Cognitive apprenticeship elements in industrial training context: English language curriculum planning perspectives

Abstract

International Islamic University College Selangor, Bandar Seri Putra, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. The practice of conducting Industrial Training (IT) at tertiary educational context is to foster the university and industry linkage. However, critiques on the need for university curriculum to align itself with the demands of the professional workplace needs are rife. The purpose of this study is to examine the elements of Cognitive Apprenticeship Theory (CAT) that complemented the IT contexts with relevance to the English language curriculum planning processes. As an exploratory case study, it construes that the IT context and CAT elements, anchored in Vygotskian Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) theory are complementary. This mixed method study employed survey questionnaire and interviews and the results were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the Method domain of CAT which consists of modelling, scaffolding, fading, coaching, articulation, reflection and exploration is inherent in IT context. The study concludes that the language curriculum developer has to seriously consider the process of defining the IT context as "environment" which from CAT perspective encompassed of lesson content, the pedagogical approaches, the arrangement of activities promoting learning and the sociology of learning.