FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY OF MACHINE TOOLS AMONG AT THE VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATE LEVEL IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN THAILAND

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate factors influencing the professional competency of Industrial Mechanical Technology students at the vocational certificate level in technical colleges across Thailand. The study employed mixed methods research with a sample of 364 third-year vocational students in the Machine Tool program, selected through stratified random sampling from technical colleges in five regions of Thailand. Research instruments included a validated questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.99. The findings revealed that: 1) Professional competency levels among vocational certificate students in Industrial Mechanical Technology were very high; 2) Five key factors—fundamental knowledge, practical skills, technological competence, work management, and ethics and professional personality—all positively influenced professional competency, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.706 to 0.893; 3) Statistical analysis showed these factors could collectively predict professional competency at a significance level of 0.05, with ethics and professional personality demonstrating the strongest influence (Wald = 207.757), followed by technological competence (Wald = 162.258). This research contributes valuable insights for curriculum development and competency-based learning approaches in vocational education aligned with Industry 4.0 requirements.