Leading curriculum change in South African technical and vocational education and training colleges

Abstract

This article proposes that the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) collegecurriculum in South Africa needs restructuring in order for it to support more innovativeresponses to industry requirements and TVET standards. The ultimate aim of this study was todevelop a framework for leading curriculum change in the South African TVET college sector, aframework that will be able to support training and capacity-building among TVET collegeleaders to bring about long-overdue curriculum change. To achieve this aim, curriculumleadership is essential. The multi-phased, mixed-methods research design used in this studyinvolved a questionnaire survey and follow-up group interviews with TVET college staffrepresentative of five TVET colleges in the Western Cape province. Based on these data sources,the study reports on a range of current curriculum challenges in TVET colleges which formed thebasis for suggesting a research-based framework to train leaders to take the initiative in TVETcuriculum change. The study findings confirm the need for TVET college curriculum reform,which, in turn, requires competent curriculum leadership and leadership development. Theresearch therefore contributes to theory and practice in the field of South African TVETcurriculum leadership.