Industry-specific knowledge that vocational teachers should know and be able to do to prepare a job-ready workforce

Abstract

Industries’ activity and skill demands are changing so rapidly that it is an enormous task for teachers to simply keep on top of these developments. This paper studies the industry-specific knowledge that vocational teachers should know and be able to do to be competent teachers. This industry-specific knowledge will help vocational teachers produce a skilled workforce that meets the demands of the Malaysian labor market. To identify the necessary industry-specific knowledge for Malaysian vocational teachers, a modified Delphi study has been conducted on 25 expert panelists from Malaysian vocational colleges and local universities. The experts were asked to rate the eleven-predetermined industry-specific knowledge. In addition, the panelists were asked to suggest any industry-specific knowledge that they believed Malaysian vocational teachers needed to know. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys, 13 areas of industry-specific knowledge have been identified necessary for Malaysian vocational teachers. That industry-specific knowledge will enrich vocational college instructors’ teaching competencies, especially regarding planning and preparing their teaching activities so vocational students will have the up-to-date knowledge and skills required by potential employers.