Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training最新文献

{"title":"Comparing labor market performance of vocational and general school graduates in Indonesia: insights from stable and crisis conditions","authors":"Kasmad Ariansyah, Yanuar Farida Wismayanti, Renny Savitri, Virgiawan Listanto, Azwar Aswin, Madya Putra Yaumil Ahad, Benedicta Retna Cahyarini","doi":"10.1186/s40461-024-00160-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-024-00160-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study seeks to investigate the association between distinct tracks of secondary education—namely, vocational school (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan, SMK) and general school (Sekolah Menengah Atas, SMA)—and two key labor market outcomes: the duration required for graduates to attain their initial employment and their resilience in the face of pandemic, as measured by changes in average monthly income. While the former sheds light on the outcome under typical circumstances, the latter offers valuable insights into the outcome during periods of crisis. Focused on Indonesia, this research employs Heckman two-step model alongside ordinary least square (OLS) for the first outcome and ordered probit regression for the second. The research draws upon data extracted from the 2021 National Labor Force Survey (Survey Angkatan Kerja Nasional, SAKERNAS). Our results suggest that SMK provides an advantage in securing initial employment compared to SMA, with SMK graduates entering the workforce earlier than their counterparts. Moreover, in terms of resilience during the pandemic, as evidenced by changes in income, SMK graduates exhibit greater resilience, with a higher likelihood of maintaining or even increasing their income compared to SMA graduates. These findings offer valuable implications for both theoretical understanding and practical considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140627672","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":"Constructing and validating authentic assessments: the case of a new technology-based assessment of economic literacy","authors":"Nina Charlotte Johanna Welsandt, Fabio Fortunati, Esther Winther, Hermann Josef Abs","doi":"10.1186/s40461-024-00158-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-024-00158-0","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background</h3><p>Authentic situations are considered a source of learning due to their real world relevance. This can encourage learners to acquire new knowledge. Increasing digitisation and associated resources, such as professional development opportunities for teachers, technology tools, or digital equipment for schools enable the development and implementation of authentic assessments. The basic academic principles for acquiring economic literacy are already provided in lower secondary school. This article examines, using the example of a new authentic technology-based assessment (TBA)—<i>Economic Literacy—Assessing the Status Quo in Grade 8</i> (ECON 2022) -, the processes involved in constructing a TBA. The purpose is to develop a curricular valid measurement instrument for surveying the current state of economic literacy in the 8th grade of a German federal state. This study explores which economic competencies students—typically between 14 and 15 years of age—possess in Grade 8, and what level of competence can therefore be expected of them at the beginning of a vocational training programme. The assessment is geared toward the curriculum of the subject of economics and is based on a domain model. This article presents the background and construction process for the development of ECON 2022 as a TBA.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>To check the validity of test construction with a focus on the implementation of the authentic assessment and an analysis of difficulty-generating characteristics, the ECON 2022 test items were validated with an expert survey (<i>N</i> = 25). The two-stage data analysis comprised a descriptive quantifying analysis of the rating from the difficulty-generating characteristics specificity, cognitive demand and modelling and the design criterion authenticity. A set of experts rated the criteria. The expert survey was then compared with a previously conducted rating by the research team. The analysis of free-text comments on individual items was carried out discursively and qualitatively by the research team. Both sources of information were used to adapt the test items to measured item difficulties from the field test. For this purpose, items of great difficulty were changed to slightly easier items. In this context, the paper focuses on two central research questions: - How does the authenticity of a test environment relate to difficulty-generating criteria at item level? - Does the authenticity of a test environment have an impact on test results?</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Results are as follows. (1) The ECON 2022 assessment offers an example of a test design in which the use of TBAs can support innovative and interactive item development. (2) Using the ECON 2022 assessment enabled the implementation of an assessment of economic literacy using authentic situations and the mapping of different facets of economic competence. (","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140566039","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":"Job and life satisfaction of apprentices: the effect of personality, social relations, and decent work","authors":"Camilla Zambelli, Jenny Marcionetti, Jérôme Rossier","doi":"10.1186/s40461-024-00157-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-024-00157-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Based on the social cognitive model and on the psychology of working theory, this research aims to study the job and life satisfaction of apprentices, considering proactive personality, person-supervisor and person-group fit, occupational self-efficacy, and decent work as antecedents. The participants were 530 Swiss apprentices enrolled in a three-year VET program with the Federal VET Diploma. The results show that proactivity is directly linked with person-supervisor and person-group fit, occupational self-efficacy, and job and life satisfaction. Decent work is related positively with job satisfaction. Person-supervisor and person-group fit seem to directly influence occupational self-efficacy. Decent work, in turn, seems to mediate the relationship between person-supervisor and person-group fit and job satisfaction. In conclusion, this study suggests that encouraging apprentices’ proactivity, person-supervisor and person-group fit at work could be crucial to improving their perceptions of decent work and increasing their job and life satisfaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139770633","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 role of confidence in the gaze bias effect among economics trainee teachers — results from a digital assessment of economic content knowledge","authors":"Sebastian Brückner, Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia","doi":"10.1186/s40461-024-00156-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-024-00156-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the present study, we recorded the eye movements of 20 criterion-based selected trainee teachers in economics while they responded to 25 single choice (SC) items in an economic content knowledge (CK) test and rated their confidence for each response in a digital assessment. By using a multilevel modeling approach with crossed random effects, we confirmed prior findings from eye-tracking research on SC tests, which showed longer dwell time on the correct response options (attractor) and shorter dwell time on the distractors are positively linked to correct options. Furthermore, we identified an additional effect on dwell time on the attractor in a moderator model with participants who highly rated their confidence for correct response options. Thus, we identified a specific role of students’ confidence in their CK on the gaze bias effect. We interpret these results in terms of students’ actual understanding of test contents from assessments of their professional knowledge and draw implications for further research and teacher education.</p>","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139586239","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":"Structuring the complexity of drop-out from VET: a theoretical framework guiding empirical research perspectives","authors":"","doi":"10.1186/s40461-023-00155-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-023-00155-9","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>After more than 50 years of research on drop-out from Vocational Education and Training (VET), databases provide vast amounts of drop-out studies from around the globe that entail hundreds of potential drop-out factors. However, many scholars tend to explore the topic without detailed and theoretically grounded foundation. Several diverging research foci exist within the research field of drop-out from VET: Studies differ with regard to the analysed phase of drop-out (development, decision-making, paths after dropping out), the applied sample perspective (learners, educators, further stakeholders), and the overall research perspective that is applied based on a specific theoretical approach. Given the range of drop-out factors, stakeholders, and possible theoretical approaches within studies, this article aims at organising the research on the multi-facetted phenomenon for future endeavours by presenting a framework model that comprises a three-step recommendation: First, the model illustrates different phases (Development-, Decision-, Adjustment-Phase) of drop-out research that should be differentiated. Second, it is argued that the chosen sample perspective is highly relevant for drop-out research and must be chosen carefully. Third, the overarching disciplinary research perspectives on drop-out from VET, which scholars may adopt within their research, entail particular relevant variables and focal points and should therefore be discussed. Four examples of research perspectives (economical, psychological, sociological, pedagogical) are briefly presented, structured on a micro-, meso- and macro-level, to exemplify different theoretical accesses to drop-out research. Throughout the article, the novel organisation framework is explained and exemplified by illustrating relevant aspects of each research area and exemplary literature. The presented framework will help organising the research field and enable scholars to delimit their work more precisely, leading to a more traceable structure of further research efforts and more significant contributions to the state of knowledge.</p>","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139372839","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":"Digital measurement of hands-on performance? Ecological validation of a computer-based assessment of automotive repair skills","authors":"Stefan Hartmann, Emre Güzel, Tobias Gschwendtner","doi":"10.1186/s40461-023-00153-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-023-00153-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We investigated the ecological validity of performance measures from a computer-based assessment tool that utilises scripted video vignettes. The intended purpose of this tool is to assess the maintenance and repair skills of automotive technician apprentices, complementing traditional hands-on assessment formats from the German journeymen’s exams. We hypothesise that the ability to correctly judge repair actions shown in videos is a good predictor of the ability to perform corresponding actions in hands-on scenarios. Apprentices in the third year of vocational training carried out repairs on real cars or car systems, while experts rated their performance. After this, they worked on our computer-based tests, which utilise videos of very similar repairs. The correlation between video judgement and hands-on performance was lower than expected for most repair actions as well as for overall scores, indicating insufficient ecological validity of the test score interpretations. However, the findings are promising for developing future tests, as the results for some repair actions indicate it is generally possible to develop ecologically valid video-based items focusing on hands-on skills. We discuss the results in the light of a validation framework that combines validity evidence from different sources for the same assessment tool. Finally, we hope our findings contribute to a broader discussion about the psychometric quality of exams.</p>","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138528344","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 does my appearance have to do with my job? Vocational students on the sexual harassment from guests in the hospitality industry","authors":"Maria Hedlin, Eva Klope","doi":"10.1186/s40461-023-00154-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-023-00154-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139237508","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":"Dropout predictors in the academic fields of economics and engineering in cooperative education: an observation of the first academic year using cox regression","authors":"Steffen Wild, Sebastian Rahn, Thomas Meyer","doi":"10.1186/s40461-023-00152-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-023-00152-y","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Cooperative education programs are usually based on a partnership between companies and universities. Dropouts have a particular impact here, for example the loss of junior staff in the companies. Most dropouts in cooperative education occur in the first academic year. In this multicausal dropout process, the influence of the cooperation partner is less pronounced in research. Consequently, we shed light on perspectives of organizational commitment to the company and motivational aspects in the academic fields of economics and engineering. We analyze collected data using a cross-sectional study design and estimated cox regression analysis on 2263 first-year students at Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Germany with 149 dropouts. Our analysis presents associations between affective commitment to the company, relatedness and competence at the university, and demographic and performance control variables with dropping out. Findings are contextualized within the current state of research. Practical implications are discussed in our study.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136263498","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":"Learning analytics to explore the motivational profiles of non-traditional practical nurse students: a mixed-methods approach","authors":"Riina Kleimola, Sonsoles López-Pernas, Sanna Väisänen, Mohammed Saqr, Erkko Sointu, Laura Hirsto","doi":"10.1186/s40461-023-00150-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-023-00150-0","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Learning analytics provides a novel means to examine various aspects of students’ learning and to support them in their individual endeavors. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of learning analytics to provide insights into non-traditional, vocational practical nurse students’ (N = 132) motivational profiles for choosing their studies, using a mixed-methods approach. Non-traditional students were somewhat older learners than those following a more straightforward educational pathway and had diverse educational or professional backgrounds. Institutional admission data and analytics were used to identify their specific study motives and distinct motivational profiles, and to illustrate the connections between the motives emerging in the motivational profiles. Furthermore, the association between the motivational profiles and study performance was examined. The results of qualitative content analysis indicated that non-traditional practical nurse students pursued such specialized training for various reasons, and that pragmatic, professional rationales were emphasized over prosocial, altruistic factors. Through the adoption of person-centered latent class analysis, three motivational profiles were identified: self-aware goal-achievers, qualification attainers, and widely oriented humanitarians. Additionally, the analyses of epistemic networks for the profiles showed the complex interplay between the motives, confirming that some motive connections appear to be more prominent than others. Moreover, the findings indicated that study motives reported at admission did not seem to dictate students’ later study performance, as no statistically significant associations were found between the motivational profile and the students’ final grade point average or study dropout. This investigation paves the way for more-targeted motivational support and the use of learning analytics in the context of vocational education and training.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135511116","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":"Figurant types in scenario-based exercises","authors":"Cecilia Jonsson, Susanna Lif","doi":"10.1186/s40461-023-00149-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-023-00149-7","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Scenario-based exercises employing figurants are frequently used in vocational education worldwide. The purpose of these exercises is to help the students develop practical knowledge and skills on their way to becoming professional practitioners. While previous research often concentrates on the exercises’ design, level of realism and complexity, there is a knowledge gap regarding the use of figurants, not least when it comes to advantages and disadvantages with different figurant types. The aim of this study is to investigate how, why and in what type of exercises figurants are used in Swedish police education. The empirical material derives from interviews with teachers, students, and figurants from five Swedish police education programmes, focusing on the interviewees’ experience of the use of internal, external, and semi-external figurants in distinctive exercises. The three figurant types were attributed specific effects on the implementation of exercises and were perceived as having different advantages and disadvantages depending on the purpose of each exercise, the impact being particularly noticeable in relation to levels of realism, permissive environments, the counterpart perspective, safety concerns, feedback, and simulation competence. The choice of figurant type has an equally important impact on the outcome of the scenarios as other factors, and there is a need for more research on the use of figurants in relation to student learning.","PeriodicalId":38550,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136061595","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}