The development and empirical evaluation of a competency model of trainer-instructor performance : an elaboration on a partial competency model of trainer-instructor performance

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.ENGLISH SUMMARY : As a result of apartheid, South Africa is currently faced with a myriad of socio-economic challenges. These socio-economic challenges include, but are not limited to, poor education, national skill shortages, unemployment, inequality in the workplace, poor economic and development growth, poverty, dependence on social assistance grants, poor implementation and execution of legislation, and weak global competitiveness. These socio-economic challenges and problems are causally related and thus influence each other. They also affect the productivity of South Africa’s workforce. The current study argued that the root of South Africa’s current high poverty status is due to poor education. Poor education results in fewer people obtaining critical skills and qualifications, which further results in fewer people being employable. With fewer people being employable, the unemployment rate increases and as a result the poverty rate also increases. Affirmative development can be viewed as one possible solution to the current challenges faced by South Africa. Affirmative development programmes should be developed, implemented, and supported by government as well as the private sector. As an organisational unit that is responsible for the flow of workers into, through and out of the organisation as well as the maintenance of the workforce Human Resource Management should design and implement such training and development programmes. The objective of affirmative development is to improve the employability of previously disadvantaged individuals who have already entered the labour market. This can be done through developing their job competency potential and thereby increasing their competence on the job competencies in order to enhance their productivity. This can then also improve the overall performance of the organisation and ultimately reduce the high poverty levels and crime rate in South Africa. The primary objective of this research study was to elaborate on the existing partial Van der Westhuizen (2015) affirmative development trainer-instructor performance competency model in an attempt to better understand the role that the trainer-instructor plays in the learning performance of affirmative development trainees. The purpose of the research was to enhance the learning competency potential and learning competencies of these affirmative development trainees by enhancing the performance of the trainer-instructor. The final reduced Wessels-Van der Westhuizen trainer-instructor competency model, consisted of (a) five trainer-instructor latent variables as proposed by Van der Westhuizen (2015), namely, learning motivation (learning competency potential latent variable); inspiring professional vision (trainer-instructor outcome latent variable), learning climate and structure in the learning material (training situational latent variables), as well as facilitating clarity and understanding (trainer-instructor competency latent variable); and (b) five newly introduced trainer-instructor latent variables, namely, providing formative feedback and transformational trainer-instructor leadership (trainer-instructor competency latent variables) as well as lifelong learning trainer-instructor capacity, trainer-instructor expert and trainer-instructor emotional intelligence (trainer-instructor competency potential latent variables). The reduced Wessels-Van der Westhuizen trainer-instructor structural model initially showed reasonable fit, however, the close fit hypothesis was nonetheless rejected. High statistical power presented a problem due to the large sample size. Six model revisions were performed in an attempt to achieve close fit. In the final model (Model F) the close fit hypothesis still had to be rejected despite reasonable fit. In the final model 12 of the original 15 path-specific substantive research hypotheses were supported and a total of five additional paths were added of which all five were supported. Practical implications are also discussed and suggestions for future research are made.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : As ‘n resultaat van apartheid, staar Suid-Afrika tans ‘n veelvoud van sosio-ekononiese uitdagings in die gesig. Hierdie sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings sluit in, maar is nie beperk tot, swak onderwys, nasionale vaardigheidstekorte, werkloosheid, ongelykheid in die werksplek, swak ekonomiese- en ontwikkelingsgroei, armoed, afhanklikheid van sosiale toelaes, swak implementering en toepassing van wetgewing en lae internasionale mededingendheid. Hierdie sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings is oorsaaklik onderling afhanklik en beinvloed mekaar dus onderling. Hulle beinvloed ook die produktiwiteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse werksmag. Die huidige studie het geargumenteer dat swak onderwys Suid Afrika se huidige armoedeprobleem ten grondslag lê. Swak onderwys het tot gevolg dat minder mense kritieke vaardighede en kwalifikasies verwerf wat weer op sy beurt meebring dat minder mense indiensneembaar is. Met minder mense wat indiensneembaar is styg die werkloosheidsyfer en as gevolg daarvan styg die armoedekoers. Regstellende ontwikkeling kan beskou word as een moontlike oplossing vir die huidige uitdagings wat Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar. Regstellende ontwikkelingsprogramme behoort deur sowel die regering as die privaatsektor ontwikkel, aangebied en ondersteun te word. As ‘n organisatioriese eenheid wat verantwoordelik is vir die vloei van werknemers in, deur en uit die organisasie, sowel as vir die instandhouding van werknemers, behoort Menslike Hupbronbestuur sulke opleidings- en ontwikkelingsprogramme te ontwerp en te implimenteer. Die oogmerk met regstellende ontwikkeling is om die indiensneembaarheid van voorheen benadeelde individue wat reeds die arbeidsmark betree het, te verhoog. Dit kan gedoen word deur hulle werksbevoegdheidspotensiaal te ontwikkel en daardeur hul bevoegdheid op die werksbevoegdhede te verhoog om sodoende hul produktiwiteit te verhoog. Dit kan dan ook die algehele prestasie van die organisasie verhoog en uiteindelik die hoë armoede-vlakke en middaadsyfer in Suid-Afrika verlaag. Die primêre doel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om die bestaande parsiële Van der Westhuizen (2015) regstellende ontwikkeling opleier-instrukteur prestasie bevoegdheidsmodel uit te brei in ’n poging om die rol wat die opleier-instrukteur in die leerprestasie van regstellende ontwikkelingleerders beter te verstaan. Die beweegrede vir die navorsing was om die leerbevoegdheidspotensiaal en die leerbevoeghede van regstellende ontwikkeling leerders te verhoog deur die prestasie van die opleier-instrukteur te verhoog. Die finale gereduseerde Wessels-Van der Westhuizen opleier-instrukteur bevoegheidsmodel het bestaan uit (a) vyf opleier-instrukteur latent veranderlikes soos voorgestel deur Van der Westhuizen (2015), naamlik, leermotivering (leerbevoegdheidspotensiaal latent veranderlike); inspirerende professionele visie (opleier-instrukteur-uitkoms latent veranderlike), leerklimaaat en struktuur in die leermateriaal (opleidingsituasie latente veranderlike), sowel as fasiliteer van duidelikheid en begrip (opleier-instrukteurbevoegdheid latente veranderlike); en (b) vyf nuut-bekendgestelde opleier-instrukteur latente veranderlikes, naamlik, verskaf van formatiewe terugvoer en transformasionele opleier-instrukteurleierskap (opleierinstrukteurbevoegdheid latente veranderlike) sowel as opleier-instrukteur lewenslange leerkapasiteit, opleier-instrukteurkundige en opleier-instrukteur emosionele intelligensie (opleier-instrukteur-bevoegdheidspotensiaal latente veranderlikes). Die gereduseerde Wessels-Van der Westhuizen opleier-instrukteur strukturele model het aanvanklik redelike pasgehalte getoon, maar die benaderde pasgehate nulhipotese was nogtans verwerp. Hoë statistiese krag was ‘n probleem weens die groot steekproefgroote. Ses modelwysigings is aangebring in ‘n poging om benaderde pasgehalte te bereik. In die finale model (Model F) moes die die benaderde pasgehalte nulhipotese steeds verwerp word ten spyte van redelike pasgehalte. In die finale model is steun gevind vir 12 van die 15 oorspronklike baanspesifieke substantiewe navorsingshipoteses en ‘n totaal van vyf addisionele bane is by die oorspronklike model gevoeg wat al vyf bevestig is. Praktiese implikasies word bespreek en voorstelle vir toekomstige navorsing word gemaak