Search Results for
"education"

Vocational education and training (VET) provides skills to young people at risk of social exclusion and efficiently integrates them into labour markets. In addition to structural-institutional factors identified in the field of comparative political economy, this article illustrates that the success of the social inclusion function of VET depends on policy design and implementation. The article analyses the potential of initial VET (IVET) to contribute to social inclusion in a least likely case of a liberal skill formation system: Scotland. Empirically, the analysis is based on reviews of policy documents and reports and interviews with key actors. Quantitative data is used to validate claims and support the findings. The analysis shows that (I)VET policy implementation is hindered by features typical of liberal skill formation systems, though through novel mechanisms uncovered in the analysis. The analysis also uncovers previously unidentified operational challenges. Notwithstanding, the article concludes that high level (I)VET is a viable alternative to academic study, even in unfavourable structural-institutional contexts, and that policy updating serves to maintain inclusivity. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Researcher bias can significantly impact the validity and reliability of studies, particularly when the researcher has a particular interest in the subject. This paper uses a doctoral research project on apprenticeship completion in Ireland's built environment sector as a methodological case study to examine how bias and subjectivity were identified and mitigated. Given the researcher's active role in the field, the potential for bias is heightened, making it essential to address this challenge. Drawing on reflexive practices, including journaling and visual mapping of positionality, the paper explores how bias awareness was developed and addressed. While these strategies will be essential in future stages of apprenticeship research, the aim of this study is to highlight the necessity of these measures in mitigating bias and ensuring objective findings. By offering practical tools for identifying and mitigating bias, the study contributes to growing calls for reflexive, values-aware approaches in education research and provides guidance for future apprenticeship studies. © Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2025 - Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference.

Over the past decade, the proportion of graduates from upper secondary vocational schools who have progressed to higher education (HE) has increased significantly in China. This study adopts a multiple case study methodology to provide an in‐depth examination of the under‐researched role vocational schools play in HE progression. Drawing on interview data, relevant policy documents, and administrative records, our findings reveal that vocational schools have actively promoted the “HE progression” trend. This role serves not only as a strategy for organizational survival—addressing challenges related to resource dependence and the pressure of institutional isomorphism—but also as a means of establishing organizational legitimacy. To improve HE admission rates, the schools in our case studies have implemented similar efficiency mechanisms in response to environmental pressures. These include enhancing the delivery of integrated‐education programs with symbolic quality control during the transfer process, adopting classification‐based student management systems that differ in form but are similar in substance, and establishing systems characterized by strong “examination‐oriented” features. © 2025, Cogitatio Press. All rights reserved.

Grounded in “The Race Between education and Technology,” this book uses multisource data to analyse the evolving labour market for college graduates, interpreting how the relationship between humans and automation shifts from competition to coexistence, which is reshaping skill demand, education policy, and labour market in China and abroad. In examining the competition between humans and automation, the authors analyse how automation is pushing graduates out of informal employment, reshaping their career paths, and changing labour market structures. They also explore the impact of automation on skill demand, distinguishing between general and specific skills and highlighting how technological advancements are driving the evolving requirements of the labour market. The discussion then moves from competition to coexistence between humans and automation, highlighting the crucial role of education policy in managing human-automation substitution. The authors contend that rather than simply displacing human workers, automation can be integrated into the workforce in a way that promotes coexistence and even synergy between human skills and technological innovation. This book advances the traditional understanding of the relationship between technology, labour market, and education. It will appeal to scholars and students who are interested in the economics of education and labour economics. © 2026 Peikang Zhang, Huailiang Liang, Xuanyu Chen and Yuxuan Qin.

Objective: Data from a longitudinal study were used to examine health changes among students in health profession disciplines. Methods: In the summer semesters of 2021 and 2022 a baseline survey (T0) was conducted among students in health-related professions at a university in Germany. Participation in the online survey was voluntary and took place during the period of remote learning. The follow-up survey (T2) was conducted at the end of the degree program in the summer semesters of 2023 and 2024. In addition to sociodemographic data, health-related features were assessed using selected indicators: self-rated health status, height and weight, diseases, self-rated mental well-being, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol consumption, dietary habits and health literacy. To analyze changes between T0 and T2, the McNemar test, Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon test and Student’s t‑tests for paired samples were applied. Results: Complete longitudinal data were available for 33 students, corresponding to a follow-up rate of 33.7%. Over the course of the study program, a significant increase in the proportion of students classified as overweight or obese was observed. Dietary patterns also significantly deteriorated and a higher frequency of medical diagnoses was reported. In contrast, self-rated health remained largely stable. Conclusion: The university phase represents a critical period in the development of health-related behavior. Over the course of the study program, significant changes were observed in key health indicators. Despite these developments, self-rated health remained largely stable, suggesting a potential discrepancy between the objective health status and individual perception. These findings highlight the need for targeted health promotion strategies as well as for structural support systems within higher education institutions and future workplaces. © The Author(s) 2025.

Vocational high schools (BHS) constitute a popular school type in Austria and are particularly appealing to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. These five-year schools provide an alternative pathway to a general higher education entrance qualification, combining academic schooling with the “safety net” of school-based vocational training. Although BHS represent an important route into higher education, with approximately half of graduates entering higher education within three years, the other half do not, with many opting to enter the labour market directly. Drawing on rational action theory, this study examines the relationship between students’ social backgrounds (measured by parental education level), labour market prospects following graduation from BHS, and higher education enrolment. We analyse the further educational and labour market pathways of the entire 2016/17 cohort of Austrian BHS graduates, using unique data that combines several high-quality administrative registers. Descriptive analysis shows that transition rates to higher education vary considerably according to parental education. We employ logistic regression models to demonstrate that higher regional unemployment rates for the particular vocational qualification of BHS are associated with increased transition rates to higher education. In contrast with the assumptions of the “diversion thesis,” findings indicate that this effect does not vary according to the education of students’ parents. Consequently, BHS graduates with lower levels of parental education are equally likely to be deterred from pursuing higher education by the prospect of employment as those with higher parental education. © 2025 by the author(s).

This study explores the design and evaluation of a pedagogical agent persona (PAP) to enhance project-based learning (PBL) in Ghanaian senior high schools. Using a design-based research approach, a multimodal human-like PAP was developed and tested with 15 students and two teachers. Data from interviews, observations and usability scales revealed high learner engagement and satisfaction, with the Learner Attenuated System Paced model scoring highest (SUS = 92). Findings suggest that a PAP can support instructional equity, autonomy, and engagement in large-class settings. The study offers practical insights for scalable learner-centred technology integration in under-resourced educational contexts. © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Pathways to higher education through vocational upper secondary schools (VUSSs) are intended to increase permeability. However, in both VUSSs and general upper secondary schools (GUSSs), participation is socially selective. This article examined differences between GUSS and VUSS students in (a) the attainment of a higher education entrance qualification (HEEQ) and (b) the subsequent transition to higher education. Taking entry selectivity into account, we analysed the extent to which inequalities between GUSS and VUSS in both outcomes could be explained by differences in school achievement and educational considerations— namely, cost–benefit perceptions, expected success, and status maintenance motives. Using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; Starting Cohort 4), we selected a sample of individuals who entered upper secondary education in either VUSS or GUSS (N = 5032). Two binary dependent variables were used to indicate (a) the successful attainment of an HEEQ and (b) the subsequent transition to higher education (as opposed to vocational education and training). The results from logit models indicated that VUSS students were significantly less likely to obtain an HEEQ and progress to higher education. This association was smaller but still persistent when controlling for entry selection, school achievement, and educational considerations (AMEHEEQ = −0.047, AMEtransition = −0.150). However, when intake selection was considered in the logit models, school achievement and educational considerations during upper secondary education were insignificant in explaining why VUSS students were less likely than GUSS students to obtain an HEEQ and enter higher education. © 2025 by the author(s).

This study aims to explore the challenges faced by special education teachers in implementing the Transition-to-Career Programme (TCP). A case study involving districts from the states of Perak and Selangor was applied as part of the Integrated Special education Programme (ISEP). The data collected were interviews with seven special education teachers using purposive sampling techniques. The data were analysed thematically and four themes were identified: (1) teacher knowledge and skills; (2) teachers’ attitudes and motivation; (3) provision of infrastructure and learning environment; and (4) support from schools, parents, and community. The roles of teachers, students, parents, schools, socioeconomic status, and forms of support are found to be the main challenges in implementing the programme. These factors play a crucial role in determining the success of the Career Transition Programme (CTP) in special education at the school. The main findings of this study indicate that the readiness in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that teachers, students, and family members require are key aspects that support the school, along with cooperation from various parties to provide support aligned with the students’ needs. This study also shows that the ecological system influences the development and readiness of special education needs students (SENS), including their future careers. © Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2025.