During one of my journeys between Arusha (Tanzania) and Nairobi, I had sat next to a young couple from Australia as my companions in the bus. The couple is conducting seminars on Empowering youth/adults on life skills (East African Countries, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania). During our long conversation at one point, I asked them for curiosity, how Australia is able to fare well in terms of education, and most of all doing research in vocational fields and equipping other neighboring countries with research methodologies. Furthermore I asked them, the methodologies they normally used when doing research or conducting the seminars with participants. The couple responded that involvement of the indigenous of the area where the research is conducted is the key to develop new knowledge and skills, which a researcher may not have been in picture. They said, when they start conducting seminar in all these countries, they invite people of the area to speak out of what they really need for the local area to prosper in development, because when they give their views, the researcher will be equip with the realistic picture of the local needs. The young couple continued to explain to me on how they also encountered problems doing their researched sometime back, because they used to decide for the people and tell them what to do and how to do it. As researchers, they said, doing data collection in the field of research (with people of the area) does not mean he/she is there to tell the participants what they should do and how to do it but rather as an active participant among them, on the other hand he/she should not get loss in the crowd forgetting the purpose of his/her being among them.
Learning from Experience
Working with Norwegian Refugees Council for one year and some months, I had an experience of telling people always what they should do to improve their way of working or practice. For eight months telling the workers what they should do and what they shouldn’t was deteriorating the learning process in the work place. It has become a routine for many workers; hence there was no learning or obtaining skills taking place. At the end of one year, the manager of the project realize a need for changing the system from top-down to down-top to improve the system of telling others what to do, into personal improvement of practice.
My world view of telling people what to do start to change and the question that I asked my self was how I can improve my personal way of work practice in order to influence others for the better development of their skills and knowledge. Based on that I started following the idea of improving my practice, seeing how it goes and continually checking whether it is in line with what I want to happen.
Action for improvement
In my mind, taking action to improve my work practice was the key to obtain new knowledge and skills. The method I use was evaluating the out come of my actions on the daily basis, modify the short comings/problems, ideas and actions in the light of my evaluations. By then my contract with NRC (Norwegian Refugees Council) ended. I apply for another job with Don Bosco Vocational Training center and I was accepted as technical coordinator.
Experience with Don Bosco V.T.C
In the meeting with the staff, prior to the opening of academic year, I invited each of them to be accountable for his/her individual actions and learning. By doing that we are all learning to improve our vocational skills in one way or the other. We will evaluate our work practice every six months to have a room for improvement at the individual level.
The aim of working together and be accountable towards our own actions and values is one way of obtaining new knowledge and skills. It is my intention to improve my personal way of thinking in the light of daily self evaluation. To try that out whether it is in line with what I am aiming at, I involved my self in training the young adults in life skills every evening at the V.T.C campus.
Participatory involvement
In the last two or three years working with Don Bosco V.T.C, I have been personally involved, with a group of peers-ministry youth group, based in Wau, building life skills among young people and adults of the area. The surprise that I encountered is the amount of information that they already have, for instance, the basic facts about HIV/AIDS.
The challenge that I took as a facilitator of the program was reading some concepts about the disease. To examine what I have read, I involve some young adults in some private conversation and I learnt from them new knowledge of how to be faithful and committed to your partner, use of condom, going for test prior to marriage.
To me the understanding I got help out in animating the group in a more reliable participation.
Participatory Action research in the V.T.Cs and Local industries
To build a community of people with knowledge and skills for sustainable development, a researcher need to use participatory action research. Involving people of the V.T.C, local industries and the local community may give more light to the validity of data collected.
My understanding of V.T.C, local community and industries in Wau is not new. People do have some knowledge about the concept of vocational training; they are equip with skills of different areas in vocational practice/fields. However, dialogue with them is of help to generate new knowledge and skills as well as for developing curriculum for VET.
As a practitioner, I need to think of my practice first prior to others, whether what I believe in is helping me develop my vocational skills and knowledge. Stating my learning from experience and making it clear to the participants to how I know what I am doing, and it is helping me developing new skills and knowledge then that probably will influence their experiences in different fields of vocational skills and knowledge.
For instance, I want to become a football player. I need some knowledge about the positions in the field, about the rules and regulations, to mention few. But then I may know all these but has not entered the field. So, then I need skill too; how to trap, how to dodge and how to pass ball. These skills are learnt by repetition, physical practice and eventually make neurological change in my brain. Now to go through this tedious process, one need motivation; why do I want to be a football player? Will I benefit from being a football player? If an individual is motivated to do something, I think the concept of self evaluation is important. At least by evaluating my practices as a football player I may know to what extend is my skills and knowledge as a football player is influencing others. I need to be self reflective, to have a daily assessment whether the goals I set is working in line with what I intent. The idea depends on how you as an individual is able to think and evaluate your way of life. I am convinced that knowledge alone does not bring sustainable development, although the depths of it influence an individual and others. I do need skills on how to combat the situation and put into practice what I do know.
Methodology
I am going to meet different people during my data collection in Southern Sudan particularly Bahr El-Ghazal State, Wau. I am to meet instructors, students, V.T.Cs and people working in the local industries. If necessary the Governor of the state (Wau) plus Minister of Education Science and technology in the local government.
My past experiences indicates to me that, there is a need for me to think of my actions, evaluate them on the daily bases and keep on improving and developing new knowledge and skills as I meet group.
Instructors
I may have a dialogue with head of the departments, introducing myself at the personal level as well as a researcher. I may also ask him to introduce himself, educational background, vocational education and skills he is equip with. I may interview him or her with some questions in order for instructor to reflect and generate information relevant for curriculum development.
Students
I may first introduce myself to them in general and then have them in groups for some sharing, about their families, educational background. I may ask them to discuss about something of great concern that is needed to address at the vocational level. I may help them out to prioritize their needs and the development of that. I may use some videos, interviews, camera without forgetting the log.
Workers at the local industry
Mostly, I may use video, camera and interviews. Asking them their experiences at the local industry, the differences between working at local industry and being in the vocational training center. What is mostly use by people of the area like steel chairs, beds to mention few.
Governor and Minister of Education at the local state
It is not of great important that I should meet the local government personnel. However, having their participation in this process of creating a curriculum for VET is needed. Their contribution may be of help for this program as well as building the nations craftsman knowledge and skills.
Conclusion
As I reflect upon the data collection at V.T.Cs and local industries in Southern Sudan for the development of curriculum, I thought of the following questions as guide for my foot steps.
How do I gather data to show the situation as it is?
How do I gather data to show the situation as it develops?
How do I generate evidence from the data collected?
How do I show that the data collected is influencing my learning/practice?
How do I modify my ideas and practices in light of my daily evaluation?
By Paul Tartisio Kenyi
Learning from Experience
Working with Norwegian Refugees Council for one year and some months, I had an experience of telling people always what they should do to improve their way of working or practice. For eight months telling the workers what they should do and what they shouldn’t was deteriorating the learning process in the work place. It has become a routine for many workers; hence there was no learning or obtaining skills taking place. At the end of one year, the manager of the project realize a need for changing the system from top-down to down-top to improve the system of telling others what to do, into personal improvement of practice.
My world view of telling people what to do start to change and the question that I asked my self was how I can improve my personal way of work practice in order to influence others for the better development of their skills and knowledge. Based on that I started following the idea of improving my practice, seeing how it goes and continually checking whether it is in line with what I want to happen.
Action for improvement
In my mind, taking action to improve my work practice was the key to obtain new knowledge and skills. The method I use was evaluating the out come of my actions on the daily basis, modify the short comings/problems, ideas and actions in the light of my evaluations. By then my contract with NRC (Norwegian Refugees Council) ended. I apply for another job with Don Bosco Vocational Training center and I was accepted as technical coordinator.
Experience with Don Bosco V.T.C
In the meeting with the staff, prior to the opening of academic year, I invited each of them to be accountable for his/her individual actions and learning. By doing that we are all learning to improve our vocational skills in one way or the other. We will evaluate our work practice every six months to have a room for improvement at the individual level.
The aim of working together and be accountable towards our own actions and values is one way of obtaining new knowledge and skills. It is my intention to improve my personal way of thinking in the light of daily self evaluation. To try that out whether it is in line with what I am aiming at, I involved my self in training the young adults in life skills every evening at the V.T.C campus.
Participatory involvement
In the last two or three years working with Don Bosco V.T.C, I have been personally involved, with a group of peers-ministry youth group, based in Wau, building life skills among young people and adults of the area. The surprise that I encountered is the amount of information that they already have, for instance, the basic facts about HIV/AIDS.
The challenge that I took as a facilitator of the program was reading some concepts about the disease. To examine what I have read, I involve some young adults in some private conversation and I learnt from them new knowledge of how to be faithful and committed to your partner, use of condom, going for test prior to marriage.
To me the understanding I got help out in animating the group in a more reliable participation.
Participatory Action research in the V.T.Cs and Local industries
To build a community of people with knowledge and skills for sustainable development, a researcher need to use participatory action research. Involving people of the V.T.C, local industries and the local community may give more light to the validity of data collected.
My understanding of V.T.C, local community and industries in Wau is not new. People do have some knowledge about the concept of vocational training; they are equip with skills of different areas in vocational practice/fields. However, dialogue with them is of help to generate new knowledge and skills as well as for developing curriculum for VET.
As a practitioner, I need to think of my practice first prior to others, whether what I believe in is helping me develop my vocational skills and knowledge. Stating my learning from experience and making it clear to the participants to how I know what I am doing, and it is helping me developing new skills and knowledge then that probably will influence their experiences in different fields of vocational skills and knowledge.
For instance, I want to become a football player. I need some knowledge about the positions in the field, about the rules and regulations, to mention few. But then I may know all these but has not entered the field. So, then I need skill too; how to trap, how to dodge and how to pass ball. These skills are learnt by repetition, physical practice and eventually make neurological change in my brain. Now to go through this tedious process, one need motivation; why do I want to be a football player? Will I benefit from being a football player? If an individual is motivated to do something, I think the concept of self evaluation is important. At least by evaluating my practices as a football player I may know to what extend is my skills and knowledge as a football player is influencing others. I need to be self reflective, to have a daily assessment whether the goals I set is working in line with what I intent. The idea depends on how you as an individual is able to think and evaluate your way of life. I am convinced that knowledge alone does not bring sustainable development, although the depths of it influence an individual and others. I do need skills on how to combat the situation and put into practice what I do know.
Methodology
I am going to meet different people during my data collection in Southern Sudan particularly Bahr El-Ghazal State, Wau. I am to meet instructors, students, V.T.Cs and people working in the local industries. If necessary the Governor of the state (Wau) plus Minister of Education Science and technology in the local government.
My past experiences indicates to me that, there is a need for me to think of my actions, evaluate them on the daily bases and keep on improving and developing new knowledge and skills as I meet group.
Instructors
I may have a dialogue with head of the departments, introducing myself at the personal level as well as a researcher. I may also ask him to introduce himself, educational background, vocational education and skills he is equip with. I may interview him or her with some questions in order for instructor to reflect and generate information relevant for curriculum development.
Students
I may first introduce myself to them in general and then have them in groups for some sharing, about their families, educational background. I may ask them to discuss about something of great concern that is needed to address at the vocational level. I may help them out to prioritize their needs and the development of that. I may use some videos, interviews, camera without forgetting the log.
Workers at the local industry
Mostly, I may use video, camera and interviews. Asking them their experiences at the local industry, the differences between working at local industry and being in the vocational training center. What is mostly use by people of the area like steel chairs, beds to mention few.
Governor and Minister of Education at the local state
It is not of great important that I should meet the local government personnel. However, having their participation in this process of creating a curriculum for VET is needed. Their contribution may be of help for this program as well as building the nations craftsman knowledge and skills.
Conclusion
As I reflect upon the data collection at V.T.Cs and local industries in Southern Sudan for the development of curriculum, I thought of the following questions as guide for my foot steps.
How do I gather data to show the situation as it is?
How do I gather data to show the situation as it develops?
How do I generate evidence from the data collected?
How do I show that the data collected is influencing my learning/practice?
How do I modify my ideas and practices in light of my daily evaluation?
By Paul Tartisio Kenyi
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