This study aimed to investigate and describe perceptions Fire Fighters and Platoon Commanders from Johannesburg Emergency Services have of educational offerings offered by and / or deemed applicable to the emergency service, with specific reference to their vocational applicability and value in relation to promotion. It is argued in this report that such perceptions may affect the motivation experienced by adult learners to engage in further study and thus may influence the learning process as a whole. An understanding of how emergency service workers feel about the various courses and or qualifications that are on offer becomes important for managers, trainers and educators not only within the Johannesburg Emergency Service but also within industry as they plan and structure future educational offerings and training programmes. To collect data on the perceptions described above in-depth face to face interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected sample of Fire Fighters and Platoon Commanders. During these interviews the participants were required to respond to questions which were specifically designed to elicit their views and perceptions on the vocational applicability of courses and qualifications relevant to their daily work within the emergency service and the value of further study for promotion. The interviews were audio recorded producing raw data, which could be later transcribed verbatim. Once sufficient data was collected, this data was analysed and interpreted. The analysis and interpretation yielded a number of significant findings relating to the participants’ perceptions of the vocational applicability of various courses and qualifications linked to the service as well as the perceived value or link between further study and promotion. The findings relating to vocational applicability emphasised that perceptions about which courses and / or qualifications had higher levels of vocational applicability were most often linked to the participant’s position within the service as well as their own personal preference for a particular specialist area or vocational discipline. In addition, the frequency with which the participants utilised a learning outcome or skill appeared to play a significant role in determining their perception regarding the vocational applicability of learning events. Although the courses currently on offer were largely seen as being vocationally applicable there was a perception that significant deficits existed in their levels of training and preparation for particular incidents and components of the participants’ vocational activities. The study also found a perception among the participants that they were not afforded an equal opportunity to study further in each of the three main vocational disciplines. Regarding further learning and promotion within the service, this study found that the participants did not perceive a clearly identifiable link between further study and promotion and that promotion was not the main driving force behind their desire to study further. There also appeared to be confusion and a lack of consensus about which courses are best for promotion. The rescue courses specifically receive little recognition from the service in terms of promotion. Based on these findings a number of recommendations were made. It was recommended that the service consider the introduction of new learning programmes to supplement the learning outcomes of existing qualifications and courses. The employer was also encouraged to provide better clarity and guidance for staff about how all the different courses and qualifications are to be recognised and managed within the service. In order to do this, the employer was encouraged to carefully reflect on the role of further study within the service as well as the envisaged linkages between particular courses and qualifications and the workers operational duties, promotion, specialisation and career development. / Dr. K. Steenekamp Prof. A. Swart
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7878 |
| Date | 15 August 2008 |
| Creators | Vincent-Lambert, Craig |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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