Teaching competencies in the adoption of in-services training program among Malaysian Universities

Professional and developmental progresses in education usher in technological challenges and provide important shifts in upgrading the quality of services rendered by teachers to meet certain field-specific competencies.In-service training is important component of high quality teaching servicesthat provides effective and convenient means of improving lecturer’s educational competence while performing their usual teaching activities and is regarded as an innovative key in raising the professional profile and competence of teachers by providing necessary skills and knowledge needed to effectively participate in the present information-driven educational system.Although in-services training program contributes to meeting individual and collective needs of teachers,inability of teachers to participate in in-service programs have resulted to low academic performance, inefficient functioning of the educational processes and shortage of competent lecturers in Malaysia. These inefficiencies are propelled by inexperience as most lectures had not received any professional training before joining the educational teaching. Academic qualification is an essential requirement in teaching however; exposure to the learning communities and collaboration with other experts is needed to facilitate knowledge and experience-sharing which are vital in enhancing teacher’s competencies in different academic field. Owing to the importance of in-services training to teacher’s qualification andgaining of experiences required to effectiveness handle academic activities, the present study investigated competencies in planning, conduction and evaluating instruction in sports science among universities in Malaysia as a way to facilitate student growth. Findings show that in-service training programenables teaching activities to be carried with professional competencies needed to cope with teaching practices.In view of the foregoing transitional changes in university education, in-services training are central to the acquisition of professional qualification and plays essential role in coping with the technological development in teaching practices.