Emerging Perspectives Regarding the Implementation of Lecturer Professionalization at Selected TVET Colleges in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Abstract

This study explored the challenges impeding the implementation of lecturer professionalisation at selected public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach and a case study research design were employed. Fifteen (15) participants were selected from five colleges through a purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, which was analysed through thematic analysis on Atlas.ti. This study found that lecturer professionalisation faced personal, institutional, and systemic challenges, namely, a professional identity crisis, lack of management support, lack of pedagogical knowledge, lack of self-directedness, negative public perception, and inadequate professional ethics. This study highlights the need for South African TVET leadership to expedite lecturers' professional development to ensure that lecturer's function optimally and contribute to institutional, sectoral, and national development imperatives.