Implementation of Dewey’s and Prosser’s Philosophy on Vocational Education in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/joves.v8i2.14002Keywords:
Vocational Education, Dewey's philosophy, Prosser's philosophyAbstract
This study aims to explore the implementation of the philosophical values of two influential figures, Dewey and Prosser, in the organization of vocational education in Indonesia. The research subjects consisted of 86 vocational school principals from Java Island, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a Likert Scale to assess the respondents' perceptions of the indicators of philosophical values implemented in schools. The data were analyzed using a quantitative method to present the underlying meanings and values of vocational education practices from the perspective of the two philosophers. The study's findings indicate that vocational education in Indonesia has incorporated many of Dewey's pragmatic philosophical values. However, its implementation has not yet been effective, particularly in relation to the values associated with the principles of learning by doing and experience-based skills. Similarly, the values of Prosser's philosophy, which emphasize the relationship between theory and practice, face challenges due to limited funding and a lack of investment in practical tools that meet industry standards. Nevertheless, vocational education holds significant potential for development if stakeholders can bridge the gap between theory and practice in the industrial world.
References
Aleksandrov, A. Y., Zakharova, A. N., & Nikolaev, E. L. (2015). mor. Proceedings of 2015 International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL), 452–454.
Ali, M., Triyono, B., & Koehler, T. (2020). Evaluation of indonesian technical and vocational education in addressing the gap in job skills required by industry. Proceeding - 2020 3rd International Conference on Vocational Education and Electrical Engineering: Strengthening the Framework of Society 5.0 through Innovations in Education, Electrical, Engineering and Informatics Engineering, ICVEE 2020, October 2020. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICVEE50212.2020.9243222
Alojaiman, B. (2023). Technological modernizations in the industry 5.0 era: A descriptive analysis and future research directions. Processes, 11(5). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051318
Bjerregaard, T. (2010). Industry and academia in convergence: Micro-institutional dimensions of R&D collaboration. Technovation, 30(2), 100–108. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2009.11.00
Defalco, A. (2016). Dewey and vocational education: Still timely? The Journal of School & Society, 3(1), 54–64. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JCTE/v17n1/pdf/
Düzgünçınar, T. (2025). Bridging the gap between industry needs and vocational training curricula. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10(44s), 693–707. https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i44s.8649
Eze, T. I., & Chukwutem Onwusa, S. (2021). An analysis and application of aharles allen prosser’s theories for functional and quality technical and vocational education in nigeria. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, V(Xi), 2454–6186. www.rsisinternational.org
Gilsing, V., Bekkers, R., Bodas-Freitas, I., & Van der Steen, M. (2011). Differences in technology transfer between science-based and development-based industries: Transfer mechanisms and barriers. Technovation, 31(12), 638–647. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2011.06.009
Gyimah, N. (2020). Assessment of technical and vocational education and training (tvet) on the development of the world’s economy: perspective of africa, asia and europe. SSRN Electronic Journal, January. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3541072
Idiong, S. P. (2023). John dewey’s pragmatic education: A veritable tool for nation building in nigeria. International Journal of Education and Evaluation, 9(1), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.56201/ijee.v9.no1.2023.pg21.30
Jawara, M. A., White, D., & Senghor, O. (2019). An insight into entrepreneurship education practices in technical and vocational education and training institutions. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40497-019-0169-z
Jorgensen, J. E., Lamancusa, J. S., Zayas-Castro, J. L., & Ratner, J. (1995). The Learning Factory Curriculum Integration of Design and Manufacturing. Proceedings of the World Conference on Engineering Education, 15–20.
Kleiner-Schaefer, T., & Schaefer, K. J. (2022). Barriers to university–industry collaboration in an emerging market: Firm-level evidence from Turkey. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 47, 872–905. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-022-09919-z
Luo, G. (2024). The contributions of john dewey ’ s philosophy of pragmatism to an understanding of education and its reform. Journal of Education and Educational Research, 10(2), 224–228.
Mack, A. (2015). Experiencing the German Plumbing Education and Training System, & Business and Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28661.29921.
Molele, M. B., Khoza, S. D., & Skosana, N. M. (2024). Identifying the gaps in the management of work integrated learning among TVET college national certificate (vocational) students. Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengkajian Ilmu Pendidikan: E-Saintika, 8(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.36312/esaintika.v8i1.1199
Morley, S. (2025). Bridging the skills gap: The transformative power of TVET in today’s workforce.
Morris, H. A., & Powell, C. M. (2013). Delivering tvet at the secondary level: A practical approach. Caribbean Curriculum, 21, 1–18. http://www.uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2139/39009/Delivering TVET at the Secondary Level Morris and Powell.pdf?sequence=1
Muscio, A., & Vallanti, G. (2014). Perceived obstacles to university-industry collaboration: Results from a qualitative survey of Italian academic departments. Industry and Innovation, 21(5), 410–429. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2014.969935
Preidyte, K. (2025). The enduring legacy of john dewey: A pioneer in educational reform. Hatching Dragons Blog.
Rahman, M. M., Ferdousi, U. S., Hasan, T., Sharmi, T., Shahid, M. A., & Ahmed, F. (2022). Challenges in engineering education: A review. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Industrial & Mechanical Engineering and Operations Management, 26–27.
Sadiq, S. (2024). Challenges of tvet sector in pakistan. Https://Www.Linkedin.Com/Pulse/Challenges-Tvet-Sector-Pakistan-Sakhawat-Sadiq-Pqbrf.
Stephens, G. E. (2011). Teacher internships as professional development in career & technical education. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.21061/jcte.v26i2.526
Synytsia, A. (2020). Education as a means of affirming democracy values in john dewey’s pragmatism: Modern perspective. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 11(1), 30–41.
Szabó, D., Csikós, F., Panker, V., & Kovács, I. (2024). Learning Factories in Practice: The Example and Development Proposal of Mini Company Located in the Automotive Science Park Based on International Best Practices. Engineering Proceedings, 79(1), 56. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Engproc2024079056.
Tanaka, N., Angel-Urdinola, D., & Rodon, G. (2023). Teachers in technical and vocational education and training are critical for successful workforce development. Education for Global Development.
Varma, C., & Malik, S. (2023). Perspective Chapter: TVET in the 21st Century – A Focus on Innovative Teaching and Competency Indicators. In J.-H. Ye & M. Jiang (Eds.), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (pp. 1–226). IntechOpen Limited. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112516
Wirtu, D. (2020). Change, continuity and challenges in ethiopian tvet system: A historical sketch. Continuity and Challenges in Ethiopian … Ethiopian Journal of Behavioral Studies, 2020(1), 26–44.
Ye, Y., & Shih, Y. H. (2021). Development of john dewey’s educational philosophy and its implications for children’s education. Policy Futures in Education, 19(7), 877–890. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210320987678
Zamal, M. F. Bin, Begum, A., & Rawshan, L. (2017). Industry-academia collaboration: conflicts and strategies to stimulate innovation and employability. Conference: International Summit on Employability and Soft Skills (ISESS 2017).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Universitas Ahmad Dahlan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Journal of Vocational Education Studies (JOVES) agree to the following terms: Authors retain the copyright and grant the Universitas Ahmad Dahlan right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) the work for any purpose, even commercially with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in Universitas Ahmad Dahlan. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in Universitas Ahmad Dahlan. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).








.png)


