Effectiveness of an Online Pedagogy in Trainees’ Acquisition of Practical Skills: A Case of Selected TVET Institutions in Uganda

Abstract

Globally, as emphasised by the Education 2030 Framework for Action, ICTs are being utilised to boost education systems so as to increase knowledge diffusion, broaden access to information, and enhance learning quality and effectiveness. Nationally, the government has committed, through Vision 2040, to mainstreaming ICTs in education so that it can benefit from ICT-enabled learning. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to compare the results of online and face-to-face pedagogies so as to determine the effectiveness of an online pedagogy in trainees’ acquisition of TVET practical skills. The study used a quasi-experimental design in which a comparison group (face-toface pedagogy) provided the baseline data that was compared with outcomes of the experimental group (online pedagogy). The population sample (N) consisted of trainees (n = 69). Observation checklists and questionnaires were the instruments used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to define and explain the characteristics of the data and then inferential statistics (independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test) was used to examine the significance of the identified difference(s). The findings of the study demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference in the acquisition of practical skills between those trained in the skills face-to-face and those trained online. Based on the findings, the study concluded that the processes of delivering practical skills training online is as effective as delivery of the same face-to-face. The study then recommends the development of an online training framework and investment in online pedagogy enablers.