Examining the existing pedagogical approaches to enhance students' practical competence in the wood working department at Nakawa vocational training institute
Abstract
This study thus set out to enhance the current pedagogical approaches to improve the students'
practical competence in the Wood Working Department at Nakawa Vocational Training
Institute. A participatory Action Research Model was used to carry out this study collecting
qualitative data from 32 participants referred to as stakeholders consisting of students,
Instructors, representatives from the world of work, the institutes administration and
development pa11ners. The situation analysis, future workshop and focused group meetings
provided descriptive data and meanwhile all stages of the research were recorded and interpreted.
Content analysis was used to present findings. Respondents revealed that the machine course was
done using the integrated method of teaching. This is a method that was adopted during the
implementation of the machine course where the teacher gave theory within the execution time
of the practical tasks in such a way that there was no designated time for theory and practical but
both were done concurrently. It resulted into swift development of practical skills to operate and
maintain machines using the available materials. The success of the machine course and
industrial visits relied heavily on the team work that was developed into all the stakeholders.