Search Results for
"education"

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the factors influencing trade artisans’ choice of skills selection as apprentice’s trainee in the Ghanaian construction sector and to identify and address the challenges associated with traditional apprenticeship. Trade artisans with technical know-how in construction and general workplace skills from the traditional apprenticeship training (TAT) in the area of construction were selected from selected sites and training centers. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopted the purposive sampling technique with the aim of gathering knowledge from individuals with expertise in the research area, particularly trade craftsmen who have been trained through the TAT system and are directly involved in construction-related works. Partial least square structure equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analytical approach and principal component analysis were used to reduce the dimensionality of the data set and preserve as much information as possible. Findings – Three major components, namely, personal and social interest, job assessment and stability and family and faith were identified as the variables that influence an artisan's choice of a skill trade. These influenced the choice of apprenticeship training by young trainees in choosing apprenticeship as a mode of training. Personal interest, living situation of artisans and parents’ educational attainment are the most influencing factors that determine artisans’ choice of selected trades. Moreover, the study also shed light on the challenges inherent in traditional apprenticeship systems, such as the lack of formal technical education, limited access to modern technology and information and poor working conditions. Practical implications – The study underscores the imperative for stakeholders to enhance apprenticeship programmes within the construction sector. This involves providing more stable job opportunities, improving working conditions and offering access to modern technology and information. Such enhancements not only attract more young individuals to apprenticeship training but also ensure the sustainability and relevance of the workforce in meeting industry demands. Originality/value – The study finally developed a model that could be used as a foundation for future PLS-SEM evaluation and identified the factors that influence the selection of apprenticeship training by trade artisans. © 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited

This study explores the potential of a physics learning module that integrates augmented reality (AR) and guided inquiry to support vocational students’ development of 21st-century competencies. The module was implemented in three Indonesian vocational high schools involving 100 students, using a one-group pretest–posttest design. Students’ competencies in critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and digital literacy were assessed using structured performance-based tasks before and after the intervention. Results showed statistically significant pre-and post-improvements across all assessed domains, with the most notable gains observed in collaboration (〈 g〉 = 0.34, d = 0.93) and communication (〈 g〉 = 0.30, d = 0.78). These within-group changes indicate promising patterns of skill development; however, the absence of a control group precludes definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention. The findings align with previous studies suggesting that immersive technologies may support 21st-century competencies, particularly when integrated within structured, inquiry-based learning environments. Caution is advised in interpreting the results as preliminary rather than conclusive. These insights may inform future instructional designs in vocational education and highlight the need for further research using more rigorous comparative designs across diverse learning contexts. © 2026 by the authors of this article.

Purpose – In the ever-changing landscape of education, new policies play a very crucial role in shaping the future trajectory of nations. The National education Policy (NEP) 2020 stands as a testament to the commitment toward redefining the educational paradigm in India. This research aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) and present a roadmap to facilitate the implementation of NEP 2020 in Higher education Institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach – A dual-research method is used in this study. First, a systematic literature review was performed to identify the CSFs. Furthermore, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method was implemented to rank CSFs. Findings – The study identifies the CSFs essential for the effective implementation of NEP in Indian HEIs. A comprehensive strategic roadmap, integrating institutional theory, diffusion of innovation, and policy implementation frameworks, is proposed to guide HEIs in aligning with NEP objectives. Additionally, context-specific solutions inspired by global best practices ensure localized and inclusive implementation. The findings highlight NEP 2020s emphasis on multidisciplinary education, digital transformation, equity-driven policies, and institutional restructuring. Practical implications – This study advances multidisciplinary education models, equity-driven policy, and technology-driven reforms. Practical insights include flexible learning pathways, multilingual education, vocational training integration, and quality assurance mechanisms, fostering innovation and global competitiveness in India’s higher education landscape. Originality/value – This groundbreaking research identifies and prioritizes CSFs, also offers a unique strategic roadmap combining institutional and innovation theories for NEP 2020 implementation. It incorporates global best practices and context-specific solutions for transforming India’s higher education ecosystem comprehensively. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

The Teacher–AI–Student Triadic Model is proposed as a conceptual framework for advancing sustainable and human-centred artificial intelligence (AI) integration in vocational education. Responding to the growing demand for work-ready and sustainability-oriented graduates, the model reconceptualises the roles of teachers, students, and AI systems within AI-enhanced learning environments. Developed through a conceptual research methodology, the model draws on an in-depth literature review and synthesises constructivist learning theory, social learning theory, and competency-based education. It emphasises dynamic interactions among teachers, AI, and students as central to fostering adaptive learning, ethical reasoning, and sustainable thinking. Within the triadic structure, teachers function as ethical mentors and learning architects, students as self-regulated and adaptive learners, and AI as an intelligent collaborator supporting personalised learning and formative assessment. The model illustrates potential applications in vocational contexts, including green technology simulations, virtual laboratories, AI-supported assessment, and sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship training. By embedding the Sustainable Development Goals as a core pedagogical capability rather than a peripheral objective, the model offers a vocationally specific, ethically grounded framework aligned with the transition toward Society 5.0. This study contributes a structured foundation for future empirical research, policy development, and responsible AI implementation in vocational education. © Universiti Telekom Sdn Bhd.

Extra-curricular activities do not involve grading or credit awards towards student’s academic performance. This makes them ‘inconsequential’ to many students or parents whose concern is the final degree and see them as an opportunity cost or as zero sum activity further aggravated by universities rarely or never funding them. Participation in extra-curricular activities depends on students’ motivation and goal achievement through the activity. Depth and width of benefits from the self-regulated learning is driven by student’s readiness to gain from the activity and super ordinated goals on future use of the skills and competencies. This paper documents a graduate tracer study conducted on a group of students (all under full-time mode of study) who had participated in Entrepreneurial Actions in Us (ENACTUS) program as an extra-curricular activity in the Kenyan universities. The study hypothesized a positive relationship between extra-curricular activities and employability. It aimed to unearthed skills gained from ENACTUS projects and how they have contributed to graduates’ success in employability. It also looked into the uptake of self-employment by graduates and how extra-curricular activities can help. Finally, quality and relevance of training received and how it can be improved were assessed. Mixed research methodology was used. Snowball and purposive sampling method was used to get graduates who participated in ENACTUS project activities. Questionnaires were used to collect data in Google form format. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. From this study, extra-curricular activities through ENACTUS program in Kenya are giving skills which are ultimately assisting graduates to gain employability. Most of the graduates with these skills gain employability within the first 6 months. There is a paradigm shift in employability as some of the graduates are engaging in self-employment and most of those in formal employment are concurrently also engaging in self-employed activities. The study recommends change on educational policy to make extra-curricular activities prestigious by recognizing them as tools enhancing employability. Additionally, flexibility on the curricula should be encouraged to enhance relevant skills development especially in the fast-moving world as a result of technology and artificial intelligence. Recognition and appreciation of faculty advisors should also be put in practiced for 360° motivation for sense of belonging and achievement. The study also recommends flexibility on graduates for identification of opportunities and use locally available resources to solve problems. This will enable them have social enterprises and therefore bridge gaps of unemployment. © The Author(s) 2025

This study presents the first large-scale analysis of the role of unions in how technological change impacts transitions to new employment following job loss. The authors use large-scale matched employer–employee data from the Netherlands for the period 2001–2016 to assess how technology implementation within enterprises impacts the job search duration among workers whose job ended during the implementation period. The authors study to what degree industry unionization moderates this impact. They find job searches to be significantly longer in enterprises implementing new technologies, but industries with stronger unions exhibit a weaker association between technology implementation and job search duration. The results suggest unions enhance training, and re-education, and facilitate work-to-work transitions, increasing the employability of workers under technological change. © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Background: Used sparingly before 2020, telehealth was quickly adopted throughout Australia in response to COVID-19. This required general practitioner (GP) trainees (registrars) and their educators (supervisors and medical educators) to rapidly learn telehealth as a primary consultation method. As telehealth use continues within primary health care beyond the pandemic, greater insight into the impact on GP training is required. This is particularly relevant to general practice settings in countries that, like Australia, utilise an apprenticeship-style training model where the social space of in-consultation learning with supervisors is key to registrars achieving competence. We aimed to explore the impact of telehealth uptake on Australian GP vocational training, with particular focus on the in-consultation social space of registrars' learning. Methodology: Qualitative semi-structured individual interviews with 15 registrars, five supervisors and five medical educators were conducted and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Wenger's community of practice theory provided a conceptual framework for analysis and interpretation. Findings: Three key themes were generated. (1) The social space of learning can be disrupted by telehealth. Registrars described how telehealth changed the options for help-seeking during consultations, delaying feedback for learning. Medical educators reported concerns about the delay of what should be immediate feedback for learning during consultations, whereas registrars and supervisors held mixed views on whether such delays impacted registrar learning. (2) Reduced in-person clinical exposure creates educational challenges. Telehealth consultations resulted in a loss of experiences and skill-development opportunities and reduced diversity of clinical practice. (3) Registrars and educators were managing and learning telehealth within a pandemic context. A lack of formal telehealth training to guide best practice required registrars and educators to learn how to utilise telehealth together. Conclusions: The rapid uptake of telehealth altered the in-practice social space of registrars' learning. As telehealth use continues, these findings highlight the need for telehealth-specific training to maximise registrar learning during consultations. © 2025 Association for the Study of Medical education and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Visual art education for students with gifts and talents is a topic rarely explored by researchers. Many researchers examined how giftedness is defined in different cultures, but few studied the differences in services provided for students identified with gifts and talents. A comparison of visual art education in China and the United States highlighted how different cultures emphasized different aspects of visual art ability and developed different systems to cultivate artistic talent. This study explored the differences and similarities in visual art teaching in both countries, focusing on key skills that Chinese art teachers prioritize, ways that Chinese high schools support talented students, and the roles of art teachers in both countries. Using content analysis, this study examined the art curriculum standards, national policy documents on visual arts, authoritative analyses, and the official websites of five representative art universities and high schools. The findings highlighted China's emphasis on technical proficiency in art education, contrasting with the United States' focus on self-awareness and creative expression. These differences shaped art education provided for students with gifts and talents in visual arts and the students’ development in both countries, offering valuable insights for educators and policymakers. © The Author(s) 2025

The positive outcomes associated with elevated levels of efficacy beliefs have sparked interest in examining the sources of such beliefs. Mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and psychological state are all crucial for self-efficacy. In this systematic literature review, we examined the characteristics of the accumulated body of research on the sources of mathematics and science self-efficacy in primary and secondary education. The aim was to understand how the reviewed studies contribute to the discussion of students' mathematics and science self-efficacy development. We implemented a comprehensive search strategy for academic databases based on our research questions and inclusion/exclusion criteria, aligning with recommendations for systematic reviews. The analysis included 139 studies, and revealed that the research on mathematics and science self-efficacy development can be divided into three categories. The first category comprises 40 studies that assess Bandura's sources of self-efficacy, while the second includes 30 studies that refer to his sources. By contrast, the 69 studies that comprise the third category do not explicitly measure or discuss Bandura's sources of self-efficacy. The distribution of this research worldwide is clustered—that is, some countries have engaged in more active research and publication on this topic than others. A reliance on quantitative methodologies is evident, whereby ‘construct confusion’ hinders opportunities for direct comparison among studies. While attempts have been made to rate the sources, they are perceived as interconnected and varying between genders. Hence, we adopted a critical stance and highlighted several shortcomings that must be considered when designing future research. © 2025 The Authors.

The modern educational system is rapidly evolving due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption worldwide. However, existing literature lacks empirical support on how AI effects student engagement, and learning outcomes in the educational institutions of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, this research examines the role of AI-based learning tools in affecting psychological factors (e.g., autonomy, competence, intrinsic motivations, self-efficacy, and social influence). Furthermore, it also investigates the ultimate impacts of these relationships in explaining student's learning and engagement in Hail region of KSA. This research was carried using a cross-sectional design. A structured and closed ended survey was conducted with undergraduate students of University of Ha'il in KSA. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) as a method of estimation. The finding confirmed that AI tools have a positive and significant impact on psychological factors. Moreover, a partial mediation of student's engagement was also confirmed to explain the impact of AI tools on employability, academic success and empowerment. However, it was found that competence strongly reduces engagement due to some contextual, cultural or regional dynamics for which a qualitative study is needed. The findings require the policymakers and educational institutions to design some customized AI tools. These tools must fulfill the social, educational and motivational needs of students and help them to achieve better academic outcomes. This research contributes theoretically and empirically for uninvestigated context of educational institutions in KSA. It further provides practical suggestions for possible adoption of AI tools in academia to fulfill vision 2030. © 2025 The Authors