Context: As part of vocational education and training, learning factories are a new, hands-on learning setting in which students can create products with realistic digital manufacturing equipment while still in vocational school. Given their novelty, learning factories have not yet been studied with respect to whether special classroom management…

In this study, we investigate the challenges that Chinese students face at a German technical university, highlighting key obstacles such as language barriers, cultural differences, and limited trust in institutional support. Through thematic analysis of qualitative data collected in 20 in-depth interviews with Chinese students enrolled at a…

Previous research has shown that social inequalities in the transition to higher education are a persistent phenomenon in Germany. Additionally, studies indicate that graduates from vocational schools are less likely to enter higher education, compared to their peers who graduated from general schools. However, research is scarce about how social…