
The Development Status, Challenges and Future Trends of China's Vocational Education in the Digital Transformation
- 1 Western Michigan Institute of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Vocational education plays a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, social advancement, and individual development in China. Against the backdrop of rapid digital transformation and industrial upgrading, this study examines the current status, challenges, and future trends of China’s vocational education system. By conducting a systematic literature analysis of peer-reviewed articles from CNKI and Web of Science, government policies, and international reports, this research identifies critical barriers such as outdated educational philosophies, insufficient integration of emerging technologies, and regional disparities in resource allocation. Thematic coding and comparative analysis reveal persistent contradictions between policy rhetoric and implementation, particularly the elitist bias favoring general education over vocational training. Key findings emphasize the necessity of adopting a people-oriented approach, deepening industry-education collaboration, modernizing curricula with AI and IoT, and enhancing teacher competencies through enterprise partnerships. The study concludes that proactive strategies, including policy reinforcement, curriculum innovation, and equitable resource distribution are essential to align vocational education with the demands of digital transformation. Limitations include insufficient exploration of rural vocational schools’ digital readiness, suggesting future research directions.
Keywords
Digital transformation, Vocational education, Educational philosophy
[1]. Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.01.003
[2]. Marginson, S. (2016). The worldwide trend to high participation higher education: Dynamics of social stratification in inclusive systems. Higher Education, 72(4), 413-434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0036-6
[3]. Selwyn, N., & Facer, K. (2020). Digital technology and the futures of education: Towards ‘non-stupid’ optimism. UNESCO Futures of Education Initiative, 1-36. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374085
[4]. Billett, S. (2020). Vocational education in the age of digitization: Challenges of integrating theory and practice. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 72(3), 321-337. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2020.1751247
[5]. Mok, K. H., & Qian, J. (2018). Massification of vocational education in China: Challenges and reforms. International Journal of Educational Development, 63, 72-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2018.02.007
[6]. Geng, Y., & Huang, R. (2022). Digital transformation in vocational education: A framework for integrating emerging technologies. Computers & Education, 189, 104582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104582
[7]. Cedefop. (2021). Teachers and trainers in vocational education and training: Bridging industry and pedagogy. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2801/969283
[8]. Pilz, M., & Li, J. (2020). Learning from the German dual system: Implications for China’s vocational education reform. Journal of Education and Work, 33(5-6), 454-469. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2020.1834378
[9]. Grech, A., & Camilleri, A. F. (2021). Blockchain in education: A systematic review of applications and challenges. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 24(1), 64-78. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27032858
Cite this article
Zhang,H. (2025). The Development Status, Challenges and Future Trends of China's Vocational Education in the Digital Transformation. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,94,16-20.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title: Proceedings of ICEIPI 2025 Symposium: AI Am Ready: Artificial Intelligence as Pedagogical Scaffold
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).