Factors Affecting Practicl Skills aquisition Among Techical and Vocational Education Training Learners: A Case Study of IPRC Kigali

Abstract

Technical and Vocation Education Training (TVET) institutions aim at passing on learners with practical skills so as to become competent at the labor market for solving the problem of demand and supply. However, there is a big problem of skills acquisition in the TVET system of Rwanda. This research examined factors affecting skills acquisition in IPRC Kigali. To do so, TVET administrators, teachers and learners were consulted in order to identify the real factors affecting practical skills acquisition and to make constructive recommendations for better improvement of TVET Schools. A descriptive study using the survey method was considered and 96 respondents from IPRC Kigali were selected as a sample to be contacted for both questionnaires and interviews with the purpose of responding to the set research questions. The major findings reveled by this study are among others the large class size having negative effects on successful teaching of practical lessons; the types of tools, equipment and machineries in use in technical and vocational institutions which are old, obsolete and not compatible with current industrial practices. In addition, lecturers do not have enough practical skills to deliver as many of them did not acquire those skills during their studies. Most respondents confirmed that IPRC learners are overloaded by many other courses which are mostly theoretical, the lack of hardworking spirit among learners, redundancy of some learners during group works. In the findings chapter, pseudonym names have been given to respondents for the sake of confidentiality.