Science and Technology Education

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A context-based problem solving approach in grade 8 natural sciences teaching and learning.
(2009) Khumalo, Leonora Thandeka Nontsikelelo.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
The demands of the new curriculum are such that problem solving is foregrounded as one of the core skills in the learning of the Natural Sciences. However teachers in general have difficulties in conceptualizing how this core skill should be incorporated into their everyday teaching of the Natural Sciences. Furthermore there seems to be some confusion in the literature on how the concept of problem solving should or ought to be understood. This is a qualitative case study to explore a grade 8 Natural Sciences educator who involves the learner's context when developing the curriculum, during teaching and learning and assessment. The educator allows the learners to use their context to negotiate during teaching and learning. The learners discuss the context-based activities in their groups and solve problems in their context, produce the portfolio boards by using the resources from their context and present their portfolio board to the class. The educator assesses the learners' activities in context and the portfolio boards. The educator and classroom activities are explored by using semi-structured interview as the main source of the data, unstructured interviews semi-structured obs~rvation schedule and classroom observation. The educator's understanding is explored by using a multifaceted methodology which targets the following key aspects namely, curriculum development, teaching and learning and assessment. In the activity theory the context is the unit of analysis. Activity theory is used as the lens and the conceptual framework in this study to understand how the educator develops the curriculum, teach learners Matter and Materials in their context and assess their context-based activities and the portfolio boards. The findings show that according to this educator he sees himself as the curriculum implementer rather than developer. The curriculum changes are at theoretical level rather than classroom level. Contextual teaching involves construction of knowledge from learners pre-knowledge and interests. Teaching within an Outcomes Based Education is transformative and educator as a mediator of learning. Problem solving needs more time but maximise non-routine thinking. Assessment is for learning, it is continuous and it contributes towards assessment for grading.
An exploration of biology teachers' practice with regard to practical work and how it relates to the NCS-FET life science policy document.
(2004) Pillay, Asheena.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
When democracy was achieved in South Africa there was a need to create an education system that served the needs of all South Africans. An education system which would produce literate, creative, critical and productive citizens. This led to the introduction of OBE, Curriculum 2005 and the National Curriculum Statement policy document. The principles on which the current South African education system is based has been borrowed from countries like Canada, England and Scotland. Although there are educational changes, the legacy of apartheid continues to be felt in the education system. There still exists an unequal distribution of resources both physical and human. Many previously disadvantaged schools do not have laboratory facilities nor qualified biology educators. This unequal distribution of resources impacts on teaching and learning. The successful implementation of the NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document hinges on teachers. Teachers are expected to through their teaching espouse the philosophy of the NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document. The majority of teachers teaching in South African schools had their training in a "content era," where it was amiable to transfer as much content knowledge as possible to learners, with little inquiry and the accompanying practical work. The NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document embraces the idea of learner centredness and emphasises the development of basic and integrated science process skills, in its first learning outcome. These educational changes imply a re-examination of the ways in which activities may have been conducted in the past, and at present. The context in which practical work is done in South Africa is different from the context in which practical work is done in countries like Canada, England and Scotland. This study uses an open-ended questionnaire and focus group interview to investigate teacher conceptions of practical work, the types of practicals teachers use to teach science process skills. The purpose is to get a deeper insight and understanding of teacher practices within a South African context, taking into account the effects of the legacy of apartheid. The study also highlights the possible challenges the teachers face in embracing the NCS-FET Life Science Policy Document.
An exploration of general education and training teachers' democratisation of the science teaching and learning space.
(2016) Jafta, Thomas Daniel.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.; Vithal, Renuka.
Abstract available in PDF file.
An exploration of the interface between schools and industry in respect of the development of skills, knowledge, attitudes and values (SKAV) in the context of biotechnology.
(2010) Singh-Pillay, Asheena.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
This study traces how the National Curriculum Statement-Further Education and Training (NCS-FET) Life Sciences Policy is constructed and translated as it circulates across the Department of Education (DoE), schools and industry nodes. Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Latour, 2005) guides the theoretical framework and methodology of this study. ANT is a useful tool for showing the negotiations that characterise patterns of curriculum change in terms of how policy gets constructed, how practice gets performed, the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values (SKAV) constituted in practice, and whether there is an interface in terms of policy construction and SKAV constitution. From an ANT perspective curriculum policy change is a matter of practice co-performed by sociality and materiality, these being interwoven and entangled in practice. The trajectory of the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy is traced during the practice of mediation of policy, implementation of policy and mediation of workplace learning. The topography of this study is underpinned by the transformatory agenda attached to curricula policy reform in South Africa. Agency has been granted by the democratically elected government to structures such as the DoE, schools and industry to promote human resource development and overcome the skills shortage via the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy (DoE, 2003) and the National Biotechnology Strategy Policy (DST, 2001). There are divergences between these two documents as to the type of biotechnology that can be used as leverage for human resources development. The controversy lies in the notion of wanting to broaden access to biotechnology by having it included in the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy, while wanting to promote third-generation biotechnology. Furthermore, contradictions are illuminated in the constitution of the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy: it espouses constructivist principles and has a social transformative agenda, but its construction is guided by behaviourist and cognitivist principles. iv Employing the analytical tools offered by ANT (Latour, 1993, 2005; Callon, Law & Rip, 1986), the network tracing activity reveals that policy construction and SKAV development involve more than the action of a single human actor. This means that humans are not entirely in control of practice (Sorenson, 2007). Practice is performed by a series of shifting relations between elements of “sociality” and “materiality” (Mulchay, 2007). The network tracing activity elucidates that curriculum policy is an emergent effect of the interface, a dynamic point that arises from translations in the network. While there is an interface in respect of policy construction and SKAV constitution across the nodes of the study, the emergent effect of curriculum reform has pointed to the slippage between what was intended (via the policy as stated in the Government Gazette) and what was actually experienced in practice.
Exploring grade six educators' understanding of the integration of the natural sciences and technology in the Mafukuzela-Ghandi Circuit, Ethekwini Region.
(2016) Khanyile, Dumisani.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
This qualitative study sought to explore Intermediate Phase Natural Sciences and technology educators’ understanding of the integration of Natural Sciences andtechnology. This was donein order to ascertain whether there wasa relationship between their understanding of this integration and their classroom practice. The exploration was guided by the following three main research questions: 1. What understanding do Grade 6 educators have regarding the integration of Natural Sciences and technology? 2. How is their understanding enacted in their classroom practice? 3. What informs these educators’ practice in the classroom? A descriptive, explorative, qualitative research design was employed, and the data were generated from the following three phases: Phase I (questionnaire): finding out the Grade 6 educators’ understanding of the term “integration”. Phase II (class observation): finding out how this understanding of integration was enacted in their classroom practice. Phase III (focus group): finding out what informed the educators’ practice in the classroom. The theoretical framework thatguided the analysis of the data was Activity Theory. This framework allowed for aspects of the context and historicity within which teaching and learning in the classroom occurs to be brought to the fore. With respect to the first question, this study revealedthat Grade 6 educators’ understanding of the term ‘integration’within the Natural Sciences and technology curriculum may be divided into two sections: a) General, and b) Curriculum based. In terms of the former understanding of the term integration, it was noted that a general understanding of the term ‘integrate’was agreed upon amongst the participants. Five out of six participating educators pointed to the idea of integration as being about “merging”; “joining”; “combining” and “linking” two or more “things” or aspects. Only one educator used the terms “integration” and “inclusion” interchangeably. However, with regard to the latter, the Grade 6 educators referred to cross-curricular integration as well as the integration of Natural Sciences and technology, and hence the following six perceptionswere revealed: Perception1: Integration allows for technology LA to support the Natural Sciences. Perception 2: Integration allows for the Natural Sciences to support technology. Perception 3: Integration requires an understanding of both Content Knowledge (CK)and Pedagogical Content Knowledge(PCK). Perception 4: The integration of Natural Sciences and technology is a way to motivate the populace. Perception 5: The integration of Natural Sciences and technology is a way to integrate Skills. Perception 6: A lack of integration - Natural Sciences cannot be linked to technology. In terms of the second question, this study found that theGrade 6 educators found it difficult to integrate Natural Sciences and technology in their classroom practice. All of the Grade 6 educators in the six participating schools treated Natural Sciences and technology as separate subjects. Furthermore, Natural Sciences was the main subject taught in all of the lessons observed. As a result, there was no proper integration of Natural Sciences and technology in their teaching despite the fact that there was evidence in the interviews of a proper understanding of the term integration. Thus, with regard to the third research question,the results show that the Grade 6 educators’ classroom practice was informed by the chalk-and-talk and textbook approaches. The participants gave a multitude of reasons for this practice ranging from a lack of funding to a lack of learning and teaching support materials (LTSM) about integrating Natural Sciences and technology Content Knowledge (CK). The findings of this study point to the enormous challenge faced by the Department of Education inlevelling the playing field so that the integration of Natural Sciences and technology can be implemented smoothly at classroom level. Taking into consideration such challenges, the recommendations and possible solutions to these problems are discussed at length in the last chapter of this dissertation.
Exploring the development of TSPCK of grade six natural science and technology pre-service teachers: a case for matter and materials.
(2021) Naidoo, Rosann Chantel.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
The literature suggests that pre-service teachers lack an integrated Natural Science and Technology pedagogical content knowledge and as a result cannot make good pedagogical decisions in classroom practice. This study argues for the place and space of adequately trained Natural Science and Technology specialists with an integrated understanding of Natural Science and Technology, who can plan, design, implement, and reflect on suitable instructional strategies and classroom activities that would promote the envisioned integrated curriculum for the Intermediate Phase. It therefore endeavoured to understand the process of engagement and the types of understandings that come to the fore when pre-service Natural Science and Technology teachers are exposed to active learning aimed to develop their topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge in an integrated way. The focus was on Matter and Materials and Processing in the knowledge strands of Natural Science and Technology. Using an exploratory case study methodology, the study addressed the following two questions: (i) How do we engage Grade 6 Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers to elicit their understanding of an integrated Natural Science and Technology curriculum through concept mapping? and (ii) How do Grade 6 Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers represent their understanding of an integrated Natural Science and Technology curriculum through concept mapping? W.r.t. Research Question 1, the four-phase engagement process of using concept mapping by Wang which was adapted to three for the purposes of this study, showed that when these phases are combined with a framework of Topic specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge as proposed by in the literature, does indeed, promote the graphical representation of facts, concepts, and relationships; aids in the construction and retainment of knowledge as well as clarity and a deeper meaning of knowledge through communication. After the concept mapping activity was completed, the Grade 6 Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers had a full view of their prior Grade 4 to 6 Content Knowledge in topics and concepts pertaining to Matter and Materials and Processing. This holistic view of the concept maps also exposed to the Grade 6 Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers’ various gaps in their prior Grade 4 to 6 Content Knowledge and misconceptions that may have possibly formed earlier on in primary school. The findings suggest that Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers’ understanding of an integrated Natural Science and Technology curriculum could be elicited by engagement using instructional strategies and a concept mapping activity to promote the development of an integrated Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Matter and Materials in Natural Science and Processing in Technology. W.r.t. Research Question 2, two understandings of integration were elicited which were spread through the eight categories. • Understanding 1: Integration of two processes: the scientific and design processes • Understanding 2: Integration of various Natural Science and Technology topics and concepts. Understanding 1 was held by nine (22,5%) pre-service teachers, whilst Understanding 2 was held by 31 (77,5%). The first understanding was derived from one category where an integrated NST was perceived as an: Integration of two processes: Scientific and Design processes. The second understanding was derived from seven categories, where an integrated Natural Science and Technology was perceived as the integration of Grade 4 to 6 Natural Science and Technology topics and concepts. It is significant to note that it is these nine pre-service teachers in Category 1, who successfully identified the problematic (lack of provisions of clean water in rural contexts) and applied their understanding of an integrated NST curriculum to solve an authentic, real-world context (in this case, the water and sanitation problems in the uGu district in the KZN region). This study offers a glimpse into the opportunities that could be afforded when Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers acquire a deep conceptual understanding of these two subject disciplines. They could, make good pedagogical decisions on designing effective activities related to evolving Content Knowledge to teach the integration of Natural Science and Technology. In teaching practice, Natural Science and Technology pre-service teachers who have developed a strong Pedagogical Content Knowledge of integrated Natural Science and Technology will begin to motivate Intermediate Phase learners to see relevance and importance of studying science and technology in high school and higher education. Consequently, these learners will follow science and technology career paths and may possibly become prolific citizens who could contribute to our country’s science, technology and innovation in the future.
The integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in the teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources : a critical case study of grade 10 life sciences educators in the Pinetown district.
(2009) Nnadozie, Ijeoma Jacinta.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
This is a qualitative case study which sought to explore the integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in the teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources by Grade 10 Life Sciences Educators in the Pinetown district. The study was done in two parts. Part one explored the Grade 10 Life Sciences educators’ understanding of the integration of indigenous knowledge in Life Sciences and the extent to which the educators integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. The data analysed was collected through questionnaires with open ended questions. Part two interrogated how the two educators who were purposively selected from part one of the study integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching; as well as what informed the way they integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching. The data analysed was collected through a pre-observation interview, a lesson observation and a post-observation interview with each of the two participants. The data was analysed within the conceptual framework of teachers as cultural brokers. The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) policy document for Life Sciences explains indigenous knowledge as another way of knowing and as an alternative way of explaining concepts that are usually explained using scientific knowledge. Hence it encourages the interaction of different ways of knowing in formal schooling. The analysis of part one of the study showed that 90% of the educators that participated in the study said that they integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. The analysis of how the educators integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching and what they did when they integrated indigenous knowledge showed that, even though the educators verbally asserted that they integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching, there was in fact no evidence of a proper understanding and integration of indigenous knowledge in their teaching. Instead, the educators’ integration of indigenous knowledge point to the educators using indigenous knowledge to foster and strengthen the learning of scientific knowledge and to promote the interest of their learners in the learning of science knowledge. At the core of the educators’ integration of indigenous knowledge is their concern with their learners’ learning of scientific knowledge. In this regard, the educators couldn’t be seen to function as cultural brokers in helping learners move between their indigenous knowledge and the science knowledge of the concept of the conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. The analysis showed a limited understanding of the principles and ideas upon which indigenous knowledge can be integrated into the Life Sciences curriculum.
The intersection between ICT and climate smart agriculture in adapting to the impacts of climate change on food production by uMsinga’s smallholder farmers: implications for climate change education.
(2020) Bakare, Olusegun Ojo.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
This study drew on community based participatory action research (CBPAR) and living theory (LT) to explore the intersection between information and communication technology (ICT) and climate smart agriculture (CSA) in enhancing the ability of smallholder farmers (SHFs) to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change in uMsinga, an impoverished rural area in KwaZulu-Natal. As action research, it included a preliminary and main phase. At the preliminary phase, the study aimed to identify SHFs’ existing agricultural practices in relation to climate change adaptation, as well as their perceptions regarding the possible integration of ICT and agricultural practices. In the main phase, the study aimed to assess the existing ICT literacy and the required ICT literacy if SHFs are to integrate smartphones with their agricultural practices. It explored the kind of functionalities that SHFs wished to see in a possible weather app. In order to address these research questions, a sequential transformative mixed method approach guided by community based participatory action research (CBPAR) and living theory (LT) approach was employed. In the study, 35 uMsinga SHFs were engaged through community forum meetings. Two frameworks were employed to make sense of the findings in the study, namely: the theory of planned irrigators’ behavior (TPIB) as well as unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The theories were used to explore the nature of relationship which exist in the intersection between ICT and CSA. The findings, from the preliminary phase, show that the uMsinga SHFs practise seven CSA practices. The findings further revealed eight unintended challenges resulting from the SHFs’ choice of CSA practices. These challenges affirmed that the deployment of ICT alone is insufficient to solve the threats posed by climate change for food production by SHFs. As such, the findings further show that an overwhelming majority of the SHFs has a positive regard for the integration of ICT with CSA practices. However, two unintended problems appeared to be limiting the realisation of their intentions: inadequate ICT literacy skills and the absence of agro-weather application that is appropriate and suitable for this rural indigenous community. The CBPAR intervention thus focused on improving the SHFs ICT literacy skills and their ability to use an existing “Demo” weather app through their smartphones, to enhance their CSA practices. The findings, arising from this main phase of the study, highlight the “importance of context” in helping SHFs to mitigate the threats posed by climate change to food production, an issue that is completely ignored in curriculum policies and policies aimed at integrated national adaptation responses to climate change impact and vulnerability. The contributions to knowledge as well as the implications of findings are discussed within the context of the criticality of interfacing between ICT and SHFs CSA practices.
Mainstreaming climate smart technology adaptation in Msinga’s farmers’ everyday agricultural practices through university, smallholding farming community and government partnerships: the place and space for indigenous knowledge systems.
(2020) Nwokocha, Godson Chinenye.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
This study adopted the Sustainable Livelihood Approaches (SLA) and the Quintuple Helix Innovation Model (QHIM) to explore the mainstreaming of climate smart technology adaptation in the everyday agricultural practices of smallholder farmers in Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal, through partnerships amongst university, government and smallholder farmers. Guided by an exploratory qualitative case study research design, involving questionnaires (open and closed-ended), document analysis and focus group interviews, the study was divided into two phases, namely, a preliminary and a main study. The preliminary study explored the knowledge and awareness of Msinga smallholder farmers about climate change and the accessibility as well as the suitability of support services available to them. In this regard, the current agricultural extension practitioners within Msinga were engaged to ascertain their level of competency to offer climate-related extension services to smallholder farmers within Msinga. Equally, the education and training programme of pre-service agricultural extension practitioners of one of the higher education institutions in KwaZulu-Natal was analysed to determine its suitability in training future extension practitioners. The second phase of the study explored the existence or non-existence of partnerships between the stakeholders engaged in this study as well as the roles played by each stakeholder group in these partnerships. Furthermore, the type of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) as well as Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) promoted in these partnerships were explored. The findings from the preliminary study revealed that Msinga smallholder farmers are indeed aware and knowledgeable about climate change. Their knowledge and awareness were classified into four categories, namely, evidence of climate change, causes of climate change, effects of climate change and solutions to climate change. Furthermore, the findings showed that a good number of the in-service agricultural extension practitioners are not adequately equipped to offer extension services related to climate change to farmers, when considered in terms of their level of qualification, exposure to content related to climate change during training and in-service training on climate change. This confirmed the view in the literature that most agricultural extension practitioners in smallholder farming contexts in South Africa lack the requisite knowledge and skills to facilitate adaptation to climate change. In tracing the root of this problem through research question three in the preliminary study, it was revealed that content related to climate change and climate change adaptation was not accommodated in the pre-service extension programme. However, content related to climate change was implicitly included by academic staff members while teaching topics such as social sustainability, environmental sustainability and economic sustainability. The findings from the main study showed that there are indeed different types of partnerships existing between academia, government and the smallholder farmers. In addition, the findings from the main study showed that the government and academia, as represented by Agricultural Extension and Rural Development lecturers are supporting the farmers through their roles in the direct and indirect partnerships they share. This was contrary to the assertion in some literature that there is a lack of interactions between stakeholders on climate change in developing countries and contexts. The roles played by academia and government stakeholder groups corresponded with the roles of academia and government, as conceived in QHIM, thereby paving way for the attainment of livelihood outcomes of food security, adaptation to climate etc. Again, these finding highlighted that not having the required qualification does not necessarily mean that the extension practitioners are incapable of offering extension services related to climate change adaptation. Surprising, the findings of the main study revealed that farmers were de-centred and hence played no roles in these partnerships, even though they proved to be aware and very knowledgeable about climate change during the preliminary study. This was contrary to the conceived roles of end-users under QHIM. It was found that the partnership between academia and the government promoted one CSA practice, while the partnership between the government and farmers promoted one other CSA practice. Additionally, the findings revealed that the partnership between the government stakeholder group and the farmers promoted six CSA practices while the partnership between the farmers and government yielded two CSA practices. It was significant to note that the highest number of CSA practices were promoted in the partnership between the government and the farmers. This implies that the government stakeholder group are the main drivers of climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihood outcomes in rural Msinga. Interestingly, the CSA practices promoted in these partnerships uphold the three key pillars of climate smart agriculture, namely adaptation, mitigation and food security. Most significantly, is the finding that these partnerships, do indeed, promote the use of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in the form of indigenous agricultural practices in the everyday agricultural practices of Msinga smallholder farmers. This means that the place/space of IKS still largely resides with the end-users.
Public understanding of renewable energy technologies in Nigeria.
(2016) Wojuola, Rosemary Nike.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
Globally, there is a focus on generating energy from renewable energy sources in order to ensure sustainability. However, experience has shown that although the public generally accepts Renewable Energy Technology (RET), there is always opposition to their implementation. Renewable energy education is essential for the successful implementation of Renewable Energy Technology. This education can be used as a tool to enhance the public’s understanding, and to achieve the development of a sustainable lifestyle among the public. Efforts directed at studying the public’s understanding and acceptance of RET have consisted majorly of survey studies that lack theoretical background, and as such, could not gain an in-depth understanding of the public’s acceptance of RET. There is a need for studies that will explore the life experiences of the public, taking into consideration the various variables that dictate the nature of this understanding of RET. This study was informed by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) through which the beliefs, attitudes and perceptions about RET were examined as they related to sustainable behaviour. In this study, a mixed methods approach was used to explore the public’s understanding (inclusive of knowledge and beliefs, perceptions, and attitude) of Nigerians in relation to a sustainable lifestyle. This consisted of the concurrent use of focus groups and a survey study that allowed for both depth and breadth at the same time. The data were collected through four focus groups consisting of 23 participants, and a structured questionnaire, which was completed by 600 randomly selected participants. The data analysis was done using thematic analysis and through the use of the statistical package SPSS version 23. The outcome of this research shows that there is a general low level of knowledge about RET among the Nigerian populace, with males scoring higher than females. The statistical analysis carried out in this study shows a significance of 0.002, which is less than the level of significance of 0.005. This implies that there was no significant correlation between the level of education of the public and their knowledge of RET. The results also reveal that knowledge and beliefs about renewables, coupled with Perceived Usefulness and perceived ease of use, determines the populace’s attitude towards RET. A regression analysis between attitude and intention to use renewables yielded F=22.200 and p=0.000. This means that there was a significant relationship between the variables, showing that the research model is fit. Negative perceptions about the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and the cost of installing RET were major factors that prevented the participants’ willingness to install renewables. There is thus a need for Renewable Energy education that is comprehensive enough to enhance a positive perception among the populace about RET. Also, sustainability should be included in energy education programmes in order to develop a sustainable culture in the nation.
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) provision in Nigerian technical colleges: exploring the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency (REE) of stakeholder partnerships using community-based participatory action research (CBPAR).
(2018) Legg-Jack, Dagogo William.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.
This thesis explored Technical and Vocational Education and Training provision in Nigerian technical colleges with the specific focus on establishing the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of stakeholder partnerships. It used Community-based participatory action research. The study was guided by three research questions in the preliminary, and two for the main study. These research questions are outlined as follows: Preliminary Study 1. What is the extent of TVET provision across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria? 2. How does the TVET provision within these six geographical zones compare to the provision of general education schools? 3. What is the level of efficiency of a selected few TVET institutions across these geographical zones in Nigeria? Main Study 1. Are the selected TVET institutions surveyed in any form of partnership with any organisation? If so, what types of partnership are they involved in? 2. Using CBPAR, how do we strengthen and develop a new model of partnership for REE TVET provision in Nigerian technical colleges? In order to address these research questions, an explanatory sequential mixed method design involving a Community-based participatory action research was used. Data was collected for the preliminary study through desk review, document analysis and closed-ended questionnaires for the first, second and third research questions respectively. For the main study, data was generated through semi-structured questionnaires for research question one, whilst that of two was generated through pre- and post-intervention minutes of meetings, personal interviews and focus group discussions. Four frameworks were employed in the study. An analytical framework for evaluating TVET provision in terms of relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency was used to gauge the internal efficiency of selected technical colleges in research question three of the preliminary study. The Triple Helix (TH) and the Quadruple Helix Innovation Models (QHIM) were used to explore partnerships in the main study. The last framework – the Ecological System Theory (EST) – was used in understanding the development of a new relevant, effective and efficient (REE) partnership in TVET provision. The last theory, EST, was applied due to the limitations of the THM and the QHIM in describing the levels of interaction between different stakeholders in quality TVET provision. The EST however, allowed for the discovery of the different levels of interaction amongst stakeholders required to collaborate for REE TVET provision in Nigerian technical colleges. For research question one, the preliminary study results revealed 155 TCs across the six geopolitical zones. In addition, the provision was not evenly distributed because there is no technical college in Zamfara State in North-West. Research question two indicated a highly disproportionate ratio of TCs versus general education schools – ranging from 1: 138 to 1:70. For research question three the results showed that amongst the 22 technical colleges surveyed across the four geopolitical zones, only two colleges had their overall index of efficiency above 50%, with North-Central at 56% and South-West at 54%. Findings from the main study revealed, for research question one, that only 32% of TCs were involved in partnerships, that is, seven out of 22. However, it was significant to note that five out of the seven colleges were involved not only in one-to-one, but in multiple stakeholder partnerships. With regard to the prelude to research question two, using CBPAR, 26 factors were elicited to explain the low efficiency experienced by GTC-Port Harcourt. Thus, to strengthen and develop a new model of partnership for REE TVET provision in Nigerian technical colleges a new type of collaboration that portrays the characteristic features of the QHIM needed to be established – in other words, a new partnership arrangement that incorporates technical colleges, industry, government, and other stakeholders from civil society/NGOs, World Bank (IFC), community, Parents Teachers’ Associations (PTA), philanthropic individuals, and volunteers. Furthermore, the use of a social ecological lens on the new model of REE partnerships enabled the illumination of different interactions and impact levels among the various stakeholders. As opposed to other studies where government is the propelling force within the TVET system, this study shows that industry is key to the production of skilled graduates. The findings of this study have implications for policy, practice and research. Nigerian education policy acknowledges the need for the government to partner with other stakeholders in producing the skilled workforce needed in the country. However, findings in this study reveals a paradigm shift from government to the industry as the key stakeholder needed to produce a competent and skilled workforce needed for industrial development in Nigeria. Significantly, the implications of this study for practice is such that, having industry as the key stakeholder would boost the production of skilled graduates thereby reducing the skills mismatch that are the major cause of unemployment amongst secondary school leavers in Nigeria. It will also create room for gainful employment amongst the youths, thereby reducing the problem of unemployment. Industry provides inputs such as delivering workplace training to TVET trainers, contributing financially to national training funds, providing opportunities for teachers to regularly update themselves through workplace experiences, and contributing to development of the curriculum for economic relevance. The findings of this study also have implications for research, in that it has extended the debate on stakeholder partnerships in TVET provision through the application of the social ecological lens, which illuminates the different levels of interactions and impact amongst various stakeholders required for quality TVET provision.
Using web 2.0 technologies to facilitate the collaborative design process among undergraduate engineering students: an actor network study.
(2016) Chitanana, Lockias.; Alant, Busisiwe Precious.; Govender, Desmond Wesley.
In this thesis I am motivated by a keen interest in design collaboration, and a belief that the quality of design interactions could be enhanced by employing a repertoire of the new and emerging collaborative technologies in the design process. In this study I employed actor network theory’s (ANT’s) methodological and theoretical framework to investigate the use of Web 2.0-facilitated collaborative design by Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering students at the Harare Institute of Technology. In line with ANT, I traced the collaborative design process by following the actors in action (Latour, 2005) when the forces of the network were at work, picking up the traces they left behind to constitute the empirical data for the study. By employing ANT analytical tools the data of the network-tracing activity reveals that the Web 2.0-facilitated collaborative process is an emergent actor network that evolves from associations created among the actors as they negotiate the alignment of interests through a series of translations that occur through moments of problematisation, interessement, enrolment and mobilisation (Callon, 1986b). As the actors went through the moments of translation, various interpretations of the design problem were translated into technical solutions and procedures to be followed in search of a satisfying design solution. The process of achieving agreement (or a stable network) is dependent on the translations that take place among the actors. The analysis shows that Web 2.0-facilitated collaborative design is an emergent process. It is a process that evolves from a translation process, during which a hodgepodge of decisions that cannot wait are taken in a complex, dynamic, fluid and constantly changing environment where actions cannot be planned or predicted in any mechanical way (Akrich, Collan, Latour, & Monaghan, 2002). Therefore, the path that the design process takes cannot be predetermined, but emerges from the network of relations that are created by the actors as they work together to achieve their commonly agreed design goals. Considering the Web 2.0-facilitated collaborative as an emergent process clearly demonstrated that it does not take place in a step by step way, as depicted by many design models. Instead, the process moves back and forth between different domains as the design problem and solution co-evolve and are continuously up for revision (Downey, 2005; Petersen, 2013). The affordances of Web 2.0 technology supported the messy talk (Iorio, Peschiera, & Taylor, 2011) that was critical to the development of design solutions. The emergent character of Web 2.0-facilitated collaborative design allows for important theoretical and practical lessons for design educators, to improve the teaching and learning of the collaborative design process. With collaborative design as an emergent process, it is no longer methods alone that produce results, but the reassemblage of the totality of translation that takes place among the actors into a stable network of relationships, and it cannot be taught outside of authentic design projects.

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