Search Results for
"Vocational education"

This research aims to develop a microcontroller training kit to increase students' learning motivation in microcontroller education practices. The research follows a modified ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Coding, Testing and Validation, Implementation, and Evaluation) involving two experts in the field of educational media, microcontrollers, and 33 vocational education students. The validity test results show that this training device is well suited for curriculum integration, with high scores in technical features, durability, reliability, safety, and design. The average validity score was 0.83. In addition, the motivation assessment showed a significant increase in students' interest, active participation, persistence, learning satisfaction, engagement, and self-confidence. Thus, the development of the microcontroller training kit was proven to be effective in increasing students' motivation to learn. These findings suggest that such innovative and accessible tools can significantly increase engagement and participation in research and contribute to the advancement of educational technology by providing practical solutions that improve students' learning experience and motivation in technical disciplines. © 2025, Dr D. Pylarinos. All rights reserved.

The present study aimed to develop and validate a brief, two-factor scale assessing career decision-making in high school students. The scale captures the following two key dimensions: (1) access to resources and exploration of career options and (2) career choice self-efficacy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data from a sample of 778 Romanian high school students. The results supported a two-factor structure with good internal consistency and construct validity. Measurement invariance across gender revealed configural invariance, although metric and scalar invariance were not confirmed, suggesting potential differences in how male and female students interpret career decision constructs. No significant gender differences emerged in mean scores, yet students in technological educational tracks reported significantly greater access to career-related resources than their peers in theoretical and vocational profiles. These findings underscore the scale’s sensitivity to educational context and its potential utility in comparative studies and needs assessments. Future research should examine the scale’s predictive validity, longitudinal stability, and cross-cultural applicability. This tool offers a practical means to assess career decision-making processes and inform targeted interventions in educational and counselling settings. © 2025 by the authors.

This study addresses a critical gap in identifying the training needs of vocational education teachers implementing Jordan’s Business and Technology education Council (BTEC) curriculum, an internationally recognized framework designed to align pedagogical practices with labor market demands. The research aimed to assess training priorities across three core domains: Pedagogical Knowledge, Administrative Competence, and Skills & Abilities, while also examining potential demographic influences. Employing a descriptive survey design, the study utilized a 48-item questionnaire developed through expert review, pilot testing, and reliability validation (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). Data from 298 vocational teachers, selected via stratified random sampling, revealed uniformly high training needs (overall mean = 3.73), with Administrative Competence specifically audit adherence, occupational safety, and curriculum fidelity emerging as the highest priority (mean = 4.03). ANOVA results showed no statistically significant differences in training needs based on gender, qualifications, experience, or specialization (F [3,294] = 1.12, p > 0.05), indicating that these needs are systemic rather than group specific. The findings underscore the necessity of comprehensive professional development programs that target high-priority areas, particularly administrative and pedagogical competencies. Policy implications include revising national training frameworks, embedding context-specific modules into teacher preparation, and strengthening curriculum guidance on audit procedures and safety protocols. By systematically addressing these gaps, Jordan can enhance the quality of its vocational education system and better prepare students for workforce integration, offering a scalable model for competency-based education reform in similar global contexts. This research contributes actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and curriculum designers seeking to bridge the theory–practice divide in vocational education. © Authors.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a recommended method in vocational education, particularly for implementing the Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P3). However, learning that emphasizes character values aligned with the "Budaya Luhur Ajaran Tamansiswa" remains limited, and there has been a decline in soft skills among vocational graduates in the 21st century. This study explores the perceptions of educational and cultural practitioners and vocational teachers in implementing P3 using the PBL approach in Tamansiswa, Indonesia. A total of 12 key informants were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data from observations, interviews, and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were thematically analyzed using Nvivo 12 Plus software. The findings revealed three themes: planning, implementation, and evaluation. The PBL stages included problem analysis, project planning, coordination of execution, product creation and its progress, and evaluation of results while ensuring student engagement in Ngerti, Ngrasa, Ngalakoni. vocational learning emphasizes the balance of intellectual, emotional, creative, and physical development, reflected in the pillars of character to shape individuals who are independent, competitive in the workplace, and adaptive in modern society. © 2025, Hipatia Editorial. All rights reserved.

This study examines how different teaching methods influence vocational teachers’ perceived competence within Chinese vocational education. It focuses on instructional approaches including lecture-based instruction, project-based learning, simulation exercises, case-based learning, and experiential learning. The study also explores the mediating effects of teacher motivation and engagement in the relationship between teaching methods and teacher competence. A quantitative research design was employed, involving 275 vocational teachers in China who completed a structured questionnaire assessing perceptions of teaching methods, motivation, engagement, and competence. Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to analyze the data, guided by Self-Determination Theory and the job demands-resources model. Findings indicate that the use of diverse teaching methods positively and significantly impacts vocational teacher competence. Furthermore, both teacher motivation and engagement act as significant mediators in this relationship, with intrinsic motivation and high engagement enhancing the positive effects of varied instructional strategies on perceived competence. This study contributes to the existing literature by addressing a notable gap regarding the impact of teaching methods on teacher competence in the vocational education context of China. Its emphasis on the mediating roles of motivation and engagement offers new insights into the psychological and affective mechanisms that underpin vocational teacher effectiveness. The results have practical implications for educational policy, curriculum design, and professional development initiatives aimed at promoting teacher competence, thereby supporting the advancement of vocational education systems. © 2025, Duzce University, Faculty of education. All rights reserved.

This study explores the impact of principal competencies on the institutional excellence of vocational High Schools (VHS) in Indonesia through three mediating organizational pathways: information management, industry partnerships, and human resource development. Recognizing the unique dual mission of VHS to deliver both academic excellence and industry-relevant training, the research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which school leaders translate their competencies into improved institutional performance. A quantitative approach was employed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze responses from 217 VHS educators in West Java. The study confirms that principal competencies significantly influence school performance both directly and indirectly. Notably, 66.85% of the total effect is mediated by the three organizational pathways, with information management emerging as the strongest mediator (40.26%), followed by human resource development (35.42%) and industry partnerships (24.31%). The model exhibited substantial predictive power for school performance (R² = 0.724), highlighting the effectiveness of the identified pathways. The results also reveal that strong managerial competencies support the development of data-driven cultures and strategic human capital investment, while industry collaborations, though more challenging, offer the greatest marginal impact on performance outcomes. This research contributes to educational leadership theory by shifting focus from individual leader attributes to systemic leadership functions within vocational institutions. The validated multiple mediation model provides a practical and theoretical framework for designing leadership development programs that emphasize the capacity to build and sustain strategic organizational processes. Ultimately, this study underscores the necessity of integrated leadership strategies to advance the quality and relevance of vocational education in developing contexts. © 2025, Cises srl. All rights reserved.

This entry provides a detailed examination of the relationship between education and employment outcomes. It presents the conceptual framework which connects them and discusses the theories on their nexus, and is the first study to attempt this endeavor. Moreover, it analyzes the factors which influence the education–employment relationship, which the existing literature has not comprehensively addressed. In addition, this entry employs data from Eurostat which points to a beneficial role of education on employment, especially of tertiary education. The entry also highlights the role of factors such as the quality and relevance of education, the development of employability skills, the selection and matching processes in the labor market, and the broader economic and social contexts. Within this framework, policymakers should prioritize investments in education and training programs that align with labor market needs, promote both general and vocational skills development, and foster closer collaboration between educational institutions and employers. © 2025 by the authors.

Gaining insights from human capital theory, this study has examined the effect of determinants of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) on economic growth through the mediating role of human resource development (HRD). For data collection, questionnaires were administered to students of various technical education institutions in the five districts of Baluchistan, Pakistan. The statistical results obtained through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) for multivariate analysis support the entire hypotheses. The study proposes some suggestions to researchers and policymakers who are interested in determining the impact of TVET on economic growth through social inclusion indicators such as HRD. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.

In contemporary times, possessing digital competence encompasses not only access to information and communication technologies (ICT) and their utilization, but also the acquisition of suitable knowledge and skills related to them. When it comes to the digital competencies of educators, studies in this field regularly report on the available professional development opportunities, but less attention is given to the educators’ personal attitudes. In our viewpoint, the success of the digital competence development process greatly hinges on realistic and effective teacher self-reflection. Within this framework, digital competence could become an essential component of teacher self-evaluation and emerge as a genuine demand within the predominantly supply-driven professional development market. Based on this observation, we determined to approach 400 instructors teaching at agricultural vocational schools and encourage them to thoughtfully contemplate their own skills and attitudes through our questionnaire. The objective of this exploratory research was to examine the current state of digital competence and future development possibilities among educators, specifically within the context of agricultural education. Moreover, it aimed to identify the actual needs of teachers. The research findings indicate that teachers engaged in Hungarian agricultural vocational education expressed a more positive view of their digital competence than anticipated. Concurrently, infrastructure gaps and developmental directions came to light. Among the novel findings of our research is the fact that real self-reflection is an essential attribute of the teaching career and plays an important role in the development of competences. In this context, a key finding of the research is that respondents strongly expressed their need for subject-specific and didactically-based, thematic and free workshops/courses to learn about the functioning of new ICT tools and platforms and their classroom applications. © The Author(s) 2024.

Economic, social and environmental changes place high demands on teachers and teacher education. Consequently, teacher education is challenged to design curricula that respond to and anticipate changes. Curricula are value-driven and even though part of these values might be constant, the relative importance of values and the values themselves may also be subject to change since society is changing rapidly. In vocational education, responsive curriculum development refers to balancing the needs of students, workplaces and society. vocational education qualifies students for coping with unpredictable situations and complex problems in occupational practice. As in vocational education, teacher education also prepares students for unpredictability and complexity and thus, we adopt the concept of responsiveness from vocational education to explore teacher education. This study explores the concept of a responsive curriculum for teacher education using a qualitative approach. Interviews were conducted with the key actors, namely students and teacher educators, in the context of Dutch teacher education. An initial framework, consisting of three responsive dimensions and five designable elements, was used to guide the interviews and analyse the data. The data revealed 14 relevant themes to identify how a teacher education curriculum can be responsive to changes in society, to a variety of schools and to student diversity. The developed framework can serve as a conceptual frame to study the enactment of responsive curriculum designs. Also, it can support practitioners when designing responsive curricula. © 2024 The Author(s). The Curriculum Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Educational Research Association.