Search Results for
"Students"

This article details the design and validation of the students’ Perceptions of Upper Secondary Education Programmes (SPUSEP) instrument, developed to explore Portuguese students’ experiences of transitioning into upper secondary education. The instrument was developed based on a literature review and focus group discussions with students from four upper secondary schools and was tested through a pilot study with 185 students attending the 1st year of upper secondary level in these schools. Reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and a Principal Component Analysis. Furthermore, an independent sample T-test was conducted to examine differences between students in scientific-humanistic and VET programmes, as well as between general and VET schools. The results confirm that SPUSEP is a robust and reliable tool for gathering insights into students’ perceptions of upper secondary education programmes. It captures effectively the various perceptions of different pathways, including concerns about course load, degree of subject choice and learning experiences. SPUSEP can support discussions about and reforms of upper secondary education programmes at institutional, local or system levels, to promote more informed and student-centred educational improvements. © the author.

[No abstract available]

Introduction: A key challenge for many academics is designing learning activities that are constructively aligned and effectively enhance students’ appreciation of their learning outcomes. This study investigates the impact of integrating active and blended learning strategies into a game design unit that had historically suffered from low student engagement and poor alignment with unit outcomes. Methods: To address this issue, we introduced a series of active and blended learning activities, including an interactive design project, group work, the use of an online peer assessment tool, and online assessments requiring independent critical reflection and feedback on students’ learning experiences. A mixed-methods approach was employed. An online survey was administered via the LMS to 137 enrolled students, with 101 responses collected over a four-week period. Quantitative data were analyzed using ANOVA and linear multivariate analysis to assess the impact of these interventions. Results and discussion: The findings suggest that the introduction of active and blended learning strategies—particularly those that increased student participation in lectures and group discussions—enhanced overall engagement and improved student satisfaction with the unit. students appreciated the availability of online tools and resources; however, online engagement alone did not consistently lead to improved learning experiences. The data indicated that the effectiveness of online learning was significantly influenced by the presence of consistent and clear feedback. Conclusion: Active and blended learning strategies, when supported by thoughtful learning design and timely feedback, are effective in engaging students with their learning outcomes and enhancing the overall student experience. These findings underscore the importance of integrating interactive and reflective components into course design to foster deeper student engagement. © © 2025 Awidi, Harper and Savat.

Purpose This study explores the soft skills learnt during internship programmes in small enterprises and their impact on student employability. Compared to typical internships, this type of internship is not aligned with the student’s areas of expertise. This study examines whether the nonlinear apprenticeship programme (mismatch internship) contributes to the development of student’s soft skills. Design/methodology/approach The subjects were 47 intern students from the Mathematics Education Study Program at the Indonesian Catholic University of Santu Paulus Ruteng who participated in the 2022 Independent Campus Competition Program (Program Kompetisi Kampus Merdeka – PKKM) and their mentors from SMBs. The mixed-methods study used questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and documentation. Findings Several soft skills were developed during the students’ participation in this programme, including creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, collaboration, accuracy, leadership, responsibility, adversity, curiosity, discipline and adaptation and self-management, which are needed during times of employment uncertainty. Research limitations/implications First, this study has not specifically analysed the influence of attribute variables such as gender, learning motivation and work motivation or attitudes towards pre-employment work. Second, no study has examined this internship’s effect on company performance. Some small and medium enterprises are start-up businesses; therefore, the risk of business failure overshadows stringent work demands on employees. Practical implications First, students should be challenged during learning with constructivist and project-based learning approaches. Second, campus partnerships with industrial business fields are essential. Originality/value This study is useful for developing a higher education curriculum that is more adaptive and supports independent learning. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose Sustaining engagement in high-stakes vocational training is a global imperative. This study investigates the interplay between motivation, personal best (PB) goals and multifaceted student engagement (behavioural, emotional, cognitive and agentic) among Indonesian aviation vocational higher education (AVHE) students. Addressing a gap in demanding, non-Western contexts, it examines PB goals’ mediating role, offering insights for high-stakes programmes worldwide. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected via an online questionnaire from 267 students (Levels II-IV) across ten study programmes at the Indonesian AVHE institution (N = 668 population). Situational motivation, PB goals and student engagement dimensions were measured using adapted, validated scales. Data analysis utilized partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. Findings The measurement model demonstrated adequate reliability and validity. Motivation significantly predicted PB goals (large effect) and all engagement dimensions (small effects). PB goals strongly predicted all engagement dimensions (large effects). Crucially, PB goals significantly mediated the motivation–engagement relationship: mediation was moderate for emotional engagement and small for behavioural, cognitive and agentic engagement. This highlights PB goals as a key mechanism translating motivation into active engagement. Originality/value This study makes three primary contributions. First, (Theoretical) it extends motivational theory by empirically demonstrating the potent mediating function of PB goals in a novel, high-stakes vocational context. Second, (Empirical/Contextual) it provides rare empirical evidence from the under-researched, semi-militaristic setting of non-Western AVHE, thus enhancing the global perspective on student engagement. Third, (Practical) it offers transferable, evidence-based strategies for educators and policymakers in demanding educational fields, showing that fostering PB goals is a highly effective pedagogical approach. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose The study aimed to clarify how, or if, the quality of paid work undertaken while completing tertiary education affects students’ career development. While most tertiary students work while studying, this is often in more precarious jobs. The study examined the relationships between perceived job precariousness, student agency and the accumulation of career capital. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 273 working students (Mage = 21 years; 75.8% female; Mwork = 22 h per week) and a cross-sectional survey design, we tested a serial indirect effects model in which job precariousness predicted, in turn, perceptions of organisational climate, engagement in job crafting and accumulation of career capital. Findings Higher job precariousness was related to lower social and professional career capital. Job crafting climate and engagement in cognitive and relational job crafting fully explained the relationships between precariousness and social capital, whereas crafting climate and cognitive crafting partially explained the relationship with professional capital. Research limitations/implications The findings have implications for work precarity theory development. However, because the data were survey-based, cross-sectional and from a single university, longitudinal replication using diverse methodology is needed to determine generalisability and to fully test the directions of the effects found. Practical implications The paper provides practical implications for teaching institutions and employers, both of whom have a vested interest in supporting working students to reach their full potential. Originality/value The study contributes to an under-researched area of precarious employment and career development in working students. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose The vocational education-industry connection is crucial for students’ professional competence development and employability. In the past decade, the Chinese government has issued numerous policies in this regard. This study reviews these policies concerning the context. Design/methodology/approach This study screened 19 educational policies specifically focussing on vocational education-industry connection based on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) standards. These policies have been coded, categorised and connected based on thematic analysis and grounded theory. Findings Three typical policy models were developed to illustrate Chinese attempts at vocational education-industry connection, i.e. modern vocational education system reform, municipal industry education federation and in-depth school-enterprise cooperation. The characteristics and specific policy expectations of the three policy models were discussed with regard to the potential benefits and risks. Originality/value The current study reviewed a series of policies on the topic of vocational education-industry connection from a systematic and holistic perspective, and three interconnected policy models were generated. The original findings could be used as an analytical framework for future studies in this field. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose This study examines how satisfying psychological needs—relatedness, competence, and autonomy—affects Work-Based Learning (WBL) engagement and employability outcomes in college students. It investigates whether WBL engagement mediates the relationship between need satisfaction, employability attributes, and competence, offering insights for designing WBL programs that better prepare students for the workforce. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional study using an electronic questionnaire was conducted in July 2024 among 284 college students at Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia, who had participated in WBL. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data and investigate the direct and mediating effects of need satisfaction on employability outcomes via WBL engagement, considering demographic factors and constructs related to need satisfaction, WBL engagement, employability attributes, and employability competence. Findings The study revealed that need satisfaction (relatedness, competence, and autonomy) significantly influences employability attributes and competence. WBL engagement partially mediates the relationship, showing a positive effect on employability attributes but an insignificant impact on employability competence. Additionally, employability attributes were found to significantly enhance employability competence. These findings underscore the importance of fulfilling students’ needsfor satisfaction and engaging them in work-based learning to improve their employability outcomes. Practical implications To improve student employability and competence through WBL, it is essential to prioritize student needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy within WBL. Educators and policymakers must create supportive learning environments that address these psychological needs and include practical experiences to better prepare students for workforce challenges. Originality/value While the benefits of WBL have been acknowledged, this study specifically endeavors to explore how catering to students’ psychological needs can augment the effectiveness of WBL. The findings of this research provide empirical evidence that can serve as a foundation for crafting WBL programs that address students’ psychological needs, ultimately enhancing their employability prospects. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Aim: The aim of this discussion paper is to explore whether recontextualisation theory deepens our understanding of learning across multiple sites when introducing simulation-based education (SBE) into nurse education. Background: The requirement for students to learn in clinical placements remains an aspiration as well as a regulatory requirement internationally. Yet, the increasing complexity of healthcare and the numbers of vacancies in the healthcare workforce globally have led to poor learning environments. In the context of faster internet speeds, rapid development in virtual technologies, affordability of hardware, and the move to online educational provision after the COVID-19 pandemic, SBE has emerged as a key teaching method in health professional preparation programmes globally. Design: Critical discussion paper. Methods: This discussion paper is based on current literature on SBE and recontextualisation theory. Findings: Evaluations of SBE often show positive outcomes for learning in nurse education. Weaknesses and gaps in the evidence on SBE, such as the scarcity of control groups or longitudinal studies, have been identified. Using recontextualization theory, we argue that SBE may also increase the theory-practice split for students across multiple sites of learning. Conclusions: The introduction of SBE offers supplementary positive learning opportunities to those in clinical practice while at the same time creating multiple sites of learning which are not always aligned. More needs to be done to teach from a curriculum which relies on students being motivated and able to learn across multiple sites of learning. Implications for the Profession and Patient Care: To support student nurses in UG professional preparation programmes which rely on SBE as well as clinical practice and universities, shared values between nurse educators and clinical nurses need to be enacted collaboratively. This could be achieved by reframing how students and nurses learn and rework knowledge across sites of learning. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In Finland, workplace-based learning (WPBL) is recognized as a promising educational strategy in vocational education and training (VET), with limited emphasis on students with learning difficulties (LDs). This study investigated the WPBL feedback experiences of students with LDs in six vocational fields in Finland: social and healthcare, business administration, building and construction, catering and tourism, electronics and automation, and logistics. Employing a qualitative paradigm, this study used semi-structured interviews comprising individual face-to-face and focus group discussions with 35 final-year students aged between 18 and 35 years in four inclusive vocational institutions. The data were transcribed and analyzed using the NVivo software. The results indicate that these students receive feedback from peers, trainers, and supervisors, and generally express satisfaction. This study underscores the significance of fostering student feedback literacy skills, emphasizing that support and guidance should be administered within a structured framework to ensure trainers’ proficiency in addressing specific difficulties. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.