1.

Handbook of TVET Research

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) research has become a recognized and
well-defined area of interdisciplinary research. The Handbook of Technical and Vocational
Education and Training Research is the first handbook of its kind that specifically concentrates
on research and research methods in TVET.

Technical and vocational education and training research has become a recognized and well-
defined area of interdisciplinary research. The Handbook of Technical and Vocational Education
and Training Research is the first handbook of its kind that specifically concentrates on research
and research methods in TVET. It conceptualizes the different aspects of TVET research in a
comprehensive manner and provides thorough definitions of these different approaches. The
aims of TVET research are broad, and expectations in TVET research are high. It is expected
that research in TVET should reflect on the foundations of TVET and its various (e.g. historical,
geographical, labour-market) contexts. It is also expected that TVET research should shape the
provision of skills, e.g. via pilot projects, or via monitoring and international comparison. The
book presents different attempts and approaches for “measuring TVET” in all its variety; the aim
of TVET research being to bring about recommendations for the improvement of TVET policy,
planning and practice. This book presents examples where TVET research has succeeded or
failed to do so, and explores whether TVET research can fulfill the expectations placed in it.

The book provides a comprehensive coverage of TVET research in an international context. Its
sections focus on particular aspects of the field, starting with a presentation of the genesis of
TVET research. It further features research in relation to policy, planning and practice. Various
areas of TVET research are covered, including research on the vocational disciplines and on
TVET systems. Country 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 methods of experimentation and development.

2. TVET-Research: An Introduction

Abstract
Research on technical and vocational education and training (TVET research) is an established
sector of educational research, because TVET is considered as part of the national education
system, even if it is often only insufficiently integrated into it. The features of TVET and VET
research already become clear, similarly the difference between occupational research and TVET
research. The difference is caused by the phenomena of vocation (Petersen 2006; Dostal 2006).
The occupational research is different between employment occupation and training occupation.
The start point for TVET research is training occupation, while the employment occupation is
subject of the labor market research. They are classified internationally by the ILO as the

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“International Standard Classification of Occupations” (ISCO), thereby the ILO aims to increase
the transparency and comparability of the national labor job markets and the national occupation
classification systems. In the “Dictionary of Occupational Titles” (the USA) is often
distinguished among more than 10,000 employment occupations. The classification and survey
of employment occupations is therefore subject of the occupational research with the orientation
of the development of labor markets and employment systems. It is different from occupational
research as a research field of TVET research, whose concern is development and analysis of
training occupations as the start point for shaping and organization of TVET programs. Finally,
occupational research is also the subject of labor science and human resources research as
subarea of business administration research. The research and development interest here results
from the effects of job design and work organization on human resources management and thus
on the increasing productivity as well as competitiveness of companies and branches. As a
dimension of education, economy, social politic, and labor market politic, TVET is a subject of
interdisciplinary education research. On the level of TVET governance system, it becomes clear
that it is mostly based on the outside parts instead of TVET governance system itself. Normally
not only the educational, labor, and economic departments as well as the sector administration
departments in the government but also the organizations in the world of work (such as labor
unions and trade associations) are involved in the TVET governance. This applies primarily to
all forms of dual vocational education organization. The plurality of governance structures of
TVET and TVET systems increases the complexity of research and development tasks for the
TVET research. The TVET research is a unique education sector, which is directly related to the
shaping of transition from education to the employment system. This characteristic of TVET,
which distinguishes it from all the other sectors of education systems, has far-reaching
consequences.
3. At some point, teachers and instructors will come across some form of problem that they
would like to address in their classroom or course. Some teachers will rely on traditional ways to
solve these problems. Teachers will also seek out the advice of experts or colleagues to try and
address challenges. Really good educators will conduct their own investigations to identify and
solve problems while analyzing information about their school and the learning environment.
These learning environments may be brick and mortar classrooms, online learning environments,
or a hybrid mix of the two.

Action Research- is either research initiated to solve an immediate problem or a reflective

process of progressive problem solving that integrates research, action, and analysis. The
integration of action includes the development and implementation of a plan or strategy to
address the focus of the research. The research includes building a knowledge base to understand
the effectiveness of the action or plan being considered. Put simple, action research can be
viewed as a form of disciplined inquiry utilized by teachers, instructors, and supervisors to better
understand student learning and teacher effectiveness.

There are many guides and permutations available for conducting action research in the
classroom. I will link to some of these resources in the citations section at the conclusion of this
post. The purpose of this post is to get you up and running with four basic steps needed to
conduct action research in your own practice.

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 1. Selecting a focus
The first step in conducting action research is to identify and define the focus of your
investigation. You’ll want to develop some questions about the area of your focus. Finally, you’ll
need to identify a plan to effectively study and answer the questions you’ve developed.

Please note that action research typically will include an examination of the school, programs,
students, and instructional practices. You’ll want to consider what aspects of these areas will you
need to study in your research. Specifically, will you need to examine student outcomes
(dispositions, achievement); curriculum (instructional materials, content standards, frameworks);
instruction (teaching strategies, use of technology); school climate (student morale, teacher
morale, relationships between teachers and supervisors); parental involvement (participation on
committees, attendance at events).

As you develop your focus and identify a specific frame to guide your thinking, you should also
adjust your research questions. As an example, if you’re concerned with issues of school climate,
you might want to consider the following guiding questions:

 How can I document the morale of teachers?

 What impact does possible low morale of teachers have on student achievement?
 Will increased relationships between teachers and supervisors yield higher teacher morale?
 How might we increase more positive relationships between students, teachers, and supervisors?

Developing and revising the focus and guiding questions for your action research will help you
understand what elements you are interested in examining. You will also need to identify
questions you can effectively gather information about and conduct your research. What research
questions do you want to answer? What research questions do you think you can answer?

2. Collecting data
The second step involved in conducting action research includes collecting data to use in
answering your research questions. Once again, in step one you’ll identify questions you are
interested in answering..and think that you can effectively “answer”? In the second step, you’ll
need to gather info to address these questions. This data may consist of teacher-made surveys
and standardized test data. Data may consist of surveys and interviews. Collected data may also
consist of student portfolios, observations, and other sources of information.

The data you collect may also consist of research conducted to identify best practices, or research
tested techniques. This is an opportunity to learn from others that may have been trying to
unpack the same problems or challenges. In my own work I use a two-step process of Google
searches and then Google Scholar to quickly learn more about a topic. After I have identified the
focus, keywords, and relevant search terms, I can continue my examination at the library or using
online sources.

You’ll want to make sure that your data will address the focus of your action research. If you’re
interested in studying the district’s new ELA/Reading curriculum, you might collect interview
and survey data. You may also collect student scores on district-wide assessments. Finally, you
may collect the previous curriculum, or examine other curricular materials available.

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As you collect data, you’ll want to make sure that you organize it to make it easy for you (and
others) to analyze. You may not present the data to others, but it helps you in the long run in you
keep your work organized as you work. You may also choose to share your data with others to
help prove a point or connect your findings with others.

One of the last points I’d like to make about data collection is identifying when you have
collected enough data. This is always a question that is asked as we begin the research process.
What you’re looking for is “saturation of data.” As you collect data, you’ll begin to recognize
patterns in the data. If you start to get a “gut feeling” that “you’ve already seen this before”…
chances are you’re approaching saturation.

3. Analyzing and interpreting data

After identifying your focus and collecting data, you’ll need to analyze and make interpretations
from your materials. In this you’ll want to describe or summarize the data clearly. You’ll also
look for consistent patterns or themes across the data. Finally, you’ll want to use the data to
answer your research questions and/or prove your hypotheses.

There are multiple strategies and techniques that can be used as you analyze your data. In my
own work I find it is helpful to lay out all of my data and the identified themes or patterns in an
area that is easily visible while working. I’ll save these themes and patterns written on paper on
my desk, or on a white board in my office. I also find it helpful to just write and think through
the data, themes, and patterns as I make sense of the results.

As you “make sense” of the results, you’ll want to identify how you’ll develop your findings. In
qualitative analysis, there is usually a focus on deductive or inductive analysis of the data.
Deductive means that you’re moving from concepts to examples while inductive means that
you’re moving from examples to concepts. Another way to consider this is that deductive
reasoning has you examine your data with an open mind, look for patterns, develop a hypothesis,
and then move to theory. Inductive on the other hand has you moving from the theory and using
your hypothesis and the data to confirm your findings.

Please also note that it is possible and appropriate to move from one frame to another, or include
bits and pieces across the research process. You’ll just want to understand where you’re
obtaining your results, and what lenses you’re using as you analyze and interpret your data.

4. Taking action
The fourth step includes you making a decision about your research and identifying next possible
actions. Let us suppose you have researched the question above about teacher morale and have
uncovered the root cause of the problem. You’ve surveyed the students, teachers, and supervisors
and you know exactly how to “fix” the problem.

You now have to take action and this includes several possibilities. First, you may choose to
continue the system as it currently operates and make no changes. Second, you may choose to
disband the organization to address the problem. This may include shutting down the school and
sending all of the students, teachers, and supervisors elsewhere. Third, you may choose to

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 modify or make small tweaks to the school, program, or relationships between all partners to
address the culture of the school.

Your decision on how you take action will be determined by a multitude of factors…some of
which may be out of your control. Please note that action research typically follows a cycle as
you move through each of the steps. As you work through the sequence, you’ll learn a bit more
about the problem or research question. You’ll use this information as a way to improve your
focus, research, or action in subsequent steps through the cycle. This most likely will not be the
end of the cycle. You’ll continue to observe, act, and reflect as you continue to plan and operate
in the classroom.

5. Continuing the action research cycle

Information gained from previous research may open new avenues of research. You may choose
to come down to this last step and decide to move back to the top of the cycle and start the
process over again after tweaking one small variable in the sequence. Action research is
ongoing. In this cycle, you are continually involved in assessing instruction and seeking ways of
improving your practice, classroom, or even more.

For more guidance, please review some of the resources I used to compile this post:

 A practical guide to action research for literacy educators

 Action Research: A guide for associate lecturers
 Action research in education
 Action Research in Qualitative Research