Article Preview
Top1. Introduction
Although the provision of access is generally a desired goal in education in many parts of the world, the pursuit of quality in such provisions, especially in teaching and learning, is always a major consideration, for theorists as well as practitioners alike. This is more so in vocational education and training, where the thrust of provision is expected to reflect clearly defined outcomes and ultimately, a practical application of the knowledge gained. Various attempts to explore the quality question have zeroed in on issues of exceptional performance, a zero tolerance for faults, a fitness for purpose, and a pursuit of transformation (Gibbs, 2010; Mok & Jiang, 2016). Attempts have also been made to try and focus on the possible quality of the students and lecturers, the effectiveness of teaching and learning (UNESCO, 2013), the nature of the environment of teaching and learning as well as the totality of inputs that go into the administration of learning. While these issues are vital, the pursuit of quality appears to be strongly tied to the existence of a platform for making that happen, often seen in the existence of a policy framework upon which quality issues are to be explored and addressed. Added to the issue of a policy is the degree to which such a policy is implemented.
Following from the above, the quality dimension to teaching and learning becomes inextricably tied to the quality of resources which the policy implementing institution avails in human, material and financial dimensions, to the institution. In addition to this, support systems are expected to be put in place to ensure the success of the educational endeavor. Also, users of a system also often are able to say how a system is fairing, by commenting on its activities and its general fitness for purpose. Tied to this is also the constant evaluation of the system to see what factors hinder the quality of an educational endeavor, and to proffer relevant solutions to such.
In exploring the quality question in teaching and learning in vocational education and training in Botswana, this study aims to focus on the Gaborone Technical College, one of the many such colleges in the nation, and to assess the quality of its provisions. To this end, it is necessary to examine aspects of the background to the nation’s vocational education and training agenda.