Further Education And Training College Research Articles

What We Assess Is What We Produce: Moving Towards the Development of Skills in South African FET Colleges

ABSTRACT The focus of this study was to investigate the coherence between the needs of industry and the curriculum offered at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The context of this study was TVET colleges, which is a relatively recent sector in the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), in South Africa. There is an unacceptably high rate of unemployment in South Africa and in particular, there is a shortage of technical skills, which the TVET sector is expected to address. Concerns have been expressed about the effectiveness of these colleges in producing graduates with employability skills. This study investigated whether the assessment strategies employed in the Electrical Engineering curriculum are appropriate in preparing the students for practice. A qualitative research design was used where a sample consisting of seven Further Education and Training (FET) College graduates and three instructors (lecturers) were selected using a snowball sampling technique. Findings of this research are that the current assessment strategy used in FET colleges (written testing) does not lead to the development of employability skills in FET graduates. The proposed TVET programs are those that promote a dual assessment throughout the course that yields the technical knowledge and employability outcomes that will meet the needs of industries.

The leadership role of campus managers to improve student achievement in colleges

This study sought to identify successful leadership roles in campus managers and to better understand how these leadership roles and practices can improve student achievement in Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in South Africa. Improving the quality of FET colleges and student achievement is essential if these colleges are to meet the demands of skilling the youth for employment. The campus manager of an FET college is accountable for the quality of teaching and learning and consequently, student achievement. Using quantitative research, questionnaires were sent to the academic staff of all FET colleges in Mpumalanga. The study identified, using the multiple regression model, the most important predictors in student achievement in the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) examination in FET colleges. The results of the research also identified the leadership roles that are utilized by campus managers of high-achieving college campuses and conversely, also identified those areas that must be improved on for campus managers from poor performing college campuses. Replicating the leadership roles of campus managers of high performing colleges has the potential to impact on improving student achievement in FET colleges in South Africa.

Perceptions of South African Emerging Adult FET College Students on Sexual Practices in Relation to Religion

HIV and AIDS are rapidly spreading amongst the world’s 15- to 24-year age group, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite vigorous government interventions and campaigns, 10 % of South African youth in the age cohort 15–24 are infected with HIV and AIDS. Furthermore, for the first time in history the world has its largest number of individuals under the age of 30 years. Researchers are desperately seeking a solution and have found religion to play an important role in moderating risky sexual behaviour amongst youth. This exploratory qualitative study aims to increase our understanding of emerging adult Further Education and Training (FET) students’ perceptions of the role of religion and religious beliefs in their sexual decision-making and practices. The qualitative data emerged from five focus group discussions, each consisting of 12 heterosexual emerging adult FET college students aged 18–24 years, selected using random sampling. Participants were representative of all the major South African racial groups (Blacks, Whites, Coloured and Indians) as well as different religious and cultural groupings. Secularisation theory was used as a theoretical framework for this study. These focus group discussions revealed the following themes: Theme 1—religious institutions need to embrace change in order to become effective social agents of change. Theme 2—a need for open discussion and communication concerning current issues related to young people’s sexual health (by religious institutions/religious leaders). Theme 3—perceptions of religion’s negative sanctions towards sexual behaviour. Theme 4—religious leaders’ indifference and abdication of responsibility to the problems that youth face. Theme 5—religion and condom-related beliefs. Theme 6—perceptions of religious leaders as role models. Theme 7—emerging adults general concern for the moral decay of society. Theme 8—perceptions of whether religion has an influence on young people’s sexual decision-making and practices.

Higher education, employment and economic growth: Exploring the interactions

ABSTRACTThis article interrogates the impact and nature of South Africa’s post-apartheid economic growth performance through the lens of human capital investment with a particular emphasis on higher education. The South African economy has been characterised by a skills-biased trajectory, ensuring jobs for the better educated. By differentiating between tertiary and vocational training, we find that further education and training (FET) graduates are almost as likely to be employed as school leavers without higher education. We analyse the extent to which the educational attainments of labour affect the nature and trajectory of economic growth in South Africa, by estimating Olley and Pakes’ two-stage regression on a modified Cobb–Douglas production function. The results indicate that the degree cohort contributes to economic growth whilst other higher education institutions, including FET colleges, do not productively contribute to economic growth.

Psychological violence at a multi-campus Further Education and Training College

Research indicates that those employed in the education sector are especially susceptible to psychological violence. This study aimed to determine the nature, more specifically the prevalence, severity and perpetrators of psychological violence at a multi-campus South African Further Education and Training (FET) College. A Psychological Violence Scale was developed and distributed to the study population of 262 staff members at six campuses and Corporate Centre of an FET College; 174 questionnaires were completed and returned. Findings indicated that staff members experienced psychological violence as prevalent, severe and mostly from superiors.

Marketing Practices for Competitiveness in Public Further Education and Training Colleges in Gauteng

Marketing is now regarded as an essential set of principles and practices which are necessary to attract and retain customers. Colleges and other service providers are faced with competitive situations where it is necessary to satisfactorily meet the needs of the customers and to have competitive advantage that will ensure long term survival. Unfortunately, there is inadequate knowledge on the application of marketing practices for competitiveness in public further education and training (FET) colleges in South Africa. It was thus necessary to look into the marketing practices that are being used for competitiveness by public FET colleges in Gauteng. A survey was undertaken to describe the current state of affairs in colleges in Gauteng with respect to the marketing practices being used to ensure competitiveness. The survey was conducted making use of a questionnaire, with a sample size of 250. The relevant findings about the respondents indicate that, they were positive about marketing practices used by their colleges for competitiveness, but they need to understand the practices of marketing better for increasing competitiveness in their respective colleges.

Understanding and managing conflict: a prerequisite for post-merger FET colleges

It was common practice in the pre-1994 South Africa that many historical black universities and Further Education and Training (FET) colleges were deeply entangled in ongoing conflict, instability and crisis. The academic and administrative staff was in constant conflict with senior management while councils were also deeply divided among themselves, especially on the issue of governance and management. As a result of political changes in South Africa in 1994, the government proposed that the higher education system should be restructured to address past inequalities. Subsequent investigations into restructuring the education system resulted in a wave of mandated mergers across the sector. The Department of Education made provision for the merging of technical colleges by addressing the social structural inequalities manifested through apartheid, and ensuring that limited resources are effectively and efficiently utilized. However, FET mergers introduced a number of organizational changes and dynamics resulting in heightened emotions, fear of job losses, having to move sites, and changes to conditions of service that were unfavourable. Using a questionnaire, this study investigated the perceptions of academic staff on how managers and management teams handled conflict in post-merger FET colleges. The empirical findings included lack of conflict management skills, poor communication and lack of participative decision-making amongst role-players. The Conflict Resolution Model was developed to provide a substantial basis for assisting managers to effectively manage conflict during future FET merging processes, or at newly merged institutions.

An Evaluation of the Impact of Organisational Culture on Employee Work Performance : A Case Study of a FET College in Durban

The South African government has invested an immense amount of funding In Further Education and Training (FET) in order to produce skilled and semi-skilled workers and to redress past inequalities in education and job opportunities. The FET College in this study, on one hand, has come under great pressure to maintain the good aspects of its culture and motivate its staff to improve work performance, as industries and businesses are expected to receive trained, skilled workers. It is the task of managers to ensure that the FET employees perform to their optimum level to meet government’s vision for the FET Sector. This research was inspired by the need for a quality and excellent FET College culture, one that promotes ethical leadership, fairness, and performance.

Socialising Entrepreneurship: An Activist Approach

Our objective is to explain critically the possibility of direct participation of researchers and respondents in the development of information technology (IT)-based social entrepreneurship projects at a further education and training (FET) college in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We use concepts of innovative social practice, risk-taking, the motivation of entrepreneurs and the creation of social value ( Dees, 2001 ; Smith, Barr, Barbosa & Kickul, 2008 ; Trexler, 2008) . We use these ideas to inform our methodology of action research and participatory involvement of researchers to locate our work in both theory and practice ( Bornstein & Davis, 2010 ; Kemmis, 2008 ; Reason & Bradbury, 2008 ; Stringer, 2007 ). We use Stringer's (2007) community-based participatory research model which includes three major stages: looking, thinking and acting while observation and reflection are processes that occur in the evolution of each stage. The need to work collaboratively with the participants and to build a network of relationships to improve the economic and social lives of individuals and communities is central to our approach. The data collected in the research were arranged in themes using the sustainable livelihoods framework. Our findings demonstrate how the development of social enterprises can be contextualised to provide a greater understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised communities in terms of developing enterprises and the actions necessary for creating value from this research. Of the two important outcomes, the first was the formation of a cooperative called Xumana-IT by the participants and the researchers. The second outcome involved the development of a model for developing social entrepreneurship at FET colleges. The research outcomes show first how the involvement of non-profit and non-governmental organisations together with for-profit social enterprises in South African regions can be brought together for collaborative effort. Second, we show how FE institutions could become centres of social entrepreneurship in both urban and rural areas to support marginalised communities using a ‘socially-involved’ approach. They could be supported by universities by way of curriculum development for social entrepreneurship since there is nothing currently available. Third, the value of our research is in the demonstration of the value of entrepreneurial activism through research-based activity which enables enquiry and action to combine critically to open up new routes to entrepreneurship research.

Use of social media platforms for improving academic performance at Further Education and Training colleges

Background: The National Certificate Vocational (NC[V]) curriculum offered by Further Education and Training (FET) colleges was introduced in 2007 to address the skills shortage in South Africa. Information Technology (IT) lecturers encountered a number of challenges in delivering lessons throughout the course, which affected the academic performance of learners. The biggest challenges identified were the lack of adequate contact hours for the course and inconsistency in the way in which final examination papers were set.Objectives: The aim of the project was to investigate the use of: (1) a knowledge portal for verifying the quality of assessments by lecturers and (2) social media to increase contact time with FET college students in an attempt to improve their academic performance.Method: The NC(V) level 3 student test scores for 2011 were compared to those of 2012. In addition to the test scores, students also received a questionnaire so as to determine their perceptions on social media usage. Lecturers also received a questionnaire on their perception of the knowledge portal.Results: The data collected from seven lecturers and 38 students indicated a 35% (from 30% – 65%) improvement in academic performance after the introduction of the interventions, that is social media and a knowledge portal; an indication of the importance of electronic media in enhancing learning.Conclusion: The research offered FET lecturers an additional method for learning and teaching in that they could use the knowledge portal to set up quality assessments for the students and social media to increase contact learning time.

Relevance of Further Education and Training College Engineering Learning Programmes within The Apprenticeship Context

The development of learning programmes and courses, qualifications design and future curriculum development in Further Education and Training (FET) vocational education provision on a national level is at the heart of the college sector. It should respond to the technological needs of labour market conditions, sectors and industries they support and more importantly, to the current critical South African economy. In this regard, apprenticeships have a huge role to play. This study was undertaken to identify factors, which were perceived as important in determining the relevance of FET college engineering learning programmes within an apprenticeship context. The sample in this study was 200 training and development managers, skills development facilitators and training practitioners with apprenticeship training responsibility and representing employers in the metal and engineering industry. A probability sampling technique in the form of simple random sampling was used to recruit participants for the study. Data were collected through the administration of a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to report on the demographic data and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify factors that were perceived as important in determining the relevance of FET college engineering learning programmes. Four factors, namely meeting industry needs, industry-college alignment, context-focused learning, and industry collaboration were identified. In South Africa, FET colleges are expected to play an important role in the acquisition of human resource development (HRD) priority skills that are required by government and business to deliver on major infrastructure development and to meet the needs of an expanding economy. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p990

Perceptions of Rural Further Education and Training (FET) College Students Towards Placement at Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMES): The South African Rural Perspective

The provision of students with curriculum related practical experience during studies or after completion of studies is becoming a staple of the twenty-first century education. In the South African education system, various terms are used for this practice, such as experiential training, learnership, internship and Work Integrated Learning (WIL). Following the inception of FET colleges sector, a new term was coined, the Workplace Based Experience (WBE). It is distinguished by its flexibility as students are not required as is the common practice, to be placed at well-known private businesses or public institutions. Students can be placed at small businesses. Flexible as it is, FET colleges in rural areas where business is dominated by Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), students are averse to placement at these businesses. This paper explores the causes of these students’ aversion of placement at SMMEs in order to come up with measures to change the perceptions and improve work-placement rate. Data was collected by means of a Researcher journal and Interviews with students at the two campuses of a rural FET college in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The constant comparative method was used to analyse data. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p683

English

Vocational Education and Training (VET) policy in South Africa is based on a narrow set of assumptions regarding the identity of learners and the reasons that they are in public further education and training (FET) colleges. These assumptions reflect an international orthodoxy about the centrality of employability that is located within what Giddens (1994) has described as 'productivism', a view that reduces life to the economic sphere. Through exploring the stories of a group of South African public FET college learners' regarding their reasons for choosing FET colleges, this paper shows that VET is valued by these students for a range of reasons. These include preparation for the world of work, but also a desire to improve their ability to contribute to their communities and families; raise their self-esteem; and expand their future life possibilities. Thus, the paper advances the largely hitherto theoretical critique of productivist VET accounts by offering empirical evidence of counter-narratives.

Evaluation of the Vocational Education Orientation Programme (VEOP) at a university in South Africa

<p>To address the training needs of Further Education and Training college (FETC) lecturers, and in the absence of a full professional education qualification, several higher education institutions, FETCs, and other bodies in South Africa formed an alliance to develop a short programme towards a possible future full qualification. In 2010 a Vocational Education Orientation Programme (VEOP) was piloted. In line with the responsibility for quality assurance, and the need to inform further developments in the training of FETC lecturers, the aim of this research was to evaluate the VEOP presented by the University of the Free State (UFS). To reach the stated aim, a two phase evaluative study was undertaken (1) to assess the individual modules, and (2) to holistically investigate the quality of the programme. Two questionnaires were used to gather data. The first set of data was collected at the completion of each of the six modules. For the second phase of the study, 48 lecturer-students were randomly selected more than a year after completion of the VEOP. The study identified a number of strengths and weaknesses of the VEOP. The results emphasise the need to carefully select tutors and train them to have an understanding of the FETC milieu, rethink the methodology employed in the education training of FETC lecturers, and redesign the modules’ contents to better reflect the FETC sector. The need to enhance student support and improve administration is also highlighted by the study. The results of the study may inform the development of a full qualification for FETC lecturers.</p>

Distigmatisation of Apprenticeship – A Vehicle for Entrepreneurship Promotion and Job Creation among Further Education and Training College Students

The intention of this paper is two-fold; firstly, it is to explore the causal effect of perceived negativity towards Further Education and Training (FET) college education among South African youth. Secondly, it is to determine the impact of apprenticeship on the development of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills among FET college students. The FET sector serves a particular function, which is the imparting of hands-on vocational training, intended to inculcate and promote a culture of self-employment, considered a necessity for employment creation. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 112 randomly selected students from three Motheo FET colleges. The findings reveal very contrasting results, a direct correlation between apprenticeship and entrepreneurship; however, 53% of the respondents did not feel sufficiently equipped, ready and confident enough to start their own businesses after graduation. About 48% feel the need to further their studies at university in order to stand a better chance of landing a good job.

Averting the Plight of Military Veterans through Colleges of Further Education and Training

Colleges of Further Education and Training (FETs) are a relatively new development in the transformation of education in South Africa. There are still uncertainties and hence reservations among community members about FET's. Despite the suspicions and unanswered questions, FETs still attract a large number of students. These students enrol at FETs for various reasons, some of which are that courses obtained from these institutions allow those who graduate to join the economy fairly quickly. Some students have not been able to complete their formal schooling and others enrol with a view to being granted a qualification based on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), after having been exposed to other education systems outside South Africa. This article reports on the potential role of FET colleges in resolving the impasse of military veterans who find themselves at the periphery of civil life. A study was conducted through qualitative research method.

Evaluation of management information systems: A study at a further education and training college

Background: Management information systems (MIS) are pivotal in the efficient and effective running of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges. Therefore, the evaluation of MIS success is an essential spoke in the wheel of FET college success. Based on an extensive literature review it was concluded that no MIS success evaluation model for FET colleges in South Africa exists.Objectives: The main objective was to propose a MIS evaluation model and evaluation tool(questionnaire), and verify the model empirically by evaluating the MIS at a selected FET college. The supporting objectives were firstly, to identify the most appropriate MIS evaluation models from literature. Secondly, to propose a MIS evaluation model for FET colleges based on the literature. Thirdly, to develop the evaluation tool (questionnaire) based on these models. Fourthly, to capture and analyse data from one FET college, in order to evaluate the performance of the MIS at the college. The final supporting objective was to evaluate the proposed model by triangulating the findings from the survey with the findings from the interviews.Method: The proposed MIS evaluation model is based on the integration of three existing MIS evaluation models. The evaluation tool was developed by combining four empirically tested questionnaires that capture the constructs in the underlying models. A survey and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. The statistical tests for consistency, scale reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) and unidimensionality (Principal Component Analysis) were applied to explore the constructs in the model.Results: Results from the empirical testing of the newly designed evaluation tool were used to refine the initial model. The qualitative data capturing and analysis added value in explaining and contextualising the quantitative findings.Conclusion: The main contribution is the SA-FETMIS success model and evaluation tool which managers can use to evaluate the MIS at an educational institution. The novelty of the research lies in using a mixed methods approach where previous MIS success evaluation studies mainly used quantitative methods.

Centres of Excellence in the Context of Further Education and Training in South Africa

Since 1994 South African further education and training (FET) has undergone significant and fundamental changes. These changes include the transfer of colleges between state departments, curriculum revision, forced mergers and a shift in the student population. As a result of the growing interest in, and funding of, vocationally aligned education, education and training excellence models have permeated into the management portfolio of South Africa's FET. FET colleges (FETCs) have been faced with the emerging excellence discourses in the higher education and business sectors, as well as funding and accreditation linked motivators. How FETC managers have chosen to incorporate, or not to incorporate, centres of excellence (CoEs) into their organizational structures indicates both the difference in the application of CoE models to the sector compared with the higher education and business sectors and the way FETCs are managed in their volatile environment. This paper uses data initially gathered for a funded project aimed at identifying excellence indicators applicable to the FET sector, and a comparative content analysis of related publications and telephone interviews with senior staff responsible for innovation. The authors argue that higher education or business excellence models cannot be applied to the further education and training college environment; models need to be adapted to suit this specific type of environment.

FET college lecturers: the ‘devolving’ link in the South African skills development equation

National attention on the role of skills development has focused on the role of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in providing intermediate‐level education and training necessary to meet the South African national development challenge. In particular, attention has been focused on reorganisation and rationalisation of college structures: through infrastructural development using recapitalisation funds; by curriculum renewal; and by proposing to boost learner enrolment to more than a million learners by 2014. The changes presuppose that college lecturers, as key strategic players, are a well‐motivated and an effective component of the college system ready to take on these challenges. This paper considers that this may not necessarily be the case. Some attention has been paid to them in passing in the South African literature on FET colleges, and a report on ‘staffing challenges’ commissioned by the national department provided important information as to their form and composition. Very little consideration has, however, been paid to the implications of the latest legislation on FET colleges. This paper examines the origins and impacts of these latest policy proposals on college lecturers. It examines the legislation in light of the international evidence and proposes that the latest devolution of employment responsibility to governing bodies, although in line with international trends, is less likely to be a positive development.

Towards a leadership model for the effective management of Further Education and Training colleges

This article focuses on the need for a leadership model for the effective management of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in the Gauteng Province. The research was motivated by the call for sound leadership in FET colleges that are grappling with the challenges of merging. A literature study showed that the study of leadership is interdisciplinary, covering a vast terrain, which encompasses the political, corporate, educational and human service domains. In 1994 the South African government inherited a fragmented, segregated and bureaucratic education system providing poor quality education. The necessary reform of the FET sector has placed enormous pressure on FET college leadership. A qualitative approach was used for this study to provide explanations for a need for effective leadership models for FET colleges. A case study of a newly merged college was chosen by purposeful sampling, and data collected by means of document analysis, individual interviews and observation. The research concludes with recommendations and a proposed leadership model for effective management of FET colleges.