Search Results for
"Vocational education"

This research focuses on Chinese vocational art students, employing a mixed methodology combining questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and social psychological observation to construct a multi-dimensional assessment framework for measuring sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship abilities. The study systematically examines the influence mechanisms and developmental pathways of social environmental factors on the formation of these abilities. Through analysis of 426 students from 8 vocational art institutions, the research reveals that vocational art students' sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship abilities exhibit a three-dimensional structure comprising cognitive abilities, behavioral skills, and psychological qualities. These dimensions are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, collectively forming an integrated system of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship capability.The findings indicate that the educational environment influences innovation and entrepreneurship abilities through three pathways: knowledge transfer, behavior shaping, and psychological construction, with practice platforms (direct effect=0.57) and mentor guidance (direct effect=0.49) showing the most significant impact. The vocational ecological environment functions through market driving, social capital, and professional identity mechanisms, with students from different professional fields showing significant differences in innovation and entrepreneurship abilities (F=44.37, p<0.001). Cultural values exert influence through value identification, identity construction, and social support, with reform openness demonstrating the most significant correlation with innovation and entrepreneurship ability (r=0.68).The research identifies three typical individual development profiles (explorers, integrators, and innovators) and their corresponding educational support systems, finding that social resource integration ability is a key success factor for sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship. Based on these findings, the study proposes the construction of a "three-dimensional integrated" ability development system and a "whole-environment, multi-stage, personalized" educational ecosystem, providing theoretical foundation and practical guidance for cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talent in vocational art education. © 2025 by author(s).

Introduction. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought about significant changes in both the economy and education. This study introduces a tailored self-design training model specific to Indonesia's industries for students. Aim. The present research aims to develop a learning model that is product-oriented and tailored to meet the needs of the industry. Additionally, it seeks to evaluate the model's effectiveness in enhancing the readiness of vocational high school (VHS) students. Methodology and research methods. The study employed various testing methods, including interviews, questionnaires, and practical performance assessments. Results and scientific novelty. The developed Industry-Integrated Self-Design Project Learning (i-SDPL) model integrates the learning experiences from VHSs with an industry component aimed at familiarising students with the professional environment of enterprises. This model emphasises student independence in the development and implementation of industry projects. The integration with industry within the model offers students access to the latest technologies and practical knowledge that may not always be available in an academic setting. The advantages of this model include active student participation in enterprise operations, training based on real products, and a comprehensive enhancement of both technical competencies and soft skills compared to traditional methods. The effectiveness of the i-SDPL model is evaluated based on three main competency aspects, each with clear indicators and criteria. The i-SDPL model has demonstrated its effectiveness in enhancing attitude, knowledge, and skills competency among 136 students across two trial implementations. Scientific novelty. An original i-SDPL model has been developed to ensure the integration of vocational education programmes with the specific needs of various industries. Practical significance. The widespread adoption of the i-SDPL model will further enhance partnerships between vocational education institutions and industry. The findings of this study are not only pertinent to the VHS system in Indonesia but can also serve as a valuable guide for vocational education institutions in other countries facing similar challenges. © Sudarsono B., Saputra W.N.E., Ghozali F.A.

vocational institutions are essential in shaping individuals who are skilled, adaptable, and capable of integrating into various industry sectors. These institutions provide comprehensive training programs that extend beyond conventional teaching methods, emphasizing practical applications and hands-on experiences. This study examines how Measurement Level and System Integration in vocational education impact work readiness. Data was collected from 55 students in engineering programs at Universitas Negeri Padang using questionnaire that measured perceptions of system integration and work readiness, including indicators such as knowledge proficiency and technology utilization. The analysis, using Pearson's correlation and SmartPLS, found a strong positive correlation (r = 0.828) between effective system integration and work readiness. This means that better system integration is linked to improved student readiness for the workforce. © (2025), (UIKTEN - Association for Information Communication Technology education and Science). All Rights Reserved.

Europe is facing significant challenges in education, particularly within the rapidly evolving field of Additive Manufacturing (AM). As industries increasingly demand skilled professionals to adopt this technology, it becomes crucial to tackle these educational challenges through forward-thinking strategies across borders. Addressing this gap will ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of technological innovation and is able to meet the growing demands of the AM sector, which is expected to revolutionize manufacturing processes across industries. In response to this urgent need, a consortium of six European organizations has proposed the AMTE@CH project. This innovative project aims to combine Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) about hands-on tools and vocational education and Training (VET) programs, creating a well-rounded training course tailored to the needs of Additive Manufacturing. By integrating both theoretical and practical learning modules, the project seeks to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world applications, offering a comprehensive learning experience. This paper delves into the design phase of the AMTE@CH project, showcasing the creative and engaging learning scenarios carefully crafted for diverse groups of trainees. Each scenario is designed to cater to varying skill levels and backgrounds, ensuring all participants have the necessary knowledge and practical skills. The MOOC has been validated in a pilot phase involving 30 trainers who assessed its effectiveness. Their feedback sheds light on the strengths of this training approach and areas for improvement, ultimately informing future iterations of the program and contributing to the advancement of education in Additive Manufacturing across Europe. The AMTE@CH project fosters collaboration among institutions in different European countries, enabling knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practices. This approach not only enriches the learning experience but also creates a network of professionals equipped to meet the future demands of the AM industry. By bridging the skills gap, the project aims to support the growth of a competitive workforce in Europe through technological innovation, ensuring long-term success and sustainability in the sector. Moreover, it supports the alignment of educational programs with the evolving needs of the global market, preparing learners for the challenges of tomorrow's economy. © 2025 IEEE.

Switzerland sought to reform its VET system by introducing a Recognition of Prior Learning process designed to help low-qualified workers gain formal qualifications. Policy makers believed it would improve labour market opportunities for participants, increase the proportion of the population with post-compulsory education, and alleviate the shortage of skilled workers. Unfortunately, participation levels have been significantly below expectations (Luomi-Messerer 2024; Maurer 2019). It is important to decipher the structural reasons behind these numbers rather than assuming low-qualified workers failed to take advantage of a process designed to help them improve their situation (Cort, Mariager-Anderson, and Thomsen 2018). This paper applies policy mobilities and assemblage theory (PMAT) to analyse the gap between political intentions and actual utilisation, as suggested by Lewis and Spratt (2024). The analysis reveals that while RPL is highly mobile, the characteristics that enhance its mobility are precisely those that generate friction with the institutional logic of the Swiss VET system and hinder institutional change. The assemblage analysis reconstructs the friction points between the two elements and their logics of action more precisely, highlighting why RPL implementation has not fulfilled expectations. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This paper examines how working-class vocational students in Turkey perceive their stigmatisation and relative failure within the education system. The findings reveal that these students experience deep disorientation, anxiety, and humiliation. While they exhibit partial awareness of structural constraints, they often internalise beliefs in individual agency and personal responsibility to explain their circumstances. Drawing on Ramsay’s concept of temporal displacement–originally developed in the context of forced migration–the study reinterprets educational marginalisation through a temporal and affective lens. It argues that Turkey’s integration into global capitalism, through economic liberalisation, labour deregulation, the privatisation of education, and the valorisation of individual responsibility, produces new forms of displacement and dispossession. These processes limit students’ prospects for social mobility and thrust them into a condition of uncertainty. At the same time, they erode collective moral frameworks and solidarities, replacing them with neoliberal ideals of grit, resilience, and self-blame. By illustrating how global capitalist transformations are lived and internalised in national and educational contexts, the study contributes to critical debates on vocational education and offers insights with relevance beyond the Turkish case. © 2025 The vocational Aspect of education Ltd.

Background: The integration of the 6E instructional model into STEM education, focusing on Health and Well-Being, has gained attention for its potential to enhance students’ computational thinking and self-efficacy. However, limited research exists on how this approach addresses gender-specific needs in vocational education, particularly in terms of reducing gender disparities in STEM skills. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the impact of integrating ‘6E-oriented STEM instruction on Health and Well-Being’ into an IT course on vocational high school students’ computational thinking abilities and self-efficacy. The research also investigated whether the curriculum differentially impacted male and female students, focusing on gender-related differences in these outcomes. Sample: The study involved 67 second-year vocational high school students in Taiwan. Design and Methods: A quasi-experimental design with pretest-post-test control groups was used. Data collection included computational thinking tests and self-efficacy questionnaires administered before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis, utilizing paired t-tests and ANCOVA, was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the intervention and examine gender differences. Results: Findings indicate that the ‘6E-oriented STEM instruction on Health and Well-Being’ significantly enhanced students’ computational thinking abilities and self-efficacy. The curriculum’s human care themes had a particularly positive effect on female students’ computational thinking and self-efficacy. Additionally, gender differences were observed, with female students benefiting more from the curriculum’s focus on real-world health issues. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the potential of the 6E instructional model to improve computational thinking and self-efficacy, particularly among female students. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this approach and its applicability in diverse educational contexts, as well as investigate how curriculum design can further address gender differences in STEM education. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) are gaining recognition as valuable educational tools. VR has been successfully applied in therapy, including treating phobias (Maples-Keller et al., Harv. Rev. Psychiatry, 2017) and pain management (Pourmand et al., Curr. Pain Headache Rep., 2018). It also supports inclusive learning by removing physical barriers and addressing diverse social and emotional needs (Hutson and McGinley, IJTES, 2023). Additionally, VR can teach life skills such as anxiety management, decision-making, and hazard recognition (Roberts-Yates and Silvera-Tawil, Int. J. Spec. Educ. 34, 197–210, 2019). However, its potential to address emotional and social challenges in education and the school-to-work transition remains underexplored (Nuryana, The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability, Springer, Cham, pp. 1–8, 2024). This study examines how VR supports social-emotional and motor development and facilitates the transition of students with disabilities from school to employment. Data were collected through VR-based self-awareness workshops at educational sites in Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Participants included 17 individuals: students (n = 7), special education teachers (n = 7), and vocational training specialists (n = 3). Selected results indicate that VR enhances student motivation and engagement across subjects. Teachers see VR as a powerful tool for adaptive and inclusive teaching aligned with Universal Design for Learning. However, successful implementation requires integrating both technical and pedagogical elements. While VR has great potential for inclusive education, low-threshold applications remain limited. Future efforts should focus on making VR more accessible and ensuring its effective long-term use in educational settings. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

A movement towards reduced grading practices has emerged internationally over the past few decades. Reduced grading refers to approaches aimed to limit the use and emphasis of grades in assessment, which has been shown to affect stakeholders differently and introduces unpredicted challenges (Normann et al., 2023). The movement has been embraced in various educational contexts; however, little is known about stakeholders’ perceptions of this shift away from grading. Analysing interviews with nine vocational teachers using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021a), this study explores dilemmas encountered by teachers when implementing reduced grading. The study conceptualises teachers’ ambivalence towards reduced grading as a dilemma and outlines (1) the dilemma of being faithful or truthful (i.e., adhering to policy vs. ensuring transparency for students) and (2) how navigating the faithful-truthful dilemma was stressful for teachers. The concept of being faithful encompasses teachers’ professional loyalty in the form of adhering to policies, whilst being truthful involves focusing their professional loyalty towards students’ assessment needs. Balancing the dilemma is not an easy task. Grappling with the ideals of being faithful or truthful may create challenges for teachers’ professional loyalty, potentially leading to new sources of stress among teachers of not being able to document students’ learning and defend final grade justifications. A discussion and the implications for research, practice and policy are provided. © The Author(s) 2025.

One of the tasks in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is gender equality. Gender equality in education includes fields that are predominantly carried out by men. This study aims to test whether the training method designed using materials typically dominated by men can improve the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) of female students in vocational high schools in semi-urban areas in Central Java province. The method used is a quantitative quasi-experimental design. The research participants consisted of 518 female vocational high school students. All participants completed a questionnaire measuring their ZPD in relation to the training materials. Subsequently, 32 female students were randomly selected from the 518 participants to join the experimental group. Thus, the training involved two groups of female students: There are 32 students in the experimental group and 486 students in the control group. The experimental group gained high-engagement training through hands-on experience with the laser engraver process. Meanwhile, the control group underwent training by watching videos on the laser engraver process. Based on this study, it was found that ZPD scores of the experimental group increased by M= -31.66 points, while the control group only experienced a ZPD increase of M= -20.93 points. Thus, it can be concluded that direct practice using a laser engraver is more effective in improving the zone of proximal development for female vocational students compared to watching videos about laser engraver usage. Hands-on experience resulted in a high level of student engagement. This study also found that female students can have high engagement when using equipment. Research with other tools that are more male-oriented could be conducted to further strengthen the findings of this study. © 2025 Jap Tji Beng et al.; published by UIKTEN. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License.