In October 2013, guidelines on Quality Teaching and Learning and on Self-Evaluation were published by and for the four Free State Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges. They are tools for development and improvement. Each FET College can further adapt these documents to its specific situation and priorities.
Vision on Quality Teaching and Learning
In September 2012, the four Free State FET Colleges embarked on a journey to define 'Quality Teaching and Learning in a FET college'. All FET Colleges had ways to encourage good teaching practices, but there was no clear shared vision on quality teaching and learning in the FET sector, despite the presence of some supporting materials and policies. A clear vision bought into by management and staff, also called a common cause, impacts positively on commitment and ownership, which directly impacts on implementation in the classroom. Therefore, it was time to unpack the concept.
Two Guidelines
The four Free State FET colleges, together with their staff, started engaging in this concept. The results of this work and a thorough literature review is twofold: the 'Guideline on Quality Teaching and Learning' and the 'Guideline on College Self-evaluation'.
The 'Guideline on Quality Teaching and Learning' is a declaration to uphold high quality teaching and learning in FET Colleges. It is a document that will ensure present and future quality teaching and learning. It is a tool for development and improvement. Each FET College can further adapt this document to its specific situation and priorities. Based on this document, they can conduct a self-evaluation and identify (urgent) points of action. These can be elaborated in action plans for improvement of teaching and learning and can be part of a continuous improvement cycle.
For this reason a 'Guideline on College Self-Evaluation' has been developed as well. It provides the tools to engage in college-wide self-evaluation, based on the 'Guideline on Quality Teaching and Learning'. So the two documents go hand in hand.
Not the end of a process...
The guidelines are not the end of a process but rather the start. They will assist in placing Teaching and Learning, the core business of each education institute, at the heart of all college plans and actions.
Colleges are invited to adjust both documents to their specific contexts and needs. Doing so will allow for higher buy in from staff and better alignment with the specific contexts of the schools.
