Being a Vocational Educator A Guide for Lecturers in FET Colleges Writers Ian Moll, Carola Steinberg, Irene Broekmann with Anthony Gewer, Eileen Fisher, Relebohile Moletsane, Saroj Sewlall Editors Maryla Bialobrzeska and Stephanie Matseleng Allais South African Institute for Distance Education Being a Vocational Educator A Guide for Lecturers in FET Colleges South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) PO Box 31822 Braamfontein 2017 South Africa Tel: + 27 11 403 2813 Fax: + 27 11 403 1814 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.saide.org.za Being a Vocational Educator A Guide for Lecturers in FET Colleges ISBN: 0-620-34915-8 © South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) First Published 2005 Creative Commons License The copyright for this work is held by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE). However, to maximise distribution and application, the work is licensed under the Creative Commons License. This allows you to copy, distribute, and display the work under the following conditions: By attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by SAIDE. For noncommercial use. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Profit-making entities who charge a fee for access to the work are not permitted to copy, distribute and display the work.* No derivative works. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. Share alike. You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from SAIDE. * Note: How does SAIDE define commercial use? A commercial use would involve the assessment of a direct or indirect fee by a for-profit entity for use of the SAIDE Creative Commons (CC) materials, or any derivation or modification of the SAIDE CC material, or any other commercial exploitation of SAIDE CC materials. For further information regarding the conditions pertaining to the Creative Commons License see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/legalcode Editors: Maryla Bialobrzeska and Stephanie Matseleng Allais Copy Editor: Paula Krynauw Illustrations: Andre Plant Design and Layout: Design Intervention Printers: Fishwicks The Printers The publication of this guide is sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) ii This book is dedicated to Irene Broekmann friend, colleague and co-author who died tragically as we were going to press iii Being a Vocational Educator A Guide for Lecturers in FET Colleges ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SAIDE would like to acknowledge and thank the following organisations, institutions and individuals who have generously supported and participated in the conceptualisation, planning, development and funding of this guide. Funding Funding for the initial research on learning and teaching, curriculum, and assessment in FET colleges and for the development of this guide was generously provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Without this financial support the project would not have been possible. Case studies The case study research was done in the following FET colleges: Central Johannesburg College – Alexandra Campus Central Johannesburg College – Parktown Campus Tshwane North College for FET – Pretoria Campus Tshwane South College for FET – Centurion Campus SAIDE would particularly like to thank the senior management and lecturers of these FET colleges for facilitating this research and for so generously giving of their time. Names of lecturers interviewed as part of the case study research have been changed. Participation in initial conceptualisation and planning Mr Themba Ndlovu, Department of Education Mr Steven Mommen, Department of Education Ms Pat Telela, Department of Labour Prof Michael Young, Institute of Education, University of London Dr Jeanne Gamble Mr Ivor Baatjes, University of KwaZulu Natal Prof John Aitchison, University of KwaZulu Natal Mr Andre van der Bijl, Cape Technikon Mr Patrick Mafora, UNISA Ms Stephanie Matseleng Allais, while FET coordinator at the SAIDE Ms Maryla Bialobrzeska, SAIDE Dr Ian Moll, SAIDE Mr Glen Fisher, National Business Initiative Ms Ros Jaff, National Business Initiative Ms Marianne Scott, National Business Initiative Ms Carola Steinberg, University of the Witwatersrand Prof Relebohile Moletsane, University of KwaZulu Natal Ms Irene Broekmann, University of the Witwatersrand Ms Eileen Fisher, University of the Witwatersrand Mr Anthony Gewer, independent consultant Ms Saroj Sewlall, independent consultant iv Acknowledgements Critical readers Ms Stephanie Matseleng Allais Mr Ivor Baatjes, University of KwaZulu Natal Mr Glen Fisher, National Business Initiative Dr Jeanne Gamble Ms Yvonne Reed, University of the Witwatersrand Mr Andre van der Bijl, Cape Technikon Ms Tessa Welch, SAIDE Cover Photograph Tshwane South College for FET – Centurion Campus SAIDE gratefully acknowledges the use of the following extracts and adaptations of text, drawings and diagrams A brief history of the development of the apprenticeship system in South Africa on pp. 18–19 adapted from Gamble, J. 2004. Tacit Knowledge In Craft Pedagogy: A Sociological Analysis. Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education, University of Cape Town. pp. 22–29. Cabinet making case study on pp. 61–64 based on Gamble, J. 2004. Tacit Knowledge in Craft Pedagogy: A Sociological Analysis. Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education, University of Cape Town and Rose, M. 2004. The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker. New York: Viking Books. Extracts on pp. 94 and 96 from Rose, M. 2004. The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker. New York: Viking Books. pp. 59, 72 and 73. Illustration of child looking at a lizard on p. 102 adpated from Moll, I. et al. 2001. Learners and Learning. Johannesburg: SAIDE/OUP p. 47. Transcript of conversation held between two primary school boys on pp. 108–109 adapted from Maybin, J., Mercer, N. and Stierer, B. 1992. ‘Scaffolding’ learning in the classroom. In Norman, K. (Ed.) Thinking Voices: The Work of the National Oracy Project. London: Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 189–190. Extracts on pp. 119 and 120 from Schön, D. 1983. The Reflective Practitioner. New York: Basic Books. pp. 50–51 and 68–69. Illustration of Curriculum as plan/Curriculum in practice on p. 133 adapted from Hoadley, U. and Jansen, J. 2002. Curriculum: From Plans to Practices. Johannesburg: SAIDE/OUP. p. 35. Diagram of Shared principles of curriculum theories and assessment theory on p. 190 from Shepard, L. 2000. The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29: 8. Extracts on the theory of communities of practice and the diagram representing the different components of the social theory of learning in communities of practice on pp. 113–114 from Wenger, E. 1998. Communities of Practice. Cambridge: CUP. pp. 4, 5, 86 and 95. Drawings on pp 180 and 184 adapted from the Independent Examinations Board (IEB). 2004. Assessor Course Manual. Johannesburg: IEB. Drawing of a gymnast on p. 208 adapted from Weeden, P., Winter, J. and Broadfoot, P. 2002. Assessment: What’s in it for Schools? London: Routledge Falmer. p. 73. v Being a Vocational Educator A Guide for Lecturers in FET Colleges CONTENTS Introduction 2 Background 2 Purpose of this guide 3 Why VET? The question of terminology 4 Outline of content 5 Using the guide 7 Chapter One What is vocational education and training? 10 Introduction 10 Unit 1: Thinking about vocational education and training 12 Unit 2: Historical role of vocational education and 16 training in South Africa Unit 3: How has vocational education and training 25 changed globally? Unit 4: The changing demand for skills 34 Unit 5: Students’ choices and the purposes of 44 vocational education and training Unit 6: The professional role of the vocational lecturer 47 Conclusions 53 Chapter Two Scenes from Further Education and Training Colleges 54 Introduction 54 Unit 1: Hospitality case study 56 Unit 2: Cabinet making case study 61 Unit 3: Engineering case study 65 Unit 4: Business studies case study 68 Unit 5: Cosmetology case study 73 Conclusions 77 Chapter Three Learning and Teaching 78 Introduction 78 Unit 1: Networks of knowledge 80 Unit 2: Tacit knowledge and theoretical knowledge 89 Unit 3: Theories of knowledge and learning 99 Unit 4: Teaching in an FET college 116 Conclusions 121 vi Contents Chapter Four Understanding Curriculum 122 Introduction 122 Unit 1: Curriculum as plan 123 Unit 2: Curriculum change in South Africa 135 Unit 3: The role of the vocational lecturer 149 Unit 4: Interpreting curriculum documents 161 Unit 5: Professional development 175 Conclusions 177 Chapter Five Assessment 178 Introduction 178 Unit 1: The purpose of assessment 180 Unit 2: Assessment methods and evidence 185 Unit 3: Assessment and the learning process 190 Unit 4: Making judgements 195 Unit 5: Competence and assessment criteria 204 Unit 6: Taking a systems view 213 Unit 7: Reflecting on our practices 217 Conclusions 220 Notes and References 221 vii Being a Vocational Educator A Guide for Lecturers in FET Colleges INTRODUCTION Background Currently South Africa has an artisan shortage of about 20,000, this is according to research done by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in 2004. At the same time the spectre of mass unemployment is growing. The HSRC research also found that each year approximately one million youth leave school. Of these only about 19% go into further or higher education and training, the rest – 81% or 826, 000 – enter the labour market armed only with Grade 12 or lesser qualifications. The research also points to the dearth of skilled vocational educators in South Africa and the urgent need for a more credible and higher-quality technical and vocational education system. Until very recently, the emphasis on change in the Further Education and Training (FET) colleges has largely been of a structural nature.