Academic Support

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Academic advising in universities : concept paper
(Kamla-Raj, 2014) Makondo, Livingstone
The need for sustained academic advising and support for students and lecturers in universities in South Africa is on the rise. The initiative draws from the sad reality that the South African higher education system is characterised with low success, retention and throughtput rates. It is within this context that this concept paper interrogates what strategic advisory roles academic/educational/curriculum practitioners/specialists could execute towards ameliorating the situation. This paper draws from academic development literature, institutional self-evaluation, Higher Education Quality Committee audit reports and reflections from experience gathered from lecturing and academic advising. It emerged that academic development advisors need be properly qualified, experienced for them to strategically be visible, design and offer as well as popularise discourse on curriculum design and review, teaching, learning and assessment services among others. Educational practitioners need to execute different agential roles meant to ensure that requisite enabling teaching and learning policies are in place and well popularized. This calls for the nurturing of an institutional culture that foregrounds discourses on academic support, academic excellence and mindset change for the enhancement of the university teaching and learning agenda.
Accessing success through the Writing Centres at a University of Technology
(Kamla-Raj, 2016) Zuma, Nonhlanhla; Popoola, Tosin; Makondo, Livingstone
University students are diverse not only in their demographics, but also in their academic literacy needs. To meet and accommodate the writing needs of all learners, writing centres were established in 2013 at a selected University of Technology (UoT). This study explored the factors that influence use of the writing centre at a selected UoT campus, using a descriptive qualitative design. The study triangulated data collected from interviews with 15 purposively recruited participants and responses from 50 consultations forms. The study findings provided insights into the academic needs of participants, factors influencing use of the writing centres and participants’ evaluation of the writing centres in relation to their academic pursuit. Participants’ academic literacy needs included issues with grammar, public speaking and pronunciation. Taking account of the range of needs of writing centre users at the selected UoT and the diverse factors affecting use of the writing centres, it is recommended that the writing centre invests in the continuing development of its staff so that they can be more responsive to the writing needs of its users. Furthermore, since the factors predicting use of the writing centre include personal and organizational factors, it is important that strategies to raise awareness of the writing centre be tailored appropriately to the needs of the university community.
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
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.
Challenges of student accommodation at institutions of higher learning : a case study of University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
(Centre for the Study of Southern African Literature and Languages, 2022-12-12) Adam, Ahmed Sadeq; Adam, Pamela; Adam, Jamila Khatoon; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu
Access to higher education by the general populace in South Africa has been steadily increasing over the last decade. With this increase in access, major challenges have presented themselves that may compromise the transformational agenda for higher education in South Africa. The focus of this research was to examine the challenges associated with student accommodation. In total, 600 questionnaires were dispatched to students from the five campuses of University of KwaZulu-Natal and 453 were returned which gave a 75.5% response rate. The research instrument consisted of 31 items, with a level of measurement at a nominal or an ordinal level. Data obtained from the respondents included biographical data, quality of accommodation, accessibility and adequacy of accommodation, security, safety and health issues in the University accommodation. The questionnaire was the primary tool that was used to collect data and was distributed to students who lived in residences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The data collected from the responses were analysed with SPSS version 24.0. The study’s focus was to examine various challenges associated with student accommodation in South Africa specifically UKZN and results indicated that accessibility to the university accommodation for residential purposes is a great challenge for many students. Other issues faced by students include insecurity on campus, irregular security checks, inefficient and untimely manner of the quality of services rendered by the hall management. Good and efficient accommodative measures by the university are necessary for quality academic output; hence, the need for critical intervention, as suggested in the study.
A cluster-randomized controlled trial to reduce Diarrheal disease and dengue entomological risk factors in rural primary schools in Colombia
(National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 2016-11-07) Overgaard, Hans J.; Alexander, Neal; Matiz, María Inés; Jaramillo, Juan Felipe; Olano, Victor Alberto; Vargas, Sandra Lucía; Sarmiento, Diana; Lenhart, Audrey; Stenström, Thor-Axel
Background As many neglected tropical diseases are co-endemic and have common risk factors, inte-grated control can efficiently reduce disease burden and relieve resource-strained public health budgets. Diarrheal diseases and dengue fever are major global health problems sharing common risk factors in water storage containers. Where provision of clean water is inadequate, water storage is crucial. Fecal contamination of stored water is a common source of diarrheal illness, but stored water also provides breeding sites for dengue vector mosquitoes. Integrating improved water management and educational strategies for both diseases in the school environment can potentially improve the health situation for students and the larger community. The objective of this trial was to investigate whether interven-tions targeting diarrhea and dengue risk factors would significantly reduce absence due to diarrheal disease and dengue entomological risk factors in schools. Methodology/Principal Findings A factorial cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out in 34 rural primary schools (1,301 pupils) in La Mesa and Anapoima municipalities, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Schools were randomized to one of four study arms: diarrhea interventions (DIA), dengue interven-tions (DEN), combined diarrhea and dengue interventions (DIADEN), and control (CON). Interventions had no apparent effect on pupil school absence due to diarrheal disease (p = 0.45) or on adult female Aedes aegypti density (p = 0.32) (primary outcomes). However, the dengue interventions reduced the Breteau Index on average by 78% (p = 0.029), with Breteau indices of 10.8 and 6.2 in the DEN and DIADEN arms, respectively compared to 37.5 and 46.9 in the DIA and CON arms, respectively. The diarrhea interventions improved water quality as assessed by the amount of Escherichia coli colony forming units (CFU); the ratio of Williams mean E. coli CFU being 0.22, or 78% reduction (p = 0.008). Conclusions/Significance Integrated control of dengue and diarrhea has never been conducted before. This trial pres-ents an example for application of control strategies that may affect both diseases and the first study to apply such an approach in school settings. The interventions were well received and highly appreciated by students and teachers. An apparent absence of effect in primary outcome indicators could be the result of pupils being exposed to risk factors out-side the school area and mosquitoes flying in from nearby uncontrolled breeding sites. Inte-grated interventions targeting these diseases in a school context remain promising because of the reduced mosquito breeding and improved water quality, as well as educa-tional benefits. However, to improve outcomes in future integrated approaches, simulta-neous interventions in communities, in addition to schools, should be considered; using appropriate combinations of site-specific, effective, acceptable, and affordable interventions.
Cross-disciplinary synergy: first-year students’ experiences of learning academic writing through integrated writing support at a University of Technology
(AOSIS, 2021) Khumalo, Nonhlanhla P.; Reddy, Sarasvathie
An important role in socialising first-year students into universities is initiating them into different conventions of academic writing. Support programmes, such as writing centres, have been established in several South African universities to help students with this objective and the broader issue of academic literacy. The assumption is that such interventions bridge the articulation gap between basic and higher education phases and expedite academic success. This article draws from a larger PhD study that explored nursing students’ experiences of developing their academic writing skills at the writing centre. The focus of this article is on understanding first-year nursing students’ experiences of learning academic writing through the integrated writing interventions of language and discipline practices at a writing centre based at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). These students were regarded as relevant because their curriculum incorporates a more structured academic writing component with the writing centre. The study adopted the Academic Literacies Model (ALM), which fosters a social view of academic writing and advocates for integrated support to the teaching and learning of academic writing. Guided by the qualitative constructivist paradigm, phenomenography was adopted as a research methodology. Data were analysed according to phenomenographic categories. Whilst the study uncovered various factors influencing the development of academic writing amongst the target population, there was a clear need for shifting from interdisciplinary (at least two disciplines) to a transdisciplinary (more than two disciplines) academic literacy approach to students’ learning experiences. As such, the article recommends the intentional inclusion of various stakeholders (writing centre practitioners, discipline lecturers, clinical and academic support staff) to mitigate students’ writing challenges and develop sustainable and relevant academic literacy practices.
Decolonising higher education in the changing world
(Sun Media, 2019-03-01) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
The decolonisation of higher education is a critical yet highly debatable discourse in the early 21st century where scholars from across the world are moving towards a more congruent and borderless notion of education and responsiveness. The need for decolonisation in higher education, and more so in African higher education, cannot be overemphasised, especially in this era of globalisation and internationalisation where Africa and its education systems are continuously being misconstrued as possessing the same level of capital and political will to engage at a variety of levels. Education and decolonisation in Africa should embrace the notion of the pluriversal in response to the diverse contextual differences and realities permeating the local landscape, which in itself is longing for engagement and interrogation, so as to drive change and development
Decolonising perspectives in the era of globalisation and internationalisation
(African Sun Media, 2019-07-01) Jabosung, Kelly Ngesungwo; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Doh, Nubia Walters; Fru, Raymond Nkwenti
Conceived within a context of transdisciplinarity and pluriversalism, and in rigorous response to the Eurocentric, globalising and nationalising structures of power that undergird and inhabit contemporary praxis in higher education -
Decolonising the future in the untransformed present in South African higher education
(University of the Free State, 2017) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
South Africa as a nation became democratic in 1994 because of the end of apartheid. Since 1994, higher education has geared towards transformation and redress of the inequalities created by the inhuman policies of apartheid. While few applaudable steps have been taken towards this direction, South African higher education remains largely untransformed. For the past two years, a wave of student protest swept across the nation, calling for decolonisation of higher education in general and the curriculum in particular. This move brings to mind several questions about decolonisation and transformation. What is the state of South African higher education? Why has it remained untransformed since the advent of democracy? What should be decolonised to ensure transformation of the present and the future? This paper therefore ventures to answer these three questions using the theory of social transformation as a lens. The paper points out that funding structures, research politics, administrative structures and a lack of interest are amongst the reasons for the lack of transformation. The paper concludes that there will be no transformation until higher education institutions have been decolonised. Social transformation is therefore argued as the pathway for decolonisation. The paper recommends that transformation in higher education should go beyond the shelves where they are stored as policy to the classroom and university environment for practice and universities need to revise their understandings of transformation under the guidance of the DHET.
Deconstructing quality in South African higher education
(Emerald, 2018) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
>This study aims to examine six South African universities with a particular focus on the quality of teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study approach was adopted and data were mainly generated by means of open-ended questionnaires. The questionnaire was circulated to approximately 1,800 students and 746 completed it. The data were categorized and analysed thematically, using both national and international benchmarks for quality teaching and learning. Findings The findings reveal that teaching and learning in South African universities is marred by a plethora of challenges. Lecturers lack basic skills and essential resources to effectively facilitate teaching and learning. Furthermore, quality benchmarks set by the Council on Higher Education are only met on paper and little or nothing is done to translate this into practice. Originality/value The study proposes among others that clearer policies on funding are recommended to ensure proper allocation of resources, staff development and institutional comeliness. Finally, to enhance transformation, universities should prioritize teaching and learning and take steps to ensure that those teaching in the classroom are qualified to do so.
Developing new academics: So what difference does it make?
(WASET, 2015) Chitanand, Nalini
Given the dynamic nature of the higher education landscape, induction programmes for new academics has become the norm nowadays to support academics negotiate these rough terrain. This study investigates an induction programme for new academics in a higher education institution to establish what difference it has made to participants. The findings revealed that the benefits ranged from creating safe spaces for collaboration and networking to fostering reflective practice and contributing to the scholarship of teaching and learning. The study also revealed that some of the intentions of the programme may not have been achieved, for example transformative learning. This led to questioning whether this intention is an appropriate one given the short duration of the programme and the long, drawn out process of transformation. It may be concluded that the academic induction programme in this study serves to sow the seeds for transformative learning through fostering critically reflective practice. Recommendations for further study could include long term impact of the programme on student learning and success, these being the core business of higher education. It is also recommended that in addition to an induction programme, the university invests in a mentoring programme for new staff and extend the support for academics in order to sustain critical reflection and which may contribute to transformative educational practice.
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.
Genopolitics : the dormant niche in political science curriculum in South African universities
(AOSIS, 2018) Hlatshwayo, Mlamuli N.; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
South African higher education institutions have been grappling with the challenges of transformation and decolonisation as a result of the 2015–2016 student protests calling into focus issue of access (both formal and epistemological), belonging, social justice, transformation and others. One of the key sites for this struggle for transformation has been curriculum and the notion of relevance in responding to the development of social reality. Political Science as a discipline has increasingly been confronted with an ‘existential crisis’ with scholars in the field asking critical questions on whether the discipline has reached a point of irrelevance to social reality. Three key critiques of political science as a discipline are discussed in this article – firstly, the critique that political science is obsessed with what has been termed ‘methodological fetishism’ in being unable to embrace new knowledge. Secondly, that political science tends to construct universal theories and concepts that assume global homogeneity and de-emphasise the importance of context and locality in knowledge, knowledge production and its experiences. Thirdly, and the central point of this article, the social disconnection between political science as a field and its [in]ability to make a socio-economic contribution to society. This article suggests that genopolitics allows us to critically reflect on and respond to the above notions of relevance in political science by looking at the role of genes played in political behaviour and genetic dispositions to see and analyses how people, communities and societies behave in the ways that illuminate our understanding of social reality.
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.
"In the trenches" : South African vice-chancellors leading transformation in times of change
(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2023) Buccus, Imraan; Potgieter, Cheryl
This paper examined the transformational goals and strategies of nine black university vice-chancellors in South Africa in order to understand how they direct transformation of higher education in the country. The paper draws from narrative inquiry underlined by transformational leadership theory, and focuses on in-depth interviews with university vice-chancellors. The study focused on the key themes that direct vice-chancellors' transformational leadership strategies. These are devolution of power, the needs to transform the institutional culture and attain social equity through putting students first, and addressing the next generation of academic scholars. Finally, the paper draws attention to the enduring imperative to transform universities through a social equity lens and the significance of vice-chancellors' transformational agendas and strategies in this regard. The local context of the university plays an important role in transformational leadership goals and strategies
Integrating information literacy in the General Education Module at the Durban University Of Technology, South Africa
(UNISA Press, 2016) Neerputh, Shirlene
A university curriculum re-design process provides a promising opportunity for the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Library to become an active academic partner as it modifies its contribution to enhance teaching, learning and research in the twenty-first century information environment. This article provides a conceptual framework for the library to engage in the General Education Module (GEM) for first-year undergraduate students. The GEM at DUT emanated from a curriculum renewal strategy to enhance student-centred learning across all six faculties of the university. The GEM is underpinned by a humanistic educational university strategy. Constructivist theory underpins the compulsory credit-bearing information literacy (IL) programme in the GEM at DUT. The article shows how an academic library can become a cohesive instructional partner in contributing to academic success. The library, in addition to its traditional role as the gatekeeper of learning resources and information provision, offers an integrated credit bearing IL programme in the GEM. This also constitutes a paradigm shift for instructional design at DUT.
Integration, information literacy : a librarian, learner, lecturer partnership in foundation (extended curriculum) programmes
(2007) Shah, Anitha; Mathe, Zanele; Naicker, Kogie
The DUT’s Academic Strategic Plan (2005) emphasizes the importance of integrating all activities that contribute to the “total student learning experience”. It particularly mentions that the Library should not be seen as merely supporting teaching and learning, but rather as involved in teaching, learning and research. The DUT Library acknowledges its pivotal role in the teaching and learning process and endeavours to integrate IL into the academic programmes, veering away from its traditional, supportive role. To this effect the Library has developed a framework for Information Literacy and designed an IL course using Outcomes Based Education principles. The IL course was integrated into the curriculum of 16 extended curriculum programmes offered at DUT in 2007. The process of integration included the Library’s participation from the planning stages of the ECP through to the level of teaching, assessing and evaluating.
International research collaboration between South Africa and rest of the world : an analysis of 2012–2021 trends
(AOSIS Publishing, 2023-04-06) Heleta, Savo; Jithoo, Divinia
South African higher education policies have since 1997 called for the expansion of research collaboration with the African continent and Global South. In this article, the authors’ analysed South Africa’s international research collaboration trends and patterns during the 2012–2021 period. Focusing on co-authored scholarly publications, the authors’ analysed bibliometric data from Scopus, highlighting the countries South African public universities have collaborated and produced knowledge with, and the parts of the world they have neglected in the past decade. The findings highlight the growth of South Africa’s international research collaboration and the expansion of the number of countries universities collaborate with. While the past decade has seen a growth in research collaboration with Brazil, Russia, India, China and Nigeria, South African universities continue to be largely Eurocentric and prioritise collaboration with the Global North while sidelining research collaboration with the African continent and Global South.
Introduction : theorising curriculum approaches and praxis
(BRILL, 2020-01-01) Khoza, Simon Bheki; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Fomunyam, Kehdinga; Simon, Khoza
Curriculum studies is at the core of the educational endeavour: it informs what happens in every educational institution. As a result of the criticality or primacy of the curriculum, every educational practitioner appears to claim expertise in curriculum matters, and in the direction the field of curriculum studies should take. The curriculum practitioner, especially in Africa, has been given little or no space to theorise, orienting the future of the field in Africa. Instead, European and American curriculum theorisers have been allowed to exert a marked influence on the nature and direction of African theoretical and philosophical underpinnings, especially in relation to curriculum studies. This situation raises fundamental questions about the future of education in Africa in general, and curriculum studies in particular. While Europe and America seem to be experimenting with new philosophical paradigms in curriculum studies, Africa seems to be trailing behind by ten or fifteen years. A case in point is the implementation in South Africa in the late nineties of outcomes-based education (OBE) (a European and American theoretical enterprise), although there was clear evidence that it would not work. Is Africa, therefore, doomed to repeat the mistakes of Europe and America in curriculum studies? Has educa-tion in Africa preconditioned the theoriser only to explore traditions from the global North, rather than experimenting and articulating alternative pathways for education in Africa? Must curriculum theorising in Africa slavishly follow the traditions of theorising laid down by the global North, or can such tradi-tions be used as springboards for the articulation of alternative perspectives, as we strive to develop African curriculum matters?