Restrictive practices influencing workplace-based experience implementation at TVET colleges

Abstract

In the National Certificate (Vocational) (NC(V)) qualification, work-integrated learning (WIL) is referred to as workplace-based experience (WBE), which is a key part of the vocational college curriculum. There are well-known barriers to WBE, such as poor connections between the college and industry and the lack of resources for its implementation. A more nascent concept in existing literature is the constraints to WBE emerging from restrictive practices at the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges themselves, which is the topic explored in this article. This article aims to address the question: What are the micro-level restrictive practices affecting WBE from TVET college lecturers’ perspective? To do this, TVET college lecturers were interviewed about their understandings of WBE and perceived barriers to its implementation. Data were analysed by using cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) to examine the historical tensions between different components of the TVET college WBE activity system. Among other difficulties, the researchers identified tensions between the roles played by lecturers, WIL officers and college management as leading to restrictive practices. The research concludes that different professional groups should be encouraged to collaborate in order to share perspectives and co-develop new models for addressing the various WBE tensions at TVET colleges.