The Role of Attitude in Student Motivation: A Study of Southern Zone Vocational Colleges

The field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been recognized as a "game changer" in Malaysia's development, as outlined in the Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021-2025 (RMK-12) by the Economic Planning Unit (2021).The government has made significant efforts to increase student enrolment in TVET, starting from school level to college, polytechnic, and university, with the aim of producing a skilled workforce in specialized fields.This study focuses on college-level students enrolled in TVET programs at vocational colleges (KV).While student enrolment in KV has remained consistently high for the Malaysian Vocational Certificate (SVM) level each year, a declining trend has been observed in admissions to the Malaysian Vocational Diploma (DVM) level from 2018 to 2024.To understand this issue, a descriptive quantitative survey was conducted using questionnaires, involving 374 final-year SVM students from KV in the Southern Zone.The study aimed to assess students' attitudes toward their motivation in their chosen fields, based on the ABC Attitude Model (Affective, Behavioral, Cognitive) and the Self-Determination Motivation Model (SDT).The findings indicate that students exhibit a high level of attitude towards their chosen fields, with behavioral attitude ranking highest, followed by cognitive and affective attitudes.Furthermore, the study highlights that students practiced attitudes significantly influence their motivation.It was also found that intrinsic motivation among students in KV Southern Zone is higher than extrinsic motivation.