Beyond "Worker-Only" Integration: An ESP–Sustainability Intervention Model for Employability and Civic Outcomes in Saudi TVET

Abdullah M.A. Alhomaidan^1,

¹Arrass College of Technology, Technical & Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), Arrass, Saudi Arabia

Cite this paper:
Abdullah M.A. Alhomaidan. Beyond "Worker-Only" Integration: An ESP–Sustainability Intervention Model for Employability and Civic Outcomes in Saudi TVET. American Journal of Educational Research. 2026; 14(5):134-140. doi: 10.12691/education-14-5-2

Abstract

Research on vocational–academic integration consistently highlights a risk of narrowing integration towards labor-market content, often at the expense of democratic and civic education. Building on these discussions, this study investigates whether an English for Specific Purposes (ESP)-mediated sustainability intervention can achieve employability gains without perpetuating civic exclusion by embedding democratic "voice" and ethical reasoning within workplace-relevant sustainability tasks. A mixed-methods intervention, spanning 8 weeks and involving 60 Saudi Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students, operationalized the ESP–Sustainability Employability Framework (ESEF) through task-based projects grounded in SDG-aligned workplace scenarios. Quantitative outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and civic awareness, were measured pre- and post-intervention and analyzed using paired t-tests, Cohen's d, and 95% confidence intervals. Qualitative evidence, derived from 18 focus groups and 120 reflective journal entries, was subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed significant improvements across all outcomes from pre- to post-test: communication (d = .84, 95% CI [.59, 1.11]), critical thinking (d = .82, 95% CI [.54, 1.03]), problem-solving (d = .79, 95% CI [.45, .90]), civic awareness (d = .79, 95% CI [.47, .92]), and authentic performance task scores (d = .98, 95% CI [2.56, 4.38]). Qualitative themes further indicated: (1) strengthened vocational identity through language-for-work genres; (2) sustainability as a motivating "real problem" context; (3) expanded civic agency via rights/voice discourse embedded in workplace cases; and (4) implementation constraints necessitating differentiated scaffolding. This study advances integration theory by offering an intervention-based alternative to purely diagnostic accounts of exclusion. It specifies a replicable pedagogy (ESEF), introduces a Dual Integration Model (DIM) to prevent democratic "dropout," and provides empirical outcome evidence alongside student perspectives. The implications suggest that TVET systems can effectively integrate employability, green skills, and civic competence through ESP tasks, thereby supporting broader workforce preparation aligned with national reforms and international Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) agendas.

Keywords:
TVET vocational–academic integration English for Specific Purposes (ESP) sustainability education employability skills civic education green transition mixed methods

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