Different contextual situations make it necessary for teachers to be innovative in the delivery process in order to achieve their objectives. These contexts may include the absence of resources in the classrooms; students with different learning styles; oversized classes; administrative demands on the teacher that are beyond his or her core functions; new technologies and the challenge of learning to use them to enhance learning in the classroom.

This article explores the issue of the lecturer as a researcher in the context of a tertiary level technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institution in Jamaica. Much of what is said, however, will find easy application to TVET institutions in small developing countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean and elsewhere. The article first explores, broadly, the concept of research in education and its general application to the field of TVET. It then addresses a number of issues more specifically related to the lecturer as a researcher in a TVET institution.

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been positioned as a major contributor to national development in the  Caribbean (Chaplin, 2006;  McIntosh, 2008; Miller, 1998; O’Lawrence, 2008). The discourse about TVET has been laudatory in the main, acclaiming the potential benefits of vocational education in particular and underscoring it as a transformational tool in the educational firmament, particularly with respect to practical training pursued in light of the imperatives of nation building.

The paper begins with an analysis of the impact of vocational education in Jamaica over the past 30 years. A critical look was taken of the two periods of major interventions in Jamaica: the introduction of the grades 10 and 11 programme in 1974 and the introduction of the HEART Trust in 1982. The article advances the view that vocational education in Jamaica has failed to have the required impact in preparing a workforce to respond adequately to issues of employment, productivity and efficiency.

Policies to guide development and implementation of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) are critical if maximum benefits are to be derived from this type of education. According to Morris (1998), Jamaica has viewed TVET as an important aspect of education and suggested that no nation can succeed in its national development without a well established TVET system. TVET encourages individuals, businesses, especially small, medium and macro enterprises (SMMEs), local community groups, women and marginalized or disenfranchised people or groups to perform better.

Publication of this special issue of the Caribbean Journal of Education (CJE) to address technical and vocational education and training (TVET) signals a new level in the integration of TVET in the general education system. Through this medium, issues related to policy and strategies for guiding the implementation of TVET are presented for discussion among both practitioners and those who have an interest in TVET.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education has been well established in a wide variety of areas, however, its use in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and in particular agricultural education has been compromised perhaps as a result of lack of exposure to the various ICT applications that are available to support this area.

The Career Advancement Programme (CAP), launched by the Jamaican Ministry of Education (MOE) in January 2010, is a major government policy initiative whose primary aim is to address the problem of inadequate preparation of school leavers for the workforce and further education. This problem was identified over 40 years ago, and a number of policy initiatives have been implemented by successive Jamaican governments to address it. However, it continues to exist.

This paper reports on a study which investigated the relationship between Jamaican children’s texting practice, their knowledge of text messaging writing systems and their ability to write in Standard English. In this study 72 nine- to ten-year-old children from four different schools in the same parish in Jamaica provided information on their texting behaviour by writing an essay, composition, or a few sentences using a chosen text messaging writing system. They were also asked to translate this text message to Standard English.

Revisions to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate science syllabuses reflect significant changes to the format of the School-Based Assessment and the process of moderation. The paper explores the professional development needs that these changes may cause. These include planning for teaching and learning, understanding administrative responsibilities and maintaining quality assessment. Assessment for learning is proposed as a suitable framework for supporting the professional development needs of teachers through collaborative activities such as teaming and mentoring.