Knowing and doing: an integrated approach to education and training in South Africa

Abstract

The Postgraduate Diploma in Management at the Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM), University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, arises from our enthusiasm for a paradigm shift in the education of entry level public sector managers in South Africa; this is an approach that has developed out of moves towards a new public service that is development friendly and customer-oriented. The move away from traditional lecture-based classroom activities to interactive learning methods has given rise to much reflection on teaching, learning and appropriate assessment at P&DM. This has resulted in an appreciation for continuous learning as we pursue our quest to improve our facilitation in line with the needs of a student group that will graduate to face the immense challenges of making institutions work in a newly democratic polity. Our graduates are tasked with transformation in a rapidly moving environment. For them, a commitment to life-long learning is the most important attitude they can develop and for us it is the most important outlook we can nurture. This article focuses on three integrated areas: the Administrative Skills Course, which aims at establishing underlying skills on which students should build throughout the year; the Case Study Programme, which provides a simulation of real problems and issues faced by managers in the public sector; and the Internship Programme, which provides the opportunity for the integration of classroom learning and workplace practice. We focus primarily on the teaching methods and the integrative nature of these courses and programmes, highlighting aspects that have worked well and those that have not. The ongoing development of these programmes has been informed by relatively informal evaluations. We feel that the time has come for more rigorous investigation into the effectiveness of our teaching and both have research in progress. The design and findings of research in progress will be published at a later date.