Integrating ICT into Career Counseling: An Empirical Study of the TACC Digital Content Model in Malaysian Secondary Education

Abstract

This study develops and validates the Technology-Assisted Career Counseling (TACC) Digital Content Model, a structured framework integrating AI-driven assessments and career management systems to modernize career guidance in Malaysian secondary schools. Addressing gaps in Malaysia’s Digital Education Policy (2023), which lacks actionable ICT frameworks for career counseling, the TACC model replaces outdated practices with scalable digital tools. Adopting a Design and Development Research approach, the study progressed through three phases: (1) needs analysis via surveys of 65 Sabah school counselors (mean agreement = 4.68/5.0, SD = 0.47), (2) model development validated by 15 experts using Fuzzy Delphi Method (consensus threshold ?0.70; achieved fuzzy scores ?0.887) and Interpretive Structural Modeling to establish hierarchical relationships among TACC’s four core components (career assessment, information, management, guidance systems), and (3) usability evaluation by 21 Digital Career Counselor via Modified Nominal Group Technique, yielding an 89.3% usability score (SD = 0.72). Results confirm strong counselor support for digital integration, expert consensus on model components, and high practicality for implementation. As the first study to synergize Fuzzy Delphi and Interpretive Structural Modeling within a DDR framework for career counseling, the TACC model offers a validated, scalable blueprint aligned with national digital education goals. Its implementation empowers counselors with AI-driven tools, equips students for Industry 4.0 demands, and provides policymakers with a replicable framework for ICT integration across educational domains.