Linking Vocational Education to the World of Employment: the Case of Business English in Greece

The focus of this research is Vocational Education (VE) of secondary level and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Research shows that despite the significance placed on VE (UNESCO 2012), a number of discrepancies are found regarding its link with the employment market worldwide, mainly attributed to the appropriateness of the material. Against this background, this study investigated the link between the English language needs of businesses in Greece and the English language skills VE schools offer at present. The study employed a mixed methods research methodology. It consisted of business English language needs questionnaires with businesses (N=136), interviews with teachers (N=10), and a focus group discussion with learners (N=8) as data collection tools. Additionally, an evaluation of the “English for Economics and Administration” VE textbook was conducted and the impact of newly designed ESP material on learners was examined through pre-post-tests. The findings of the businesses survey revealed the need for more emphasis on speaking and listening skills than writing or reading. The evaluation of the target textbook suggested a lack of these skills and lack of authenticity, interactivity, motivation, contemporary content and communicative tasks required by the workplace. To address this gap some new ESP materials were designed to supplement part of the target textbook. The findings show that both learners and teachers found these materials communicative, contemporary, authentic and relevant to learners’ future working needs. In the Greek context this research is unique in that it investigates the link between VE of secondary level and workplace, which has not been addressed in the Greek literature so far. The research has implications for practitioners who could participate in materials design, and for policy makers who should base ESP materials design on learners’, and workplace needs analysis

«Η άσκηση επιχειρηματικής πολιτικής και η υποχρέωση μη ανταγωνισμού στους διευθύνοντες υπαλλήλους»

Βασική στόχευση της παρούσας μελέτης αποτελεί η ανάδειξη των προβληματικών λειτουργικών παρεπόμενων υποχρεώσεων της σύμβασης εργασίας των διευθυνοντων υπαλλήλων σε ένα αβέβαιο νομικό πλαίσιο, η σφαιρική αξιολογική αποτίμηση των ευθυνών και υποχρεώσεων με τις οποίες συνδέεται ο διευθύνων υπάλληλος και οι συνέπειες τους. Ειδικότερα, στο πρώτο μέρος της παρούσας μελέτης επιχειρείται μια πρώτη σκιαγράφηση των βασικότερων χαρακτηριστικών στοιχείων του εργασιακού καθεστώτος των διευθυνόντων υπαλλήλων και η ανάδειξη των προβληματικών στις οποίες ανάγεται η έως σήμερα απουσία ακριβούς νομοθετικής οριοθέτησης τους. Παράλληλα, αναδεικνύεται η συνήθης επιλογή των επιχειρήσεων για τη συσσώρευση περισσότερων κρίσιμων για την εξέλιξη της επιχείρησης ιδιοτήτων στο πρόσωπο των διευθύνοντων υπαλλήλων, όπως αυτή του διευθύνοντα συμβούλου και η περαιτέρω προβληματική που συνεπάγεται η εν λόγω συναλλακτική συνήθεια. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο της παρούσας επιδιώκεται η διαφώτιση και η ανάλυση αναδυόμενων προβληματικών που αφορούν στις παρεπόμενες εκ της εργασιακής συμβάσεως των διευθύνοντων υπαλλήλων υποχρεώσεις πίστης, εχεμύθειας και μη ανταγωνισμού, η τύχη των συνήθων συνομολογημένων συμβατικών ρητρών και η μετασυμβατική αντιμετώπιση και εξέλιξη της εργασιακής σχέσης υπό την εφαρμογή τους. Παράλληλα, στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο εξετάζεται η τύχη και η ανάδειξη προβληματικών στο πλαίσιο των εμπορικού δικαίου υποχρεώσεων πίστεως και αποφυγής ανταγωνισμού στο πρόσωπο των διευθύνοντων υπαλλήλων και οι οποίες χρήζουν μείζονος σημασίας, καθώς συχνά η αποδοχή της παραβίασης τους συνιστά λόγο καταγγελίας εκτός των λοιπών σχέσεων και συμβάσεων που δύνανται να τους συνδέουν με το νομικό πρόσωπο της εταιρίας και το δ.σ αυτής και της συβάσεως εργασίας. Τέλος, στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο επιχειρείται η σφαιρική προσέγγιση των βασικότερων ευθυνών που βαρύνουν τους διευθύνοντες υπαλλήλους και η ανάδειξη των σχετικών προβληματικών που αναδύονται από την πλημμελή εκτέλεση των καθηκόντων που προβλέπει η θέση και ο καθοριστικός τους ρόλος στην επιχειρησιακή δομή.The main objective of the present study is to highlight the problematic functional ancillary obligations of the employment contract of the executives in an uncertain legal framework, the global evaluation of the responsibilities and obligations with which the executive is associated and their consequences. In particular, in the first part of the present study, a first outline of the main characteristics of the working status of the executive employees and the highlighting of the problems to which their lack of precise legal demarcation to date is attributed. At the same time, the usual choice of companies for the accumulation of more critical for the development of the company qualities in the person of the executives, such as that of the managing director, and the further problematic implication of this transactional habit, emerges. The second chapter seeks to shed light on and analyze emerging issues relating to managerial obligations of fiduciary duty, confidentiality and non-compete, the fate of the usual contractual clauses and the post-contractual treatment of the contract under their implementation. At the same time, the fourth chapter examines the fate and emergence of problematic under commercial law obligations of trust and avoidance of competition in the person of executives and which are of major importance, as often the acceptance of their violation constitutes a reason for termination outside other relationships and contracts. which may link them to the legal entity of the company and its board of directors and the employment contract. Finally, in the fifth chapter, the global approach of the main responsibilities of the executives is attempted and the relevant problems that arise from the improper performance of the tasks provided by their position and their decisive role in the business structure are attempted

Supramolecular assemblies involving metal organic ring interactions: Heterometallic Cu(II)-Ln(III) two dimensional coordination polymers

Three isostructural two-dimensional coordination polymers of the general formula [Ln2(CuL)3(H2O)9]$5.5H2O, where Ln is La (1), Nd (2), and Gd (3), have been synthesized and isolated from aqueous solutions and their single-crystal structures determined by X-ray diffraction. The supramolecular interaction between the non-aromatic metallorings plays an important role in stabilizing the structure of these compounds. The thermal stability, reversible solvent uptake, electronic properties and magnetic studies of these compounds are also reported

"Once upon a Time there was..." A Digital World for Junior High School Learners

This paper looks into what Junior High School learners think of the Web 2.0 tool “Storyboard” for digital story telling purposes and investigates the extent to which it can enhance their receptive and productive skills of reading and writing in the English language. Fifty one randomly selected students, who created a digital story based on a relevant instructive scenario, and their teachers took part in the research. The quantitatively analyzed teachers’ and students’ interviews results and learners’ post-tests data revealed that the tool is considered very motivating and useful increasing learners’ aforementioned English language skills. As learners and teachers indicate “Storyboard” has offered them moments of happiness and joy during their school activities and made their lesson creative and interesting

Does Innovation Need a Reason? The CRS Within the Secondary Education Framework

The present paper aims at investigating the extent to which 127 secondary education teachers integrated the Classroom Response Systems (CRS) online platform of Kahoot in their teaching after they had already been trained to use it. Additionally, the study aimed at investigating the reasons for using it or not, the ways it was used and the extent to which factors such as gender may have affected the teachers’ decision to use Kahoot. The study employed a mixed method approach. To this end, a relevant anonymous questionnaire was delivered to the participants followed by two focus group discussions to shed more light into the research issues. The analysis of the questionnaires was implemented with the help of SPSS statistical package whereas the focus group discussions were analysed with the method of content analysis. The study which revealed that the majority of the teachers (30,7%) did not use Kahoot due to fear of incompetency and the need for continuous digital training. The study has implications for policy makers and curricula designers. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

The magic power of the … magic powerpoint to foster vocational learners’ participation and speaking skills in English! - A comparative study

This research is about a comparative study between four groups of learners regarding English. Specifically, it investigates the impact of power point on Vocational Secondary School learners’ communicative competence. Two schools with 68 students, forming two control and two experimental groups, randomly selected, participated in the research. Pre and post-tests were given to learners, notes were taken during the lessons and a focus group discussion was conducted with the learners. The results revealed the positive effect ppt. use had to learners who found it motivating and interesting as a tool, enhancing their participation and speaking skills in English. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017

"Once upon a Time there was..." a digital world for junior high school learners

This paper looks into what Junior High School learners think of the Web 2.0 tool "Storyboard" for digital story telling purposes and investigates the extent to which it can enhance their receptive and productive skills of reading and writing in the English language. Fifty one randomly selected students, who created a digital story based on a relevant instructive scenario, and their teachers took part in the research. The quantitatively analyzed teachers' and students' interviews results and learners' post-tests data revealed that the tool is considered very motivating and useful increasing learners' aforementioned English language skills. As learners and teachers indicate "Storyboard" has offered them moments of happiness and joy during their school activities and made their lesson creative and interesting

The siLang simulation tool for business secondary technical education E.S.P. students

The purpose of the paper is to detect Technical Secondary Education learners' views on the siLang software. Particularly the aim is to investigate its effectiveness on learners' reading and listening English language skills competence. A number of 64 learners and their four teachers participated in the research, conducted with quantitative and qualitative research methods. According to the results of students' questionnaire answers, focus group discussions and teachers' interviews the particular software is considered to be an authentic-like tool for business purposes, relevant to learners' future working needs, and capable of promoting learner motivation and participation in the lesson. The software was also found to improve learners' reading and listening skills in English