Pedagogical Approaches and Institutional Factors Influencing Skills Acquisition for Labour Market Integration in TVET Institutions in Kenya: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in Kenya constitutes a strategic pillar of the country's industrialization agenda under Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. As the government intensifies efforts to reposition TVET as a pathway to meaningful employment, concerns persist regarding the alignment between institutional training outputs and labour market requirements. Despite growing empirical attention to factors affecting training quality, no comprehensive synthesis has examined how pedagogical approaches and institutional capacities collectively shape skills acquisition and subsequent labour market integration. This gap limits evidence-based policy formulation for enhancing TVET graduate employability. This systematic review examined pedagogical approaches, institutional capacities, and their interactions influencing skills acquisition and labour market integration outcomes for TVET graduates in Kenya. The study was guided by ecological systems and situated learning theories. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, comprehensive searches of Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, ProQuest, Google Scholar, AJOL, and Kenyan institutional repositories identified 872 records. After screening and eligibility assessment, 55 empirical studies (2010–2026) were synthesized. The study utilized standardized tools for data extraction and quality appraisal, primarily employing narrative synthesis. Despite CBET policy mandates, lecture-based pedagogies persisted (86.5% of instructors) due to resource constraints and trainer capacity deficits. Work-integrated learning demonstrated superior employability outcomes yet remained limited by fragmented industry partnerships. Institutional capacity constraints were systemic: 93.06% of trainers not advancing qualifications, 72% lacking CBET-specific training, and graduation rates at only 27% nationally. Regional disparities were pronounced, with graduates outside Nairobi facing 54–69% lower formal employment odds. Positive interaction effects occurred where institutional investments aligned with pedagogical reform employability rates increased from 73.97% to 80.3% in well-resourced institutions. Pedagogical effectiveness and institutional capacity interact ecologically to determine graduate outcomes. Policy ambitions for competency-based training cannot succeed without concurrent investment in trainer development, infrastructure modernization, and industry partnership institutionalization. Closing implementation gaps requires recognizing that effective TVET depends upon aligned investments across pedagogical, institutional, and labour market system levels.