Moses Makgato’s research while affiliated with Tshwane University of Technology and other places

The world is currently experiencing transformation in most areas, including in education. The teaching and learning of agricultural programmes ought to be modelled and aligned with transformation. The shift from traditional classroom teaching and learning requires support to train agriculture with technology integration. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the transformation of the teaching and learning of agricultural programmes using technology. This study utilised a qualitative research method. There were 20 lecturers from three Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college campuses that were involved in this study. The findings revealed that transforming agricultural programmes to fully integrate technology is hampered by a lack of resources, equipment, and infrastructure. Teaching and learning support with resources and tools to acclimate to learning agriculture with technology integration is required. The study underscored the need for and the importance of providing support to institutions that are struggling to acquire teaching and learning resources, equipment, and infrastructure to implement the integration of technology. These findings emphasise the need to provide support for technical resources, equipment, and infrastructure to enhance the integration of technology. The research findings led to the development of a conceptual model for technology integration in TVET agricultural education. The key interrelated features that can be used to improve the support of technology integration in TVET colleges are clearly stipulated in the model.

The current training needs in agricultural program learning should contribute to the evolution of training in South African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. It is ironic that while other countries have advanced into a new era of educational innovation, the South African TVET colleges lag behind in technological development. The survey research approach allows for data measurements and statistical analysis. The study sought to determine whether the agricultural training in TVET colleges is evolving and progressing to integrate technology into the learning process. The three TVET college campuses with 482 participants were purposefully and conveniently sampled due to their experience in agricultural programmes. The findings were presented using the AVOVA analysis that is based on theory of technology integration. According to the study's findings, TVET colleges have evolved in how they train students in agricultural programmes. The study revealed that agriculture lecturers could use technological tools frequently when training the students. However, the results revealed that lack of learning resources affects the use of technology during agriculture training. The evolution would have been better if there had been an inclusion of phases such as technology integration exploration, experimentation with technology integration, technology integration adoption, and advanced technology integration. The study suggests that the gender factor should be considered as a barrier during the technological integration phases to accommodate all the students.

The transformation of agricultural programmes warrants that Technical and Vocational Education, and Training (TVET) lecturers use innovative strategies to integrate technology into their teaching. Currently, most training programmes have shifted from the traditional methods of teaching to integrate technology; hence, the strategies for training using these technologies are required. In this study, 20 lecturers from three TVET college campuses were interviewed and their teachings were observed. The ultimate purpose of this qualitative study was to propose innovative strategies for integrating technologies into the agricultural programmes. The research participants who were regarded as being knowledgeable and experienced in agricultural programmes were selected using the purposive and convenient sampling method. Data was thematically analysed and presented using categories such as the exploration of technology integration; the experimentation with technology integration; the adoption of technology integration; and the advanced technology integration that was adopted from the Kotrlik-Redmann (2003) framework. The findings suggest that the innovative strategies, including but not limited to being proactive, improvising, being developmental, and seeking assistance strategies can be used to integrate technologies. The study reveals that the lecturers use various innovative strategies for integrating technologies into the agricultural programmes. We recommend that the TVET colleges offering agricultural programmes, the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the other key stakeholders implement innovative strategies to help in the complete integration of technology. We also suggest the need to provide TVET lecturers with continuous training in the use of innovative technology.

In schools, woodworking is offered to equip learners with skills at professional and sub-professional levels. It has contributed immensely to the aesthetic value of most commercial and domestic buildings to date. The purpose of this study was to explore technical schools master plan to prevent the extinction of Civil Technology's woodwork specialization in South African schools. This study purposefully sampled nine participants comprising of subject specialist, principals and woodwork teachers. The two qualitative data-collection methods used were open-ended questionnaires and unstructured interviews. In this case study, thematic analysis was employed. Furthermore, the study adapted theory of planning as its framework. The findings of this study revealed that in order to prevent the looming extinction of woodwork specialisation, refurbishment of woodwork workshops, allocation of enough time for woodwork practical sessions and increasing operational budget for woodwork activities was to be done urgently, however, this were found to be long-term plans that could not be implemented by teachers but the department. This study recommended that schools managers, teachers, and specialists in the subject devise short-term to medium term master plans so that woodwork does not go into extinction while waiting for DBE's interventions.

The teaching profession is moving toward the use of educational technologies (ET) in the form of tablets, laptops, and reliable internet in the classroom to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools. The use of these tools in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is believed to positively impact how teachers deliver the curriculum. Teachers’ views on the application of educational technologies in the classroom are examined in this paper. The opinions of the teachers are crucial since they could influence whether or not the technologies are accepted. This study used a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers from one district in Gauteng province. A purposive sampling method was used to select these teachers on the basis that Gauteng is the leading province in ICT integration in schools. Data were analysed thematically from teachers’ responses. The Activity Theory framework was used to underpin the study. According to the findings, teachers voiced their dissatisfaction with the use of these technologies and other issues they face, such as poor technical support, a lack of equipment for maintaining educational technologies, inferior educational technology infrastructure, and unreliable Internet connectivity. Additionally, teachers called on the Department of Basic Education to provide professional development in technology integration and to equip schools with infrastructure as well as Wi-Fi.

The post-apartheid education policies were developed to eradicate inequality of learner performance and racial composition of schools and vocational colleges. Vocationalising education is a solution for skills gap. This chapter is based on the study that focused on vocational pedagogic and didactic practices, workshop material and equipment for practical training, work-integrated learning, and integration of theory and practice in vocational subjects. The methodology of collecting data were interviews and observations. The participants of the study were seven lecturers at three TVET colleges, who were selected purposefully. The empirical results from three TVET colleges investigated showed that vocational pedagogy and practical skills training is not responding to the needs of workplaces and leads to the high unemployment of youth. There are no practical activities at the colleges; hence, there is no integration of theory and practicals in vocational subjects. This study found that the curricula offered at the TVET colleges is irrelevant and requires urgent review in order to respond to the current workplace requirements.