Leadership development for technical and vocational education and training college leaders in South Africa: A post-graduate curriculum framework

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Title
Leadership development for technical and vocational education and training college leaders in South Africa: A post-graduate curriculum framework
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges have experienced considerable change in the past 20 years. Recently, these colleges have become the focal point of education and training, ever since the publication of the Green Paper on Post-School Education and Training in 2012, transferring the colleges to the higher education and training system. These colleges are expected to increase their enrolments from 650 000 to 2.5 million by 2030. Leaders in these institutions have been faced with constant challenges in a rapidly changing environment. It has been internationally acknowledged that in order for leaders at all levels of vocational education and training institutions to be capable of and effective in transforming their institutions, leadership development is essential. Even though a leadership development programme was advocated in the Green Paper on Further Education and Training in South Africa (RSA, 2012), this training was not mentioned specifically in the subsequent White Paper (RSA, 2014). This lack of leadership development prioritisation of leaders in this sector differs from governments in other countries where customised leadership development in this complex sector has not only been prioritised but has become a matter of urgency. The purpose of this study was thus to develop a leadership development curriculum framework specifically for leaders, present and future, of public TVET colleges in South Africa. These colleges have also been examined as activity systems with their cultural and historical influences, according to Engeström’s (1987) version of activity theory. Through interactive qualitative analysis (IQA), an interpretive methodology grounded in systems theory (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004) which uses an interpretive approach by means of focus group and individual interviews with different constituency populations, an attempt was made to gain an understanding of what challenges these college leaders face and what knowledge, skills, attributes and attitudes they may need to achieve the mandate of the White Paper (RSA, 2014). AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die openbare tegniese en beroepsgerigte onderwys-en-opleidingskolleges in Suid-Afrika het die afgelope 20 jaar groot veranderings ervaar. Hierdie kolleges het onlangs die hoof-fokuspunt van onderwys en opleiding geword vandat die Groenskrif vir Na-skoolse Onderwys en Opleiding in 2012 gepubliseer is, wat die kolleges verskuif het na die hoër onderwys-en-opleidingstelsel met die verwagting om teen 2030 inskrywings van 650 000 tot 2.5 miljoen te vermeerder. Leiers in hierdie instellings ondervind voortdurende uitdagings in ’n vinnig-veranderende omgewing. Daar word internasionaal erken dat om leiers op alle vlakke by beroepsgerigte onderwys-en-opleidingsinstellings in staat te stel om hierdie instellings effektief te transformeer, leierskapontwikkeling essensieel is. Al word leierskapontwikkeling in die Groenskrif vir Na-skoolse Onderwys en Opleiding voorgestel, word daar nie vir hierdie opleiding in die daaropvolgende Witskrif (2014) voorsiening gemaak nie, wat verskil van die optrede van regerings in ander lande wat leierskapsontwikkeling in hierdie komplekse sektor prioritiseer. Gepaste leierskapskwalifikasies en -programme is oral ter wêreld vir leiers in dié sektor beskikbaar, maar nie in Suid-Afrika nie. Hierdie kolleges is ook as aktiwiteitstelsels ondersoek en daardeur is ’n analise van die kulturele en historiese invloede gemaak volgens Engeström (1987) se weergawe van Aktiwiteitsteorie. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om ’n leierskapkurrikulumraamwerk vir huidige en toekomstige leiers van openbare tegniese en beroepsgerigte onderwys-en-opleidingskolleges in Suid-Afrika te ontwikkel. Deur interaktiewe kwalitatiewe analise, ’n interpretatiewe metodologie wat sy basis in stelselsteorie het (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004) en wat ’n interpretatiewe benadering toepas, is daar gepoog om deur middel van fokusgroep- en individuele onderhoude vas te stel wat leiers in die sektor glo in so ’n kurrikulumraamwerk ingesluit moet word, sodat die mandaat van die Witskrif (RSA, 2014) uitgeoefen kan word.
Date
2015
Language
en
Citation
Robertson, C. A., & Du Plessis, C. (2015). Leadership development for technical and vocational education and training college leaders in South Africa: A post-graduate curriculum framework. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/96966