Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training最新文献

{"title":"Economic change and continuous vocational training in the work history: a longitudinal multilevel analysis of the employees’ participation in further training and the effects on their occupational careers in Germany, 1970–2008","authors":"Rolf Becker","doi":"10.1186/s40461-019-0079-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-019-0079-x","url":null,"abstract":"Human capital theory and the life-course perspective are used to investigate how economic modernisation, as well as developments in the labour market after the West German “economic miracle”, impacted employers’ supply of further education and training on the job, and employees’ increased participation in these arrangements. Additionally—controlling for the aforementioned structural change and economic cycles—it is analysed whether participation in further training minimises employees’ risk of dismissal and heightens their commitment to a company. The hypotheses are tested using longitudinal data and time series—allowing the analysis of employees’ participation in further education and training on the job, and the careers of West Germans born between 1956 and 1978 for the 1972–2008 periods—by procedures of event history analysis and episode splitting in a dynamic multi-level design. Systematic period and cohort effects of structural change in the economy and labour markets on companies’ supply of, and employees’ participation in, continued vocational training on the job have been revealed. Participation in further training reduces employees’ risk of dismissal, as well as their mobility between companies. Participants’ adaptation to structural change via job-related further training is correlated with increased employment security, professional flexibility, and commitment to the employer.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"90 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2019-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vocational training in India: determinants of participation and effect on wages","authors":"Rishi Kumar, Shravanth Mandava, Venkata Sandeep Gopanapalli","doi":"10.1186/s40461-019-0078-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-019-0078-y","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundIndia is at the cusp of a population change and is currently undergoing the phase of ‘demographic dividend.’ This has thrown a challenge towards the policymakers to ensure that there are enough employment opportunities for the ever-increasing labour force. One of the areas where improvement is urgently required in India is skill development. This paper attempts to identify the factors, which affect an individual’s participation in vocational training using nationally representative National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data. Further, we investigate the impact of vocational training on the wages of an individual at overall and sectoral levels.MethodsFor addressing the first question of factors that are associated with participation in vocational training programmes, we will be applying logit and multi-nominal logit models. The explanatory variables will broadly be social and economic indicators of the individual as well as the individual’s household characteristics. The second issue of identifying the effect formal vocational training on wages will be analysed through a multiple regression model.ResultsWe found that being an urban dweller increases the odds of participating in formal vocational training. Further, being male increases the odds of receiving formal vocational training. We found that having formal training increases the wage by 4.7% in the overall economy as compared to a person without any training. The effect is highest in the primary sector, where the individuals with vocational training had a wage increase of 36.9%. Workers with formal vocational training in the secondary sector had an increase in wages by 17.6%.ConclusionsThe analysis done in the paper reveals that formal vocational training is associated with higher wages with the effect being the highest in the primary sector. Being male and urban dweller improved the odds of participating in formal vocational training. The model suggests that there exist good economic returns, which are associated with formal vocational training, and hence, it makes sense to invest resources in vocational training.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2019-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relations between young adults’ knowledge and understanding, experiences, and information behavior in personal finance matters","authors":"M. Förster, R. Happ, W. Walstad","doi":"10.1186/s40461-019-0077-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-019-0077-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2019-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40461-019-0077-z","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45595169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective curricula for at-risk students in vocational education: a study of teachers’ practice","authors":"G. M. Fix, H. T. M. Ritzen, J. M. Pieters, W. A. J. M. Kuiper","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0076-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0076-5","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractBackgroundThis study focused upon a curriculum for at-risk students in vocational education aimed at enhancing students’ motivation and engagement for learning. The study explored teachers’ view on effective curricular characteristics and teachers’ strategies to create positive learning experiences for students.MethodsQualitative research has been conducted regarding four curricula for at-risk students; data were collected and examined by means of 16 focus group interviews with teachers and analysis of relevant documents.ResultsTeachers pointed out the central position of the student, resulting in individual trajectories. Teachers used peer group dynamics, job orientation and sports as tool for student development. Teachers regarded themselves as coaches, as experts in sport activities and as group managers. For positive learning experiences two key curricular characteristics have been identified: (1) equality in the relationship between student and teacher, (2) a positive fit between the curriculum and the students.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2019-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological determinants of test motivation in low-stakes test situations: A longitudinal study of singletrait–multistate models in accounting","authors":"Christoph Helm, Julia Warwas","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0074-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0074-7","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundWhile several studies show that examinees’ test motivation biases their results in low-stakes tests, studies that investigate the predictors of motivation when taking low-stakes tests are rare. Moreover, little evidence exists on whether test motivation represents a state-like or trait-like construct. Research into these matters needs statistical models that allow distinguishing inter-individual from intra-individual variability of motivation across a range of test situations. The present study is located in a vocational school setting and aims to explain variations in vocational students’ low-stakes test motivation. We draw on Urhahne’s (Psychologische Rundschau 59:150–166, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1026/0033-3042.59.3.150) synthesis of motivation theories in academic learning contexts to substantiate potential predictors. Since we concentrate on person-dependent characteristics, relevant predictors are types of self-determined/external behavioural regulation, achievement motivation, academic self-concept, and grit. In line with Eccles et al. (In: Spence JT (eds) Achievement and achievement motives: psychological and sociological approaches. Freeman, San Francisco, pp 109–132, 1983) and Sundre (The Student Opinion Scale (SOS). A measure of examinee motivation: test manual. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238741273_The_Student_Opinion_Scale_SOS, 2007), we further discern value attributions to and invested effort in each test as two separate dimensions of test motivation.MethodEmpirical analyses utilize longitudinal questionnaire and test performance data of students (N = 852) from full time vocational schools, who participated repeatedly in a low-stakes accounting test at the end of each school year (5 years in total). Latent singletrait–multistate (STMS) models serve to disentangle trait-like and state-like components of students’ test motivation and their respective associations with trait- and state-components of the assumed predictor variables.ResultsFindings from STMS models indicate that approx. 30% of variation in students’ test motivation is stable over time, whereas approx. 25% is attributable to the test situation, leading to a high portion of 45% residual variance. Bivariate STMS analyses show that students’ achievement motivation and type of behavioural regulation predict the value dimension of their test motivation. This pattern appears for the trait-like components of investigated constructs (here: time-invariant, person-specific levels of predictors and criteria) as well as for the state-like components (here: intra-individual increases or declines in predictors and criteria). Regarding the effort dimension of test motivation, similar associations among the trait-like components appear. Students’ self-reported effort is positively predicted by type of behavioural regulation and achievement motivation. Moreover, and in contrast to the value dimension, students’ perseverance plays a crucial role when predicting test","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"2012 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2018-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tertiary students’ perceptions of hospitality careers in Vietnam","authors":"Anh Hai Le, Helen Klieve, Christine V. McDonald","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0075-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0075-6","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundHospitality personnel are often prepared through vocational education and training (VET) and higher education (HE) providers, taking different emphases. In Vietnam’s hospitality workplaces, HE graduates compete with VET graduates for the same basic operational positions, with limited managerial positions available. Given the different educational pathways taken for similar career opportunities in the current labour market, it is important to understand students’ views of hospitality workplaces as their future career environment. The aim of this study is to identify and examine underlying factors that determine tertiary students’ overall career perceptions in hospitality in the Vietnamese context.MethodsA quantitative study utilising an online survey was conducted with 234 hospitality students from different higher education institutes and VET colleges in the South of Vietnam. Chi squared statistics and logistic regression were performed to assess the views and significant educational level differences.ResultsThe analyses show marked differences in views between the HE and VET participants on several aspects of hospitality workplaces, including pay/promotion opportunities, management, and commitment to the industry. The HE participants appeared less positive, and indicated a lower commitment to a future in the hospitality industry.ConclusionThe results of this study have important implications for various stakeholder groups. Students’ negative perceptions, associated with their internship experiences in different aspects of hospitality workplaces, currently appear to result in detrimental consequences for HE students, with many not planning on remaining in the hospitality sector. This has both short-term and long-term implications for hospitality employers, hospitality educational providers, and Vietnam’s HE system.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"2022 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2018-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The challenge of assessing financial literacy: alternative data analysis methods within the Italian context","authors":"Paola Bongini, Paola Iannello, Emanuela E. Rinaldi, Mariangela Zenga, Alessandro Antonietti","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0073-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0073-8","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundAssessing individuals’ financial literacy levels is currently widely recognized as being necessary to design effective financial education programs and also to evaluate their actual impact. To address the lack of a consensus regarding an appropriate instrument to measure financial literacy, the OECD and its International Network on Financial Education (INFE) developed a core questionnaire in 2011, to be administered across a wide range of countries. Italy participated in the study with a survey promoted by the financial consortium ABI–PattiChiari. A tailored version of the OECD/INFE questionnaire was used in the survey, with three indicators of financial literacy taken from the OECD survey (financial behavior index, financial attitude index, financial knowledge index) and two new indicators (financial familiarity index and financial planning).PurposeThe present paper focuses on data analysis methods used to evaluate financial literacy among the Italian adult population. It reviews data analysis approaches used to evaluate financial literacy and proposes a new method to gauge this latent construct in order to obtain a valid and reliable index that is able to capture educational needs in a manner that is as accurate and targeted as possible.MethodsThe sample used for the survey consisted of 1247 Italian residents of at least 18 years of age who were reached via CATI. The sample was obtained by appropriate stratification across several dimensions (gender, age, geographical area, and municipality size). We propose alternative data analysis methods to treat the survey data: item response theory (IRT) and classification and regression tree analysis.ResultsThe analysis highlighted the crucial role that data analysis methods play in assessing financial literacy. Comparing the results for classical test theory and IRT, this paper suggests that financial literacy research should be open to alternative and multiple approaches to obtain reliable measures of financial literacy that are able to capture the educational needs of different population groups and can help to design effective financial education programs.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2018-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive skills, personality traits and dropout in Dutch vocational education","authors":"Irene Eegdeman, Martijn Meeter, Chris Van Klaveren","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0072-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0072-9","url":null,"abstract":"Designing effective educational programs to reduce dropout in higher and vocational education requires thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms of study success. This study examines if first-year dropout is associated with cognitive ability and personality traits as measured by a formative entry test just before enrollment in Dutch vocational education. The results show that the formative entry test outcomes do not properly identify students at risk, the association between first-year dropout and, respectively, cognitive skills and personality traits is generally not significant. Consequently, and of importance for both students and vocational education institutes, students cannot be properly informed about whether their skills and personality traits match the required skills and personality traits of the program.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2018-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The correlation between vocational school students’ test motivation and the performance in a standardized test of economic knowledge: using direct and indirect indicators of test motivation","authors":"Roland Happ, Manuel Förster","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0071-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0071-x","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundIn this study, the correlation between test motivation and performance on an economic knowledge test was investigated. To this end, the economic knowledge of 1018 students in vocational schools in Germany was assessed using a standardized test, and their self-reported test motivation and interest in receiving feedback on their performance on the test functioned as indicators of test motivation. The expectancy-value model served as the theoretical basis, while this paper followed Knekta and Eklöf (J Psychoeduc Assess 33(7):662–673, 2015) and focused on invested effort in particular. Further, the number of missing values on the test was examined as a potential external criterion for test motivation. The correlation between gender and test motivation being a subject of frequent discussion in the literature, gender was incorporated as a control variable into the modeling.Methods and resultsThree structural equation models of the results show that self-reported test motivation (direct indicator) and the number of missing values on the test (external criterion) correlated significantly with the economic knowledge test score achieved. Interest in receiving feedback (indirect indicator) had no significant correlation with the economic knowledge test score. However, there is a positive correlation between interest in receiving feedback and self-reported test motivation. The analyses taking into account gender show that there is no correlation between gender and interest in receiving feedback or gender and self-reported test motivation. There are, however, correlations between gender and the economic knowledge test score as well as between gender and the number of missing values.ConclusionsThe findings underline the importance of a differentiated view on the assessment of correlations between test motivation and test performance. Thereby, dividing indicators of test motivation into direct (self-reported test motivation) and indirect (interest in receiving feedback) indicators, as well as taking into account the external criterion (number of missing values), in particular, were seen as the value added by this study.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2018-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What makes an online learning journal powerful for VET? Distinguishing productive usage patterns and effective learning strategies","authors":"Beat A. Schwendimann, Gabriel Kappeler, Laetitia Mauroux, Jean-Luc Gurtner","doi":"10.1186/s40461-018-0070-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-018-0070-y","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundThe current and future workforce is challenged to adapt to changing environments and become lifelong, self-regulated learners. Learning journals can regulate learning processes through scaffolding reflection on rich experiences. However, learning journals are not effective per se. This study investigates the effects of an online learning journal platform, called ‘LearnDoc’, that provides scaffolds for learners in their initial vocational education and training. The specific research questions addressed in this paper are what usage patterns emerge from learners’ use of the LearnDoc platform, when do learners create their journal entries, and how do usage patterns and procrastination relate to learners’ final exam performance.MethodsThe LearnDoc platform has been used throughout a 3-year training program by a cohort of Swiss vocational students (N = 132). Different usage patterns (intensity and pacing) and learning strategies (metacognitive and non-metacognitive) were distinguished through a mixed methods approach.ResultsResults indicate a significant link between learning journal pacing patterns and learners’ final assessment performance. Learners who finished with higher grades tended to start generating their learning journals earlier and made more use of the learning strategies “planning, monitoring, debugging” while weaker students focused more on “evaluation”. Findings suggest that students’ perceptions of the purpose of learning journals influence their pacing strategies and selection of learning strategies.ConclusionsThese results are valuable for the design of effective scaffolds for a better and a more reflective usage of learning journals in vocational education and training.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2018-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140881670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}