- Title
- The development of the Malaysian vocational education and training system
- Creator
- Ramanathan Chettiar, Palaniappan
- Date
- 2017
- Type
- Text; Thesis; PhD
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/164428
- Identifier
- vital:13069
- Identifier
- https://library.federation.edu.au/record=b2743755
- Abstract
- The vocational education and training (VET) sector in Malaysia has experienced significant change over the last 10 years. This thesis aimed to identify the challenges facing VET development in Malaysia and consider the lessons that can be learnt from Australian and Singaporean VET experiences. This research explored the challenges using a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative) to answer the research question from a multiple stakeholder perspective. The 42 respondents included policymakers, chief executive officers (CEOs) from industry, CEOs from registered training organisations (RTOs), VET instructors and trainees. There were 34 respondents from Malaysia involved in the interviews. Two policymakers and two CEOs of RTOs from Singapore and Australia were also involved in the interviews. An online survey was answered by 209 Malaysian respondents. Significantly, the literature review, including literature from Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, focused on the development of VET policy and the ideas associated with vocational education theory, human capital theory, systems theory and threshold theory, program theory, employability theory, collective skills formation, stakeholder engagement and the capability approach. The literature review provided an overview of the motivations behind government initiates to expand skills development initiatives using different models, the shifting of responsibility for employability to the employee and promoting inclusivity within the nation. While VET objectives were overt, the need for socially inclusive results were not. There is a need to consider economic, social and education contexts when developing VET systems, given the diversity of Malaysian society. The argument is made within the thesis that the development of VET policy has been largely led by government and legislation, rather than industry. The thesis suggests that challenges inherent in the development of a VET system arise from the gaps between VET policy and practice, rhetoric and implementation. While the presence of policy mechanisms for system efficiency was acknowledged by stakeholders, VET policy was characterised by respondents as incremental rather than long term. Most stakeholders acknowledged the importance of lifelong learning and for the need for Malaysia to become a learning nation. The lack of a single agency to monitor skills development was considered an obstacle for effective skills development within the country. Accordingly, this thesis proposes a set of recommendations to address these challenges and provides directions for future research.; Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- Federation University Australia
- Rights
- Copyright Palaniappan Ramanathan Chettiar
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Malaysia; Vocational Education and Training System
- Full Text
- Thesis Supervisor
- Foley, Annette
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Australian Digital Thesis | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |