An assessment of the impact of culture on construction education in South Africa

M.Tech. (Quantity Survey)Abstract: South Africa’s education sector comprises various individuals, all with different backgrounds, and this sometimes creates challenges when it comes to the teaching and learning processes. The present research assessed the impact of culture on construction education in South Africa. The objectives of the study were to identify how culture affects construction education, to evaluate how culture affects the construction lecturers’ pedagogy, to determine how the lecturers’ culture affects students’ buy-in to studying construction-related degrees and also to determine the impact that culture has on gender aspects in construction education. The data used in this paper were derived from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary data were collected through a detailed assessment of related literature. The primary data were likewise collected via a structured questionnaire aimed at 130 respondents who were students registered for Construction Management (CM), Quantity Surveying (QS), Civil Engineering and Building Science at a South African higher education institution. Out of the collected 130 questionnaires, only 101 were usable, representing a response rate of 78 per cent that was deemed viable for statistical analysis for this study. Data received from the questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics procedures. The higher education institution used for the study has a variety of students and lecturers: through this study it is evident that the cultural background of the students shapes their attitudes and values, knowledge base as well as the skill set and these, in turn, influencing classroom behaviours, their study habits, their writing styles and faculty student interactions. This research study revealed that culture is an important concept when it comes to education. Moreover, the study findings further revealed that when it comes to the construction industry, it is better to acknowledge that people are different, and that they come from different environments where people are used to doing things in different ways. It must also be acknowledged that in order to work effectively and efficiently, the needs of different individuals must be addressed and met. Also, the study found that in order to ensure students’ academic success, there should always be successful management of cultural differences, and people should learn more about the management of cultural differences. The study also revealed that the issue of career sexism still exists and this is an important issue that should be dealt with by government, industry, employers, higher education institutions and individuals. It is recommended that in order to manage cultural differences, students need to be aware of the cultural backgrounds of those with whom they work and interact since failure to manage cultural differences in a..