Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide researchers, policymakers and practitioners with a state-of-the-art snapshot of the competence-based education and training (CBET) research domain by identifying its main research streams, as well as its dominant and under-explored research areas. Design/methodology/approach – We employed direct citation network analysis to examine the intellectual structure of CBET research and identify its main research streams across 1, 090 journal articles. To further explore the themes within these streams, we applied topic modelling with latent semantic analysis. Findings – CBET is a fragmented research domain, based on the citation relationships among articles and the diversity of journals in which they have been published. Its core consisted of 231 articles, from which three main research streams emerged: the Higher education Stream, the vocational and Professional education Stream, and the General education Stream. We present six dominant topics covered by the research streams and highlight the need for future studies that transcend educational levels. Originality/value – We employ novel methods to provide researchers, policymakers and practitioners with the first topical overview of CBET research. © 2025 Joonas Mannonen, Felipe Urrutia, Raija Hämäläinen, Roberto Araya, Sami Lehesvuori and Danial Hooshyar

Purpose: This study aims to look at the motives and dynamics of career choices in the socio-cultural values of the Bugis community. Career choice factors are rarely approached from the aspect of socio-cultural values. One indicator of extrinsic factors is socio-cultural values. Design/methodology/approach: This study is qualitative research. The subjects of this study consisted of 34 first-semester students at vocational higher education. The research method is in the form of qualitative research through documentation, observations and interviews. Documentation was carried out to collect data on the informant’s academic achievement and background. Observations were made to observe the informants’ behavior and learning habits while in class. Interviews were used to determine motives, influencing factors and the impact of informants’ career choices. Findings: The findings of this study indicate: (1) vocational higher education students in the Bugis community choose careers based on their own choices and other people’s choices or other people’s considerations (chosen); (2) the socio-cultural values of the Bugis community become an influential factor in the career choices of vocational higher education students in the Bugis community, both those who choose themselves and those who are elected and (3) for those who choose themselves, the socio-cultural values of the Bugis community become a factor that directly influences vocational higher education students. Originality/value: The socio-cultural values of the Bugis people are a factor that has an indirect influence on the career choice of vocational higher education students. © 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited.

This study examines the impact of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining Technical education Certificate Programs on recidivism rates among formerly incarcerated individuals. CNC is a vocational training program that focuses on machine operation, programming, maintenance, and quality control processes for CNC equipment, preparing participants for skilled employment utilizing computer software to make high precision parts for manufactures. Employing mixed-methods, this study utilizes data from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and data from surveys and focus groups with program participants. For the quantitative analyses, CNC participants rates of experiencing a subsequent charge, conviction, term of incarceration, and time until new charge were compared to a comparison group constructed through propensity score matching. While the quantitative analysis revealed no significant differences in recidivism between the groups, qualitative findings indicated several benefits to participating in the program. © The Author(s) 2025.

This paper offers a critical perspective on the relationship between academic disciplines and the development of professional identities in higher education by highlighting the legacies of classed and gendered histories embodied in practice. The analysis centres on nursing education which occupies a space within the academy that is fundamentally shaped by class and gender, which is considered in relation to disciplinary habitus and epistemic positioning. The disruption to nursing education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is used as an entry point into these debates, with data drawn from a qualitative study in North West England with participants recruited as final-year nursing students alongside professional stakeholders. Using a typology of how higher education students may be constructed, there was little evidence of a ‘consumer’ or ‘socialite’ orientation among the nursing students. Instead, they presented a hybrid construction of the ‘citizen-learner-worker’, with a sense of duty to care and who learns most ‘on the job’. This orientation to education and practice was favoured by the participants despite challenges to this amongst the professional community as expressed in the stakeholder interviews. If the learning that is most valued by students and newly qualified nurses is bound to gendered vocational histories, then there are implications for nursing educators and stakeholders to consider the challenges of these occupational cultures. More broadly, the paper provides insights into how the formation of educational/occupational identities is moulded by both epistemic and structural factors, thrown into sharp relief at a time of crisis. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This research addresses the significant potential for developing 21st-century learning media to enhance student work readiness in vocational education, particularly in the culinary arts. Many practitioners in this field lack awareness of the necessity and benefits of incorporating appropriate learning media to build essential skills for the modern workforce. Current recommendations often emphasize developing 21st-century skills but fail to integrate these concepts into practical, engaging learning experiences, resulting in low student motivation and suboptimal learning outcomes. This study conducts a qualitative analysis through document reviews, observations, interviews, and focus group discussions involving practitioners, lecturers, and students in vocational culinary education. The research identifies key specifications for AR-based learning media, emphasizing six parameters: interactivity, contextuality, real-time engagement, accurate work simulation, personalization, and collaboration. Additionally, four operational supports are deemed crucial: reliable internet access, universal smartphone ownership among students, partnerships with industry, and digital training for educators. The findings provide actionable recommendations for institutions, educators, and future researchers aiming to develop effective AR learning media. Such media can significantly enhance students' practical skills and work readiness by offering immersive, interactive, and contextually relevant learning experiences. The study highlights the critical role of integrating real-world simulations and personalized feedback to maintain high levels of student engagement and motivation. Ultimately, this research underscores the importance of aligning vocational education with the evolving demands of the culinary industry and the broader job market. By leveraging advanced learning technologies and fostering strong industry partnerships, educational institutions can better prepare their students for successful careers in the 21st century. The study's insights contribute to the ongoing discourse on improving vocational education outcomes and offer a clear roadmap for developing innovative learning solutions tailored to the needs of modern learners. © 2025 Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.

To help students reach their full potential, additional challenges beyond the standard curriculum may be necessary for some. In Dutch secondary vocational education, education for talented students is organized in two prevalent ways: through participation in honors programs that foster community building and through professional competitions. Given the apparent contradiction and potential tension between community building and competition, this research explores these concepts and their interplay to create optimal learning environments for talented students. A scoping review was conducted, analyzing 101 studies and identifying six overarching themes: Added Value, Characteristics & Conditions, Design & Development, Collaboration, Membership & the Role of Actors, and Enhanced Learning & the Role of Actors. Findings confirmed the benefits of both community building and competition in honors education. Despite a literature gap regarding their combination, this review provides insights into how these concepts can be merged to create enriching learning environments by synthesizing the themes. © The Author(s) 2025.

This comparative case study analysis explores higher education equity in South Africa and Australia, garnering insights from South Africa to inform the implementation of the Australian Universities Accord. This article identifies challenges and opportunities from South Africa that may assist with implementing the managed growth policy framework and needs-based funding model. Four insights were identified. First, Australia should embrace managed growth but minimise equity students’ tuition fees to reduce, not reproduce, inequality. Second, Australia could consider a nested equity approach to intersectional, compounding disadvantage to enable differential redistribution. Third, needs-based funding will provide the opportunity for a ‘fair chance for success’. Lastly, epistemic access, epistemic success, RPL as an equity tool, university and vocational education and training harmonisation and alternative equity student tuition debt arrangements could be explored. The article promotes an uncommon equity alliance between Australia and South Africa, offering a broader view of equity policy and funding options. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

A key question raised by the Australian Universities Accord is how the tertiary education system can enhance participation rates and align vocational education and training (VET) with the evolving needs of the labour market. However, the alignment between VET in Schools enrolments and local labour market needs remains unclear. This study investigates the alignment of VET in Schools offerings in Queensland, where participation is highest, with employment across all industries. We analysed the 10 qualifications accounting for over 50% of VET in Schools enrolments in 2022–2023, comparing enrolment data with industry workforce sizes and identifying sectors experiencing skills shortages. The findings reveal areas of significant misalignment, with high enrolments in areas such as fitness, where job opportunities are limited, while critical sectors like health care and social assistance face workforce shortages. We recommend shifting policy from broad educational attainment targets to strategic approaches that prioritise the relevance of qualifications. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This book explores the vocational education programmes of Hong Kong, programmes that are repeatedly noted for their excellence. The book traces the founding and development of the vocational Training Council of Hong Kong, which was set up in 1982 to offer sub-degree programmes in vocational and professional education and training. It shows how it transformed itself from an institution seen by industry, government and the public alike as not meeting the needs of Hong Kong to one that has spearheaded the development of this form of education in Hong Kong, including offering degree programmes in these areas through its Technological and Higher education Institute. Written by a leading scholar of vocational education with extensive experience of devising and implementing vocational education programmes, it offers this as a valuable resource to students and scholars of education, particularly in an Asian context, as well as of vocational and professional education and training. © 2025 David Lim.