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.

Die vorliegende Dissertation geht der Frage nach, wie ein Planungs-, Monitoring- und Evaluationsverfahren gestaltet sein sollte, um Wirkungen von Interventionen der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit im Berufsbildungssektor, durchgeführt von Nichtregierungsorganisationen, angemessen analysieren zu können. Hierfür werden die aktuell in der Entwicklungskooperation eingesetzten Wirkungsmodelle und Evaluationsverfahren kritisch geprüft. Anschließend wird der Versuch unternommen, ein systemisches Verfahren im Rahmen der Arbeit zu entwerfen, zu erproben und auf seine Realisierbarkeit hin zu überprüfen. Dies wird im Rahmen einer Fallstudie des vom Evangelischen Entwicklungsdienstes unterstützten Programms Vocational Training for Females - ein Entwicklungsprogramm der Presbyterianischen Kirche Ghana zur Erhöhung der Qualität des ghanaischen Berufsbildungssystems - umgesetzt.

Die vorliegende Dissertation geht der Frage nach, wie ein Planungs-, Monitoring- und Evaluationsverfahren gestaltet sein sollte, um Wirkungen von Interventionen der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit im Berufsbildungssektor, durchgeführt von Nichtregierungsorganisationen, angemessen analysieren zu können. Hierfür werden die aktuell in der Entwicklungskooperation eingesetzten Wirkungsmodelle und Evaluationsverfahren kritisch geprüft. Anschließend wird der Versuch unternommen, ein systemisches Verfahren im Rahmen der Arbeit zu entwerfen, zu erproben und auf seine Realisierbarkeit hin zu überprüfen. Dies wird im Rahmen einer Fallstudie des vom Evangelischen Entwicklungsdienstes unterstützten Programms Vocational Training for Females - ein Entwicklungsprogramm der Presbyterianischen Kirche Ghana zur Erhöhung der Qualität des ghanaischen Berufsbildungssystems - umgesetzt.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Community and Continuing Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Access and support for students with disabilities remain limited despite strong legislative and policy framework for addressing inclusivity in the education sector. Presently, TVET colleges encounter severe obstacles and hiccups in that they must improve the quality of education provided together with other compulsory obligations. As a result, TVET col-leges continue to encounter challenges as and when they try to improve the quality of education. In South Africa, the integration of people with disabilities has been an ongoing process since the advent of the democratic government. The study investigated the inte-gration of inclusive practices for students with disabilities at Technical and Vocational Edu-cation and Training (TVET) colleges. The study followed the qualitative research ap-proach. The purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. Twenty-seven participants took part in the study. Participants comprised campus man-agers, HoDs, student support officers, lecturers and students with disabilities. Two differ-ent methods to analyse data were used, namely, thematic categorisation (for interviews and observations) and content analysis (for documents). The study is premised on the social model of disability and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological system theory to understand participants’ views and how they carry out inclusive practices in their lecture rooms. Data was collected using three techniques, namely, interviews, observations and document analysis. The findings of the study revealed the following: lecturers at TVET colleges are struggling to support students with disabilities due to lack of training on different types of disabilities; students with disabilities are given access to certain types of training based on the nature of their disability; students who experience mobility disabilities are faced with challenges of inaccessible of physical environments; the curriculum at TVET col-leges does not fully cater for a range of diverse needs of and students with impairments. The study recommends that: lecturers require training on different types of disabilities in order to support students with diverse learning needs; the involvement of disabled stu-dents in the planning of their support programmes; all stakeholders be encouraged to appreciate change and to contribute towards meaningful inclusive practices.

Thesis (M.Dev. ( Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Motivation has been said to be a major factor in determining student academic performance, and in this study the researcher aimed to investigate the effects of motivation on National Curriculum Vocational (NCV) students‟ academic performance at Capricorn TVET College. Due to the nature of the study the researcher used mixed research methods to collect data. The research findings revealed that motivation has an effect on students‟ academic performance such that lack of motivation has been identified as a major factor that contributes to poor academic performance among NCV students. Lack of lecturer motivation, inadequate Learning, Teaching and Support Materials (LTSM), lack of practical work were also identified as factors that can hinder NCV students‟ motivation. The results also revealed that positive college culture and positive student competition as well as giving of rewards or incentives to students are the most effective motivational strategies to enhance students‟ motivation and can assist in keeping students motivated. The study also determined that it would be beneficial if lecturers use those strategies to motivate students. Alternative sustainable motivational strategies are essential in order to keep students motivated and for them to be able to perform well academically.

The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in South Africa has undergone transformation. This includes the introduction of the National Certificate (Vocational) [NC (V)]. The literature on curriculum development and on the TVET college sector in South Africa informed a qualitative inquiry into the lecturers’ experiences of the implementation of the NC (V). The research site was the Tshwane South TVET College, Gauteng Province. Data were gathered by means of individual and focus group interviews with the Campus Manager, four Divisional Heads, and seven lecturers, selected by means of purposeful sampling. The findings were organised around the following key themes, namely the limited participation of the lecturers in curriculum design, the effectiveness of curriculum dissemination, the lecturers’ participation in curriculum review, their perceptions of the NC(V) entry level requirements, the NC(V)’s positioning on the NQF, assessment in the NC(V), the fit between the lecturers’ qualifications and the curriculum, the lecturers’ capacity-building, and finally, their perceptions of the involvement of the industry in the NC(V). / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

This study was interested in investigating the factors contributing to low completion rates at a TVET college in the North-West Province. There is not much research conducted on the low completion rates at TVET Colleges in South Africa. The study sought to explore the understanding of completion rates at TVET Colleges, the current completion rates and the causes and the strategies that might be employed to increase the completion rates. Qualitative methodology was used to collect data, using semi-structured interviews for all the focus group interviews. Collected data were transcribed, interpreted, analysed and the findings were presented. The study revealed that factors contributing to the low completion rates are finance and management issues, staff problems, policy factors, socio-economic factors and students’ personal factors that require attention in order to increase the completion rates. These include lecturer qualifications, student funding, inadequate infrastructure, drug and substance abuse, involvement of stakeholders and lack of adherence to policies. The study recommends proper administration of students’ bursaries, effective Quality Management System (QMS), lecturer development, adequate infrastructure and efficient policies to be implemented. The study might draw the attention of the DHET, the college management and other stakeholders in order to come up with interventions to remedy the low completion rates at TVET Colleges. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The phenomena of stakeholder identification and involvement in the affairs of public entities has become of great importance in the recent years. Literature review reveals the extent of knowledge and discloses gaps that exist in the management of technical training institutions in Kenya. Therefore, key research questions aimed at achieving the objectives of this study were formulated. For empirical responses, a sample comprising three institutions was chosen, where respondents were selected purposively. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted for qualitative data collection from purposively selected respondents. The data analysis led to the conclusion that stakeholders are varied and their involvement in specific issues minimal. This implies lack of clarity of knowledge of the stakeholders and variation regarding the extent to which they need involvement and the effects. One recommendation is to carry out an analysis to establish legitimate stakeholders and their specific potential influences. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The research focused on the relationship between hardiness and career adaptability of students studying at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in Gauteng. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenience sample of (N = 198) of African (92.9%), female (57.6%), single (96.0%), aged 21 years and younger (93.9%) students enrolled at Gauteng TVET colleges for N1 – N6 Engineering Studies (32.8%). A correlational analysis indicated differences between the variables of hardiness and career adaptability and the study reveals that overall hardiness was significantly related to overall career adaptability. A stepwise regression analysis indicated that gender and the hardiness attributes (commitment, control and challenge) predicted career adaptability. The test for significant mean differences indicated that age, gender and field of study differ significantly between the variables of hardiness and career adaptability. Limitations for the study are outlined. Furthermore, recommendations are suggested for use by human resource regarding career development practices for TVET college students. The study concludes with an evaluation of its contribution. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)