Work in Progress

An analysis of effective pathways from VET to higher education

• Summary
• Purpose
• Approach
• Research questions
• Organisations

Summary

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to provide information for tertiary education teachers, administrators and policy makers about how to improve the effectiveness of VET – HE pathways based on evidence about the participation, retention and graduation rates of students admitted to university on the basis of a VET award.
By determining the subjects for case study from evidence about effective pathways, the project will analyse best practice and thus provide authoritative information about how to build VET – HE pathways to promote successful long-term educational outcomes for transitioning students. The analysis will discuss the extent to which the features of effective VET – HE pathways can be replicated in other institutional contexts.
The research will fill gaps in current knowledge about the extent to which current VET – HE pathways are effective in terms of long-term educational outcomes for transitioning students, and how institutional providers in both sectors could establish more effective pathways from VET to higher education.

Approach

Mixed-methods

Research questions

The research will address the following key questions:

* What types of VET – HE pathways appear to be most effective in terms of promoting positive student learning outcomes in higher education?
* Does the effectiveness of VET – HE pathways vary between disciplines of study?
* Do characteristics of learning institutions (in either the VET or HE sector) appear to influence the effectiveness of VET – HE pathways?
* To what extent is the effectiveness of VET – HE pathways influenced by other factors such as the characteristics of students?
* How do institutional stakeholders establish and maintain effective student pathways from VET to higher education?
* What features of effective pathways can be replicated in other institutional or disciplinary contexts?

The final report will provide a comprehensive analysis of student pathways between VET and higher education exploring differences between disciplines and areas of study, as defined within the ASCED field of education typology. The researchers will identify factors that appear to contribute to variations in the effectiveness of VET – HE pathways between discipline groups and/or providers, including institutional and student characteristics. This analysis will be built on quantitative data about participation and retention rates of students admitted to higher education on the basis of a VET award, supplemented by qualitative information provided by stakeholders in the case studies.

Organisations

The Lifelong Learning Network at the University of Canberra is an education policy research centre located in the Faculty of Education, specialising in cross-sectoral education and training issues. Established in 1999 the Centre undertakes commissioned research and evaluation projects in the field of education policy with a focus on cross-sectoral issues. It has managed research contracts from agencies such as NCVER, the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and the state departments of education and training in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has produced research reports relevant to policy in all sectors of education and training such as in schools, early childhood, VET, higher education and adult and community education.

A list of project publications and reports produced by the Lifelong Learning Network is provided at: http://www.canberra.edu.au/centres/lifelong/publications

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