Abstract:

For some time now, South African technical teachers have been exercising freedom to design Practical Assessment Tasks (PAT) of their choice in selected grades in their education system. This is one way of ensuring that they fast-track and impose their creative and innovative ideas in their instructional practices. This means that teachers are now responsible to determine the content focus, skills, and knowledge to be addressed in the practical activities. Moreover, they have a chance to set and implement clear criteria, give good instructions to guide learners, determine which resources will be required for PAT and how marks will be distributed (Department of Basic Education, 2014). This is indeed a high level of teaching independence given to technical teachers.

This study is interested in exploring if technical teachers are maximising this opportunity to come up with innovative artefact, models, or manufacturing strategies that the department of education is running short fall of. Such opportunities are crucial for technical and vocational space as it is fast becoming the most competitive discipline in the world. For instance, mechanical technologies are advancing each day, we now see more people buying electrical automobiles in a space of those running with gasoline. This also creates opportunities for civil and electrical engineering sectors to produce and increase structures that will allow such cars to charge and be serviced. Hence, it is important that technical teachers' innovations are in par with mainstream developments.

We understand that some developing countries may not be as competent compared to others in implementing these car transition technologies, however, innovative strategies through drawings and artefacts or models can serve as a baseline for innovations. Most South African technical schools are facing infrastructure challenges; however, they are not immune from coming with innovations that are contextual to their needs, at least in terms of making hands-on models. Hove (2023) posit that lack of training tools and the overcrowding of some technical schools should not be viewed as a hindrance to bringing innovative PAT ideas, after all, learners need some digital skills within their fields and teachers are better placed to implement those skills. Actually, learners are creative beings and if adequately exposed to digital resources, they can defeat boundaries and come-up with contextualised innovative models within their discipline. This study used mixed method approach where embedded design was considered relevant. This study purposefully sampled 16 technical teachers from Limpopo and Gauteng regions in South Africa. This study was hinged on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations as its framework. This study discovered there are innovative improvements made by teachers, even though they come at a slow pace on the kind of practical activities they design for learners as compared to those which the department prescribes. It is recommended that technical teachers move away from the old, prescribed designs as they limp down the innovative process in technical education. Industry-based partnership should be intensified in order for teachers to know what skills are pertinent for now and the predicted fifth industrial revolution.

Keywords:

Innovation, Technical, Practical Assessment Task, Teachers.