schools towards vocational education. Thirty one attitude statements having to vocational education were supplied to the subjects From the results it was evident that the urban and rural secondary girl students had no significant difference attitudes close to vocational education .There exist a significant difference between govt, and private secondary girl students in their attitude towards vocational education. It is found that maximum no of students weren't aware about the vocational education, its scope, benefits and scholarships available for their betterment.

Modern technologies in the development of higher education teachers’ professional competence

   The relevance of the research. The current stage of the historical development of the world community is characterized by the acceleration of scientific, technical and social progress, the large-scale dissemination of new ideas and technologies. Therefore, the reproduction of knowledge carriedout on an innovative basis is relevant and has an increasing impact on the rate of economic growth.   The problem statement. The modern education system is gradually beginning to fully use theresources of the competency-based approach. In vocational education this approach is the conceptual basis for the implementation of an innovation system. The problem of the research is to identify the features of the formation of professional competence of higher education teachers.   The purpose of the article is to substantiate modern technologies for developing the professional competence of vocational education teachers to increase their readiness to train future specialists on innovative principles.   The research methods used are theoretical analysis of scientific literature on the research problem; study of regulatory documents in the field of education; analysis and synthesis; systematization and generalization; survey.   The results and key conclusions. The need for continuous professional development of teachers based on innovative principles and updating of the problem under consideration has been identified. The use of modern pedagogical technologies of distance learning, project-based learning and production technologies for the formation of professional competence of higher education teachers, as well as modern forms of training future qualified specialists, have been justified.

Utilization of technology-enhance learning tools among vocational and technical education teachers in Nigerian tertiary institutions

The study determined training needs of teachers and issues in the utilization of Technology-enhanced Learning tools in Vocational and Technical Education in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Five research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The sample for the study is 318 teachers from six tertiary institutions that offer majority of Vocational and Technical Education programmes in Nigeria. Instrument for data collection was developed by the researchers and was validated by five experts in Vocational and Technical Education. The overall reliability index of the instrument is 0.81. Results from collected data revealed that the teachers require training to enable them use Technology-enhanced Learning tools for instructional delivery; the current mode of instructional delivery in institutions is face-to-face approach; many institutions have Information and Communication Technology center and institution wide internet which are not effectively utilized for instructional delivery, among numerous other findings. Among the recommendations is that teachers should be given access to the available Technology-enhanced Learning facilities in their institutions to enable them learn how to use them at their own free times. It was concluded that most VTE teachers are eager to deploy Technology-enhanced Learning tools for instructional delivery but some institutional supports they need, especially trainings are inadequate.

Addressing gender in STEM classrooms: The impact of gender bias on women scientists' experiences in higher education careers in Germany

AbstractGender bias underlying discrimination against women are particularly salient in STEM higher education. Complementing top-down measures to mitigate these issues identified in the extant literature, we aim to highlight a complementary bottom-up approach. First, to elicit gender stereotypes and gender bias in STEM, we conducted a group concept mapping (GCM) study involving women professors, teaching staff, and scientific staff from different STEM disciplines at German universities (N = 70). We first asked them to provide statements reflecting their experience in response to the following focus prompt: ‘In my career as a STEM teacher, I experienced gender issues related to:’ Experts were then asked to thematically cluster and rank the statements according to their importance and feasibility with respect to a potential pedagogical intervention that may target these issues. Findings revealed an agreement across STEM disciplines regarding stereotypical beliefs about women, heteronomous gender roles, gender workload, sexism, and structural power relations, in that they remain significant factors for hindering female success in STEM careers in higher education. Based on their experience, however, the women saw potential in working on the awareness of gender bias with pedagogical interventions in online group learning scenarios (CSCL). Statements rated most appropriate were discussed in the light of the aspects of gender bias addressed, with a specific focus on addressing them in collaborative scripts.

КОРПОРАТИВНЫЕ УНИВЕРСИТЕТЫ: ПРИОРИТЕТЫ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ, РЕШЕНИЯ, ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ. ЧАСТЬ 1

The article presents an analytical review of the research of corporate universities as knowledge management institutions implementing strategies for the formation of intellectual capital based on the knowledge network, reveals the role of corporate universities in continuing professional education and training.
 The aim of the project is to systematize the theoretical results of relevant research, summarize the main conceptual solutions in the field of knowledge management, identify key priorities and promising strategies of corporate universities in Russia, China and other countries in this area.
 The main task is to determine the role of corporate universities in the implementation of the strategy of continuing education, in improving the quality of professional education and the formation of corporate culture within the framework of a comparative analysis of specific cases of knowledge management in corporate universities.
 Improving the quality of vocational education and solving the problems of continuing education is largely associated with the development of modern corporate universities and improving the quality of knowledge management.
 One of the advantages of corporate universities is their potential in ensuring the integration of corporate needs into higher education. In this regard, the role of knowledge management 
 is increasing as a way to implement the educational strategy of a corporate university, which involves achieving the goals of the organization by increasing intellectual capital as a decisive factor in the development of innovative systems.
 The tendency of corporate universities to go beyond the function of continuous learning as an additional component is revealed, in such a way that the function of continuous learning plays an increasingly important role in ensuring the development of organizations and institutions.
 The formation of a theoretical basis for the study of strategies of corporate universities in various countries in the field of knowledge management based on their comparative analysis 
 is becoming in demand.
 An analytical review of the scientific literature confirms the gradual formation of a special conceptual framework for knowledge management research in corporate universities around 
 the world.
 Methodology. The principles of the methodology of comparative analysis were used, qualitative analysis and theoretical generalization were carried out.

Identifying Teaching and Laboratory Instruction Concerns of Illinois Agriculture Teachers

Concerns of teachers must be identified to provide quality teacher education programs and professional development. The theoretical framework of this study was the Teacher Career Cycle (Fessler & Christensen, 1992). The theory explains that as teachers move through the cycle, their characteristics and professional needs change. The purpose of this study was to identify the concerns of Illinois agriculture teachers of different experience levels. A multi-part instrument of demographic information, two teacher concern statements, and a Likert-type scale of concerns was administered. The sample was divided into three experience groups: early career, mid-career, and late career. The results indicate that certain concerns do change with the level of experience and that mid-career teachers in this sample have the most concerns. We recommend that these results be shared with the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers, universities, state agricultural education staff, and other stakeholders. Those leading professional development should consider years of experience when planning for workshops. Professional development topics on student motivation, funding for supplies, and student safety should be explored.

Prediction of English Teacher Career Development Based on Data Mining and Time Series Model

With the gradual growth of the teaching profession, the teaching profession is facing new trends in reform and development, and the same dilemma exists for English teachers’ career development and planning. To this end, the study first uses a modified K-means clustering method to cluster and analyse the factors affecting English teachers’ professional development, forming a system of indicators on English teachers’ professional development. The Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network employed the time-series features to create a time-series model, and the Support Vector Machine (SVM) was used to forecast the course of English teachers’ career development. To assess the current career status of English teachers and their impact on people and organizations, this study proposes a career prediction model for English teachers. This model utilizes data mining and time series modeling to provide accurate predictions. In accordance with the experimental findings, the precision of the upgraded K-Means model was 98.58%, and the error between the projected sample data and the actual sample data for the training of the trend prediction model for English teachers’ career growth was 0.032. It was able to accurately predict teachers’ career development and explore the specific factors affecting English teachers’ career development, so as to solve the problems in teachers’ career development.

The Use of Big Data Technology in Higher Education Management

With the rapid development of information technology, big data technology has deeply penetrated into all fields of society, including the field of education. In higher vocational education, the use of big data technology is gradually changing the teaching method, improving the quality of teaching, and positively affecting the personalized development of students. This paper will discuss in detail the use of big data technology in higher vocational education and analyze the opportunities and challenges it brings.

Apprenticeship Reforms in West Africa: An Outcome-Process Evaluation of a Pilot Dual Training Model-Based Apprenticeship Reform Scheme in Ghana

Context: Faced with deep challenges with access to formal education, many West African countries are increasingly taking steps to reform their informal apprenticeship systems to make them a quality skills development alternative for their teeming youth. A review of the literature shows that although different countries in the region are deploying different reform strategies, what is emerging as a dominant reform model is the "dual training model" (DTM), a collaborative arrangement in which the task of training apprentices is shared between informal trainers (master craftspersons, under their respective trade associations) and formal vocational training institutions (FVTIs). This paper presents an outcome-process evaluation of a DTM-based apprenticeship reform programme piloted in Ghana.  Methods: Designed as a case study, the paper adopts an interpretivist approach, relying on diverse sources of data, both secondary and primary. Secondary data includes journal articles, attendance registers of participants, memorandums of understanding, relevant media reports, websites, and official reports by all relevant actors. The primary data originated from in-depth interviews with fourteen (14) key informants, as well as from overt and covert observations of respondents.  Results: At the outcome level, the paper shows that the programme has largely failed in transferring new skills or in changing dominant poor practices among trainees, foundational objectives of the programme. At the process level, the paper revealed deep flaws in implementation; these are discussed in detail in an attempt to clarify the programme outcomes.  Conclusion: The paper concludes that although the dual training model remains a potentially viable reform model in informal apprenticeships, its success ultimately depends on the quality of implementation, which in turn depends on the strength and quality of inter-stakeholder collaboration in programme design and implementation.