Exploring the design and implementation of an entrance readiness assessment and its relationship with performance outcomes among first year TVET college students
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Date
2024
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University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college entrance/placement tests have been critiqued in the few studies done in South Africa because they offer insufficient information about vocational students and their potential for success or failure. In light of the limitations associated with current entrance-testing mechanisms in South African TVET colleges and the limited information they afford colleges about entry-level students, this study set out to investigate alternative models or instruments that might yield a more holistic and informative picture, particularly with regard to students who might not complete their studies. The aims of this study were therefore to explore the development of a more appropriate entry-level readiness assessment for first-year TVET college students and to examine the possible relationships between their profiles at entry and their success/lack of success at the end of the first year. It was anticipated that the research findings could contribute to the sparse local knowledge base on these crucial issues in the South African TVET context. Using a pragmatic approach and mixed methods of data gathering within a convergent parallel design, a model that had been tested in international education systems was applied as a framework into which local input obtained from college experts was integrated to produce an entrance assessment instrument that was administered to first year college students. Qualitative and quantitative data were juxtaposed with first year performance outcomes, and statistical analyses conducted produced noteworthy associations among the findings. The research ultimately demonstrated that existing TVET college placement tests are severely limited in acknowledging the multifaceted nature of education and the diverse strengths and challenges that students bring to the learning journey. What was further revealed were the many taken-for-granted assumptions about TVET college students and their performance that require ongoing interrogation so that interventions remain at the cutting edge rather than relying on what may be outdated norms and stereotypes.
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Keywords
Student readiness, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), National Certificate Vocational (NCV), Entrance readiness assessments, Engineering students