Search Results for
"Vocational education"

Smart mobility has emerged as a transformative enabler for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering technological and systemic solutions to pressing urban challenges such as congestion, environmental degradation, accessibility, and economic inclusion. Realizing this potential, however, depends not only on technological maturity but also on robust education and capacity-building frameworks. This paper addresses two critical gaps: the absence of a systematic review of structured academic curricula, vocational training programs, and professional development pathways dedicated to smart mobility, and the lack of a formal approach to demonstrate how structured, research-oriented education can effectively bridge theory and practice. The review examines a wide spectrum of initiatives, including academic programs, industry training, challenge-based competitions, and community-driven platforms. The analysis shows significant progress in Europe and North America but also reveals important gaps, particularly the limited availability of structured initiatives in the Global South, the underrepresentation of accessibility and inclusivity, and the insufficient integration of governance, ethical AI, policy, and cybersecurity. A case study of the AI for Smart Mobility course, developed using a design science methodology, illustrates how research-oriented education can be operationalized in practice. Since 2020, the course has engaged hundreds of students and professionals, with project dissemination through the AI4SM Medium hub attracting more than 20,000 views and 11,000 reads worldwide. The findings highlight both the progress made and the persistent gaps in smart mobility education, underscoring the need for wider geographic reach, stronger emphasis on inclusivity and governance, and structured approaches that effectively link theory with practice. © 2025 by the author.

This study examined how proactive personality, career decision-making self-efficacy, and social support influence career adaptability among higher vocational college students in Sichuan Province, China. Guided by Career Construction Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory, the research addressed a critical gap in understanding the interplay of individual traits and contextual factors in shaping career readiness within Chinese vocational education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 382 students selected through proportional stratified random sampling across four institutions. Validated instruments were used to measure each construct, and data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. The results showed that all three predictors were significantly and positively related to career adaptability: proactive personality (β = .24, p < .001), career decision-making self-efficacy (β = .23, p < .001), and social support (β = .37, p < .001). The full model accounted for 53% of the variance in career adaptability, with social support emerging as the strongest predictor. These findings reinforce the applicability of both Career Construction Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory in non-Western, collectivist contexts and underscore the combined developmental and environmental influences on vocational students’ career outcomes. Practically, the study highlights the need for integrated, student-centred interventions that strengthen proactive behaviours, enhance self-efficacy, and build supportive networks to promote adaptable and confident career transitions. ©Authors.

Due to their close connection to the working world, digital transformation is particularly important for vocational schools. To ensure the sustainable integration of digital media into everyday school life, a holistic school improvement approach is necessary. In this context, school leadership plays a key role as the initiator and driver of relevant development processes. This study first examines the current development state of the digital transformation in vocational schools in Switzerland. Building on this, it investigates whether there are relations between the digital status quo and innovative school leadership practices. The data were collected in spring 2023 and the sample consists of 320 school management members from 135 vocational schools. The findings indicate that the digital development status of vocational schools in Switzerland is generally assessed positively. Based on the assessments of their schools’ digital development status, three distinct profiles of school management members emerge: those perceiving their schools as digitally advanced, digitally average, or having digital development potential. Innovative leadership practices are more common among school management members who perceive their schools as more digitally advanced. The study also reveals differences between language regions and financial resources depending on the stage of digitalization-related development. The results highlight the crucial role of school leadership in promoting digital transformation. Finally, education policy measures—such as language-region-specific support programs—are discussed. © 2025 by the authors.

This paper focuses on students receiving vertically integrated vocational education and evaluates the impacts of long-duration vocational education (LDVE) on individuals’ vocational identity, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. Based on 1878 survey data, a logit model was used to analyze the influencing factors of students’ participation in the vertically integrated vocational education (VIVE) program, and the propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to measure the effects. Moreover, the comparison was made in different VIVE models to find the heterogeneity of effects. The results showed that family background and major significantly negatively affected the odds of an individual receiving VIVE. Merely extending the duration of vocational education does not significantly improve vocational identity, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results of the between-group difference analysis indicated that neither the secondary-to-higher VIVE model nor the higher-to-undergraduate VIVE model had a significant impact on individuals’ vocational identity, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. This research finding expands on the research achievements regarding the effects of LDVE. It can provide data references for the government and relevant institutions to pay attention to the quality and potential influence factors of LDVE. © 2025 by the author.

In response to the growing importance of vocational education for youth employability, this study examines students’ perceptions of dual vocational education and training (dVET) in Bulgaria, focusing on the following determinants of student loyalty (SL) and word-of-mouth communication (WOM) in the secondary education context: brand associations, brand relevance, brand image, image of dVET, service quality, and student satisfaction, based on previously validated scales adapted to the Bulgarian context. A structured questionnaire was administered to a target population of 608 students across nine vocational secondary schools in the Plovdiv region. A total of 507 usable surveys were collected from students in 11th and 12th grades who were actively participating in work-based learning. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the SmartPLS 4 software. The findings indicate that brand image is the strongest direct predictor of the image of dVET. Furthermore, student satisfaction stands out as the most influential antecedent of WOM. The indirect pathways from service quality to both SL and WOM, mediated by student satisfaction, underscore the pivotal role of satisfaction as a transmission mechanism. The study contributes to the limited empirical research on branding in dVET and offers insights for policymakers, school administrators, and employers seeking to improve the attractiveness of these pathways. © 2025 by the authors.

Residents’ consumption level is increasing, e-commerce vocational education has become an increasingly important field of education, how to realize customer value-added has become the focus of attention of e-commerce platforms. In this paper, we use the improved dynamic RFM customer segmentation model based on K-Means clustering to segment e-commerce consumers, to accurately portray the changes of e-commerce consumers’ loyalty and the transfer characteristics between e-commerce consumers’ groups, to achieve the identification of consumers’ online behavioral patterns. The RFM model classifies users into four categories: important value, general value, focus on development, and focus on retention. The important value users of Product B have high activity and contribution, but very low loyalty, which indicates that there may be group purchasing behaviors in this group, and the e-commerce operator of Product B can focus on serving this type of customers. After implementing the technique in teaching, the six dimensions of the experimental class C about teaching effectiveness are better than the other two classes, which shows that the technique provides a new perspective for the improvement of teaching effectiveness in e-commerce education. © 2025 Yi Yang and Qiang Li, published by Sciendo. Yi Yang and Qiang Li, published by Sciendo.

This study investigates the efficacy of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) integrated with elearning methodologies within the context of automotive vocational education at a state university in Indonesia. Employing Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM), we analyzed data collected from 80 undergraduate students enrolled in an automotive engineering program. These participants engaged in a comprehensive online learning ecosystem that included Learning Management Systems (LMSs), interactive digital tools, and virtual simulations. The findings indicate significant positive correlations among critical variables: student expectations had a substantial effect on both perceived quality (β = 0.82, p < 0.001) and perceived value (β = 0.76, p < 0.001), while perceived value notably influenced student satisfaction (β = 0.79, p < 0.001). Students reported heightened engagement with problem-solving activities (mean score of 4.2 out of 5.0) and enhancements in critical thinking skills (mean score of 4.1 out of 5.0) as a result of the integrated PBL-elearning approach. The model fit indices (RMSEA = 0.041, CFI = 0.993, SRMR = 0.047) further corroborate the effectiveness of the PBL and elearning combination in vocational education. These results suggest that the integration of PBL with elearning technologies significantly improves student learning outcomes and satisfaction within automotive vocational education, particularly in fostering practical problem-solving capabilities and technical skills. Future research endeavors should consider the application of this integrated approach across various vocational fields and examine its long-term effects on professional skill development. © 2025, Grand Canyon University. All rights reserved.

This study investigates the implementation of Project-Based Concern (PBC) to develop an English for Maritime coursebook (EMC) model for maritime aligned with Seafarers’ STSDD certification requirements. Following Gall et al (2007)’s model design, the research aims to create an interactive teaching material model suitable for a foundational English course tailored for seafarers. Twenty-five Seafarers and two experts were identified through questionnaires, interviews, and documentation, revealing ten thematic areas structured with twenty-seven subtopics. These thematic areas encompassed essential topics such as maritime communication, safety procedures, navigation, marine engineering, cargo operations, environmental awareness, cultural competence, legal aspects, health, and emergencies. Topics within these areas include theoretical knowledge, in-class exercises, and practical field assignments designed to enhance both individual and group learning experiences. These components were meticulously aligned with standards designed to enhance English language skills for maritime purposes among seafarers preparing for STSDD certification. The result of the EMC model, through PBC, tailored the guidelines to the unique contexts of maritime training. Effectiveness was assessed using the N-Gain Score, yielding a score of 0.86 (86.36%), indicating a significant improvement in language skills. The findings suggest that this PBC not only improves seafarers’ English for maritime language skills but also holds practical implications for onboard application. By incorporating PBC and specific materials, educators can optimize training programs to better equip seafarers for the linguistic demands of their roles and the requirements of STSDD certification exams. © 2025 by Authors, published by Studies in English Language and education.

The low levels of decision-making skills (DMS) and design thinking skills (DTS) among Industrial Design Engineering students in Bali hinder their readiness to meet industry demands. This problem is compounded by students’ low self-efficacy in making career decisions and their limited exposure to authentic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary training. This study aims to address these gaps by implementing and evaluating a transformative multicultural education model as an innovative strategy to enhance DMS and DTS. Employing an experimental research design, the study involved 64 vocational schools (SMK) across Bali, selected to represent diverse cultural and socio-economic contexts. Data were collected through validated structured questionnaires measuring DMS and DTS, followed by quantitative analysis using descriptive statistics and MANOVA. The findings reveal that the transformative multicultural learning model produced a statistically significant improvement in both skill domains, fostering not only technical creativity but also culturally responsive decision-making. The novelty of this research lies in its integration of multicultural perspectives directly into the design thinking framework— positioning cultural diversity as an active driver of creative problem-solving rather than a passive background element. Furthermore, the approach embeds real-world project simulations grounded in local cultural values, bridging the gap between academic preparation and industry expectations. This combination of cultural adaptation, critical thinking, and collaborative design creates a robust foundation for inclusive, future-ready learning environments. The results suggest that transformative multicultural education can serve as a scalable, culturally relevant model for preparing students to navigate complex, globalized work environments while retaining local identity. © 2025 by the author(s).

From vocational education to the labour-market: the impact of schoolbased or work-based practical training In vocational education (mbo), job-specific skills are (partly) taught in practice at a training company, known as vocational practical training (Beroepspraktijkvorming, BPV). The mbo system offers two learning pathways, which differ in terms of the scope of BPV. In the work-based learning pathway (bbl), the scope of BPV is much larger than in the school-based learning pathway (bol). Mbo graduates who have been trained via bbl are also more likely to stay at the training company after completing their studies. This article examines to what extent a successful transition from education to the labor market is related to BPV through bol or bbl and the opportunity to work at the training company after graduation. The study focuses on mbo graduates from the 2014/2015 academic year. Information is available on their labor market position one year and five years after graduation. We find that bbl graduates are in a better labor market position shortly after graduation than bol graduates. Five years after graduation, their position is still better, but the gap has decreased. We found no evidence that the better position of bbl graduates is due to them receiving more offers from their training companies to stay on after graduation. However, the relationship between an offer from the training company and early career outcomes differs between graduates of bbl and bol. For bbl graduates, an offer from the training company, especially if accepted, is associated with a better short-term labor market position. For bol graduates, an offer is associated with a better labor market position in the longer term. © Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam