The Relationship between Vocational Identity and the Enhancement of Vocational Education Quality: A Case Study Based on Social Cognitive Theory

Abstract: This paper explores the relationship between vocational identity and the quality of vocational education through a case study approach, grounded in Social Cognitive Theory. Taking Li Hao (a pseudonym), a mechanical engineering student at a vocational and technical college, as an example, the study employs in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and text analysis to reveal the developmental process of vocational identity and its impact on the quality of vocational education. The study finds that the formation of vocational identity is a dynamic process influenced by both external environments and personal experiences. High-quality vocational education significantly enhances students' vocational identity through practice-oriented curriculum design, school-enterprise cooperation, teacher support, and other factors. Self-efficacy, role modeling, and outcome expectations, key constructs in Social Cognitive Theory, are prominently manifested in vocational education. The study suggests optimizing practical teaching, deepening school-enterprise cooperation, enhancing teachers' competencies, and emphasizing the integration of theory and practice to strengthen the quality of vocational education and students' vocational identity.