Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Purpose: vocational teachers' professional work builds on both vocational and teaching competence, requiring vocational teachers to balance multiple identities in their professional practice. As a professional group coming to education from different vocational disciplines, vocational teachers also have various educational backgrounds, teaching experience, or competence profiles. Nevertheless, teacher training programmes treat them as a homogeneous group. This study aims to identify competence profiles among vocational teachers in Sweden and analyse background factors associated with these competence profiles. Methods: Data was collected via an online survey, asking vocational teachers to respond to questions on how important they considered different competences to be for vocational teaching and rate to what extent they had achieved different competences. The sample included 280 vocational teachers from various disciplines. The survey data was analysed using k-means clustering. Results: Two main competence profiles emerged in the analyses. Profile 1 had mainly male vocational teachers with extended occupational experience and limited teaching experience. These teachers reported lower achieved competence in all areas compared to teachers in Profile 2. Profile 2 included mostly female vocational teachers with longer teaching experience and more limited occupational experience. A higher percentage of these teachers had teacher training, and they reported higher achieved competence in all areas. Several background factors were associated with these two competence profiles, but no relations of cause and effect were proved. Conclusion: The competence profiles rather highlight the differences and different learning needs among groups of vocational teachers, leading to the conclusion that vocational teachers in Profile 1 might need further or a different type of support in their professional development. © 2025, European Research Network vocational education and Training. All rights reserved.

Numerous meta-analysis studies have been undertaken on the topic of culturally embedded learning. Insufficient study has been undertaken on culturally integrated learning as a means to enhance reading abilities. The objective of this study is to assess and evaluate the impact of learning enriched by local culture on reading proficiency. This research was conducted using meta-analysis. The document search conducted using Google Scholar yielded 14 document papers published between 2019 and 2023. The research design included a contrast group with random effects model, incorporating a corrected effect size. The investigation employed Jeffreys’s Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) software to compute means aggregate errors, generate forest plots, and assess publication bias. The research reported a statistically significant difference (SE=2.091) between the groups that used local knowledge and standard methods in the learning process. The findings also indicated that incorporating local culture has a significant and favorable impact (with a p value of less than 0.05, namely 0.001) on reading proficiency. This demonstrates that incorporating local culture into the learning process is successful in enhancing students' reading proficiency. Therefore, this study recommends that teachers incorporate local culture as a subject in their teaching to enhance students' reading proficiency. © 2025, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.

This study addresses the critical issue of enhancing students’ integrated biology-technical-vocational skills, essential for career readiness, by investigating the predictive role of self-regulation within a career-oriented pedagogical framework. Self-regulation, encompassing decision-making, goal orientation, impulse control, and self-direction, is recognized as vital for both academic achievement and career preparedness. Despite its importance, there is a gap in the literature regarding its influence on the development of integrated skills. To bridge this gap, the study employs a quasi-experimental design, utilizing analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression on data from a representative sample. The findings reveal that self-regulation significantly predicts the acquisition of these integrated skills. The study concludes that enhancing self-regulation through targeted educational interventions is crucial for fostering students’ career-oriented skills. These insights contribute to educational psychology by highlighting the importance of self-regulation in skill development, offering practical implications for improving academic and vocational outcomes. Future research should further explore these relationships and their practical applications in educational settings. © 2025, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.

This study aims to determine the predominant motivation among users of the vocational training for employment (VTE) system and to discern whether there are differences according to socio-demographic traits such as gender, age, and employment status. Motivation is a factor that has to be taken into account during any teaching-learning process. The students' interest in the practice and contents will be key for their educational development and the attainment of achievements for their incorporation into the labor market. We carried out a quantitative study based on the survey technique. The sample is obtained through a deliberate sampling, obtaining a total of 390 participants (38.2% of men and 61.8%) involved in training processes at the time of the study or recently completed. The results reveal that the rates of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are high, especially the former. This indicates that users participate in training guided by the personal satisfaction they perceive, as well as by the feeling of usefulness of what they learn for its transfer to everyday life. © 2025, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.

We investigate how work-based versus school-based learning impacts students’ cognitive (numeracy, literacy) and non-cognitive outcomes (student motivation, engagement, academic self-concept, well-being) in vocational secondary education. To this end, we exploit longitudinal test score and survey data on a cohort of Belgian pupils. We rely on school-field-of-study fixed effects, (non-)cognitive test scores in the preceding grades, and detailed background characteristics to remove the bias resulting from self-selection into educational programmes. Within the technical track aimed at preparing students both for the labour market and further education, we find the effects of substituting school-based for work-based learning on both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes to be negative. Within the purely vocational track, by contrast, effects seem to be more mixed and to depend on the outcome and amount of workplace learning. These results are consistent with cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes being crucial mechanisms underlying the effects of work-based programmes on educational and labour market career outcomes. © 2025

This study utilizes data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, focusing on a sample of Chinese students, to investigate disparities in well-being (eudemonia and positive affect) between vocational and general high school students. Utilizing regression model, Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM), Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study examines the impact of school type while addressing endogeneity and testing robustness. Results of regression model indicate that general high school students report significantly lower eudemonia (β = -.181, p <.001) and positive affect (β = -.090, p <.001) compared to vocational high school students. The study employs CEM and IPW to address endogeneity and selection bias, and the findings remain robust. SEM further revealed that school type directly reduced well-being while highlighting competitiveness as a mediating factor, partially offsetting the negative impact of school type through positive indirect effects. Collectively, results underscore that general high school students experience diminished well-being relative to vocational peers, with systemic academic pressures and social dynamics contributing to these disparities. The findings advocate for holistic educational reforms prioritizing student well-being. © The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) and Springer Nature B.V. 2025.

Currently, information technology used in teaching and learning management is constantly evolving. Therefore, the development of vocational teachers’ artificial intelligence competencies (AIC) of vocational teachers using artificial intelligence (AI) for the design of learning activities using questions is to develop the ability to use information technology in teaching and learning management with an emphasis on the use of AI for education. Teachers in the college received practical training on the application of AI in teaching and learning management. In using AI, which creates knowledge and understanding for teachers, it can be applied in the design of learning activities. From allowing teachers to practice, this has a positive effect on the increase in AI skills of teachers from before attending the training. Overall, vocational teachers have a great level of AIC; the average score is 21.72 points and from the assessment of overall satisfaction at the highest level. The training content is suitable for the current situation. The knowledge gained can be used to benefit in organizing teaching activities. The speakers have interesting teaching techniques. © 2025, Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.

Despite substantial investments in higher education, many Kazakhstani graduates face challenges in securing employment due to a lack of essential job-related competencies. The predominant discipline-based learning approach in Kazakhstani universities often fails to cultivate autopedagogical competence—a critical skill for applying knowledge in real-world contexts and solving practical problems. This study aims to examine the impact of work-integrated curriculum (WIC) transformation on the development of student autopedagogical competence (SAC). A non-experimental quantitative research design was employed, utilizing survey techniques to collect data from a sample of 180 students in Kazakhstan. The sample was determined through random stratified sampling to ensure representativeness. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify relationships between dependent (autopedagogical competence), independent (WIC transformation), and moderating variables. The findings reveal that curriculum transformation has a significant and positive impact on the development of autopedagogical competencies. Students exposed to work-integrated learning (WIL) demonstrate stronger self-directed learning capabilities, enhancing their readiness for workforce integration and lifelong professional development. These insights highlight the necessity of innovative curriculum strategies to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical skill acquisition, offering valuable guidance for educators seeking to improve vocational education outcomes. © 2025, Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.

Background: The last twenty years, studies have examined ‘young workers’ occupational health and safety (OHS). Depending on the discipline, approach and methodology, they address youth OHS in different ways. This systematic narrative review aims to provide a deeper understanding of this research landscape. Objective: The first objective is to provide a systematic review of the literature on OHS of ‘young workers’. It consists of reviewing the literature by disciplines, approaches, methods, data and factors, and of focusing on studies that address the contextual and social aspects of OHS. The second objective is to consider the specific situation of apprentices. Methods: Searches were conducted in five scientific databases, supplemented by three resource platforms. The criteria of literature selection were: OHS of ‘young workers’ aged from 15–24; explicit link between work and health; publication between 2005 and 2022 in Europe, North America and Australia. Studies have been categorised. Results: 193 studies were included. The review shows the diversity of the population studied under the same heading and the predominance of medical studies, which favour epidemiological approaches and quantitative data. Other disciplines (e.g., psychology, educational sciences, social sciences), approaches (e.g., organisational, risk perception), data (e.g., interviews, observations) and methods (qualitative, mixed, longitudinal) are marginal. Individual and age-related factors are predominant. The impact of working conditions and social relations on OHS is rarely considered. Conclusion: Research on OHS through organisational context and social relations, particularly employment status, should be encouraged. This provides a deeper understanding of the constraints faced by ‘young workers’, especially apprentices. © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

This study investigates the impact of the Big Five personality traits on the employability of vocational education students, with a focus on the mediating role of internship attitudes. Data were collected from 550 students enrolled in 11 vocational colleges in Hebei Province, China, using a structured questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships among personality traits, internship attitudes, and employability. The findings reveal that personality traits significantly influence internship attitudes, which in turn affect employability. These results provide novel theoretical insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying internship persistence and practical recommendations for optimizing vocational education and enhancing school-enterprise collaboration to better meet students’ employability and career readiness needs. © 2025 Hu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.