Competencies of Marine Engineering Students of a Maritime Higher Education Institution: An Assessment

Competency assessment plays a critical role in determining the proficiency and effectiveness of future marine officers. The competence of marine engineering students focusing on their performance, the perceived factors that affect their competency, and the challenges they met during practical assessment were assessed. Using quantitative descriptive design, a practical assessment using the adopted practical assessment from the Maritime Administration and a survey questionnaire were used to achieve the research objectives. Total enumeration of the 30 marine engineering students and ten engine instructors who handle laboratory courses were the participants and respondents. Results include the general exemplary performance of the participants except in Function 2; several factors affect the students’ performance, such as student-related factors, instructor-related factors, facilities and equipment, and policy-related factors; and 46 challenges were identified. Several recommendations were presented. Among them are the incorporation of more simulation-based training that presents real-life scenarios requiring quick and effective decision-making; use of mnemonics memory aids; digital versions of learning materials for easy access; provision of scholarship grants, and others.