Title: Understanding students' attitude and intention towards vocational education and training in the Sultanate of Oman

Authors: Shweta Belwal; Fatma Rashid Al Moqbali; Rakesh Belwal

Addresses: Plymouth Business School, University of Plymouth, UK; Faculty of Business, Sohar University, Oman; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, India ' Faculty of Business, Sohar University, Oman ' Faculty of Business, Sohar University, Oman; UQBS, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, India

Abstract: The current study investigates the influence of attitudes, subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioural control (PBC) in understanding the intentions of Grade 11 and Grade 12 (N = 376) students in Oman to join vocational education and training (VET) institutions. The study's objectives were twofold: to assess secondary-school students' attitudes toward vocational education and to investigate their intentions to join VET. A quantitative approach following the partial least square-based structural equation modelling was used. According to the findings, attitudes, PBC, and SNs, exhibit a significant favourable influence on students' intention to join VET. However, some partial invariance to the relationship between attitude, SN, and PBC and intention to join VET was observed. PBC affected male students' intentions and SN affected female students' intentions to join VET. Attitudes and PBC affected rural students' intentions of pursuing VET. Partial invariance in these relationships was also observed while conducting multi-group analyses based on high-low monthly family income and students' high school scores. This study's originality lies in its exploration of gender, regional, and socioeconomic variations in students' intentions to join VET institutions. This offers valuable insights for tailored interventions and policy development in Oman's VET sector.

Keywords: attitude; subjective norms; SN; perceived behavioural control; PBC; intention to join; vocational education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2024.142072

International Journal of Management Practice, 2024 Vol.17 No.6, pp.689 - 712

Received: 24 Aug 2023
Accepted: 29 Nov 2023
Published online: 07 Oct 2024 *

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