Assessment practices in the cultivation of employability skills of Accounting graduates from public TVET colleges

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the dynamics of assessment practices in the development of employability skills of Accounting graduates from public TVET colleges. Adequate assessment practices in TVET colleges are critical for verifying competence-based learning, providing essential feedback to improve teaching quality, ensuring industry readiness and upholding certification standards. The data was collected from fifteen (15) purposively sampled lecturers who were involved in the teaching and learning of Accounting in eight (8) TVET colleges in Eastern Cape. Semi-structured (face-to-face) interviews and lesson observations were used as methods of collecting the data. The findings from the study show that there are rigid and traditional assessment practices in TVET colleges, excessive use of traditional teaching routines which lacks the school-industry configuration. The researchers proposed that there should a variety in assessment strategies to accommodate students with different abilities as this was also stressed in Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory. Multiple teaching and assessment strategies are a vehicle for development of multiple abilities which are essential for smooth transition from the schooling setting to labour market. This research also suggested that misalignments in terms of curricula, assessment and other factors must be reported or taken to PLCs in order to engage curriculum policymakers. This paper argues that internal continuous assessment must be used to test the competence level of students, as opposed to final examinations. Lastly, future studies may also look into instructional dynamics and contextual matters in relation to assessment practices in the provision of technical and vocational education