The worldwide emphasis on vocational training is increasing as a means to overcome social and economic challenges and, on the other hand, as a way to integrate young people into work and make them skilled workers (Evans, 2020). The mainstream system, which has been seen as the gold standard for vocational training, is the dual system, a combination of vocational education and training (Hoffman & Schwartz, 2015). It is important to find out how young adults, who are entering professional life and starting their business careers, are facing these new challenges. In the dual system, vocational school has the task of preparing students for these challenges. Teachers teach the methods of self-regulated learning and support the vocational students in their learning processes. Thus, it is crucial to know which approaches are effective in helping vocational students become self-regulated learners.
A key challenge in the research of vocational training is its very complexity: while general education is well-defined, the phrase “vocational training” has been used for multiple distinct types of training, such as school-based vocational training, apprenticeship systems, further education, and lifelong learning (Evans, 2020). The focus lies on the apprenticeship system, and especially on the dual system. In addition to the challenges with the concept of vocational school, there is the problem of an unclear definition of the term self-regulated learning (Baumert et al., 2007). There is agreement in the research community that self-regulated learning is an important concept and central task, integral to helping students become independent and self-regulated learners. Zimmerman (2000) describes self-regulated learning with a social cognitive process model in which three phases are distinguished: forethought, performance or volitional control, and self-reflection. There is an interdependence between academic achievement and self-regulated learning (Zimmerman, 1990). Learners achieve academic success when they use metacognitive, motivational, and behavioral strategies in all three phases of a learning cycle (Zimmerman, 1990, 2008). Less academically successful learners lack “will and skill” (Zimmerman, 1990, p. 6). Therefore, it is important to assess the learning environments and teacher instructions which may help those students to develop and use strategies in all three self-regulated learning phases.
Vocational students are on the move of entering professional life and are facing new challenges, Schools can teach the methods for self-regulated learning and support the vocational students in their processes. Therefore, the following question is of interest: What are the characteristics of interventions promoting self-regulated learning at vocational school level?
With the research question it is possible to both analyze which interventions support self-regulated learning and are effective for self-regulation as well as to identify the limitations of those approaches. The question will also address in which scenarios self-regulated learning at vocational school level is beneficial. More specifically, which methods or approaches work for which vocational students? In this way the research question connects the beneficial aspects to the limiting aspects, and a holistic approach will be adapted to address both aspects.