Analysis of Factors that Influenced the Participation Rates in Upper-secondary Vocational Schools in China

Vocational education and training has been treated as a good pathway to smoothly promote youth from school to the workplace. However, for many reasons, the vocational education in Asian countries is not as popular as general education, and the participation rate in vocational schools is normally lower than it is in general schools. This paper builds a theoretical model about the factors that influence the participation rate in Chinese upper-secondary vocational schools and explains the possible related indicators through a regression analysis method. The results show that the most positive factor is related to the number of male students in vocational schools, followed by the number of female vocational teachers. Other staff in vocational schools also have a positive effect, while the youth unemployment rate and the number of men vocational teachers both have negative relationships with the participation rate. In China, it is possible to improve the rates of new entrants into vocational schools from the aspects of the gender issues, the training methods for vocational teachers, and the social recognition of vocational education.ract is compulsory. First sentence describes the nature or the background information on the field of study. Subsequent sentences provide the problem statement or objectives and scope of the research. Next sentences explain the methods and materials used in the work. Main results and important findings are then highlighted. Finally, a summary of conclusions is put forth. Length of abstract can be proportional to the length of the article.

Development of Mobile Application Framework Based on Competency-Based Education for Technical and Vocational Education

This study aimed to develop a mobile application framework based on Competency-Based Education (CBE) in Technical and Vocational Education. CBE approach in teaching and learning should be applied because this approach is suitable for skill-based education. In technological advancement, the mobile application approach causes students to have their own control in teaching and to learn to be implemented seamlessly and more effectively. This research is a qualitative method that has gone through three phases to form a framework for the mobile app based on CBE. The instruments used are structured interview and evaluators' reliability review form. The study sample consisted of 6 experts in CBE and technology for the interview session and 3 experts in TVET for reliability data verification. The raw data obtained from the interviews have gone through a thematic analysis process using Atlas.ti software. The results show 36 items identified as characteristics of CBE in the mobile application, with the average Cohen Kappa Index Approval coefficient was 0.9 indicating a very good reliability scale. The findings of this study consist of 33 items with seven constructs approved after the inter-rater reliability among the expert. The implication from this research could be used as guidance in the development of the instructional mobile application, particularly in Technical and Vocational Education and as an instrument for evaluating existing instructional mobile applications.

A Case Study for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Professional Development Training in Untact Era: Focusing on Official Development Assistance Project in Botswana

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the TVET professional development training, which was planned to be carried out in a face-to-face manner. This study aims to examine TVET professional development training based on the ADDIE model and provide implications for ODA and TVET professional development training in the post-COVID era. In this case study, a TVET training program for Botswana was developed based on the ADDIE model in an untact environment. Accordingly, the performance activities for each phase of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation were analyzed, and based on this, implications for ODA and TVET were provided. This study identified the applicability of non-face-to-face education in the ODA project. Also, this study explored how to develop systematic and dimensional programs based on the ADDIE model in a non-face-to-face manner. In addition, sustainability could be secured through cooperative partnerships between donor and beneficiary countries from the perspective of SDGs Goal.

What Physical Education Trainees Think about Teaching Profession and Mentoring during a TVET Practical Traineeship?

The attitude of futures teachers of physical education and mentorship, are two mainvariables that may affect the number of student teachers being part of the profession, particularly in physical education universities that offer technical and vocational education and training (TVET).Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate attitudes of pre-service teachers toward the physical education teaching profession. In addition, this research attempts to understand whether the relationship between mentors and students affects the transfer of learning from the university during a practical teaching internship.This is a quantitative study using a questionnaire to examine attitudes towards the teaching profession and understand the views on mentoring of 169 physical education students in Tunisia to illustrate the importance of professional mentoring work.A descriptive statistics including means and standard deviations were used to describe each item and the mean of all items for each scale. In this context, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 16.0 software was applied.It was revealed that student teachers' answers were significantly higher while taking into consideration both of university teaching methods and of advice of university supervisor. These findings pave the way for integral implications: a greater transition from university learning to practice, producing future teachers who are ready to integrate and implementing university practices in a new context.

Development of TVET Teachers’ Beliefs about Technology Enriched Instruction through Professional Development Workshops: Application of the Technology Acceptance Model

This study explores how Technical and Vocational Teachers’ intentions to incorporate technology in teaching and learning are influenced by their beliefs. It is theorised that teachers’ beliefs about using technology in their instructions are influenced by teachers’ perceptions of technology usefulness, ease of use, and self-efficacy. In the current study, a series of workshops for technology-enriched instructions were mounted for the professional development of technical and vocational teachers. In these workshops, teachers planned, designed and developed 21st century learning activities. Data was collected using a questionnaire, which was distributed to the TVET teacher participants after the completion of the professional development workshops for technology-enriched instruction. The data was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling which were used to analyze the proposed modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model. The modified TAM model proposed that TVET teachers’ intention to use technology, and their beliefs about self-efficacy are directly influenced by their beliefs about perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness of technology, and that the variable, self-efficacy is a mediator variable to intention. It was shown that the proposed modified TAM model is a good fit model to explain the variance in 52% of teachers’ beliefs about the self-efficacy, and 40% variance of intention. The positive outcome of the technology enriched instruction professional development program is that it provided a common language and skills that overcame some of the TVET teachers’ concerns with regards to technology integration in their lessons. This study contributes towards an understanding of the factors that influence TVET teachers’ intentions to use technology in teaching and learning through a professional development programme for technology enriched instruction.

Effect of Lateral Thinking Dispositions on Groupwork

The aim of this study is to compare the effect of lateral thinking dispositions on groupwork in a collaborative learning environment from different angles as quantitatively and qualitatively in line with methodological pluralism. The population of the study included freshmen students studying Gastronomy and Culinary Arts in Tourism Faculty of a state university. The study was conducted in three samples within the scope of methodological pluralism including data triangulation (for SPSS analysis: N= 83- all the students in the study universe-; for thematic analysis: N= 66- selected on a voluntary basis depending on voluntary response sampling-; and for the Rasch analysis: N= 16 students accepting to participate this aspect of the study voluntarily and 3 faculty members who have the responsibilities of the groupwork of the students). In the quantitative phase, descriptive analysis was performed through the Rasch Measurement Model and SPSS program while in the qualitative part of the study, the case study approach was conducted under the checklist of COREQ Statement. Rasch results indicated the LATD (Lateral Thinking Dispositions) scores of the students graduating from tourism or cooking related vocational high schools and having work experience were higher than their counterparts not graduating from tourism related high schools and had no work experience beforehand. Qualitative results showed consistency with the quantitative results. Teachers are suggested to be trained so that lateral thinking skills can be implemented in class environment.

Evaluation of Learning Cycle 4E-RE to Improve Chemistry Learning of Vocational High School Students

This study aimed to examine the effect of the Learning Cycle 4E-RE on the vocational school students’ chemistry learning outcomes in light vehicle engine maintenance subject. The research subjects were 164 Vocational High School (SMK) students majoring in Technology and Engineering, the Automotive Engineering expertise program, consisting of 100 students in the experimental group and 64 students in the control group. The research instrument was a learning outcome test with 30 multiple-choice items with reliability of Kuder-Richardson ρ (KR 20) = 0.837. This study used a quasi-experimental pre / posttest control group design. The mean similarity of the experimental class and the control class was tested from the pretest results using t-test statistical analysis. The research hypothesis was tested using the ANCOVA test with a significance level of 5% (0.05). The results showed that there were differences in the learning outcomes of students who were taught with the Learning Cycle 4E-RE strategy with students who were taught with verification/conventional teaching. Student learning outcomes in the experimental class were higher than those in the control class. The implication of this research is that contextual learning strategies such as the Learning Cycle 4E-RE are suitable for vocational students to improve their learning outcomes. For further research, reflection activities in a learning strategy need to be tested again using different learning strategies and chemistry topics.

Measuring the Level of Agreement on the Development of Sustainable Framework for TVET Teacher Education Program in Malaysia

TVET Teacher Education program in Malaysia has been established to produce TVET teachers who can meet the criteria of the 21st Century. This study is the first to investigate the agreement level of lecturers in the TVET teacher education program on the development of the related sustainable framework. We developed a questionnaire to assess the level of agreement on the domain and elements needed for the sustainable framework for the TVET Teacher Education program in Malaysia. We then conducted a survey involving 117 TVET Teacher Education programs lecturers in all Malaysia public universities. The data were analysed using Descriptive Analysis involving the mean score and standard deviation. The result indicates the lecturers perceived the Role of Government [M=6.11; SD = .697] as the highest domain important to developing the sustainable framework and the Criteria of Sustainable Management System [M=5.72; SD= .843] as the lowest agreed on the importance of the domain. Moreover, the entire sustainable framework perceived a high level of agreement from the respondent. It is believed that with this sustainable framework of the TVET Teacher Education program, the criteria of Malaysian TVET teacher produced can be tailored to the need of future education. We recommended that the replication of this study from different teacher education programs in Malaysia ensure all teachers in Malaysia are qualified and versatile with future education.

Skills Sets for Workforce in the 4th Industrial Revolution: Expectation from Authorities and Industrial Players

Klaus Schwab, founder and the executive chairman of the World Economic Forum announced the arrival of a new revolution, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterized by a combination of technology that changes the line between fields and is driven by three mega trends of digital, physical systems and biological along with ways that will change people’s lives and the job market in the future. The arrival of the 4IR needs a further action on identifying industry trends, job demands and possibilities that may arise in parallel with this revolution especially to strengthening potential for skills development in line with 4IR. The skill sets required in both existing and new occupations will change and transform on how people work. The aim of the article is, to understand, as well as between developed and emerging markets, the employment, skills and education concerns of individuals. A qualitative research design with a focus group was used to collect data for this study. The focus group method entails focus group discussions on the aspect of strengthening human potential for skills development in line with 4IR, involving stakeholders members from the competence body which is Department of Skills Development (DSD) Malaysia, industry players from Industry Lead Body (ILB) appointed by DSD of various industry and an academician from the different TVET institutions. The findings showed four strategic aspect that can be used as a guideline to develop the skills set for 4IR which are empowering digital skills, proficient in using high impact technology, entrepreneurial mindset and lastly skilled workers with a combination of technical skills and soft skills.

Challenges of Collective Inertia and Scarcity to Technological and Vocational Education Universities

The massification of higher education institutions in Taiwan, typically in universities of science and technology, creates competition for resources and currently threatens foreclosures in Taiwan’s higher education system. To answer this challenge amid global competition among universities, the Ministry of Education (MOE) implemented the World-Class Research University Project, creating the initiative for higher education institutions to quickly gain world-class status with the reasonable belief that strong global visibility would attract much needed international resources to supplement local ones. However, the race for global reputation has created highly stressful environments for faculty members to publish research papers in highly regarded international journals. In highlighting fundamental paradoxes of the system and the rationale behind them, this paper attempts to stimulate a much-needed reflection that might pave the way for rational and empirical efforts to transform higher education in Taiwan. This paper also reveals that the emphasis on speed-up achievement has overwhelmed the original academic missions of higher education and placed academics in a scarcity mindset with quantity drowning essence. The primary mechanism for keeping the current system is the collective inertia that limits academics from breaking out of the mould of habitual approaches. This paper discusses all sorts of findings, reported events, theoretical ideas, and inherent contradictions in relation to Taiwan universities in an attempt to frame the essential background on the problems in terms of scarcity mindset and inertial thinking. Finally, the paper provides some suggested solutions. The reflection in this paper may inspire faculty members in higher technological and vocational education programs to lead school administration and industry development with practical and updated knowledge. It is crucial to revitalising faculty members’ educational enthusiasm through building professional autonomy and self-efficacy.