Rethinking Vocational and Academic Pathways in Senior Secondary Education

Abstract

This paper presents the preliminary phase of a structured literature review, establishing conceptual, historical, and policy foundations for an analysis of how senior secondary curricula can disrupt entrenched hierarchies, positioning vocational and academic learning as mutually reinforcing rather than oppositional.

Particular attention is given to the Aotearoa New Zealand context, where recent reforms highlight tensions between policy intent, system design, and educational outcomes. Drawing on national and international literature, the paper examines how curriculum design, assessment structures, and pathway architectures shape perceptions of knowledge, credibility, and progression. It introduces a set of preliminary codes to guide the full review: status and hierarchy; pathway permeability; curriculum and assessment architecture; and equity.

The review identifies a range of strategies employed internationally, including rebranding initiatives, hybrid school-work learning models, and multiple entry routes to higher education, with mixed evidence of effectiveness.

The findings suggest design principles and structural conditions associated with more equitable access and credible progression. As a preliminary paper, these insights will inform and shape the subsequent structured literature review and contribute to ongoing discussions about how senior secondary pathways in Aotearoa might be redesigned to support diverse learner trajectories without reinforcing existing hierarchies.