Pathways for Curriculum Reform in Higher Vocational Colleges through the Coordination of Key Teaching Elements

Abstract

Curriculum reform in higher vocational colleges requires changes in teaching resources and working arrangements to support the capabilities that students are expected to develop. The 2026 policy on reforming key teaching elements identifies professional programmes, courses, teaching materials, teachers, and internships and practical training as connected areas of reform. This paper examines how their coordination can guide curriculum decisions. It combines policy and document analysis, mechanism comparison and reform design, with courses as the operational focus. Occupational requirements and broader educational aims inform professional capabilities, which are allocated to course objectives and translated into learning projects and assessment evidence. The proposed pathways address the translation of programme requirements into course objectives, the joint revision of content and materials, collaborative development by teachers and enterprise practitioners, progression between course learning and practical experience, and feedback from assessment into curriculum renewal. Responsibilities are assigned to the school, programme leader, course leader, teachers and enterprise mentors. Evaluation, digital resources and school-enterprise cooperation support the process across the five elements. The selection of tasks retains broader educational aims and transfer of learning. It reports no institutional intervention or measured effects. Future implementation should examine whether the arrangements produce consistent teaching and assessment, whether students can apply learning in changed conditions, and whether the required coordination can be sustained within available staff time and practical learning opportunities.