Lai Chee Sern

Determining the Elements of TVET Teachers Competency for Nigerian Higher Learning Institutions

This paper determined the suitable elements of competency framework to be applied for Nigerian higher learning institutions. Lack of competent TVET teachers in Nigerian higher institutions has led to several problems such as low quality graduates and unemployment. Competency is a vital element for assessing the quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers. Therefore, this research determined the suitable elements of competency model to be applied to Nigerian TVET higher institutions based on Malaysian Human Resource Development Practitioners (MHRDP) competency model for workplace learning and performance (WLP). The study was fully quantitative and 218 cross sectional survey instrument was systematically distributed to TVET teachers from five higher institutions and 205 questionnaires were retrieved based on the stratified sampling technique. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to analyse the data. The research discovered that there are 19 elements relevant to the competency framework for TVET teacher Nigerian TVET higher institutions. A similar research should be undertaken to extend the result to reflect other Non-TVET institutions in Nigeria.

Students’ Perception on Teaching Practicum Evaluation using Video Technology

Video technology has been widely used in education especially in teaching and learning. However, the use of video technology for evaluation purpose especially in teaching practicum is extremely scarce and the benefits of video technology in teaching practicum evaluation have not yet been fully discovered. For that reason, this quantitative research aimed at identifying the perceptions of trainee teachers towards teaching practicum evaluation via video technology. A total of 260 students of Teacher Certification Programme (Program Pensiswazahan Guru - PPG) from the Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education (FPTV) of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) had been randomly selected as respondents. A set of questionnaire was developed to assess the suitability, effectiveness and satisfaction of using video technology for teaching practicum. Conclusively, this research showed that the trainee teachers have positive perceptions in all three aspects related teaching practicum evaluation using video technology. Apart from that, no significant racial difference was found in the measured aspects. In addition, the trainee teachers also showed an understanding of the vast importance of teaching practicum evaluation via video. These research findings suggest that video technology can be a feasible and practical means of teaching practicum evaluation especially for distance learning program.

The Effects of Worked Examples Presentation on Sub-Cognitive Loads

One promising technique for helping students in fulfilling complex problem solving tasks is through learning with worked example. Although worked example approach is the most prominent technique discussed in the literature of cognitive load theory, there is still very little scientific understanding of managing the students’ sub-cognitive load, namely intrinsic, extraneous and germane load on different complexity of worked example approach especially in engineering domain. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effects worked examples presentation on sub-cognitive loads among electrical engineering students. In this research, the worked examples were presented in three different sequences: (i) all examples were of same level of difficulty (ii) from difficult to easy example; (iii) from easy to difficult example. Data were collected from 82 students (Condition (i) =27; Condition (ii) = 34; condition (iii) = 21) of Diploma in Electrical Engineering Program at three selected polytechnics. The inventory tool of sub cognitive load were given to students after each teaching and learning session ends. The findings suggested that worked examples presented in easy to difficult format could be one of the approaches that is more efficient to manage students’ cognitive load and effective to be applied in engineering lessons.