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trainers emphasised on teaching and learning approaches linked to self-employment outcome. In order to provide useful business skills, the trainers utilised ‘action-based entrepreneurship’ training which helped graduates to understand about business opportunities and contributed increasing the spirit of entrepreneurship (Pantea, 2016). Therefore, the findings imply that the teaching and learning approaches were practical and effective in helping graduates to acquire entrepreneurship skills to open and manage an own small business. As result, in the existence of start-up capital and enabling SMME policies, graduates would be able to utilise skills in the income-generating activities or micro-enterprises.
In summary, this section has discussed the key findings in the light of previous studies on the topic.
The discussions reveal that this study has shed more light on innovative adult NFE delivery approaches. Though there are many specific findings pertaining to this study, the researcher can mention five major innovative elements identified in this discussion section. Firstly, the curriculum design and implementation entailed concrete contents in order to yield good results on skills acquisition. Secondly, the NFE centres also combined technical with entrepreneurial training as successful strategy allowing graduates to enter self-employment by establishing micro-enterprises.
Thirdly, authentic learning approach also involved field trip activities. Field trips consisted of visiting various companies, workshops and business from which adult learners could be exposed to external world of work. Fourthly, the assessment method of observing adult learners performing real work activities in a workshop or simulated workplace means that private NFE centres used authentic assessment. Finally, in order to provide useful business skills, the trainers utilised ‘action- based entrepreneurship’ training which enabled graduates to explore business opportunities and to contribute to increasing graduates acting as entrepreneurs.
97 5.3.1 Objective 1
The first objective, which sought to conceptualise the training delivery environments for skills acquisition in adult non-formal education centres within the context of systems approach and constructivist approach of learning, was achieved in Chapters 2, 3 and 4. Chapter Two discussed a conceptual framework of the study by examining the contribution of systems approach and constructivist approach of learning to the understanding of the effectiveness of training delivery environments for skills acquisition in adult non-formal education centres in KwaZulu-Natal. Four elements of a systems approach (inputs, a transformation process, outputs and environment) proved useful to analyse the effectiveness of training delivery for skills acquisition in adult NFE centres.
The constructivist approach helped to illuminate “transformation process” of the systems of approach on adult teaching and learning practice aiming at fostering skills acquisition. The same Chapter Two reviewed previous studies on the effectiveness of training delivery for skills acquisition in adult NFE centres.
The discussions of the key findings in relation to the conceptual framework reveal the constructivist approach is the transformation process of the system approach of NFE programme. The significant elements of system approach for skills acquisition, specifically for training delivery process in NFE centres is its ability to help analyse and improve the NFE programmes. However, the analysis and interpretation of the findings suggest that there should be a relationship between relevant inputs and transformation process in order to obtain desirable outputs. Furthermore, there must be the right mix of curricular objectives, contents, methods and assessment in order to produce competent and confident adult graduates for employment.
5.3.2 Objective 2
The second objective was to find out the approaches of training delivery for skills acquisition from the graduate’s perspectives. This objective was achieved in Chapter Four and the study utilised several variables at different levels to examine the approaches of training delivery for skills acquisition. Significant variables for this second objective were on human and material resources for NFE delivery (section 4.5.1 and Table 4.4) and approach of training delivery for skills acquisition (section 4.5.2 and Table 4.5). The findings revealed that in the private NFE centres and few public centres, the existence of qualified human and material resources and the learning approaches were the factors contributing to skills acquisition. The availability of relevant human
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and material resources for training delivery depended on type of the NFE centres and on the geography settings (urban, per-urban or rural areas)
A few graduates from public centres and the majority of those in private centres reported that the training delivery approaches for skills acquisition included the use of workshops and project-based training similar to the world of work, visits to the workshops, to businesses and industries. In all three private centres (urban, per-urban and rural area, the training delivery approaches focused more on practical skills in workshops and field than on theory.
5.3.3 Objective 3
The third objective, which sought to investigate the mode of training assessment at the end of the training programmes, was achieved in Chapter Four, section 4.6 and Table 4.6. The findings revealed that the mode of summative assessment of the skills training for the majority of private centres consisted of observation in workshop, observation in simulated workplace and role-play.
The assessment in the form of simulated workplaces consisted of learners performing real work activities and showing the steps to produce a product in the way taught. Both private and public centres in urban, peri-urban and rural areas used written examinations to assess the learners.
However, differently from public centres, the private centres in urban, peri-urban and rural areas further used three additional the assessment methods. Firstly, they assessed the acquisition of skills of the learners by the means of observation in workshop, which consisted of observing a learner performing real work activities at the workshop and demonstrating specific abilities. Secondly, the summative assessment consisted of observation in simulated workplace (fashion design and sewing course). This method involved placing an adult learner in real work activities in a simulated work environment and the assessors could watch to see whether he/she has mastered the skills taught at benchmark level. Thirdly, private centres used the method of role-play ‘simulations’, which involved a realistic situation or working condition. In the context of NFE programmes, this method of assessment appears to be effective in helping the assessor to determine learners’ competencies in mastering the content of skills.
99 5.3.4 Objective 4
The fourth objective, which sought to determine the ability of gradates to work without supervision after acquiring skills, was achieved in Chapter Four section 4.7, Chart 4.3, Chart 4.4 and Table 4.7.
The effectiveness of the training delivery approaches on skills acquisition was measured on technical and business skills acquisition. The findings showed that the majority of the graduates believed they had acquired technical skills to work without supervision. However, graduates who studied in private centres in urban areas were most likely to fell they had gained competences and were able to work without supervision than their counterparts in public centres.