Introduction to Australian Transnational Vocational Education: Imperatives, Challenges and Improvements for Curriculum Implementation

Many countries across the world are seeking to build the capacity of their workforce through improved vocational education. An increasing number of these countries are meeting this goal by importing curriculum products and engaging teachers with the expertise to enact them. This phenomenon, more broadly referred to as transnational education, typically involves exporting educational programs developed by countries with effective vocational education systems, such as Australia, to other countries. These provisions have the advantage of expanding opportunities for governments, educational institutions and individuals to access quality vocational education in their country. However, the capacity of Australian educational providers to meet the diverse needs of this market is hampered by its national mandatory requirements for curriculum implementation that frequently render vocational courses irrelevant to the needs and circumstances of other countries. Therefore, this book explores how teachers negotiate between the imperatives of national curriculum standardisation and the needs and interests of overseas students and sponsoring educational institutions in different cultural and institutional contexts. It is through this exploration that we can foster an understanding of the imperatives, challenges and potential improvements in curriculum implementation within Australian transnational vocational education.