Technical and vocational education and training in the UAE

Abstract

This study is of three-fold. The first provides a general overview of the history and importance of "Technical and Vocational Education and Training" (TVET); the second compares TVET in The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (as a pioneer country in the field) in order to explore points of similarity and differences and to make recommendations for TVET improvement in UAE; and the third analyses the relationship between teacher training programmes, accessibility to technical resources, teachers' technology integration, and the mission and vision of technical and vocational institutes in UAE. Data were collected from 175 teachers and administrators of Technical Vocational Colleges (TVCs) in the UAE. To ensure a comprehensive exploration of the topic, three separate research models were developed and tested. All models were analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) through AMOS version 24. Results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between teachers' technology integration, teacher training programmes and accessibility to technical resources/equipment, and the mission and vision of the technical and vocational institutes.