Teachers’ pedagogical reasoning and action in technical and vocational education

Abstract

Model of Pedagogical Reasoning and Action (MPRA) is a model of effective teaching where teaching activities are aimed at understanding, transformation, evaluation and assessment, and reflection on teaching of new knowledge which supports competency of teachers. The aim of this study is to identify the extent to which teaching practices of technical and vocational teachers are aligned with the process proposed by MPRA. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the level of knowledge and competencies of teaching, differences in practices between teachers of different technical and vocational subjects and also in their relationships to teachers' demographic information such as teaching experiences, courses attended and skills' certificate. The respondents were 160teachers of technical and vocational education from eight subjects are as who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The findings indicate that the competency and knowledge of teachers are at a high level. Differences in teaching practices are found according to vocational field and significant relationship between competency and knowledge with teaching experience. In conclusion, teachers are able to apply their knowledge and skills in teaching and use their working experience in industry to contribute to a broader interpretation of knowledge and teaching to produce effective strategies for technical and vocational education field.