Experiences from great vocational education policy change in China - a teacher perspective

Chinese secondary school vocational education has been given increased prominence over recent years to support the country’s need for a highly skilled workforce and continued economic growth. The integration of secondary vocational and higher vocational education to move towards a tertiary system embodying lifelong education with Chinese characteristics is central to this vision. It is within this policy context that we provide a critical exploration of vocational education and training (VET), and the implications and impact on teachers and their practices using the notion of vocational pedagogical capital. Teachers at one vocational secondary school are interviewed to explore their perceptions of recent policy changes and their potential impact on their practices going forward. They were optimistic about the potential impact of recent changes on their teaching practices, but their perceptions revealed a potential lack of progress to date. The article concludes that there is some way to go before the vision for Chinese vocational education is realised.