Search Results for
"Higher education"

Background/purpose. Scientific thinking is a critical competency for navigating the complexities of the global era, requiring the application of scientific methods to understand, analyze, and evaluate diverse phenomena and problems. This study examines the effectiveness of Team-Based Project Research (TBPR) in enhancing scientific thinking skills among students of the Social Studies education program at the State University of Surabaya. Materials/methods. A quantitative time-series experimental design was employed. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA to test the hypotheses. Results. The findings indicate that: (1) TBPR provides a systematic conceptual framework that supports pedagogical objectives through a structured sequence of research phases, ranging from problem identification to data analysis and reflection; (2) the implementation of TBPR significantly enhances students’ scientific thinking skills in higher education; and (3) TBPR functions as an effective instructional model that promotes active knowledge construction, collaborative learning, and the development of higher-order scientific reasoning. Conclusion. These results suggest that higher education institutions should adopt and further refine TBPR to strengthen students’ scientific thinking abilities and collaborative research competencies. © The Author(s), 2025.

We examine how the personality trait grit relates to post-compulsory educational choices using survey data linked to register data. Exploiting variation in self-reported grit within a cohort of students finishing compulsory school, we find that higher grit is associated with a higher likelihood of starting a vocational education over general education. This association is robust to cognitive skill measures and other background characteristics. Using novel data on skill requirements of vocational training occupations, we find that grittier vocational education students sort into math-intensive occupations. We find no evidence that grit reduces dropout rates in post-compulsory education. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Throughout the ages, a vocational education system with international influence must be supported by a distinctive industrial market, a strong organization, and a standardized and orderly education standard. The modern vocational education system with Chinese characteristics has experienced the embryonic form of technical colleges centered on primary vocational education (1949–1991), the semi-systematic state centered on secondary vocational education (1991–2012), the establishment of the system centered on higher vocational education (2012–2019), and the construction of the modern vocational education system with Chinese characteristics that highlights types of education Standing and sound (2019 to date) and other four stages. The reason why China’s vocational education can form its own system needs to be explained by Chinese local theories. The Five-Element Integration Theory holds that the leadership of the party is unique and the core. The Ministry of education is the standard setter for vocational education; Schools, including all kinds of vocational education schools at all levels, are the concrete implemutors of training standards; Enterprises and industry associations have the right to set demand standards to a certain extent; The student body is the center of vocational education and the object of vocational talent training. Through international comparison, China’s vocational education system is a standardized public platform relative to the one, two, three yuan of the main dimension and the students or enterprises of the core concern dimension. © © 2025 Zhu, Zhu and Baylon.

This study explores the evaluation of Information Technology (IT) students during and after their core-to-course work-integrated learning (WIL) placement conducted with an industry host and aligned for credit at an Australian University. The case study investigates the value of the performance evaluation criteria used by supervisors to judge students' placement progress and skill development. Understanding how students are reviewed during placements is a crucial assurance of learning for students, program managers, placement supervisors and teaching staff (academics). A comprehensive quantitative analysis of n=251 student placement reviews drawn across three teaching periods in 2021/22 provided insights into the effectiveness of each criterion. The results reveal the need for clarity and improvement of some criteria and a refinement of the overall process namely to improve quality feedback for students during their placement. The findings provide valuable contribution to sector-wide enhancement of IT placements with the aim of better preparing IT students for the world of work. © 2025 International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning. All rights reserved.

Significance importance continues to be attributed to inclusion of work-integrated learning (WIL) in higher education Institutions’ (HEI) curriculum with acknowledgement of the role it plays in enhancing students’ learning experiences. However, in Uganda, HEIs implement WIL without stipulated policies to guide its implementation and inclusion. This study, therefore, set out to determine the role that HEI policies play in embedding meaningful WIL. The research used mixed methods and targeted 302participants. The study found that offering WIL without well-articulated policies renders WIL uncoordinated, unregulated, and subjective, making it less beneficial to students’ learning experiences. The study considered instituting policies to guide WIL for resource mobilization, strengthening partnerships with host organizations, and setting procedures. In addition, findings confirmed that clarifying the responsibilities of the key stakeholders involved in WIL is critical to successful outcomes. © 2025 International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning. All rights reserved.

Purpose – This study estimates the likelihood of workplace violence for apprentices. Using the approach of intersectionality theory, it studies how this probability varies according to several factors that increase their vulnerability (gender and education) or reduce it (integration and support). Design/methodology/approach – Using data from the European Working Conditions Survey, the analysis distinguishes between apprentices and employees to highlight the specific vulnerabilities and risk of workplace violence of the former. Findings – The results indicate that apprentices experience more workplace violence and that this workplace violence affects their career development expectations. Specifically, trainees who have experienced workplace violence perceive lower job recognition, believe that the risk of job loss is higher and see their chances of career advancement as worse compared to their peers. Originality/value – The study highlights the need for targeted human resource policies that address these disparities and support trainees at a critical stage in their career development. Implications for future research and practice suggest integrating organizational support mechanisms, such as mentoring and comprehensive training, as well as reviewing the ambiguous legal employment framework for apprentices. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

This study undertook a comparative analysis of the assessment of transversal competences using two methods, one based on self-assessment and the other on external evaluation, to verify whether there was a (mis)match between the two. Self-assessment was based on the scores obtained through a self-report survey, and external evaluation was based on the scores obtained through the adaptation of the Multiple Mini-Interviews method. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the scores of 130 Portuguese graduate students from three public universities in Portugal. A comparative analysis of the differences according to gender and study field was also conducted to determine the existence of a (mis)match. The differences between scores in both exercises were computed. The results suggest varied assessment patterns of transversal competences, highlighting differences depending on the evaluation method and according to gender and study field. This study deepens our understanding of how students’ transversal competences are ascertained and sheds light on which transversal competences should be prioritised for development. Findings are particularly relevant for higher education institutions interested in developing and implementing assessment methodologies and intervention strategies to further increase their graduates’ transversal competences and, ultimately, improve their employability and career prospects. © 2025, Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.. All rights reserved.

Construction apprenticeship programs involve significant classroom instruction and on-the-job training to develop highly skilled and broadly trained workers. Data from the state of Nevada, USA indicate that the typical apprentice who completes a program can expect to earn 56% more than the expected wage elsewhere in the economy for similar amounts of formal education. Potential earnings premiums are even higher for those with less educational attainment. One obstacle for completion is macroeconomic volatility, which under recessionary conditions, reduces apprentices’ opportunities to obtain on-the-job learning hours. Our study shows that economic fluctuations, which were particularly severe in Nevada before and during the Great Recession, especially affected less-educated workers, who stood to benefit the most from completing an apprenticeship. Findings also indicate that completion rates for underrepresented demographic groups were typically more cyclically sensitive compared to white, male, non-veteran apprentices with a high school degree. © 2025 Western Social Science Association.

Purpose – This paper critically examines the evolution of quality assurance (QA) and regulation in degree apprenticeships in England from 2015 to 2025. It explores how regulatory frameworks have developed over the decade, their implications for higher education institutions and how these compare with international approaches to degree-level work-based learning. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a qualitative documentary analysis of policy documents, regulatory frameworks, inspection reports and stakeholder commentary. It draws on grey literature, government publications and international case studies to trace the development of England’s QA landscape and benchmark it against comparable systems globally. Findings – The English regulatory environment has transitioned from a fragmented oversight system to a more integrated, albeit complex, framework involving multiple agencies. While the coordination between regulatory bodies has improved, providers continue to experience significant compliance burdens. International comparisons highlight alternative approaches to integration and standardisation. The study finds that while institutional governance has matured, persistent challenges remain around inspection consistency, retention and balancing vocational and academic quality. Originality/value – Findings highlight the cumulative effects of regulatory reform on institutional practice, governance and risk by tracing the evolution of England’s degree apprenticeship QA landscape over its first decade. Comparative insights drawn from international systems illuminate how differing regulatory logics shape provision, oversight and employer engagement. The analysis offers a synthesis of the English model’s structural tensions, alongside emerging patterns of convergence and divergence in higher-level work-based learning. © Emerald Publishing Limited