Cognitive and Technical Skills Developed Through Simulation Scenarios in Auxiliary Machinery 1: Basis for Enhancing Learning Materials

Abstract

This study determined the cognitive and technical skills developed through simulation scenarios in the Auxiliary Machinery 1 course among Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE) students and examined their alignment with the competency requirements of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Using a descriptive-comparative-correlational research design, the study involved 151 second-year BSMarE students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling and 16 Marine Engineering professional instructors included through total enumeration. Researcher-developed instruments based on the Intended Learning Outcomes of Auxiliary Machinery 1 were used to identify cognitive skills according to the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and technical skills categorized as Operation, Maintenance, Troubleshooting, System Analysis, Instrumentation, and Safety Compliance. Documentary alignment analysis was conducted using the Instructor’s Guide, Practical Assessment Development Plan, and applicable STCW competency requirements. Results showed that students predominantly identified Remembering and Understanding, whereas instructors predominantly identified Understanding and Applying. Operation was the most frequently identified technical skill among students and instructors. Significant differences were found between the two groups in their assessments of cognitive skills, χ²(5) = 174.41, p < .001, and technical skills, χ²(5) = 182.37, p < .001. However, cognitive and technical skill scores among students showed a weak positive but statistically non-significant relationship, ρ = .108, p = .187. The findings indicate the need to enhance existing learning materials by strengthening higher-order cognitive processes, broadening technical competency development, deliberately integrating cognitive reasoning with technical performance, and ensuring explicit traceability to applicable STCW competency requirements.

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