Critical issues of teaching innovations for vocational teachers: a literature review

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to examine a literature review on teaching innovations that in part continues to sustain certain key aspects namely curriculum and assessment innovations, innovational instructions, innovative pedagogical strategies, technological innovations, and innovative teaching materials. As critical issues in current trends of vocational education and training (VET), these componential parts determine how vocational teaching innovations are set to enhance breakthroughs in terms of student-centered learning and teaching activities, and to what extent technology-based interactions should not abandon a humanistic approach involving direct social interactions and engagement. The results of article reviews show that teaching innovations seek to promote vocational teachers’ professional services, so that they actively advance technological skills, competencies and digital technologies in the digital era (45%). Another finding also leads to an institutional policy that teaching innovations need massive changes in the online pedagogical dimension (30%) fully supported by technological devices within a conducive atmosphere of learning and teaching processes. In another perspective, vocational teachers play a vital role in implementing the curriculum and literacy development through contextual projects, cultural awareness and curriculum development (20%). In contrast, only one article (5%) reviews how a competency-based performance assessment obviously contributes to the students’ competence and teaching innovations. Regardless of this fact, vocational teachers are agents of innovations who keep prioritizing better academic development and innovative professional services.