Lecturers’ experiences in the implementation of the National Certificate (Vocational) Engineering curriculum in a selected Technical Vocational Education and Training college

Abstract

South Africa is facing a challenge regarding the shortage of South African (SA) engineers. The National Certificate (Vocational) (NC(V)) was introduced by Department of Education (DoE) in 2007 to address this challenge. However, there has been a cry and dissatisfaction from the government, industry, community and other stakeholders that NC(V) engineering curriculum is not addressing the shortage of engineers. SA has one engineer per 2 600 people compared to international norms, where one engineer serves 40 people. It has been ten years since the introduction of NC(V) curriculum, SA should not be in this state of importing engineers if the NC(V) engineering is achieving the goals of National Development Plan 2030. Since lecturers are the implementers of the NC(V) engineering curriculum, it was necessary to investigate their experiences in search for improvement of the curriculum and to find out the challenges facing lecturers which are hindering the success of this curriculum. Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and a Head of Department (HoD) as the primary implementers of the engineering curriculum were involved in the study as participants. There were 15 participants for this study who are lecturing in one selected college but at two different campuses which is why the qualitative research approach was employed, making use of a multiple case study. They took part in semi-structured individual interviews and shared their experiences with the researcher. Their experiences revealed that lecturers are experiencing challenges with the implementation of NC(V) engineering curriculum. Their main challenge was the minimum requirement, which is a Grade 9 pass. Their concern was that no matter what they try, a learner who has not mastered Mathematics up to Grade 12 will struggle with engineering subjects. Emanating from this challenge, low attendance rate, low pass rate, low throughput rate and high drop-out rate is experienced by participants every year. One of the aims of the Transformative Learning Theory (used as one of the theories in the theoretical framework) is to allow lecturers to identify challenges and design improvement plans on their own. This study has indicated that Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges have challenges that are hindering teaching and learning. It was evident that some lecturers believe that government officials should resolve such challenges. However, on engaging with different lecturers they realised that they have the capacity to address classroom-based challenges. If this can be the case in every college, teaching and learning will improve because that will mean lecturers are focusing on teaching and learning and taking ownership of their subjects and students. The governance challenges, such as reviewing the NC(V) curriculum yearly, provide subject specific training to upskill lecturers and implementing Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in the professional development of lecturers were recommended to be addressed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

INingizimu Afrika ibhekene nenselelo mayelana nokusweleka konjiniyela. Uhlelo lwemfundo iNational Certificate (Vocational) (NC(V)) lwethulwa wuMnyango wezeMfundo ngonyaka ka 2007 ukuze uxazulule le nkinga. Yize-kunjalo kuye kwaba khona ukungagculiseki ngasohlangothini lukahulumeni, lwezimboni, lomphakathi kanye nakwezinye izinhlaka ezidlala indima yenkinga yokuntuleka konjiniyela. INingizimu Afrika (SA) inonjiniyela oyedwa kubantu abayi 2 600 uma iqhathaniswa nezinga lomhlaba lokuthi unjiniyela oyedwa kufanele ibhekane nabantu abayi 40. Sekudlule iminyaka eyishumi selokhu kwethulwa lezi zinhlelo, ngakho-ke, iSA akufanele izithole isesimeni sokudinga onjiniyela abavela ngaphandle uma ngabe izinhlelo ezikhona ziyanceda ekufinyeleleni izimpokophelo zoHlelo lwezokuThuthukisa iZwe National Development Plan 2030. Njengoba abafundisi bangabaqhubi bezinhlelo zobunjiniyela, phecelezi NC(V), nokho sasikhona isidingo sokuphenya lokho abahlangabezana nakho ukuze kuthuthukiswe izinhlelo futhi kuvunjululwe izinselele ezibhekene nabafundisi, okuyizinselele ezikhinyabeza impumelelo yalezi zinhlelo. Abafundisi, abafundisi abaphezulu kanye neziNhloko zoMnyango Head of Department (HoD) njengabaqhubi bokuqala bezinhlelo bebebambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo. Abadlalindima abayi 15 bebefundisa kwikholeji ekhethiwe, kodwa emagatsheni amabili ehlukene, lokho okwenza isizathu kusetshenziswe uhlelo locwaningo oluzinze kwizingxoxo, ngokusebenzisa izinhlobonhlobo zocwaningo lotho. Kwenziwe izinhlolovo ezimbaxambili zocwaningo kanti abadlalindima bavezele umcwaningi ulwazi lwabo. Baye baveza ukuthi behlangabezene nezingqinamba uma besebenzisa izinhlelo zobunjiniyela NC(V). Inselele enkulu abahlangabezene nayo kuye kwaba yisidingo sokuphumelela uGreyidi 9. Inkinga enkulu yabo ukuthi bethi bezama ngamandla kulokho abakwenzayo, umfundi owehluleke esifundweni seMethamethiki ukufikela kuGreyidi 12 uzohlangabezana nobunzima ukuze aphumelele ezifundweni zobunjiniyela. Okubhebhethekiswa yile nselele, yizinga eliphansi labafundi abahambela lesi sifundo, izinga eliphansi labafundi abaphumelelayo kanye nezinga eliphezulu labafundi abayeka ukufunda njalo nje ngonyaka. Enye yezinhloso zethiyori yemfundo eguqulayo (used as one of the theories in the theoretical framework) ukuvumela abafundisi ukuba bakwazi ukubona izinselele futhi badizayine izinhlelo zokuzithuthukisa ngokwabo. Lolu cwaningo luye lwaveza ukuthi amakholeji. Phecelezi Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges ahlangabezene nezinselele eziphazamisa uhlelo lokufunda nokufundisa. Kuye kwacaca ukuthi abanye abafundisi babekholelwa ekutheni abasebenzi bakahulumeni kufanele baxazulule izinselele ezinjengazo lezi. Yize-kunjalo, ngemuva kokuxoxisana nabafundisi abahlukahlukene, baye bazwisisa ukuthi banamandla okuqeda izinselele ezisemagunjini okufunda. Uma ngabe lokhu kuyenzeka ngempela kuwo wonke amakholeji, ngakho-ke uhlelo lokufunda nokufundisa luzothuthuka ngoba lokho kuzochaza ukuthi abafundisi bagxile ohlelweni lokufunda nokufundisa kanti ngokunjalo baba yibo abalawula izifundo kanye nabafundi babo. Izinselele zokuphatha, ezinjengokubuyekezwa kohlelo lwemfundo, phecelezi NC(V) njalo nje ngonyaka, lunikeza ukuqeqeshwa okuthile okuthuthukisa abafundisi. Ukulandela uhlelo lwemfundo oluhlangene nomsebenzi olumayelana nokuthuthukiswa ngokomsebenzi wabafundisi kuyinto enconywe ukuba ilungiswe uMnyango weMfundo ePhakeme kanye nokuQeqeshwa (Department of Higher Education and Training).

ʼn Tekort aan ambagslui staar Suid-Afrika in die gesig. Om hierdie rede het die Departement van Onderwys in 2007 die Nasionale Sertifikaat (Beroepsgerig) (NS(B)) ingestel. Tot die ontevredenheid van die regering, die bedryf, die gemeenskap en ander belanghebbendes vul hierdie kurrikulum nie die tekort aan nie. In Suid-Afrika is daar een ambagspersoon vir elke 2 600 mense teenoor die internasionale norm van een ambagspersoon per 40 mense. Hierdie kurrikulum is meer as tien jaar gelede ingestel en SA moet tans ambagslui invoer. Die oogmerke van die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan 2030 word dus nie verwesenlik nie. Aangesien dosente die NS(B) kurrikulum vir werktuigkundiges implementeer, moes hulle belewenisse ondersoek en hulle probleme bepaal word om die kurrikulum te verbeter. Dosente, senior dosente en departementshoofde, as die implementeerders van hierdie kurrikulum, het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die 15 deelnemers is verbonde aan een kollege wat twee kampusse het. Daarom is ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gevolg en ʼn veelvuldige gevallestudie gebruik. ʼn Halfgestruktureerde onderhoud is met elke deelnemer gevoer. Uit die onderhoude blyk dat dosente moeite met die implementering van die NS(B) kurrikulum ondervind. Die grootste struikelblok is die minimumvereiste van Graad 9. Al doen hulle ook wat, ʼn leerder wat nie Graad 12-wiskunde geslaag het nie, sal tegniese vakke nie kan bemeester nie. Afgesien hiervan is die bywonings- en slaagsyfer sowel as die omset jaar na jaar laag en die uitsaksyfer hoog. Die transformatiewe leerteorie is deel van die teoretiese raamwerk. Die oogmerk hiervan is dat dosente self probleme aantoon en met verbeteringsplanne kom. In hierdie studie is bevind dat kolleges vir tegniese beroepsgerigte onderwys en opleiding (TBOO) met probleme te kampe het wat onderrig en leer belemmer. Sommige dosente is van mening dat staatsamptenare hierdie probleme moet oplos. Ná gesprekke het talle dosente egter besef dat hulle oor die vermoë beskik om self hulle klaskamerprobleme op te los. As dit van alle kolleges waar is, sal onderrig en leer verbeter omdat dosente hulle op onderrig en leer sal toespits en vir hulle vakke en studente verantwoordelik sal wees. Vakopleiding word gegee om aan bestuursprobleme, soos die jaarlikse hersiening van die NS(B)-leerplan, die hoof te bied. Daar word aanbeveel dat die Departement van Hoër Onderwys en Opleiding toesien dat werkgeïntegreerde leer deel uitmaak van dosente se professionele ontwikkeling.