Effective teaching and learning at vocational education at Tertiary Level: a qualitative study of administrators', teachers' and students' perceptions

The aim of this study is to explore the phenomenon of teaching and learning at higher vocational education schools through administrators’, teachers’ and students’ perceptions. In line with this, phenomenological research design was employed, and data were collected at eight higher vocational schools in Nevşehir, Turkey from 8 administrators, 16 teachers and 16 focus groups through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. Data analysis, conducted through inductive content analysis approach, revealed that effective vocational teaching and learning was defined from two perspectives: product-oriented teaching versus process-oriented teaching, and product-oriented learning versus process-oriented learning. Also, aim of higher vocational education, characteristics of effective vocational teacher, learner and program emerged from data. The challenges faced were found related to teachers, students, curriculum, context, system, employers and parents. Finally, the findings related to strategies to cope with those challenges were categorized as teacher-led, student-led and administrator-led practices together with recommendations made to improve effectiveness