Search Results for
"Vocational education"

The lack of uniformity in the concept of Project-Based Learning (PBL) causes confusion. PBL stimulates learning through real-world projects, central questions, collaboration, and support. This method shifts the focus from traditional instruction to active, student-centered learning. This research focuses on the development of Computational Thinking (CT) skills in vocational High School (VHS) using PBL. This research involved 116 students who were taking Computer Network and Telecommunications Engineering (CNTE) subjects from the competence of Computer and Network Engineering (CNE) expertise. The students collaborated in groups of 2-3 to create a project in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) using sensors and actuators. The project culminated in a final presentation where each group showcased the project design, implementation, and data analysis results. This study analyzes student responses using descriptive statistics and discusses the findings quantitatively and qualitatively. The results highlight the impact of integrating PBL into VHS, especially in improving students’ CT skills. This research emphasizes the need for teamwork, project management, abstraction skills, algorithmic skills, and generalization skills in the context of PBL. Overall, the implementation of PBL not only improves students’ technical and academic abilities but also equips them with project management skills essential for future challenges in both further education and professional careers. © (2025), (UIKTEN - Association for Information Communication Technology education and Science). All rights reserved.

This study explores the determinants affecting the efficacy of modern apprenticeship programmes within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the finance and commerce sectors of Zhejiang Province, China. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the research comprised a survey of 238 enterprise managers and educators associated with five higher vocational institutions, resulting in 214 valid responses. Additionally, ten enterprise mentors, nominated by Jiaxing vocational and Technical College, engaged in semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the critical roles of both internal and external collaboration, industry associations, institutional backing, and parental engagement in fostering the effectiveness of the modern apprenticeship framework. The study underscores the necessity for active participation from governmental bodies, educational institutions, industry associations, and enterprises in ensuring successful apprenticeship outcomes. Recommendations include reinforcing governmental policy support through targeted incentives, enhancing the influence of industry associations, advancing the development of enterprise mentors via specialised training programmes, and refining communication and coordination mechanisms. These measures are intended to strengthen the apprenticeship system, thereby elevating the quality of higher vocational education and aligning it more effectively with the economic requirements of local industries. © (2025), (Herald Academic Ltd and Organizational Ergonomics). All rights reserved.

This systematic review explores the challenges and facilitators encountered by students with a migrant background in accessing, participating in, and completing vocational education and Training programmes across Europe. It synthesises existing research to understand how VET can support the integration and social inclusion of this population. Based on 60 studies from 2003 to 2024, this paper identifies key findings revealing significant challenges in three critical areas: access, participation, and completion. Linguistic difficulties, discrimination, and the complex recognition of foreign qualifications emerge as primary obstacles, persisting despite various policy interventions. Additionally, employer reluctance and regional economic disparities hinder the effective inclusion of these students in VET programmes. Sociocultural and individual factors, such as limited social networks and social capital, exacerbate these educational and vocational challenges. In contrast, the study identifies key facilitators that enhance their participation in VET, including supportive institutional policies, inclusive legal frameworks, and targeted programmes integrating language learning with vocational training. The role of cultural integration, the development of hybrid identities, and the importance of comprehensive academic support, flexible curricula, and personalised guidance emerge as pivotal elements in promoting integration. Although VET holds significant potential to foster integration, the study concludes that more coherent and sustained efforts are required to address the multiple barriers faced by migrant students. These findings are pertinent to a global audience interested in equity and inclusion within educational systems, advocating for an inclusive and holistic approach to VET policies and practices to ensure the successful integration into European societies. © 2025 Educational Review.

The increasing demand for skilled professionals in technical fields such as Industrial Automation Engineering necessitates the implementation of effective teaching methods in vocational education. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an Integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Project-Based Learning (PBL) model in enhancing students’ competence and employability at SMK Negeri 1 Pariaman. Employing a quasi-experimental Nonequivalent Control Group Design, the research involved 60 students divided equally into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received instruction through the integrated STEM-PBL approach, while the control group followed conventional teaching methods. Data were collected using pre-and post-tests, as well as qualitative surveys and interviews, to assess students’ academic performance, learning engagement, and perceptions of the educational experience. The findings revealed that students exposed to the STEM-PBL model showed significant improvements in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, outperforming those in the control group. Additionally, qualitative data indicated that the STEM-PBL approach fostered greater student engagement, motivation, and the development of critical 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, which are essential for success in the industrial workforce. The study concludes that integrating STEM principles with project-based learning substantially enhances vocational students’ readiness for employment by providing both cognitive and non-cognitive competencies. It recommends broader implementation of this model within vocational institutions. Future research is encouraged to explore the integration of emerging technologies to further strengthen the impact of project-based learning in technical and vocational education settings. © 2025; Los autores.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Project-Based Cooperative Learning (PBCL) model in enhancing student learning outcomes in practical Electrical Installation courses, focusing on its impact on technical competence, problem-solving ability, teamwork, and engagement in vocational education. Conducted during the 2024/2025 academic year at Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Pekanbaru, Indonesia, the research employed a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design involving 47 Electrical Engineering students—25 in the experimental group receiving PBCL treatment and 22 in the control group following traditional instruction. The intervention lasted seven sessions, with data collected through pre-and post-tests, surveys, and interviews. Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in the experimental group’s post-test scores, while qualitative data indicated higher levels of engagement, motivation, and perceived skill development among PBCL participants. Data normality and homogeneity tests confirmed the validity of parametric analysis, and independent sample t-tests supported the statistical significance of the findings. The study concludes that PBCL is a pedagogically effective approach for improving learning outcomes in vocational education, particularly in technical fields requiring both practical and soft skills. The results advocate for broader implementation of PBCL in technical curricula and highlight the potential for future integration of technology-enhanced strategies to further support student learning. © 2025; Los autores.

In 2012, in a context of high youth unemployment and under the influence of the European Union, Spain, began adopting dual vocational education and training (VET), initiating a policy transfer process that culminated in 2022 with legislation establishing duality as a defining feature of the national VET system. This article analyses the discourses and justifications expressed by national actors, focusing on the expected benefits that supported the adoption of dual VET during this phase. This study employs a qualitative methodology combining document analysis and semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis to ensure a structured and rigorous approach. The research focuses on governmental, business, union, and educational actors, as well as foundations promoting dual VET, with data collected at the national level and in the autonomous communities of Andalusia and the Basque Country. The analysis identifies four main justifications for the adoption of dual VET in Spain, with the first two being the most widespread: (A) as a solution to the mismatch between qualifications and labour market demands, focusing on employers; (B) as a tool to improve youth employment and reduce unemployment, focusing on young people; (C) as a catalyst for training partnerships and systemic improvement; and (D) as a tool to reduce dropout rates. The two most widespread justifications (A and B) reflect international trends and the educationalisation of economic problems. Although actors cited Central European models, critics questioned their relevance, pointing to earlier national reforms, regional labour disparities, and stronger VET outcomes than university education. Justification C presented dual VET as a tool to foster collaboration and address underinvestment in public training infrastructure. Justification D, the least prominent, associated dual VET with reducing early school leaving, an idea supported by employers and foundations but not by unions. © 2025 Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The beauty industry’s diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for vocational students in making informed career choices. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Holland’s Career Theory in improving career decision-making among Beauty Studies students at SMK Negeri 3 Payakumbuh. Utilizing a quantitative, true-experimental posttest-only control design, 67 students were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received personalized career counseling using the RIASEC model, while the control group followed standard guidance. A career decision-making questionnaire, validated for the Indonesian vocational context through expert review, pilot testing, and reliability analysis (Cronbach’s α = 0,82), was used to measure post-intervention outcomes. Findings show that the experimental group scored significantly higher on the post-test (M = 89,45) compared to the control group (M = 77,82), with a high effect size (d = 0,77), confirming the intervention’s practical significance. These results underscore the value of aligning personality traits with career environments to facilitate more confident and informed career decisions. The study recommends adapting Holland’s theory across other vocational fields to test its versatility and suggests longitudinal research to evaluate the sustained effects on career satisfaction. Furthermore, by addressing societal stereotypes and offering a structured, theory-driven approach to career counseling, this research contributes to elevating vocational education as a pathway to meaningful and fulfilling careers, particularly in fields traditionally undervalued. Integrating Holland’s model into career counseling curricula can support students’ long-term career development and improve their transition into the workforce. © 2025; Los autores.

Problem-solving skills are critical for students in higher vocational colleges as they prepare for future careers and life challenges. However, cultivating problem-solving skills presents significant challenges. This study investigates the development of students’ problem-solving skills from the perspective of teachers in higher vocational colleges. Fifteen teachers participated in semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on the 3P model (Presage-Process-Product). Within this framework, the cultivation of problem-solving skills is conceptualized as a dynamic system comprising three interconnected stages. In the Presage stage, cognitive factors affect the effectiveness of skills development, while non-cognitive factors influence the developmental process. Teachers’ understanding and valuation of problem-solving skills are pivotal for their effective implementation. Moreover, environmental conditions also play a crucial role. In the Process stage, instructional design is guided by instructional objectives, and context-specific teaching methods combined with practical courses have been shown to enhance problem-solving skills more effectively. In the Product stage, teachers rated students’ problem-solving skills as ranging from moderate to below moderate, which they attributed to factors such as low student motivation, limited teacher proficiency, time constraints, and insufficient resources. These insights identify key areas for targeted improvements in the cultivation of problem-solving skills in higher vocational colleges. © 2025, University of Southern MIssissippi. All rights reserved.

Conceptualisations of the knowledge economy are highly contested. They range from descriptive accounts that associate it with a particular understanding of Post-fordism as well as with specific currents in Neo-liberalism that emphasise the salience of digitalisation and immaterial labour. In the case of the latter, there is a resonance with discussions of the fourth industrial revolution that address the changing nature of waged labour and its pedagogic requirements (Avis, 2021). Unger (2019), in a largely abstract account, provides a suggestive analysis of the knowledge economy that articulates with the previous conceptualisations. These overlapping constructions form a backdrop to the chapter whose specificity lies in its engagement with Higher vocational education (HIVE). The question the chapter poses serves as a provocation and is unanswerable given HIVE’s complexity. However, it enables an exploration of several issues: the relationship of the knowledge economy to STEM-ification, vocationalisation, employability and professionalism. These are set within a policy context in which there is an affinity between Post-fordist rhetoric and the knowledge economy which bear upon pedagogy, knowledge and critical practice. Importantly the issues the chapter addresses enable the problematisation of some of the tenets of the knowledge economy and the tensions graduates of VET/HIVE encounter when facing un-under-employment. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Seeking to understand which pedagogical theories support the initial training of special education teachers in Brazil, we analyze documents, based on historical-dialectical materialism. We examined 53 courses and 1101 subjects, categorized into: fundamentals of education; vocational training; field-specific; “Others”, their relations with the stages and modalities of basic education and with curricular knowledge. We observed that there is an emphasis on the understanding of teaching as an individualized process, which seeks to develop students’ skills and competencies. The absence of a theoretical basis and curricular content distances this formation from a schooling project and brings it closer to non-critical perspectives, such as the new and technical school. © 2025, Centro de Estudos Educacao e Sociedade - CEDES. All rights reserved.