Exploring identity shifts and power relations in online learning of TVET College

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of a shift in the medium of instruction from face-to-face to online learning on the identity formation of students at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. Drawing on a Foucauldian lens, the study critically analyses and problematises the shift in power relations that students and teachers encounter in online teaching and learning environments. The main themes explored in this study were the conceptions of e-learning, autonomy and challenges in e-learning, online identity in e-learning, and students’ and lecturers’ shifts of power relations. The study employed a qualitative research approach, gathering data through semi-structured interviews at a TVET college in South Africa. The investigation explored how the shift to online learning has resulted in changes in students’ identities, particularly in relation to how identity shifts due to moving to an online teaching and learning platform. The study examined how students and lecturers negotiate and resist the exercise of power in online learning environments and how their identities are shaped and reshaped in response to these power dynamics. The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of the complex interplay between identity formation, power relations, and online learning in the context of TVET colleges. This research has implications for policymakers, educators, and researchers interested in understanding the multifaceted nature of student identity in the digital age. As such, the study provided insights into the challenges and opportunities that students encounter in online learning environments and suggests recommendations for educational institutions to create inclusive and empowering online learning experiences for students.