A causal model development of professional teachers in vocational education

Abstract

     In this research, the established objectives were to develop and validate a causal model of professional vocational education teachers using empirical data and to study the direct and indirect effect of factors that affected professional vocational education teachers. The quantitative and qualitative methodology used in this research comprised 4 steps: 1) studying factors affecting professional vocational education teachers, 2) constructing a causal model of professional vocational education teachers, 3) examining the factors and causal model of professional vocational education teachers using focus group discussion, and 4) investigating the relevant of model and empirical data. The sample of 338 teachers from vocational colleges under The Office of the Vocational Education Commission, was obtained using multi-stage random sampling. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation model analysis with the SSPS software package. It was found that the model of professional vocational education teachers had congruence with the empirical data ( X̄ = 98.57, df = 86, p = 0.17, RMSEA = 0.02, GFI = 0.98, AGFI = 0.91 and RMR = 0.02). Factors in the model could explain 93 percent of the variance of professional vocational education teachers. The direct factors affecting professional vocational education teachers were self and professional development, psychology, and college and colleagues, respectively, and the indirect factors affecting professional vocational education teachers were psychology, college and colleagues, and personal, respectively.