Abstract:
Research has revealed that in recent years there has been a rapid and varied expansion of course development in the area of vocational education. This expansion has been influenced by the growth in retention rates of students in post-compulsory secondary schooling and the necessity to develop curriculum relevant to their special needs. Impetus for this expansion has come from a number of educational studies, including the Meyer, Finn and Carmichael Reports, which emphasise the development of competencies for employment and lifelong education and training.
This paper will explore this developmental trend, focusing on a current research study which examines a number of vocational programs in New South Wales schools. The paper will explore research results which relate to variations in student levels of self-esteem, development of career-path expectations, and student perception of the influence and impact of teaching approach and style on progress in vocational programs. It will further examine the influence of teacher image on subject choices and will discuss the implications of these research results in the light of the current emphasis on the development of a vocational training agenda in the post-compulsory years of secondary schooling.
This paper will explore this developmental trend, focusing on a current research study which examines a number of vocational programs in New South Wales schools. The paper will explore research results which relate to variations in student levels of self-esteem, development of career-path expectations, and student perception of the influence and impact of teaching approach and style on progress in vocational programs. It will further examine the influence of teacher image on subject choices and will discuss the implications of these research results in the light of the current emphasis on the development of a vocational training agenda in the post-compulsory years of secondary schooling.