Search Results for
"Higher education"

This paper reports a longitudinal study, organized around national surveys and institution-based case studies, of ‘enrichment’ in post-16 colleges across England and Wales. These institutions transect general and vocational education pathways, whose curricula are organized respectively around subject disciplines and employment skills. Drawing on social justice perspectives and understandings of curriculum theory and cultural reproduction, the study initially analysed enrichment practices positioned as additional to subject-based curricula. However, extending thematic analysis through cross-case comparison, the study uncovered an additional, complementary role of enrichment: in some specialist/general education settings, teacher-led, practice-based extensions of subject curricula, complemented by agentic networking opportunities, facilitated middle-class higher education transitions; vocational enrichment, responding instead to ‘learner support’ imperatives and socializing young people into employment routines, sustained the normative transitions to work that characterize vocational pathways. These distinctive complementary logics mirror the inequalities of epistemic access identified by curriculum theory, suggesting that these extend beyond formal curricula. On the other hand, some marginal practices, including broader, more critical preparation for adulthood and work, suggest possibilities to advance social justice, transgressing the academic/vocational divide. Whilst unequal societies persistently sustain this divide, activities outside formal curricula may support more agentic and socially just transitions to adulthood and working life. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study uses longitudinal analysis of the Taiwan education Panel Survey to explore background factors of educational tracking experiences among Taiwanese youth and their dynamic associations with job-education match, job satisfaction, and happiness. The sustainable careers concept (De Vos et al., 2020) views individuals as core actors, emphasizing personal, situational, and temporal dimensions’ influence on career sustainability, expanding school-to-work transition research (Blokker et al., 2023). However, existing studies often focus on adults and are cross-sectional, missing key youth changes and early educational experiences’ impact on careers. While educational tracking’s role in occupational choice has been explored, understanding of how job-education match affects job satisfaction and happiness, especially under different educational backgrounds, remains limited. This study’s longitudinal analysis aims to provide a comprehensive perspective for sustainable career theory and practice. Research shows job-education match, job satisfaction, and happiness are interrelated. Job-education match includes educational level, field of study, and skills/abilities matching, positively correlating with job satisfaction (Badillo-Amador & Vila, 2013; Santis et al., 2021). From strengths-use perspective, knowledge and abilities need an environment for application, with full utilization increasing work engagement, satisfaction, and happiness (Miglianico et al., 2020). Job satisfaction and happiness’s positive association is often explained by the spillover hypothesis, including top-down and bottom-up effects. Longitudinal meta-analyses show life satisfaction and happiness have cross-sectional associations and cross-lagged effects (Bowling et al., 2010; Karabati et al., 2019; Steel et al., 2019). This study analyzes these relationships using data from Taiwan. The impact of early educational experiences on later career development is worth investigating. Existing research on Taiwanese youth indicates that high school students’ post-graduation development is influenced by learning experiences and employment considerations. Key moments for youth to consider career development are during the educational tracking at high school levels and when facing graduation from university (Kuo et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2018). In Taiwan’s education system, the educational tracking at the high school level is a crucial stage in youth career development. Vocational high school students mostly choose their major subjects upon graduating from junior high school, while students in academic high school choose their stream (liberal arts or science) after completing their first year, and decide on their specific university major when applying for higher education. This study employs longitudinal tracking to investigate how regret over high school track/major choices in the third year influences subsequent career development, addressing limitations of retrospective methods in existing research. It also focuses on youth with different educational tracking experiences, exploring how their subsequent career development trajectories differ. While previous studies have explored how educational tracking affects various work outcomes over time (Birkelund et al., 2022; Delaruelle et al., 2020; Verhaest et al., 2018), there remains a gap in research specific to Taiwan's unique educational and sociocultural context. Career exploration during university, especially actions to change or expand learning specialties (changing majors, minors, double majors, taking programs), is a crucial experience for future career development. Educational level is also an important factor. Although literature shows mixed results regarding the match between educational level and work, studies focusing on Taiwanese workers mostly indicate that higher education levels help improve job satisfaction and happiness (Chen et al., 2020). Therefore, this study uses longitudinal analysis to enhance understanding. The statistical analysis adopts the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) (Mulder & Hamaker, 2021), using data from the Taiwan education Panel Survey (TEPS) and its follow-up database (TEPS-B) SH sample, with 1,637 participants. It examines the associations between job-education match, job satisfaction, and happiness at three time points: ages 25 (T1), 30 (T2), and 33 (T3), incorporating relevant factors from the educational period into the model. In the model, job-education match, job satisfaction, and happiness are time-varying factors, divided into random intercepts at the between-person level to explore correlations, and within-person level to explore autoregression and cross-lagged effects. Educational tracking type, regret over chosen major in the third year of high school (data from high school period), educational level, and career exploration are time-invariant predictors of random intercepts, with gender included as a control variable. Additionally, the study examines whether different educational tracks in high schools (vocational vs. academic) show different effects on various paths and further observes by inputting two group samples into the model. The main findings are as follows: First, the random intercepts of job-education match, job satisfaction, and happiness are positively correlated among Taiwanese youth, similar to previous research findings. Those with higher job-education match have higher job satisfaction and happiness due to work content meeting expectations and knowledge and skills matching job requirements (Ilies et al., 2019; Kristof-Brown et al., 2005; Unanue et al., 2017). Second, job-education match and happiness show autoregressive effects across the three waves, while job satisfaction only shows autoregressive effects in the latter two waves. The autoregressive effect of job-education match reflects the profound impact of the educational stage on career paths. The autoregressive effect of happiness may indicate that increasing age and stable living environments can increase the stability of happiness. Job satisfaction shows no autoregressive effect from 25-30 but does from 30-33, reflecting more career transitions and exploration before 30, with less obvious job satisfaction stability. After 30, higher chances of finding ideal jobs and clearer career positioning lead to more significant job satisfaction stability (Wille et al., 2012). Third, except for happiness at age 30 positively predicting job satisfaction at age 33, other cross-lagged effects are not significant. This positive effect aligns with the top-down effect of the spillover hypothesis, i.e., overall life satisfaction extends to the work domain (Steel et al., 2019). However, the cross-lagged effects between job-education match and job satisfaction are not obvious, possibly because after entering the workforce, job content and responsibilities may increase, and expectations for working conditions become more complex. Fourth, overall, the moderating effect of educational tracking is not obvious, with only a few paths differing between ages 25 and 30. The autoregression of happiness T1 to happiness T2 is higher for those in vocational tracks than those in academic track; the influence of job satisfaction T1 on happiness T2 and job satisfaction T1 on job-education match T2 is higher for those in academic track than those in vocational track. This suggests that in the early career stage, the two educational track have their own characteristics. However, the overall total path effect difference is not significant, indicating that regardless of the educational track, the within-person career process experiences similar changes. Fifth, regarding predictor variables, factors such as educational level, third-year high school major regret, and career exploration during university have different effects depending on the type of educational track. Educational level has a significant positive predictive effect on job-education match in both tracks; however, while educational level positively predicts happiness in the academic track, it has no significant effect in the vocational track. Career exploration has a positive effect on job-education match for those in the academic track, but no effect for those in the vocational track. This study particularly notes that regretting the chosen track/major in the third year of high school negatively predicts job satisfaction and happiness, but only for vocational track participants. These students may lack occupational knowledge or career exploration when transitioning from junior high, yet must make choices determining their professional field at age 15. If they regret their choice, changing fields or retraining may be difficult, affecting job choices and satisfaction. Academic track participants who regret their chosen track (liberal arts or science) in high school can still select their desired major when entering university at age 18, impacting career satisfaction differently. This paper suggests these findings may reflect issues related to early tracking, warranting further investigation. Regarding research limitations, this study spans many years, and youth may experience job changes, socioeconomic conditions, and family status changes that affect their careers. However, for model simplicity, this study did not include these time-varying factors in the analysis, which future research could further incorporate. Although this is a longitudinal study, inferring causal relationships still requires more exploration, such as mediating effects of other variables or qualitative data support. The three waves in this study have unequal time intervals, limiting effect comparisons and making it inappropriate to constrain the model, leading to insufficiencies in inference and model simplification, so it is recommended that future studies use longitudinal data with equal intervals. The three main variables in this study all use single-item measures as observation sources, which cannot reflect complex constructs; future research should consider multi-item studies. This study treats educational level, career exploration, and educational tracking as time-invariant factors, unable to rule out potential changes for a small number of people between different waves. Understanding of the types of changes in different variables at different time points for participants is limited; future research could explore this through latent heterogeneity analysis to benefit practical work. © 2025, National Taiwan Normal University. All rights reserved.

This paper explores the potential of online micro-credentials, a novel learning approach that awards credentials after short educational experiences, as a viable solution to bridging the soft skills gap in the workforce. Using a qualitative foresight research design, the study analyzes and synthesizes insights gathered from 85 in-depth interviews with key labor market stakeholders. The results emphasize how employers generally view online micro-credentials as a feasible and flexible way for professionals to engage in training, although employers underscore various challenges associated with online micro-credentials in soft skills that distance education must take into consideration. The article concludes with recommendations for strategic micro-credential course designs which should be developed with a practical orientation for real-world simulation and application using novel pedagogical approaches. Accordingly, micro-credentials tailored to soft skills development need to be designed and implemented in settings that closely resemble real-life scenarios. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This article presents the findings of a phenomenographic study of career practitioners’ conceptions of career management skills (CMS) at Finnish universities of applied sciences (UAS). The results demonstrate that CMS were conceived as (1) irrelevant, (2) secondary, (3) noteworthy, (4) significant and (5) indispensable. This aligns with previous evidence that conceptions of CMS differ in multiple ways and vary in emphasis. By exploring the logical relationship between qualitatively different conceptions, the study provides a framework for understanding CMS acquisition at UAS, and clarifies the objectives and developmental needs of career guidance in higher education settings. © The Author(s) 2025.

This study explores the development and implementation of specific rubrics for the assessment of competencies in the practicum of the Master’s Degree in Compulsory Secondary education, Upper Secondary education, Vocational Training, and Language Teaching (MCSE). higher education programs, particularly in teacher training, including the Practicum of the MCSE, have generated a significant amount of written feedback to support competency assessment and professional development. Through an iterative collaborative process, assessment rubrics were developed and refined with twin focuses on the quality of students’ reports and their attitude during their practicums. The result is two rubrics that have better alignment of learning objectives and praxis and that can support more detailed and more objective assessment. Notably, the involvement of the tutoring team in the validation process was crucial in refining the competency of descriptors to provide comprehensive feedback and greater consistency of assessment. The involvement of tutors is essential, as they not only provide external perspectives that enrich the analysis of Practicum activities but also help clarify learning objectives and promote the development of students’ competencies. In this process of guidance and monitoring, rubrics stand out as effective tools for assessing acquired competencies, fostering teacher training that meets the contemporary needs of the educational environment. © 2025 Common Ground Research Networks. All rights reserved.

This study investigated postsecondary students’ team-level creative thinking using online peer assessment as a tool for electronic brainstorming. Student teams developed ideas for a public service announcement within the platform peerScholar. Following an explanatory sequential mixed method design, the researchers surveyed student perceptions of online peer assessment as a support for team-based creative thinking, then qualitatively analyzed textual interactions within teams that may have influenced those perceptions. Nine out of 10 teams gave a high score for online peer assessment supporting team-based creative thinking (M ≥ 3.8). However, scores varied across teams (ranging from M = 3.7 to 4.8), with strength in agreement of scoring within teams ranging from rWG = 0.67 to 0.96. Textual analysis revealed that students provided a range of Cognitive and Affective feedback. Affective feedback was often supportive, while Cognitive feedback tended to be direct but nonabrasive, usually involving suggestions or identifying issues with ideas. Teams that balanced Cognitive and Affective feedback tended to reach stronger agreement about online peer assessment supporting team-based creative thinking while maintaining high mean scores. These patterns indicate that integrating higher frequencies of both feedback may support team-based creativity by fostering a unified belief in the value of the collaborative work. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

We explored the role of workplace learning and mentoring in the relationship between future work self and career calling among students. The nationwide sample comprised 741 Science and Engineering students from six higher vocational colleges in China (female = 46.56%; mean age = 19.23 years, SD = 1.05 years). The students completed the Future Work Self Scale, the Internship-Related Learning Outcomes Scale, the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire, and the Chinese Calling Scale. The future work self was significantly associated with higher career calling. Workplace learning played a partial mediating role between future work self and career calling among students, resulting in higher career calling. Mentoring played a moderating role in the process of workplace learning on career calling, and the interaction between mentoring and workplace learning strongly influenced career calling, with a higher mentoring making it stronger. These findings suggest a need for mentored workplace learning interventions to support career calling among college students. © 2025 Africa Scholarship Development Enterprize.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the evolution and current status of teaching competency in China, contextualized within various educational levels and systemic components. Drawing upon systems theory, with the quantitative research having 379 sample size which is employed through SPSS software. The multidimensional nature of teaching competency encompassing knowledge, skills, and attitudes is scrutinized. Employing a comparative framework, the research elucidates how input factors such as teacher qualifications, throughput processes like pedagogical methods, and output metrics such as student outcomes contribute to defining teaching competencies. The research probes into the role of cognitive psychology and student-centered approaches in modern Chinese educational settings. This identifies key differential factors in lower and higher academic settings, including policy guidelines, curricular focus, and evaluation mechanisms. Addressing a significant research gap, this investigation aims to offer actionable insights into enhancing teaching competency in China, focusing on four primary research objectives that range from examining input factors to understanding system-level influences. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Hafinaz, Hariharan R and R. Senthil Kumar.

Diagnosing students’ misconceptions in engineering education is a crucial task for designing targeted instructional interventions. This study presents a new approach to the development and validation of Four-Tier Diagnostic Test as an instructional tool for assessing engineering students’ conceptual understanding and misconceptions. The study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the developed instrument and to identify the level of engineering students’ conceptual understanding and misconceptions in microwave engineering courses. A cohort of 141 undergraduate engineering students who took part in the course were administered with the developed 28-item Four-tier Diagnostic Test. Results of the study indicated that 24.7% of students demonstrated scientific knowledge, while 20.3% exhibited misconceptions. Regression analysis revealed a logarithmic relationship between students’ misconceptions and their overall performance, with misconceptions being present even among higher-performing students. Item response analysis using the mirt package showed that test items were effective in discriminating between students with different levels of conceptual understanding. While satisfactory KR-20 reliability coefficients for scientific knowledge (KR- 20=0.739 ) and misconceptions (KR- 20=0.749 ) were achieved respectively, the overall scale marginal conditional reliability (ρ > 0.907 ) indicates high precision of the instrument in measuring students’ conceptual attributes. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how multi-tiered diagnostic assessment coupled with advanced psychometric approaches can enhance the precision of educational diagnostics test. © 2013 IEEE.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges, significantly affecting economic development, the hospitality industry, and the educational sector. In Taiwan, internships are a mandatory component of Hospitality Management studies, offering students critical exposure to real-world environments. This study employs a qualitative case study approach to explore the experiences of hospitality students during their internships, particularly under alert level 3 of the pandemic. By integrating coping strategies into the analysis, the research provides insights into how students and organizations navigated through the crisis. Data were collected through online meetings and surveys with 67 undergraduate students, with 62 valid responses from the subsequent questionnaire survey. Content analysis and triangulation techniques were used to enhance research quality. The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing student safety and fostering resilience through internship programs. The study offers practical implications for educators, advocating for robust contingency planning and the integration of resilience-building strategies in hospitality education. © 2025 ICHRIE.