Vocational Education Research Articles

Transition experiences of UK junior doctors who leave clinical practice to pursue careers in medical education: a qualitative study

ObjectivesThe increasing complexity and scale of medical education in the UK demands increasing numbers of medical educators. A small proportion of educators are qualified doctors, but did not reach completion...

Teacher perceptions about the reputation of technical and vocational education and training in Ghana

PurposeThis study examines the perceptions of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers about the factors that influence the reputation of TVET in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative and qualitative data were collected from 680 TVET teachers in Ghana using a survey instrument that included an open-ended section that required participants to provide written comments. The quantitative data gathered were analysed by way of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), while the written narratives of participants were evaluated using thematic analysis. The quantitative and qualitative data analysed were subsequently integrated using a four-stage pillar integration process (PIP), which included listing, matching, checking and pillar building.FindingsThe findings show that TVET teachers’ perceptions regarding the factors influencing the reputation of TVET in Ghana include investment in infrastructure and learning resources; collaboration between TVET institutions and industries; public perceptions of TVET prospects; occupational standards; testing and certification; pedagogical approaches; students’ academic coping abilities; gender and equity considerations and labour market information requirements. Furthermore, state policies regarding student access, funding models, curriculum reform, investment in TVET teacher education and professional development as well as the remuneration, motivation and working conditions of TVET teachers, significantly influence the reputation of TVET in Ghana.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the scholarly discourse on the reputation of TVET and how the sector could be improved to attract more learners who can contribute meaningfully to the development of Ghana. The findings illustrate how human capital theory and the concept of reputation in its expansive form, which includes social factors, culture, time and space, are jointly linked to skills development, employability, and public acceptance of TVET. To address the issues concerning the reputation of TVET, this study recommends, among others, that issues concerning student access, gender and equity and collaborations between TVET institutions and industry should be improved.

VET leaders’ collaborative problem-solving skills: insights from a professionals’ master’s degree program

Vocational education and training (VET) structures are ecosystems bound to collaboration. As VET leaders’ roles become increasingly diverse and demanding, challenges must be addressed through collaborative efforts within teams. Leaders’ collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills remain unexplored despite the importance of CPS in VET settings. This single case study investigates the CPS skills that VET leaders use in addressing tasks and challenges in an educational setting. Postgraduate students in a professional master’s degree program with several years of work experience in VET leadership positions served as study participants. We utilised content analysis on video data of participants engaging in group work on an assignment that required them to give both constructed responses and creative solutions. The study also analysed VET leaders’ self-reflections on their CPS skills collected through a survey tool. Our results revealed that despite participants’ similar professional profiles, their performance in CPS varied significantly. Older participants seemed to have better self-reflection skills, and experienced professionals could allocate cognitive resources to more complex strategic and meta-cognitive processes. This study can be used as a roadmap for targeted professional development programs aiming to improve CPS skills and for informed decisionmaking in choosing professionals for pivotal leadership positions.

Analisis Kebutuhan Sarana dan Prasarana untuk Mendukung Proses Pembelajaran di SMK Negeri 1 Surabaya

Vocational education, secondary school facilities and infrastructure play animportant role in the learning process. Management of facilities and infrastructure needs to be done well to achieve success and support the teaching and learning process in vocational schools. To achieve success, the learning process must be supported by the availability of adequate facilities and infrastructure as well as optimal managemet by referring to the management of facilities and infrastructure. This research aims to analyze the need for facilities and infrastructure to supportan optimal learning process at SMK Negeri 1 Surabaya. This article was written using qualitative approach. Through data collection through interviews, documentation, and supported by direct observation at SMK Negeri 1 Surabaya with an approach to he students. It can be concluded that the results of this research show that the dominant facilities and infrastructure at SMK Negeri 1 Surabaya have been utilized optimally. Things to support practice in vocational schools, such as computer labs, as well as studios and other equipment that supports the learning process, are said to be very adequate. Maintenance of facilities and infrastructure has also been carried out periodically. The available facilities and infrastructure greatly increase student enthusiasm for learning and achievement.onclusions.

Reinforcement Learning for Intra- & Inter-Node Recommender Data Pipeline Optimization

Deep learning-based recommender models (DLRMs) have become an essential component of many modern recommender systems. Several companies are now building large compute clusters reserved for DLRM training, driving new interest in cost- & time- saving optimizations. The systems challenges faced in this setting are unique; while typical deep learning (DL) training jobs are dominated by model execution times, the most important factor in DLRM training performance is often online data ingestion. In this paper, we study real-world DLRM data processing pipelines taken from our compute cluster at Netflix to observe the performance impacts of online ingestion and identify shortfalls in existing data pipeline optimizers. Our studies lead us to design a new solution for data pipeline optimization, InTuneX . InTuneX is designed for production-scale multi-node recommender data pipelines. It unifies & tackles the challenges of both intra- and inter- node pipeline optimization. We achieve this with a multi-agent reinforcement learning (RL) design, simultaneously optimizing node assignments at the cluster level & CPU assignments within nodes. Our experiments show that InTuneX can build optimized data pipeline configurations within minutes. We apply InTuneX to our cluster, and find that it increases single-node data ingestion throughput by as much as 2.29X versus state-of-the-art optimizers, while improving the cost-efficiency of multi-node pipelines by 15-25%.

SOSIALISASI PENGGUNAAN SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY (SCCT) UNTUK MEMBANTU SISWA DALAM MENETAPKAN PILIHAN JURUSAN AKUNTANSI DI PERGURUAN TINGGI

The background of this activity focuses on the low interest of students in continuing to higher education, particularly in the field of accounting. This is due to a lack of understanding regarding the diverse and promising career prospects in accounting, such as job stability, competitive salaries, and opportunities for growth. In addition, limited outreach about accounting careers has led students to overlook this field as a potential future career choice. This activity aims to increase students’ understanding and interest in accounting careers. The community service program at SMK Negeri 1 Sungailiat aims to enhance accounting students’ understanding and interest in pursuing higher education in accounting. Using the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) approach, this program provides career guidance through workshops, interactive discussions, and SCCT-based questionnaires that measure students' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and career goals. The results of this activity show a significant increase in students’ understanding of the importance of higher education in expanding career opportunities in accounting. Additionally, there is an increase in students’ confidence in accounting career prospects, as reflected in the questionnaire results. Students now better understand various career benefits, such as job stability and opportunities for growth. Positive feedback from students also indicates that the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) approach is effective in helping them make better career decisions. Therefore, this activity successfully motivates students to consider accounting as a career choice. In conclusion, SCCT-based career guidance helps students confidently choose accounting as their major. Recommendations are made to extend the duration of interaction and strengthen career guidance programs so that students receive continuous support in planning their education and future careers.

Fostering Sustainable Communities: Competencies and Training Needs for Social Organic Farming in Hungary, Greece, and Italy

This study examines key competencies in social organic farming (SOF) as perceived by stakeholders in Hungary, Greece, and Italy, including necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It also explores the educational and professional requirements for those aiming to become social organic farmers, ultimately contributing to an ideal farmer profile. Through qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, the study identifies essential competencies and training needs for SOF. Results show that successful social organic farmers must understand organic farming principles, social work, farm economics, and possess personal skills like empathy, team-work, and effective communication. These competencies and training align with Social Capital Theory, Diffusion of Innovation Theory, and Community-Based Participatory Research, under-scoring the importance of social networks, community engagement, and innovation in advancing sustainable and inclusive agricultural practices. The study also highlights SOF's role in supporting community well-being, enhancing sustainable food systems, and promoting both physical and mental health. Findings offer valuable insights into the limited literature on SOF, providing actionable recommendations for vocational training programs that support social organic farmers’ growth across Europe. This, in turn, fosters sustainable agriculture, circular economies, and public health, thereby strengthening community resilience and ecological stability.

Invisible and Replaced: The Female Ghost Workers in the History of Information Technology From the Perspective of Media Archaeology

Drawing on Marxist feminism, this article provides general literature analyses and conducts interviews of Chinese participants to explore woman's historical roles as telephone operators, punched card operators, and artificial intelligence (AI) trainers. This article highlights women's significant but marginalized technical labor across different stages of technological revolutions. It examines how patriarchal and capitalist systems confine women to low-end technical roles, perpetuating their invisibility and vulnerability to technological unemployment. In the end, the study advocates that the state should intervene into platform capitalism and promote gender equity through technical education and long-term opportunities.

“Walking with Dreams”: The Categories of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Its Influence on Learning Engagement of Senior High School Students

Career decision-making self-efficacy is a key factor influencing high school students’ ability to make informed choices. It is closely associated with their professional interests, learning engagement, and academic performance. This study aims to explore the latent categories of career decision-making self-efficacy among Chinese high school students and analyze the differences in learning engagement across students with different types of career decision-making self-efficacy. A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit 510 Chinese high school students as participants. A questionnaire survey was conducted using the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale and the Learning Engagement Scale. The validity of the questionnaire was analyzed using Amos 23.0, descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed with SPSS 26.0, and a latent profile model was constructed using Mplus 8.0. The results indicate that there are four latent categories of career decision-making self-efficacy among high school students. In terms of learning engagement levels, the categories are ranked from highest to lowest as follows: high career decision-making self-efficacy type, lack of external exploration type, lack of internal exploration type, and low career decision-making self-efficacy type. Students with high and low career decision-making self-efficacy demonstrated significantly higher levels of learning engagement compared to those categorized as lacking external or internal exploration. Therefore, the design of career education curricula for high school students should focus on enhancing career decision-making self-efficacy to stimulate their intrinsic motivation for learning. Differences among various student types should be acknowledged, allowing for tailored and individualized instruction. Additionally, efforts should be made to strengthen integrated career guidance that links academics, career interests, and future professions, guiding all stakeholders to shift away from entrenched practices of “exam-oriented education” and utilitarian perspectives.

Research on the Chinese Characteristics Advanced Apprenticeship Training Model Based on Embedded Neural Network Analysis

In order to deeply analyze the feasibility and optimization strategies of this model in vocational education, this paper focuses on the application of embedded neural network technology. By comparing with other talent cultivation models, especially delving into the essence of project-based teaching, this paper defines the practical, refined, and entrepreneurial characteristics unique to project-based teaching under modern apprenticeship systems. These characteristics constitute the core competitiveness of the advanced apprenticeship training model. This paper emphasizes the establishment of a quality management system based on standards, rigorous processes, and customized solutions. Embedded neural networks, with their powerful data processing and pattern recognition capabilities, help this paper reveal the significant advantages of this training model in resource integration, personalized teaching, skill inheritance, and market docking.

Research on the Influence of Higher Vocational Education on Regional Economic Development Under the Internet Environment

Higher vocational education, as one of the core forces to deliver high-quality technical and skilled talents, plays an important role in economic development. Therefore, this paper puts forward a study on the influence of higher vocational education on regional economic development under the Internet environment. Integrate Internet technology into higher vocational education, and change the mode of higher vocational education according to the concepts of deconstruction, reconstruction, fragmentation and simplicity. This paper analyzes the data of higher vocational education and regional economy by unit root test, and constructs a dynamic panel econometric model of growth regression through the tested data. Taking the scale, structure and quality of higher vocational education as explanatory variables, and capital formation, foreign trade turnover and nonagricultural industrial structure as control variables, it analyzes the influence of higher vocational education on regional economic growth under the Internet environment. The experimental results show that the proportion of the primary industry continues to decline, from 20.3 % in 2016 to 8.2% in 2022. The proportion of the secondary industry increased from 43.1% in 2016 to 51.0% in 2022. The proportion of tertiary industry in 2016–2022 showed a gradual upward trend, from 36.6% to 40.8%. There may be a co-integration relationship between the data used in the study. Expanding the scale of higher vocational education under the Internet environment will promote the development of regional economy, and according to the research results, some countermeasures and suggestions beneficial to the coordinated development of higher vocational education and regional economy are put forward.

Correction: Reflection on China’s higher vocational education entrance examination: lessons from the imperial examination in modern China

Correction: Reflection on China’s higher vocational education entrance examination: lessons from the imperial examination in modern China

The Influence of Positive Growth Experience of Craftsmen on Vocational Education of Automotive Inspection and Maintenance Technology and Mental Health

Since 2014, in China, there has been a principle to divert the graduating junior high school students to regular high schools and secondary vocational schools in an orderly manner, with a ratio of 50%. Vocational education serves as an important foundation for cultivating technical and skilled talents, as well as craftsman talents. However, vocational education, as a distinct type of education, has not yet gained widespread recognition in society. And it is a very meaningful thing to explore how their teachers’ positive growth experience influence these students to become successful and feel pleasure. Using a qualitative methodology, we interviewed ten Zhejiang craftsmen specializing in the automotive field, who work as full-time or part-time teachers in technical colleges and vocational schools, to explore the relationship between their growth experiences and the impact of teacher education on the cultivation and development of craftsmen. The study not only focused on their professional development but also delved into the psychological aspects of their journey. By examining the interplay between professional growth, educational impact, and psychological factors, this results provide valuable insights into the holistic development of skilled craftsmen. The findings reveal that the growth characteristics of Zhejiang craftsmen can be categorized into four stages: aspiration, enjoyment, dedication, and innovation. These stages are reflected in various aspects such as career aspirations, professional identity, and collaborative innovation, which are further subdivided into 29 factors. Moreover, the analysis demonstrates how these self-growth experiences can be effectively transferred to the student training process, thereby stimulating students' enthusiasm for learning vehicle inspection, testing, and repairs. The development of vocational education can draw insights from the growth process of Zhejiang craftsmen, with a specific focus on fostering workplace learning, integrating theoretical instruction with practical skill development, and nurturing both technical expertise and personal qualities. And the comprehensive strategy focuses on the areas, such as fostering workplace learning, integrating theoretical instruction with practical skill development, nurturing both technical expertise and personal qualities, promoting psychological health and so on. By implementing these strategies, vocational education institutions can help students grow into healthy, skilled, and psychologically robust professionals.

Realization of Occupational Health and Safety Training Modules and Topics for Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Risks in the IT Sector

Musculoskeletal Disorders and psychosocial risks represent two of the most significant health challenges in modern workplaces, with wide-ranging implications for employee well-being and organizational productivity. The primary aim of this article is to explore the design of Occupational Health and Safety training modules tailored to address the dual challenges of Musculoskeletal Disorders and psychosocial risks within the IT sector. By addressing hazards proactively, OHS helps organizations reduce the risk of workplace incidents, which can result in significant financial and reputational costs. Moreover, ensuring employee safety and well-being contributes to higher morale, improved productivity, and a positive organizational culture. Our methodology in realization of occupational health and safety training modules and topics for musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risks in the it sectors consisted in calling on experts because safety domain of research is by excellence a domain based on expertise. The safety expert is the real cornerstone of safety and their expertise is transformed into lessons learned that are used for training and improvement of existing safety attitudes. Regarding the relevance of the results, we consider that the structure and content of the training module address key challenges faced by IT professionals in offices, particularly those linked to sedentary work and prolonged computer use. The development of this module represents a significant step toward addressing the occupational health and safety needs of IT professionals. By focusing on education, prevention, and compliance, it not only mitigates risks but also promotes a healthier, safer, and more engaged workforce. Future efforts could expand on this module by integrating digital tools, gamified training methods, or regular feedback loops to ensure the training remains effective and relevant.

Innovation and Practice of Vocational Skill Appraisal Management Mode in the Electric Power Industry

In response to the current situation and existing problems of the vocational skill appraisal management mode in the electric power industry, a new practical scheme is proposed in this paper. By constructing a diversified evaluation system, implementing intelligent management methods, and strengthening the effective connection between vocational skill training and appraisal, an innovative management mode is constructed. Combined with practical case analysis, the practical effects and significance of the new management mode in the electric power industry are elaborated.

Haven for Hope: A Transformational Campus Model to Address Homelessness.

Haven for Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been rarely described in the research literature but has become nationally known for its comprehensive homeless response system in San Antonio, Texas. Haven for Hope operates a 22-acre campus that includes a Transformational Campus and a Courtyard that serves over 9,000 clients annually, including chronically homeless individuals, veterans, children, and families. Haven for Hope offers a "one-stop" design that allows dozens of community partner organizations to provide housing, meals, healthcare, job training, education, childcare, and pet services on-site. To maintain community collaborations, Haven for Hope undertakes numerous operational activities on a regular basis and employs individuals with lived experience at all organizational levels. Lessons can be extracted from history and current operations of Haven for Hope. Further research at Haven for Hope is needed to understand what and how its various models and programs benefit individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Socially-determined factors of positive transformation of the professional and labor self-concept of persons with musculosketal disorders

The article studies social factors that determine the features of transformation of professional-labor self-concept in students with musculoskeletal disabilities studying under inclusive conditions in organizations of secondary vocational and higher education. The study was carried out on a sample of 106 students with musculoskeletal disorders of final years of educational organizations, in whom positive, negative, and neutral forms of transformation were recorded during the study. It has been revealed that in the group of students characterized by positive changes in professional and personal development during education and professional training, the transition of maladaptive forms of professional and labor self-concept into adaptive ones that allow them to achieve success in professional development, the majority of them are those who have an extensive network of social contacts, including friends with disabilities, classmates, and other people without any disabilities, teachers, and professors who give them the opportunity to develop their professional self-concept. In this group, most students have high rates of satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, social contacts, and competence, whereas in the group of students characterized by negative transformation of professional and labor self-concept, many identify themselves only with the social group of disabled people, feel alienated from the outside world with excessively high rates of satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which demonstrates their helplessness and deprivation of conditions of their professional and personal development.

Exploration and Practice on the “Symbiotic Integration of the Three Vitalities” Talent Cultivation Model

It is a vital necessity to explore high-quality talent cultivation models in vocational colleges in order to cultivate qualified and skilled talents. Based on the integration of "teachers and students & production & ecology," a "Symbiotic Integration of the Three Vitalities" (SITV) talent cultivation model is proposed in this paper. Years of practices have shown that this model is able to achieve significant effects and promote the development of vocational education.

Teachers and Students of the Escuela de Ingenieros Industriales de Barcelona and Their Contribution to the Gas Industry in Spain during the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century within the Context of Latin Europe

ABSTRACT The Escuela de Ingenieros Industriales de Barcelona (School of Industrial Engineers of Barcelona) (EIIB) was founded in 1851 within the context of a reorganisation of technical education in Spain. From 1867 to 1899 it was the only Industrial Engineering school in the country, which emphasises its relevance in the development and training of human capital for industry in this period. This article analyses the development of higher education in Industrial Engineering in Europe and Spain with a special focus on the EIIB. Furthermore, it analyses those teachers and students of the EIIB who played a relevant role in the gas industry in Spain in the second half of the nineteenth century. In order to conduct this research, we have consulted the bibliography on them and also their records in this institution’s archive.

“A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890

“A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890