Themes and potential gaps in research on vocational education and universities of applied sciences in Finland: A scoping review of studies published in 2020–2022

Abstract

This scoping literature review examined studies conducted in Finland in 2020–2022 in the context of vocational education and university of applied sciences education. The aim was to map research related to the theme published in national and international journals, to gain insight into the research field and to identify key themes. A total of 60 peer-reviewed articles were selected for the review. The study analysed the articles published in the two Finnish journals focusing on adult education and vocational education (n=15). In addition, articles published in international scientific journals (n=45) were analysed from the most relevant databases. Eleven thematic content areas were identified from the studies, which collectively construct a representation of a digitalising, work-oriented research field in which student-centeredness can be seen as evident in studies related to, for example, career paths and competence-based approaches. Of the studies, 30 had been carried out primarily in the context of a university of applied sciences, while 30 articles dealt primarily with vocational upper secondary school context. There were 9 studies carried out at several different levels of education, and in addition, the level of examination in six studies was societal. The results show that there is a need for more research in the areas of sustainable development, future competences, diversity and well-being, as well as a need to further investigate the growing importance of digitalization, especially of artificial intelligence. Based on the results, it is possible to identify both research gaps and current challenges and phenomena related to learning and societal discourse.