CONTEXTUAL KNOWLEDGE IN ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: A STUDY OF TVET EDUCATORS' PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Abstract

In ensuring TVET graduates have been equipped with a good level of competency and are ready for industrial revolution 4.0 needs, a lot of initiatives have been introduced by the National TVET Council (MTVET), universities and TVET institutions providers. But there is still a phenomenon where the industry questions the quality of TVET graduates, particularly in the aspects of knowledge and skills. In making the TVET students able to capture and realize the real working environments and practices during the process of teaching and learning, TVET educators need to instill the elements of contextual knowledge into their curriculum design. Having a contextual teaching and learning approach in the education system has been proved by many scholars that it has had a good impact on making the students involved in meaningful learning processes by connecting them to real-life situations and linking them on how to apply it in the workplace and everyday life. Thus, this present study has investigated the utilization of contextual knowledge in teaching and learning electrical technology courses among TVET educators. An explanatory sequential mixed method research design has been followed to conduct this investigation study. Two phases of data collection have been involved and the priority has been given to quantitative data and followed by qualitative research data. The population for this study is electrical technology program lecturers from the Vocational Colleges in Malaysia. Findings from this study are expected to give a current visual of contextual knowledge levels among TVET educators that have been instilled in the teaching and learning process. In future research, all the significant findings from this study can be utilized for conducting follow-up research on developing a framework of contextual knowledge in teaching and learning for TVET educators.