Defining our purposes and roles and meeting our challenges

This paper briefly articulates the social purposes and roles of universities; outlines some of the key strengths and achievements of South African universities post-1994, and; identifies the critical issues and challenges that confront our universities in relation to their core social purposes and roles

Study South Africa

[Extract from message from Minister of Higher Education, Hon. Naledi Pandor]: The International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) has produced yet another magnificent publication on higher education in South Africa It is an excellent source of information for everyone interested in universities and research in this country. It is especially useful for international students who plan to study in South Africa, and for people involved in developing international programmes. The theme of this edition, “The role of internationalisation in South Africa’s knowledge environment, is opportune at this juncture. It provides role-players in higher education with the opportunity to examine critical issues such as the place, purposes, benefits and limitations of internationalisation in the sector and the contribution internationalisation makes to the knowledge economy of our country. To participate effectively in the knowledge economy, South Africa has to grow its research base. For this, we need a pool of vibrant young researchers. South Africa is able to provide opportunities for groundbreaking research, and internationalisation provides students, academics and researchers with prospects to broaden the scope of their research. Exchange programmes, bilateral research connections, collaborative partnerships and other international links lend themselves to pathways through which local and international staff and students can expand their horizons and skills. In this way internationalisation can assist South Africa in realising its objectives. The South African higher education sector has identified priority areas in which it needs to develop human capital. They include science, technology and engineering. We can use international programmes to accelerate our capacity building plans and in particular the training and development of postgraduate students. Through research collaborations, for example, postgraduate students can be jointly trained and co-supervised with partners. This has beneficial outcomes for students, research partners and academics, as well as for the system as a whole. Aside from benefiting from sending our students abroad, South Africa also gains by receiving foreign students. International students bring with them different viewpoints, technologies and skills, which assist in developing new perspectives and techniques in South Africa Furthermore, cultural interaction enhances our own students' experiences. By studying together students come to understand and accept cultural differences and are enriched. These interactions, in turn, build positive relations which have positive long term benefits in developing economic and social links between people and countries, and which will help overcome newly surfaced problems of xenophobia in South Africa South Africa is currently host to more than 60,000 international students and many academics. The greatest proportion of international students and academics are from Africa particularly from the Southern African Development Community. As a host country we ensure high quality courses at universities, in order for our qualifications to be recognisable worldwide. South African institutions produce professionals who are highly sought- after around the world. This publication supports South Africa's education sector by providing information and by publicising our institutions and the sector as a whole. I would like to thank IEASA for the important role it plays in higher education.8th Editio

Mentorship and sustainable research output : a case study of the University of Johannesburg

Abstract: Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa are facing challenges arising as a result of the shift from traditional teaching activities to a combination of research and teaching. Increasing emphasis on research, an integral part of this transformation of higher education, has required HEIs to develop and implement capacity development strategies to enable those new to research to engage in research output; and mentorship is a strategy that is enjoying increasing popularity. This article explores the challenges faced in the implementation of a formal research mentorship programme (REMP), using the University of Johannesburg as a case study. A quantitative approach was adopted to obtain the perceptions of academic staff of REMP as a strategy for building research capacity. The findings reveal that whilst the REMP is strongly favoured by academics as a means of guiding novice researchers, key factors need to be addressed to ensure its success. This article examines the challenges for both mentors and mentees and suggests actions to help mentorship programmes make sustainable contributions to the development of research capacity

The menstruation experience: Attitude dimensions among South African students

This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and experiences regarding menstruation among undergraduate women at a historically disadvantaged South African university. A total of 255 women participated in the study. The majority of participants were black women (coloured = 55%; African = 29 .2%). They responded to the Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ) and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA with post-hoc tests. The majority of women in the study (78%) had positive attitudes towards menstruation, viewing it as a natural event that can be anticipated and predicted. However, many of the women (51–58%) perceived it as debilitating and bothersome to everyday living. Menstruation was perceived by women as impacting on participation and performance in higher education, suggesting that the provision of tertiary education for previously disadvantaged groups needs to consider the needs of women who experience difficulty managing menstruation. The provision of material resources, education in self-care strategies and distribution of information to normalise menstruation may assist the adverse impact of menstruation on their higher education experience .DHE

An investigation into the influences of institutional context on the professional learning of academics in their roles as teachers

publisher versionPreface by Prof Narend Baijnath: “Teaching and learning are never neutral. Every aspect is ideological in nature: from the admission of students, to the selection of curriculum content, to the adoption of learning materials, to the pedagogical approach, to the mode of assessment and the quality of the feedback. The form of disciplinary knowledge may vary from the more subjective and contentious to the more objective and broadly accepted, but teaching and learning remain highly political acts across all institutions, faculties and disciplines. So it is unsurprising that when a country undergoes major social change, ideological demands are placed on teaching and learning.” (HE Reviewed, CHE 2016 p.143). There are many and diverse influences on teaching and learning as a political act, from broad social movements that challenge what is taught, to the ways in which resources have historically been allocated, to the values and goals of different disciplines, and the more immediate institutional and faculty contexts in which they take place. Learning to teach in higher education in South Africa is a timely and well-researched contribution to understanding the influences of that more immediate layer, that is, of institutional contexts, on the professional learning of academics in their roles as teachers. It explores questions of whether it matters to the professional learning process whether one is teaching in a context in which resources are scarce, or whether the departmental leadership style is authoritarian, or whether an institution has a strong drive to increase research output. And if it matters, what are the implications for facilitating opportunities for academics to ‘learn to teach’ in higher education? Undertaken by a team of academic staff developers across eight institutional contexts, this research report offers a comprehensive, nuanced and theorised set of insights into the role that context plays in the ways in which academics learn to teach. Such insights can inform the development of professional learning initiatives at both the institutional and national policy levels. The report is one of the outcomes of a large-scale study carried out between 2011 and 2016, made possible by funding from the National Research Foundation. It has spawned many research articles, books and PhD studies (see Appendix One) and has thus in itself provided a vehicle for the development of further research and researchers on the subject. The team chose to work collaboratively, with all the possibilities and difficulties that that entails, as reflected on in Chapter 7. Thereby, it also offers an illuminating reflection and insights into such research methodology. While the report does not specifically set out to offer anything new or surprising about the cultural and contextual differences between institutions, it does offer a coherent interpretation of such complex and intersecting conditions examined through a single theoretical lens. Indeed, the concepts of ‘structure, culture and agency’ as developed in the work of the social realist, Margaret Archer, formed the theoretical canvas for the study. The theory allows for the analytical separation of different domains for the purposes of understanding the interplay of relations, but it also offers a hope of bringing about social transformation through exercising particular modes of reflexivity. As the report argues, quoting Archer, transforming our positions in society is possible, but “their transformation depends partly on the subjective reflexivity of primary agents in seeking to play an active part in reshaping society’s resource distribution”. The researchers may not always have found it easy to apply a single theoretical lens, but the theory based study provides a coherent representation of the differences and similarities between the institutional contexts of the eight universities, throwing into relief their different influences on professional learning, and points to pathways towards the improvement of teaching and learning in South African higher education. A major contribution of this report that is likely to influence the discourse on teaching and learning significantly, is the conceptual shift from ‘professional development’ to ‘professional learning’. As an external reviewer noted, “in the context of the decolonization debate, [this shift] has the potential to offer a more flexible continuum in which to position different learning opportunities”. It also recognises the importance of group and individual agency and the importance of informal contexts in learning to teach. 12 | Monitor 14 | Learning to Teach in Higher Education in South Africa The publication of this research report takes forward the CHE’s ongoing endeavours to improve and enhance the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. It serves to complement the more practical implementation of quality assurance in higher education, which for the CHE has largely entailed a focus on teaching and learning, whether in accreditation, audits or the Quality Enhancement Project (QEP) that began in 2014 in which one of the four focus areas that universities were asked to engage with was “enhancing academics as teachers”. Participation in the QEP over the past three years has contributed to a heightened awareness across the sector of the importance of academics developing competence in university teaching, particularly given the increased emphasis being placed on student success by both the government and higher education institutions themselves. As a result, universities are becoming more intentional in their efforts to help academics develop this competence. The release of the study is therefore timely, as not only will it add to our collective understanding of the complexities and nuances in the interrelationships between structure, culture and agency that inform and influence academics in their roles as teachers, but it will serve as a useful resource for institutions in their efforts to enhance university teachers and teaching. The Higher Education Monitor series, as was elaborated in the first issue in 2003, “aims to stimulate research and the production of knowledge and interpretive frameworks that could contribute to better theorisation of higher education, more rigorous analysis of higher education complexities and more effective strategies for change and progress”. It is our hope that this report will do exactly that.We thank the National Research Foundation for funding the project that made the study and the ensuing report possible, Professor Brenda Leibowitz for leading the team of researchers, our external reviewers, and the individual authors who took the time to present drafts of their chapters to Dr Webbstock of the CHE at a workshop in May 2016

The delivery of primary school physical education in South African public schools : the perceptions of educators

Abstract: Background: Physical Education (PE) is a fundamental cornerstone for childhood development as it promotes lifelong participation in physical activities for holistic health. School educators play a key role in creating school environments that lead to developmentally appropriate and high-quality PE lessons. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine educators’ perceptions on the state and status of PE in selected public primary schools in all nine provinces of South Africa. Setting: Data were collected on the campus of the selected primary schools within 150 km of a university. In the absence of a university within the stated radius, an airport was used as an initiated point of departure. Methods: The mixed-methods approach (quantitative: questionnaires and qualitative: semistructured interviews and focus group discussions) was used to collect data. The purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of percentages, and presented using graphs and tables. Qualitative data were analysed using themes. Results: The findings revealed that the educators from quintile 4 and 5 schools especially are of the opinion that challenges, such as a lack of resources, qualified PE specialist educators, and facilities and equipment negatively affected the delivery of PE at their schools. Conclusion: Participants perceived that there are varying contextual and socio-economic school settings affecting the delivery of PE in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) curriculum. The researcher recommends that all learners have access to the adequate provision of PE programmes

Contextualising school readiness in South Africa: Stakeholders’ perspectives

Preparing children for mainstream school occurs in systems that act as an overarching context. The perspectives of stakeholders influence how they prepare children for mainstream education.The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the contextual factors that affect school readiness as identified by stakeholders. School readiness was conceptualised as a function of contextual influences and connections between individual and systemic factors enabling the child to benefit from the curriculum

Study South Africa

[Extract from message from Minister of Higher Education, Hon. Naledi Pandor]: It is a great pleasure for me to give a word of support to the sixth edition of Study South Africa: The Guide to South African Higher Education. I am particularly pleased with the effort and level of commitment shown by the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) in promoting South African higher education institutions internationally. The internationalisation of our higher education system is an acknowledgement that South African universities have a valuable contribution to make to the global higher education community, and in particular on the African continent. In this regard, I am pleased to note that of the 52,000 international students enrolled in our institutions, the majority come from the African continent. South Africa's higher education institutions offer unique benefits for international students, blending the experience of living in Africa with the opportunity to obtain internationally recognised qualifications at reasonably affordable costs. Also, high quality educational infrastructure, unique research opportunities, and a rich variety of cultures make South Africa one of the favourable study destinations for many international students. More than ever before our institutions are working hard to ensure that they provide high quality education, comparable to the best in the world. Our institutions continue to strive towards excellence and also to encourage international students, particularly those from Africa, upon completion of their studies to go back and make valuable contributions to the socio-economic development of their home countries. IEASA, Higher Education South Africa (HESA) and our universities have played a valuable role in reinforcing South Africa's international relations in academic and research exchange programmes. The Ministry would like to take this opportunity to commend IEASA and HESA for the dedicated efforts and targeted interventions made towards achieving our national priorities