The thesis consists of an introduction and three studies, which are comparative sociological and institutional analyses of a number of countries' publicly regulated vocational education and training systems at upper secondary and post-secondary level. Official regulation of programme content and curricula - the main empirical material - is interpreted, and focus is directed on aspects which distinguish between, among others, general and vocational elements of teaching, learning and training. The analyses employ concepts from educational studies, historical sociology and institutional sociology with the aim of conceptual elaboration and illumination of similarities and differences between cases. Study I compares upper secondary vocational education and training programmes in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The programmes are analysed and compared with respect to scope, sequence and selection of curricular units of subject matter and periods of training. Programmes combine general and vocational elements in various ways, thereby offering choices for obtaining both the occupation-related qualification, as well as higher education eligibility. The combination of curricular units with additional subject matter seems to, in some cases, lead to emerging learning aims. Study II focuses on vocational education and training systems at upper secondary level in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and seeks to identify differences and similarities by conceptualising features of ideal types along different dimensions. It furthermore develops a method of analysis and visualisation which enables more accurate understanding of how various learning aims are designed within educational programmes. Some of the results indicate that the resources necessary for attaining the full, intended educational qualification are not guaranteed in any of the three cases; however, this applies particularly to apprenticeship-based programmes, where it can be attained only after training contracts with status-like features, resembling parts of occupational jurisdictions, are seized within sheltered circumstances. In the school-based programmes, a larger proportion of resources are guaranteed, but training is shorter and less vocationally oriented. Vocational education and training programmes in all three systems orient learning not only towards vocational, but also general learning aims. Study III compares admission criteria to post-secondary vocational education and training programmes in Denmark and Sweden, focusing on the Danish erhvervsakademi and the Swedish yrkeshögskola. Options, as elements of life chances, for individuals holding upper secondary vocational education qualifications who wish to apply for admission to these programmes, differ in terms of scope between the two cases. In the Swedish case, options are wide and mostly structured by course-based admission criteria; while in the Danish case, options are more narrow and structured by qualification-based admission criteria. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

Pastaraisiais metais Lietuva patyrė daugybę pokyčių – visuomenėje, pramonės šakose, politikoje, neaplenkė jie ir švietimo. Įdiegus naujus darbo metodus bei technologijas, iškilo būtinybė plėtoti visą gyvenimą trunkančio mokymosi idėjas, nes ekonominė bei socialinė kaita tokia didelė, kad norint išlikti paklausiam darbo rinkoje, teks ne kartą keisti specialybę ar nuolat kelti kvalifikaciją. Dabartinė profesinio rengimo sistema jau nebesugeba pilnai patenkinti darbo rinkos poreikių. Daugelyje Europos šalių jau yra įdiegtos, kitur dar ruošiamasi diegti (tame tarpe ir Lietuvoje) neformaliojo mokymosi pripažinimo sistemas. Tyrimo tikslas - atskleisti mokymosi rezultatų vertinimo ypatumus neformaliajame profesiniame suaugusiųjų mokyme. Siekiant realizuoti darbe užsibrėžtus tikslą bei uždavinius, buvo taikyti šie tyrimo metodai: 1. Teoriniai: mokslinės literatūros, publikacijų bei norminių dokumentų, reglamentuojančių neformalų profesinį rengimą, analizė; 2 .Diagnostiniai: parengti du klausimynai ir atlikta neformalaus profesinio mokymo centro besimokančių suaugusiųjų bei mokymo vadovų anketinė apklausa, kurios metu tirti neformaliajame profesiniame mokyme taikomi vertinimo metodai bei nuomonės apie jų taikymo tikslingumą; 3. Matematiniai statistiniai metodai: tyrimo duomenų apdorojimui, procentinių dažnių, suderinamumo kriterijų apskaičiavimui bei demonstracijai buvo naudojamos kompiuterinės programos SPSS 12.0 ir Microsoft Office Excel 2003. Tyrimo tikslinės grupės: privačios... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / During recent years Lithuania has experienced many changes in society, trade and education. After implementing new work methods and technologies it became essential to spread the ideas of Life Long Learning, as economical and social shifts made people change their specialities or constantly improve their professional skills. The present system of vocational training doesn’t meet marketing needs. Many European countries are going to (e.g. Lithuania) or have already implanted the acceptance systems of non-formal education. The aim of the research is to reveal the peculiarities of progress assessment in non-formal adult education during the process of vocational training. While seeking to reach the goal and the tasks two research methods were applied: 1. Theoretical: the analysis of nonfiction material, publications and standard documents regulating non-formal professional training; 2. Diagnostic: two questionnaires were prepared to be given to adult learners and their educators about the methods of progress assessment and their implementation in non-formal education during the process of vocational training in education centre. 3. Mathematical statistical methods: computer programs SPSS 12.0 and Microsoft Office Excel 2003 were applied for data-processing, rate percentage and estimate as well as demonstration of criteria compatibility. The objective groups consisted of respondents of education centre belonging to private enterprise that were following the programs of public... [to full text]

This research has examined the personal capital investments and returns of a group of TAFE Diploma of Community Work graduates through the use of qualitative research methodology. Recognising that the concept of personal capital is distinct from human capital in that it considers the intrinsic reasons, impetus and values that individuals ascribe to their motivation to undertake and complete a course of study. Personal capital is not quantifiable within the present human capital outcomes paradigm, however the personal capital paradigm allows for a deeper exploration of a range of further tangible and valid outcomes not addressed in the human capital approach. There is a gap in the current research literature regarding evaluation of TAFE outcomes and it stems from a predominant human capital focus. The existing paradigm of human capital, which values the acquisition of knowledge and skills for their economic value, has been of primary interest and significance, particularly in terms of government policy in relation to vocational education and training By using an interpretivist approach comprising in-depth interviews, the researcher was able to explore the intrinsic drives, motivations and aspirations and impetus that brought the TAFE graduates to initially undertake their studies in the diploma program. This approach also allowed for an examination as to whether the graduates perceived that they had obtained a return on this personal capital investment in the study program. Through the conceptual framework, the research established a set of predetermined personal capital investments and returns, although the research was not constrained by these pre-determined themes. The use of grounded theory data analysis procedures in the study allowed for the evolution and analysis of emergent categories or themes relating to personal capital investments and returns. Consequently, the qualitative analysis of the in-depth interviews has revealed a broader range of themes relating to personal capital investments and returns than otherwise might have been discovered if the research had been limited to the pre-determined themes arising from the conceptual framework. It is the author's contention that this qualitative study of TAFE diploma graduate's personal capital investments and returns gives insights about the notion of personal capital and its importance to decision-making as to why individuals undertake the Diploma of Community Work. This study also reveals what they personally and professionally expect from study in such a program. Neither of which the current quantitative data about TAFE graduates, namely the Student Outcomes Surveys; by design and intent are as yet capable of acknowledging or exploring.

Using methods of empirical ontology this thesis tells of the emergence, over the last decade of the twentieth century, of the Australian National Training Package, and shows how this device, with agency in contemporary Australian workplaces and educational institutions, has displaced curriculum as the means through which nationally recognised vocational education and training in Australia is organised and regulated.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-125). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education, Centre for the Support for Learning, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Also available in print.

Women's empowerment is a current and crucial issue of our time. There is increasing recognition that the economic empowerment of women is essential both to realize women’s rights, and toachieve broader development goals such as economic growth, poverty reduction, health,education and welfare. This qualitative study explores women's empowerment through skills education and employment in Bali, Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the respondents experience of changes in their everyday life conditions, with particular focus on economic empowerment, with reference to other spheres of the women's empowerment. The aim is to provide knowledge that may be valuable for the work with vocational education and training for women's empowerment in the future. The study relied on semi structured interviews with Indonesian women exploring individual experiences in their everyday local context. Empowerment is a complex topic with an irreducible subjective element. The results showed empowerment at the individual level and as the research highlighted changes in different areas oftheir life was it proved difficult to grasp the extent of this change. In general, the participants experiences somewhat differed, depending on internal and external factors as well as context, describing varied changes in their life conditions. However, all the women explain the outcomeas more or less successful in different spheres of their lives. The study also stresses the need for further research, suggesting exploration in the field with supportive quantitative evidence and longitudinal study.

Magister Educationis (Adult Learning and Global Change) - MEd(AL) / The National Certificate Vocational (NCV) programme was designed with multiple agendas, among which was to address the high unemployment among the South African youth, to produce students with an employable skills set as well as it being a vehicle for redress. Managing diversity within education speaks to this agenda of redress. This study investigated diversity within a technical vocational education and training (TVET) college, by exploring the teaching and learning challenges Life Orientation college lecturers face when teaching diverse student population. It considered the background to the TVET sector as well as the learning programme, the NCV, that provided the context for the study. Various literature on diversity was reviewed as well as literature on teaching diverse cohort of students. The investigation was approached from a social justice perspective. The data revealed a number of themes, the first of which was Conceptions of Diversity within the TVET college context as well as Lecturer Strategies to cope with student diversity. Not all lecturer strategies were successful in dealing with diversity-related tensions; this led to the theme Issues and Incidents related to Student Diversity. The concluding theme was participant suggestions for Lecturer Preparation to deal with issues of diversity. In turn, these themes informed the recommendations which include all three key elements in the education process, i.e policy and curriculum, lecturer training and development, and equally important, the student involvement in diversity programmes and strategies within the TVET college.