ERIC Number: EJ1427608
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1363-6820
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Enhancing Academic Student Engagement in Vocational Agricultural Education: Why Course Design Matters
Kevin Cunningham; Monica Gorman; James Maher
Journal of Vocational Education and Training, v76 n3 p724-746 2024
This paper considers the influence of course design on the capability of a vocational college to implement a student-centred learning approach to enhance academic student engagement. It is based on an action research project involving a course redesign within a vocational agricultural education setting that created a more student-centred approach and in turn enhanced academic student engagement compared to its traditional delivery. Phase 1 of research looked at academic student engagement in a traditional lecture format utilising a multi-methodological analysis. This analysis identified that one type of module presented a significant challenge with 0/16 classes rated as 'high engagement', primarily due to the subject content. Phase 2 redesigned a module of this type using a more student-centred learning approach to evaluate if this could enhance academic student engagement. Observations carried out on 24 classes of the redesigned module rated 21/24 as 'high engagement'. The redesign process enabled the use of a more student-centred learning approach albeit limited by requirements to comply with traditional quality assurance requirements of the current course design. This action research contributes a greater understanding of how the principles of course design need to be considered in seeking to enhance academic student engagement in vocational education.
Descriptors: Vocational Education, Agricultural Education, Curriculum Design, Learner Engagement, Student Centered Learning, Quality Assurance, Action Research, Classroom Observation Techniques, Student Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
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Language: English
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