Profound transformation processes – including digitalisation, demographic shifts, and growing geopolitical tensions – are reshaping labour markets in complex and often unpredictable ways (Aggarwal, 2021; OECD, 2023), with far-reaching implications for how educational knowledge, responsibility, and professionalism are understood.

As future skill requirements become less certain, the relevance of vocational education and training (VET) is gaining renewed attention at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels. In this context, professionals working in development roles within the VET sector are gaining visibility. Positioned at the intersection of educational and organisational concerns, they play a crucial role in shaping adaptive and future-oriented learning environments.

These professionals are typically employed in organisations such as employer associations, training departments of large companies, hospitals, or public administrations. Their responsibilities include the design of training programmes, coordination of learning processes across institutions, and the management of quality assurance and development. Operating at the interface of pedagogical and organisational logics, their work is both educational and strategic in nature. While these actors exert considerable influence in shaping the VET ecosystem, their pedagogical orientation and professional self-understanding remain largely under-researched – particularly when compared to the relatively well-studied roles of in-company trainers and vocational school teachers (Büchter & Meyer, 2024; Forster-Heinzer, 2019).

This study addresses the identified research gap by conducting a systematic narrative literature review. It aims to synthesise key academic contributions from the fields of vocational and adult education, with particular attention to professionals occupying strategic governance and development roles. Their work reflects and responds to changing expectations around knowledge, accountability, and the public role of education.The study is guided by the following central research question: What characterises pedagogical professionalism in vocational education, and how is the concept theoretically conceptualised in the literature on vocational and adult education?

The analysis reveals a theoretically heterogeneous landscape. Three predominant conceptual orientations were identified. The first is a structural-theoretical approach, which conceptualises professionalism in terms of system logics and institutional frameworks. The second is competence-oriented, focusing on skills, standards, and qualification profiles. The third approach is subject- or biography-related, examining identity development and meaning-making processes. Additional perspectives – such as lifelong learning, professional learning communities, and boundary crossing – function as cross-cutting frames that enrich or connect the main theoretical strands.

The review highlights the conceptual ambiguity surrounding pedagogical professionalism and illustrates the difficulty of balancing educational values with organisational objectives – a tension that becomes particularly pronounced in hybrid professional roles. These findings raise broader questions about how educational responsibility is constructed and negotiated in contexts shaped by shifting epistemic cultures, digital transformation, and increasing demands for accountability.

This study advances our understanding of how knowledge, action, and responsibility are negotiated within VET-related knowledge work by bringing a previously underexplored group of strategic professionals into the discourse on professionalisation. Its findings are particularly relevant for ongoing debates about how educational research can respond to systemic uncertainty and how theoretical models of professionalism can inform practice in times of societal transformation.

Although this study is grounded in the German-speaking VET context, its findings speak to broader European debates on the professionalisation of educational actors amidst institutional transformation. Specifically, it aligns with EU-wide initiatives aimed at strengthening VET systems through upskilling strategies, lifelong learning policies, and an increased emphasis on digital and green transition competencies (CEDEFOP, 2023).

To address the research question, a systematic narrative review was conducted to synthesise theoretical perspectives on pedagogical professionalism in vocational and adult education. This approach was chosen in order to map conceptual diversity, identify dominant framings, and highlight underrepresented perspectives across both empirical and theoretical contributions. The review followed a multi-stage strategy in line with the methodological principles of a systematic narrative review, drawing on the guidelines proposed by Turnbull et al. (2023) and other established frameworks for conceptually oriented synthesis. A comprehensive literature search was carried out using three major academic databases: ERIC, FIS Bildung, and Web of Science. Search terms combined key concepts related to professionalism, vocational and adult education, and educational actors. The search was limited to peer-reviewed journal articles published in English or German between 2016 and 2025. The initial search yielded 735 results. After removing duplicates (n = 254), 481 articles remained. These were screened by title and abstract using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were excluded if they failed to meet basic criteria regarding (1) thematic and contextual relevance, (2) theoretical and disciplinary grounding, or (3) formal and methodological quality. This second screening phase focused on aspects such as the educational field, the conceptual coherence of the study, and its relevance to the research question. As a result, 436 articles were excluded. The remaining 45 articles underwent full-text review. Selection was based on three criteria: theoretical density, relevance to the research question, and contextual fit with vocational and adult education. This resulted in the inclusion of 13 articles. Five additional studies were identified through theoretical sampling and backward citation tracing, yielding a final dataset of 18 articles. Thematic analysis was carried out using a deductive–inductive coding approach. An initial coding framework was developed based on established theoretical models (e.g., Helsper, 2021; Gieseke, 2015) and iteratively refined through close reading of the selected texts. This process resulted in a typology of theoretical approaches to pedagogical professionalism, capturing key differences in assumptions, scope, and orientation. The methodological design enables a theoretically grounded and context-aware exploration of pedagogical professionalism and lays the foundation for future empirical research into how strategic professionals position themselves within evolving VET landscapes.

This review contributes to ongoing debates on the changing nature of educational knowledge and professionalism by examining how pedagogical professionalism is theorised in vocational and adult education. The findings show that the theoretical field is fragmented, marked by competing interpretations and context-dependent assumptions – with important implications for both research and practice. First, the study highlights the conceptual ambiguity of professionalism in VET-related roles, which operate at the intersection of pedagogical aspirations and strategic or economic imperatives. A clearer understanding of how professionalism is constructed in such hybrid settings is crucial for designing effective professional development and for shaping policy frameworks that aim to enhance educational quality. Second, by drawing attention to a previously under-researched actor group – strategic professionals in VET – the review encourages a broader conceptualisation of professionalism beyond traditional teaching roles. This offers new perspectives on responsibility and leadership in complex institutional settings. The typology developed in this study may serve as a conceptual resource for cross-national discussions on how educational professionalism is framed in response to policy change and epistemic transformation. Third, the study connects to the broader conference theme by exploring how educational actors make sense of their roles amid systemic transformation. It addresses how knowledge is mobilised, legitimised, and translated into action within evolving VET landscapes. These insights open up new avenues for empirical research into how strategic professionals in VET navigate complexity and competing demands. In doing so, the study contributes to a more differentiated and theoretically grounded understanding of professionalism – one that is essential for responding to institutional transformation both nationally and across Europe.

Aggarwal, A. (2021). Global framework on core skills for life and work in the 21st century (1st ed.). ILO. Anselmann, S., Harm, S., & Faßhauer, U. (2022). Input from the grassroots level — Reflecting challenges and problems for VET professionals in Germany. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 9(2), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.9.2.5 Büchter, K., & Meyer, R. (2024). Geschichte und aktuelle Entwicklungen von Professionalisierung im Handlungsfeld beruflicher Bildung [History and current developments of professionalisation in the field of vocational education]. In J. Schütz & U. Elsholz (Hrsg.), Perspektiven auf Professionalisierung in beruflicher Bildung, Erwachsenenbildung und Hochschulbildung (S. 25–45). wbv Publikation. https://doi.org/10.3278/9783763974504 Cedefop. (2023). The future of vocational education and training in Europe: 50 dimensions of vocational education and training – Cedefop’s analytical framework for comparing VET (Cedefop Research Paper No. 92). Publications Office of the European Union. http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/57908 Forster-Heinzer, S. (2019). Zur Situationsspezifität des pädagogischen Ethos: Eine empirische Studie im Bereich der betrieblichen Berufsbildung [On the situational specificity of pedagogical ethos: An empirical study in company-based vocational education]. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 65(4), 584–607. https://doi.org/10.3262/ZP1904584 Gieseke, W. (2015). Professionalität und Professionalisierung in der Erwachsenenbildung/Weiterbildung [Professionalism and professionalisation in adult education]. In R. Tippelt & A. von Hippel (Hrsg.), Handbuch Erwachsenenbildung/Weiterbildung (S. 1–19). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-20001-9_52-1 Helsper, W. (2016). Lehrerprofessionalität – Der strukturtheoretische Ansatz [Teacher professionalism – The structural theory approach]. In M. Rothland (Hrsg.), Beruf Lehrer/Lehrerin. Ein Studienbuch (S. 103–127). Waxmann. Helsper, W. (2021). Professionalität und Professionalisierung pädagogischen Handelns: Eine Einführung [Professionalism and professionalisation of pedagogical action: An introduction]. Barbara Budrich. Keller, A., & Raemy, P. (2024). Emphasising self-directed learning in VET schools: Teachers’ convictions and role negotiations. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 12(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.13152/ijrvet.12.1.1 OECD. (2010). OECD-Studien zur Berufsbildung: Lernen für die Arbeitswelt [Learning for jobs]. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264087842-de OECD. (2023). Bildung auf einen Blick 2023: OECD-Indikatoren [Education at a glance 2023: OECD indicators]. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/34087b82-de OECD. (2024). OECD Employment Outlook 2024: The net zero transition and the labour market. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/ac8b3538-en Turnbull, D., Chugh, R., & Luck, J. (2023). Systematic-narrative hybrid literature review: A strategy for integrating a concise methodology into a manuscript. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 7(1), Article 100381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2022.100381 Wenger, M., & Lamamra, N. (2024). Analysing the continuing education needs of Swiss in-company trainers: An approach based on latent class analysis. Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training, 7(1), 28–47. https://doi.org/10.14426/jovacet.v7i1.395