Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration, University of Zululand, 1991. / The main aim of this research is to identify some administrative challenges and related problems facing principals of Technical Colleges in KwaZulu. The major problem in KwaZulu Technical Education is the apparent lack of involvement of college principals in curriculum planning, research and administrative decision-making process. It appears that it is impossible in practice to carry out any proposals involving innovations within a technical college and also very difficult for principals to update knowledge or content to be in line with the demands of commerce and industry. The study was intended to reveal that certain challenges and problems in the technical college have a great effect on the quality of training. The lack of communication between principals of technical colleges and commerce and industry and also the lack of consultation between the Department of Education and Culture, KwaZulu and the business world has a negative effect on the training of employable students in KwaZulu. This problem is described in Chapter one. In order to understand the nature of the problem, it became necessary to sketch briefly the Historical Development of Technical Education for Africans in South Africa as a general background to the understanding of the problem confronting KwaZulu Technical Education. This is done in Chapter two. The conceptual framework regarding the administrative challenges and related problems facing technical education in KwaZulu is described in Chapter three. The research design and procedure are described in Chapter four. The interview and the questionnaire techniques were used in gathering data. Three areas were selected from which a sample of technical colleges would be used for purposes of interviewing principals. The three areas where urban, peri-urban and rural. The principals responses and analysis are presented in Chapter five. The summary of conclusions and recommendations are presented in Chapter six. Principal findings of the Investigation 1. The colleges emphasized mostly theory rather than skills to the (extent that most of the trained technicians are charged not to be suitable to the business and industry of today. 2. There was no or very limited co-operation between technical colleges and either business and industry community. The technical colleges are thus unable to project future needs of local industry with the result that many of their graduates are not yet employed. 3. There was high degree of concensus among the principals about staff-involvement in any attempt related to the research of the needs of community in KwaZulu. 4. Technical Education geared to meeting the needs of commerce and industry must be offered in all KwaZulu technical colleges. 5. There was also a high consensus among the principals about the appointment of Public Relations Officers in Technical Colleges of KwaZulu. 6. The principals of technical colleges must be given a chance to research the needs of commerce and industry and contribute to the curriculum development and construction on behalf of their technical colleges. 7. A curriculum Committee for all Technical Colleges in KwaZulu comprised of the representatives from commerce and industry, Department of Education (KwaZulu), and Principals and Heads of Departments from all technical colleges must be formed. This is essential for the continual revision of existing course content, whether the content is still in line with the demands of industry. Secondly, the committee will be responsible for curriculum research, planning and design for all technical colleges in KwaZulu. 8. Some new courses failed to attract the required number of students to make the course viable. The reason for failure is the fact that they were not sufficiently advertised and that the principals did not investigate whether there was a need for that course before introducing it. 9. It was agreed that an organized industry in Natal/KwaZulu be approached to consult with the RSA Association of Technical Colleges with the purpose of obtaining the necessary changes in the Nl, N2 and N3 Syllabuses which will make the latter more relevant to the various trades. 10. The Legislation governing apprentice training in KwaZulu be brought into line with that of the RSA and that the regulations pertaining thereto are applied both in the public and private sectors. 11. The practical training conducted at the technical colleges be brought into line with the competency based modular training schemes for the various trades instituted by the respective industry training boards in the RSA. 12. The development and provision of training courses for the workseekers in KwaZulu be either contingent on the avalability of appropriate job opportunities or be geared towards self employment. 13. Career education must be introduced into KwaZulu schools which ensures that the pupil leaves school with the training base required by industry.

Submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Departmrnt of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of Zululand, 2000. / The main aim of this research was to identify constraints affecting the quality of teaching, learning and practical training of students at technical colleges in KwaZulu Natal. Questionnaire surveys as well as informal interviews were used. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods has enabled the researcher to gain a deeper understanding and a more penetrating insight regarding the problem under investigation. The five criteria for effective technical college-based training are identified and discussed in detail with the aim of using them as a yardstick for the analysis of the results of this study. The criteria are: effective partnership, adequately equipped workshops, effective education, practical application of knowledge and adequately qualified lecturing staff. In Chapter 3 recent examination results are analysed in order to inpoint those colleges in KwaZulu Natal where teaching and ]earning appear to be ineffective," identify constraints affecting the quality of training since colleges with excellent results may very welt have fewer constraints then colleges with poor results; and identify those colleges which are most affected by constraints. fn Chapter 4 the data collected from nineteen principals who completed questionnaires regarding staffing attechnical colleges is outlined. The focus is on staff provisioning [including qualifications and recruitment] as well as staff development and in-service training at colleges. Chapter 5 consists of a discussion of the data collected from nineteen principals who completed a questionnaire regarding training equipment at technical colleges. The focus was on: reiatedness of equipment and accreditation; exemplification of equipment needed; didactic rationale for the need of equipment; and perceptions of principals regarding equipment an inventory of equipment at selected colleges. tn Chapter 6 there is a particularisation of the constraints that affect the quality of teaching, learning and practical training of students at technical colleges. Ten serious constraints were identified, divided into four categories, namely: Constraints related to students: lack of a Science and Mathematics background, as well as student support systems. Constraints related to lecturers: inadequately qualified lecturers, frequent resignations and the lack of staff development programmes. Constraints related to equipment: a lack of up-to-date tools, equipment, heavy machinery and consumables. Constraints related to the department: partnership between colleges and industry is non-existant, most of the training is not in line with commerce and industry, merketing of technical colleges is ineffective and there is a lack of coherent and consistent funding policy for technical colleges. In Chapter 7 the empiriacl results are analysed, using the five criteria formulated in Chapter 2. It is shown that no technical college training can be effective unless these five criteria are met. Shortcomings in technical training in KwaZulu Natal are highlighted and the practical problems experienced in technical education are shown to be caused by a neglect or disregard of the theoretical underpinnings on which technical training should rest. Chapter 8 outlines the recommendations which emanated from the findings of this study. The following are some of the most significant recommendations: bridging courses in Science and Mathematics for students; certain non-technical skills should be taught such as problem-solving and English reading skills; induction and staff development programmes should be offered to lecturers; short-term staff exchanges should occur regularly between colleges and industry; facilities and equipment should be drastically updated; the department should introduce a new funding policy;

The purpose of this qualitative study focused on the experiences of first-generation students attending a technical college in rural West Tennessee. The results of this study may identify barriers faced by students from these special populations and may also provide insight into the support systems that motivate these students to persevere. Although significant research has been conducted on first-generation and underrepresented students attending community colleges and four-year universities, there is a gap in the published literature pertaining to the lived experiences of students attending technical colleges, especially those living in rural areas. First-generation college students face many challenges as they strive to integrate and acclimate to the college campus environment, such as having poor study skills or habits, lack of peer support, and fear of the college environment. In addition, the lack of specific social and cultural capital contributes to their inability to navigate the college experience and complete their degree or certificate attainment. This research involved interviews with 17 students attending a technical college in rural West Tennessee. Participants discussed their experiences while enrolled at the technical college, backgrounds which included prior educational experiences, any barriers they faced, and identified support systems that increased their academic success. The findings indicate additional campus programs and initiatives may be needed at the technical colleges, especially those in rural areas, to help low-income students with their educational outcomes.

This study traces the development of vocational and technical education in South Africa up to 1990. The study was centered around three themes, political, social and economic in relation to the development of vocational and technical education in South Africa in the period under review. Historical method of documentation and analysis was employed in this study. The study analyzed the development of education in South Africa, particularly vocational and technical education prior to the colonial occupation. Colonial occupation completely altered or stopped all the advances which were made by the indigenous people of South Africa in education and other fields. Industrial revolution in South Africa, through the discovery of diamonds and gold, added a new element in the development of vocational and technical education in South Africa, that of labor production. Vocational and technical education became tightly connected with the needs of industries. The tumultus labor relations between the industrialists and the employees, and between the African employees and European employees set the direction in which vocational and technical education followed throughout the years. The study also analyzed the role played by the missionaries in the provision of education, particularly vocational and technical education for Africans. The association of vocational and technical education with the department of prisons through reformatory schools and with the welfare services through the orphanages and the indigent communities in South Africa created a lifelong stigma on vocational and technical education. This stigma has hampered the development of vocational and technical education in South Africa up to this day. Conclusions were drawn from the knowledge gained from this study, and recommendations were presented. The conclusions reached were that: (a) some form of vocational and technical education may have existed prior to the colonial period, (b) vocational and technical education during the colonial period was shaped by industry and labor, missionaries, and prejudicial government policy. / Ph. D.

The focus of this dissertation is on performance indicators – specifically, retention and graduation indicators - that impact allocation of the ever-dwindling public sources of money. Decreasing revenue trends make understanding the performance indicators that are often used to fund postsecondary institutions very important. There is a significant amount of literature on funding, types of funding, and performance indicators used in funding; however, there is very little literature on quantitative differences on standard performance indicators in 2-year and 4- year postsecondary institutions. The purpose of this study is to look at retention and graduation rates for part-time and full-time students in public institutions of higher education in the United States. Retention and graduation rates for first-time full and part-time students from the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data Systems (IPEDS), within the National Center for Educational Statistics, for the years 2005, 2006, and 2007, will be examined to determine if there are differences between two-year and four-year post secondary institutions.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2003 / Refer to document

WorkKeys assessments are gaining in popularity for use within public secondary and postsecondary institutions as well as business and industry. WorkKeys assessments utilize nine different assessments in nine different subject areas to determine if a person is prepared for the workplace and/or workforce training programs. The research study presented here examined the use of WorkKeys as a measure of success for community and technical college students. The purpose of the research study was to examine WorkKeys assessment score level scores and determine if relationships existed between WorkKeys scores and grades and WorkKeys scores and cumulative grade point averages. The researcher used a quantitative research design and utilized correlational statistics to determine if relationships existed. Data include WorkKeys scores, course grades, and cumulative grade point averages from the years of 2005 through 2008. Data were retrieved from an existing database and analyzed during spring 2009. Data from 7 different colleges were analyzed. General findings showed there were weak correlations between WorkKeys assessment scores and grades of C or better in college level reading and mathematics courses. Findings also indicated weak correlations between WorkKeys assessment scores in reading for information and applied mathematics and cumulative grade point averages. Recommendations include further quantitative research within other state community and technical colleges. Controlled studies by ACT, Inc., and/or others are also suggested whereby other variables that could affect test scores or class grades are evaluated.

This study was conducted to identify personal and institutional barriers preventing community college students from completing their education goals, whether that was a degree program, diploma program, or credentialing program. It was also conducted to identify strategies that can be used to assist these students in overcoming these barriers. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of students at one West Virginia Community and Technical College who dropped out of their programs of study. The study sought to identify actions and events that contributed to students choosing to drop out and strategies that can be used to reduce their dropping out. Understanding the students' perspectives concerning their decisions to drop out will assist community college personnel to evaluate the on- and off-campus factors influencing these decisions. This qualitative study sought to directly ask students about their personal lives and also about the people and events on campus that influenced their decision to drop out of Thompson Community and Technical College (pseudonym). The study contains three major research questions: What personal factors contributed to students dropping out of one West Virginia Community and Technical College? What institutional factors contributed to students dropping out of one West Virginia Community and Technical College? What strategies can one West Virginia Community and Technical College implement to enhance student retention and decrease student dropout rates? The basic qualitative research design of conducting one-on-one qualitative interviews was used for this study. Criterion and purposeful sampling were utilized to identify participants. Semi-structured interviewing and document reviewing was utilized to gather data to discover rich information from the participants' lived experiences. Participants were suggested by current or former faculty or staff members at one of the West Virginia Community and Technical College campuses in the state of West Virginia. They were students who had already attended for at least one semester and who had subsequently dropped out of their programs of study. Fifteen participants were interviewed for the study. / Doctor of Education / This study tried to find out if there were specific personal reasons or specific college reasons why students did not finish school and graduate from their community college. It also tried to find out if students had suggestions for what might have kept them in college. Finding out this information could maybe help colleges figure out how to help students stay in school and graduate. Fifteen former students were interviewed face-to-face by the researcher for this study. Each person had finished at least one semester at a West Virginia Community and Technical College, but then had left before they graduated. Three of them left for only personal reasons. Twelve of them left because of what happened at the college. They shared many stories and gave many suggestions for improvement. They also shared good experiences.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2003 / Refer to the document

The instructional strategies implemented by the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in an international technical college in Saudi Arabia did not prepare students at an intermediate level of proficiency on the Common European Framework of Reference. As a result, more than 77% of the first-year students were not progressing to the specialized diploma studies in the second and third years of their learning journey. Thus, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to better understand the instructional strategies adopted by instructors and the barriers to students developing their English skills. Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) served as a framework of the study because it is aligned with the purpose and it emphasizes the context of instructional strategies in understanding how knowledge and learning are constructed. Multiple sources of data and interviews with 8 participants were used to investigate the research problem. Data were analyzed using thematic coding based on the conceptual framework followed by open coding to discover any emerging themes. Data analysis revealed that the observed teachers did not implement the student-centered instructional strategies discussed in Vygotsky's conceptual framework or ZPD-informed strategies. By designing a professional development program to train teachers on student-centered instructional strategies such as feedback, scaffolding, and student engagement, the results of this study can be used to lead to positive social change by educating teachers on strategies to help students develop better English skills.