Enhancing Employability Skills through Formative Assessment in Vocational Training Centers

Abstract

The research looked at how different formative assessment approaches affected the development of abilities that employers want in potential employees. The study's objectives were to investigate how vocational students in Tanzania view the importance of formative assessment in vocational training centres, how this practice affects students' employability skills, and how students themselves perceive these skills. Because it was based on pragmatism, a sequential explanatory mixed methods design was possible. From four Vocational training institutes, 97 vocational students and 6 vocational teachers were surveyed. We used a regression model to examine the quantitative data, and content analysis to sift through the qualitative information. Among the results of the research, many vocational students consider a variety of employability skills crucial to their future success in the workforce. Workshops, industrial projects, and field placements are some of the formative evaluation approaches used by vocational education and training institutions to improve these employability skills. While summative evaluation makes up 60% of the total, formative assessment, which is crucial for developing employable skills, only makes up 40%. Consequently, the research suggests that curriculum revision should prioritise formative assessment over summative assessment. Research on the employability of Tanzanians with degrees in vocational education might lead to the creation of a new scale.