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Kahirol Mohd Salleh

Colorado State University, School of Education, Post-Doc

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I am a social scientist, research analyst, research methodologies scholar, instructor, facilitator, learner, systemic thinker, and world traveller.

I am most skilled in:
• Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed-Methods field research
• Statistical analysis
• Designing innovative research
• Statistical Software
• Teaching research methodology at university level

Specialization:
Research Methodology, Applied Statistics, Educational Leadership, Human Resource Development.

I can be contacted directly at [email protected]

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Papers by Kahirol Mohd Salleh

Impact of Community Engagement on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Global Goals to Local Implementation

Journal of Technical Education and Training, 2023

The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia -Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) is a bipart... more The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia -Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) is a bipartisan initiative under the Parliament of Malaysia to implement and promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Malaysia. The SDGs projects in Malaysia wereheld through Non-Governmental Organization or the Civil Society Organization alliance with the purpose of raising awareness about the SDGs as well as providing capacity building projects that can give greater impacts on social, economy and wellbeing amongMalaysian citizens. The main objective of SDGs projects is to analyse the impacts on SDGs in relations to targets and indicators from solutions providers. The Mixed Methods methodology were used in this project by integrating qualitative and quantitative analysis to discover solution providers expertise in delivering capacity building trainings and beneficiaries outcomes in terms of personal, skills, network, system, SDGs projects and gender constructs. The selectedlocations within Johor Parliamentary Constituency covered eight SDGs projects associated with community engagement context especially in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). In addition, the effectiveness of the SDGs projects was measured based onproject planning, feasibility and implementation, the main parameters that influence the performance and quality of the SDGs projects by the solution providers. The findings showed the most substantial constructs that influence the greater impact of the SDGs projects to the beneficiaries were personal and technical skills. The lessons to be drawn from the experiences of the selected projects, among others are how effective the SDGs project can helped improve the household income, increased community engagement, and enhanced general well-being in overall.

Exploring Test Concept and Measurement Through Validity and Reliability Process in TVET Research: Guideline for The Novice Researcher

Journal of Technical Education and Training (JTET), 2023

Validity and reliability are important aspects of research, especially in social science and TVET... more Validity and reliability are important aspects of research, especially in social science and TVET research. The scales used in research that are important factors to enable good research results. The objective of this paper is to provide insight into important concepts of validity and reliability and also to introduce the major methods to assess validity and reliability as they relate to social science and TVET research. The research design and approach used for this study was a non-experimental research design. The data are using retrospective data and descriptive statistics which were used to run the simulation and analysis. The outcome of this research suggests that Cronbach’s Alpha is the best method to use when checking the reliability in terms of internal consistency. The alpha provides various information that can benefit the researcher, especially in novice research, The result from the simulation shows the importance of conducting validity and reliability test during the research process. It not only provided evidence but also confidence because it reflected consistency and accuracy.

Proposed Competency Model for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Lecturers Teaching in Technical Colleges, Bauchi State in Perspective

Path of Science

Countless issues have been taking place in tertiary institutions including technical colleges of ... more Countless issues have been taking place in tertiary institutions including technical colleges of Bauchi State, which give rise to the need for continuous learning and updating competencies of lecturers teaching in technical colleges of all ages. The purpose of this paper is to propose the competency model of TVET lecturers by investigating the competency needs in technical colleges of Bauchi State. Primary data were collected using questionnaires to reveal the perceptions of thirty TVET lecturers based on their competency needs in three categories of technical colleges in Bauchi State. The result shows that the TVET lecturers perceived all the twenty-five competencies as important and the findings also show the accepted Cronbach's Alpha. The paper concerns on only TVET lecturers perceptions on competency needs in their respective colleges. The paper provides an important pilot analysis on proposed competency model of TVET lecturers to enable further analysis in the area to be carried out.

The Learning Style among Technical and Vocational Education and Training Student

Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, Jul 19, 2021

Assessing soft skills components in science and technology programswithin Malaysian Technical Universities

The workforce is a social environment where particular skills are essential in order for workers ... more The workforce is a social environment where particular skills are essential in order for workers to perform well, have a competitive edge and succeed in their careers. A soft skill is one of the skills needed in every type of workplace setting. Soft skills include communication skills, collaboration skills, entrepreneurship, and others. Workplace need workers who are competent not only with technical skills but who also have soft skills. There is lack of literature discussion on the perceptions of needed soft skills in the workplace. Therefore, this study aimed to close the gap in the literature concerning the perceptions of instructors and students in the area of soft skills especially in communication skills, collaboration skills, and entrepreneurship at the workplace. This study aims to decrease the divide in soft skills differences among instructors and students in higher learning institutions so that students have the opportunity to excel in their learning process. This study employs quantitative method specifically using survey as an instrument. The findings shows soft skills including communication, collaboration, and entrepreneurship skills are one of the aspects stressed by the students and instructors at higher learning institutions to ensure that graduates will be employable and competent in order to contribute to the nation development.

The Composite of Students' Characteristic and Cognitive Dimension in Vocational Education

GATR Global Journal of Business Social Sciences Review, 2013

Objective- This study conducted to identify how learning styles influenced students' academic... more Objective- This study conducted to identify how learning styles influenced students' academic achievement based on cognitive dimension and vocational elements in Building Construction involving the students and teachers from Vocational Colleges. Methodology/Technique- Felder and Silverman Learning Styles Model comprise four learning styles dimensions: processing, perception, input and understanding, as a method to identify students' learning styles. The cognitive elements and vocational elements which consist of the aspects of knowledge, skills and problem solving were taken into account in constructing the question items for Student Perception in Cognitive Learning and the students' achievement test for Cognitive Mastery Achievement Test. Stratified sampling procedure was applied in the selection of 128 students as research respondents. Findings- The study discovered that students tend to be visual learners. This study also analyzed the differences between the four dime...

Cyberbullying among youth in Malaysia

The purpose of this research was to survey the current situation concerning cyberbullying among y... more The purpose of this research was to survey the current situation concerning cyberbullying among youth in Malaysia. Specifically, this research aimed at finding out the prevalence of cyberbullying among youth based on demographic data and the common types of cyberbullying tactic. The survey method was adopted as the research design in which a set of questionnaire was developed to collect the data. A total of 1406 respondents were selected in this research. In general, the research findings reveal that majority of the respondents had been cyberbullied before. The Malays community yielded the highest percentage of cyberbullied victims. In addition, the result also shows that female cyber users were usually targeted as the cyberbully victim. The most common type of cyberbully tactic was through receiving offensive/ pornographic materials. Effective and pragmatic steps have to be taken in order to mitigate the cyberbullying problem among Malaysian youth.

Competencies among human resource development practitioners according to disciplines and levels in Malaysian organizations

Malaysia is shifting from its current practices in human resources of training and development, t... more Malaysia is shifting from its current practices in human resources of training and development, to become more aware of trends in workforce competencies and their positive social and economic impacts. The lack of well-trained, experienced, and competent workers in job market create a gap between various levels and discipline in organization. It is a key factor that drives between success and failure in the organization performance. Hence, organizations are more aware of how to align worker’s skills with the tasks given to ensure that they are competent to undertake the job effectively. The new trend in workplace is to transform workers knowledge, expertise, and skills to prepare them to be more competent employees and better suited to the job market. Thus, this study examines the differences between human resource development discipline and human resource development level, in regards to the competency group in Malaysian organization. The findings of this study indicated that the Ma...

Student Feedback Towards Educator Performance in Technical College: A Case Study in KKTMSG Johor Malaysia

International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 2020

Student feedback is one of the important component in the learning and teaching process evaluatio... more Student feedback is one of the important component in the learning and teaching process evaluation at various stages of higher level education in Malaysia. Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA Sri Gading (KKTMSG) with eight departments is a location of study that have intakes twice a year, January-June (JJ) and July-December (JD). A continuous assessment by student has been executed over years and compulsory to fill in during the final examination week around May and November. Four objectives of this study are to determine if there is any correlation exist between Educator Mark with Total Marks of Personality and Teaching and Learning, to investigate if there is any correlation exist between Personality and its criteria, to explore if there is any correlation exist between Teaching and Learning and its each criteria and finally to determine if any association exist between Gender and Educator Mark with hypothesis null that both variables are independent. Main instrument used is a questionnai...

Developing an instrument for assessing learning efforts among engineering students

Assessment of learning efforts is important in providing a better understanding of learners of di... more Assessment of learning efforts is important in providing a better understanding of learners of different disciplines. Lack of a valid and reliable instrument is making the assessment of learning efforts difficult. This paper describes the design and development process of a learning efforts instrument to be used among engineering students. The learning efforts items were generated based on Carbonaro’s learning efforts model. He proposed that learning efforts constitute three components, namely, intellectual effort, rule-orientated effort and procedural effort. The draft instrument was judged by experts on its face validity and was subsequently distributed to 360 engineering students, who were instructed to rate their agreement to given statements. The subsequent reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis supported the existence of two components. In conclusion, the data provided evidence that the efforts construct may be different from the learning efforts model proposed b...

SICSS-1703 The Effects of Worked Example and Problem Solving on Learning Performance and Cognitive Load

The research was conducted to compare the impacts of problem-based learning (PBL) and example-bas... more The research was conducted to compare the impacts of problem-based learning (PBL) and example-based learning (EBL) on the learning performance in an engineering domain. The research was implemented by means of experimental design. Specifically, a two-group experiment with a preand post-test design was used in this research. A total of 37 students were randomly assigned to PBL and EBL groups. A preand post test were developed to measure learning performance. In addition, cognitive loads imposed by those learning strategies were gauged and using NASA-TLX questionnaire. The results reveal that EBL is a more effective way to enhance learning performance and induces lower cognitive load during the process of learning and answering the test in comparison to PBL.

Student evaluation towards educator performance for technical college in Malaysia

PROCEEDINGS OF SCIEMATHIC 2020, 2021

There is high tendency for both professionals and the public to associate the term adaptability i... more There is high tendency for both professionals and the public to associate the term adaptability in housing and its application with technical advances. These misconceptions about adaptability are derived from the outcome of many definitions and interpretations. When houses are designed and built, their designers and builders incorporate into them the technology of their time of construction. When new advances are introduced, the old technologies become obsolete. The process of constructing and assembling a structure also affects houses' potential for choice and adaptability. Adapting a structural system that specifically design for the need to assembly and disassembly and also highly promotes "green cycle" that encompasses "reduce-reuse-recycle" is a remedy that may well solve the problems that have been plaguing the construction industry for years. Dry-masonry 1 Brick House System (DBHS) that utilises a construction method called "Steel Reinforced Brick construction based on Distribution of Unbonded Prestress theory" (SRB-DUP) can be used as an "adaptable building" model to carry out a sustainable housing strategy in Malaysia. DBHS aims to be a sustainable housing system that will be able to achieve high Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and low Life Cycle Cost (LCC) performance. It is also aimed that with DBHS, a "Green Cycle" can be promoted, waste generation can be minimized and design for post-occupancy adaptability can be encouraged.

Reforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on Workplace Learning and Skills Development

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), 2020

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays a crucial role in promoting high-ski... more Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays a crucial role in promoting high-skilled workers in Malaysia. In order to establish and manage TVET, it is significant to revisit in the existing TVET system to make a greater impact to improve TVET ecosystem including governance and management, teacher training, curriculum and pedagogical, social partners, and innovation in TVET provision in the context of private and public engagement. This paper applied systematic review as a methodology. The results, show that TVET ecosystem and interventions need to be implemented in line with the need of 21st century ‘new economy’ skills and challenges will always appear in hindering the success of preparing future skills demand. Hence, this paper further discusses the issues and challenges faced by Malaysia in reforming TVET for the world of work. Additionally, this paper covers strategic planning and recommendations on TVET development that could be beneficial to Malaysia.

Comparison of Teacher Licensing between the United States of America and Malaysia: Implementation and Practical Implication

Education Journal, May 22, 2014

The purpose of this paper is to address a conceptual challenge that arises to implement and the p... more The purpose of this paper is to address a conceptual challenge that arises to implement and the practical implication of teacher licensing. This paper will compare the practices of teacher licensing programs in Colorado, United States of America and similar teaching programs in Malaysia. It also addresses the challenge ahead to frame the teacher licensing application into the Malaysia education systems, particularly in teacher education programs. This challenge centers on articulating the teacher licensing program in Malaysia in terms of organization culture, teaching and learning practice, policy, and leadership. This paper is organized around three topics: (a) teacher licensing in Colorado, (b) challenges in adopting teacher licensing in Malaysia, and (c) discussion and recommendations.

Competency of Adult Learners in Learning: Application of the Iceberg Competency Model

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

Adult learning is a part of continuous learning concept that takes place for a lifetime. It encom... more Adult learning is a part of continuous learning concept that takes place for a lifetime. It encompasses several programmes for the enhancement of compentecy consist of knowledge, skills, and abilities. This research paper is published for the purpose of analysing the competency level of adult learners by applying the Iceberg competency model. The research focused on several aspects including learning requirement, application and strategy. Furthermore, it also attempted to identify the competency level together with learning requirement, application and strategy. For sampling technique, probability sampling with simple random sampling was employed. Research samples were 133 adult learners who are undergraduates at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). Mean score, standard deviation and hierachical arrangement were used for reporting descriptive data. Results show that the learners' learning requirements are high. Likewise, analysis of their competency level also shows high scores for the interpersonal skill and knowledge domains. Overall analysis of the competency level of the adult learners shows the highest level of agreement for attitude and value domains. The results also show that the competency level of the learners is high even though the competency level can change from time to time. Therefore, teachers need to establish a system to evaluate the competency of adult learners. The system will serve as a benchmark in monitoring their competency.

An extensive model for implementing APEL and quality assurance in TVET teacher training system for South East Asia

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is a relatively new concept in the Malaysian ... more Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is a relatively new concept in the Malaysian Higher Education system (HEIs) and in South East Asia in general, although widely known and practiced in other countries such as South Africa, Australia and America. Implementing APEL in higher education system could help prepare human capital better particularly for the preparation of teachers in the technical and vocational sector. The paper is based on a study conducted under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Platform (RCP) aiming to develop an APEL model to steer a systematic adoption of APEL in higher education and increase the number of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET)-teachers that have acquired strong practical skills in the world of work. In the process, the study will assess the quality assurance of existing practices in APEL for TVET teacher training (TVET-TT) among the participating RCP partner countries including Malaysia. This research is mainly a qualitative study involving multiple methods such as document analysis, thematic analysis and focus group discussion. Document analysis was conducted to identify the gap in current practices by comparing the similarities and differences in existing APEL practices in other countries. Thematic analysis was carried out on data gathered from interviews of officers from the Open University Malaysia and the Malaysia Qualification Agency for the purpose of identifying the APEL practices within Malaysia. The analysis findings indicate no quality assurance as such is yet in place. However APEL has been officially recognized in the system although it has not been widely implemented. The draft of an APEL model was proposed taking into account existing global practices and a series of focus group discussions were carried out to refine the draft in terms of verifying and validating the final model. The focus group discussions involved research counterparts from Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and experts from the Wawasan Open University representing Malaysia. Upon completion of the validation process, a general model based on the APEL process was developed. This model has significant implications on the training provisions and quality of TVET teachers as it will attract more industry-experienced candidates to enrol in TVET teacher preparation programmes. In a nutshell, this model can provide general guiding principles for implementing APEL into a TVET system and provide guidelines for putting quality assurance in place. Nonetheless, a degree of finetunings may be required for application in certain countries.

Academia and Practitioner Perspectives on Competencies Required for Technical and Vocational Education Students in Malaysia: A Comparison with The ASTD WLP Competency Model

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

The aim of this paper is to explore the competencies perceived important by academics and practit... more The aim of this paper is to explore the competencies perceived important by academics and practitioners in order to prepared graduates for workforce environments. Moreover, this paper examines the competencies that are perceived to be important by university faculty and practitioners in Malaysia. This paper is a qualitative study. Therefore, an interview has been used as an instrument to gather the data. Interviews with university faculty and workforce practitioners were thematically analyzed to compare and contrast their perspective on competencies. Additionally, this paper also examines the relationship between competencies and organization performance. Academia and practitioners from Malaysia were identified and a set of electronic interviews questionnaires were sent through e-mail to them to be answered. Findings show that both academic faculty and workforce practitioners agree that graduates need to possess the necessary competencies before entering the workplace. It appears that most workplaces need graduates who are highly motivated and willing to learn within the organization. Additionally, the practitioners urge that practical training or internships are be an important element that has to be embedded into programs offered in universities.

Technical Skills Evaluation Based on Competency Model for Human Resources Development in Technical and Vocational Education

Asian Social Science, 2015

The purpose of this paper is to advance discussion of the function of the competency model for th... more The purpose of this paper is to advance discussion of the function of the competency model for the technical skills evaluation and preparation of human resource and workers in organization. Human resources development is one of the important elements that determine the status of a country, whether it is recognized as a developed, developing or underdeveloped country. To realize it vision to be a developed country by the year 2020, Malaysia had planned, carried out and developed its human resources through Technical and Vocational Education (TVE). The competency-based education, which has been introduced in TVE, is a new approach in producing not only quality and expert human resources but also technical workers that possess high competency in behavioral and thinking with regard to technical tasks. A few competency models can be applied as evaluation and assessment system in order to evaluate the technical competency of human resources. Model for Human Resource Development (HRD) Practice is proposed to determine the evaluation and assessment system that can gauge worker competency in carrying out tasks related to technical skills.

The Development of Competency Model Perceived by Malaysian Human Resource Practitioners’ Perspectives

Asian Social Science, 2015

The intent of this research was to identify Malaysian Human Resource Development (HRD) practition... more The intent of this research was to identify Malaysian Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners' perceptions of competencies needed by HRD practitioners in organizations. The research was based on the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) models for Workplace Learning and Performance (WLP). The purpose was to assess the perceptions of Malaysian HRD practitioners in organizations regarding the importance of competencies for human resource development in organizational contexts. This study employed quantitative, cross-sectional survey, and an existing ASTD competencies instrument. Organizations were chosen based on the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturer's (FMM) database. Data for this study were collected from 144 HRD practitioners from various organizations in Malaysia who successfully completed the web-based survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Exploratory Factor Analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the Malaysian HRD practitioners perceived certain competencies as currently important and others as important in the future for their organization. The results were supported by a number of statistical findings with medium to small effect sizes. By using exploratory factor analysis, this study revealed that the Malaysian HRD practitioners perceived only 25 of the 52 competency items to be important. The results from this study have implications for the ASTD competency model and provide evidence that the competencies needed by employees and in organizations are changing over time.

Pelaksanaan latihan sambil kerja (OJT) satu tinjauan di Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP) Kementerian Sumber Manusia

ABSTRACT Kajian bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti tahap pelaksanaan Latihan Sambil Kerja (On Job Trai... more ABSTRACT Kajian bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti tahap pelaksanaan Latihan Sambil Kerja (On Job Training, OJT) oleh pelatih-pelatih Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP) bagi kursus juruelektrik di tiga buah ILP. Pemilihan tiga buah ILP (ILP Pasir Gudang Johor, ILP Bukit Katil Melaka dan ILP Kuala Lumpur) melibatkan 94 orang responden yang terdiri daripada pelatih juruelektrik sahaja. Kajian ini adalah berbentuk deskriptif dan data yang digunakan berbentuk data primer dan data skunder. Instrumen borang soal selidik digunakan bagi menjawab persoalan kajian. Data dianalisis menggunakan Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) versi 11.5 bagi mendapatkan peratus, min, sisihan piawai bagi mempamerkan dapatan kajian. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tahap kesediaan pelatih ILP dengan teori dan kemahiran sebelum menjalani latihan sambil kerja (OJT) selama 6 bulan di sesebuah organisasi adalah sederhana (skor min 3.6501). Pelatih ILP juga dapat melaksanakan tugas yang diarahkan oleh majikan dengan baik (skor min 3.9197). Secara keseluruhan tahap pelaksanaan OJT oleh pelatih juruelektrik adalah sederhana dengan kecenderungan min adalah 3.7129. Tahap sederhana ini menunjukkan pelatih ILP perlu meningkatkan tahap penguasaan kandungan teori, lisan dan amali serta memperbaiki tahap kerjasama dengan majikan semasa OJT.

Impact of Community Engagement on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Global Goals to Local Implementation

Journal of Technical Education and Training, 2023

The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia -Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) is a bipart... more The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia -Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) is a bipartisan initiative under the Parliament of Malaysia to implement and promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Malaysia. The SDGs projects in Malaysia wereheld through Non-Governmental Organization or the Civil Society Organization alliance with the purpose of raising awareness about the SDGs as well as providing capacity building projects that can give greater impacts on social, economy and wellbeing amongMalaysian citizens. The main objective of SDGs projects is to analyse the impacts on SDGs in relations to targets and indicators from solutions providers. The Mixed Methods methodology were used in this project by integrating qualitative and quantitative analysis to discover solution providers expertise in delivering capacity building trainings and beneficiaries outcomes in terms of personal, skills, network, system, SDGs projects and gender constructs. The selectedlocations within Johor Parliamentary Constituency covered eight SDGs projects associated with community engagement context especially in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). In addition, the effectiveness of the SDGs projects was measured based onproject planning, feasibility and implementation, the main parameters that influence the performance and quality of the SDGs projects by the solution providers. The findings showed the most substantial constructs that influence the greater impact of the SDGs projects to the beneficiaries were personal and technical skills. The lessons to be drawn from the experiences of the selected projects, among others are how effective the SDGs project can helped improve the household income, increased community engagement, and enhanced general well-being in overall.

Exploring Test Concept and Measurement Through Validity and Reliability Process in TVET Research: Guideline for The Novice Researcher

Journal of Technical Education and Training (JTET), 2023

Validity and reliability are important aspects of research, especially in social science and TVET... more Validity and reliability are important aspects of research, especially in social science and TVET research. The scales used in research that are important factors to enable good research results. The objective of this paper is to provide insight into important concepts of validity and reliability and also to introduce the major methods to assess validity and reliability as they relate to social science and TVET research. The research design and approach used for this study was a non-experimental research design. The data are using retrospective data and descriptive statistics which were used to run the simulation and analysis. The outcome of this research suggests that Cronbach’s Alpha is the best method to use when checking the reliability in terms of internal consistency. The alpha provides various information that can benefit the researcher, especially in novice research, The result from the simulation shows the importance of conducting validity and reliability test during the research process. It not only provided evidence but also confidence because it reflected consistency and accuracy.

Proposed Competency Model for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Lecturers Teaching in Technical Colleges, Bauchi State in Perspective

Path of Science

Countless issues have been taking place in tertiary institutions including technical colleges of ... more Countless issues have been taking place in tertiary institutions including technical colleges of Bauchi State, which give rise to the need for continuous learning and updating competencies of lecturers teaching in technical colleges of all ages. The purpose of this paper is to propose the competency model of TVET lecturers by investigating the competency needs in technical colleges of Bauchi State. Primary data were collected using questionnaires to reveal the perceptions of thirty TVET lecturers based on their competency needs in three categories of technical colleges in Bauchi State. The result shows that the TVET lecturers perceived all the twenty-five competencies as important and the findings also show the accepted Cronbach's Alpha. The paper concerns on only TVET lecturers perceptions on competency needs in their respective colleges. The paper provides an important pilot analysis on proposed competency model of TVET lecturers to enable further analysis in the area to be carried out.

The Learning Style among Technical and Vocational Education and Training Student

Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, Jul 19, 2021

Assessing soft skills components in science and technology programswithin Malaysian Technical Universities

The workforce is a social environment where particular skills are essential in order for workers ... more The workforce is a social environment where particular skills are essential in order for workers to perform well, have a competitive edge and succeed in their careers. A soft skill is one of the skills needed in every type of workplace setting. Soft skills include communication skills, collaboration skills, entrepreneurship, and others. Workplace need workers who are competent not only with technical skills but who also have soft skills. There is lack of literature discussion on the perceptions of needed soft skills in the workplace. Therefore, this study aimed to close the gap in the literature concerning the perceptions of instructors and students in the area of soft skills especially in communication skills, collaboration skills, and entrepreneurship at the workplace. This study aims to decrease the divide in soft skills differences among instructors and students in higher learning institutions so that students have the opportunity to excel in their learning process. This study employs quantitative method specifically using survey as an instrument. The findings shows soft skills including communication, collaboration, and entrepreneurship skills are one of the aspects stressed by the students and instructors at higher learning institutions to ensure that graduates will be employable and competent in order to contribute to the nation development.

The Composite of Students' Characteristic and Cognitive Dimension in Vocational Education

GATR Global Journal of Business Social Sciences Review, 2013

Objective- This study conducted to identify how learning styles influenced students' academic... more Objective- This study conducted to identify how learning styles influenced students' academic achievement based on cognitive dimension and vocational elements in Building Construction involving the students and teachers from Vocational Colleges. Methodology/Technique- Felder and Silverman Learning Styles Model comprise four learning styles dimensions: processing, perception, input and understanding, as a method to identify students' learning styles. The cognitive elements and vocational elements which consist of the aspects of knowledge, skills and problem solving were taken into account in constructing the question items for Student Perception in Cognitive Learning and the students' achievement test for Cognitive Mastery Achievement Test. Stratified sampling procedure was applied in the selection of 128 students as research respondents. Findings- The study discovered that students tend to be visual learners. This study also analyzed the differences between the four dime...

Cyberbullying among youth in Malaysia

The purpose of this research was to survey the current situation concerning cyberbullying among y... more The purpose of this research was to survey the current situation concerning cyberbullying among youth in Malaysia. Specifically, this research aimed at finding out the prevalence of cyberbullying among youth based on demographic data and the common types of cyberbullying tactic. The survey method was adopted as the research design in which a set of questionnaire was developed to collect the data. A total of 1406 respondents were selected in this research. In general, the research findings reveal that majority of the respondents had been cyberbullied before. The Malays community yielded the highest percentage of cyberbullied victims. In addition, the result also shows that female cyber users were usually targeted as the cyberbully victim. The most common type of cyberbully tactic was through receiving offensive/ pornographic materials. Effective and pragmatic steps have to be taken in order to mitigate the cyberbullying problem among Malaysian youth.

Competencies among human resource development practitioners according to disciplines and levels in Malaysian organizations

Malaysia is shifting from its current practices in human resources of training and development, t... more Malaysia is shifting from its current practices in human resources of training and development, to become more aware of trends in workforce competencies and their positive social and economic impacts. The lack of well-trained, experienced, and competent workers in job market create a gap between various levels and discipline in organization. It is a key factor that drives between success and failure in the organization performance. Hence, organizations are more aware of how to align worker’s skills with the tasks given to ensure that they are competent to undertake the job effectively. The new trend in workplace is to transform workers knowledge, expertise, and skills to prepare them to be more competent employees and better suited to the job market. Thus, this study examines the differences between human resource development discipline and human resource development level, in regards to the competency group in Malaysian organization. The findings of this study indicated that the Ma...

Student Feedback Towards Educator Performance in Technical College: A Case Study in KKTMSG Johor Malaysia

International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 2020

Student feedback is one of the important component in the learning and teaching process evaluatio... more Student feedback is one of the important component in the learning and teaching process evaluation at various stages of higher level education in Malaysia. Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA Sri Gading (KKTMSG) with eight departments is a location of study that have intakes twice a year, January-June (JJ) and July-December (JD). A continuous assessment by student has been executed over years and compulsory to fill in during the final examination week around May and November. Four objectives of this study are to determine if there is any correlation exist between Educator Mark with Total Marks of Personality and Teaching and Learning, to investigate if there is any correlation exist between Personality and its criteria, to explore if there is any correlation exist between Teaching and Learning and its each criteria and finally to determine if any association exist between Gender and Educator Mark with hypothesis null that both variables are independent. Main instrument used is a questionnai...

Developing an instrument for assessing learning efforts among engineering students

Assessment of learning efforts is important in providing a better understanding of learners of di... more Assessment of learning efforts is important in providing a better understanding of learners of different disciplines. Lack of a valid and reliable instrument is making the assessment of learning efforts difficult. This paper describes the design and development process of a learning efforts instrument to be used among engineering students. The learning efforts items were generated based on Carbonaro’s learning efforts model. He proposed that learning efforts constitute three components, namely, intellectual effort, rule-orientated effort and procedural effort. The draft instrument was judged by experts on its face validity and was subsequently distributed to 360 engineering students, who were instructed to rate their agreement to given statements. The subsequent reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis supported the existence of two components. In conclusion, the data provided evidence that the efforts construct may be different from the learning efforts model proposed b...

SICSS-1703 The Effects of Worked Example and Problem Solving on Learning Performance and Cognitive Load

The research was conducted to compare the impacts of problem-based learning (PBL) and example-bas... more The research was conducted to compare the impacts of problem-based learning (PBL) and example-based learning (EBL) on the learning performance in an engineering domain. The research was implemented by means of experimental design. Specifically, a two-group experiment with a preand post-test design was used in this research. A total of 37 students were randomly assigned to PBL and EBL groups. A preand post test were developed to measure learning performance. In addition, cognitive loads imposed by those learning strategies were gauged and using NASA-TLX questionnaire. The results reveal that EBL is a more effective way to enhance learning performance and induces lower cognitive load during the process of learning and answering the test in comparison to PBL.

Student evaluation towards educator performance for technical college in Malaysia

PROCEEDINGS OF SCIEMATHIC 2020, 2021

There is high tendency for both professionals and the public to associate the term adaptability i... more There is high tendency for both professionals and the public to associate the term adaptability in housing and its application with technical advances. These misconceptions about adaptability are derived from the outcome of many definitions and interpretations. When houses are designed and built, their designers and builders incorporate into them the technology of their time of construction. When new advances are introduced, the old technologies become obsolete. The process of constructing and assembling a structure also affects houses' potential for choice and adaptability. Adapting a structural system that specifically design for the need to assembly and disassembly and also highly promotes "green cycle" that encompasses "reduce-reuse-recycle" is a remedy that may well solve the problems that have been plaguing the construction industry for years. Dry-masonry 1 Brick House System (DBHS) that utilises a construction method called "Steel Reinforced Brick construction based on Distribution of Unbonded Prestress theory" (SRB-DUP) can be used as an "adaptable building" model to carry out a sustainable housing strategy in Malaysia. DBHS aims to be a sustainable housing system that will be able to achieve high Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and low Life Cycle Cost (LCC) performance. It is also aimed that with DBHS, a "Green Cycle" can be promoted, waste generation can be minimized and design for post-occupancy adaptability can be encouraged.

Reforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on Workplace Learning and Skills Development

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), 2020

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays a crucial role in promoting high-ski... more Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays a crucial role in promoting high-skilled workers in Malaysia. In order to establish and manage TVET, it is significant to revisit in the existing TVET system to make a greater impact to improve TVET ecosystem including governance and management, teacher training, curriculum and pedagogical, social partners, and innovation in TVET provision in the context of private and public engagement. This paper applied systematic review as a methodology. The results, show that TVET ecosystem and interventions need to be implemented in line with the need of 21st century ‘new economy’ skills and challenges will always appear in hindering the success of preparing future skills demand. Hence, this paper further discusses the issues and challenges faced by Malaysia in reforming TVET for the world of work. Additionally, this paper covers strategic planning and recommendations on TVET development that could be beneficial to Malaysia.

Comparison of Teacher Licensing between the United States of America and Malaysia: Implementation and Practical Implication

Education Journal, May 22, 2014

The purpose of this paper is to address a conceptual challenge that arises to implement and the p... more The purpose of this paper is to address a conceptual challenge that arises to implement and the practical implication of teacher licensing. This paper will compare the practices of teacher licensing programs in Colorado, United States of America and similar teaching programs in Malaysia. It also addresses the challenge ahead to frame the teacher licensing application into the Malaysia education systems, particularly in teacher education programs. This challenge centers on articulating the teacher licensing program in Malaysia in terms of organization culture, teaching and learning practice, policy, and leadership. This paper is organized around three topics: (a) teacher licensing in Colorado, (b) challenges in adopting teacher licensing in Malaysia, and (c) discussion and recommendations.

Competency of Adult Learners in Learning: Application of the Iceberg Competency Model

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

Adult learning is a part of continuous learning concept that takes place for a lifetime. It encom... more Adult learning is a part of continuous learning concept that takes place for a lifetime. It encompasses several programmes for the enhancement of compentecy consist of knowledge, skills, and abilities. This research paper is published for the purpose of analysing the competency level of adult learners by applying the Iceberg competency model. The research focused on several aspects including learning requirement, application and strategy. Furthermore, it also attempted to identify the competency level together with learning requirement, application and strategy. For sampling technique, probability sampling with simple random sampling was employed. Research samples were 133 adult learners who are undergraduates at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). Mean score, standard deviation and hierachical arrangement were used for reporting descriptive data. Results show that the learners' learning requirements are high. Likewise, analysis of their competency level also shows high scores for the interpersonal skill and knowledge domains. Overall analysis of the competency level of the adult learners shows the highest level of agreement for attitude and value domains. The results also show that the competency level of the learners is high even though the competency level can change from time to time. Therefore, teachers need to establish a system to evaluate the competency of adult learners. The system will serve as a benchmark in monitoring their competency.

An extensive model for implementing APEL and quality assurance in TVET teacher training system for South East Asia

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is a relatively new concept in the Malaysian ... more Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is a relatively new concept in the Malaysian Higher Education system (HEIs) and in South East Asia in general, although widely known and practiced in other countries such as South Africa, Australia and America. Implementing APEL in higher education system could help prepare human capital better particularly for the preparation of teachers in the technical and vocational sector. The paper is based on a study conducted under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Platform (RCP) aiming to develop an APEL model to steer a systematic adoption of APEL in higher education and increase the number of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET)-teachers that have acquired strong practical skills in the world of work. In the process, the study will assess the quality assurance of existing practices in APEL for TVET teacher training (TVET-TT) among the participating RCP partner countries including Malaysia. This research is mainly a qualitative study involving multiple methods such as document analysis, thematic analysis and focus group discussion. Document analysis was conducted to identify the gap in current practices by comparing the similarities and differences in existing APEL practices in other countries. Thematic analysis was carried out on data gathered from interviews of officers from the Open University Malaysia and the Malaysia Qualification Agency for the purpose of identifying the APEL practices within Malaysia. The analysis findings indicate no quality assurance as such is yet in place. However APEL has been officially recognized in the system although it has not been widely implemented. The draft of an APEL model was proposed taking into account existing global practices and a series of focus group discussions were carried out to refine the draft in terms of verifying and validating the final model. The focus group discussions involved research counterparts from Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and experts from the Wawasan Open University representing Malaysia. Upon completion of the validation process, a general model based on the APEL process was developed. This model has significant implications on the training provisions and quality of TVET teachers as it will attract more industry-experienced candidates to enrol in TVET teacher preparation programmes. In a nutshell, this model can provide general guiding principles for implementing APEL into a TVET system and provide guidelines for putting quality assurance in place. Nonetheless, a degree of finetunings may be required for application in certain countries.

Academia and Practitioner Perspectives on Competencies Required for Technical and Vocational Education Students in Malaysia: A Comparison with The ASTD WLP Competency Model

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015

The aim of this paper is to explore the competencies perceived important by academics and practit... more The aim of this paper is to explore the competencies perceived important by academics and practitioners in order to prepared graduates for workforce environments. Moreover, this paper examines the competencies that are perceived to be important by university faculty and practitioners in Malaysia. This paper is a qualitative study. Therefore, an interview has been used as an instrument to gather the data. Interviews with university faculty and workforce practitioners were thematically analyzed to compare and contrast their perspective on competencies. Additionally, this paper also examines the relationship between competencies and organization performance. Academia and practitioners from Malaysia were identified and a set of electronic interviews questionnaires were sent through e-mail to them to be answered. Findings show that both academic faculty and workforce practitioners agree that graduates need to possess the necessary competencies before entering the workplace. It appears that most workplaces need graduates who are highly motivated and willing to learn within the organization. Additionally, the practitioners urge that practical training or internships are be an important element that has to be embedded into programs offered in universities.

Technical Skills Evaluation Based on Competency Model for Human Resources Development in Technical and Vocational Education

Asian Social Science, 2015

The purpose of this paper is to advance discussion of the function of the competency model for th... more The purpose of this paper is to advance discussion of the function of the competency model for the technical skills evaluation and preparation of human resource and workers in organization. Human resources development is one of the important elements that determine the status of a country, whether it is recognized as a developed, developing or underdeveloped country. To realize it vision to be a developed country by the year 2020, Malaysia had planned, carried out and developed its human resources through Technical and Vocational Education (TVE). The competency-based education, which has been introduced in TVE, is a new approach in producing not only quality and expert human resources but also technical workers that possess high competency in behavioral and thinking with regard to technical tasks. A few competency models can be applied as evaluation and assessment system in order to evaluate the technical competency of human resources. Model for Human Resource Development (HRD) Practice is proposed to determine the evaluation and assessment system that can gauge worker competency in carrying out tasks related to technical skills.

The Development of Competency Model Perceived by Malaysian Human Resource Practitioners’ Perspectives

Asian Social Science, 2015

The intent of this research was to identify Malaysian Human Resource Development (HRD) practition... more The intent of this research was to identify Malaysian Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners' perceptions of competencies needed by HRD practitioners in organizations. The research was based on the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) models for Workplace Learning and Performance (WLP). The purpose was to assess the perceptions of Malaysian HRD practitioners in organizations regarding the importance of competencies for human resource development in organizational contexts. This study employed quantitative, cross-sectional survey, and an existing ASTD competencies instrument. Organizations were chosen based on the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturer's (FMM) database. Data for this study were collected from 144 HRD practitioners from various organizations in Malaysia who successfully completed the web-based survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Exploratory Factor Analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the Malaysian HRD practitioners perceived certain competencies as currently important and others as important in the future for their organization. The results were supported by a number of statistical findings with medium to small effect sizes. By using exploratory factor analysis, this study revealed that the Malaysian HRD practitioners perceived only 25 of the 52 competency items to be important. The results from this study have implications for the ASTD competency model and provide evidence that the competencies needed by employees and in organizations are changing over time.

Pelaksanaan latihan sambil kerja (OJT) satu tinjauan di Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP) Kementerian Sumber Manusia

ABSTRACT Kajian bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti tahap pelaksanaan Latihan Sambil Kerja (On Job Trai... more ABSTRACT Kajian bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti tahap pelaksanaan Latihan Sambil Kerja (On Job Training, OJT) oleh pelatih-pelatih Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP) bagi kursus juruelektrik di tiga buah ILP. Pemilihan tiga buah ILP (ILP Pasir Gudang Johor, ILP Bukit Katil Melaka dan ILP Kuala Lumpur) melibatkan 94 orang responden yang terdiri daripada pelatih juruelektrik sahaja. Kajian ini adalah berbentuk deskriptif dan data yang digunakan berbentuk data primer dan data skunder. Instrumen borang soal selidik digunakan bagi menjawab persoalan kajian. Data dianalisis menggunakan Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) versi 11.5 bagi mendapatkan peratus, min, sisihan piawai bagi mempamerkan dapatan kajian. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tahap kesediaan pelatih ILP dengan teori dan kemahiran sebelum menjalani latihan sambil kerja (OJT) selama 6 bulan di sesebuah organisasi adalah sederhana (skor min 3.6501). Pelatih ILP juga dapat melaksanakan tugas yang diarahkan oleh majikan dengan baik (skor min 3.9197). Secara keseluruhan tahap pelaksanaan OJT oleh pelatih juruelektrik adalah sederhana dengan kecenderungan min adalah 3.7129. Tahap sederhana ini menunjukkan pelatih ILP perlu meningkatkan tahap penguasaan kandungan teori, lisan dan amali serta memperbaiki tahap kerjasama dengan majikan semasa OJT.

Dissertation Human Resource Development Practitioners' Perspectives on Competencies: An Application of American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Workplace Learning and Performance (WLP) Competency Model in Malaysia

The intent of this research was to identify Malaysian Human Resource Development (HRD) practition... more The intent of this research was to identify Malaysian Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners’ perceptions of competencies needed by HRD practitioners in organizations. The research was based on the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) models for Workplace Learning and Performance (WLP) (Rothwell, Sanders, & Soper, 1999). The purpose was to assess the perceptions of Malaysian HRD practitioners in organizations regarding the importance of competencies for human resource development in organizational contexts. This study employed quantitative, cross-sectional survey, and an existing ASTD competencies instrument. Organizations were chosen based on the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturer’s (FMM) database. Data for this study were collected from 144 HRD practitioners from various organizations in Malaysia who successfully completed
the web-based survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis, ANOVA, t-test, and Pearson correlation. The findings of the study indicated that the Malaysian HRD practitioners perceived certain competencies as currently important and others as important in the future for their organization. The results were supported by a number of statistical findings with medium to small effect sizes. By using exploratory factor analysis, this study revealed that the
Malaysian HRD practitioners perceived only 25 of the 52 competency items to be important. The results from this study have implications for the ASTD competency model and provide evidence that the competencies needed by employees and in
organizations are changing over time.