A transdisciplinary mechanical skills curriculum for further education and training colleges in South Africa
Abstract
English: South Africa has a low school completion rate of 40% (2002 - 2009), resulting from low-quality
education as prime concern (Van der Berg et al, 2011: 1, 13). Consequently, this situation signifies a
majority of learners being unsuccessful in mainstream education leaving them very little opportunities
in "further" education. They (unsuccessful school leavers) have poor further education and
employment prospects.
Some of the unsuccessful school leavers resort to FET colleges for further education, but the
programmes are not designed to address their specific educational needs. FET (mainstream) schools
also refer poorly performing learners to FET colleges, oblivious of the high standard of vocational
education programmes and associated entry requirements. Despite the fact that mathematics and
physical science are compulsory for engineering studies (NC(V) and NATED), schools refer learners
performing poorly in these subjects to engineering studies to "learn to work with their hands."
However, these programmes are not specifically designed for skills training per se.
The educational options unsuccessful school leavers have, do not make provision for their educational
situation. They cannot learn effectively and this results in poor performance in mainstream school
education and vocational education at FET colleges. Their ability to learn is further hampered by poor
language, mathematics and science proficiencies fundamental to learning. South Africa does not have
an educational component like the second chance schools in Great Britain and Europe to accommodate
these learners. The European Commission initiated second chance schools for out-of-school unemployed (NEET)
young people in 1995 and ran 12 pilot projects in 11 countries in Europe and England, from 1997 to
1999 (Chistolini, 2008:219). Greece, inter alia, established 48 second-chance schools across the
country and reduced school dropout from 22,4% in 1995 to 15,9% in 2006. The situation of
unsuccessful school leavers in South Africa, constituting an annual dropout of 60%, necessitates
similar education to provide learners opportunities in further education and to give them hope.
South Africa needs to improve learners' ability to learn and develop cognitive and psychomotor ability
on a much larger scale than that of European second chance education. Simultaneously, school
dropout must also be reduced by improving education on all levels of the system. Both of the
mentioned aspects should be attempted by changing educational approach and presentation strategies
based on sound psychological learning theories.
Unsuccessful school leavers' education (the South African version of second chance education) should
focus more on development of learning ability than the European counterpart does. Learners need todevelop capacity and shed their aversion to learning. Knowledge, fundamental to learning should be
acquired.
Unsuccessful school leavers' education requires an approach that initiates education with activities
encouraging participation. Cognitive and psychomotor development, founded in these activities, will
be more significant and meaningful to learners than subject-focused information (learning content).
The attributes, educational foundation and predisposition of the learners should be taken into
consideration in designing education for unsuccessful school leavers. What they bring to the learning
opportunities is of paramount importance. Their previous experiences in education will have a major
impact on how they will react and reflect on future exposure to educational activities. Replicating
their previous experiences is a recipe for further failure. Their education should be based on
experiences demonstrating to them their own importance in the processes of achieving the
competences required. Strategies containing more encouraging activities that can lure learners into
active involvement are indispensible. Classroom sessions, similar to those of their previous
experiences of education, should be avoided. The unpropitious educational situation of unsuccessful school leavers can be addressed by providing
education that can accommodate their specific educational needs. A curriculum based on
transdisciplinary-integrated education with practicum-based presentation strategies will allow
versatility that can accommodate differentiated development and qualifications. Transdisciplinaryintegrated
education, based on practicum.methodology is inherently structured for skills development
across the spectrum of a mechanical skills curriculum. Flexibility is further enhanced by constructivist
fundamental learning theory denoting personal knowledge construction from personal perceptions and
experiences. Afrikaans:Suid-Afrika het Onbaie lae skoolvoltooiingsyfer van 40% hoofsaaklik as gevolg van swak kwaliteit
onderwys (Van der Berg, Burger, Burger, De Vos, Du Rand, Gustafsson, Moses, Shepherd, Taylor,
Van Broekhuizen and Von Fintel, 2011:1,13). Uiteraard dui die situasie op Onmeerderheid leerders
wat onsuksesvol is in hoofstroom onderwys met min geleenthede om verder onderwys te ontvang.
Hulle vooruitsigte op verdere onderwys en werksgeleenthede is dus skraal.
Sommige onsuksesvolle skoolverlaters wend hulle tot VOO kolleges vir verdere onderwys, maar die
programme is nie ontwerp om hulle leerhindemisse te ondervang en aan hulle spesifieke
onderwysbehoeftes te voldoen nie. VOO (hoofstroom) skole verwys swak presteerders na VOO
kolleges onbewus van die hoë standaard van beroepsonderwys en gepaardgaande toelatingsvereistes.
Ten spyte daarvan dat wiskunde en fisiese wetenskap verpligtend is vir ingenieursonderwys (NC(V) en
NASOP), verwys skole leerders wat in hierdie vakke swak presteer, na ingenieurstudies "orn te leer
om met hulle hande te werk." Hierdie programme is egter nie spesifiek ontwerp vir
vaardigheidsontwikkeling as sodanig nie. Die onderwys opsies wat tot die beskikkingvan onsuksesvolle skoolverlaters is, maak nie voorsiening
vir hulle besondere onderwyssituasie nie. Hulle kan nie effektief leer nie, gevolglik presteer hulle
swak in hoofstroom skoolonderwys en VOO kollege beroepsonderwys. Hulle vermoë om te leer word
verder benadeel deur Ongebrek aan wiskunde-, wetenskap- en taalvaardighede, grondliggend aan
leervermoë. Suid-Afrika het nie Ononderwyskomponent, soortgelyk aan die "tweede-geleentheid
skole" in Groot Brittanje en Europa, om hierdie leerders te akkommodeer nie.
Die Europese Kommissie (European Commission) het in 1995 tweede-geleentheid skole geïnisieer en
12 loodsprojekte in II Europese lande van 1997 tot 1999 van stapel gestuur (Chistolini, 2008:219).
Griekeland, onder andere, het 48 tweede-geleentheid skole reg oor die land gestig en terselfdertyd
hulle skooluitvalsyfer van 22,4% in 1995 tot 15,9% in 2006 verminder. Die onsuksesvolle
skoolverlaters se situasie in Suid-Afrika, met onuitvalsyfer van 60%, noodsaak soortgelyke onderwys
om leerders Ongeleentheid in verdere onderwys, en dus hoop, te gee.
Suid-Afrika moet op Onbaie groter skaal die leervermoë van leerders verbeter, kognitiewe en
psigomotoriese vermoë ontwikkel as in die Europese tweede-geleentheid skole. Terselfdertyd moet
skooluitval, met verbeterde onderwys op alle vlakke van die skoolstelsel, verminder word. Daar
behoort gepoog te word om beide aspekte, hierbo vermeld, te verwesenlik deur die
onderwysbenadering en aanbiedingstrategieë, gegrond op psigologiese leerteorieë, te wysig. In onderwys vir onsuksesvolle skoolverlaters (die Suid-Afrikaanse weergawe van tweede-geleentheid
skole) moet daar meer gefokus word op leervermoë as in die Europese weergawe. Leerders moet leervermoë ontwikkel en hulle renons in leeraktiwiteite afskud. Kennis, grondliggend aan leervermoë,
moet verwerf word.
Onderwys vir onsuksesvolle skoolverlaters vereis 'n ander onderrigbenadering met aanvangsaktiwiteite
wat deelname aanmoedig. Kognitiewe en psigomotoriese ontwikkeling wat op sulke aktiwiteite
gegrond is, sal meer beduidend en sinvol vir die leerders wees as vakgerigte inligting (leerinhoud).
Onderwys vir onsuksesvolle skoolverlaters behoort ontwerp te word met die hoedanighede en
ingesteldheid van die leerders in oorweging. Wat hulle tot die leergeleentheid toevoeg, is van
kardinale belang. Hulle vorige ervaring in onderwys sal 'n groot uitwerking hê op hulle reaksie op en
weergawe van toekomstige blootstelling aan onderwys aktiwiteite. Navolging van hulle vorige
ervarings is gedoem tot mislukking. Hulle onderwys moet gegrond word op ondervinding waarin
hulle bewus sal word van hulle eie waarde in die prosesse om bevoegdheid te bereik. Strategieë wat
aansporende aktiwiteite insluit en leerders tot deelname inspireer, is onontbeerlik. Klaskamer sessies,
soortgelyk aan hulle vorige ervarings van onderwys, behoort vermy te word. Die ongunstige onderwyssituasie waarin onsuksesvolle skoolverlaters hulle bevind, kan aangepak
word met onderwys wat hulle besondere onderwysbehoeftes kan bevredig. 'n Kurrikulum wat op
transdissiplinêr geïntegreerde onderwys gegrond is, met praktikum-gegronde aanbiedings, bied
veelsydigheid wat gedifferensieerde ontwikkeling en kwalifikasies moontlik maak. Transdissiplinêr
geïntegreerde onderwys, gegrond op praktikum-metodologie is inherent gestruktureer vir
vaardigheidsontwikkeling oor die spektrum van 'n meganiese vaardigheidskurrikulum.
Aanpasbaarheid word verder bevorder deur die konstruktivistiese grondteorie wat persoonlike
kennisbou uit eie persepsies en ervarings behels.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
The constitutional framework for broad-based black economic empowerment
Janse van Rensburg, Adri (University of the Free State, 2010)The negative impact of the apartheid regime’s policies on the social, political and economic conditions of the majority of the population is well established and persists into the present day South Africa. The South African ... -
A framework for facilitating the transition from school to university in South Africa: a capabilities approach
Wilson-Strydom, Merridy (University of the Free State, 2012-11)Access to university in South Africa has been, and continues to be, a highly contested area that is plagued with many layers of complexity rooted in the social, political and educational past and present. Situated within ... -
Combating human trafficking: a South African legal perspective
Kruger, Hester Beatrix (University of the Free State, 2010-11)The transatlantic slave trade has been outlawed for more than 200 years. However, could it be that slavery still exists, but in a modern form, namely that of human trafficking for various exploitative purposes? Investigating ...