The analysis of vocational perceptions and attitudes towards career goals among maritime high school students in Turkey

This doctoral research aims to examine the structural shortcomings of maritime vocational high schools in Türkiye and to develop an integrated system model capable of addressing the persistent mismatch between education and sectoral employment. Data collected from 366 students were analyzed through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and k-means clustering. The findings reveal that school engagement, professional perception, English proficiency, and technological skills operate as interconnected dynamic modules that collectively shape students' career readiness. Disruptions within these modules—such as low engagement or insufficient competencies—slow the flow of learning, weaken feedback cycles, and ultimately push students away from the maritime profession. The analyses also show that students cluster into high, moderate, and low engagement phases, each representing structural indicators of how motivation, identity formation, and performance evolve over time. Beyond describing the existing situation, this study makes an original contribution by integrating educational science with systems engineering to design a novel system architecture for maritime vocational education. The proposed GÜR System, built on the Observation–Unit–Route axes, unifies previously disconnected processes such as student selection, school quality, internship performance, and sectoral feedback within a single data-driven network. The system enables trackable, feedback-oriented, and sustainable governance, transforming maritime education from a diploma-oriented structure into a strategic human capital development framework. This model aligns with Türkiye's Maritime Vision 2050, offering a roadmap that strengthens the structural link between education and the maritime sector while supporting institutions in monitoring their own performance and guiding students' long-term career trajectories.