Abstract
M.Ed.
The study under discussion followed on a request to develop a programme
which would fill the existing gap between general formative preparatory
academic education and general formative preparatory vocational education.
The background of the precarious beginnings of education in South Africa was
reviewed with specific reference to technical education. A study of the available
literature confirmed that there is a need for more technically trained people,
technically trainable people, students who have completed their technical
vocational studies, an orientation programme and lecturers with management
skills. The purpose of the study is, therefore, to investigate how lecturers
managed the orientation programme at technical colleges.
Technical colleges which acted as facilitators of the orientation programme,
was introduced. This post-school institution with its general functions of
continuing vocational education, must fulfil the needs of the community and the
requirements of the industry it wishes to serve.
The function and place of technical colleges were discussed as well as the
management functions of education institutions, lecturers and students. The development of the orientation programme was also discussed. A suitable
programme had to be developed to orientate students at a technical college.
After making a few alterations, Jansen's model for curriculum development was
used. Curriculum developers firstly, had to determine what the students had
already achieved and secondly, what was expected from students at the end of
the orientation programme.
After this gap between the achieved and the expected had been clearly
identified, the orientation programme could be developed. This programme was
tested as a pilot programme, declared as general policy; and then implemented
at technical colleges and private training institutions on a national level. The successful implementation of such an orientation programme depends,
inter alia, on the classroom management skills of the lecturer. In an attempt to
evaluate the success of the lecturers' management skills, a questionnaire was
developed as an measuring instrument. The questionnaire was completed by
orientation students to determine the management skills of the lecturer. The
design of the above questionnaire covered five management aspects, namely,
classroom activities, student activities, interpersonal relationships, activities
during lesson presentation and administrative duties. Forty four questions were
designed and approximately eight questions for each management aspect were
included in the questionnaire. An experimental group selected from sixteen technical colleges, was requested
to complete the questionnaire voluntarily. These colleges are situated in rural
districts, semi-urban and typically urban areas. The students originated from all
levels of the community and no preference was given to race, sex, language or
background. A total of 177 students participated in this survey. The
questionnaire was completed under examination conditions but there was no
specific time restriction. All participants were enrolled for all five orientation
subjects, namely, engineering technology, engineering drawing, engineering
science, industrial communication and mathematics. The performance ability of
the students covered the whole spectrum.
For admission to the programme, the lowest and highest standard the
repondents had obtained, were restricted to Stds 6 to 10 for statistical reasons.
To increase the validity and usefulness of the questionnaire, the items in the
measuring instrument were checked to ensure that they were based on the
managerial competency of the lecturer. The content validity of the measuring
instrument was improved in this manner. The Department of Education gave its approval that technical colleges be used
for this investigation.
On the basis of the empirical investigation, it was discovered that during the
first order (PFA) factor analysis, nine factors were identified from the 44 items which appeared in the questionnaire. A second order factor analysis indicated
that the 44 items could be reduced to one factor with a reliability coefficient of
0,948. When only 39 items are considered the reliability increases to 0,950
and this factor was named "efficient management."
In conclusion, the 39 items can be considered to be one scale and it represents
the lecturers' efficient management of the various classroom activities. This
factor was also tested by means of multiple statistical techniques in an attempt
to find significant differences between the various independent groups. No
significant statistical differences were discovered between the scale averages
of the various groups. This was an indication that the groups held the same
opinion about the management of the orientation programme.
With the high average scale marks obtained by the various participating
colleges, this investigation proved that lecturers had succeeded to manage the
orientation programme successfully. The research results showed that, according to the opinion of the students, no
significant statistical differences existed in the lecturers' management of the
orientation programme to orientate students towards vocational education.
There are however a few deficiencies noticeable in the competency of lecturers
in certain management aspects.
This research gives an indication of some problems which currently exist with
the presentation of the orientation programme. Clear solutions cannot be
provided. However the research does indicate that an orientation programme
can be successfully presented at technical colleges with the necessary
awareness, adaptation, training and positive attitudes as needed by the
community , the world of work and the country.