ETDP SETA Research Chair in Early Childhood

The Education Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA) Early Childhood Development Research Chair was awarded to North-West University in 2022 to conduct research to follow on from the recommendations of the previous Chair which fed into the 2019-2020 ECD Sector Skills Plan (SSP). In particular, the following recommendations will be explored further during the period of the current Chair:

The formation of new partnerships with established Early Childhood Development (ECD) forums (e.g., National Early Childhood Development Alliance (NECDA), Bridge, HEIs, and community-based non-governmental organisations (NGO) that have provincial footprints to access local information about critical skills shortages and to learn about current best practices offered at ground level.
Operationalisation of the Mikondzo approach proposed in the National Development Agency (NDA) Strategic Plan (2016-2021), in alignment with the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), to capacitate NGOs and other civil society organisations to work with communities and municipalities to identify and address local skills gaps in the ECD sector.
Mediation by the ETDP SETA to encourage a multi-disciplinary and participatory approach to increase the compliance of ECD centres with registration requirements and strengthen the capacity of the communities to organise themselves and to learn how to address ECD challenges.

The focus of the current research is thus on researching how a participatory approach (similar to the Mikondzo approach) can be developed and implemented to improve skills development within the sector.

RESEARCH TEAM

Prof Lesley Wood - Research Chair

Prof Mariette Koen

Prof Marinda Neethling

Prof S Esterhuizen

Dr Benita Taylor

Dr Hantie Theron

Ms N Motaung

Dr A Jansen van Vuuren

INTERNS

Ms Z Ngema M Ed 2022-2023

Ms Tanja Cilliers Phd – 2022-2225