Contextualizing Learning for the World of Work at SMK Nurul Hikmah 2 Bekasi

Abstract

Vocational education must connect academic learning with real workplace competencies, yet teachers often struggle to translate this connection into classroom practice. Contextualized learning offers an approach through which teachers link subject content to learners' experience, occupational contexts, and future professional roles. This community engagement program was conducted at SMK Nurul Hikmah 2 Bekasi, Indonesia, over two days by a team of English Language Education lecturers for 13 teachers from the partner school. It aimed to equip teachers with pedagogical tools and instructional-design frameworks for integrating career scenarios into daily lessons. The program used a participatory workshop combining presentations, group discussion, guided practice, and an Instructional Design and Planning Template, evaluated with a 15-item questionnaire. All 13 teachers attended and completed every activity. Results showed an overall mean of 4.41 (SD = 0.51) on a 5-point scale, item means ranging from 4.15 to 4.85, and agreement/strong agreement ranging from 92.3% to 100%. Dimension means ranged from 4.31 for collaborative learning and usability to 4.85 for overall professional development, with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .87). These findings indicate favorable perceptions of the training's clarity, relevance, and usefulness. However, because the evaluation did not include pre/post-training measures or classroom observation, the program cannot claim a statistically demonstrated improvement in teacher competence or practice. It nevertheless offers a practical model for university-school collaboration through workplace-relevant professional development, and future programs should add pre/post measures and follow-up observation to determine longer-term effects.