Search Results for
"Vocational education"

This study introduces a multi-semester framework for vocational Software Development education (VSDE) that incorporates Agile practices—specifically Scrum, Lean Startup, and Extreme Programming—into a Project-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum. Conducted at an Indonesian polytechnic with 51 students across six courses, the framework was evaluated using a mixed-methods case study that combined qualitative data (such as interviews and reflections) with quantitative indicators (including Net Promoter Score [NPS], Minimum Viable Product (MVP) delivery, and sprint completion rates). The findings demonstrated a systematic improvement, with the median NPS increasing from 20.0 in Sprint 1 to 56.9 in Sprint 5, and six out of seven teams showing progress (Friedman χ2(4) = 11.38, p = 0.023). Survey results indicated gains of 1.5–2.0 points in Agile competencies, while student reflections highlighted a greater sense of ownership and more adaptive delivery processes. Overall, the results indicate that the iterative adoption of Agile practices can enhance both product quality and professional readiness. This study presents a replicable model and provides practical guidance for curriculum design, stakeholder engagement, and scaling Agile pedagogy across diverse institutional contexts. © 2025 The Authors

We study how improved wage opportunities for skilled workers affect firm-based training, using the 2002 opening of the Swiss labor market to German commuters as a natural experiment. The reform triggered a large outflow of skilled workers from German border regions, prompting firms to expand apprenticeship training. Using a Difference-in-Differences approach, we find a significant increase in the number of apprenticeships in affected firms in Germany despite unchanged apprentice wages. This pattern is consistent with an outward shift in apprentice supply: higher wages for skilled workers across the border made apprenticeships more attractive to young people. Our findings suggest that improvements in skilled workers’ wage prospects, rather than adjusting apprentice pay, may help to address training gaps and alleviate skill shortages. © © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.

This study explores how vocational education and training (VET) teachers in Sweden support students with special educational needs (SEN) during work-based learning (WBL). Based on interviews with 15 teachers from nine upper secondary VET programmes, the analysis draws on communities of practice and Biesta's three domains of education. Findings show that VET teachers employ adaptive strategies such as breaking down tasks, offering visual aids and negotiating incremental participation to enable access to WBL. However, inclusion often remains fragile and uneven. Workplaces are rarely designed to accommodate students with SEN, leaving VET teachers to shoulder responsibility for mediation and adaptation. While WBL can provide legitimate peripheral participation, opportunities for recognition, progression and subjectification are frequently limited, especially when students are restricted to repetitive or marginal tasks. This study argues that meaningful inclusion requires systemic arrangements that balance workplace demands with broader educational purposes, enabling students with SEN to participate safely and with agency in vocational communities. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of National Association for Special Educational Needs.

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This study investigates the influence of self-efficacy on students’ problem-solving abilities in vocational high schools. Self-efficacy, as a fundamental psychological construct, plays a crucial role in shaping learners’ confidence, persistence, and capacity to overcome both academic and practical challenges. A quantitative research design was adopted, employing a one-group pretest–posttest approach to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and problem-solving performance. The study involved 65 vocational high school students as research participants. Data were collected using a validated Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and a Problem-Solving Performance Test. The instruments were developed through expert validation, pilot testing, and reliability analysis to ensure methodological rigour. Data analysis consisted of descriptive and inferential statistical procedures, including normality tests, linearity tests, and simple linear regression analysis. The findings revealed that self-efficacy exerts a statistically significant positive effect on students’ problem-solving abilities, with a significance value of 0.008, which is lower than the 0.05 threshold. The coefficient of determination (R² = 0.105) indicates that self-efficacy contributes 10.5% to students’ problem-solving performance, while the remaining 89.5% is attributed to other variables not examined in this study. These results underscore the importance of fostering students’ self-efficacy through mastery experiences, constructive feedback, and collaborative learning activities. Strengthening self-efficacy is essential for developing higher-order thinking and problem-solving competencies that are critical for success in vocational education and future professional contexts. The study recommends that educational institutions integrate self-efficacy-oriented strategies into instructional design to enhance students’ adaptability, autonomy, and lifelong learning capacities within the framework of Technical and vocational education and Training (TVET). © 2026, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.

Heritage crafts have experienced a revival in recent years, driven by a growing demand for authenticity, sustainability and meaningful engagement. Despite this resurgence, systemic barriers, including the decline of vocational education and a cultural disconnect between urban settings and rural crafts, have excluded many working-class urban young people who once formed the backbone of these trades. This case study examines a community-driven heritage initiative centred on the restoration of an urban hazel coppice adjacent to the historic Hafod/Morfa Copperworks in Swansea. Co-produced by Swansea University, local stakeholders and educational institutions, the project aimed to equip participants with rural heritage coppicing skills whilst restoring a small hazel coppice using traditional methods through an immersive coppicing programme. Participants engaged in traditional crafts such as dead hedging, hazel stool cutting, tool maintenance and sustainable land management, under the guidance of a traditional coppice worker and experienced volunteers. By combining hyper-local project accessibility with practical, hands-on skill-building within an intergenerational support network, the initiative successfully addressed the participants’ self-identified barriers to learning. This co-produced approach allowed the project to achieve high levels of participation and satisfaction, enhancing confidence, well-being and community pride, while also inspiring further workshops and volunteer activities. By employing a co-production framework that brought together community input, statutory authorities and traditional expertise, the project provides a replicable model for introducing rural heritage skills into urban environments. © 2025 Intellect Ltd.

This study examines the integration of ocean literacy and digital technology in vocational tourism education in Indonesia. Using a descriptive quantitative approach, the research explored students’ familiarity with digital learning tools and their understanding of marine concepts. While many students indicated the use of mobile applications and online platforms for learning, their exposure to ocean environments was limited, particularly for those living in inland areas. This creates challenges for marine education because direct experience is often essential for building conceptual understanding. However, technology-based learning may serve as an alternative because it enables virtual exposure to coastal systems. The Technology Acceptance Model was applied to examine how students respond to educational technologies. Findings are discussed in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas concerning education, environment, and tourism. vocational tourism education is considered in this context because it connects career preparation with sustainable practices, including the need to link tourism activities with marine awareness through accessible and adaptable learning methods. © 2026 Tim Pengembang Jurnal UPI.

Introduction: Teaching web design using HTML and CSS is an increasingly important component of secondary education, preparing students for future careers in information technology. This systematic review examines research on methodologies and tools for teaching web design in secondary schools, identifying key effectiveness factors and approaches to overcome learning difficulties. Methods: Following PRISMA methodology, we conducted a systematic review of research published between 2007 and 2024. Initial searches in Scopus and Web of Science were expanded to include Google Scholar and additional databases following reviewer recommendations. Nine studies meeting inclusion criteria were selected from comprehensive searching. Inclusion criteria focused on empirical research involving HTML/CSS instruction in secondary or vocational schools with full-text availability. The limited number of studies despite expanded searching confirms the nascent state of empirical research in this domain. Results: Analysis revealed increasing research interest since 2017, with most studies conducted in Indonesia and the United States. Research predominantly focused on professional technical schools with 10th-grade students. Key findings are organized around three themes: (1) digital tools and platforms supporting web design education, including gamification platforms, learning management systems, and visual programming environments; (2) factors influencing learning effectiveness, including student characteristics, pedagogical approaches, and technical infrastructure; and (3) common learning difficulties and their solutions, particularly regarding complex material comprehension and student motivation. The recent emergence of gamification-based approaches shows particular promise for enhancing student engagement. Conclusions: Effective web design instruction requires a comprehensive approach integrating modern methodologies and tools while addressing student needs and providing adequate support. Project-based learning, gamification, and interactive environments emerged as particularly effective approaches. The scarcity of empirical research, confirmed through expanded searching, highlights the urgent need for additional studies. Future research should compare the effectiveness of different teaching methodologies and develop evidence-based recommendations for optimizing instruction across various educational contexts. © The Author(s) 2025.

vocational education and training involve several actors working together in a skills ecosystem. This paper focuses on the role of training agencies (TAs) in the transitions in this system. They interrelate with schools, workplaces, and the apprentices themselves to enhance the quality of the apprenticeship training. Using rich data from one Norwegian county, we present evidence on the transition from school to apprenticeship. Further, we analyse whether TAs contribute to apprenticeship completion as well as the variation across TAs using regression analysis, controlling for socio-economic differences across apprentices, and we distinguish between the perspectives of the workplace and the apprentice. We find that the probability of passing the final examination and achieving the trade certificate is significantly higher for apprentices in TAs than for apprentices with a contract directly with an independent private firm. In addition, there is a large variation in completion rates across TAs and across approved training establishments that are not a part of a TA. © The Author(s) 2026.

The rapid advancement of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 demands that vocational high school graduates possess not only technical expertise but also higher-order thinking skills, particularly critical thinking. However, many learning practices in vocational education remain limited to procedural instruction with minimal emphasis on cognitive development. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Flipped Project-Based Learning (FPjBL) model integrated with mockup and Augmented Reality (AR) media in enhancing vocational students’ critical thinking skills compared to conventional learning approaches. This study uses a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, namely pretest-posttest control group design. The research sample was grade X and XI students from six state vocational high schools in the Solo Raya area, consisting of 216 students divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group used the FPjBL model with mockup and AR media, while the control group used conventional learning. Data were collected through critical thinking ability tests and learning motivation questionnaires. Data analysis used ANCOVA and multiple linear regression. The results showed that the experimental group experienced a significant increase in critical thinking skills compared to the control group (F (1,213) = 104.192, p <.001, partial η2 = .329). The analysis and explanation indicators showed the greatest increase. Linear regression shows that learning motivation, media perception, and student activity significantly affect critical thinking skills (R2=.613). These results confirm that integrating Integration Media Mockup and Augmented Reality with FPjBL effectively strengthens students’ critical thinking and can be adopted in vocational education curricula to better prepare learners for the complex challenges of Industry 4.0. © The Authors.