Design-Based Learning (DBL) Under Contextual Constraints: A Framework for Form 3 Design and Technology Education in Rural Malaysia

Abstract

Design‑Based Learning (DBL) has been widely promoted as a learner-centred pedagogy that engages students in creative, hands‑on, and problem‑solving tasks. In Malaysia, DBL aligns closely with the Design and Technology subject (Rekabentuk dan Teknologi – RBT) introduced under the Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM). However, most DBL models are often conceptualised in well-resourced environments that assume access to specialised tools and digital technologies. Limited empirical research has examined how the approach is enacted in under-resourced rural settings. This qualitative study explores how DBL is enacted, adapted, and constrained in rural school contexts in three rural secondary schools in Kudat, Sabah. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with nine RBT teachers, including three school administrators who also teach RBT, and six Form 3 RBT students, alongside document analysis, the study employed inductive thematic analysis to examine classroom realities and contextual challenges.  Four interrelated themes emerged: inadequate material and infrastructural resources, tensions in integrating theory and practice, difficulties in assessing design processes, and limited professional and community support. Guided by constructivist, place-based, and social learning perspectives, these findings were interpreted to develop a contextualised DBL framework that responds to the realities of under-resourced rural settings. The proposed framework emphasises pedagogical flexibility, process-oriented assessment, and enabling support structures to support more inclusive and sustainable DBL implementation. This study contributes to the literature by extending existing understandings of Design-Based Learning through an examination of how DBL is reshaped by contextual constraints in rural and under-resourced secondary school environments. The study contributes to ongoing efforts to reduce educational inequities in line with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025 and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 9, 10, and 17 by advancing equity, innovation, and collaborative learning in underserved communities.