National Qualifications Framework Overview

The National Qualifications Framework

• The NQF is a national system developed to standardise SA's education and training system.
• It covers all levels of learning from Grade 1 to PhD level.
• The NQF (1.0) has eight levels and was established in 1995 by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act (58 of 1995).
• The NQF (2.0) was implemented in 2008, the result of a major revision based on the National Qualifications Framework Act (67 of 2008).
• The NQF is based on the principles of: integration, relevance, credibility, coherence, flexibility, progression, standards, legitimacy and access.
• Each qualification on the NQF is registered between levels 1 to 10 which reflect progression in learning.
• The NQF is based on outcomes-based education and training (or learning) and applied competency, which focuses on what learners need to be able to demonstrate at completion of a qualification.
• Outcomes are described in a unit standard.
• Unit standards are the building blocks of qualifications.
• A unit standard is the smallest learning achievement that can be credited to a learner on the NQF and is a description of the evidence someone will be able to demonstrate of having mastered a skill at a particular NQF level.

The NQF 2.0 is organised into three sub-frameworks:

• General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Framework (GFETQF)
• Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF)
• Occupational Qualifications Framework (OQF)

Workplace Learning in the South African Context

• South Africa faces challenges that impact the delivery of training, learning and development.

Occupational Qualifications

• An occupational qualification provides learners with applied competence to practise an occupation.
• They are the responsibility of the OQF (Occupations Qualifications Framework).

Occupational Qualification Scope:

• General knowledge and theory
• General practical skills
• Occupational and specialised practical skills
• Specialised knowledge and theory
• Work experience

The Aims Of Workplace Learning

• The aims of Workplace Learning strategies (education, training and development) are:
  • To develop employees to ensure the organisation functions effectively.
  • To achieve strategic goals.
  • To deliver better customer service.
  • To produce high quality goods and services.

Learning in Organisations

• Learning takes place at three levels:
  • Individual
  • Team
  • Organisational

Learning Theories in Organisations

• Learning results in a relatively permanent change in behaviour.
• Adults differ significantly from children in the way they learn.
• Adults learn differently from each other.
• Kolb and Fry's theory of learning styles needs to be taken into consideration.

Key Components Of A Learning Programme

• Title of the training or learning programme
• A course description that emphasises the overall goal
• A description of what will be covered
• A list of the learning outcomes
• The length of the programme

Levels Of Learning

• Remembering: Retrieving, recognising and recalling relevant knowledge and information from memory
• Understanding: Constructing meaning from information by interpreting, classifying, summarizing, comparing and explaining
• Applying: Using a particular procedure
• Analysing: Breaking down material into its different parts and explaining their relationships
• Evaluating: Making judgements based on criteria and standards
• Creating: Putting parts/components together to devise something new

Types Of Knowledge

• Factual knowledge: knowledge of terminology, specific details and elements.
• Conceptual knowledge: classification and categories, principles and generalisations, theories, models and structures.
• Procedural knowledge: subject-specific skills and algorithms, techniques and methods, criteria for determining when procedures are appropriate.
• Metacognitive knowledge: strategic knowledge, knowledge about cognitive tasks, and self-knowledge.

Assessment of Learning

• Assessment is a structured process for gathering evidence about a learner's competence to make a judgement of competence.
• Assessment measures whether the learner has mastered the knowledge, skills and attitudes specified by the outcomes of a learning programme.
• Formative assessment is ongoing throughout the learning process and aims to provide learners with feedback about their progress.
• Summative assessment judges overall competence and success at the end of the training programme.

This quiz explores the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in South Africa, detailing its structure and purpose. From basic education to PhD levels, the NQF aims to standardize education and training, emphasizing outcomes-based learning and unit standards. Test your knowledge of the NQF's principles and levels.