Challenges of Collective Inertia and Scarcity to Technological and Vocational Education Universities

The massification of higher education institutions in Taiwan, typically in universities of science and technology, creates competition for resources and currently threatens foreclosures in Taiwan’s higher education system. To answer this challenge amid global competition among universities, the Ministry of Education (MOE) implemented the World-Class Research University Project, creating the initiative for higher education institutions to quickly gain world-class status with the reasonable belief that strong global visibility would attract much needed international resources to supplement local ones. However, the race for global reputation has created highly stressful environments for faculty members to publish research papers in highly regarded international journals. In highlighting fundamental paradoxes of the system and the rationale behind them, this paper attempts to stimulate a much-needed reflection that might pave the way for rational and empirical efforts to transform higher education in Taiwan. This paper also reveals that the emphasis on speed-up achievement has overwhelmed the original academic missions of higher education and placed academics in a scarcity mindset with quantity drowning essence. The primary mechanism for keeping the current system is the collective inertia that limits academics from breaking out of the mould of habitual approaches. This paper discusses all sorts of findings, reported events, theoretical ideas, and inherent contradictions in relation to Taiwan universities in an attempt to frame the essential background on the problems in terms of scarcity mindset and inertial thinking. Finally, the paper provides some suggested solutions. The reflection in this paper may inspire faculty members in higher technological and vocational education programs to lead school administration and industry development with practical and updated knowledge. It is crucial to revitalising faculty members’ educational enthusiasm through building professional autonomy and self-efficacy.

The Development of Non-Formal Technological and Vocational Education in Village Communities

This article presents a preliminary study which was done through a literature review of various scientific references on the development of human resources through non-formal technological and vocational education. Current issues and problems in developing countries are related to the low quality of human resources in villages due to the low education and skills (technological and vocational skills). The development of non-formal technological and vocational education for village communities becomes an alternative solution, particularly when formal education does not provide solutions. With the concept of life-long learning, non-formal technological and vocational education is based on practical knowledge and skills. Non-formal education allows a learning model which addresses individuals’ learning needs. Thus, it becomes one of solutions to overcome unemployment.

The use of Malcolm Baldridge method for formulating strategic planning in the technological and vocational education

The article described the results of a study evaluating the performance of Technological and Vocational Education (TVE) by means of Malcolm Baldrige method. The data on the performance was used in order to know its excellence and weakness. Based on the performance excellence and weakness, a competitive strategy could be formulated in order to improve the TVE quality. First, performance measurements by means of Malcolm Baldrige criteria were done on seven study programs from different universities. Second, results of the performance measurements were analyzed and described. With the data resulting from the performance measurements as the basis of the analysis, the excellence and weakness of TVE performance might be found. Third, a strategy was developed. Based on the performance excellence and weakness, a performance improvement strategy might be formulated in order to raise the quality level within the educational process of TVE. The research results indicated that for the performance level the seven universities under measurement achieved scores ranging from 526 to 711 point. These results showed that the performance of study programs in TVE within Indonesia put these study programs into the categories of education leader and of emerging education leader. On the basis of those categories, each study program might formulate its own competitive strategy in order to improve the TVE performance so that the educational process being conducted might also improve in terms of quality level.

Applying The ARCS Motivation Model In Technological And Vocational Education

This paper describes the incorporation of Keller’s ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) motivation model into traditional classroom instruction-learning process. Viewing that technological and vocational students have low confidence and motivation in learning, the authors applied the ARCS motivation model not only in the instructional design phase but also in the classroom instruction process of technological and vocational education. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate whether the application of ARCS motivation model to instructional design and classroom instruction of technological and vocational education could bring positive effects on students’ satisfaction in terms of instruction objective, instruction material/method, teacher’s qualities, class climate/environment, assessment, and overall satisfaction.