TITLE:
Issues and Challenges in Adopting Green Skill for TVET Pedagogy
AUTHORS:
Hang Yang, Muhd Khaizer Omar
KEYWORDS:
Green Skills, TVET, Teacher Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: Amidst urgent global agendas for a green transition, the effective integration of sustainability competencies into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) faces a persistent implementation gap. This qualitative multiple-case study investigates this disconnect by exploring the professional experiences of TVET instructors across four institutions. Utilizing an integrated “Teacher Agency Mediation Model,” the research demonstrates that educators are not passive policy recipients but essential mediators who navigate complex institutional and resource constraints. Findings identify three systemic barriers: 1) the policy-practice divide, 2) resource scarcity and readiness gaps, and 3) lack of industry-institution collaboration. As a result, the burden of integration falls disproportionately on teachers’ own initiative, informal networks, and uncompensated labor. The study concludes that meaningful greening of TVET must shift from relying on individual resilience to co-designing enabling ecosystems. Practical recommendations include the development of context-relevant pedagogical resources, the establishment of structured professional learning communities, and the creation of deeply embedded, reciprocal partnerships with industry. This research contributes to international discourse by framing green skills integration as a complex socio-material process, highlighting the pivotal yet often constrained agency of teachers in advancing sustainable education reform.