Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) research has become a recognized and well-defined area of interdisciplinary research. This is the first handbook of its kind that specifically concentrates on research and research methods in TVET. The book’s sections focus on particular aspects of the field, starting with a presentation of the genesis of TVET research. They further feature research in relation to policy, planning and practice. Various areas of TVET research are covered, including on the vocational disciplines and on TVET systems. Case studies illustrate different approaches to TVET research, and the final section of the book presents research methods, including interview and observation methods, as well as of experimentation and development. This handbook provides a comprehensive coverage of TVET research in an international context, and, with special focus on research and research methods, it is a cutting-edge resource and reference.

Severe economic depression and the difficulty to acquire employment with adequate income have significant impact on a nation’s social welfare. The need to provide ample educational opportunities is more imperative than ever, particularly in emerging economies. Technical Education and Vocational Training in Developing Nations is a comprehensive reference source for the latest literature on optimizing the implementation of curriculum development and instructional design strategies for technical and vocational education. Featuring innovative coverage across a range of relevant topics, such as curriculum deficiency, teacher competencies, and accessible learning, this book is ideally designed for policy makers, academicians, researchers, advanced-level students, technology developers, and educators interested in the improvement of professional learning programs.

Across the globe, vocational education and training is characterised by a number of over-arching trends, including the increasing use of technology, the growing importance of information and communications systems, and changes to national demographics. At the interface between the education and training system and the world of work, VET faces the challenge of tackling these changes, of making a constructive contribution to solving the problems posed by the transition from education to employment, and of ensuring that the next generation has the skills it – and the economy – needs. This volume comprises thirty individual contributions that together add up to a comprehensive overview of the current situation in vocational education and training, its strengths and weaknesses, and its prospects. VET experts from Canada, the USA, India, China, Japan and Korea, as well as from a number of European countries, focus on their national context and how it fits in to the bigger picture. The contributions combine theoretical discussions from various strands of VET research with evidence from country case studies and examples from current practice.

China is experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon: breakneck industrialization on a scale and at a pace not seen before. It is trying to achieve in just a few decades what Western nations took more than a century to do. The arrival in the country’s cities of tens of millions of rural dwellers, at most semi-skilled, has put huge strain on the country’s system of vocational education, known as TVET. How have the Chinese authorities and their education administrators responded? Is China’s TVET system adapting to the rapidly evolving needs of its industry? Using the province of Yunnan as a subject, this detailed case study is a closely argued and sanguine analysis of the operation of TVET in China. The authors deployed a set of internationally comparable criteria to offer a searching assessment of current performance, at the same time documenting areas of strength and weakness. The question the authors’ methodology answers is how well China’s TVET system is performing compared to technical and vocational education structures in other countries. In fact, they discover that in Yunnan, a province representative of the challenges faced nationwide, much has indeed been done, from a wholesale overhaul of programs to make them relevant to industry requirements, to major investment in infrastructure. Teacher training has been reformed, and take-up of professional master’s and doctoral courses has been encouraged. Joint initiatives with bodies such as UNESCO have improved training and vocational education at high school level. While there is a strong international history of such comparative evaluations, which are essential for policy makers to benchmark their administration, few studies have included China despite the enormous amount of value that can be learned from that country’s experience. This work will provide vital material for researchers, governments and development agencies alike.

Technical and vocational education and training at technical schools are major contributing factors in combating poverty, unemployment, and inequality. The primary purpose of technical and vocational education and training is to prepare students and learners for the world of work and for a smooth transition from education institutions into the workplace. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to create more radical changes in the labor market, experts are calling for a reform of education, including vocational education and training and adult and professional education. New Models for Technical and Vocational Education and Training is an essential scholarly research book that examines TVET and CET colleges and programs that provide intermediate skills to enhance students’ chances of employability and entrepreneurship in Industry 4.0. The book explores knowledge in respect to workforce preparation, digital skills development, teaching and learning of TVET, flexibility and articulation of TVET to respond to work-integrated learning, and reskilling and upskilling to avoid skill mismatches. It is ideal for TVET schools, academicians, curriculum designers, managers, training officers, administrators, vocational professionals, researchers, and students.

This book is the first monograph to systematically introduce readers to technology and vocational education and training in ASEAN countries. It details the current state of development and key development trends regarding technology and vocational education and training in the ten ASEAN countries. For each ASEAN country, the book addresses the history, status quo, characteristics, reform and development trends in technology and vocational education and training. The content mainly focuses on technology and vocational education and training systems, vocational qualification frameworks, technology and vocational education and training related personnel, etc. All the latest data presented here is drawn from the newest official website and research reports, accurately reflecting the development status of ASEAN countries and helping us make better forecasts regarding its future. This book offers a valuable reference guide for academic research in technology and vocational education and training. It can also be used as a textbook for postgraduate courses in technology and vocational education and training, as well as training material for various vocational education teachers and managers.

This book deals with teacher training for vocational education and training. In individual chapters next to the positions of relevant international organizations, donors and development banks, it also covers selected countries in their ways of shaping of Technical Vocational Education and Training and teacher training. The structure of the book aims at two objectives: To outline positions of important stakeholders of the international Technical Vocational Education and Training policies and international cooperation in TVET teacher training. To discuss the current status of Technical Vocational Education and Training and teacher training in selected countries, from developing countries, countries with emerging economies to industrialized countries. The book is meant to create a platform that supports a reference concept within international cooperation for the further development of Technical Vocational Education and Training and teacher training up to a higher quality and performance.