Search Results for
"education"

Science standards have played an increasingly central role in shaping the landscape of school science over the past several decades, as societies have endeavored to better educate scientifically literate citizens and prepare a technically capable workforce. Yet, evidence that standards have driven improvements in either the quality of instruction or student learning is scarce. We argue that the construction of science standards may unintentionally promote instruction that does not align with learning theory, and this may limit the potential impact of science standards on science teaching and learning. Using the lenses of constructivism, motivation, and situated cognition, we review and discuss the construction of science standards using the US Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as an example. Based upon this review, we propose a path forward for reinventing science standards that organizes standards according to contemporary issues and contexts rather than disciplinary content ideas and prioritizes students' “informed agency” over “competence.” We argue that such an approach to constructing standards is more likely to promote instruction that aligns with learning theory and that more effectively supports instruction that reaches the societal and workforce goals espoused by current standards documents. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Research in Science Teaching published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Association for Research in Science Teaching.

PhD graduate employability is crucial for candidates, employers, and governments. Having PhD graduates in appropriate post-study employment enhances career satisfaction, benefits organisations, and fosters national prosperity. Over the past decade, debate has arisen regarding the effectiveness of doctoral employability training and the broader economic value of doctoral education beyond academia. This concern stems from evidence indicating that many PhD graduates struggle to secure academic positions and must seek work elsewhere. Despite financial advantages of a PhD, graduates often feel alienated in industrial cultures. This study investigates the concept of ‘generic skills’ in PhD employability through a sociological lens, informed by the theoretical frameworks of ‘cultural iceberg’ and ‘habitus’. It explores the impact of industry-specific cultural norms on skill demand. Employing a culturally sensitive linguistic analysis of 1,800 research-intensive job ads from Australia and New Zealand, it reveals quantitative and qualitative differences in skill demands across healthcare and Information Technology. For example, comparatively, networking skills are more sought after in the former than the latter industry. Distinct guiding values shape skill demands and define what constitutes ‘culturally appropriate’ skill implementations. Our findings call for a rethinking of one-size-fits-all employability training, urging universities to offer more nuanced, context-specific instruction in ‘generic’ skills. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This paper presents an analysis of two courses in the fields of Purchasing and Supply Management (PSM) and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM). The aim is to investigate how teaching content and methodologies can be adapted to align with evolving global trends in PSM, while also evaluating their effectiveness in developing the skills essential for professionals in this field. Drawing on a longitudinal tracking of six years, we examine the courses at three levels: course topics, teaching methods, and assessment methods. We link these three course components with the skills required in PSM. This model categorizes procurement skills into technical, interpersonal, internal and external (to the company), and strategic skills. The findings highlight the significance of integrating both theoretical foundations and practical applications in PSM education. The study provides insights into how PSM courses can be designed to foster the development of both hard and soft skills that are crucial for procurement professionals. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of regular course reviews to accommodate emerging trends and industry demands. This study makes both theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, it offers professors and lecturers a comprehensive framework for designing PSM courses. Practically, it provides managers with guidance on collaborating with academic institutions to promote project-based learning with students, which can help attract talent and advance applied research in the field of PSM. © 2025 The Authors

Marginalised youth in resource-constrained vocational education and training (VET) centres struggle to create engineering products and services with entrepreneurial value. This is due to limitations in the vocational engineering curriculum in addressing real community needs, exacerbated by inadequate resources, limited technology access, and other socio-economic challenges. This paper explores how the vocational engineering programme curriculum can be enhanced to improve learners’ capabilities to create engineering solutions with entrepreneurial value tailored for low-income consumers. The approach explores the Learning Factory (LF) concept, where design optimization strategies are investigated, rooted in sustainable humanitarian engineering, cost-effective materials, and energy-efficient production methods. The research entails enhancing the vocational curriculum by integrating authentic, real-world projects in real settings, giving students hands-on experience with engineering and business practices. The proposed methodology allows for a participatory approach to be explored in engaging local communities and stakeholders, ensuring the solutions fit the region's cultural and economic needs. The research highlights challenges and opportunities in VET institutions in Western Kenya and ways to optimise their engineering design and production processes. Additionally, this study offers insights for educators, policymakers, and practitioners in similar resource-limited settings. This study explores how a traditional hands-on, project-based approach complements the principles of learning factories, offering a practical model for fostering innovation and skill development in resource-constrained vocational settings. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Degree Apprenticeships (DA) have grown rapidly as a policy-driven response to skills shortages, particularly in Quantity Surveying (QS), where apprentices integrate occupational skills with academic learning through Work-Based Learning (WBL). However, completion rates remain lower than expected, potentially due to challenges in developing apprentices’ professional identity. This study examines different apprentice profiles and their impact on identity formation and WBL preferences. A descriptive review of literature was conducted to explore debates on DA and WBL pedagogies, followed by semi-structured interviews and Q-methodology to capture and analyse diverse apprentice perspectives and categorise them based on their characteristics. The findings suggest four distinct apprentice profiles: (i) proactive careerists, (ii) studious workers, (iii) resilient strivers, and (iv) university enthusiasts. Alongside these learner types, the study identified key successes such as employer involvement and professional recognition, as well as challenges linked to workload, delivery models, and identity. This identification provides a foundation for optimising WBL through curriculum adjustments, stronger university–industry collaboration, and diversified assessment methods tailored to different learner strengths. This research contributes to ongoing efforts on enhancing DA programmes to promote social mobility and widen participation. The findings highlight the need for apprentice trailblazer groups to consider various delivery modes for DA, offering a more adaptable approach to target different categories of apprentices, leading to improved completion rates and enhanced graduate outcomes. By adopting adaptable and inclusive WBL frameworks that integrate both structured and adaptable learning pathways, institutions can better align with apprentice needs and support professional identity development, engagement, and long-term success. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The emergence of Industry 5.0 (I5.0) and the integration of smart technologies in Operations Management (OM) are reshaping the competences required for sustainable business practices. By aligning human-centric, sustainable, and resilience-driven principles with advanced technological solutions, Work 5.0 emphasizes the critical role of human workers in collaboration with intelligent systems. This paper investigated the specific Work 5.0 competence-based requirements essential for achieving smart and sustainable operations management. Therefore, through a survey conducted in Italy, we identified a competence framework tailored to smart and sustainable operations. Key competences preferred by respondents included data management and analysis, project management skills, modelling skills, programming and software development cloud management, and digital marketing. In addition, participants recognized project-based learning, hands-on learning, and problem-based learning as the favored teaching approaches for getting course. The results will have direct implications for the design of engineering education 5.0 programs and lifelong learning initiatives for requalification of existing workforce. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

This article investigates the intersection between Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and the field of audiovisual and media production. The study is grounded in a systematic literature review, through which a curated selection of publications was analysed to extract data relevant to the application of PBL within this domain. The analysis led to the identification of key insights and the formulation of practical recommendations, particularly regarding the often-overlooked need for institutional and pedagogical support for educators implementing PBL. By addressing both theoretical and practical dimensions, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on active learning methodologies in creative and practice-based educational contexts. Ultimately, this study seeks to serve as a valuable resource to support the effective implementation of PBL in the audiovisual and media production fields. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies demands a fundamental transformation in vocational education curricula to prepare students for the evolving digital economy. This paper presents the evaluation of the AIM4VET project, an Erasmus+ funded initiative that integrates ambient intelligence and IoT technologies into Vocational education and Training (VET) programs across Portugal, Spain, and Slovenia. The study focuses on the implementation and assessment of twelve modular teaching units centered around smart home energy management systems, utilizing Arduino-Raspberry Pi architectures and KNIME analytics platform. Employing project-based learning methodologies, the curriculum addresses critical competencies in sensor integration, data processing, machine learning, and ambient intelligence applications. Results from 14 VET students demonstrate significant improvements in technical understanding, with post-assessment scores showing mastery across all evaluation criteria. Student feedback revealed high satisfaction levels with instructional clarity, while teacher assessments confirmed strong performance in autonomy, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving. The majority of students rated module difficulty as appropriate, indicating well-calibrated instructional design. The findings validate the effectiveness of integrating ambient intelligence environments in VET curricula, demonstrating enhanced student engagement, practical skill development, and preparation for Industry 5.0 contexts. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on technology-enhanced vocational education and provides a scalable framework for implementing AI and IoT literacy across European VET systems. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Background: Research has identified employment as a social inclusion priority for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and has emphasized person-centered vocational training as a predictor of future employment. The Impact Project is a summer program offered by project partners in British Columbia, Canada, that provides youth with IDD vocational training to improve their employment experiences in preparation for future employment. Objective: This study explicates the importance of soft skills in vocational training identified by youth and their parents/carers regarding attained employment experiences during the Impact Project (2020–2022). Methods: This study evaluates qualitative data from youth and their parents/carers who reflected on their vocational training and attained employment experiences. Results: Qualitative findings highlight the significance of soft skills, namely confidence, social capital, and job readiness in the youth's employment experiences and outcomes. Youth and parent/carer observations about these soft skills add insight to understanding positive employment outcomes from the Impact Project. Conclusion: Qualitative data from the Impact Project (2020–2022) illuminate how soft skills contributed to the youth's employment experiences. These findings contextualize quantitative employment outcomes and can guide vocational training programs for youth with IDD in preparation for future employment. © 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 page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Background: Empathy is crucial for effective clinical practice, and patient care. Despite its importance, the comparative studies and effectiveness analyses focusing on empathy-training strategies within both medical education and clinical practice are limited, particularly in China. The objective of this study is to compare empathy levels across doctors, nurses, medical students, and nursing students in China, exploring how workplace settings, professional roles, and training stages influence empathy development, to inform targeted empathy education strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Chinese Version of the Jefferson Scale of Healthcare Professional Empathy (C-JSHPE). Participants included doctors, nurses, medical students and nursing students from primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals, as well as medical schools located in eastern (economically developed), central (moderately developed), and western (less developed) regions of China. Results: Qualified professionals (licensed nurses and doctors) exhibited significantly higher empathy scores than healthcare students (doctors vs medical students t = 12.959, p < 0.001; nurses vs nursing students t = 7.135, p < 0.001). Nurses exhibited significantly higher empathy than doctors (t = 4.081, p < 0.001), and nursing students likewise exhibited markedly greater empathy than their medical student counterparts (t = 5.221, p < 0.001). Significant differences in empathy scores were observed between nursing students who participated in internships and those who did not (t = 2.548, p < 0.05). In contrast, no such differences emerged among medical students (t = − 0.228, p > 0.05). Both doctors and nurses with more clinical experience demonstrated higher empathy scores (F physician = 10.696, p < 0.001; F nurse = 30.029, p < 0.001). In contrast, those working in tertiary hospitals reported reduced empathy (F physician = 94.018, p < 0.001; F nurse = 486.586, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study underscored the importance of both developing and retaining empathy in qualified professionals and healthcare students, and highlighted the significant role of clinical work environments and stages of professional development in shaping empathic capacity. The findings suggested that empathy was not static, but evolved in response to the demands, pressures, and relational dynamics of different clinical roles. Simulation-based education and other experiential learning approaches represent promising avenues for fostering empathy, particularly when integrated longitudinally throughout training and aligned with authentic clinical contexts. Embedding these strategies into the continuum of medical education may be key to sustaining empathy as a core professional competence in complex healthcare systems. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd