Exploring Assessment Practices and Strategies in Vocational Education: Insights from Nine Vocational Colleges

Assessment is essential in education, measuring student learning, guiding instructional strategies, and driving continuous student improvement. However, there is no holistic understanding of how assessments are administered and how student achievements are communicated in vocational education and training (VET). This study investigates assessment practices in VET across nine colleges in China, through focus group interviews and epistemic network analysis to examine the dynamic connections between assessment elements. The findings reveal that knowledge assessment is largely course-based, relying on evidence such as LMS data, with limited integration into work-based contexts. Skills assessment occurs in both course- and work-based learning environments, leveraging diverse evidence such as LMS data, simulations, observations, and video recordings. Attitude assessment is predominantly confined to course-based settings, using metrics like attendance and participation and neglecting evaluations for work-based attitudes. This study also compared assessment strategies between comprehensive and specialised vocational institutions, highlighting differences in how each integrates learning contexts and prioritises learning objectives. Challenges to effective assessment practices were identified, including methodological issues and limited technological and human resources. This research provides valuable insights into the current state of VET assessment practices and discusses relevant challenges and opportunities in this field.