Primary health care students’ experiences of vocational subjects at a TVET college in Gauteng

Abstract

This study explored Primary Health Care (PHC) students’ experiences in vocational subjects in a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college to determine whether the vocational subjects offered prepared students for future employability. It also determined whether the curriculum's goals and objectives in vocational subjects had been met and if the curriculum offered for vocational subjects was relevant and responsive to the needs of the current economy. South Africa’s shift to democracy in 1994 came with expectations of a marketplace improvement from the economic decrease suffered under the apartheid era (Terblanche, 2017). The newly democratic government selected the (TVET) sector as suitable for Vocational Education and Training (VET) skills for South Africans. Currently, many graduates still struggle to find occupation in PHC. This prompted the researcher to explore students' experiences in the vocational subjects of Primary Health Care at a TVET college in order to understand why there were limited employment in the field of PHC for graduates at this college. The case study research design was used in this study, which was based on the qualitative approach. To capture the participants' experiences on the relevance of vocational subjects at a TVET college, semi-structured, and focus group interviews were conducted. The data was analysed and results revealed a few main themes: the relevance of the PHC course; a curriculum that is more theoretical than practical; the TVET PHC qualification not being recognised by the industry market; lack of interactive and simulated learning; students’ employability as dependent on the skill acquired and labour market requirements, and TVET college promises of practical activities that are not realised. The study's findings indicated that students experienced TVET curricula in their vocational subjects and there is still a lack of vocational practice that should be improved in order to align them with the needs, demands, and expectations of the market and industry. It is hoped that the recommendations derived from the study's findings will be used by curriculum designers and implementers to improve the standard of the TVET college’s vocational subjects for Primary Health Care in the country in order to achieve relevance and responsiveness to students’ future employment.

Thutopatlisiso eno e tlhotlhomisitse maitemogelo a baithuti ba Tlhokomelo ya Ntlha ya Boitekanelo (PHC) mo dithutong tsa paakanyetsotiro tse di neelwang kwa kholetsheng ya Thuto le Katiso ya Paakanyetsotiro ya Setegeniki (TVET) go bona gore a dithuto tsa paakanyetsotiro di siamisetsa baithuti gore ba kgone go thapega mo isagong. Gape e tlhotlhomisitse gore a go fitlhelelwa maikemisetso a kharikhulamo le maitlhomo a dithuto tsa paakanyetsotiro le gore a kharikhulamo ya dithuto tsa paakanyetsotiro e maleba e bile e tsibogela ditlhokego tsa ikonomi tsa ga jaana. Go fetogela mo demokerasing ga Aforikaborwa ka 1994 go tlile ka ditsholofelo tsa gore mebaraka e tokafale go latela kwelotlase ya ikonomi e e neng ya itemogelwa ka nako ya tlhaolele (Terblanche, 2017). Puso e ntshwa ya temokerasi e e tlhophilweng e ne ya tlhopha lephata la TVET jaaka le le maleba go tlamela MaAforikaborwa ka Thuto le Katiso ya Paakanyetsotiro (VET). Fela gompieno dialogane tse dintsi di sa ntse di sokola go bona tiro mo PHC. Mmatlisisi o tlhotlhomisitse maitemogelo a baithuti mo dithutong tsa paakanyetsotiro tse di amanang le Tlhokomelo ya Ntlha ya Boitekanelo kwa kholetsheng ya TVET gore a tlhaloganye lebaka le le dirang gore go bo go thapiwa baithuti ba se kae fela ba kholetshe eno mo lephateng la PHC . Go dirisitswe thadiso ya patlisiso ya tobiso e e theilweng mo molebong wa khwalitatifi mo thupatlisisong eno. Go dirilwe dikopanotherisano tsa seka-thulaganyo le tsa ditlhophapuisano go bona maitemogelo a bannileseabe malebana le bomaleba jwa dithuto tsa paakanyetsotiro kwa kholetsheng ya TVET. Go ne ga lokololwa data mme morago ga moo ga tlhagelela mereromegolo e e latelang go tswa mo dipholong: bomaleba jwa khoso ya PHC; kharikhulamo e e tletseng tiori go na le tiriso; borutegi jwa PHC ya TVET jo bo sa tseweng tsia mo indasetering; tlhokego ya ithuto e e nang le tirisano le ketsiso; go ikaega ga go thapega ga baithuti mo dikgonong tse di bonweng le ditlhokego tsa mmaraka wa ditiro; le ditsholofetso tsa kholetshe ya TVET tse di sa fitlhelelwang tsa ditirwana tsa go diragatsa. Diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso di supa gore baithuti ba itemogetse kharikhulamo ya TVET mo dithutong tsa paakanyetsotiro tse di neng di totile tiori mme go sa ntse go na le tlhaelo ya tiragatso ya paakanyetsotiro, e leng se se tlhokang go tokafadiwa go lepalepanya dithuto tsa paakanyetsotiro le ditlhokego, ditopo le ditsholofelo tsa mmaraka le indaseteri. Go solofelwa gore bakwadi ba kharikhulamo le ba ba e tsenyang tirisong ba tlaa dirisa dikatlenegiso tse di tswang mo diphitlhelelong go tokafatsa maemo a dithuto tsa paakanyetsotiro tsa Tlhokomelo ya Ntlha ya Boitekanelo tsa dikholetshe tsa TVET mo nageng gore go netefadiwe gore dithuto tseno di maleba mme di tsibogela ditlhokego tsa ikonomi le go oketsa go thapega ga baithuti.

Lolu cwaningo belubheka ulwazi lwabafundi oluphathelene Nokunakekelwa Okuyisisekelo Kwezempilo be-Primary Health Care (PHC) ezifundweni zemisebenzi yezandla ezifundiswa ekolishi leTechnical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ukuze kutholakale ukuthi izifundo zemisebenzi yezandla ziyabalungiselela yini abafundi ukuqashwa esikhathini esizayo. Iphinde yahlola ukuthi ingabe izinhloso zekharikhulamu kanye nezinjongo zezifundo zemisebenzi yezandla ziyafinyelelwa yini nokuthi ngabe ikharikhulamu yezifundo zemisebenzi yezandla ibalulekile yini futhi iyahambisana nezidingo zomnotho wamanje. Ukushintshela kweNingizimu Afrika entandweni yeningi ngonyaka we-1994 kwafika nokulindelwe kuyintuthuko yemakethe kulandela ukwehla komnotho okwenzeka ngesikhathi sobandlululo (i-Terblanche, 2017). Uhulumeni wentando yeningi osanda kukhethwa ukhethe umkhakha (i-TVET) njengofanele ukuhlinzeka abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ngeMfundo Nokuqeqeshwa Kwezandla (MKK). Kodwa-ke, namuhla, abaningi abathweswe iziqu basazabalaza ukuthola umsebenzi wo-NOK. Umcwaningi ucubungule ulwazi lwabafundi ezifundweni zemisebenzi ehlobene Nokunakekelwa Okuyisisekelo Kwezempilo ekolishi le-TVET ukuze aqonde ukuthi kungani kunomsebenzi omncane emkhakheni we-NOK wabafundi bakuleli kolishi. Kulolu cwaningo kusetshenziswe idizayini yocwaningo lwesigameko, eyayisekelwe phezu kwendlela yesimo. Izingxoxo ezakhiwe ngokungagcwele kanye nezamaqembu zenziwa ukuze kuthathwe ulwazi lwabahlanganyeli mayelana nokufaneleka kwezifundo zemisebenzi yezandla ekolishi le-TVET. Idatha yahlaziywa, okwathi ngemuva kwalokho kwavela izingqikithi ezilandelayo emiphumeleni: ukubaluleka kwesifundo se-NOK; ikharikhulamu enethiyori kakhulu kunento eyenziwayo; Iziqu ze-TVET NOK ezingaqashelwa yimboni; ukuntuleka kokufunda okusebenzisanayo nokulingiswayo; ukuncika kokuqashwa kwabafundi kumakhono atholakele kanye nezidingo zemakethe yezabasebenzi; kanye nezithembiso ezingafezeki zemisebenzi eyenziwa yikolishi le-TVET. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kukhomba ukuthi abafundi bathole ikharikhulamu ye-TVET ezifundweni zabo zemisebenzi egxile kakhulu kuthiyori futhi kusenokuntuleka kokwenza umsebenzi okufanele kuthuthukiswe ukuze izifundo zemisebenzi zihambisane nezidingo, izimfuno, kanye nokulindelwe imakethe kanye nemboni. Kwethenjwa ukuthi izincomo ezisuselwe kulokhu okutholakele zizosetshenziswa abaklami bohlelo lwezifundo kanye nabaluqhubayo ukwenza ngcono izinga lezifundo zemisebenzi yezandla zamakolishi ama-TVET kokuNakekelwa Okuyisiskelo Kwezempilo ezweni ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi lezi zifundo zifanelekile futhi zihambisana nezidingo zomnotho kanye nokukhuthaza ukuqashwa kwabafundi.