International Journal of Vocational Education Studies

VET Teacher and Trainer Education

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VET Teacher Training: A Comparison of University Programs in the U.S. and Norway

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This article is a study of Vocational Education and Training (VET) teacher training in considerably different societal contexts. Vocational education teachers contribute to the growth and development of a country’s future workforce, as they bridge the gap between formal schooling and the workplace. Their training is critical, since their pedagogical knowledge and technical expertise can result in students prepared to enter their chosen field of employment. Through case studies analyzing qualitative data on 1) program entry requirements, 2) curricular and course components, 3) implementation of practical elements in the training and 4) definitions of formal qualifications, the researchers identify joint key elements in VET teacher training programs in the U.S. and Norway. The discussion highlights how quality VET teacher training programs play a pivotal role in bridging between the practical elements in vocational education and professional futures as teachers.

Evaluation of Digital Competencies

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Approaches to modeling and evaluating teachers’ digital competencies are often based on the TPACK model. However, in-depth analyses of the conceptualization of the model show that the specificities of the so-called dual subject matter of vocational education are not sufficiently represented. This article provides insights into the development and testing of an instrument for teachers’ self-assessment of digital competencies in vocational education. The instrument is based on the structure of TPACK but is adapted in various ways to reflect the specificities of vocational education. The aim of this article is to transfer a conceptual extension of the TPACK model into an initial instrument and to analyze it as part of an initial exploration.

VET Teacher Education – a Co-Constructive Design Process

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VET (vocational education and training) teacher education is intended to foster professional competence and continuous learning for teachers throughout their careers. Even though
teacher education in Germany is anchored in subject-specific sciences, subject-specific didactics (vocational), educational sciences, and practical experience, fragmentation and discontinuity persist. The article addresses these challenges in a systematic manner, integrating structures, content, and stages to achieve coherence. Using a case study from the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, we identify, understand, and propose solutions for improving coherence in VET teacher education. Through a design-based research approach, we propose prototypes for cross-stage and cross-institutional collaboration, emphasizing the need for such partnerships to address issues of coherence.

Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development

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The topic of sustainability and the concept of Vocational Education for Sustainable Development (VESD) play a major role in dual vocational education and training in Germany, especially due to the modernised occupational profile items on environmental protection and sustainability introduced in 2020. This article presents didactic approaches to the design and organizational embedding of measures aimed at developing and expanding the skills of VET personnel related to sustainability. Furthermore, an outlook is provided on an implementation project in the training occupation of gardener, demonstrating how the content of sustainable management can be integrated with qualification programs for in-company and inter-company trainers.

Between Heterogeneity and Professionalization of TVET Teacher Education in Costa Rica

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This article deals with the different forms of qualification and access routes to the teaching profession in TVET in Costa Rica and discusses the different requirements as well as the level of professionalization. This is done under the approach of describing the qualification of TVET teachers at the academic and non-academic level, the various access routes to the teaching profession in the TVET system and the discussion on the professionalization of teacher qualification in Costa Rica. The article concludes with a systematization of the characteristics of the forms of qualification and entry requirements in Costa Rica. This systematization allows us to derive the status of and the need for professionalization of TVET teachers in Costa Rica.

Assessing the Impact of Teacher Design Teams on the Professional Development of Vocational Education Teachers

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Vocational students in European secondary education face a high dropout rate. Research shows that although general subjects are essential for preparing students for their future lives, increasing the time allocated to these subjects in the curriculum also leads to higher dropout rates (e.g., Hall, 2016; Hermann et al., 2013). The professional development of general subject teachers through active and long-term initiatives can improve their attitudes, beliefs, and instructional practices (Merchie et al., 2016). These changes can enhance vocational students’ engagement and motivation, thereby reducing early school dropout (e.g. Van Houtte & Demanet, 2016). This study explores the influence of Teacher Design Teams (TDTs) on teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and instructional practices in general subjects for vocational secondary education. Throughout two school years, three TDTs have been investigated in the context of an interdisciplinary course. Data collection involved conducting interviews with nine teachers and collecting the designed curriculum materials. These
data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that the teachers improved their instructional practices and particularly their digital skills. Teachers’ attitudes and beliefs also developed after the implementation of TDTs. The designed curriculum materials exhibited diversity with varying levels of consistency across the different components.

A Language-Sensitive Textbook Analysis

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Germany has a significant number of people who did not learn German as their first language. For this learning group, German can represent a challenge to achieving a successful vocational education, but even native German speakers can experience language difficulties; one approach to overcoming language barriers is language-sensitive teaching. Textbooks serve as a didactic medium for planning, initiating and supporting school learning processes, and this paper investigates the extent to which textbooks for business education at vocational schools are designed to be language sensitive. An analysis of a textbook from a language-sensitive perspective reveals that the majority of the text and tasks in the textbook have language-sensitive elements but that there remains potential for improvement at the word, sentence, text and visual levels of analysis.

VET, Patience and the Wealth of Nations

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Behavioral economics describe how preferences, experience, and individual characteristics relate to learning and choices, and therefore determine economic behavior. According to (economic) choice theories, patience is a key driving factor behind economic development as it affects economic behavior, as visible in health, crime, etc. Recent research sets up the relationship between patience and economic developments. It becomes clear that patience is strongly correlated to parameters like years of schooling, innovation, risk preferences and GDP per capita. We are interested in the connection between patience and the investment in initial and continuing vocational education and training (VET) in different European countries. This article examines whether there is a correlation between patience and the investments of the state and companies in vocational education and training (VET) in different European countries. We used a sample of European countries and correlated their values of patience (from the Global Preference Survey) with public investment in vocational training, with firm participation in vocational education and training and with enterprise expenditures on CVET. Our results indicate that there is a relationship between patience and the companies’ participation in training.

Láscarez Smith, Daniel (2023): Political Participation of Business Organizations in the Construction of the Technical Vocational Education and Training System in Costa Rica between 1980 and 2021

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