Search Results for
"Higher education"

Grounded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), specifically addressing the urgent need to increase relevant skills for decent work (Target 4.4) while ensuring inclusive access and quality (Targets 4.3, 4.5, 4.c), this study develops a province-level indicator system for the “talent chain” and “industry chain” and integrates entropy-weighted composite evaluation, a coupling coordination model, correlation tests, and mismatch typology classification to systematically assess the alignment between higher education talent formation and industrial demand across 31 Chinese provinces during 2000–2022. The analysis aims to characterize China’s phase-specific progress in SDG4-consistent development at the education–industry interface and to provide a theoretical and empirical basis for improving graduate job matching. The results show that (1) overall talent–industry matching improved steadily from 2000 to 2022, yet pronounced regional disparities persist, with eastern provinces generally outperforming central and western regions; (2) educational quality and structural inputs—such as faculty capacity, per-student expenditure, and the composition of human capital—are the primary drivers of talent-chain performance, whereas expansion-oriented indicators exhibit limited marginal contributions, implying that sustainable graduate job matching hinges more on quality upgrading and supply-structure optimization than on quantitative expansion alone; (3) industry-chain advancement is jointly driven by industrial scale, structural upgrading, and employment absorptive capacity, with the tertiary sector playing a particularly prominent role in shaping demand for higher-skilled labor; and (4) a divergence in driving mechanisms—quality- and structure-oriented on the education side versus scale- and structure-oriented on the industry side—combined with regional heterogeneity produces stage-specific mismatch typologies, suggesting remaining scope for structural alignment between higher education systems and industrial upgrading. Overall, strengthening regional coordination, integration, quality, and upgrading drives synergistic development, advancing SDG 4 targets by validating that quality-driven education reform is the key lever for sustainable employment in China. © 2026 by the authors.

This study examines the effectiveness of the University–Government–Kindergarten Collaboration (UGK) model in training early childhood teacher candidates (TCs), using the education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework to assess its role in enhancing TCs’ competencies. Data were collected through a survey of 210 TCs and in-depth interviews with 12 participants. The findings indicate a structural imbalance in UGK: while university–kindergarten collaboration shows some effectiveness, the lack of governmental leadership weakens tripartite synergy. From an ESD perspective, although UGK fosters basic collaborative skills, it does not systematically develop higher-order ESD competencies such as systems thinking, normative awareness, critical thinking, and strategic action. By shifting the focus from institutional to student experience, this study offers a new analytical framework for teacher education models. It concludes that optimizing UGK requires stronger governmental coordination, deeper university–kindergarten cooperation, and explicit integration of ESD core competencies throughout the training system. © 2026 by the authors.

Purpose – Drawing the rationales from the sustainable career framework, and in the context of social cognitive career theory, the study examines how Science & Technology and Management graduates' career develop over time, illustrating diverse career patterns, their association with the professionals' gender diversity, career success, and self-employment. Design/methodology/approach – The present study utilised the LinkedIn database to extract the profiles of professionals working in Information Technology companies. The longitudinal data from 1, 161 graduates over a period of 10 years were used for optimal matching analysis (OMA). Findings – The results of OMA depicted four distinct career patterns, which are Related, Partly related, Related with career break and Unrelated sustainable career patterns. We find differences in gender among different career patterns. Furthermore, we observed that professionals characterised by Partly related and Unrelated patterns show more career success than Related career pattern, and for self-employment, we find an insignificant relationship. Research limitations/implications – The study enriches the literature on career sustainability by investigating occupational career patterns of graduates and highlighting the gender diversity perspective. It also discusses the significance of performance management in enhancing the productivity of professionals to achieve career success. Originality/value – The current study provides a novel perspective to sustainable career framework by empirical investigation of career patterns of the Science & Technology and Management graduates over the long term. The findings present practical insights to the organisations and higher education institutions to promote sustainable careers of professionals. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

The rapid transformation of the 21st-century labour market requires students to be highly psychologically adaptable, especially in dual education systems where academic and work-based learning occur simultaneously. This study examines resilience as a psychological and pedagogical protective factor among students in dual vocational education and dual higher education programmes. Using a quantitative research design with validated scales measuring resilience, motivation, satisfaction, and stress, the research investigates how individual and contextual factors influence students’ adaptability. The results showed that vocational education and training students exhibited greater resilience, greater learning satisfaction, and lower levels of stress than those in higher education. Regression analysis confirmed that resilience positively contributes to academic success, while supportive mentoring and a structured learning environment enhance emotional stability and motivation. The analysis highlights that autonomy and pressure to perform are associated with higher levels of stress in higher education, underscoring the critical role of mentorship and peer support in improving adaptability. These findings emphasise that resilience is not only an individual capacity, but also a pedagogical and organisational construct; its systematic development should be integrated into the dual education framework to support student well-being, learning effectiveness, and long-term professional adaptation. © 2025 by the authors.

Purpose – This study develops and validates a novel iterative competency development framework to address limitations in current education for sustainable development (ESD) models within professional learning contexts. It responds to the growing demand for sustainability competencies among mid-career professionals and the inadequacy of static, one-off ESD interventions. Design/methodology/approach – Anchored in Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this research adopts the structured–pragmatic–situational methodology to explore iterative learning processes in the post-baccalaureate program for carbon-zero sustainable development in Taiwan. Two rounds of focus group interviews (n = 14, n = 8) were conducted, followed by cross-case thematic synthesis. Findings – Findings demonstrate that sustainability competencies emerge through recursive cycles of experience, reflection, conceptual integration, and application. Key constructs – such as professional identity reconfiguration, sectoral reflexivity and the novel sequencing insight (the prioritization of theory before practice) – underscore the transformative potential of the iterative model. Participants developed strategic, systemic and anticipatory competencies through sustained engagement with real-world challenges. Originality/value – This study contributes a theoretically grounded and empirically tested framework for embedding sustainability competencies into professional education. The model bridges experiential learning with systems-based sustainability competencies and provides actionable guidance for higher education institutions aiming to deliver lifelong, adaptive, and transformative sustainability learning. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

This study explores the individual experiences and perspectives of pre-service teachers regarding the use of e-portfolio blogs during their academic studies. Additionally, it examines the long-term effects of maintaining and promoting e-portfolios after graduation. The students engaged in reflective learning through e-portfolios, using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle as a structured framework for their reflections. This study was conducted at a university in Malaysia and involved diploma-in-education students preparing to become teachers upon completing their program. Data collection occurred both during the study program and again one year after participants’ graduation. Through semi-structured interviews and an in-depth analysis of the e-portfolios of 15 participants, the study identified several key findings. Participants indicated that e-portfolio use extended beyond the classroom, supporting professional growth and strengthening their sense of professional identity. They emphasized that maintaining e-portfolios supported them in developing a clearer professional identity while simultaneously cultivating a credible online presence. Many also viewed their e-portfolio blogs as practical evidence to demonstrate competencies during career applications and interviews. This investigation highlights that e-portfolios offer a practical approach to support continuous and authentic assessment, thereby promoting lifelong learning and encouraging future career advancement. In contrast to traditional assessments, such as quizzes, written tests, or essays, typically administered at the end of a semester, e-portfolios support continual reflection, evaluation, and development. Despite completing formal study programs, e-portfolios remain an important tool. They help share knowledge and experiences through digital media among future teachers, supporting ongoing professional development. In this way, e-portfolio blogs enhance authentic assessment practices and offer practical responses to the challenges posed by AI-driven evaluation in higher education. © The Author(s) 2026.