Enhancing Database Fundamentals Learning Through Short-Term Faceto-Face Workshops: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Mastering database fundamentals is crucial for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students, yet many constantly struggle with core concepts in Database Fundamentals courses, leading 
to reduced academic performance and confidence. At Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah (PSIS), there is a notable gap concerning limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness of structured, short-term, face-to-face workshops in improving students’ comprehension, self-confidence, and exam readiness for this course. The study aimed to evaluate how effective a short-term face-to-face workshop is in improving student understanding and self-confidence in the Database Fundamentals course for polytechnic students. A quantitative approach was employed with 128 students from semesters 2 and 3, incorporating pre-test and post-test assessments and a structured survey. Initial findings indicated that Database Transaction Management, Normalisation/ERD, and SQL were perceived as the most difficult topics, suggesting major struggles by the students. The students reported improved understanding of database concepts and boosted self-confidence, indicating high workshop implementation effectiveness. Importantly, the study demonstrated measurable academic performance improvement across all participating student academic tiers, with the greatest gains observed in the Excellent and Distinction tiers. Overall, student satisfaction was high, with strong support for regular workshops. In conclusion, the study provides strong evidence that well-structured, short-term, face-to-face workshops are an effective pedagogical strategy within the PSIS TVET context to improve Database Fundamentals learning outcomes, student confidence, and academic performance across diverse academic tiers. 
Keywords: Database Learning, Face-to-Face Workshops, TVET Education, Academic Performance