The role of blended learning in bridging the skills gap in public TVET colleges: a case study of a TVET college in Limpopo

Abstract

The TVET colleges in South Africa contribute to the social and economic development. It is for this reason that TVET colleges are expected to provide quality teaching and learning. However, this core business of the college has been hampered by a lack of Information and Communication Technology skills, especially among lecturers and students, to embark on online learning. The White Paper on e-Education has ideas on how to equip lecturers and students with online skills. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness and potential of blended learning in addressing the skills gap in public TVET colleges. The study employed a qualitative research design involving 15 participants. The participants comprised two HODs, five senior lecturers, three lecturers, and five students. The participants were purposively selected. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted to collect data from the participants. Data were analysed thematically to uncover recurring patterns and meanings. The findings of the study revealed that the lack of ICT resources and inadequate ICT skills for lecturers and students is still a challenge. Additionally, findings revealed that no support was given to lecturers and students by the Department of Higher Education and Training and the college management. The study recommends the potential changes to the situation at the studied college. The DHET and college management should invest in improving ICT infrastructure at campuses to help make online teaching and learning more effective. The study concludes without deliberate intervention such as strengthening ongoing training for lecturers and students, so they can confidently use technological tools in their daily teaching and learning. It is significant to invest in adequate infrastructure to assist to close the educational gap, specifically in public TVET colleges where students often fall behind compared to those in private colleges. In addition, recommendations are advanced for policy makers to support, review and strive for implementation of online learning in order to bridge the skills gap

Dikholeje tša Thuto ya Sethekniki le ya Bokgoni (TVET) di bapala tema ye bohlokwa kudu tlhabollong ya leago le ya ekonomi ya Afrika Borwa, ka fao di letetšwe go fana ka thuto le go ithuta tša maemo a godimo. Le ge go le bjalo, mošomo wo wa motheo o šitišitšwe ke go ba gona ga dikgeo tše di tšwelago pele tša bokgoni bja Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo le Kgokagano (ICT) gare ga barutiši le baithuti, tšeo di fokotšago tsenyatirišo ye e atlegilego ya thuto ya inthanete le ya go kopanywa. Le ge White Paper ya e-Education e fa tlhahlo ya maano ya go hlabolla bokgoni bja dijithale, tsenyatirišo ya yona dikholejeng tša mmušo tša TVET e sa lekana ebile e na le ditšhitišo tše dintši. Nyakišišo ye e hlahlobile katlego le bokgoni bja thuto ya go kopanywa go rarolla dikgeo tša bokgoni bja ICT kholejeng ya mmušo ya TVET. Go dirišitšwe mokgwa wa nyakišišo wa boleng (qualitative research design), moo barulaganyi ba 15 ba kgethilwego ka boomo ba tserego karolo. Barulaganyi bao ba be ba akaretša dihlogo tše pedi tša mafapha, barutiši ba bagolo ba bahlano, barutiši ba bararo le baithuti ba bahlano. Datha e kgobokeditšwe ka dipoledišano tša sefahlego ka sefahlego tšeo di nago le sebopego se bulegilego (semi-structured interviews) le ka dipotšišo (questionnaires), gomme ya sekasekwa ka mokgwa wa dithema go hwetša mekgwa le ditlhalošo tše di boeletšago. Dipoelo tša nyakišišo di bontšha go ba gona ga diphepetšo tše dintši tšeo di amanago tšeo di amago tsenyatirišo ya thuto ya go kopanywa. Tše di akaretša go hloka meago ya ICT ye e lekanego, phihlelelo ye e lekanyeditšwego ya kgokagano ya inthanete ye e botegago, go hloka didirišwa tša dijithale, le maemo a sa lekalekane a bokgoni bja dijithale gare ga barutiši le baithuti. Go oketša moo, barulaganyi ba bontšhitše gore go na le menyetla ye mennyane ya tlwaetšo, go hloka tlhabollo ya porofešenale ye e tšwelago pele, le tlhahlo ye e fokolago ya setheo mabapi le go kopanya theknolotši le mekgwa ya thuto. Le ge barutiši le baithuti ba bangwe ba bontšhitše maikutlo a matle mabapi le thuto ya go kopanywa, maikutlo ao gantši a fokolwa ke poifo, go hloka boitshepo le go gana diphetogo ka lebaka la go hloka mekgwa ya thekgo ye e tiilego. Nyakišišo gape e hweditše gore go hloka maano a hlakilego a setheo le thekgo ye e fokolago go tšwa go Lefapha la Thuto ya Godimo le Tlwaetšo (DHET) gotee le botsamaisi bja kholeje go mpefatša go se lekalekane mo go lego gona thutong le go ithuteng. Dipoelo tše di bontšha gore thuto ya go kopanywa, ka sebopego sa yona sa bjale, e tsenywa tirišong ka tsela ye e sa rulaganywago gabotse ebile e sa tšwalelelege, ka fao e palelwa ke go tswalela sekgoba sa bokgoni bja ICT dikholejeng tša mmušo tša TVET. Nyakišišo ye e gatelela bohlokwa bja ditsenagare tše di rulagantšwego le tše di tšwelago pele tšeo di ikemišeditšego go matlafatša meago ya ICT, go hlabolla bokgoni bja dijithale ka tlwaetšo ya go tšwela pele, le go fana ka boetapele bja maano maemong a setheo le a dipholisi. Ka go tšweletša mapheko a thuto, a setheo le a sebopego a šitišago thuto ya go kopanywa, nyakišišo ye e tsenya letsogo dipoledišanong mabapi le phetogo ya dijithale thutong ya bokgoni, gomme e fana ka ditemogo tše di theilwego bohlatseng tša go kaonafatša tekatekano, phihlelelo le boleng dikholejeng tša mmušo tša TVET

Dzikholeji dza Pfunzo ya Thekhiniki na Vhutsila (TVET) dzi na mushumo wa ndeme vhukuma kha u bveledza tshitshavha na ikonomi ya Afurika Tshipembe, nga zwenezwo dzi lavhelesiwa uṋetshedza pfunzo na u guda zwa vhukuma. Naho zwo ralo, mushumo uyu wa ndeme wo thithiswa nga u vha hone ha zwikhala zwi bvelelaho zwa vhukoni ha Thekhinolodzhi ya Mafhungo na Vhukwamani (ICT) vhukati ha vhadededzi na vhagudi, zwine zwa thivhela u shumiswa zwavhudi ha pfunzo ya inthanete na pfunzo yo ṱangananaho (blended learning). Naho White Paper ya e-Education i tshi ṋea tshikimu tsha maitele a u bveledza vhukoni ha didzhithala, u shumiswa hayo dzikholejini dza muvhuso dza TVET a hu athu u tshimbila zwavhudi nahone hu na zwiṱukufhadzo zwinzhi. Tshanduko iyi yo ṱolisisa vhukuma u shuma na vhukoni ha pfunzo yo ṱangananaho kha u fhungudza zwikhala zwa vhukoni ha ICT kholejini ya muvhuso ya TVET. Ho shumiswa maitele a ṱhoḓisiso a vhukoni (qualitative research design), hune ha khetshelwa nga maitele vhathu vha 15. Vhaḽanguli avho vha katela ṱhoḓa mbili dza madzangalelo, vhadededzi vha vhukuma vha ṱhanu, vhadededzi vhaṋa na vhagudi vha ṱhanu. Mafhungo o kuvhanganywa nga nyambedzano dza tshifhaṱuwo na tshifhaṱuwo dzi re na maitele o vuleaho (semi-structured interviews) na nga diphurotsheni (questionnaires), nahone a ṱolisisiwa nga maitele a thimu u itela u wana maitele na thalutshedzo dzi dovhololaho. Mvelelo dza ṱhoḓisiso dzi sumbedza u vha hone ha zwikhaḓo zwinzhi zwi ṱanganelanaho zwine zwa kwama u shumiswa ha pfunzo yo ṱangananaho. Zwenezwo zwi katela u shaya zwishumiswa zwa ICT zwo fhelelaho, u swikelela hu si ho teaho kha inthanete ine ya fulufhedzea, u shaya zwishumiswa zwa didzhithala, na u sa lingana ha vhukoni ha didzhithala vhukati ha vhadededzi na vhagudi. Zwiṅwe hafhu, vhaḽanguli vho sumbedza uri hu na mikano minzhi kha u wanala ha thuto ya u gudiswa, u shaya u bveledzwa ha vhukoni ha vhadededzi hu bvelelaho, na u shaya ha nḓivho yo teaho ya tshikolo malugana na u ṱanganya thekhinolodzhi na maitele a pfunzo. Naho vhaṅwe vhadededzi na vhagudi vho sumbedza maitele a mavhuḓi kha pfunzo yo ṱangananaho, maitele ayo o vha a tshi thithiswa nga u ofha, u shaya fulufhelo na u hana tshanduko nga mulandu wa u shaya tshedza tsha thikhedzo tsho khwaṱhaho. Ṱhoḓisiso yo dovha hafhu ya wana uri u shaya maitele a tshikolo o pfalaho na u shaya thikhedzo i bvaho kha Muhasho wa Pfunzo ya Nṱha na Thandululo (DHET) na vhulanguli ha kholeji zwi khwaṱhisa u sa lingana hune ha vha hone kha pfunzo na u guda. Mvelelo idzi dzi sumbedza uri pfunzo yo ṱangananaho, nga maitele ayo a zwino, i khou shumiswa nga nḓila i sa pfali nahone i sa tshimbili nga tshifhinga tshilapfu, zwine zwa ita uri i sa kone u vala zwikhala zwa vhukoni ha ICT dzikholejini dza muvhuso dza TVET. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi i ombedzela ndeme ya u vha na dzinḓila dzo ṱangananaho na dzo bvelelaho dzi livhiswaho kha u khwaṱhisa zwishumiswa zwa ICT, u bveledza vhukoni ha didzhithala nga thuto i bvelelaho, na u ṋea vhulanguli ha maitele maemong a tshikolo na a pholisi. Nga u bvisela khagala zwithithisi zwa pfunzo, zwa tshikolo na zwa tshivhumbeo zwine zwa thivhela pfunzo yo ṱangananaho, ṱhoḓisiso iyi iṋea mvelelo dza vhukuma kha nyambedzano dza tshanduko ya didzhithala kha pfunzo ya vhutsila, nahone iṋea nḓivho yo thewaho kha vhungoho u itela u khwinisa u lingana, u swikelela na vhukuma ha pfunzo dzikholejini dza muvhuso dza TVET