The impact of technology-enabled teaching practices on student technical skill competency in TVET: a review

Technology is central to educational reform, yet its impact on student technical skill competencies in TVET remains under-researched. Studies mostly address cognitive learning, offering little attention to information, communication, and technology (ICT)’s role in developing psychomotor skills for technical competencies and employability. This study synthesizes the available evidence from 87 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025, examining how ICT contributes to psychomotor and technical skill development across teaching, institutional, and evaluative domains, and proposes an ICT-driven competency model to guide this development. The findings indicate that a valid learning design and a robust digital infrastructure are essential for transforming ICT into technical skill outcomes related to teachers’ digital competence. However, inconsistent policy implementation, inequities in digital literacy levels, and a lack of evaluative research hinder progress. This study frames ICT as a systemic enabler of competency-oriented learning rather than a technological tool. It guides policymakers and educators seeking to create inclusive, evidence-based, technology-responsive TVET systems aligned with workforce and sustainable development goals (SDGs).