The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Laboratory Centers of the Technical and Vocational Secondary Schools in Athens, Greece

Abstract

In the present research we evaluated the effectiveness of the Laboratory Centers (L.C.) of the Technical and Vocational Secondary Schools in Athens, Greece in relation to the needs of the labor market, through teachers’ and graduates’ point of views. The research method followed was quantitative and concerned the L.C. that are subject to the Athens Secondary Education Administration. The findings of the research reveal that the curricula that are implemented by the L.C. are effective, as they meet the needs of the labor market, but they also highlight significant problems related to the lack of connection between the Greek L.C. and the local society and labor market as well as problems related to the laboratory infrastructures and to the teachers’ training needs. The originality of the present study lies in the participation of L.C. graduates, who contributed to the revelation of the main obstacles that arise in the relationship between the educational process and the real educational needs.