Improving skills of 2nd years to produce quality wood work furniture in woodwork technology department at St. Joseph's Technical Institute, Kisubi

Abstract

The research study was conducted at St. Joseph's Technical Institute Kisubi on 2nd year learners (2017-2018) of wood work technology department(WWTD). The purpose of the study was to improve wood work furniture construction skills in WWTD. The trade wood work technology was one of the pioneer courses when St. Joseph's Technical Institute Kisubi was started in 1911 as a rural trade school. Throughout its progression, graduates of St. Joseph's Technical Institute Kisubi, built a good fame of producing quality wood work furniture. However, there arose continuous complaints on poor quality wood work products, from employers and consumers of wood work furniture supplied by graduates of that institute. The researcher collaboratively with stake holders investigated causes of poor quality wood work furniture production in the department of wood work technology, in view that learners could be successfully prepared for the world of work when solutions were eventually established. By means of future workshop application, it was established that poor quality wood work furniture production was largely as a result of lack of appropriate tools and equipment, learners not able to interpret drawings and specifications, and less supervision by instructors during Practicals and self-practical practice. In addition to future workshop; observation, interview guide and focus-group discussion were other major research tools that were employed in data collection. Therefore, in an effort to ensure quality wood work furniture production, learners were provided with an Angle-Grinder (an electrical power hand tool) for efficient timber-smoothening, and asked to prepare a drawing (individually-on prescribed standards) for a church-pew, from which quality wood work would be demonstrated. Each Learner constructed a church-pew, therefore eleven furniture pieces were realized, though only seven learners managed to apply a first coat on their furniture, three only sand papered, and one learner could not clean, sand paper and do the nailing. However, for adequate skills acquisition by learners it was recommended that learners carry out self- practical practice, participate in preparation of drawings for the intended work furniture, be availed with a variety of power hand tools, and be exposed to such advanced sophisticated tools and equipment.