Behavioural Insights Model into Malaysian Secondary Students’ Interest in High-Productivity Industries

Malaysia’s aspiration to become a high-productivity nation by 2030 calls for a realignment of human capital development strategies with industry needs. This study investigates Malaysian secondary students’ interest in high-productivity industries through a Behavioural Insights (BI) framework. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 4,303 Form 3 and Form 4 students across Peninsular Malaysia via a structured questionnaire. The instrument examined six domains: attitude, motivation, learning interest, subject preference, career decision tendency, and future aspirations. Mediation analysis revealed that students’ future aspirations significantly influenced the relationship between motivation, learning interest, and subject relevance with career decision-making tendencies. Interestingly, attitudes towards high-productivity industries alone were not a strong predictor of career inclination. Female students tended to favour life sciences and food industries, while males leaned towards automotive and electronics sectors. The findings highlight a behavioural gap between national economic priorities and student awareness or interest. The validated BI Model developed through this study explains 68.3% of the variance in students’ decision-making tendencies, suggesting that integrating behavioural interventions within the school curriculum could significantly enhance student alignment with national productivity goals. Recommended strategies include career profiling, gamified digital exposure, enhanced counsellor training, and sector branding initiatives. The study underscores the urgency of addressing aspiration development early in secondary education to support Malaysia’s long-term economic vision. Overall, the research contributes a novel, evidence-based framework for applying behavioural science in educational and workforce planning contexts, fostering a more productive and future-ready generation. BI Model of Interest in High-Productivity Industries was developed, offering targeted recommendations. Integrating BI strategies into school systems can foster long-term interest and workforce readiness in high-productivity sectors.