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"learning"

Background: This article shares details of a pilot research project that explored stakeholder perceptions and experiences of the academic and work-based elements involved in one university's innovative speech and language therapy (SLT) degree apprenticeship. Aims: To share findings about SLT apprentice learner and mentor expectations and experiences since this knowledge, including of barriers and facilitators, will enable the university concerned, and others already providing or developing their SLT degree apprenticeship, to enhance their offer and so apprentice learning experience and outcomes. Methods and Procedures: Following ethical approval, a mixed-methods research design was applied. In phase one, 18 apprentice and mentor participants involved in the programme completed online questionnaires. Themes identified from inductive thematic analysis of the questionnaire data were probed further in nine online semi-structured interviews, with transcripts also being analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Outcomes and Results: Findings offer new knowledge about the apprenticeship route into the profession and provide valuable insight for HEIs and employers considering or developing an SLT or wider allied health profession (AHP) apprenticeship offer. This includes detail about the strengths and challenges related to four key themes: internal factors; time and support; structure and organisation; and apprenticeship processes. Conclusions and Implications: The apprenticeship provides an economically sustainable and practical progression opportunity for learners, including SLTAs, and may provide SLT training that is better embedded in clinical practice than traditional routes. Collaboration between the key stakeholders (apprentice learner, workplace mentor, and HEI) is central to this, though challenges in terms of time and resources exist. Developing and sustaining SLT apprenticeships therefore has implications for future workforce development and the profession. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject Degree apprenticeships, as a route into the speech and language therapy profession, are in their infancy; thus, research and information about them are emergent. What this study adds to the existing knowledge The university where the study took place had been involved in the RCSLT apprenticeship trailblazer group since its inception in 2017 and offered the first full-time SLT Degree Apprenticeship (DA). Findings about what is different about SLT DA education and learners as compared to traditional routes are presented. The study provides new information about who chose to study SLT via the DA and why, and what components should be considered, including how, when and where DAs might be delivered. What are the clinical implications of this study? Whilst the DA SLT appears to have distinct advantages over more traditional routes in terms of continual integration of theoretical and work-based learning and experience, challenges around workload exist. This study was conducted at an early stage of the DA delivery, so knowledge about threats and whether the route will fulfil workforce development hopes remains to be seen. © 2025 The Author(s). International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Background: The demand for a highly skilled engineering workforce is escalating because of rapid technological change and global investments in STEM. Although education and industry systems are responding with new training models and policies, engineering education research has been slower to adapt. Despite its relevance, engineering workforce development (EWD) has remained a peripheral topic in journals such as the Journal of Engineering Education. Purpose: This editorial challenges the field to reposition EWD as a central domain of inquiry. We advocate for a broader and more inclusive definition of EWD that reflects diverse educational pathways, credentials, and professional roles. Scope: We draw from interdisciplinary research, global policy initiatives, and national workforce trends to highlight opportunities for deeper engagement. We analyze the current marginalization of EWD within engineering education research, especially in journal publication patterns, and point to promising efforts in professional societies and federal funding. Results: To move EWD from the margins to the center of engineering education, we recommend (i) expanding research agendas to reflect lifelong learning and diverse career pathways, (ii) embedding EWD within professional infrastructures such as journals and societies, and (iii) increasing dedicated funding for EWD research across education levels and sectors. Conclusions: Engineering education must evolve in tandem with the changing workforce it serves. Centering EWD as a research priority will improve relevance, expand impact, and better prepare learners for the demands of modern engineering work. © 2025 American Society for Engineering Education.

Many vocational education and training (VET) students in the Netherlands struggle with the transition from education to the labour market, resulting in high dropout rates. VET institutions are actively seeking effective mechanisms to support their students during this transition. This research explored valuable strategies identified by education professionals to facilitate a sustainable transition from education to the labour market. This study employed a realistic evaluation framework using CIMO-logic (which focuses on the Context, Intervention, Mechanism, Outcome) for analysis in order to gain insight into the processes of change. In total, four cases were studied at two Dutch educational institutions. The research followed an inductive approach using within-case and cross-case analyses. Five key elements were identified: skills and competencies, Self-insight, Self-efficacy, Building a professional network, and bridging education and practice. In school-to-work guidance for VET students, these elements are relevant to consider in guidance programs. © 2025 by the authors.

The transition from school to university and subsequently into the workforce is increasingly non-linear, shaped by diverse socio-economic realities and interrupted learning pathways. This study examines the effectiveness of Readiness Programs in preparing students for higher education and explores the potential of integrating the African Ubuntu philosophy to enhance these programs. Using a quantitative research design, a structured survey was administered to 1132 participants enrolled in the University of Namibia’s 2024 Readiness Program. Descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression were employed to analyse key predictors of readiness, including program structure, delivery, academic skills, and resilience to challenges. The findings indicate that program delivery, improved academic skills, and academic performance significantly influence students’ readiness to pursue university studies, while resilience to personal challenges shows a weaker correlation. The results suggest that structured interventions play a more pivotal role than individual perseverance in ensuring academic preparedness. The study concludes that integrating Ubuntu principles, such as communal support, ethical leadership, and collaborative learning into readiness programs can strengthen student engagement and institutional inclusivity. This integration aligns with decolonial imperatives in African higher education and contributes to more contextually relevant, supportive, and transformative readiness initiatives. © 2025 by the authors.

The rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI) in education means that students need to master both AI literacy and personal agency. This study situates a sample of 425 Slovenian secondary technical students within a three-tier framework that maps psychological empowerment onto AI literacy outcomes within a cultural–historical activity system. The agency competence assessments yielded four profiles of student agency, ranging from fully empowered to largely disempowered. The cluster membership explained significant additional variance in AI literacy scores, supporting the additive empowerment model in an AI-rich vocational education and training context. The predictive modeling revealed that while self-efficacy, mastery-oriented motivations, and metacognitive self-regulation contributed uniquely—though small—to improving AI literacy, an unexpectedly negative relationship was identified for internal locus of control and for behavioral self-regulation focused narrowly on routines, with no significant impact observed for grit-like perseverance. These findings underscore the importance of fostering reflective, mastery-based, and self-evaluative learning dispositions over inflexible or solely routine-driven strategies in the development of AI literacy. Addressing these nuanced determinants may also be vital in narrowing AI literacy gaps observed between diverse disciplinary cohorts, as supported by recent multi-dimensional literacy frameworks and disciplinary pathway analyses. Embedding autonomy-supportive, mastery-oriented, student-centered projects and explicit metacognitive training into AI curricula could shift control inward and benefit students with low skills, helping to forge an agency-driven pathway to higher levels of AI literacy among high school students. The most striking and unexpected finding of this study is that students with a strong sense of competence—manifested as high self-efficacy—can achieve foundational AI literacy levels equivalent to those possessing broader, more holistic agentic profiles, suggesting that competence alone may be sufficient for acquiring essential AI knowledge. This challenges prevailing models that emphasize a multidimensional approach to agency and has significant implications for designing targeted interventions and curricula to rapidly build AI literacy in diverse learner populations. © 2025 by the authors.

This study explores an experiential learning approach in basic design education by integrating observations of the real world to improve students' learning motivation, self-efficacy, and performance. A quasi-experiment with 28 first-year industrial design students used a single-group pre- and post-test design over a nine-week studio. The short course included four learning units on natural observation for pattern analysis and shape reconstruction. learning outcomes were assessed through scales, rubrics, T tests and regression analysis, while qualitative feedback was analyzed through text clouds. The results indicated an improvement in self-efficacy but mixed motivation for learning, probably due to the challenges in the reconstruction of shapes using generative rules and CAD tools. Students showed strong interest in field observation and generative rule exploration. The approach has positively influenced self-efficacy and learning performance. Future improvements include the alignment of tasks with the previous knowledge of students, the integration of user-friendly generative AI tools and the introduction of systematic problem-solving methods. © 2025

Critical thinking and collaboration are essential skills for university students facing rapidly evolving academic and professional landscapes. This qualitative exploratory study investigates several factors that contribute significantly to critical thinking and collaboration skills through interactive teaching. Ten students and five lecturers from urban, middle-class backgrounds participated in four sessions of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data were validated by triangulation and analyzed thematically. Three primary factors emerged: (1) interactive modalities Socratic questioning, peer education, structured project-based tasks, and digital simulations which enhance active engagement, cognitive exploration, and peer interaction; (2) inclusive, psychologically safe classroom climates that encourage open communication, risk-taking, and mutual respect; and (3) lecturers’ facilitative roles, including guided discourse, timely constructive feedback, and promotion of independent inquiry. Limitations involve variability from individual differences and institutional contexts. The findings underscore the importance of integrating interactive pedagogies with supportive environments and facilitator-led guidance to cultivate higher-order thinking and collaborative competencies. Practical implications for educators and policymakers include designing holistic, context-sensitive instructional strategies to prepare students for complex challenges, and the need to align course design with Bloom’s Taxonomy and social constructivist principles. Future research should assess the scalability and adaptability of these practices across diverse settings such as high schools, vocational training, and online platforms, and evaluate their long-term impact on student outcomes. © 2025, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved.

The lack of innovative implementation of digital learning media presents obstacles to accessing course materials, leading to unequal learning opportunities among students and, subsequently, lower graduate competencies. This study aimed to review the research studies on the effects of implementing digital learning media in various formats and its contribution to students’ learning outcomes. This study employed a scoping review by analysing articles from reputable databases, including Scopus and Google Scholar, and using relevant keywords. The selected studies were examined through descriptive mapping and narrative synthesis to identify patterns in digital media usage and their impact on learning outcomes. The analysis recognised 29 pertinent investigations, revealing the prevailing pattern in research on digital learning media centres and on Mobile Applications and their influence on students’ educational achievements. Nevertheless, there is also a demand for other forms of digital learning media to be utilised in educational endeavours. Additionally, the findings of the research illustrate that the utilisation of digital learning media substantially improves students’ proficiency in both technical and interpersonal abilities. Consequently, this study serves as a valuable asset for educators, and urges them to adopt the incorporation of digital learning media. © 2025, Commonwealth of learning. All rights reserved.

This study explored culturally and historically grounded pedagogical approaches in teaching technical and livelihood subjects within the Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd) and Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLEd) programs in selected Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It examined how teachers contextualize their lessons, utilize innovative strategies, and perceive the advantages and limitations of various instructional methods. Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, the research drew data from twelve teachers across four state universities: Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Pangasinan State University (PSU), Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), and Cagayan State University (CSU). Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis revealed that teachers incorporated cultural and historical content by aligning lessons with students lived experiences, employing project-based learning anchored in heritage, and integrating community-based knowledge. Innovative strategies included culturally responsive modules, the use of local languages, and the inclusion of oral histories and traditional practices. These approaches fostered student engagement, strengthened cultural identity, and enhanced community relevance. However, challenges included student disinterest, limited institutional support, and difficulties aligning with national curriculum standards. Despite these barriers, the study highlights meaningful efforts by educators to promote inclusive education. Findings underscore the need for systemic changes in policy, curriculum development, and institutional backing to sustain culturally sensitive teaching. This research contributes to the advocacy for culturally responsive pedagogy in technical and vocational education in the Philippines. © 2025 by the authors.

This study investigated the pedagogical practices, technical competency levels, and contextualized instructional innovations in the Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTED) and Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLED) programs across selected Philippine State Universities, namely Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Pangasinan State University (PSU), Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and Isabela State University (ISU). Using a qualitative-descriptive approach, the study examined how teaching strategies align with national standards such as the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) and TESDA’s Training Regulations, and how effectively they prepare pre-service teachers for real-world technical and vocational education (TVE) settings. Findings revealed a significant alignment between curricular content and industry-required competencies, with respondents citing integration of TESDA-accredited National Certificates (NC II) and task-based instruction. However, the study also identified critical gaps in access to modern equipment, real-life simulations, and updated teaching resources. In addition, the programs showed evidence of fostering soft skills such as leadership, communication, and professional behavior through internships and community engagements. The effectiveness of innovative and contextualized pedagogies was evident in bridging the gap between academic learning and workplace application, although implementation remains inconsistent across institutions. The study recommends enhancing curriculum design to incorporate more experiential and industry-based learning, investing in laboratory and training facilities, and conducting continuous teacher training to meet the evolving demands of the technical workforce. These insights contribute to strengthening the relevance and responsiveness of BTVTED and BTLED programs to the Philippine labor market and global TVET standards. © 2025 by the authors.