PREPARATION OF GRADUATE AUTOMOTIVE TEACHERS FOR THE WORLD OF WORK IN KENYA

Abstract

Quality and relevance of education and training are global issues of concern. They are more critical in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) which form the link between education and the world of work. Automotive teacher education and training in Kenya is aimed at preparing effective teachers to facilitate the learning process in secondary and post-secondary TVET institutions offering power mechanics and automotive engineering respectively. The concern of this study was whether the quality of graduate automotive teachers (GATs) in Kenya, meets the current workplace demands. This study assessed the adequacy in preparation of graduate automotive teachers for the world of work in Kenya. Areas considered were; the knowledge and skills acquired during training and those required in the world of work, availability of training facilities, equipment and materials, instructional methods used in teacher preparation and attitudes of supervisors towards job performance of trainees at workplaces. The study was of descriptive survey design and it adopted heuristic methodology. Purposive sampling was applied in selecting institutions while snowball sampling was used to select automotive industries. Stratified random sampling was applied in selecting GATs and GAT trainees while the supervisors were sampled purposively. The sample population for the study was twenty (20) GATs and (4) heads of departments in public TVET institutions, fifteen (15) fourth year GAT trainees in TVET teacher training institution and six (6) industry-based supervisors; all in Uasin Gishu and Nandi Counties. The data collected through questionnaires, interview schedules, observation schedule, and document analysis was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Content analysis was also applied appropriately. The findings reveal that there is some mismatch between the training acquired and workplace requirements; much is required of the teachers than what they learnt. The study also found out that most of the training facilities and equipment were unavailable; those which were available were inadequate. It was also established that teacher preparation employs industrial attachment, teaching practice, project work and lecturing as the main methods of instruction; the usage of other methods is limited. Finally, workplace supervisors had almost similar attitudes towards job performance of teacher trainees; they rated them from average to good in most of the skills they exhibit during job performance. The study recommends a review of the teacher training curriculum to reflect the additional courses and contents in the revised Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Modular syllabus in TVET institutions. It also recommends that the training facilities, equipment and materials should be upgraded to match those found at the workplace. In addition, the usage of industrial attachment, industrial visits, project work and practice should be emphasized in imparting the relevant competencies to trainees. Finally, the link between the teacher training institution and the world of work should be strengthened and be of mutual benefit in the face of changing technological trends. TVET teacher training institutions should liaise closely with the automotive industry as well as KICD on issues pertaining to curriculum design and review at all times