Barriers to Transformation in the South African Universities: Are Solutions Elusive?

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulus Hlongwane ◽  
Esther M Kgosinyane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Black People ◽  
Institutional Culture ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Social Ideology ◽  
The Social ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Proactive Measures

This article critiques the barriers to transformation in South African universities since the beginning of the democratic dispensation in 1994. The critique is informed by the historical background of apartheid policies, which were instrumental in perpetuating the social-economic exclusion of black people in higher education institutions. Moreover, this paper demystifies the meaning of transformation in the context of higher education in South Africa. To this end, a review of scholarly peer-reviewed and non-scholarly articles was undertaken as a method of collecting relevant data. On the basis of reviewed literature, it is argued that transforming an institutional culture is not a once-off process but requires constant reinforcement of the desired behavioural practices. Similarly, the patriarchal social ideology that is instrumental in creating gender disparities needs to be removed or spurned. Furthermore, universities need to take proactive measures to rescind policies that create polarisation between black and white people. The article concludes that solutions to barriers that impede transformation processes in South African universities are not elusive, yet a well-articulated vision on transformation, as well as decisive and responsive leadership at universities, is essential.

scholarly journals Wheelchair users, access and exclusion in South African higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desire Chiwandire ◽  
Louise Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
South African ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
The Right

Background: South Africa’s Constitution guarantees everyone, including persons with disabilities, the right to education. A variety of laws are in place obliging higher education institutions to provide appropriate physical access to education sites for all. In practice, however, many buildings remain inaccessible to people with physical disabilities.Objectives: To describe what measures South African universities are taking to make their built environments more accessible to students with diverse types of disabilities, and to assess the adequacy of such measures.Method: We conducted semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews with disability unit staff members (DUSMs) based at 10 different public universities in South Africa.Results: Challenges with promoting higher education accessibility for wheelchair users include the preservation and heritage justification for failing to modify older buildings, ad hoc approaches to creating accessible environments and failure to address access to toilets, libraries and transport facilities for wheelchair users.Conclusion: South African universities are still not places where all students are equally able to integrate socially. DUSMs know what ought to be done to make campuses more accessible and welcoming to students with disabilities and should be empowered to play a leading role in sensitising non-disabled members of universities, to create greater awareness of, and appreciation for, the multiple ways in which wheelchair user students continue to be excluded from full participation in university life. South African universities need to adopt a systemic approach to inclusion, which fosters an understanding of inclusion as a fundamental right rather than as a luxury.

scholarly journals Institutional Culture and OER Policy: How Structure, Culture, and Agency Mediate OER Policy Potential in South African Universities

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenda Cox ◽  
Henry Trotter
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Institutional Culture ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Institutional Policy ◽  
Policy Intervention ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Motivating Factor

<p>Several scholars and organizations suggest that institutional policy is a key enabling factor for academics to contribute their teaching materials as open educational resources (OER). But given the diversity of institutions comprising the higher education sector—and the administrative and financial challenges facing many institutions in the Global South—it is not always clear which type of policy would work best in a given context. Some policies might act simply as a “hygienic” factor (a necessary but not sufficient variable in promoting OER activity) while others might act as a “motivating” factor (incentivizing OER activity either among individual academics or the institution as a whole).</p><p class="1">In this paper, we argue that the key determination in whether a policy acts as a hygienic or motivating factor depends on the type of institutional culture into which it is embedded. This means that the success of a proposed OER-related policy intervention is mediated by an institution’s existing policy <em>structure</em>, its prevailing social <em>culture </em>and academics’ own <em>agency</em> (the three components of what we’re calling “institutional culture”). Thus, understanding how structure, culture, and agency interact at an institution offers insights into how OER policy development could proceed there, if at all. Based on our research at three South African universities, each with their distinct institutional cultures, we explore which type of interventions might actually work best for motivating OER activity in these differing institutional contexts.</p>

Breaking white silences in South African-Dutch collaboration in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frans Kamsteeg ◽  
Harry Wels
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South African Society ◽  
African Higher Education ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
South African Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show the complex positionality and the complexity that comes with the study of whiteness in South African higher education by Dutch, white academics. This complexity stems from the long-standing relationship between Dutch universities, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) in particular, with their South African counterparts, which predominantly supported apartheid with reference to a shared religious (Protestant) background. Design/methodology/approach The paper rests upon a literature review of the development of South African higher education, and an assessment of the prominent role played by the Dutch Vrije Universiteit in support of the all-white, Afrikaans Potchefstroom University (presently North-West University). The authors, who are both involved in the institutional cooperation between Vrije Universiteit and South African universities, reflect on the complexity of this relationship by providing auto-ethnographic evidence from their own (religious) biography. Findings The paper reflects the ambiguous historical as well as contemporary contexts and ties that bind Vrije Universiteit to South African universities, especially formerly Afrikaans-speaking ones. The ambiguity is about the comfort of sharing an identity with formerly Afrikaans-speaking universities, on the one hand, and the discomfort of historical and political complicities in a (still) segregated South African society on the other hand. Originality/value This auto-ethnographic paper breathes an atmosphere of a “coming out” that is not very common in academic writing. It is a reflection and testimony of a lifelong immersion in VUA-South African academic research relations in which historical, institutional, and personal contexts intermingle and lead to a unique positionality leading to “breaking silences” around these complex relations.

scholarly journals South African universities in a time of increasing disruption

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Coetzee ◽  
Brownhilder Neneh ◽  
Karlien Stemmet ◽  
Jana Lamprecht ◽  
Constance Motsitsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
African Students ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
The Impact

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have disrupted the higher education environment in unprecedented ways.Aim: This article identifies the impact of increasing disruption driven by the 4IR and COVID-19 on the content and curriculum design of degree programmes in economic and management sciences offered by South African universities.Setting: Six South African and five top-tier US and UK universities.Methods: The study used a non-positivist qualitative research design and specifically the case-study approach. A document analysis of the information in university yearbooks and prospectuses was conducted, using a purposive sampling design.Results: An online presence will become more important due to increased disruption, and will not only ensure an additional revenue stream, but also promote continuity in operations and mitigate threats from competitors. COVID-19 has accelerated the extent of this disruption and expedited the migration to online teaching and learning platforms.Conclusion: Since science, technology, engineering and mathematics are integral to the majority of 4IR-related modules, South African universities must not shy away from degree programmes that ignore inter- and multi-disciplinary curriculum designs. Coupled with the challenges facing the majority of South African students to access electronic devices, data and the internet, COVID-19 has thrust this challenge to the forefront in the South African higher education landscape. By comparing the developments in South African universities with those in trendsetting, top-tier, global universities, management can assess the extent to which they are internationally competitive and adapting to the demands of the 4IR.

scholarly journals Reimagining pedagogy for theological education at a South African University: An ethnographic exploration

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindie Denny ◽  
Cas Wepener
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Theological Education ◽  
Cultural Anthropology ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Curriculum Transformation

Curriculum transformation within Higher Education has been an ongoing process within South Africa Universities. For a long time, apartheid and the conception of race have shaped the education framework. Recently, decolonisation discourses have led to a rethinking about Curricula of Higher Education. Theological Education has been highlighted, as theological faculties within Universities perpetuate European epistemologies. In order to contribute towards curriculum transformation in South Africa, pedagogy for theological education within South African Universities is explored in this article, and a new praxis theory for a reimagined pedagogy is presented. This article presents only part of the research conducted within a South African University. A description and analysis of the empirical research are provided together with a reimagined pedagogy for theological education at a South African University.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research was performed within the field of Practical Theology with a special focus on pedagogy; however, inter-disciplinary insights were gained from fields such as Education and History, and on an intra-disciplinary level, the research used qualitative methods from Cultural Anthropology and Rituals Studies to empirically study pedagogy as a practice.

The Contradictions of Bantu Education

1981 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokubung Nkomo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
The South ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Black South African ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Official Curriculum ◽  
Class Instruction

The South African apartheid government has used higher education as a tool for promoting a policy of separate development. Disturbances in black South African universities over the last decade, however, appear to be the result of both "Bantu education"policies that have spawned a "culture" that contradicts the government's ultimate aims,and circumstances external to in-class instruction that have exerted as great an influence as the official curriculum. Mokubung O. Nkomo argues that the interplay of these forces constitutes a catalyst that may contribute to the demise of the apartheid system.

Transforming Higher Education in South Africa: A New Approach to Governance

1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Teboho Moja ◽  
Nico Cloete
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Historically White ◽  
New Approach ◽  
White Institutions ◽  
Resource Needs ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Black Institutions ◽  
Historically White Institutions

A recent review of South African universities concluded that higher education institutions have “in place considerable facilities and a substantial capacity to respond to the reshaping of post-apartheid education. However, in general the historically white institutions (and a number of black institutions) have little moral and political legitimacy. In contrast, the majority of black institutions (and a few white institutions) have little or no academic credibility. Overall, the ‘system’ is seen as one that perpetuates inequality, is hugely wasteful and is not serving the human resource needs of the country. These problems have led to numerous demands for reforms in order to redress inequalities, and to ensure greater relevance, accountability and democracy.”

Transforming Higher Education in South Africa: A New Approach to Governance

1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teboho Moja ◽  
Nico Cloete
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Historically White ◽  
New Approach ◽  
White Institutions ◽  
Resource Needs ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Black Institutions ◽  
Historically White Institutions

A recent review of South African universities concluded that higher education institutions have “in place considerable facilities and a substantial capacity to respond to the reshaping of post-apartheid education. However, in general the historically white institutions (and a number of black institutions) have little moral and political legitimacy. In contrast, the majority of black institutions (and a few white institutions) have little or no academic credibility. Overall, the ‘system’ is seen as one that perpetuates inequality, is hugely wasteful and is not serving the human resource needs of the country. These problems have led to numerous demands for reforms in order to redress inequalities, and to ensure greater relevance, accountability and democracy.”

scholarly journals Learning environments in higher education: Their adaptability to the 4th industrial revolution and the 'social transformation' discourse

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Krishnannair ◽  
S. Krishnannair
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Change ◽  
South African ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Educational Objective ◽  
The Social ◽  
African Higher Education ◽  
South African Higher Education

The South African higher-education sector is currently undergoing a significant phase in its transition. The phase is marked by a sense of uncertainty felt across institutions and entities that make up the sector. This uncertainty, to a large extent, is brought about by the socio-political realities the transition entails. Compounding this situation is the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution (Hadden), a phenomenon to which the higher-education sector needs a heightened degree of adaptability. The learning environments provided by the higher-education sector are therefore crucial in terms of advancing the cause of positive social change as a realisable educational objective. Against this backdrop, this conceptual article examines the issue of social change as a moral imperative. The purpose is therefore to contribute to the 4IR discourse currently evolving in the context of South African higher education and its social change agenda, with cognitive capitalism as a theoretical lens. Significant scholarly work has been done on the issue of technological advancement and its implications for the social practice of education. However, a concerted effort has not been undertaken to examine the 4IR as an inevitable educational experience with potential to be both materialistically transformative and morally enslaving. The article concludes that, as 4IR unfolds into a magnificent event and starts to control every aspect of human life in general, and education in particular, the moral and ethical affirmations that support the experience of education may run into troubled waters

scholarly journals Unveiling the professional attributes of university teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (SI) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubby Dunpath ◽  
◽  
Hesta Friedrich-Nel ◽  
Hanlie Dippenaar ◽  
Lynn Biggs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Leverage Points ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Professional Attributes ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
National Framework

This article derives from a collaborative higher education project, conceptualised, and implemented by academics from seven South African universities. These academics are members of the South African Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowship. The project has its roots in the Department of Higher Education’s National Framework for Enhancing Academics as University Teachers, which identifies six leverage points or ‘imperatives for action’, one of which is the imperative to develop expectations (attributes) of academics in their role as university teachers. TAU Fellows engaged in the collaborative enquiry over a period of three years, appropriating a conceptual framework posited by Henry Giroux, of teachers as transformative intellectuals. In this article, each author reflects on his/her own scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) endeavours, which provided the conceptual tools to illuminate what for them and the group, are valuable professional attributes. The metaphor of the Baobab tree is appropriated to signify ‘rhizomatic thinking’, which portrays teaching as subconscious, subversive, non-linear, multi-directional, serendipitous, esoteric, dynamic, unbounded, unpredictable, adaptive, and non-hierarchical. This SoTL enquiry enabled the TAU group to unveil and declare their professional attributes as they made public their praxis. The attributes include academics as imbued with the capacity for critical thinking and actively promoting critical thinking amongst their students; as active learning mediators; as responsive, innovative, and relevant curriculum designers; and as engaged professionals. Appreciation of the article is enhanced when the reader first views this video https://youtu.be/yoA9guMut-8.

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