Abstract

Student engagement is important for learning, persistence, and career development in TVET, but evidence on the conditions associated with engagement is dispersed across vocational contexts and learning settings. This systematic review synthesised empirical studies concerning the institutional, relational, and instructional conditions related to student engagement in TVET, and explored the reported processes through which these conditions support or constrain engagement. The review, based on PRISMA 2020, analysed empirical works published between 2018 and 30 June 2026, utilising ERIC and OpenAlex as the main sources of information, and complemented by citation searching and bibliographic verification. Eighteen empirical papers satisfied the inclusion criteria and were examined using narrative synthesis and study-level quality appraisal. Two functional themes emerged: organisational and relational conditions and enacted learning design. Factors that recurred included belonging, instructor support, vocational relevance, structured interaction, feedback, workplace learning quality, purposeful digital activity, professional identity, and self-efficacy. PISA-VET provided an interpretative perspective for understanding the relationship between engagement evidence and relevant domains of vocational competency while preserving a separation between student engagement and demonstrated competence.