Analysis on the challenges of the pedagogy of fashion design at institutions of higher learning in Kampala

Abstract

This study examines the nature of fashion design education through looking at the current practices and speculations into the way fashion design as a subject or course is being taught in institutions of higher studies in what is termed as pedagogy. Through research in current art and design academic practices, design in society, fashion design education, developmental attributes of young adults, mentorship, and undergraduates’ preparation for the professional world, the necessary evolution for fashion design education was examined. Research showed the need for existing academic practices to be rethought due to significant shifts in the industrial output in the current society climate. The majority of students at higher institutions of learning that are studying the subject, both currently and those that finished the course and are now practicing in the field all are finding problems with the pedagogical methods of fashion design education in Ugandan institutes of higher learning. The research shows the problems faced by students and lecturers that they face during pedagogy of fashion design and suggested solutions by the students interviewed and the secondary source findings. The study concludes by stating fashion design education must improve in order to encourage an increase in the number of people taking on fashion design as a course at universiy level and also to encourage more students to continue with the practice after school. This future pedagogy will succeed through pedagogy that emphasizes design theory, faculty and student mentorship, and an increased awareness of innovations occurring in the professional practice. Key words: Design, Education, Fashion, Student, Learning The researcher was guided by the following objectives; I. To find out the state of environment where pedagogy of fashion design is being carried out in some of the institutions of higher learning in Kampala. II. To find out the nature of interaction between the lecturers and students during the pedagogy of fashion design. III. To compare the pedagogy of fashion design in institutions of higher learning in Kampala and compare them with that in the developed countries. The purpose of the study therefore was to analyze the factors that make the pedagogy of fashion design challenging in institutions of higher learning. It mainly explored the facilities offered in these schools in relation to the services that are supposed to be offered for the pedagogy of fashion design. It also explored the ratio of available fashion teachers to the fashion students in the institutions of higher learning in Kampala. Information was obtained through different methods of data collection, including literature review, questionnaire method, interview method, observation method. The items used to obtain some of the information included, phone camera, pen and paper, audio recorder and the internet being the source of some literature review and images of fashion classes in the developed countries. The results that were yielded showed that the pedagogy of fashion and design in institutions of higher learning is gradually progressing to match the world standard. Some facilities though not all have been provided especially in institutions of YMCA and Kyambogo university. Makerere University has some of these facilities installed too. The researcher however discovered that most of these facilities like sewing machines are either out of date, not working or most of their parts are missing. The researcher also discovered that compared to the institutions of higher learning in developed countries, the institutions of fashion design in Kampala have tried to perform fashion pedagogies although their output is less than those of developed countries in form of skills and actual designers. The researcher also concluded that this was because the pedagogical methods of the institutions of learning in Uganda is more theoretical than practical.