THE BASIC SKILLS OF AGRICULTURE TOWARDS THE

TEACHING OF VOCATIONAL BASIC EDUCATION OF PLANTS

FOR LIVING SKILL STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI
MALAYSIA

Hisyam Ghazali1* and Hanifah Jambari1

1
School of Education,
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
81200 Skudai, Johor Bahru,
Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This research was conducted to identify the basic skills of agriculture learned at School of
Education Universiti Teknologi Malaysia towards the need for teaching Vocational Basic
Education of Plants in schools. The data were collected using a questionnaire. A total of 43
gradutes of Bachelor of Technology with Education (Living Skills) have taken agricultural
subjects involved in this study. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) version 25 to get the value frequencies, percentages and mean score. The results
show that the basic skills of agriculture learned at School of Education University Technology of
Malaysia can meet the needs of teaching Vocational Basic Education of Crops in schools. In
terms of dominant skills, this study found that planting skill aspects among the most dominant
skills followed by horticultural and landscaping skill aspects with each have overall mean value
of 4.49 and 4.32. In addition, all aspects of agricultural basic skills exceed the overall mean
value of 4.00. Thus, the basic skills of agriculture for all aspects among Living Skills graduates
are in good level. It is also recommended that skills towards the needs for teaching and learning
in school should be conducted every five years.

Keywords : Basic skills of agriculture, vocational basic education of crops

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) play a challenging role in this century with the
development of the current transformation. In order to realize a variety of basic education
transformation which has been designated by the Ministry of Education (MOE), TVE field has a
great responsibility towards producing quality human capital needed for economic development.
The government showed its commitment in 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP) to improve the capacity and
effectiveness of training highly skilled workforce by increasing public training institutions,
adding advanced courses in technical fields.
The transformation of vocational education is empowerment the existing vocational education
system to a new vocational education system that can contribute to Malaysia's transformation
agenda as a high-income country (MOE, 2011). Transformation of Vocational Education
implemented by the MOE aims to increase the enrollment of students in vocational and skills
streams in the country. The goal of increasing student enrollments in vocational and skills
prescribed by the MOE was 10% in 2015 and 20% in 2020. In addition, a skilled workforce and
entrepreneurs who are competitive, have recognized qualifications and skills, professional
character and accepted by labor market (Asnul, Nor Fadila, Ruhizan & Ramlee, 2012).
One of the actions outlined in the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Vocational
Education is the Basic Vocational Education Program (PAV). PAV is a vocational education and
training that is conducted as a single stream school system of education in the lower secondary
level at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) of Form 1 to Form 3. PAV implement the Basic
Education Curriculum Vocational Program leading to the construction of identity, competence
development and entrepreneurship competency development of vocational skills at the level of the
Malaysian skills Certificate (SKM) Level 1 and 2.
MOE has opened up opportunities for students that tend to, talented and interested in
vocational education programs through the PAV. According to Ahmad Tajuddin (2012, January 4)
that the implementation of PAV coincide with the government's desire to produce more highly
skilled young workers since not all students tend towards academic-oriented exams. This is in
line with the announcement by Ex Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the
transformation is promising up to Diploma level approval for a shortcut through the
establishment of Vocational College (KV) after Form Three. Students started exposed basic
vocational subjects and can choose the degree of skill as early as 13 years of age while in Form 1
(Alimuddin 2011; & Iwani & Mohamad Nur Hisham, 2012).
The main issue is to get adequate trainers, qualified and experienced to carry out the PAV
program effectively. There are still schools that implement the PAV program run by new teachers
who had been teaching less than five years. Technical teachers that are trained in the Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for the Bachelor of Technology with Education (Living Skills), their
specialization is in Living Skills that is now converted into a Design and Technology (RBT).
Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the basic skills of agriculture learned at School
of Education Universiti Teknologi Malaysia towards the need for teaching Vocational Basic
Education of Crops in schools.

1.1 Research Objectives

a) To identify the dominant basic skills of agriculture learned at School of Education

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
b) To identify the basic skills of agriculture learned at School of Education Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia towards the need for teaching Vocational Basic Education of Crops
in schools.

2.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 Sample Study

In this study, the study population consisted of a final year student of Bachelor of Technology
with Education (Living Skills) who have taken agriculture’s course at Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia (UTM). The number of final year students of Bachelor of Technology with Education
(Living Skills) is a total of 43 people which include of 8 males and 35 females. Based on the
sample size determination table by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), if the number of a population of
45 people, then the sample size is about 40 people. However, all 43 were taken to be the sample
because there is no significant difference in the number of sampling schedule by Krejcie and
Morgan.

2.2 Research Instrument

The instrument is a measuring tool used for the collection and measurement of data and
information, which includes questionnaires, observations and readings. A researcher must ensure
that the instrument or tool used was appropriate and achieve the goals of the study. The
instrument used in this study was a questionnaire. Normally, the questionnaire consists of a series
of questions and respondents have to answer in the prescribed format. This questionnaire is used
to answer research questions about the basic skills of agriculture that available among students
of Bachelor of Technology with Education (Living Skills).
The questionnaire is divided into two parts namely Part A: Student Demographic and Part B:
Basic skills in agriculture, comprising planting skills, diseases control and pest management
skills, tree and bush work skills, soil management skills, handling and maintenance of equipment
skills, irrigation and drainage management skills, innovation planting skills and horticultural
and landscaping skills.

2.3 Pilot Study

Researchers will first make a pilot study to test the suitability of the questionnaire has been
prepared to ensure the validity and reliability of the questionnaire items. With this pilot study, it
can provide guidance to researchers to refine and improve the items of the questionnaire to be
used for the actual study later. According to Chua (2006), a pilot study is a small study that was
conducted before the actual study done.
A pilot study was conducted by researchers over 10 students of Bachelor of Technology with
Education (Living Skills) consisting of Year 1 and Year 2 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The
sample for this pilot study was taken from the same program because the research questions more
focused on students taking the subjects of agriculture in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. A total of
10 questionnaires were completed and returned. The researchers analyzed questionnaires using
the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 to assess the validity and
reliability of the questionnaire.

3.0 DATA ANALYSIS

3.1 Student Demographic

Respondents for this study were 43 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia who had
taken agricultural subjects. This section describes the number and percentage of respondents by
gender and grade of subjects, for: (i) Propagation And Plant Management, (ii) Decorative
Horticulture and (iii) Agrotechnology.

Table 1 Respondents distribution by gender

Gender Frequency (f) Percentage (%)

 Male 8 18.6

Female 35 81.4

Total 43 100.0

Table 2 Respondents distribution by grade of propagation and plant management subject

Grade Frequency (f) Percentage (%)

A+/A (4.00) 24 55.8

A- (3.67) 17 39.5

B+ (3.33) 2 4.7

Table 3 Respondents distribution by grade of decorative horticulture subject

Grade Frequency (f) Percentage (%)

A+/A (4.00) 31 72.1

A- (3.67) 11 25.6

B+ (3.33) 1 2.3

Table 4 Respondents distribution by grade of Agrotechnology subject

Grade Frequency (f) Percentage (%)

A+/A (4.00) 17 39.5

A- (3.67) 19 44.2

B+ (3.33) 7 16.3

3.2 Research Findings

Research questions 1: What is the dominant basic skills of agriculture learned at School of
Education Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
 Figure 1 Mean score for basic skills of agriculture

Mean Score for Basic Skills of Agriculture

4.6
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.2
4.1
4
3.9
3.8 Planting skills Diseases control and pest management skills
Tree and bush work skills Soil management skills
3.7 Handling and maintenance of equipment skills Irrigation and drainage management skills
Innovation planting skills Skill Aspect
horticultural and landscaping skills

Research questions 2: Does the basic skills of agriculture learned at School of Education
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia towards the need for teaching Vocational
Basic Education of Crops in schools.

Figure 2 The comparison of skills

 Needs Skills for
teaching Basic Skills of
Vocational Basic Agriculture
Education Plants learned at UTM

Diseases control and Soil management

pest management
skills skills
Handling and
Tree and bush work maintenance of
skills equipments skills
Planting vegetable Irrigation and
Planting skills drainage
skills management skills
Horticultural and
Planting decorative Innovating
plants skills landscaping skills
planting skills

Similarity

4.0 DICUSSIONS

4.1 Research questions 1

Overall, all aspects of the skills have the high mean score which is over 4.00. It shows that
students Bachelor of Technology with Education (Living Skills) have a good basic skills of
agriculture. Based on the data analysis , the skills of the most dominant skills learned by students
of Bachelor of Technology with Education (Living Skills) is planting skills with an overall mean
value is 4:49. This is because students were learning the skills related to planting skills in the
subject of Propagation and Plant Management during the 7th semester.
Based on the course outline for the subject of Propagation and Plant Management provided
by Dr Husna (2018), the subject is design to introduce students to plant management and
different methods of plant propagation. Students will be exposed with knowledge and methods of
plant propagation that include both sexual and asexual propagation methods (cutting, air
layering, budding, etc). Project for this course will be focused on vegetable and corn planting.
Students will also be exposed to micro propagation technique. According tu data analysis, many
students have good grades for the subjects of Propagation and Plant Management with 41 out of
43 students got the grade of A- or above. This shows that students have dominant skills in
planting skills aspect based on student's grade.
Aspects of horticultural and landscaping skills also show high overall mean value of 4.32 and
wasn the second dominant skills learned by students of Bachelor of Technology with Education
(Living Skills). This is because students are learning the skills related to horticultural and
landscaping in the subjects of Decorative Horticulture during the 4th semester.
Based on the course outline for the subject of Decorative Horticulture provided by Dr Azlan
(2016), subjects were designed to expose students to decorative horticulture industry with a focus
on practice of propagation management and maintenance of decorative horticulture plants. In
addition students will be exposed to the process of designing an area for the planting of
decorative plants as well as the method of producing a mini garden.
Through these subjects, students will gain the knowledge and planning skills, prepare and
maintain decorative horticuture plants regularly. Many students also have good grades for the
subjects of Decorative Horticulture with 42 out of 43 people got the grade of A- and above. This
shows that horticultural and landscaping skills has become one of the dominant skills learned by
students.

4.2 Research questions 2

Overall, the basic skills of agriculture studied at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia by
students of Bachelor of Technology with Education (Living Skills) can meet the needs for
teaching Vocational Basic Education of Plants in schools. Based on Document Standard
Assessment of Competence (DPSK) issued by the Examination Board Ministry of Education
(2012), stated that the standard of competence for PAV Plant is planting vegetables and planting
decorative plants.
The standard of competence for planting vegetables and decorative plants has some activities
involving skills. It's hands-on style in which students perform activities that involve the work
process from beginning to end. Therefore, teachers that teaching PAV must have adequate
preparation of physical, mental, intellectual and skills aspects to ensure the implementation of
this PAV achieves the objectives set by the MOE.
According to Maszlee (2019), there are still lack of skilled teachers and not given detailed
training so that they can really capable of teaching in their respective schools. To teach a skill to
a student, the teacher must first possess those skills. Therefore, technical teachers should be
trained from University level with the appropriate and necessary skills especially in the field
agriculture to meet the needs of teaching PAV plant in schools.
Compared with the standard competence for PAV Plants in the DPSK and the basic skills of
agriculture learned at UTM, the similarity is very noticeable through competency standards of
planting vegetables to what that are learned in the subjects of Propagation And Plant
Management where students have to do the project of planting vegetables. Based on the course
outline for the subject of Propagation and Plant Management provided by Dr Husna (2018),
students will possess the knowledge and skills of plant management and reproduction including
sexual and asexual reproduction methods in all level of Bloom Taxonomy. Students also work
collaboratively with team members in planning and coordinating plant propagation project from
the propagation of the plants to managing the plants.
There are also a similarity through competency standards of planting decorative plants to
what that are learned in the subjects of Decorative Horticulture where students have to do project
on mini gardens. Based on the course outline for the subject of Decorative Horticulture provided
by Dr Azlan (2016), students will carry out propagation activities on decorative plants and
collaborate in group on planting decorative plant for the mini gardens project.

5.0 CONCLUSION

Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the overall basic skills of agriculture
learned by students of Bachelor of Technology and Education (Life Skills) at Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia ca meet the needs of teaching the Plant PAV in school. However there are some
suggestions which is The Technical and Vocational Education Division (BPTV) should always
provide teachers, conduct curriculum orientation and training courses once a year to teachers
that teaching academic and vocational subjects for PAV classes.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I have to thank my research supervisors, Dr. Hanifah Binti Jambari. Without
her assistance and dedicated involvement in every step throughout the process, this paper would
have never been accomplished. I would like to thank you very much for your support and
understanding over these past two semesters. Most importantly, none of this could have happened
without my family.

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