Defining Vocational Teacher Competencies in Industry 4.0 from the Perspective of Policymakers

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the competence of vocational school teachers needed in Industry 4.0 based on the opinions of policymakers using a quantitative method (13 education policymakers). Identifying the priority competencies of vocational school teachers is an important issue because low teacher competence is a problem for vocational education in Indonesia. The results of the study indicated the priority of pedagogical competence, social competence, personality competence, and professional competence of vocational teachers. Vocational teacher pedagogic competencies that are very much needed are the ability to actualize potential as part of student development, the ability to understand students in-depth, and the ability to understand the character of students in physical, social, cultural, emotional, and intellectual aspects. In addition, vocational school teachers are expected to have the ability to design and evaluate learning. The needed social competencies for vocational school teachers are the ability to communicate efficiently, emphatically, and respectfully both oral and written communication skills, and the ability to communicate and improve themselves using ICT.