Lecturers’ experiences of the implementation of the National Certificate (Vocational) in technical vocational education and training colleges in South Africa

Abstract

The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in South Africa has undergone transformation. This includes the introduction of the National Certificate (Vocational) [NC (V)]. The literature on curriculum development and on the TVET college sector in South Africa informed a qualitative inquiry into the lecturers’ experiences of the implementation of the NC (V). The research site was the Tshwane South TVET College, Gauteng Province. Data were gathered by means of individual and focus group interviews with the Campus Manager, four Divisional Heads, and seven lecturers, selected by means of purposeful sampling. The findings were organised around the following key themes, namely the limited participation of the lecturers in curriculum design, the effectiveness of curriculum dissemination, the lecturers’ participation in curriculum review, their perceptions of the NC(V) entry level requirements, the NC(V)’s positioning on the NQF, assessment in the NC(V), the fit between the lecturers’ qualifications and the curriculum, the lecturers’ capacity-building, and finally, their perceptions of the involvement of the industry in the NC(V).