Human and material resources for course delivery at NFE centres

4.6 Training delivery internal environment for skills acquisition

The purpose of this section is to answer the first research question concerning the approaches the NFE centres used for training delivery for skills acquisition, according to the graduates’ views. In this regard, the researcher sought the view of the graduates as the target of the teaching and learning process. Because the researcher analysed data on the training delivery using of NFE programmes follows the steps of systems approach discussed in Chapter Two, which entails inputs, a transformation process, outputs and environment, the section presents human and material resources (inputs) for NFE delivery. Next, approach of training delivery for skills acquisition follows. As the first component of the systems approach to NFE teaching and learning, inputs lay a good foundation for the transformation process and outputs. For the focus and purpose of the present study, the outputs or results consist of skills acquisition and the learners’ ability to work without supervision after acquiring skills.

4.6.1 Human and material resources for course delivery at NFE centres

The challenges in or the availability of human and material resources can affect the effectiveness of the approach of training delivery for skills acquisition from NFE centres. However, this sub- section does not present findings on financial resources, which is also very important, due the difficulties in accessing the data from the centre managers and ethical challenges. For the purpose of this study on delivery approach, the human resources entail qualified and skilled trainers in the field of adult education and training. As discussed in Chapter Two, the material resources entail the availability of teaching and learning materials in the NFE centres, instructional equipment and classroom infrastructures (including workshops) adapted to transmit the skills to adult learners. In the survey questionnaire, graduates were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with each listed statement about the availability of human and material resources at their respective NFE centres. Table 4.4 presents the human and material resources of NFE centres for skills acquisition.

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Table 4.4: Human and material resources for course delivery (N=200)

Note: The percentages are within the type of the NFE centre

Material resources of NFE centres play a major role in determining the training approach a trainer will use to transfer skills to the learners. To this end, in the survey questionnaire, graduates were asked to agree or disagree on statement regarding human and material resources and crosscheck their responses through the linkage between material utilisation in teaching and the workplace. With regard to public centres, as reflected in Table 4.4 above, graduates were asked to agree or disagree whether the centres had sufficient learning materials for theory classes. Responses indicate that 80.1% (85/106) of the graduates disagreed that their centres had sufficient learning materials for theory classes (not textbooks). Only 17.9% (19/106) of graduates agreed with the statement and 1.9% of them were neutral. Similarly, 75.4% (80/106) of the graduates disagreed that their centres had sufficient learning materials for practical classes. In addition, 67.5% of them disagreed on the statement.

Still on the public centres, graduates were asked to agree or disagree whether their centres had sufficient basic tools and equipment in the workshop. A large number (69.8%, 74/106) of graduates disagreed with the statement, and only 16% agreed that their centres had workshops furnished with sufficient basic tools and equipment. In order to test the reliability of their response, graduates were also asked for their views on whether there was a link between learning contents and work place. The statement also aimed at cross-checking the availability of materials and their utilisation in the teaching and learning process. Only 14.2% (15/106) of the graduates agreed on the statement, 33 % of them were neutral, and 53.8% (57/106) disagreed with the statement.

Public centres (n=106) Private centres (n=94)

Skills training course n Agree % Neutral n % Disagree Agree n % n % Neutral n % Disagree n % Centre has sufficient learning

materials for theory classes 19 17.9 2 1.9 85 80.1 68 72.3 19 20.2 7 7.4 Centre has sufficient learning

materials for practical classes 5 4.7 11 10.4 80 75.4 62 65.9 18 19.1 14 14.5 Centre has sufficient basic tools

and equipment in the workshop 17 16 12 11.3 74 69.8 63 67 9 9.6 6 6.3

There is a link between learning

content and workplace 15 14.2 34 32 57 53.8 62 66 17 18.1 15 16

Teachers are motivated 67 64.4 7 6.6 16 15 65 69.1 10 10.6 19 20.2

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Thus, in the public centres in the opinion of graduates, there was insufficient link between learning contents and work place. In relation to the conceptual framework in terms of resources (inputs), these findings reveal the centres did not have adequate material resources entail the availability of learning materials, teaching tools, instructional equipment and classroom infrastructures adapted to transmit the skills to adult graduates. However, there were positive findings regarding the availability of qualified and motivated trainers which might contribute to the effectiveness of the training delivery approaches for skills acquisition. The findings revealed that 64.4% (67/106) of graduates agreedthat the centres had qualified teachers, whilst only 15% of them disagreed with the statement. In addition, 69.2% (72/106) of respondents agreed that their teachers were motivated in the delivery the training courses, whether during theory in class, during practicum in the workshop, or in fieldwork.

With regard to private NFE centres, respondents were asked about their views on whether the centre has qualified teachers in the specific training course. The findings in Table 4.4 above reveal that 65%, (61/94) of graduates agreed that their centres had qualified teachers, and only 19.1% of them disagreed on the statement. In addition, 69.1% (65/94) of respondents agreed that their teachers were motivated in delivery of the training courses, whether during theory in class, during practicum in the workshop, or in fieldwork (agricultural technology course), and 20.2% disagreed with the statement. While these finding on human resources are similar in both public and private centres, it is noteworthy to mention that trainers in the private centres had work experience in the industry. The analysis of evidence from the documents of training implementation and annual reports revealed that the private centres hired experienced trainers within the communities and NGO partners to teach specific training courses in the classrooms and workshops.

Concerning material resources in the private centres, 72.3% (68/94) of the graduates agreed that their centres had sufficient learning materials for theory classes. Only 7.4% of graduates disagreed on the statement and 22.2% of them were neutral. Likewise, 65.9% of the graduates agreed that their centres had sufficient learning materials for practical classes. However, 14.5% of them disagreed on the statement. A large number (67%, 63/94) of graduates agreed that their centres had workshops with sufficient basic tools and equipment. Only 6.3% disagreed on the statement. In contrast to public centres, the quantitative findings revealed that private centres had probably sufficient materials and workshops for practical training sessions (see Table 4.4 above). Furthermore, during semi-structured interviews, four out of five graduates who studied in the private NFE centres reported that their centres had sufficient training materials as opposed to public

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centres. One female graduate from private NFE centre in the urban area mentioned the following regarding the availability of material resources:

The training programme consisted of technical or practical skills in sewing and of business skills related to our training areas. With regard to the technical skills training, all the resources and materials for practical training were in the centre’s workshop. Trainers focused on each learner to ensure that no one was left behind in understanding a particular task related to skills.

A male graduate from a private centre in the rural centre stated the following:

With regard to agricultural course, the centre received donation from an NGO to buy training materials for practical works in the farm. We received seeds and tools for the gardening project from the government.

A woman respondent from a public centre in a peri-urban area reported the following:

Our centre only has a room furnished with seven computers. It does not have workshops or farm for practical sessions. Our centre manager told us that it was very difficult to continue with our skills training programme because the centre lacked financial support to buy training materials and equipment.

As inputs, human and material resources presented in this sub-section constitute the first step of the system approach of the adult NFE programme. According to the findings in Table 4.4 and qualitative findings, the majority of private centres and few public centres had sufficient materials for technical skills learning. In relation to the conceptual framework (systems approach), the significance of analysing the resources is that they lay a good foundation for skills teaching and learning process for skills acquisition. In other words, the majority of the graduates who studied in the private centres reported that their centres had sufficient basic tools and equipment in the workshops. The effect of the availability of human and material resources on training delivery is further discussed in the next section on transformation process for skills acquisition.

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