Research Publications (Academic Support)

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African female doctoral graduates account for success in their doctoral journeys
(AOSIS, 2022) Tsephe, Lifutso; Potgieter, Cheryl
Doctoral education is regarded as a crucial engine for development by the knowledge economies, thereby making the research capacity of scholars play a critical factor towards development. Widening participation within doctoral education is seen as a way of enhancing this capacity. However, African scholars produce only 1.4% of all published research, indicating that Africa lacks research capacity. Even though both men and women contribute to the development of their continent and their countries, the number of women holding doctoral degrees on the African continent remains low across all nationalities. In high-income countries, there are 3963 PhDs per million people, whereas in some African countries (such as Tunisia, Egypt and Kenya), the number ranges from 100 to over 1500; however, in most lowincome countries (such as Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania), the number is less than 100. Much research in doctoral education examines the reasons for low graduation rates and high attrition rates, but little research examines the contributors to the doctoral study for African women, especially in these times when doctoral education is viewed as a driver of the economy. Based on a qualitative study that interviewed 14 women from African countries, this article aimed to investigate how women account for completing doctoral studies. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews and analysed thematically using a capabilities approach as a theoretical framework. The findings suggest that institutional support, peer support and academic support played a role in their achievement. Contribution: The article contributed to doctoral education scholarship of African women and indicated that religion contributed to African women’s success in doctoral programmes, granting them strength to push until completion. This research may greatly encourage more women to enrol in doctoral programmes when reading other women’s success stories
Analysing factors influencing women unemployment using a random forest model
(2022-12-30) Adeliyi, Timothy; Oyewusi, Lawrence; Epizitone, Ayogeboh; Oyewusi, Damilola
The unemployment crisis has been a persistent issue for both development countries, resulting in an economic indicator deficit. Women are at a disadvantage and continue to encounter significant obstacles to gaining employment. Nigeria, like many other developing countries with high unemployment rates, has a 33% unemployment rate. Consequently, there has been minimal research on the factors that affect women's unemployment. As a result, the purpose of this study investigates the factors women's unemployment in Nigeria. Although the Random Forest model has been widely applied to classification issues, there is a gap in the literature's use of the random forest as a predictor for analyzing factors influencing women's unemployment. The random forest model was employed in this study because of its characteristics such as strong learning ability, robustness, and feasibility of the hypothesis space. As a result, the Random forest prediction model was benchmarked with seven different cutting-edge classical machine learning prediction models, which include the J48 pruned tree, Support Vector Machine, AdaBoost, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes, Logistic Model Tree, Bagging and Random Forest. The experimental results demonstrate that Random Forest outperformed the other seven machine learning classifier models using ten commonly used performance evaluation metrics. According to the study's findings, age groups, ethnicity, marital status, and religion were the essential factors affecting women's unemployment in Nigeria.
Analysis of enrolment rate in private institutions in west African countries
(2022-09-01) Kehdinga George Fomunyam
Higher education in Africa is often characterized by academic institutions shaped by colonialism and patterned after the European model. With the demand for educational access unstoppable in Africa, it also has immense possibilities for modernization and development in the face of low post secondary attendance levels. One way that has contributed to this drive is the institutionalization of private institutions in the higher education landscape in Africa. This study looked at enrollment rate in private universities in West African Countries by first examining the higher education landscape in Africa and understanding the drive for private institutions in Africa. findings from the study revealed that there has been increase in enrollment rate in private institutions in west African countries. This study therefore recommends that government should focus on both public and private higher education institution to avert a downward spiral in educational quality in the public institutions and to also encourage quality and control in the private institutions. There is also need for proper regulation of private universities to avoid a repeat of the inadequacies of public universities.
Developing and improving human capital and productivity in public companies
(Virtus Interpress, 2016) Sithole, Nozipho; Ngibe, Musawenkosi
This article assesses the impact of the Assisted Education Programmed (AEP) in developing and improving human capital and productivity specifically for eThekwini Municipality employee human resource. This program offers funding to employees to further their studies in higher learning institutions, which are in partnership with and recognized by eThekwini Municipality. The core function of this program is to improve and develop employee capabilities in order to enhance municipal productivity. However, different factors have prohibited the program from reaching required funding polity objectives. Participants filled in questionnaires and from them data were collected. The study used quantitative research as a method of research. The target population for this study consisted of 100 participants. The study sample size were 64 participants which were randomly selected out of the Durban and Solid Waste Unit, specifically general assistants. The study analyzed data using SPSS (version 23.0). A significant percentage of respondents indicated to a lack of transparency and poor consistency in the process of awarding the funding and to insufficient information, which detailed the criteria for eligibility of applicants. Henceforth, the study concluded that municipal employee underutilized the AEP because of being ill informed about it. This resulted in the employee perception that the program had little or no benefit to them and that it had no value in improving their human capital development. This finding is shown by a Chi-square goodness of fit test to be statistically significant (std=1.49150; mean=2.7500; p=.000).
The effect of the Covid‑19 pandemic on students and the living and learning spaces at a South African university
(University of Pretoria - ESI Press, 2021) Kanyumba, Blessing; Shabangu, Nondumiso
In March 2020, the South African President Mr Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national lockdown due to the rising cases of the Covid‑19 pandemic. As a result, some of the higher education institutions closed under lockdown level 5 and strategies had to be developed to adapt to the “new norm”. Consequently, students and the living and learning spaces in South Africa were affected, necessitating therefore that transformation in all spheres takes place. This study, through a qualitative research design, investigated the effect of Covid‑19 on students and the living and learning spaces at a selected university in South Africa. Fifteen students and ten Residence Advisors (RAs) were telephonically interviewed. The results revealed that the living and learning spaces had been significantly transformed by the Covid‑19 pandemic. The operations of these spaces had been compelled to change in order to comply with the Covid‑19 regulations, such that student learning was shifted from face-to-face to online learning. This meant more time spent indoors, stricter measures now in place and the RA roles having been broadened to ensure that they also monitor compliance. The study also noted that even after the pandemic, things will still take time to get back to normal. This article concludes that Covid‑19 has had a huge effect on the living and learning spaces as well as students at the selected university and that both students and staff should play their roles effectively to ensure that everyone remains safe.
Evaluating black women's participation, development and success in doctoral studies : a capabilities perspective
(Stellenbosch University, 2016-01-01) Loots, S.; Ts'ephe, Lifutso; Walker, M.
Although black women show an increased presence in doctoral study, the probability of intersecting gendered and racial disadvantage is often overlooked through relying on separate numerical transformation progress indicators for gender and race. To take a more active approach to furthering social justice for this marginalised group, we need to explore more holistic ways of mapping transformation. In this sense, we argue for the application of the capabilities approach as an evaluative framework which allows for an assessment of freedoms or capabilities students are able to make use of in pursuing the lives they have reason to value. Furthermore, factors impacting on students’ capability formation are also considered, thus providing a multidimensional, ethically individualistic exploration of lives. The experiences of seven black women speak of barriers they have experienced throughout their doctoral journeys, but the data also create a sense of optimism as the potential of capability expansion is addressed.
Human capital development: what can South Africa learn from Botswana?
(Business Perspectives, 2015) Msweli, Pumela
South Africa and Botswana share a number of commonalities, although the two countries are distinctly different in terms of economic performance, population size, and human capital development. This paper provides analysis of human capital development factors that contribute to differences in the human capital index score of the two countries. In 2013, the World Economic Forum published the first edition of the Human Capital Report which measures human capital using an index based on four pillars: (1) education; (2) health and wellness; (3) workforce employment; and (4) enabling environment. Botswana’s human capital index score is higher than that of South Africa even though both countries have negative human capital index scores. The indicators that show the fundamental differences between South Africa and Botswana are education, health and wellness as well as workforce employment. The differences are discussed in terms of their implications to policy formulation.
ICT possibilities for primary and secondary education in Africa
(iaeme, 2019) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), is an essential aspect of the primary and secondary education system in Africa. It is a well-known fact that ICT improves the quality of learning and teaching curriculum in schools, while serving as an agent of change by bringing growth and development to the economy. The aim of this paper is to highlight the positive impact of ICT in primary schools across the African continent. It discovers that this new world order is under-utilized in schools as teachers prefer using the traditional way of teaching. The paper concludes that the governments should come up with appropriate ICT policies to improve the school systems and recommends the introduction of workshops and training for teachers at all levels of education.
My African husband did not conform to gender roles while supporting me through doctoral studies
(2023-11-21) Ts'ephe, Lifutso
Both men and women with doctorates are known to have significantly contributed to the advancement of continental and national growth through knowledge and skills acquired while conducting research in the pursuit of a doctorate. However, the percentage of women on the African continent with PhDs is still low across all nationalities. Students enrolled for PhD programmes have been known to exit at some stage for a variety of reasons, including financial hardships, obligations to one's family, and demotivation engendered by prolonged research. Some women seek divorces because they believe that their husbands hindered their paths to accomplishing their goals. This article presented a research narrative on an African woman PhD graduate who attended a university in South Africa. Mandisa talks about how her husband assumed gender roles perceived to be that of a woman to help her successfully complete her doctoral studies. This qualitative research was underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm. Through the lens of the capabilities approach, this article demonstrated how spousal support is essential for a wife to achieve success in PhD studies. The results revealed that Mandisa's husband inspired her to succeed in her doctoral studies by relieving her of taking care of the household chores. The article envisions promoting doctoral education scholarship through highlighting the value of familial support, especially for African women.
Product tactics in a complex and turbulent environment viewed through a complexity lens
(The Business Review, Cambridge, 2012) Mason, Roger Bruce
This paper is based on the proposition that the choice of different product tactics is influenced by the nature of the firm’s external environment. It illustrates the type of product activities suggested for a complex and turbulent environment, when viewing the environment through a chaos and complexity theory lens. A qualitative, case method, using depth interviews,investigated the product activities in two companies to identify the product activities adopted in a more successful, versus a less successful, firm in a complex/turbulent environment. The results showed that the more successful company uses some destabilizing product activities but also partially uses stabilizing product activities. These findings are of benefit to marketers as they emphasize a new way to consider future product activities in their firms. Since businesses and markets are complex adaptive systems, using complexity theory to understand how to cope in complex, turbulent environments is necessary, but has not been widely researched, with even less emphasis on individual components of the marketing mix.
The role of information and communication technology in tertiary education in Africa
(IAEME Publication, 2019-12) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an essential role in all sectors of an economy including education. In the higher education sector, the usefulness of ICT cuts across all disciplines of study from mathematics to social science. ICT transforms the educational system by replacing traditional ways of teaching and learning with modern, computer-based infrastructure. This paper highlights the role of ICT and its ability to increase the quality of education in higher institutions of learning in Africa. The paper further discusses the advantages of having ICT infrastructure such as: e-learning/virtual library, access to quality education through special tools for physically challenged students in tertiary institutions across Africa. The study concludes that government funding of ICT infrastructure is important so as to improve the quality of education in tertiary institutions.
Using transformative pedagogies for the prevention of gender-based violence : Reflections from a secondary school-based intervention
(Taylor and Francis, 2015) Ngidi, Ndumiso Daluxolo; Moletsane, Relebohile
This article describes an initiative aimed at addressing gender violence, and in particular sexual violence. Implemented in 2014 in a township secondary school in Durban, the initiative involved six peer educators from the Durban University of Technology and 10 from the secondary school. In its design, the initiative has drawn from what might be called ‘transformative pedagogies’. Moreover, located more broadly within feminist pedagogies, the project focused on work that emphasises the creation of safe spaces in education for young female learners. This was aimed at enabling participants’ deep reflection on the self, addressing both structure and agency. Our analysis suggests that through its pedagogy, the initiative created a platform for both male and female students to speak about their experiences of violence and forge new ways of talking about and addressing sexual abuse. Further, the process was successful in enabling an appreciation of difference and resourcefulness among the participants. This article highlights the potential value of transformative and feminist pedagogies in addressing gender-based violence, and particularly sexual violence among learners in secondary schools.
Using transformative pedagogies for the prevention of gender-based violence: Reflections from a secondary school-based intervention
(Routledge, 2015) Ngidi, Ndumiso Daluxolo; Moletsane, Relebohile
This article describes an initiative aimed at addressing gender violence, and in particular sexual violence. Implemented in 2014 in a township secondary school in Durban, the initiative involved six peer educators from the Durban University of Technology and 10 from the secondary school. In its design, the initiative has drawn from what might be called ‘transformative pedagogies’. Moreover, located more broadly within feminist pedagogies, the project focused on work that emphasises the creation of safe spaces in education for young female learners. This was aimed at enabling participants’ deep reflection on the self, addressing both structure and agency. Our analysis suggests that through its pedagogy, the initiative created a platform for both male and female students to speak about their experiences of violence and forge new ways of talking about and addressing sexual abuse. Further, the process was successful in enabling an appreciation of difference and resourcefulness among the participants. This article highlights the potential value of transformative and feminist pedagogies in addressing gender-based violence, and particularly sexual violence among learners in secondary schools.
Women in selected rural municipalities: Resilience and agency against vulnerabilities to climate change
(Taylor and Francis, 2014-11-03) Meyiwa, Thenjiwe; Maseti, Thandokazi; Ngubane, Sizani; Letsekha, Tebello; Rozani, Carina
The role of rural women in eradicating poverty and ending hunger has been recognised by both scholars and practitioners. There is an acknowledgement that women serve a critical role in the agricultural labour force, subsistence farming, and rural development in sub-Saharan Africa, yet their central role in food security has been largely ignored, particularly in policy (Govender, 2012). Although much of the labour of rural women is not nationally defined as economically active employment these women still spend long hours in undervalued productive and reproductive work to ensure the well-being of their households. Linked to this role is the challenge of dealing with rapidly changing climatic conditions. Women assume primary responsibility in fetching water and wood for meal preparation, and in tilling the ground. They are among the most vulnerable groups to climate change as a result of their precarious environmental livelihoods. Using data from a workshop with rural women to discuss climate change and qualitative interviews with rural women in selected rural communities in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal we explore the meaning of climate change. We report on the way climate change is understood, its effects on rural livelihoods and some responses to climate change problems experienced by the women in the communities. The women in the rural communities highlight that there are also social problems that have arisen from water scarcity. As a result of the household division of labour, rural girls confront particular challenges as they need to search further from home for water and are exposed to the risk of gender violence.