An analysis of textile technology and design subject operations for secondary schools through work study approach in Zimbabwe.

Abstract

The study focuses on analysing Textile Technology and Design (TTD) subject operations for secondary schools in Zimbabwe with the aim of improving towards education 5.0. The study was informed by the theory of constraints (TOC) and Work study. Work study has received commendation in the clothing industry due to its effectiveness on productivity and therefore was used to assist in finding improvement strategies in the TTD subject operations in secondary school in Zimbabwe. A post–positivism approach accompanied by mixed methods was used to find information on TTD operations in secondary schools. A non-probability and probability sampling design was used, purposive –random sampling was used to select 26 schools that offer TTD subject, Authoritative –judgemental sampling to select 26 teachers and 52 students were randomly selected from the schools. Online and manual questionnaires with open ended and closed ended questions, semi-structured interview and observation were used as instruments to collect data whilst an experimental case study was used to determine the time taken for the TTD subject operations. The findings showed that some standard clothing industry operations like design development and packaging were not done in the TTD subject in secondary schools whilst methods used were dominated by traditional methods more than technological methods. Observational time study done in the school environment showed that learners used 2014 minutes to complete a garment while curriculum summative time expects them to use 900 minutes showing an increase of 123.8% in the time taken to make a skirt. Challenges encountered in schools ranged from lack of technological equipment, less competent teachers in using technological tools and methods, and lack of funding to inadequate working environments. Results for time study experiments done in an improved environment showed that the time taken by students reduced to 449 minutes using the whole garment and to 167 minutes using sectionalisation methods. By applying method study, work measurement and time study it was concluded that school operations exhibit loopholes that did not match industry requirements and the expected curriculum exit profile. The study concluded that the operations in TTD subject were 24.8% industrialisation compared with 75.2% domestic or traditional. Through time study, it was concluded that TTD subject operations can be improved from less than 1 garment to between a maximum of 7 garments per student per term when using the whole garment method and to a maximum of 17 skirts per term when using the sectionalisation method. Based on the conclusion of the study, an operational framework was developed and it was recommended, that a time study guide that follows the proposed framework be used.as an engineering tool for improvement of the TTD subject operations in secondary schools in Zimbabwe.