This study aimed at determining the factors that significantly impact on the implementation rate of open learning in the South African TVET college sector. Despite government’s visionary papers and open learning policy framework, TVET colleges in South Africa have been slow in following international trends. Pre-COVID19, only a handful of the 50 public TVET colleges had even ventured into the idea of multi-modal, or any teaching mode, other than the traditional classroom. The methodological and analytical lens of the study is two-fold. The Critical Theory in Education (CTE) and the Stakeholder Theory that depicts the interests of the different stakeholder groups within the Higher Education band and their expectations towards the activities of TVET colleges. Case study, a qualitative research design, was utilized in the study. Semi-structured interviews with top key decision makers in the Department of Higher Education and Training, as well as open learning champions on institutional level, were used as data collection tools. The interview data was analysed using descriptive and content analysis, and themes were obtained. The findings are brought into terms with the theoretical framework and potential catalysts are suggested. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria 2020. / pt2021 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

This research offers an essential enlightenment for a better understanding towards the significance to establish the Center of Excellence for Technical Vocational Education and Training (CoE for TVET), especially in vocational education. It analyzes and synthesizes the data from the existing academic and commercial sources based on the fact that, in most cases, “excellence” is referred to as a foundation term for competitions. Many entities being recognized as or perceived by target audiences in business conduct as “excellent”, are generally “abstract”. In practice, there are only a few entities actually worthy of a true “excellence” judging by appropriate criteria—having “concrete” evidence of activities and components. Exemplifying an existing Center of Excellence would promote a better understanding both in terms of definition and its characteristics. The researcher focuses on conducting comparative research that combines with qualitative and case studies, with an important goal of acquiring 'new definition, new knowledge and specialized practical guidelines related to the CoE for TVET', and to invent a set of practices that will lead to answering of these key questions: • What is 'CoE for TVET'? How many types are they of ? • How is it currently recognized for the 'CoE in TVET' ? • What approaches should be taken to promote a better understanding of definitions, classification, and operations of “a COE in TVET?” This is to provide in-depth research that can be beneficial to the public and visualized clearly worldwide. As per the mentioned aims, comparative case studies between different countries are required. There are neither much studies in the world which clearly proposed the definition; the identification and the demonstration of the applied practical guidelines nor in the dimension of excellence of TVET education management because all that exists are the context of excellence in business and nor in education sector that are often referred particularly to the level of Higher Education and that the basic education cannot be applied to TVET because of its being of different context. In each topic, the researcher clarified points of information including the perception, access, and maintenance of excellence. There shall be further discussion on the classification of all globally existing centers of excellence which is based on perception, presentation, and public understanding in conclusion. Once the foregoing section has been thoroughly accomplished, the next step is accessing the process and techniques of pursuing elements and characteristics that CoE in TVET at least should have by relying on techniques and principles called “Benchmarking+USP” that the researcher has developed recently based on the understanding that 'Apart from being superior to general standard and quality, that is, - no ordinary - ; having a status of excellence, the center of excellence, no matter operating or providing services in any regards, must have a unique identity and distinctiveness that should be as close as possible to -the top-notch – in that particular area.' To be an example case, the researcher had selected the 'Benching Partner' which is recognized for achieving excellence in service providing and educational management in the field of TVET: GTDEE and TGPES, as the answer of the research items that say: • How will there be techniques or processes in the pursuit of components, attributes that indicate the status of excellence of TVET CoE? • Are there any examples of centers of excellence or comparable organizations existing in Thailand? And how do those organizations have the required elements and characteristics of excellence? The final essence, therefore, is studying and striving for the needs in various dimensions regarding the establishment of the Center of excellence in TVET that is able to response to the demands of society for teaching and learning management of the Thai vocational education sector in the points of view of the sample groups --the direct stakeholders--, thus leading to answering the question in the endmost part of the research, that is: In what dimension does Thailand need TVET Center of Excellence? These will be beneficial suggestion to the relevant sectors in Thailand or those wishing to learn, study extensively on the basis of substantial findings delivered by this research.:Tabel of contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Dedication vi Table of contents vii List of Figures xi List of Tables xii List of Abbreviations xiii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Background and Importance 1 1.2 Definition of Excellence 1 1.3 Thailand's vocational education policies in the direction of excellence development 6 1.4 Research Question 11 1.5 Hypotheses 12 1.6 Purpose of research 13 1.7 Method and Scope of the Research 14 Chapter 2: Quality - Matters behind the scenes of excellence for vocational education 16 2.1 Definition and dimension of quality in the VET sector 16 2.2 “Quality” an impact factor of excellence in VET 19 2.3 Quality approaches: Strategies to improve excellence status 23 2.3.1 The Juran Quality Trilogy: Basic architect of Quality Management 24 2.3.2 Approaches to quality and quality objectives 25 Chapter 3: Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) 32 3.1 How to understand the characteristics and definition of “CoVE” ? 32 3.2 Classic Excellence Approaches 36 3.3 Modern Excellence Approach and Education: EFQM – MBNQ 39 3.4 SEM &TVET Excellence Journey: The Singapore Experience 41 3.4.1 EFQM- MBNQA: The Foundation of the School Excellence Model 41 3.4.2 TVET Excellence Journey 43 Chapter 4: Conceptual Innovation: The Basic Approach to Establishing TVET-CoE Using Benchmarking+UPS 49 4.1 Level Analysis - Policy Examining: First Things to be Aware and Considered 50 4.2 Benchmarking: Learn from other sources, seek Best Practices, and adapt for excellence 53 4.2.1 Popularity and Definition 53 4.2.2 Type and scope 56 4.2.3 The benchmarking process: The Xerox way 57 4.3 Innovative concept: Establising TVET CoE based on excellence using Benchmarking+USP 61 4.3.1 Benchmarking and Vocational Development 61 4.3.2 Input, process and output/outcome: Benchmarking indicators 62 4.3.3 Outputs, outcomes and impacts: “The results chain in modern system” 64 4.3.4 Combining UPS and Benchmarking for TVET CoE under Blue Ocean 67 Chapter 5: Comparative case studies via adaptation of benchmarking technique to identify excellence based on scientific approach 70 5.1 Introduction: Principles of Case Studies Consideration 70 5.2 Analysis: Dual system, a new issue in Thailand - Why GTDEE? 72 5.2.1 Agricultural era and the advent of “Dual system” 72 5.2.2 Factory in school: Utilizing as a makeshift until deep-rooted and falling off from the ideal 74 5.2.3 Subsequent problems of practice that falls off the frame 75 5.2.4 What GTDEE show? - Pull the consciousness of the Thai vocational to look at the original “Dual system” 77 5.3 The application of Benchmarking+USP techniques to pursue unique excellence between GTDEE and TGPES 81 5.3.1 Scope and Basic norms of conducting the study 81 5.3.2 Enter the process of Benchmarking+USP 82 Chapter 6: Benchmarking+USP results conducted through information and views from executives of Benching Partner 91 6.1 Preliminary data and comments of Benching Partner about “TVET Excellence” 91 6.1.1 Personal information of the representatives of Benching Partner 91 6.1.2 Basic understanding of Excellence and Centres of Excellence 92 6.1.3 Awareness, experience, perspective and understanding of CoE for TVET 93 6.1.4 Suggestions and others 95 6.2 Results of exercising Benchmarking+USP based on the designed templates 96 6.3 SWOT analysis: a summary of the results of Benchmarking+USP to pursue excellence 105 6.3.1 Strengths 105 6.3.2 Opportunities 107 6.3.3 Weaknesses 108 6.3.4 Threats 109 Chapter 7: Understanding and demands for the CoE for TVET in Thailand: A case study from a sample group of 102 stakeholders 113 7.1 Introduction 113 7.2 The statistics used in the research and testing of the hypothesis 115 7.3 Personal information and basic information 116 7.4 Basic understanding of Excellence and Centres of Excellence 119 7.5 Awareness, experience, perspective and understanding of CoE for TVET 127 7.6 Suggestions and others 132 Chapter 8: Summary of body of knowledge and Suggestions 137 8.1 Understanding Excellence, CoE and CoE in TVET 137 8.1.1 Definition of excellence and CoE 137 8.1.2 SEM &TVET Excellence Journey: The Singapore Experience 139 8.2 Classification of definition by type and characteristics of “CoE for TVET” 140 8.3 Utilization Techniques and Guidelines for Benchmarking+USP within BOS in Identifying Distinct Excellence for CoEs in TVET 142 8.4 Examples of characteristics of excellence of the TVET CoE in Thailand 145 8.5.1 Factors making contribution to enhance journey toward organizational excellence 146 8.5.2 Perspectives on the mission of CoF for TVET 147 8.5.3 Demand for CoE of TVET in Thailand based-on the opinions of the sample groups 148 References 150 Internet sources 158 Appendix I: Benchmarking+USP templates 159 Appendix II: Questionnaire 176

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is an indispensable part of the educational system that sustains significant responsibilities in creating sophisticated, high-skilled, and application-oriented talents and their comprehensive moral development. TVET metal cutting and welding teachers' learning in the workplace is a practice-based, complex cross-integration process of teachers' knowledge growth, competence acquisition, and professional development that links actual work processes and on-the-job activities. Workplace learning is undergoing a shift from a focus on teacher knowledge, expertise, and teaching methods, to an increasing focus on promoting instructional improvements centred on “student learning” (Imants & Van Veen, 2010). This research uses qualitative research methods to explore teachers' real and complex learning and development conditions, enrich the existing theoretical system of teachers' professional learning in the field of TVET metal cutting and welding based on actual work situations, and further deepen these teachers' professional development awareness. This study, which employs reflection level theory (Hartmann, 2005), situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991), action learning theory (Revans, 1982; 1998), and constructivism (Brooks & Brooks, 1999; Vygotsky & Cole, 1978; Piaget, 1970) as theoretical underpinnings, is guided by the following research questions: • What learning activities do TVET metal cutting and welding teachers utilize to learn in the workplace? • What factors (e.g., personal characteristics, working conditions) positively influence or restrict the involvement of TVET metal cutting and welding teachers in workplace learning? • What learning outcomes do TVET metal cutting and welding teachers perceive as professional development? Fourteen Chinese TVET instructors in the field of metal cutting and welding participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews, observations, and documentary material were chosen as the main strategies for collecting data. Hartmann's (2005) “the theory and methods of reflection levels” and Creswell's (2012) “six interrelated steps” (p.261) are utilized to guide the process of organizing, transforming, modelling, and interpreting data collected from these 14 teachers. Research Findings encompass three parts: Research Findings - Part I Based on qualitative data, the research findings (Part I) indicate that the main workplace learning activities of TVET metal cutting and welding teachers include four dimensions: learning by doing, learning through work-related interactions with others, reflection, and learning from media. The dimension of 'learning by doing' covers practical enterprise activities, participating in the staff group's skill competition, self-directed learning activities during lesson planning, the training and practice, using cloud-based teaching platforms, writing teaching journal/teaching logs, learning by teaching and experimentation, participation in the development and evaluation of curriculum implementation standards, involvement in school-based curriculum development. The dimension of 'learning through work-related interactions with others' encompasses lesson observation, collaborative group study, learning from experts, colleagues, trainees, etc. The dimension of 'reflection' involves teaching experience reflection and feedback reflection. The dimension of 'learning from media' encompasses viewing industrial documentaries, reading industry news, watching TV programs related to the teaching subjects, etc. Research Findings - Part II The research findings (Part II) show that the main factors influencing the workplace learning of TVET metal cutting and welding teachers include facilitating and constraining factors. The facilitating factors encompass career advancement, adequate learning resources, harmonious interpersonal relationships, occupational identity or professional self-identity, cooperative learning environments, and intrinsic motivation for the learning. The constraining factors cover teachers' heavy workloads, lack of time, insufficient school support, and the shortage of school facilities and equipment. Research Findings - Part III The research findings (part III) indicate that the outcomes of TVET metal cutting and welding teachers' workplace learning include three dimensions: accumulation of knowledge, competence enhancement, and emotional or attitudinal changes. The 'accumulation of knowledge' dimension covers educational theory, subject knowledge, teaching methods, and student psychology. The 'emotional or attitudinal change' dimension encompasses items like a greater love for the teaching profession and being more open-minded. The dimension of 'competence enhancement' involves class management, instructional design and overall teaching skills, practical operation ability, collaborative communication skills, teaching evaluation skills, reflection skills, analytical competence, lifelong learning ability, resource integration capability, etc.

D. Tech. (Business, Faculty of Management Sciences) Vaal University of Technology / The purpose of this study was to develop strategies to improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Swaziland. It has been 68 years since the TVET education was introduced in the country, but it has slowly been coming forth, especially in providing for the needs of society and industry. For this reason, the researcher wanted to find out what could be delaying the progress of the TVET system by developing some strategies to improve this aspect of training. The fundamental research questions were based on the strategies that could be developed to improve the TVET system in Swaziland and the importance of ensuring pre-service and in-service training for special target groups. It was worth mentioning that since the TVET policy had been officially launched and implemented, different stakeholders who would be expected to fully support and understand what the policy entails would recognise its functions. The policy states that skills training should be introduced in the school system at the earlier years of starting the school system to create awareness and love for various skills at an early age. In addition, it is imperative that the country give priority to the TVET versus the academic education as it had been proved through the unemployment rate that the jobs are actually shrinking whilst the work in the market is in abundance. Hence, there was a need to strategise methods of successfully implementing the TVET policy in order to benefit the government’s efforts in the aims and objectives set in the policy The study aimed at examining the challenges faced by the country in implementing the policy so that it could effectively address the TVET education in the most positive and successful manner. The main findings form part of the important basis of the study by providing evidence of research phenomenon that it is anticipated to denote. The findings of the study were discussed according to the participants’ responses collected during focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews. Further developments for TVET improvement of the study showed the findings portray that there is a need to improve resource efficiency strategy and the private sector/industry should provide support to TVET students, via internships, attachment of identified relevant training staff, sharing of equipment or the provision of training programmes.

Postconflict governments and counterparts have collaborated to provide skills training to communities as a critical postconflict development strategy. In these undertakings, the role of community members remains largely undefined. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to understand the perceptions held by rural community members regarding the role they played in influencing government's policy priority for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a local human development strategy in postconflict Liberia. The conceptual framework was based on human capital theory and concepts of motivation and achievement. Fourteen participants were purposefully selected for the study. Data were collected from interviews, focus group discussion, and documents and analyzed using constant comparison. Results indicated that increasing human capital, restoring self-esteem, encouraging civic participation, and building peace were among the community members' motivations for establishing a skills training institution. Leadership, advocacy, and ownership were major roles community stakeholders played in establishing their local skill training institution; voluntarism and collaboration were found to be strategies for support to the local TVET initiatives. Findings have positive social change implications for facilitating community-initiated TVET programs for youth employment as well as informing TVET policies in countries transitioning from conflict to development.

The development methods mostly applied until today provoked severe environmental imbalances in the world. To deal with this, almost twenty-five years ago the environmental issues were introduced in the agenda of discussions in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) that took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, intending to introduce a more sustainable approach of development (Desai and Potter, 2002, p 478). The current study explores how sustainability is transferred, interpreted and integrated into national education, through the comparison of experiences between Cuba and Sweden. Based on a qualitative research approach, the study first presents and analyses the international discourse on the topic, as well as the conceptual and theoretical framework that has been formed mainly from the narrative of UNESCO and UNEVOC. Afterwards, national education curricula are being examined to understand ow the sustainability concept is addressed in TVET, while an empirical analysis presents how the university teachers and the students of two Agroecology programs perceive and interpret sustainability. To achieve this, the methods of document analysis and semi-structured interviews have been employed. The findings of the study indicate that the international discourse has detected the main goals of sustainability for TVET, the conditions that lead to this necessity and the importance of this part of education, since it is the only one that is directly connected to labour. However, the interpretation is different in each case, since it is affected by the socio-political, economical and historical context of each country. In Cuba, sustainability is the means of autochthonous development, efficient use of the natural resources with respect to the environment, in order to deal with the economic crisis and food insecurity of the Special Period. In Sweden, sustainability emerged as a need of alternative ways of producing energy and consuming, as environmental awareness raised against the exploitation of the natural environment. Using the two contrary cases, the study intends to explore the dimensions that the concept can have. The World Commission on Environment and Development’s report in 1987 (p.41) first defined sustainable development as “the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. To conclude, this study intends to contribute to a better understanding of what sustainable development means. The experiences of university teachers and students present sustainability, as understood in the set of agroecology in higher vocational institute. This study is a small contribution in the total work towards sustainability. It could be the beginning of exploring in the future how sustainability is interpreted and integrated in other countries of the world.

Recent studies report about the need for and difficulties in measuring technical working skills among vocational high school students worldwide (Mabed & Köhler, 2018). Often the discussion is linked to the question of skills versus competencies, not only in the context of new digitized forms of measurement. Furthermore, a growing number of completely new or updated measurement procedures is about to reach the TVET sector in the context of the digitization of TEL (Köhler & Drummer, 2018; Hariyanto & Köhler, 2017). This study aimed at investigating the differences of the technical skills of vocational high school students majoring in construction drawings engineering in industrial working practices. As an empirical approach for their evaluation study authors used a discrepancy evaluation model. The population of this study consisted of 195 students in Yogyakarta and Sleman, Indonesia. A proportional random sampling was used to select 124 students from the population with both, the industrial work and the students becoming the sources of the information. The data analysis process was done using descriptive analysis and Wilcoxon matched pairs test analysis to describe and find the gap/discrepancy of students’ technical skills based on the predetermined standard. The results of the study show that the technical skills of vocational high school students in their industrial working practices are categorized as good with a low discrepancy based on the industrial assessment, and even better based on the students’ self-assessment. Yet there is a significant difference of technical skills among the vocational high school students in their industrial working practices based on the industrial work and students’ assessment with a significant value of 0.000 < 0,05.

This study will be investigating the perceptions of the implementation and modelling of best practices in technical vocational education and training (TVET) areas of endeavour. Four lecturers from three selected programmes will be investigated see how well they are preparing their students to enter the technically advanced workplace in an urban tertiary TVET institute in Jamaica. It has been reported by employers that graduates’ performance has been unsatisfactory in the sectors which require technically skilled professionals (HEART Trust, 2012). This investigation will incorporate a literature review of the apprenticeship system, and the current occupational training requirements as well consider competency based methods of teaching used in the TVET classroom. This will be in the context of career development theories, and constructivist and social learning theories. A qualitative research design method will be applied, using a case study approach. In addition to data collected from the lecturers, interviews, observation and focus group discussions with three groups of 15 students will also be collected. Additionally, the Director/ Principal of the Vocational Development Training Institute (VDTI) will be interviewed. Finally, a stakeholders’ report based on employee attitudes in various industries will be used to attain their perspectives on the preparedness of the TVET graduates for the workplace. The results and recommendations will be used to evaluate the best practices of the TVET lecturers. / Educational Leadership

This thesis looks at how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) be carried out to help society move towards sustainability. It starts by introducing the reader into the essential concepts about Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), TVET, and the barriers to integrating ESD into TVET. It also provides information about the case study conducted in a TVET organization in Ireland which is integrating ESD into TVET. The thesis presents the key aspects that TVET organization need to have in order to successfully support SSD and it also provides a definition of success which is developing a workforce skilled for sustainability where sustainability is defined by the four sustainability principles. After presenting the key aspects, it looks at the strengths and weaknesses, in the lens of the key aspects, of the case study and three other TVET organizations. It later provides with recommendations based on the challenges found integrating ESD into TVET and the presented key aspects in order for TVET organizations to reach the vision of success. / <p>Telma Gomes - phone: 0736280415 - tegomes@uol.com.br Victor Samuel Brizuela - samworks@gmail.com Chen Chen Gu -guchenchen880309@163.com,</p>

This thesis examines the extent to which the private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Sector in South Africa is responsive to national development. National development is understood as associated with a range of socio-economic imperatives which include challenges of poverty, unemployment, inequality, the ravages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its associated impacts. In addition to these, the educational component of national development is to ensure access, redress and equity, which are necessary to undo the impacts of an apartheid-related skills regime. Skills development is considered a crucial means to respond to these challenges. Without skills for formal and informal labour markets, as well as productive self-employment, South Africa’s capacity to respond to the new globalised era is likely to be considerably stunted and will negatively affect its developmental trajectory. The methodology used in this study included a mix of quantitative and qualitative strategies to obtain the size, shape and nature of provision. The quantitative component, undertaken in the course of 2002, was supplemented by randomly chosen qualitative case studies. Together, they provided the basis for unravelling a sector distinct in nature, form and content. Developing a comprehensive typology provides important insight into responsiveness of a sector characterised by wide-ranging provision forms. The typology of provider type based on profitability and form, i.e. ‘for-profit’, ‘non-profit’ and ‘in-house’ providers, was replaced with a multi-dimensional model. Learner type, as a primary typological category, includes the ‘pre-employed’, ‘unemployed’, the employed ‘self-funded employee’ and the ‘corporate client’. Provider types responding to these learner types are distinguished on the basis of location, delivery patterns and programming. The various provider forms include ‘multi-providers’, ‘specialist providers’, ‘consultants’, ‘in-house’ and ‘non-profit’ providers. Provider purposes include those responding to employment, either formal labour market or self-employment, and self-development, including leisure-related skilling and lifelong learning. Learner types and training purpose determine the manner, form and characteristics of provision. This understanding of a widely divergent and heterogeneous sector provides the context for assessing its contribution to national development in South Africa. The notions of responsiveness and receptiveness are used as conceptual devices to assess the role of the sector. Responsiveness describes specific labour market purpose, while receptiveness refers to the social development and educational imperatives of access, redress and equity. The sheer size of the sector suggests an important demand-led element of provision and represents an important measure of receptiveness to national development prerogatives. The conservative estimate of 706 884 learners, located at 4178 sites for 864 providers that pre-registered with the Department of Education in 2001, provide the basis for serious consideration of the sector. The sector adequately responds to the immediate short-term needs of employers. Programmes offered for corporate providers respond more deliberately to their immediate short-term skill requirements and which has made it possible for them to outsource a considerable proportion of their training. In addition, there is no other education and training form flexible enough to provide for the training needs of employees, and sometimes the customers of corporate concerns, as in product upgrading and support, at times and locations suitable to their requirements. Private providers did not necessarily have more linkages with the formal labour market than do public providers and are not necessarily able to secure more effectively employment opportunities for their pre- and unemployed learners With respect to receptiveness, the sector comprises learner patterns consistent with national demographics. The sector is associated with an older, employed learner type, typically enrolled in shorter-term courses. This demonstrates the sector’s accessibility. In comparison with their public counterparts, costs were not prohibitive and programme structure allowed adequate flexibility to enable learners to weave in and out of the system. Variable admission requirements also allowed learners to slot into appropriate levels. The absence of data makes comparative judgements of throughput, and quality, with public institutions difficult to make. The current need to regulate all providers equally may not be the most efficient way of dealing with the sector. In light of the national development prerogative to protect those most vulnerable from the risk of market failure, there is need to grant support to those providers most responsive to this group - in this instance, those ‘full time’ providers responding to the pre- and unemployed learner set. The market adequately regulates providers responding to the employed and corporate client groups.