Lecturers’ perspectives on the failure rate of students at a selected TVET college.

Abstract

TVET college’s main purpose was to offer youth training programmes relevant to the needs of the industry. This training aimed to bridge the skills gap in South Africa to curb unemployment and grow the economy. According to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET, 2013b), it was estimated that the sector would have 2.5 million students certified by 2030, and this projection was unfortunately not fulfilled due to the poor performing institution and high drop-out rate (DHET, 2013b). According to DHET (2021), only 9.2 % of students enrolled for NCV level 2 in 2016 completed the qualifications over the three-year expected time frame. The low throughput rates result in small class sizes at later NCV program levels, increasing the cost per student as the same amount of lecturing is required even when classes become smaller (DHET, 2021). The government has allocated billions of rands to grow the TVET sector over the years. Despite the substantial funding, this sector still produces the poor performance of students (Papier, 2009). If this sector does not improve students' academic performance, it will be a poor return on the government’s investment. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to explore the views of TVET college lecturers on the key factors contributing to the failure rate of NCV students at a selected TVET college in Kwa-Zulu Natal and find possible solutions to help curb the problem of student failure. The college was conveniently selected, and the researcher selected the participants purposively. The qualitative design allowed the researcher to identify themes. Thematic analysis was employed in the data analysis section. Tinto’s Student Integration Model was comprehensively explored. Tinto’s (1975, 1993, 1997) Student Integration Model provides useful information on reasons that contribute to learning success. The study revealed several reasons for the high failure rate of students. The findings revealed that TVET college students lack motivation and show very little zeal and commitment towards their studies. Many underachieving school leaners are referred to TVET colleges, and they have learning barriers and are not prepared for the NCV programme. Furthermore, the TVET curriculum is overloaded and too theoretical for some learners, while for others, it does not provide further learning opportunities at tertiary institutes. The TVET curriculum is also not keeping up with current information, current job skills, are not linked to the workplace, and does not provide work opportunities for students. Most TVET students come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and experience financial problems. Absenteeism is also a major problem among students. There is a major challenge with resources for both learners and lecturers. The students do not receive enough academic and social support. The registration process to enroll NCV students is ineffective. Recommendations are made, including: that DHET extend the duration period for registration so that TVET colleges have more time to properly screen students to attain a better caliber of students. The placement test given at registration should be revised to something more concrete to test student's numeracy and literacy levels. It is recommended that the TVET curriculum be reviewed to provide different routes for learners, one that will be more practically inclined to lead directly into employment and the other creating further learning opportunities into tertiary institutes. The curriculum also needs to be reviewed to be up-to-date and relevant to current job requirements. Student Support should be moved from Central Office to campus based making it more accessible to students and provide the students with various support strategies to enhance pass rates. Finally, all resources available to lecturers and students need to be reviewed and upgraded to improve academic performance.