Search Results for
"education"

Residential childcare workers provide critical support to vulnerable children around the world. Building and maintaining a qualified residential childcare workforce is challenged by myriad forces, the foremost of which is recruiting and retaining staff for valuable work often misaligned with available compensation; making individual qualifications at hiring; ongoing training; supervision; and data support systems to monitor performance critical for quality care. This study explored the similarities and differences among these essential elements of staffing across distinct programs: Youth education Centers (YEC) in Poland, CiudadEscuela Muchachos (CEMU) in Spain, and the Boys Town Family Home Program (BTFHP) in the United States. Using an autoethnographic approach, the authors, who are a diverse team of practitioners and researchers, provide insights guided by personal experience about the programs as they compared and contrasted program training and evaluation manuals and materials, job descriptions, etc. The focal programs shared several similarities, most notably prioritizing children’s dignity. However, notable differences also offer possible solutions for region-specific challenges in building and sustaining a qualified residential childcare workforce. Future implications for ongoing international collaboration to establish training standards are discussed. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

In Ethiopia, technical and vocational education and training is predominantly a post-secondary program aimed at producing a competent middle-level workforce. Despite its steady expansion in recent years, both anecdotal and empirical sources criticize it for failing to effectively address the needs of trainees and the labor market. Above all, graduates often face unemployment, regardless of their competence. This study, therefore, aims to explore the underlying factors contributing to the mismatch between graduates’ competence and their wage employment opportunities. In particular, it focuses on participants’ perceptions of the competence of agro-food processing graduates and the reasons behind the inverse association between their competence and wage employment opportunities. The study employed a phenomenological research design, purposefully selecting 83 employed and unemployed graduates, along with 16 training providers and employers. Data were collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Findings revealed that most graduates lacked competence due to a shortage of both human and material resources in training delivery as well as weak cooperative training practices. Additionally, issues such as nepotism, cronyism, and bribery significantly affected competent graduates’ access to wage employment. These corrupt practices also contributed to the observed negative relationship between competence and wage employment opportunities. The combination of poor graduate competence and corrupt employment practices has undermined the utility of the agro-food processing occupation, potentially posing far-reaching implications for the relevance and value of occupational competence and causing obstructive spillover effects across the broader labor market. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The tourism sector heavily relies on the contributions of tourism students to deliver quality services. However, for various reasons, some students seek employment opportunities outside the tourism sector. The current situation in many countries is marked by the loss of skilled workers and the difficulty in retaining new talent. This research explores the impact of crisis perceptions, educational quality, and social influence on students’ work intention in the tourism industry, adopting Vroom’s expectancy theory. Furthermore, this study examines the extent to which differences exist in these variables between students with internship experience and those without. Data were collected from tourism management students in Türkiye using both online and in-person methods. The findings indicate that students’ intentions to work in the tourism industry are positively influenced by social influence. The findings also reveal no significant differences between the groups. Based on the findings, implications are discussed for tourism schools, professionals, and policymakers. © 2025 ICHRIE.

When used properly and in various contexts, social media platforms are unanimously considered essential and valuable teaching tools because younger generations are accustomed to them. They feel confident as they fit within their learned skill circle and are exposed to new trends, keeping them well-informed and motivated. This research paper explores the challenges of ESP teaching at the Civil and Mechanical, Industrial, and Maritime Faculties within Ovidius University of Constanța. It considers the benefits and drawbacks of how social media platforms can aid in addressing these challenges. There are numerous studies on the effectiveness of social media platforms, but just a few explicitly refer to their usefulness in ESP. A survey of 103 students and 6 teachers shows that social media platforms are an effective and enjoyable way to access educational resources. They improve memory and creativity, making them a good teaching method for today’s learners. These platforms support self-directed learning and are appealing to a generation that likes engaging with video content. Utilizing social media in ESP education has become prevalent; however, there remains a great deal to understand regarding its effective application for teaching and learning. © 2025 Ovidius University. All rights reserved.

The current research aimed at delving into the impact of the 4C/ID and predetermined and emergent design variability in learning tasks on teachers' personal initiative in comparison to the conventional teaching method. The subjects of the study were the instructors of the metropolitan fire department in Iran. Frese et al. (1997. The concept of personal initiative: Operationalization, reliability and validity in two German samples. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 70(2), 139–161) questionnaire was used to measure personal initiative, and to measure based on performance, a lesson plan was completed by the learners at the end of the course. Statistical analysis (one-way covariance analysis) carried out using SPSS 27 software showed that education based on the 4C/ID with diverse emergent tasks (F = 88/92, P < 0.001) and 4C/ID with diverse predetermined tasks (F = 40/12, P < 0.001) are more effective in developing teachers' personal initiative than conventional education. 4C/ID with diverse emergent tasks is more effective in the development of teachers' personal initiative compared to 4C/ID with diverse predetermined tasks (F = 9.15, P < 0.005). Thus, it is suggested that the 4C/ID with emergent learning tasks be scrutinized and studied as a suitable model for cultivating personal initiative. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this study evaluates the responsiveness of journalism curricula in South Africa to the evolving needs of the industry. Forty-six reviewed studies literature were retrieved for analysis. Findings indicate that while some institutions have incorporated digital media skills, critical thinking and ethics into their curricula, significant gaps remain in multimedia storytelling, data journalism, media entrepreneurship and AI tools in newsrooms. Furthermore, there is limited emphasis on practical work-integrated learning (WIL), leaving graduates underprepared for the fast-paced and highly competitive journalism labor market. The study recommends curriculum reforms that emphasize practical skills, industry partnerships and adaptability. © AEJMC 2025

This paper explores the scope of industrial training in school education in India. Industrial training learning combines academic learning with practical work experience, providing students with relevant skills and knowledge applicable to real-world scenarios. Vocational training has been envisioned in India's school education system. Indian education system faces several challenges, which include a lack of understanding about work-integrated learning, rigid traditional education structures, a gap between the skills taught in schools and those demanded by the industry, insufficient infrastructure, a shortage of well-trained teachers, and the digital divide. The consequences of these challenges to incorporating industry training are significant and are increasingly recognized as crucial in equipping students with essential skills for industry. Doubtless, considerable progress has been made in recent years, driven by government initiatives, policy reforms, and stakeholder collaboration. The New education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes holistic development, skill enhancement, and flexible learning approaches. The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan focuses on improving infrastructure and teacher training. However, a multi-faceted approach must be adopted to improve the quality and inclusivity of schooling. This includes strengthening teacher training programs, reforming assessment methods, bridging the digital divide, promoting inclusive practices, and integrating vocational education and skill development programs into the school curriculum to link education to industry requirements and enhance students’ employability prospects. Collaboration between stakeholders and the effective implementation of policies is crucial for realizing the vision of an equitable and inclusive education system in India that successfully integrates work-based learning. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

In today's fast-evolving professional landscape, maximizing the benefits of experiential learning, particularly for working professionals, is important. The way professionals acquire and assimilate knowledge depends on diverse learning preferences and styles. While different pedagogical strategies involving learning styles have been proposed, implemented, and evaluated, success depends on several other factors, such as learning goals and subject matter. This paper delves into the potential of learning styles in the context of experiential learning. We review the literature to present the insights gained, the extent to which learning styles influence the effectiveness of education, emerging trends, and exemplary practices and training programs within the professional context. We provide the trends in terms of the adoption by domain, dominant learning styles, and modalities. By charting the current landscape of research and best practices, this study contributes invaluable guidance to professional development and education domains. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

This research examines the link between experiential learning and the incubation process of new venture creation among student learners within a Malaysian Institute of Higher Learning. In addition, the study aims to assess how experiential learning and incubation process affect the student's entrepreneurial competencies and to analyse the moderating effect of close mentoring. A quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey was taken to analyse the relationships among the variables through path analysis. The results show that the practice of experiential learning and incubation process improves students’ practical skills, especially in critical thinking and entrepreneurial competencies. Also, close mentoring became a vital moderator of these relationships, improving the efficiency of interventions that encourage students in their entrepreneurial activities. The findings stress the need to incorporate the experience derived from practice, the help of solid incubation, and advice into education for entrepreneurship to improve entrepreneurial development in Malaysia and, subsequently, sustainable innovativeness and economic growth. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

In response to globalization and the growing need for interdisciplinary talents, this paper proposes an innovative English curriculum approach to nurture interdisciplinary research and teaching in universities. By integrating industry-relevant themes, interdisciplinary project-based learning, and contextualized language instruction, the curriculum bridges the gap between traditional language education and the demands of interdisciplinary collaboration. Leveraging new technologies such as AI and VR, it creates immersive, interactive learning environments that enhance creativity, critical thinking, and cross-disciplinary communication. The paper highlights challenges in implementation, including the need for innovative pedagogical frameworks and interdisciplinary collaboration, and suggests future directions, such as longitudinal studies, to evaluate the curriculum's effectiveness. This approach not only prepares students for the modern workforce but also empowers educators to lead interdisciplinary research, fostering innovation in higher education. © 2025 IEEE.