Enablements and constraints of articulation arrangements and agreements between technical and vocational education and training colleges and one Comprehensive University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Mantashe, Lunga Xolisa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1711-8358
- Date: 2020-01
- Subjects: Articulation (Education) , Technical education , Vocational education
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21624 , vital:51736
- Description: This study explored enablements and constraints of Articulation Arrangements and Agreements (AAAs) between Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVETs) and one Comprehensive University (CU) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The constructs of structure, culture, and agency as propounded by Margaret Archer were employed as the theoretical lens of the study. Each of Archer’s constructs is independent and their dynamic interplay has causal influence on whether AAAs are facilitated or hindered. A qualitative single embedded case study design was applied, owing to the interpretivist paradigm the research chose. To this end, seven participants were purposively chosen and interviewed, and two university documents were analyzed, namely the draft University Articulation Guidelines (UAGs) and the university general prospectus. It was found that there were no formal, written, or even verbal TVET-CU agreements. Articulation happened on an ad hoc basis. The change of role-players in the institutional role array played a role in the non-existence and collapse of AAAs. On admissions, challenges included disparate requirements between National Senior Certificate and National Certificate Vocational. Nevertheless, articulation-enabling practices manifested themselves in the credit transfer decisions of participants. However, the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component of a TVET national diploma programme enjoyed no parity with non-TVET and university cosrordinated experiential learning in some departments. In addition, there were nuanced views over the (inherent) value of WIL which affected its ultimate treatment. Finally, the study found that though TVET-university national diploma programmes were somewhat similar and enabled AAAs, they were still misaligned at the level of design and interface, resulting in duplication of content, waste of time, and state resources. The university also did not have TVET programmes in mind in the design and review of programmes. The researcher deduced a conceptual framework for understanding and explaining how and why TVET-university AAAs succeed or fail. The framework touts the importance of having knowledgeable, articulation- cultured and acculturated leadership and officials (responsible for admissions, credit transfer, and RPL) as crucial for exploiting structural enablements and creatively circumventing inherent structural constraints, including challenging subtle ideas which may wittingly or unwittingly harbor views of TVET programmes as inferior. To this end, it is suggested that there be an establishment of an articulation office to coordinate AAAs that take a form of a hybrid model whereby there would be a combination of multilateral, direct in-house, and franchise TVET-CCU AAAs. The framework should also resolve programme design alignment issues by incorporating CAT and RPL principles, including other articulation instruments during curriculum analysis. RPL should equally be applied in the treatment of TVET WIL. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-01
Improving technological entrepreneurship of first-year students at universities
- Authors: Khohliso, Sylvester Mziwonke
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Technological innovations -- Economic aspects , Entrepreneurship , Technical education , Business enterprises -- Technological innovations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6476 , vital:21095
- Description: A challenge facing higher education institutions is the level of technological entrepreneurship of first-year students in the field of technological programmes. This challenge has put pressure on management of higher education institutions to introduce an entrepreneurial mindset and encourage innovation. According to Development Policy Research Unit (2007:18), 23 percent of students choose qualifications mainly for the employment opportunities. According to Shein, Crous, and Schepers (2010:1), not only in growing economies such as South Africa‟s, entrepreneurship contributes to a national growth and contributes to job creation. Shein, et al. (2010:1), further claim that recent studies have shown a shift towards studying entrepreneurship in an attempt to uncover its fundamentals and its importance in adding to the well-being of the country.
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- Date Issued: 2013