Abstract
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development (ISPFTED) requires colleges to implement Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a turnaround strategy to improve the Technical Vocation Education and Training (TVET) college results. According to the ISPFTED, PLCs should be implemented in every college by 2025 but there are currently no studies to prove the existence of any TVET college PLCs. This study investigated the relationship between professional collaboration and the formation of PLCs in Gauteng’s TVET colleges. The study used a survey methodology. Using cluster randomised sampling, 290 respondents were selected from a population of 330 academics to participate in the survey. The study was directed by one overarching research question and four sub-questions. A composite instrument comprising the South African Standard on Principalship (SASP)-RS with 36 items and the Professional Learning Communities Assessment (PLCA)-R SA with 52 items was used. For the SASP-RS, the Cronbach Alpha Reliability index was 0.90, while for the PLCA-R SA, it was 0.95. Data analysis included multiple statistical approaches, including factor analysis, standard deviation, student t-test, regression analysis, Hayes Process and structural equation modelling. The research hypothesis was tested at a significance level of 0.05. According to the findings, the legislative mandate anticipated the growth of PLC infrastructure. Based on the study’s findings, it is suggested that TVET college Campus Managers foster collaborative climates on their campuses. It is also recommended that educational leaders use the sub-Saharan African PLC implementation framework.
Keywords: Professional Learning Community, Mandates, Collaboration, TVET, PLCA-R, SASP, ISPFTED.