Technical Competency Among Vocational Teachers in Malaysian Public Skills Training Institutions: Measurement Model Validation Using Pls-Sem

Abstract

It is important for vocational teachers in Malaysian Public Skills Training Institutions (MPSTI) based on the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) modules to be technically competence. This study aimed to validate the measurement model for technical competency (knowledge and skills) consisting of eight constructs: material and application; work planning; handling, maintenance, and inventory of machines and hand tools; handling students at the workshop; practical instructional strategies; practical assessment; theoretical instructional strategies; specific knowledge; and general knowledge. This study is a quantitative research collected data through simple random sampling of vocational teachers from several technical programmes. A total of 1,186 respondents from 31 public skills training institutions were involved in this study. Measurement assessments were used to conduct a Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis with SmartPLS 3.0 software to assess and validate the eight constructs of technical competency using a reflective model. The results revealed that 36 items on the eight constructs of technical competency had fulfilled the criteria for the validity assessment of the reflective measurement model through convergent validity and discriminant validity. For convergent validity, the value of loadings exceeded 0.708, the AVE values exceeded 0.5, and the CR values were between 0.7 to 0.9 (satisfactory). The discriminant validity of the model was assessed, and fulfilled the criteria of Fornell and Larcker (square root of AVE is larger than the correlations for all reflective constructs) by comparing the cross-loadings between the constructs, and using the HTMT0.9 technique. The finding of this study contributes to the knowledge on technical competency for vocational teachers in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme. A proposed model, and newly developed technical competency items were employed in this study.