Managing activities of teaching and learning the specialized subjects in the vacatinal schools in viet nam under the ministry of trade and industry

viii 4.1 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the Management of Teaching and Learning Activities in Terms of 4.2 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the Ma

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SCHOOLS IN VIETNAM UNDER THE MINISTRY OF

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

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A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines

in Collaboration with Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

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I could have never completed this work without contributions from various people and institutions, great respect and gratitude to whom I endlessly owe

Professor Apolonia A Espinosa, my advisor, for her invaluable

thoughts, insightful suggestions and useful guidance throughout the thesis works;

Committee members of the oral defense for their propositions,

valuable comments, and constructive suggestions, which were of substantial value to this study;

Professors of Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) and Thai Nguyen University (TNU) for their insightful lectures in different subjects that

provide me knowledge and technique to develop a good research;

My friends for their meaningful discussion, hospitality and friendship;

and

My parents, wife and children for being my personal source of

inspiration, for their immense love, loyalty, determination and perseverance even during the most difficult times, without them nothing would have been possible

NTN

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This piece of work is lovingly dedicated to

my parents, wife and children

NTN

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PAGE

TITLE PAGE ……… i

APPROVAL SHEET ……… ii

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ……… iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ……… iv

DEDICATION ……… v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… vi

LIST OF TABLES ……… viii

LIST OF FIGURES……… x

LIST OF APPENDICES ……… xi

ABSTRACT ……… xii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ……….…… 1

Background of the Study ……….… 2

Objectives of the Study ……….… 5

Hypotheses ……… 6

Significance of the Study ……… 7

Scope and Limitation of the Study ……….… 8

Definition of Terms ……….… 8

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ……….……… 11

Conceptual Framework ……… ….……… …… 27

Research Paradigm ……… ….……… 29

III METHODOLOGY ……… 31

Locale of the Study ……….……… 31

Research Design ……….……… 34

Population and Sampling ……….… ………… 34

Instrumentation……… ………… …….… 35

Data Gathering Procedure ……… 36

Statistical Treatment …….……… 38

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Current status of the management of teaching and

learning activities ……….… 40

Differences of the teacher and student - respondents’ responses by school in terms of management of teaching and learning activities ……… 53

Problems encountered in the management of teaching and learning activities the special subjects ……… 71

Management measure to enhance the teaching-learning activities of the specialized subjects ……… …

The principles of building measures ………

Management measures to enhance the quality of teaching and learning activities ………

74 74 75 Necessity and feasibility of the proposed management measures among school managers ……… 84

V SUMMARY OFFINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary……….……….… 86

Findings ……… 87

Conclusions ……….… 90

Recommendations ……… …… 90

REFERENCES ……… 92

APPENDICES ……… 94

CURRICULUM VITAE ……… 104

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4.1 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the

Management of Teaching and Learning Activities in Terms of

4.2 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the

Management of Teaching and Learning Activities in Terms

4.3 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the

Management of Teaching and Learning Activities in Terms

4.4 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the

Management of Teaching and Learning Activities in terms of

4.5 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Current Status of the

Management of Teaching and Learning Activities in terms of

4.9 Differences on the Responses of theTeacher-Respondents by

School as to Technical Facilities for Teaching and Learning…… 59 4.10 Differences on the Responses of the Teacher-Respondents by

School as to Labor Market……… ……… 61 4.11 Differences on the Responses of the Student-Respondents by

School as to Curriculum……….… 63 4.12 Differences on the Responses of the Student-Respondents

4.13 Differences on the Responses of the Student-Respondents by

School as to Learners……… 66 4.14 Differences on the Responses of the Student-Respondents

by School as to Technical Facilities ……… 68

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4.15 Differences of the Responses of the Student Respondents

4.16 Necessity and Feasibility of the Proposed Management

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1 Visual Representation of the Concepts in the Dissertation … 28

2 Input-Process-Output Model of the Study ……… ……… 29

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B Request Letter to Conduct the Survey(To School

C Evaluation of the Questionnaire for Content Validation … 99

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LEARNING THE SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS IN THE VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN VIETNAM UNDER THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE

MANAGEMENT Name and Address

of Institution

: Southern Luzon State University Lucban, Quezon, Philippines and Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Viet Nam is aiming to become an industrialized country by 2020 Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is central to this aspiration To achieve the objectives set by the Government, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has directed the vocational schools to have positive innovation in the management of teaching and learning, especially in specialized subjects This dissertation aimed to propose management measures to enhance the teaching learning activities of specialized subjects Four (4) typical vocational schools under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which are University of Industry of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi University

of Industry, University of Quang Ninh Industrial, and Hue College of Industry were used Four hundred fourteen (414) teachers and two hundred (200) students serve as respondents This research focused on five elements of education management: curriculum, learner, faculty and staff, technical facilities for teaching and learning and labor market The researcher adapted

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which serve as the main tool in gathering data The status of the management

of teaching and learning activities was evaluated using weighted mean The researcher also used the Chi- Square test of Homogeneity The main findings include The current status of the management of teaching and learning activities in terms of curriculum received average weighted means (AWM) of 3.13 and 3.09, or “agree” for both lecturers and students When it comes to faculty and staff, lecturers and students rated the current status of the management of teaching and learning activities with AWM of 3.03 and 2.90 respectively, falling in the “agree” category In terms of learners, lecturers and students rated the current status of the management of teaching and learning activities with AWM of 3.12 and 2.96 respectively, or “agree” As to technical facilities for teaching and learning, lecturers and students rated the current status of the management of teaching and learning activities with AWM of 2.91 and 2.89 respectively, or “agree” As to labor market, lecturers and students rated the current status of the management of teaching and learning activities with AWM of 3.26 and 2.89 respectively, or “strongly agree” and

“agree” category Majority of the statements under curriculum, faculty and staff, learners, technical facilities for teaching and learning as well as labor market show no significant differences as viewed by both groups of respondents Problems encountered in the management of teaching and learning activities on the specialized subjects were identified to fall under aspects of curriculum, faculty, learners, technical facilities, and labor market

A proposed management measure to enhance the teaching-learning activities

of the specialized subjects has been developed to address problems

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market The proposed management measure resulted in 75.5%, 96.2%, 96.7%, and 95.5% of the respondents indicating its necessity Likewise, 70.8%, 90.8%, 91.5%, and 78.4% of the respondents maintained the proposed management measure’s feasibility The findings provide several and useful implications for the MOIT to improve the quality of managing activities

of teaching and learning in the vocational schools

Chapter I INTRODUCTION

Teaching is a profession that deals more on socializing and communicating The subject of the teaching activity are the teachers and for studying, students The two activities are not opposites but always parallel in existence and development of a unified process towards the common goals

According to Tran Ba Hoanh (2006), teaching activity refers to imparting knowledge, organizing, directing, controlling and dominating the operating instructions of the learned knowledge Teachers guide tasks, accompany the learners on the path of knowledge in the pedagogy, creating a cohesive tie between teachers and learners

Learningis a cognitive activityunder the guidance ofthe teacherwiththepositiveeffortsofthestudents Learning activity is not only the repeatof the lessons, but also a chance to renew a students’ encounter on the topic, opportunity to enhance creativethinking, andcontrolwho can

Throughlearning, students learn how to use andcontrol knowledge in order to build their ownpersonalitytobe able toadapt to thesocial requirements

As mentioned by Seymour (2003), the goal of teaching is associated with the purpose of the lesson and the course The goal of teaching is to equip the learners with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed in practical situations Specific purposes of the course provide specific requirements for the teachers and students, which are the direct target in class calculated based on the specific characteristics of the subjects and the student The purpose of teaching is gained by implementation of objective of the lessons and the

courses

Teaching and learning are the main activities of the school and in which all the school's activities are focused Teaching operations management system is intended to achieve teaching objectives In the schools, teaching operations management involves the labor process of teacher and learning activities In order to achieve teaching-learning effectiveness, the leaders need to identify the objects, contents and methods

of teaching-learning process

As a move towards meeting the demand for the vocational schools, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has had education strategy plan for the vocational schools One of the key requirements is to innovate the management activities of teaching and learning the specialized subjects to improve the education quality

Background of the Study

Since 1999, Vietnam’s education has changed significantly with the support of Vietnamese government’s Renovation policy that promoted the openness to open market and international collaboration and partnership The general education system is highly centralized as the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) oversees its nation-wide curriculum, teaching standards and teacher development for the public education The MOET also has critical influence on the private general education in terms of curriculum and teaching standards

As mentioned by Vietnamese Government (2001), the MOET specifies that the purpose of general education is to link content to the realities of life

and gears learning toward the appropriate psycho-physiological characteristics and needs of the students With the goal of providing a basic, but comprehensive education, the MOET requires that methodologies of instruction nurture the student’s discipline for self-study and ability to collaborate and work in teams By helping students apply learned knowledge into practice, schools aim to inform and plant the seeds of interests for students on the possibilities of career paths This career-orienting approach will not only promote students’ worldly consciousness and develop their creativity and self-awareness, but also it will bring them joy, connection, and a purpose on their path of learning (Dernbach, 2010)

Beside the general education system for the general school aged students, the MOET also supervises the Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) in partnership with the Ministry of Invalid and Social Affair (MOLISA) Students who are more than 15 years old or who do not pass the entrance exam to public upper secondary schools will have to enroll in the private upper secondary schools or VTE schools in order to achieve upper secondary education and receive skill-labor training The VTE consists of two sub-systems: vocational schools and centers specialized in training skilled or semi-skilled workers; and the technical vocational school specialized in training intermediate practitioners in the field of education, economy, technology, culture and art (Dernbach, 2010)

At present, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has 50 vocational schools There are 32 schools, including one (1) school of training and retraining of civil servants, eight (8) universities, twenty one (21) colleges, one (1) vocational college, and eleven (11) professional secondary

schools.Eighteen (18) schools including two (2) universities, five (5) colleges, nine (9) vocational colleges, one (1) professional secondary school, and (1) vocational school belong to the corporation One (1) university and one (1) college approved

by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to participate in some activities in the schools of the Ministry are also included

Thanks to the proactive measures, vocational training quality in the vocational schools under the MOIT has been increasingly upgraded, contributing to improved workers’ quality, economic competitiveness, and economic growth Practice has shown that it has met the requirements of high-tech enterprises in such sectors as telecommunications, electronics, informatics, etc Skilled workers are able to master modern equipment and later they become key workers in many enterprises Some vocational schools under the MOIT have been conditioned to train regional and international technical laborers Some schools have successfully equipped laborers with 3G-to-6G welding technology which is recognized in other countries As mentioned in the report of the MOIT (2010, 2011, 2012), vocational training has been closely linked to labor market needs, contributing to the reduction of unemployment, especially structural unemployment caused by technological advances However, from the current status of education and training in the vocational schools under the MOIT, it can be seen that there are shortcomings in terms of teacher quality, infrastructures, education program, as well as curriculum (MOIT, Annual Reports, 2012) That is why students who graduate do not meet the demand and requirements of the enterprises, especially foreign companies Moreover, curriculum in these vocational schools under the MOIT does not

put the specialized subject in the right position Teachers who cover the specialized subjects, in some cases, do not meet the requirements (MOIT, Annual Reports, 2012) For these reasons, the researcher chose to conduct this study with the hope of contributing in the improvement of the quality training of the vocational schools under the MOIT

Objectives of the Study

The study aims to find out the managing activities of teaching and learning the specialized subjects in the vocational schools in Vietnam under MOIT with an end view of developing some management measure during the school year 2012 – 2013

Specifically, it aims to find answers to the following:

1 Assess the current status of the management of teaching and learning activities in terms of:

1.1 Curriculum;

1.2 Faculty and Staff;

1.3 Learners;

1.4 Technical facilities for teaching and learning;

2 Evaluate the current status of the management of teaching and learning activities as to

Labor market;

3 Determine if there is a significant difference between the responses of the

teachers and students from the four schools on the management of teaching and learning activities as to

3.1 Curriculum;

3.2 Faculty and staff;

3.3 Learners; and

3.4 Technical Facilities for Teaching and Learning

4 Find out whether a significant difference exists between the responses

of the two groups of respondents from the four schools as to labor market;

5 Analyze the problems encountered in the management of teaching and learning activities the specialized subjects;

6 Propose a management measure to enhance the teaching-learning activities of the specialized subjects; and

7 Determine the level of necessity and feasibility of the proposed management measures among school managers

Hypotheses

There is no significant difference between the responses of the two groups of respondents from the four schools as to management of teaching and learning activities with regards to curriculum, faculty and staff, learners and technical facilities for teaching and learning the specialized subjects

The responses of the two groups of respondents from the four schools do not significantly differ as to labor market

Significance of the Study

This study attempted to propose management measures in enhancing the activities of teaching-learning the specialized subjects to improve the quality of these activities in vocational schools under MOIT which would be beneficial to the following:

Vocational Schools’Administrators.It is hoped that the study

may contribute in giving some new measures for vocational schools’ administrators in managing the teaching-learning activities in the specialized subjects to improve quality of colleges’ training It would provide administrators with a clear idea on the benefitsof the management of teaching and learning specialized subjects In the same manner, school’s trade name

could be developed, such as its position and prestige in society

Teachers/Lecturers.The study will allow teachers/lecturers to focus on

what they are teaching, thereby improving the quality of their teaching Through this, teachers will understand the situation of the current management of teaching and studying at their school, and have a positive orientation to contribute for improving the quality of this work, including how their work is associated with the practice

Students:This studywill helpstudents get specialized trainingcourses in

asystematic way Students willbetaught specializedsubjects to meet the requirementsafter graduation

Future researchers:This study could provide references for future

proponents who wish to venture on a study similartothisresearch Thus, this could serve as resources or reference materials for other studies

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study covers the measures for the management of teaching-learning activities of the specialized subjects in the vocational schools under the MOIT The variables determined in the study as to the management of teaching and learning activities include: Curriculum; Staff and Faculty; Learners; Technical facilities for teaching and learning; and Labor market

The study involved four (4) vocational schools under the MOIT (University

of Industry of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi University of Industry, University of QuangNinh Industrial, Hue College of Industry) They are the schools which play vital role in vocational education under the MOIT andare representative from 3 areas in Vietnam: South, North and Middle

The time frame of this study covered the period from October 2012

to September 2013

Definitions of Terms

For clarity and better understanding of the study, the following terminologies are defined conceptually and operationally:

Curriculum is a document or blueprint for teaching It can be referred to

assyllabus if it includes in detail the content to be taught, how it should

be presented (methodology) and how it should be assessed (Education Department, Republic of South Africa, 2008)

Labor market is the nominal market in which workers find paying work,

employers find willing workers, and wage rates are determined Labor markets may be localor national(even international) in their scope and

are made up of smaller,interacting labor markets for different qualifications, skills, and geographical locations (Education Department, Republic of South Africa, 2008)

Learning is described as ''a relatively permanent change in behavior based

on anindividual's interactional experience with its environment.'' As such, learning is an important form of personal adaptation (Do Ngoc Dat, 1997)

Management is a conscious activity of managing subjects to control impact

on theobjects, subject to gain management goal (Bui Minh Hien, Vu Ngoc Hai, Dang Quoc Bao, 2006)

Management measures establish performance expectations and, in many

casesdescribe actions that can be taken to solve an issue(Bui Minh Hien, VuNgoc Hai, Dang Quoc Bao, 2006)

Specialized subjects are school or university subjects that concentrate on a

particularfield of knowledge (Collins English Dictionary)

Staff and faculty are teachers or administrators with an educational degree

while staff members are employees who are not licensed teachers Sometimes facultymembers are referred to as being part of the staff However, staff members arenot faculty (Tran Ba Hoanh, 2006)

Teaching is the action of a person who is undertaking certain ethical tasks

oractivities the intention of which is to induce learning Teaching is theprocess of carrying out those activities that experience has shown

to be effective in gettingstudents to learn(Tran Ba Hoanh, 2006)

Teaching strategies are the ‘tools for teaching and learning’ that teachers

have available to them and ‘teaching skills’ are the ways in which teachers select anduse the ‘tools’ at their disposal to achieve effective learning (Tran Ba Hoanh, 2006)

Technical facilities for teaching and learning: Technical facilities can be

defined asthose things that enable the teacher to do his/her work very well and helpingthelearners to learn effectively Technical facilities also include schoolbuilding e.g classrooms, assembly halls, laboratories, workshops, libraries, etc

They alsoinclude teaching aids, chairs, tables, devices such as moderneducational hardware and software in the form of magnetic tapes, films, andtransparentstripes Technical facilities are all the things needed for effectiveteaching –learning process to take place They are designed to enhance theprocess of teaching (Seymour, 2003)

Vocational training is a process of transmitting and perceiving certain

knowledge system, skill, vocational attitude generalized in trained career; a process of practicing skills, high technique, attitude and career capacity of learners to form vocational qualification This is implemented through teaching according to standard of trainedcareers (Dernbach, 2010)

Vocational training quality is a level that learners achieve in accordance

withplanned training goal, at the same time accord with and meet the demand andrequirement of production, labor market (Dernbach, 2010)

Chapter II

So far, there are many definitions of management It is very difficult to determine the most correct definition because the researchers give their definition based on their professional fields Some researchers have made the following definitions:

QuangAn (2004) mentioned that management is oriented and intended towards activities of the subject to the object of the management of an organization to make the schools operate smoothly

In Mai HuuKhue’s (2010) view, management is a process that impact consciously on the subject of the management to the object in order to

implement the objective of the management system

Nguyen Ngoc Quang (2004) said that management is intended to design and maintain an environment in which individuals work together in groups to complete the task and the intended target

Nguyen Ba Son (2000) explained that management is the process of reaching the goals of organization by applying the operations of organizing, directing (leadership) and test In here, as Tran Kiem (2008) emphasized, management is to coordinate the efforts of many people, so that the goals of individual can apply into the society As mentioned by Dang QuocBao (2004), management is intended impact into the group to organize and coordinate their activities during working process

Although the researchers have different definitions but all have in common that: Management activities are performed by an organization or a social group Management activities are the intended and oriented impacts and human factors served as the focus of management activities

The subject of management can be an individual, a group or an organization Objective of management can be a specific person, and the formation of relationships between people and groups of people A tool of management is the mean of impact to subject of management: orders, decisions, legislation and policies Method of management is the way to impact of the subject to the objective of management The goal of the organization is determined in different ways, it can be managed by the owner

or by the imposition of agreement between subject and objective of management

It is clear that even though the mentioned definitions emphasize one

side or the other, all bear the common united point of considering management as activities containing management subjects, management objects and management goal that are related to each other through managing impacts

In similar manner, Adesina (2003) concluded that education management

is the process of consciously impacting the subject directly to the components of management of the educational activities to achieve the goals of education in an effective way

Through the above concepts, it is understoodthat management education

is the process of applying the principles and methods of scientific management in

a specific field of the education sector The system of education management consists of the following elements:Subject of educational management: education management system at all levels from national to local levels; Objective of education management includes: technical facilities, resources for education; Educational process and people engaged in education;and

mechanisms of education management include formal and informal Formal mechanism is the regulations stated in the legal documents It is done in order to maintain the relationship between subject and object which is passed by the State, Ministry of Education andTraining and other authorized agencies.Informal mechanisms are not specified in legal documents but they are used in order to maintain the relationship between subject and objective of management which is recognized and respected by all members in the system of management

The goals of education management, according to PhanSae Long (2003) involve improving people's intellectual, human resources training, human resource training, forming a workforce with sufficient knowledge and skilled, competent practice, autonomy and power dynamic and creative, revolutionary morality and patriotism

Management in general and education management in particular play a vital role for social development and the development of the education sector In

a speech at the opening of a workshop on the management of education in educational management cadres, the Minister of Education – Training, Mr Nguyen Minh Hienconfirmed that education management is an important factor

to generate internal resources for the sector

Teaching and learning activities

Teaching and learning activities should be a unified process Learning outcomes of the course is the result not only of learning, but it also shows the results of the training process Inseparable learning outcomes of the learners with the evaluation of the teacher because of the following reasons:

Seymour (2003) confirmed that teaching is a work organized to operate

the process of gaining knowledge, skill and personality formation Meanwhile, students absorb the scientific concept in the self-disciplinary way It is a positive and self-enforcing science under the control of the teacher Students will try to gain three goals: intellectual resources (mastery), development (thinking and intellectual capacity activities), education (formation of scientific worldview, personality - and moral qualities).Teaching is an activity to deliver information and control learning activities Meanwhile, learning is the process

of absorbing and self-control

On the view of Kelly (2009), teaching activities have to follow the curriculum and contents, and students have to comply with the entire system

of the course concepts It follows a logical structure of the course The typical method of creating science subjects learning, scientific language, understanding the application of learning and labor

Teaching activities must adapt with the content regulations.Students have to adhere to active learning and method awareness.Teaching and learning are two activities of close consensus that form the relationship between teachers and students, between passive and receptive communication, between teaching and learning results (Tran Ba Hoanh, 2006)

Managing Teaching and Learning Activities

In order to manage the teaching and learning activities effectively, school leaders must clearly identify objectives, content, principles and methods of management of teaching process

As mentioned by Castaldi (2001), the goals of teaching activities include equippingstudents with comprehensive standards of political ideology,

moral, cultural, scientific, technical and physical targets specified in the goal of teaching To fulfill these goals, training plan and curriculum content must be given attention To ensure that the teaching process is at the highest quality, the contents of education management must include the managementofthe content and objective of teaching, management operational test and evaluation, determine qualifications, diplomas and certificates,management of active teaching and learning in the classroom, and management activities outside the classroom: extra-curricular, self-study, practice, access to production facilities - services related to curriculum Likewise, it must include the management and coordination of the activities of the organization of pedagogy in schools such as the professional activity andthe hours, management of a team of teachers - the support staff for teaching activities, management to improve operations, and the professional team of managers, teachers, management of the support conditions for teaching activities such

as physical facilities, equipment, teaching equipment, the financial condition

The administration method issued by objective of management to apply power directly to the goals and tasks in order to implement objectives through the document or oral directives, resolutions and information

The Educational method is a method that can impact directly or indirectly to attitudes, perceptions and behavior of the objective in order to create operational efficiency of organizations and individuals through political education, direct exchange, set a good example

The Psychosocial method is a method that subjects of management impacts on objective to create positive social psychology of communication

through common activities, groups form, and direct communication to create intimacy

Each method in management contains certain positive aspects The manager has to depend on the objective of management, circumstances and specific conditions to select, manipulate, and combine methods to manage a flexible and efficient system (Castaldi, 2001)

The concept of managing activities of teaching and learning:

The successful management of the University's teaching and learning activities depends significantly on the inter-relationship between the University's executive management structure (comprising the Vice-Chancellery, the Deans and senior administrators, and Heads of Schools) and the collegial structure (the Academic Board and its Committees, and the faculties) The system provides for a balance between central and devolved authority, and executive and collegial responsibility (Adaralegbe, 2003) A corollary of this is that quality control is exercised in both decision-making streams: faculties exercise traditional academic quality control over courses, examinations and admission standards; the Academic Board and its committee system exercises broad cross-Faculty academic quality control; and the University's executive structure exercises quality control through the planning and budget processes and through the management of staff and physical resources (Adaralegbe, 2003)

Curriculum

In formal education, a curriculum is the planned interaction of pupils with instructional content, materials, resources, and processes for evaluating the attainment of educational objectives (Bilbao, P P., Lucido, P I., Iringan, T C., and Javier, R B (2008) Other definitions combine various elements to describe curriculum as follows:

All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried out in groups or individually, inside or outside the school (Bilbao, et al., 2008) outlines the skills, performances, attitudes, and values pupils are expected to learn from schooling It includes statements of desired pupil outcomes, descriptions of materials, and the planned sequence that will be used to help pupils attain the outcomes

Curriculum is the total learning experience provided by a school.It includes the content of courses (the syllabus), the methods employed (strategies), and other aspects, like norms and values, which relate to the way the school is organized (Kelly, 2009) The courses are arranged in a sequence to make learning a subject easier In schools, a curriculum spans several grades Curriculum can refer to the entire program provided by a classroom, school, district, state, or country A classroom is assigned sections

of the curriculum as defined by the school For example, a fourth grade class teaches the part of the school curriculum that has been designed as developmentally appropriate for students who are approximately nine years of age

In the early years of the 20th century, the traditional concepts held of the "curriculum is that it is a body of subjects or subject matter prepared by

the teachers for the students to learn” (Kelly, 2009) Robert M Hutchins (2008) views curriculum as "permanent studies" where the rules of grammar, rhetoric and logic and mathematics for basic education are emphasized Basic education should emphasize 3 Rs and college education should be grounded

on liberal education On the other hand, Arthur Bestor (2002) as an essentialist believes that the mission of the school should be intellectual training; hence curriculum should focus on the fundamental intellectual disciplines of grammar, literature and writing It should also include mathematics, science, history and foreign language

This definition leads us to the view of Joseph Schwab (2005) that discipline is the sole source of curriculum Thus curriculum can be viewed as

a field of study It is made up of its foundations (philosophical, historical, psychological, and social foundations); domains of knowledge as well as its research theories and principles Curriculum is taken as scholarly and theoretical It is concerned with broad historical, philosophical and social issues and academics (Joseph Schwab, 2005)

On the other hand, to a progressivist, a listing of school subjects, syllabi, course of study, and list of courses of specific discipline do not make a curriculum These can only be called curriculum if the written materials are actualized by the learner Broadly speaking, curriculum is defined as the total learning experiences of the individual This definition is anchored on John Dewey's definition of experience and education He believed that reflective thinking is a means that unifies curricular elements Thought is not derived from action but tested by application (John Dewey, 2002)

Bilbao (2008) and Pinar (2005) viewed curriculum as "all experiences

children have under the guidance of teachers." This definition is shared by Smith, Stanley and shores when they defined "curriculum as a sequence of potential experiences set up in schools for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting." Bilbao (2008) and Pinar (2005) on the other hand view curriculum as all the "experiences in the classroom which are planned and enacted by teacher, and also learned by the students There are different ways of looking at curriculum as a concept Here are some of them:

In this case, curriculum is seen as a document or a blueprint for teaching It can be referred to as a ‘syllabus’ if it includes in detail the content

to be taught, how it should be presented (methodology) and how it should be assessed It is also known as the official curriculum, the formal curriculum or the intended curriculum On the view of Harvard Gazette (2013), a syllabus approach to curriculum planning tends to be associated with a transmission type, content-focused approach However, the formal curriculum plan that is not based on what we would normally refer to as a ‘syllabus’, nor is it merely a rigid ‘blueprint’ as a lot of scope is created for different approaches, and even different content

According to Dang Thanh Hung (2002), the curriculum as practice may also be known as the experienced curriculum, the actual curriculum or the implemented curriculum

The key idea here is that a curriculum is constructed by certain people within a society, who have a particular ideology (set of beliefs and values) The curriculum states what knowledge, skills and values these people believe

are important for the learners in that society to acquire So we can think of this

as a generally shared understanding of what a curriculum might be, for example learner-centered, outcomes-based and value-driven

All learners, together with their teachers, are encouraged to have understanding and awareness of the nation’s cultural diversity, beliefs and worldviews within which the country’s unity is manifested

Faculty members

Faculty is the academic staff of a university: senior teachers, lecturers, and/or researchers The term is most commonly used in this context in the United States and Canada, and generally includes professors of various rank: assistant professors, associate professors, and (full) professors, usually tenured (or tenure-track) in terms of their contract of employment

Members of university administration (e.g., department chairs, deans, vice presidents, presidents, and librarians) are often also faculty members, in many cases( beginningand remaining) as professors In some universities, the distinction between 'academic faculty' and 'administrative faculty' is made explicit by the former being contracted for nine months per year, meaning that they can be absent from the campus during the summer vacation, while the latter are contracted for twelve months per year These two types of faculty status are sometimes known as 'nine month faculty' and 'twelve month faculty'

Most university faculty members hold a Ph.D or equivalent doctorate degree Some professionals or instructors from other institutions who are associated with a particular university (e.g., by teaching some courses or supervising graduate students) but do not hold professorships may be

appointed as adjunct faculty

Technical facilities

The major problem facing vocational and technical education includes inadequate quantities of equipment, machines, tools and instructional materials (Guthrie, 2009) Carrying capacity can be achieved in tertiary institutions when there is fund for purchase of adequate equipment and facilities in our tertiary institutions The development of capacity, potentials, self-actualization, appreciation and application of knowledge gained to solve practical problems in the fast technological changing society cannot be achieved, if equipment, teaching techniques and devices are not adapted to the Vocational and technical education consists of the applications of scientific concepts and principles to the practical skills, techniques and projects relevant to everyday life of the students

The main thrust of the provision of vocational and technical education equipment and facilities is to assist the teachers to teach students and utilizing the equipment and facilities to learn and this ought to provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills and experiences as tools which students can use in translating theoretical principles into practical design for problems solving and making functional use of devices for carrying capacity institutions

Berk and Trieber (2009) conclude that “educational facilities are those things of education which enables a skillful teacher to achieve a level of instructional effectiveness that far exceeds what is possible when they are not provided” The successful implementation of any educational programme

depends mostly on the quality of available school facilities that are to be provided for such programme This is supported by the view of Berk R.A and Trieber(2009) who posit that “the type of atmosphere required for effective learning is that consisting of better school buildings, more and better teaching facilities”

Also, Berk and Trieber (2009) posit that “the quality of education that our children get bears direct relevance to the availability or the lack of physical facilities and overall atmosphere where the learning takes place Also in the words of Berk and Trieber (2009) are these wise saying “Excellent school facilities and dedicated teachers are basic ingredients of good educational programme” The desire for education attainment is on the high side, the consumers of education therefore expect the attainment of standard and quality education that will give them a sense of belonging, fulfillment and satisfaction

Specialized subjects

Specialized or defined space provides a setting for students to develop critical thinking and problem solving abilities, practice pertinent skills and gain hands-on experience with industry equipment (Wolff, 2002) This space and its related activity is critical to the education of vocational students as it supplies the foundation for their access to further education and/or job placement Typically, this space is assigned to a specific discipline or course, examples include: laboratories and automotive workshops

Practical instructional spaces need to emulate the eventual work environment that students will enter upon completion of their program Labs and workshops that simulate actual work settings can contribute to student

achievement, and it is this physical environment that will properly prepare students for employment (Cutshall, 2003) One way to accomplish this setting

to organize the school by trades or subject, and place student learning areas in proximity to teacher offices Arranging teacher offices and student learning areas in close proximity promotes collaboration, so that students can easily interact and engage with teachers (Jamieson, et al., 2000) Another response is

to professionally structure the building to simulate an actual workplace or business This type of layout engages the student body directly with their trade Additionally, some VET programmers have an apprenticeship requirement This learning component situates students outside of the classroom and directly into the real workplace The apprenticeship offers learners access to equipment and tools that may not otherwise be provided by schools

Learners/Students

Jackson (2001) found out that there can be many interpretations of the word ‘learning’ and these meanings cloud discussion about it The former definition is clearly related to activities which students undertake in order to develop their understanding – a process The latter definition relates to a product

or outcome constructed by the learner which can be demonstrated to others as evidence of acquired level(s) of understanding The semantic nuances surrounding ‘learning’ can lead to different interpretations of what is meant by e-learning and m-learning, making it difficult to develop a shared understanding of these emerging areas of scholarship

Learning is something which, arguably, all humans do regularly in their day-to-day life Such informal learning and problem solving can be contrasted

with learning which occurs in formal educational contexts, where learners take the role of students, working towards some sort of qualification However, it would be inaccurate to claim that only formal learning occurs in an institutional educational context While many students at all levels of education attend classes taught by teachers, they also work on their own and in groups outside of class to develop their understanding of the subject area This is informal learning

in a formal setting Students at university also develop their human capacities, which may or may not be triggered by activities in their formal classes, at coffee shops and drinking establishments

At the highest level, the concept map in Figure 2.2 indicates that learning environments facilitate learning processes, and these lead to learning outcomes, which, in turn, determine the learning environment The concept map also indicates that teachers design learning environments, facilitate learning processes and assess learning outcomes, while students work within learning environments, engage with learning processes and demonstrate learning outcomes, as well as interacting with their teachers

It can be said that, the LEPO model is informed by a range of work in higher education and educational technology research Meanwhile, Biggs (2000) conceived of learning as having three components: Presage, Process and Product, which can be broadly interpreted as what happens before, during and after learning Figure 2 illustrates the model, showing thatthe Presage component has two aspects: ‘student factors’ and ‘teaching context’, while the process and productcomponents are analogous to the learning processes and learning outcomes components of the LEPO framework

Laurillard’s conversational framework (2002) approaches learning pragmatically, arguing that there are four main aspects of learning and teaching: (1) Discussion between the teacher and learner at the level of descriptions; (2) Interaction between the learner and some aspect of the world defined by the teacher; (3) Adaptation of the world by the teacher and action by the learner; and (4) Reflection on the learner’s performance by both teacher and learner

Phillips and Luca (2000) extended this model to include discussions between students An illustration of the extended framework is provided in Figure 5.Laurillard’s schema is based on forming an information-rich environment in which the student is able to discover knowledge, but the discovery is supported and scaffold by extra guidance functions which provide support and feedback for subsequent learning

Labor market

While much of the terminology used to describe the labour market activities of individuals may seem familiar, official documents tend to use fairly precise definitions.The importanceof vocational education in developing job-related skills to help employment inspecific occupations had been discussed by several authors (e.g Wolter and Ryan, 2011; Hanushek and Wößmann,2008;

knowledge(mathematics, communication, literature, etc.) through general educationprogrammes, under the assumption that specific skills may become obsoletequickly and that employability is maximized by strengthening the foundations ofbasic knowledge (e.g Hanushek and Wößmann, 2012; Krueger and Kumar,2004a; 2004b) This results in lower turnover and higher