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This article presents an assessment analysis of the learning outcomes of students with special needs in vocational schools. The limitations of teachers in using test instruments in learning assessments have an impact on the weak feedback on improving learning programs received by students with special needs. This study used a descriptive study method at vocational schools of SMK Negeri 1 and SMK Karsa Mulya Palangka Raya, Indonesia. The study results revealed that teachers in this vocational school had yet to use the category of children with special needs of light, medium, and severe in assessing the learning outcomes of students with special needs. The assessment is based only on the minimum standards set by the school. Then, the assessment pattern given by the teacher based on the minimum completion criteria makes the teacher's responsibility less than optimal in evaluating the learning outcomes of students with special needs, which is characterized by the lack of use of test instruments as an objective measuring tool in formative assessment.

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed a traditional classroom setting into an online classroom setting, including the teaching and learning process in the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context. The change influenced the students' motivational state. This study aimed to investigate the students' perception of the demotivating teaching strategies in ESP online learning classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and sixty-five students of the Faculty of Vocational Studies in an Indonesian public university participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire that reflected their perception of the least and most motivating teaching strategies. Their perception was rank-ordered to find the teaching strategies that were demotivating. The results showed that the students did not feel motivated when the teachers mentioned that mistakes were a natural part of learning. They also perceived giving challenging tasks, creating group work, inserting personal content into assignments, and offering a variety of material as demotivating practices in ESP online classes. The results are expected to provide a solution and modeling to improve students' motivational state through motivating teaching strategies in ESP classes, especially in a vocational education setting. Further research should elaborate and expand the studies using more variables since students' motivation is influenced by many factors.

Purpose: With the evolving demands of the global and Chinese economies, cultivating critical thinking and creativity has become imperative for social and economic development. However, contemporary educational practices have not kept pace with this essential need. This study examines the effects of project-based learning and project-based flipped classrooms on critical thinking and creativity in higher vocational colleges. Moreover, this research delves into the disparity and comparative analysis between the two approaches. Methodology: A between-group quasi-experimental study was designed. Data were collected from 120 respondents from one higher vocational college in Shanxi District using cluster sampling. The Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking test and District creativity test were used to collect data for further analysis. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and paired-sample t-test. Paired sample t-tests are employed to test the effects of two teaching methods, while ANCOVA is used to compare the discrepancy between the two methods. With the combination of paired sample t-test and ANCOVA, the more effective teaching method can be determined. Findings: The results indicated that project-based learning and flipped classrooms significantly affected critical thinking and creativity. Besides, the project-based flipped classrooms had a larger effect on critical thinking and creativity, proving to be a more effective teaching approach to transform the present curriculum pedagogy. Significance: This study theoretically integrates class activities into higher-order thinking skills and guides teachers and educators to cultivate talents in higher vocational education.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is undergoing an international and national improvement process in order to achieve internationalization, among others. To this end, it is necessary to optimize the EFL level of VET students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of English language anxiety, willingness to communicate in English, and self-efficacy in English on the academic performance in EFL among VET students. The sample consisted of 100 Spanish VET students (75% female-25% male) aged between 18 and 40 years old. Questionnaires on English language anxiety (FLCAS), willingness to communicate in English (WTC), and self-efficacy in English skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) were administered. In addition, academic grade was used to measure the performance in English. The proposed model received a satisfactory fit. The results show that English language anxiety significantly influences academic performance and has a medium effect on willingness to communicate in English. Practical implications for organizing English classes to improve English proficiency in VET are discussed.

Grade repetition is an issue with important educational implications. This study analyzes the effect of cognitive variables, socio-economic status, as well as the interaction of socioeconomic status with ethnic origin, on the probability of not repeating. Data were collected to calculate socioeconomic status using the Hollingshead Socioeconomic Index, and the following tests were administered to collect information on cognitive variables: the Primary Mental Aptitude Test (PMA), the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test, and the Wechsler Intelligence for Children Information Scale (WISC IV). The sample consisted of 664 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), Baccalaureate and intermediate and higher vocational training. The results confirm the predictive power of socioeconomic status. With regard to cognitive variables, significant results were only obtained when the WISC-IV Information Scale was taken as a predictor, this measure being related to crystallized intelligence. The influence of the origin of the students did not yield significant results. There is a clear need for a debate and a rethinking of the issue leading to the identification of new strategies to reduce grade repetition and its negative effects.

Universities switched from face-to-face to emergency distance education as a solution to the crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. This enabled face-to-face students to experience distance education. This study examined these experiences for tour guiding education. Distance education was available in tour guiding departments at a few Türkiye universities before the pandemic, and this was a discussion topic in academic. However, emergency distance education presented a dilemma for students: distance education or face-to-face education. Thus, the research includes students in the face-to-face tour guiding departments. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was employed to collect data using semi-structured interviews and an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that students preferred face-to-face education while being uncertain about the pros and cons of distance education. However, this decision should be underlined as not definitive. The study emphasizes that distance education is ineffective for tour guiding education due to the absence of practical courses, which are crucial for tour guiding, as well as effective communication. The study provides theoretical insights into the educational strategies used in tourism during crises and offers practical implications for enhancing distance education in higher education institutions.

Purpose: Countries with unique developmental paths and cultural lineages display significant variations in their out-of-school education systems. In this landscape, Belarus, a vestige of the disbanded Soviet Union, illustrates a distinct out-of-school education system, profoundly shaped by both Soviet and European Union countries' influences. A meticulous examination and scholarly investigation into the Belarusian out-of-school educational framework could enable a more profound comprehension of the metamorphosis and transitions in the out-of-school education systems of nations that surfaced following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This knowledge could subsequently render a more transparent understanding of the patterns guiding the evolution of global out-of-school educational systems. Design/Approach/Methods: This article focuses on out-of-school education in Belarus and discusses its development status and the following main characteristics: the dimensions of its historical development stage, legislative guarantee, essence and extension, training goals, and typical cases. Findings: Influenced by historical and geopolitical factors, Belarusian out-of-school education is found to embody the characteristics of both the Soviet Union and European countries. National resources are found to play an important role in the development of out-of-school education, effectively reducing the cost of education for families and shaping students' positive values. Originality/Value: This study analyzes both the history and the current situation of out-of-school education in Belarus and summarizes the country's successful experience in the development of out-of-school education. It can provide a positive point of reference for optimizing the public out-of-school education system in China and exert a positive influence on related educational reforms.

Preliminary research showed that the learning process could have been more optimal, and this led to the research to develop a TEFA Model with the PBL concept as a valid, practical, and effective method of improving the problem-solving and communication skills of Automotive Vocational Education students. The process involved using the Research and development approach through the application of 4D development procedures of Defining, Designing, Developing, and Disseminating. The study resulted in the TEFA-PBL model with seven learning syntaxes. The syntaxes were: (1) troubleshooting the problem, (2) organizing the order, (3) collaborative problem solving, (4) executing an order, (5) quality control, (6) presentation and discussion, and (7) assessment. Furthermore, scenarios were generated to guide the learning activities of lecturers and students directed towards achieving fundamental and global 21st-century automotive vocational skills such as good problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills. The syntax and scenarios of the learning model produced were feasible, valid, and practically applicable to produce graduates with ready-to-use and competitive skills. It, therefore, signifies that the TEFA-PBL model developed is an innovative solution to improve the quality of automotive vocational learning at different levels, especially universities, to produce graduates with ready-to-use and competitive skills.

This study investigates the relationship between academic procrastination, self-control, time management, and academic self-efficacy among vocational college students. Grounded in self-control theory, the study utilized convenience sampling to conduct an online survey of 994 students from vocational colleges in Henan Province, China. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis were performed on the data using SPSS. The data revealed that self-control has a negative and significant impact on academic procrastination; time management plays a partial mediating role between self-control and academic procrastination; academic self-efficacy can play a partial mediating role between self-control and academic procrastination; time management and academic self-efficacy play a chain mediating role between self-control and academic procrastination.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers can improve teaching and wider school practices. However, within developing country contexts, research on the CPD practices of vocational teachers remains limited. This study therefore investigated the CPD practices of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers in Kenya, focusing on the content, outcomes and effectiveness of their CPD practices. Adopting a questionnaire survey approach, data was collected from 170 TVET teachers drawn from six TVET institutes in Kenya's Nairobi Metropolitan Area. TVET teachers in Kenya were found to more frequently focus their CPD on subject content knowledge and less frequently on pedagogical knowledge. Their CPD activities are not always effective as the CPD activities often do not involve active learning and collaboration, and are not always of sufficient duration. Cluster analysis showed that for some teachers, CPD activities are rarely effective and result in limited impact on practice. However, Initial Teacher Education was found to encourage teachers to focus on broader content and to adopt more effective CPD practices. To improve the effectiveness of TVET teacher CPD practices in Kenya, it is recommended that TVET teachers in Kenya are supported to adopt active and collaborative learning activities that are spread over extended time durations.

Context: For many businesses, one of the key indicators in their management is the adaptation of Information Technology in their operations. In Kenya, there has been a phenomenal growth in access to mobile phones, by June 2023, over 66 million mobile phones were connected to various telecommunication operators of which 58.3% were smart phones constituting 67.1% of internet connections. There are many digital technologies which can be adapted to facilitate the processing, dissemination, and access of information. The modern world has become competitive due to the uptake of Information Technology as one of the main business management skill, with the availability of smart phones and many applications that are easily available and easy to use. One of the main beneficiaries of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is the Jua Kali artisans who are a key player in the Kenyan economy. Entrepreneurial competencies help the growth of businesses along the dimension of innovation. Kenya intends to entrench the use of Information Technology for public service delivery, business, skills, and innovation. The Jua Kali sector cannot be ignored, it contributes more than 80% of the total employment in Kenya. Approach: This research was carried out in the Eastlands of Nairobi, Kenya. Data were collected using a questionnaire, an interview and observation schedule. The study used an interview schedule to collect data from Jua Kali artisans carrying out their artisan businesses in the Eastlands of Nairobi and a questionnaire survey to collect data from a sample of identified Nairobi residents who had engaged an artisan to work for them six months prior to the research. Findings: The research established that most Jua Kali artisans acquired their skills in the Jua Kali sector by apprenticeship (86.3%) while a small percentage (12.7%) trained in Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions while a further one percent were trained by their former employers. Most of the artisans had attained the basic formal education qualifications i.e. primary education (27.9%) and secondary education (47.6%). The Chi-square (?²) test was used to test the relationship between use of the basic social media digital platforms in business management and the formal education attained by artisans owning artisan businesses. Conclusion: At 0.05 level of significance (a) the research established that there is a significant relationship between the adaptation of digital platforms in business management and the formal education attained by the artisans.

Purpose: During the last decade, new continuing learning pathways have been designed and implemented in the Dutch Vocational Education and Training (VET) column aiming to foster students' transitions between successive educational levels. Prototypical examples of such continuing learning pathways are the Green Lyceum (GL) and the Technical Talent Development programme (TTD). In the present exploratory study, GL and TTD were compared in terms of curriculum design aspects and students' acquired VET diplomas and transitions to higher VET levels. Methods: Ten curriculum design aspects of GL and TTD were described through curriculum description forms and focus group discussions to be able to determine similarities and differences between both learning trajectories. Moreover, acquisition of VET diplomas and transitions to higher VET levels of students from both programmes were compared. Findings: The ultimate goal of GL was to promote student transitions to higher professional bachelor (HBO) programmes while TTD mainly intended to increase student numbers in the technical domain at the secondary VET level. For GL, a new and integrated VET curriculum was built with specific ingredients to prepare students for the HBO level. For TTD, the contents of the regular VET programmes were roof tile stacked in an accelerated curriculum with a stronger focus on vocation-oriented assignments in the technical domain. Conclusion: If the ultimate goal of a continuing learning pathway is to promote students' transitions to higher VET levels, curriculum design aspects as represented in GL seem more effective. However, if the focus is on promoting students' diploma acquisition at lower VET levels for specific sectors, curriculum design aspects as represented in TTD seem more effective.

Purpose: This paper presents a qualitative systematic review of Swedish research on vocational education and training (VET) at the upper secondary school level over the past 20 years. The review is based on a theoretical model on curriculum making as social practice that may serve as model for comparative studies between countries. By introducing the model, the ambition is to open for new perspectives on VET curriculum in policy and practice. Questions regarding key themes and the interplay of discourses and processes across multiple sites in the education system have not been addressed in previous systematic reviews of Swedish VET research. Methods: The methodological approach in the present paper is a qualitative systematic research review with an integrative and interpretative purpose and research design. The qualitative review is based on the conceptual model of curriculum making as social practice, seeking to capture the inherent complexity and porous boundaries of education systems and movements of ideas, discourses and actors between sites of activity. The model is used for mapping the research, and a content analysis for identifying main themes and emphases and exploring and discussing the potential gaps that may inform future international research studies. Findings: The results show that the research is focused on the micro and nano sites of curriculum making, with connections to macro site activities of national curriculum policy enactment. Research focusing on the macro site of activity has an emphasis on national policy and policymaking regarding the relationship between academic and vocational knowledge/programmes and apprenticeship and employability. In the micro and nano sites of activity -- which comprise the majority of the research -- the main themes are vocational knowing and identity, teaching, learning and assessment practices and work-based learning. Conclusion: An observation is the absence of principals and middle leaders as actors and informants in the studies. There is little evidence of actors moving between sites of activity and the meso site of activity only comprise a very small part of the research. In this respect, there is a potential gap to be explored, not least regarding how local curricula and syllabi are made and shaped in terms of the influence of representatives from local authorities, companies, trade unions, employer associations, universities and regional agencies. Curriculum making as social practice has the potential to be used for comparative international studies and as a framework that takes national differences in VET education systems into account.

Purpose: A novel, Project- and Collaborative Learning-based educational method is proposed, implemented and evaluated in this paper. The aim is to exploit hands-on laboratory modules in Vocational Education in order to experientially introduce students to green, ecofriendly practices and the principles of sustainability and circular economy. Besides their apparent individual and social benefits, such knowledge and skills are also expected to raise qualifications and employability of Vocational Education graduates. Methods: The proposed method is tested through a quasi-experimental methodology, via an educational intervention with a class of Vocational Lyceum students, in the field of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The learning content focuses on the reclaiming and reuse of operational components from damaged electrical/electronic equipment at end-of-life stage. Through repeated Analysis and Synthesis phases, students learn to extract, measure, classify and reuse operational components either to repair similar equipment or to design and construct novel devices. Results: Evaluation is carried out via closed and open type activities as well as by observation sheets of the teacher. Learning outcomes are evaluated through knowledge post-tests of the closed type while social/emotional outcomes are evaluated through questionnaires. Evaluation results indicate that the proposed method does produce cognitive and social/emotional skills gains for the students. The development of metacognitive skills and the stimulation of imagination and innovative thinking in the students is also observed by the teacher, but not formally evaluated due to practical constraints. Conclusions: The proposed method is implemented and pilot-tested with positive results both as to the cognitive and as to the social/emotional domain -- yet, these results are of an indicative value, due to the limited scale of the educational intervention. Future research is necessary in order to evaluate the proposed method in extent and possibly compare results across education grades or engineering fields, as the method is generic enough to be easily adaptable for different ages/grades and engineering/technical fields of study.

The objective of this study was to develop a measure that possesses both reliability and validity in order to evaluate innovative thinking within the realm of education. To achieve this, the instrument's validity and reliability were evaluated through quantitative methods in two distinct phases. A team of educational experts conducted the process of establishing content validity and ensuring that the items on the instrument accurately reflected the intended constructs of creative thinking. Following that, the assessment of concept validity was conducted using confirmatory factor analyses. The aforementioned investigations resulted in the discovery of a five-factor solution consisting of 25 elements, all of which demonstrated scores beyond the crucial threshold. This successful outcome confirmed the presence of distinct factors representing different dimensions of innovative thinking. The study enrolled 1250 students from vocational education institutions as participants. The data obtained from the participants was subjected to principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, leading to the development of a model that exhibited a good match with the empirical data. This indicated the effectiveness of the developed instrument in measuring innovative thinking capacity. In conclusion, the research effectively developed an accurate and dependable tool for evaluating innovative thinking in the realm of education. The gathering of positive data from the participants and meticulous quantitative analyses were responsible for this.

This study aims to explore whether the creativity of university students in Higher Vocational Education in China can enhance their creative performance through autonomous motivation. The theoretical foundation of this study is interactionist model of creativity, the study employs structural equation modeling for analysis and validation. A survey assessing creativity, creative performance, and autonomous motivation was administered to students from higher vocational schools in China, yielding a valid sample of 392. The overall model results indicate that the creativity of vocational college students has a significant positive impact on creative performance, creativity positively predicted autonomous motivation, which enhanced creative performance. The autonomous motivation partially mediates the relationship between creativity and creative performance. The findings recommend that higher vocational institutions initiate creative activities to foster students' creativity and continuously bolster their autonomous motivation, thus enhancing the creative performance of future technical and skilled professionals -- vocational college students.

This study was conducted through a mixed-methods approach to determine whether implementing online collaborative learning (OCL) strategies in English-speaking classes had an effect on developing English-speaking skills and exploring the opinions of Myanmar migrant students in Thailand. A purposive sample group of 20 participants was chosen from the estimated 250 enrollments in the third semester of 2023 at the Bawaalin Myanmar Vocational Training Center in Thailand. The sample group was taught through OCL settings for a month. Its effectiveness was assessed using the three data collection instruments. The quantitative data acquired from English-speaking skills tests were evaluated using a paired sample t-test based on the mean, standard deviation, and significant value. The examination of the English-speaking skills test score revealed a significant mean difference of 14.14 (35.34%) between the pretest mean ([mu] = 13.50) and the posttest mean ([mu] = 27.64). The significance value was 0.000. The students' opinion questionnaires had a result of [alpha].90, indicating the excellent level of their opinions toward the method. The qualitative data obtained from a one-on-one student's opinion interview revealed that online collaborative learning has a positive impact on the overall opinions of Myanmar migrant students. The findings demonstrated that the English-speaking skills of Myanmar migrant students were developed, and their opinions toward the applied method were also at a high level. Therefore, online collaborative learning was strongly recommended for making a choice forteaching all subjects and skills in order to attain similar goals.

The study's purpose was to describe the competence in well-being at work of social and health care educators and the factors influencing it. Cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a questionnaire from social and health care educators (n=243) working at ten randomly selected educational organizations. K-means clustering was used to identify three distinct educator profiles. Educators belonging to profiles 1 and 2 exhibited low competence in managing work wellbeing. All profiles exhibited intermediate competence in promoting work wellbeing. Competence in appreciating the work of educators was either intermediate or high in all three profiles. Managers working in educational organizations need to ensure and support educators' well-being.

Purpose: The study investigated the possibility of establishing concurrent vocational education and training through microlearning platforms by assessing whether universities in Garowe had the minimum basic facilities to establish such programmes, whether academic staff were aware of the state of vocational education, its importance, the rate of unemployment in Garowe and Puntland in general, and whether university professionals were willing to establish these training programmes as concurrent options. Method: It was a survey study of a qualitative approach and data was collected using an inventory checklist of institutions capacity, a close ended questionnaire to academic staff on their general perception of vocational education and training, and detailed interviews of both academic and administrative staff purposively selected at higher education institutions in Garowe to find out their willingness as stakeholders to adopt vocational training at higher education using microlearning approaches. Findings: Universities in Garowe Puntland have the basic minimum facilities to establish microlearning oriented platforms although respondents emphasise that it should be supplemented with some physical practical sessions and modules. It is evident that introducing vocational education at higher education is one of the solutions to the unending graduate unemployment. However just like some respondents recommend, micro-learning for vocational education should be supplemented with some physical practical sessions and modules, hence a kind of blended approach. The study also found that there is hardly any career guidance done at the secondary school level and this affects choice of professional careers as students transition from secondary to tertiary education. Conclusions: It is evident from findings that the attitude towards vocational education in Puntland has not been good, although with awareness and given the increased rate of graduate unemployment, the attitude can also be changed gradually. The study recommends a needs assessment before establishing certain training programmes to avoid the recurring challenges of mismatch between training programmes and the labour needs plus a need to intensify their international and regional collaborations with more experienced organisations and institutions. There is need for a curriculum review process of the existing university curriculum to accommodate the vocational concurrent programmes. [Note: The publication year (2022) shown in the citation on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year is 2024.]

Context: Faced with deep challenges with access to formal education, many West African countries are increasingly taking steps to reform their informal apprenticeship systems to make them a quality skills development alternative for their teeming youth. A review of the literature shows that although different countries in the region are deploying different reform strategies, what is emerging as a dominant reform model is the "dual training model" (DTM), a collaborative arrangement in which the task of training apprentices is shared between informal trainers (master craftspersons, under their respective trade associations) and formal vocational training institutions (FVTIs). This paper presents an outcome-process evaluation of a DTM-based apprenticeship reform programme piloted in Ghana. Methods: Designed as a case study, the paper adopts an interpretivist approach, relying on diverse sources of data, both secondary and primary. Secondary data includes journal articles, attendance registers of participants, memorandums of understanding, relevant media reports, websites, and official reports by all relevant actors. The primary data originated from in-depth interviews with fourteen (14) key informants, as well as from overt and covert observations of respondents. Results: At the outcome level, the paper shows that the programme has largely failed in transferring new skills or in changing dominant poor practices among trainees, foundational objectives of the programme. At the process level, the paper revealed deep flaws in implementation; these are discussed in detail in an attempt to clarify the programme outcomes. Conclusion: The paper concludes that although the dual training model remains a potentially viable reform model in informal apprenticeships, its success ultimately depends on the quality of implementation, which in turn depends on the strength and quality of inter-stakeholder collaboration in programme design and implementation.

In this study I examine the academic self-concept (ASC) of students who changed from vocational to academic tracking at the transition to upper secondary education in Germany. I ask (1) how their ASC differs to the ASC of their established peers in academic tracking, and (2) how their ASC is affected by the change in the learning environment. Using a subsample of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; N = 4109), findings show that newcomers to academic tracking have a stronger ASC than their peers. However, social differences between the social milieu of origin and the one prevailing at school significantly reduce the ASC. These differences are interpreted as being social-habitual and tested via socioeconomic status, cultural capital, and parental solidarity expectations at the school level. Results differ according to immigrant origin; immigrant newcomers to academic tracking have higher ASC than their established peers, and context effects are more influential. I complement previous research by using a quantitative approach to test the theoretical mechanisms of a qualitative research perspective on upward mobility.

Purpose: The article focuses on the contribution of didactics and didactic theory as a distinct strand in research on vocational education and training (VET). Empirical research is reviewed to further explore what characterizes vocational didactics in the Swedish context of Upper Secondary VET. Approach: Semi-structured and flexible review methodology was used to identify didactic research and map its emergent features. An analytic framework was constructed for this purpose and used iteratively throughout the review process. The framework expresses the constitutive simultaneous interdependence of the relationships A-B-C. They refer to A) the ways of how the actors engage with the content as meaning and matter or relationship between the actors and the content, B) the relationship between the actors and the method through interaction with the content, and C) relationship between the methods embedded in work tasks and school assignments and how they underpin the content. A total of 26 sources was identified and thematized as school-based vocational didactics, collaborative vocational didactics, and work-based vocational didactics. Findings: Four distinct features of vocational didactics in Upper Secondary Vocational Education and Training (USVET) are outlined: 1) Diversification of the use of simulation as a method in school-based education pointing to vocational knowledge and skills 2) broadening of instruction (and reflection) as a method by inclusion of several parties (e.g., supervisors, workplace staff, instructors-practitioners), 3) work tasks as a method pointing to vocational knowledge and skills as content, 4) interaction between several parties using verbal and non-verbal means. Despite a growing interest in the importance of work tasks in their dual affordance of meaning and matter, few sources deal with students' learning processes in alignment with the logic of the production of goods and services. Conclusion: The analytic framework we have put forth strengthens the conceptual boundaries of vocational didactics from a point of view of profession-related learning objectives (content), actors, and methods involved. Applying the didactic theories to review empirical research on VET strengthens the integrity of vocational didactics as a particular field.

Context: Recent research on students' experiences with the quality of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the challenge to the development of online learning. During the pandemic, anxiety, depression, and fatigue occurred in online studies, which also weakened students' well-being. In this quantitative study, we examined how students thrive in synchronous and asynchronous online implementations. The goal of the research was to support students' well-being in online studies; therefore, the study uses the PERMA well-being theory. Approach: Finnish vocational education and training students (N = 363) participated in the study and answered the questions on positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment from both asynchronous and synchronous online delivery perspectives using a questionnaire. Findings: This study highlighted the importance of the teacher's online learning facilitation skills and task design skills, and the emotions generated in an online course. Based on the results, the respondents were divided into three student profiles: (1) Students thriving in online courses in general; (2) Students thriving, especially in asynchronous online courses; and (3) Students not thriving in online courses in general. Conclusions: According to the findings, students need different options for completing online courses. The role of the teacher in creating a positive and supportive atmosphere, fostering relationships, and creating clear work-related and versatile tasks is of great importance in the generation of emotions, whether it is an asynchronous or synchronous online implementation.

Vocational education and training teachers play an integral role in ensuring students, both international and domestic, gain quality learning experiences and positive outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic caused rapid changes and abruptly shifted vocational education from face-to-face teaching to teaching at a distance. This study aims to investigate vocational education and training teachers' experiences during and post COVID-19. A systematic review and analysis of 26 publications, published between 2019 and 2022 in English-language peer-reviewed journals, revealed areas that were underexamined and warranted deeper exploration, including the impacts on pedagogy and recognition of the precarity under which many vocational teachers work. Such challenges impact students and teachers economically and mentally. Investigation of teacher experiences can aid management and policymakers to respond to the uncertainties of the post-pandemic world as it provides us with critical moments to rethink the management of professional development and support for teachers to be able to provide equitable opportunities to students' differentiated needs.

Recent research has shown a growing interest in myths about teaching and learning and their prevalence among different populations. However, little is known about the extent to which these myths are prevalent among high school students. Future research must focus on methods that best support dispelling these myths to promote high school students in terms of knowledge security, recognition of fake news, and critical thinking, to foster their acquisition of competencies and to implement conceptual change. In the field of natural sciences, studies have shown that the use of learning videos can be an effective method to provoke conceptual change. For this purpose, two versions of a digital learning video (interactive [N = 36] vs. not interactive [N = 35]) have been developed to help high school students overcome five common and widely distributed myths (e.g., the learning style myth). The aim of our study was to analyze whether educational videos in an educational psychology context, in this case, neuromyths, can also lead to conceptual change. Furthermore, we wanted to know what role the degree of interactivity of the learning video plays in this. Results reveal that the interventions lead to a reduction of beliefs in myths, but only for those myths that were presented within the interventions. Results also reveal that the interactivity of the video did not make a difference in whether students believed in myths or not.

Chronic absenteeism is a symptom of a lack of student engagement. Many students feel that schools are not welcoming places and that what they learn in the classroom is not applicable in the real world. Schools like Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (the Met) in Rhode Island offer an alternative to educating high school students that taps into their need for connection to adults and the world outside the classroom. The Met is the first school founded by Big Picture Learning, which has grown into a network of public schools across the country and internationally. Its interest-based learning approach gives students opportunities to explore internships and projects based on their interests and passions. The students devote two days a week to internships during the school year.

Demand for engineering-interested and proficient high school graduates continues to grow across the nation. However, there remains a severe gap in college participation and employment in engineering fields for students with learning disabilities (SWLDs). One potential way to encourage SWLDs to consider engineering as a profession and promote the development of key science attitudes may be through engineering and technology career and technical education (E-CTE) coursework. In this study, we address the following research questions: Do SWLDs take E-CTE courses in the early years of high school at different rates compared to students without learning disabilities? What is the relationship between early E-CTE coursetaking and science attitudes (self-efficacy, utility, identity), and does this differ for students with and without learning disabilities? How do specific engineering career expectations change with respect to enrollment in early E-CTE coursework, and do these differ for students with and without learning disabilities? We utilize the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS) to respond to the research questions through moderation models and a student fixed effects methodology. Ultimately, we found no evidence of SWLD underrepresentation in E-CTE in high school. However, SWLDs were expected to benefit more than the general population from E-CTE participation with respect to higher levels of science self-efficacy and science identity. Implications from these findings include how to encourage persistence along the engineering pathway, the growth of career pathway policies at the state level, and how to incorporate E-CTE practices in academic courses.

Youth unemployment has become one of the most popular educational research areas, at global, national and local levels. In the international development agenda, lifelong learning (LLL) and vocational education and training (VET) have been linked to youth employment and labour market policies, making education a potential universal solution to socioeconomic challenges. The European Youth Guarantee (YG) scheme, a labour market policy aimed at tackling youth unemployment, is an example of this trend in policy discourse. It offers insights into the European LLL agenda and heated debates over youth employment policies. This article critically analyses the role of liberal capitalist and human capital theories in shaping the YG scheme, formally launched in 2014, and to what extent it addresses issues of youth unemployment, by conducting a systematic review of academic literature, policy documents and official reports in the field. The article also focuses on ideology and power asymmetries between development agendas and various actors in YG policy formation, followed by an analysis of youth unemployment solutions which stem from them. An alternative values-based human capabilities approach is highlighted which could support the YG in achieving social well-being and comprehensive human development to tackle youth unemployment across Europe.

The significance of higher-order thinking (HOT) is becoming increasingly prominent in the twenty-first century, as reflected in the framework of most recent competency models. Blended learning models are universally recognized as promising endeavors to promote learners' HOT in the contemporary higher education field. To ensure that such learning models function as intended, a thorough and systematic study is required to determine the variables that most influence learners' development of HOT in a blended learning environment. A sample of 422 Chinese vocational college students with blended learning experience completed a survey in which their perceptions of teaching presence, social presence, self-regulated learning (SRL), information and communication technology (ICT) self-efficacy, and HOT were measured. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that students' SRL directly and significantly influenced their HOT in a blended learning environment. Furthermore, teaching presence, social presence, and ICT self-efficacy all indirectly affect HOT through their impact on SRL. Based on these findings, this study recommends that instructors teaching in a blended learning environment should focus on improving learners' SRL abilities, social interaction techniques, ICT competencies, and teaching presence to help learners develop HOT.

Sustainable Livelihoods are more adaptable than precarious jobs, for career development through Decent Work. An essential element for Career Sustainability is Climate action, that includes Just Transitions from carbon-intensive to carbon-neutral or regenerative work. This paper analyses a municipal transition from coal-mining to a more carbon-neutral, city economy, which has foregrounded just transition for miners, and improved the wider ecosystem. The Polish city of Katowice in Poland illustrates how work and career structures, in this case municipal, can work for people in everyday life and their future careers. The case may also serve as a lighthouse project for future just transitions, as part of sustainable career development, by greening economies and supporting access to decent work for all.

Modern conditions of public administration are formed in the BANI world (Grabmeier, 2020), unstable, disturbing, uniquely technological and digital. How many of today's civil servants are capable of functioning in such a world through current training and professional development systems? This issue is particularly relevant for post-Soviet countries, as most of them belong to emerging economies that are still shaping their own unique public administration system. The article is aimed at studying the practice of professional development of civil servants within the framework of additional education in post-Soviet countries in the context of digitalisation. According to the study, it is clear that the Soviet model of supplementary education for civil servants is still valid, with minor differences in the countries studied. This model is characterised by a centralised organisation of training of civil servants within the framework of specially created structures (public service academies). With the transition to digital learning, countries are differentiated by the pace and level of transition to distance and e-learning for public servants.

This study aimed to validate a multidimensional instrument for assessing distance teaching-learning. It combined factors measuring motivation with instructional material and the teaching-learning experience with peers and teachers. The instrument was administered to 2,984 higher education students in Chile, demonstrating its statistical validity and adequate fit indicators. Consequently, this instrument can confidently evaluate online learning in higher education.

With the rapid development of digital technology, the current field of digital technology in vocational education around the world is ready to or has already entered the digital transformation stage. China, as an emerging force among developing countries, is diligently striving to catch up in this particular domain. As such, this study aspires for a cross-fertilization of ideas between China and international research. Furthermore, this study aims to ascertain the present state of affairs in this field and evaluate it in light of the demands for the digital transformation of vocational education. This Systematic Literature Mapping (SLM) focuses on three main areas of work. First, the quantitative trends of Chinese and international (here referring to countries other than China) research in the last decade are analyzed. Second, the theoretical framework based on the People-Process-Technology (PPT) theory is extended to provide a detailed current research theme analysis. Third, the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is adapted, and relevant studies are assessed and coded for analysis based on this framework. The research finds that the number of current domestic and international studies in the field of the digitalization of vocational teaching has shown growth. The scope of the research focuses on two dimensions: the application of teaching modes and the construction of digital teaching environments. The maturity of domestic and foreign research is generally at the basic level. Researchers should seek innovation or optimize the application of research based on the scope and maturity of dimensions.

This study examines insights from Career and Technical Education (CTE) leaders that help to better inform the preparation of all school leaders. CTE leaders find themselves in the interesting position of being inside the PK-12 system but at the outside edge. This outsider within perspective not only gives CTE leaders a unique understanding of schools but also on the preparation of school leaders. These practitioners helped to identify three key areas of focus for leadership preparation: a new focus on college and career readiness, the importance of instructional leadership, and an expanded understanding of community.

This study examines the extent to which students obtain postsecondary credentials in the career technical education (CTE) fields of focus they choose in high school. Using school fixed-effects models, we find that focusing on a particular CTE field in high school is associated with an increased probability of enrolling and obtaining a postsecondary credential in that field. The secondary--postsecondary relationship varies across focus areas, and it is strongest in health (increase of 12.5 percentage points), which is disproportionately chosen by females. Across all fields of focus, however, most students enroll and obtain a postsecondary credential in fields that are different from what they focused on in high school.

There is an increasing need to train and retrain personnel that would be saddled with the capabilities, professional and skill developmental requirement that meets societal needs. In this case, there is need for adequately trained personnel that will bridge the gap between societal needs; industrial needs with classroom instructions and vice versa. Therefore, this study examines the influence of building aspiring teachers' capabilities, professional and skill development as an auspice to quality teaching activities in technical vocational education and training institutions. Samples were selected using a multistage sampling technique. The collected data from 945 aspiring teachers was analysed using empirical analysis with AMOS SPSS v.23. Hayes PROCESS macro was used for mediation analyses. The result of the study indicated that self-efficacy and professional skills with knowledge of instructional delivery and personal capabilities have strong significant linkage. There is also a mediating interaction of attention to relationship on the relationship between constructive teaching and personal capabilities. TVET institutions should ensure continuous professional development by concentrating on the requirements concerning teaching and learning, individual resources and social support for coping with various requirements.

We examined how an agricultural literacy professional development enhanced equity in seven secondary agriculture classrooms in a southeastern state. Utilizing the Equity Framework in Career and Technical Education and exploratory case study methodology, we examined the equitable barriers that seven secondary agriculture education teachers faced in their school sites and how targeted professional development may have alleviated some of those challenges. Our findings revealed that all seven teachers faced barriers in their schools from all three areas identified in the theoretical framework: educational adequacy, equal treatment, and equal educational opportunity however, the professional development helped alleviate the educational adequacy barrier. More research is needed to elicit the role of professional development programs in counteracting equity barriers.

In this paper, we draw on raciolinguistic ideologies and chronotopes to critique career readiness, a race-evasive educational policy discourse that purportedly benefits all students, as grounded in white linguistic ideologies. Drawing on critical discourse analysis, we analyze state-level career readiness policy documents from Pennsylvania and interviews with teachers and administrators from an ethnographic study at a career and technical education center. Findings show how educators reproduce notions of career readiness as an implicit endorsement of white linguistic norms, informed by standard language ideology, which delegitimizes the linguistic practices of racialized speakers. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for school systems to move toward more inclusive and equitable educational policies and practices for English learners in U.S. schools.

When comparing lifelong learning systems in Europe, Swedish vocational education has been characterised as a statist, school-based ideal type, with strong emphasis on egalitarianism and social citizenship. However, the popularisation and expansion of higher vocational education (HVE), a post-secondary training form that has a mandate to train people to meet local labour market needs, complicates these composite descriptions. Building on conventions theory and pragmatic sociology, our analysis probes the plural worlds of HVE participation, beyond simplistic understandings of human capital accumulation or universalistic welfare. Drawing on interviews with participants and archival material, we analyse forms of justifications evoked by those engaged in this transforming skilling regime. Our analysis reveals that participants do not enrol merely for getting work or getting ahead. Rather, participation is described as a response to constraints, a means to challenge difficult circumstances encountered in the labour market, or related to contingencies. Taken together, HVE emerges as a flexible mode of governing vocational knowledge to match local labour market needs, with rivalling conventions of worth. We discuss the increasing significance of projection and anticipation for individuals and organisations involved in skilling regimes, and propose a prospective convention that underscores expectancy and promise.

The paper theoretically examines the standing of Ukrainian educational qualifications, especially technical and vocational education and training (TVET). It assumes that the existing low social standing of TVET is related to the meritocratic principle. In this sense, this study does not examine the case of Ukraine as an example to illustrate meritocracy but rather examines the case of Ukraine using the concept of meritocracy. It briefly shows how, on the ideal typical level, the merit principle in education-based meritocracies acts as a driver for the dysfunctional devaluation of TVET. After an overview of the Ukrainian education system, the paper examines the shift towards meritocratic logic in Ukraine. It then analyses how this shift influences the Ukrainian education system, educational aspirations, and recruitment strategies in the business world. The paper concludes that the widespread belief in meritocratic principles is an important influencing factor regarding the social devaluation of TVET in Ukraine.

When Arthur Cohen launched "New Directions for Community Colleges" ("NDCC") in 1973, the focus was on sharing updates and practical advice for those leading and working in community colleges. At the time, scant attention was given to these institutions as most research centered on 4-year colleges and universities. The context of community colleges matters in how finance and governance occur and in how leaders help their institutions navigate a constantly changing external environment that requires flexibility in meeting workforce needs. Fifty years have passed since the initial issue of "NDCC" was published, and this retrospective draws connections on three topics over time. First, this article reviews how finance and governance evolved, taking note of how the expansion of the sector and the complexity of operations altered operations. Second, a look at career and technical education (CTE) and workforce development occurs. The historical roots of vocational education in community colleges translate to new approaches to developing a skilled workforce to address employer demand. Finally, a review of leadership since the first issue was published shows how ideas of leadership have expanded and help identify new challenges leaders face.

Compared to other educators, career and technical education (CTE) instructors often possess significant industry knowledge but limited pedagogical skills. Some may define their jobs as role models or trainers for the next generation of professionals, rather than teachers. In this case study, we interviewed 12 CTE dual credit instructors at a CTE center offering CTE dual credit programs to all eligible high school students within an urban public school district located in the southeastern United States. Specifically, this study explored CTE instructors' educational and professional trajectories, motivations to teach, and identification as teachers. We sought to understand how previous work experiences and other social contexts influenced the teacher identity of CTE dual credit instructors at The Center. Findings about teacher preparation and teacher identity can generate practical recommendations for recruiting and retaining highly competent instructors for CTE dual credit programs.