Peranan efikasi kendiri sebagai mediator dalam hubungan antara pembangunan profesionalisme dan kompetensi guru vokasional

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) aims to support the country's development by producing skilled workers. Therefore, competent vocational teachers are the backbone of quality TVET education. Vocational teacher competency studies have been conducted by western and local researchers. However, further research is needed to improve the weaknesses in the design of professional development programs to bridge the competency gap among Malaysian TVET teachers. This study aims to identify self-efficacy's role as a mediator between professionalism development and vocational teacher competency. This quantitative study employs a cross-sectional survey method involving 309 vocational teachers in Northern Zone Vocational Colleges, selected using proportional stratified sampling techniques. SPSS 23 software was used for data examination and descriptive statistical analysis. On the other hand, SmartPLS 3.0 was used to test the influence between variables and the role of self-efficacy as a mediator variable because of its capability to handle complex models, and is particularly suitable for this exploratory study, where the primary goal is to predict and understand the relationships between variables. The results indicated high levels of professionalism development and self-efficacy among teachers, while the competency of vocational teachers is very high. The high levels of self-efficacy and its mediating role indicate that professional development programs should aim to boost teachers' confidence in their abilities, as this significantly enhances their overall competency. These findings suggest that vocational teacher development programs should prioritize active learning environments within the classroom, focusing on teaching content and collective involvement among teachers. This study contributes to forming a structural model of vocational teacher competency development based on social cognitive theory, highlighting that personal factors (self-efficacy) and the learning environment are crucial for improving vocational teachers' competence.