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Model of Pedagogical Reasoning and Action (MPRA) is a model of effective teaching where teaching activities are aimed at understanding, transformation, evaluation and assessment, and reflection on teaching of new knowledge which supports competency of teachers. The aim of this study is to identify the extent to which teaching practices of technical and vocational teachers are aligned with the process proposed by MPRA. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the level of knowledge and competencies of teaching, differences in practices between teachers of different technical and vocational subjects and also in their relationships to teachers' demographic information such as teaching experiences, courses attended and skills' certificate. The respondents were 160 teachers of technical and vocational education from eight subjects are as who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The findings indicate that the competency and knowledge of teachers are at a high level. Differences in teaching practices are found according to vocational field and significant relationship between competency and knowledge with teaching experience. In conclusion, teachers are able to apply their knowledge and skills in teaching and use their working experience in industry to contribute to a broader interpretation of knowledge and teaching to produce effective strategies for technical and vocational education field.

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There are many challenges faced by teachers to ensure that every student is able to master the knowledge which is in line with the industry. Hence, the practical teaching approach that is used by teachers needs to be in line with the syllabus that is being constructed. Teachers are seen to be important characters in order to ensure that each student can master the contents of the lessons in the classroom well. The objective of this study is to investigate the practical methods of teaching electronic subject at Vocational Colleges which is often used by teachers in conducting the practical workshop. Quantitative studies were employed using questionnaires and the respondents of this research were 135 electronic teachers in 58 Vocational Colleges which offer Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technology courses. Descriptive analysis was used in this study and the data such as mean, standard deviation and ranking were analysed. The results showed that the Electronics teachers used several methods in delivering the electronic practical subjects which are in line with the industry nowadays. Based on this study, teachers used several practical teaching methods in class in order to ensure that every student will understand and they can use it when they become professional workers in specific electronics industry.

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Malaysia is a fast developing country and to support the growth of Malaysia industrial sector Malaysia needs a highly skilled workforce. To fulfill this need Malaysia has developed many vocational and technical training institutes. Currently there are approximately 194 technical-vocational institutions and there is a plan to increase this number during the next five year plan. There are 90 technical schools which provide the vocational courses at secondary school level. The technical and vocational education (TVE) in Malaysia started with the enforcement of Razak Report 1956 and Education Ordinance 1957. Other education reports and education memorandum such as Rahman Talib Report and Education Act 1961, Mahathir Report 1979, Cabinet Memorandum 1995, 1998 and 1999 had further sustained the policies, system, curriculum and direction of technical and vocational education. Although the theoretical debate continues, it has been generally that curriculum should be seen as an overall plan for instruction. It consists of a statement of aims and objectives of content in terms of theoretical knowledge, practical skills to be required, attitude towards work and necessary support materials to be used in its presentation. Improving curriculum content has long been regarded as a core-component of [technical and vocational education and training] TVET. To produce the good quality of TVET in the school level the focus is the teachers who have specialized in their field. Many of the teaching staff who were employed possessed necessary technical skills but did not have more opportunity to undertake professional training. For TVE in Malaysia there is a shortage of qualified technical and vocational teachers. Most teachers are recruited directly after they graduated from universities and collages based on their academic qualifications and do not have industrial work experience. At the same time qualified personnel with work experience are not willing to become teachers due to the unattractive salary scheme. This paper is a review of the structure and performance of the TVE teachers in Malaysia. It consists of development of curriculum, program design, the nature of learning materials and stakeholders' involvement. Teacher training in TVE can be defined as having the main role in providing the skill to fulfill the school level TVE needs. Retraining is defined as upgrading of existing skill or acquiring a new one. Upgrading skills can be by accelerating - by doing and joining program in other TVET institution or center. The performance of teachers in TVE is important to make the technical school in Malaysia the selected school for parents to send their children and choose the TVE field as a career path. This paper is a discussion of the issues in training and retraining needs, strategies introduced to overcome the teaching staff shortage as well as curriculum relevancy. Improving the quality of teachers in TVET is related to raising the quality of technical and vocational education.

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This paper discusses the findings from a study on teaching in practical work on automotive courses at vocational colleges in Malaysia. The random sampling technique was used in selecting 283 students and 63 teachers as respondents from the automotive courses. The findings of the research indicate that teachers have strong preference in using the demonstration and questioning technique during the set induction stage of teaching. Teachers also prefer group monitoring and problem solving during the teaching phase, and re-explaining and report writing in the post-teaching stage. This research provides the combination of teaching techniques that could be used in teaching vocational skills in general and automotive practical work in particular. This study has concluded that vocational teaching methods in automotive practical work [can] be applied in teaching for other practical courses to improve current practices. Thus, teachers are proposed to use this method to improve students' knowledge in automotive and to develop skills for the current and future workforce.

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