From Conventional to Net-Zero: Smart Green Pedagogy and Workforce Sustainability in Construction Vocational Education

Background The transition toward net-zero construction requires vocational education to move beyond conventional technical training and prepare learners with green competencies, sustainability literacy, adaptive capabilities, and workforce readiness. However, sustainability pedagogy, smart learning technologies, and industry-oriented competency development are often implemented separately. This study developed and empirically evaluated Smart Green Pedagogy as an integrated framework for sustainability-oriented construction vocational education. Methods A Design-Based Research (DBR) approach was combined with a quasi-experimental design involving 172 construction engineering and building technology students, equally assigned to experimental and control groups. The framework integrated green pedagogy, Building Information Modelling (BIM)-based sustainability simulations, AI-supported adaptive learning, sustainability-oriented projects, collaborative digital learning, and industry-based problem solving. Its effectiveness was evaluated through comparative learning outcomes and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results Students exposed to Smart Green Pedagogy demonstrated substantially greater improvements across sustainability-related outcomes than those receiving conventional instruction. The strongest effects were observed for Workforce Sustainability Readiness ( d = 2.01), Collaborative Sustainability Skills ( d = 1.98), Adaptive Learning Engagement ( d = 1.94), and Green Problem-Solving Ability ( d = 1.92). PLS-SEM further showed that Smart Learning Ecosystem had the strongest effect on Green Competencies and Skills (β = 0.417), while the model explained 73.1% of the variance in Workforce Sustainability Readiness. Conclusion Smart Green Pedagogy provides an empirically supported framework for integrating sustainability, digital innovation, and industry-oriented learning in construction vocational education. The framework offers a practical pathway for transforming conventional vocational learning into a sustainability-responsive ecosystem capable of preparing adaptable, green-skilled, and future-ready construction workforces.