Browsing by Author "Junias, Kristofina"

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    Towards maximising curriculum relevance: a cultural-historical analysis of partnership between technical and vocational education and training and industry
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Junias, Kristofina; Le Grange, L. L. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) plans and designs Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curricula in collaboration with industry yet reports and studies revealed TVET programmes were irrelevant and not responding to industry needs. This dilemma prompted me to carry out this qualitative pragmatic inquiry aimed at strengthening partnership between TVET and industry to maximise curriculum relevance. The aim was achieved through uncovering problems and contradictions underlying TVET-industry partnership during curriculum planning and design phase and devising solutions. Human actions can only be understood within the context of an activity system. Thus, Engestrӧm’s third generation of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) was adopted as a methodological theory. To facilitate expansive learning, a CHAT-based formative intervention method, the change laboratory, was adopted as a research design. The change laboratory process was implemented at the Namibia Training Authority in the TVET standards division, a division responsible for planning and designing of TVET curricula. Participants included the TVET standards staff members and representatives from industry organisations namely, NCCI, NEF, CIF and NUNW. Documents, interviews, and observation data-collection instruments were used to collect preliminary data for the change laboratory process. Data from documents, interviews and observations were analysed by means of narrative analysis, thematic analysis, and descriptive analysis respectively before subjected to further analysis during the change laboratory process. Due to time constraints, the costs involved, and the nature of solutions generated, only four steps of expansive learning cycle were completed in this study: questioning, analysis, modelling and examining the model. The study revealed that partnership between TVET and industry at curriculum planning and design phase is challenged by lack of interest by industry to participate; miscommunication between TVET and industry; selection of partners based on familiarity; industry skills committee members lack expertise; standards and curriculum coordinators lack information about industries; minimal participation by some industry expert practitioners during the planning and designing sessions; industry representative organisations are aloof and distant in the TVET curriculum planning and designing process; and the bureaucratic process of appointing industry expert practitioners. The challenges were analysed to reveal their systemic causes, which took forms of primary and secondary contradictions. The study revealed that lack of interest by industry is owed to lack of implementation of their input by NTA and NTA not creating awareness among industry and communicating changes within the TVET system. Language used by NTA is not reader friendly hence misinterpretation of letters of invitation and expressions of interest by industry. Selection of partners based on familiarity is caused by financial incentives given to partners and lack of control measures to mitigate this bias. Industry skills committee members lacked expertise due to the composition of the committees not representing all industry sub-sectors and misinterpretation of selection criteria by ISC secretariat. Lack of an integrated data system in the country led to TVET Standards and Curriculum Coordinators finding it difficult to locate information about industries. The partnership between TVET and industry was described as uncoordinated and unstructured; this meant that industry representative organisations were unaware of their roles in ensuring representation of their members. To strengthen the TVET-industry partnership and maximise curriculum relevance, participants devised solutions to resolve underlying contradictions and dilemmas. Participants introduced new tools, made changes to rules and division of labour elements of the activity systems. Gaining back the trust and interest of industry was seen as a prerequisite to re-establishing strong partnerships through continuous engagement between TVET (NTA). Industry representative organisations should be at centre of the partnership as the voice of industries, and act as a bridge between industries and TVET. National industry stakeholder consultation should adopt different approaches such as boardroom set up, online fora, dissemination of information through various media and channels. Participants clearly indicated that the current structure of the ISC needs an overhaul. Even regulated partnerships can be impaired. The study demonstrated hope for change as embodied in the transformative agency developed among participants. The study sought to find solutions to a local problem; the implication is that education-industry partnerships are context-bound, so any country aiming at strengthening collaboration between education and industry should consider the relevant contexts. Adopting a framework from outside may not work because of the different socio-economic structures.