Jian-Hong Ye

By Xue Chong, Man Jiang, Shuai Li and Jian-Hong Ye

Based on the triadic reciprocal determinism and the achievement goal theory, this study reconstructed two theories in the existing experimental curriculum—— “Practice knowledge experimental class” for broadcasting and hosting art majors in a college in Chongqing, China. The quasi-experimental method and purposive sampling were used in this study, and 14 undergraduates in the “Practice knowledge experimental class” were selected as subjects. During the first phase (from the first to the fourth week) of the course, a questionnaire was distributed to each student, and the time series analysis method was used to analyze the data with SPSS. During the second phase of the course, MAXQDA software was used to analyze the subject coding according to quantified outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to explore the effect of the curriculum plan of the “Practice knowledge experimental class.” The results showed that the curriculum can help students to improve their self-efficacy, interest, and value of learning, and had an impact on students’ engagement and learning anxiety. At the same time, the study found that students’ performance was related to the other factors emerging in the process of program implementation. The curriculum scheme of the “Practice knowledge experimental class” had succeeded where students’ learning motivation and learning behaviors were aimed to stimulate through achievement goals.

Part of the book: Technical and Vocational Education and Training

By Yanxuan Liu and Jian-Hong Ye

Online learning motivation has received growing attention over the past decades. This chapter focused on online learning motivation research published between 2003 and 2024 and used CiteSpace to conduct a bibliometric analysis of 175 journal articles from the Web of Science. This chapter outlines the research intellectual map, such as the most prolific modern institutions, popular regions/countries, keyword co-occurrences, timezone, and burst detection. The results of the study are: (1) In terms of publications, America is the most productive region, followed by China and Turkey. (2) Mississippi State University and Bartin University are the most productive institutions. (3) Six themes emerged: moderating role, teacher support, learning online, academic achievement, positive academic emotion, and graduate students. Support, attitudes, perceptions, adoption, self-efficacy, and others are the hotspots. By organizing the literature on academic mobilities using CiteSpace, our study adds to the pertinent body of literature and provides useful references to practitioners and researchers who wish to learn more about this topic.

Part of the book: Motivation in Learning

By Li Liao and Jian-Hong Ye

Adult online learning, as an important form of realizing information technology in education, is crucial to achieving the sustainable development goals. In the past decade, with the rapid development of internet technology and the global spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the number of online open courses has surged, attracting the participation of a large number of adults. Exploring academic research on adult online learning contributes to an in-depth understanding of adult online learning and its impact on global education. Using the information visualization software CiteSpace to analyze 691 Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)-indexed research papers on adult online learning in the Web of Science database, the results showed that six scholars from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australasia, and Canada, and seven highly cited articles established the knowledge base in the field of adult online learning, focusing on innovations in technology adoption, health support, and educational policy practices. Research frontiers include “women,” “people,” and “stress.” Evolutionary paths range from the interpretation of adult online learning outcomes to a focus on global education policy implications to emerging technologies. In the future, research will continue to diversify and grow, contributing to the enrichment and renewal of the adult education body of knowledge.

Part of the book: Development and Review of E-Learning

By Ailing Tian and Jian-Hong Ye

With the advancement of digital technology, higher education institutions around the world are undergoing digital transformation. These digital technologies have profoundly affected the teaching model, learning methods, and student experience in the field of higher education. By using the Citespace software to conduct bibliometric analysis of the 2014–2024 SSCI and SCI core collections in the Web of Science database, this paper aims to detect the research frontiers, hotspots, and future trends of international higher education in the digital era. According to the search formula, this paper mainly analyzes 2109 articles. The descriptive results show that six scholars from the United States are highly cited authors, and five highly cited documents lay the foundation of knowledge in this field. Research hotspots mainly include digital teaching technology, digital teaching models, education quality, and learner development. Research frontiers mainly involve distance education, teaching/learning strategies, flipped classroom, intention, mobile learning, identity, and support. Although research in this field is taking on diverse directions, the conclusions reflect a lack of critical reflection on the pedagogical and ethical implications by scholars, as well as a weak pedagogical perspective in the research.

Part of the book: Development and Trends of Contemporary Higher Education

By Yanxuan Liu, Jian-Hong Ye and Weiguaju Nong

The integration of vocational education and training (VET) and lifelong learning (LLL) has garnered increasing scholarly interest over the past two decades. This study conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research published between 2005 and 2025, employing CiteSpace to examine 212 journal articles from the Web of Science-Core Collection and Scopus databases. This chapter outlines the intellectual structure of this research domain through publication trend analysis, keyword co-occurrence networks, cluster identification, and burst detection. The results indicate that: (1) temporal distribution of published papers reveals a clear three-stage evolution – the initial incubation stage (2005–2014), the rapid growth stage (2015–2017), and the consolidation and maturation stage (2018–2025); (2) research themes identify five core clusters, including qualifications framework, adult VET, labor market, institutional change and policy, and digital integration; (3) research evolution demonstrates three major paradigm shifts: from conceptual separation to systemic integration, from initial vocational training to adult and continuing education emphasis, and from exploring technological enablers to addressing contemporary demands such as digital skills and economic growth; (4) research frontiers highlight the transition from early interests in e-learning and policy to current emphases on digital skills, adult education, and economic growth. By systematically mapping the literature on VET–LLL integration, our study contributes to the existing knowledge base and provides valuable insights for both researchers and policymakers interested in advancing this field.

Part of the book: Construction of a Learning Society

By Yu Lei, Jian-Hong Ye and Yongjian Wang

In the digital era, artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly being applied in the education sector, which is profoundly empowering the high-quality development of vocational education and driving its digital transformation. This study focused on China’s vocational education sector and employed bibliometric methods. Based on 394 relevant publications from 2015 to 2025 in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, the CiteSpace software was used to conduct a visual knowledge map analysis of publication volume, institutions, and keywords. The aim was to present the current state of research, hot topics, and evolutionary trends in AI-empowered vocational education development in China. Findings indicate that research on AI-empowered vocational education in China exhibits an overall upward trend, characterized by a significant policy-driven momentum. Institutional collaboration remains relatively loose, with insufficient cross-regional, cross-institutional, and cross-disciplinary cooperation mechanisms, suggesting substantial room for future collaboration among institutions. Key research hotspots include: Digital transformation in vocational education, AI-empowered teaching methodologies, Industry-education integration under AI frameworks, Talent cultivation models enhanced by AI, and AI-driven teacher development. Future research should deepen content and broaden scope by exploring national policies, research paradigms, educational intelligentization, academic communities, talent cultivation, and educational management.

Part of the book: Technical and Vocational Education and Training - Bridging Skills and Industry [Working title]

By Kun Zha and Jian-Hong Ye

This study employed bibliometric methods to analyze 944 core research papers on higher education massive open online courses (MOOCs) from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database between 2013 and 2025. Utilizing the CiteSpace software to construct a knowledge map, it systematically investigated the trajectory, hotspots, and frontiers of research on the application of MOOCs in Chinese higher education (CMAR). Findings revealed that annual publication volume in this field has progressed through the three stages of explosive growth and exploration, adjustment and transformation, and focus and deepening, shifting from scale expansion to quality enhancement. Second, research hotspots formed a three-tiered knowledge structure comprising technology empowerment and literacy foundation, teaching model and course practice, and strategic value and ecosystem construction. Finally, research frontiers evolved over time, progressing from early conceptual introductions through midstage teaching model explorations to the current focus on educational equity, talent cultivation, and sustainable development models. The findings indicate that China’s MOOCs research in higher education has charted a distinctive evolutionary trajectory. Future studies must address core tensions such as balancing scalability with personalization and public benefit with sustainability, while prioritizing data-driven research frameworks, interdisciplinary integration, and systematic ecosystem development. This research provides empirical evidence and directional guidance for comprehending the field’s developmental landscape and optimizing research strategies.

Part of the book: Implementation Strategies and Effects of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) [Working title]