Inclusive-Digital Education at Vocational Schools: An Empirical Analysis of Success Factors and Challenges Based on a Synthesis of Three Studies on Teachers and School Concepts

Context: The article “Inclusive-digital education at vocational schools: An empirical analysis of success factors and challenges based on a synthesis of three studies on teachers and school concepts” deals with the link between inclusion and digitalization in vocational education in Switzerland. Against the background of an increasingly digitalized working world and the social demand for more participation, inclusive-digital education is becoming more important. Although inclusion is anchored in education policy and digital technologies are increasingly being used in vocational schools, there is a lack of empirical research at the interface of these two areas – especially with regard to teacher training.

Approach: The article is based on three sub-studies that take different perspectives on inclusive digital education and provide a first exploratory insight into the subject area. Study 1 examines an intervention program with 22 prospective teachers at the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training SFUVET. In this context, lesson plans were analyzed according to criteria of inclusive-digital education, and their self-efficacy was assessed using before-and-after surveys and group discussions. Study 2 develops and validates a questionnaire on expertise and teaching in inclusive-digital education with a first sample (n= 146). A second sample (n= 121) is used to investigate whether self-efficacy in expertise in inclusive digital education influences teaching implementation and to what extent age plays a role. Study 3 examines the extent to which pedagogical blended learning concepts at Swiss vocational schools (N = 21) take aspects of inclusive-digital education into account.

Findings: The results show that students consider inclusive-digital education to be important, but it is not yet being implemented systematically. Self-efficacy in subject knowledge and self-efficacy in inclusive-digital teaching correlate with each other, whereby age influences the assessment of self-efficacy in teaching. Efforts to implement inclusive-digital education can be seen in pedagogical blended learning concepts, but they are only thought of together in a piecemeal way.

Conclusions: The studies make it clear that clear structural guidelines, targeted support services and the strengthening of teachers' self-efficacy are conducive to successful inclusive-digital education and should be systematically taken into account in the training of prospective teachers.