scholarly journals A Bird’s Eye View on the Status of the Module “Life Skills” in the Foundation Phase at Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miemsie Steyn ◽  
Nicoleen Schuld ◽  
Cycil Hartell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Status

This paper explores how the foundation phase subject area of “life skills” is being offered at (n= 9) higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. The aim of the study, about which we report, was to identify similarities and differences in the curricula offered at these institutions and to establish the extent to which the different modules attend to the various aspects of life skills according to the most recent national curriculum. We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants who teach the subject at universities and we also analysed curriculum documents. We worked with a purposive sample of 9 respondents from the respective universities. The study found that although universities use the CAPS (national curriculum) document as guideline for structuring their curricula in teacher education programmes, some participants indicated that they follow an integrated approach, thereby implying that the different components of the school curriculum as outlined in the CAPS document are not specifically accommodated within their programmes. An additional finding was that there is a vast difference in the range of credits allocated to the various aspects of life skills that may restrict social mobility between various HEIs.

scholarly journals CONCEPTS OF CREATIVE LEADERSHIP OF WOMEN LEADERS IN 21ST CENTURY

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude-Hélène Mayer ◽  
Rudolf M. Oosthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Creative Leadership ◽  
And Gender

This article presents the subjective perspectives of women leaders working in higher education institutions in the 21st century in South Africa. It focuses in particular on creativity as demonstrated by women leaders working in culturally and gender diverse post-apartheid settings. The aim is to contribute to the discourse on the creativity of women leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds within South Africa higher education institutions by examining how women leaders experience creativity and what creativity means to them from a qualitative perspective. The study reported on assessed the experiences of creativity of 23 women leaders and their views on creativity and creative leadership by means of a research paradigm based on Wilhelm Dilthey’s modern hermeneutics. It used qualitative research methods, such as semi-structured interviews, as well as observations within one selected higher education institution. Data was analysed by means of content analysis. Quality research criteria and ethical considerations were upheld. The findings highlight the creative skills and attitudes of women leaders underlying successful leadership and the types of creative leadership applied. They suggest that women leaders’ creativity manifests in facilitating creativity in higher education institutions by fostering the creativity of others rather than directing their own creative vision through or integrating it in the work of employees.

scholarly journals Effective strategies in new curricula development at Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Wilfred Fritz ◽  
Toni Stringer ◽  
Anthony Staak
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Curriculum Planning ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Planning Methods ◽  
The Subject

AbstractRe-curriculation is currently the most talked about topic in Higher Education in South Africa because of the new Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework alignment process required by all Higher Education Institutions. However, the lecturer in the classroom, especially new lecturers, are also faced with the task of designing the actual curricula of a subject once the new qualification is to be implemented, in terms of achieving the aims and objectives of the subject area. In other words, ensuring that the outcomes of the subject are achieved by the student. Ideally all lecturers at institutions of higher learning should develop strategies for their “own” curricula. Developing the aforementioned strategies might be challenging to first time lecturers. The methodologies of developing a new qualification and strategies for building curricula is discussed in this paper are different curriculum planning methods and strategies. The aforementioned strategies are focusing on students, mentoring, supportive tools such as software programmes, feedback and assessments. The findings of this paper are proper curricula development to enhance the ability to understand, recall and apply information. The main objective is to use proper curricula development to empower students with a diversity of cultures to understand the material presented by the lecturer. This paper concludes that curricula planning should allow students to be given space to grow and interact and ultimately attain deep life-long learning.

scholarly journals Lecturers’ Experiences of the Blurring of Time and Space during Covid-19 in a South African ODeL University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Naidu ◽  
Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
College Of Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The University

Education has been greatly impacted by the current Covid-19 pandemic. With countries worldwide experiencing unprecedented extended lockdowns, higher education providers have sought innovative technological ways of effectively delivering tuition and support to diverse students. This has, however, also increased the blurring of the work–home boundaries. This paper reports on the way in which Covid-19 facilitated the blurring of the work–home boundaries of academics in the College of Education at the University of South Africa, a distance education institution. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 15 lecturers via Microsoft Teams. The results showed that, owing to a lack of workspace at their homes, many academics were forced to work beyond normal office hours. Inexplicit expectations from the employer exacerbated the blurring of work–home interfaces for many academics. The results of this study can be used for future research to seek ways in which the management of the University of South Africa or employers of other higher education institutions can help to reduce the blurring of work–home boundaries.

Challenges Posed by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for South African Higher Education Institutions

10.28945/2679 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Herselman ◽  
HR Hay
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Revolutionary Change ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Teaching Learning

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are the major driving forces of globalised and knowledge-based societies of a new world era. They will have a profound impact on teaching and learning for two decades to come. The revolutionary change which is taking place in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), has dramatic effects on the way universities carry out their functions of teaching, learning and research, particularly on the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge. These developments pose unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries particular in South Africa as South Africa is viewed as the leading country on the continent.

scholarly journals Teaching innovations in Asian higher education: perspectives of educators

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.M. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
The Many

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the teaching innovations that have been implemented in higher education institutions in Asia and the perspectives of educators on them. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 educators who were affiliated with 23 higher education institutions in ten Asian countries/regions. The interviews covered information about the teaching innovations of the participants’ institutions, the characteristics of the innovative practices and the participants’ views on them. The relationships between the characteristics of institutions and their teaching innovations were also examined. Findings The results showed that the teaching innovations included two main categories, namely, those which involved the use of advanced technologies and those which did not. The innovations that involved the use of advanced technologies were mainly from larger institutions, while the other category was mainly from smaller ones and had been practised for less than 1.5 years. Differences were also identified between the two categories in terms of the aims and importance of innovations, innovative features, the evaluation of innovations and improvements needed for them. Originality/value The results highlighted that technology is only one of the many aspects of teaching innovations, which is different from the view prevailing in the literature. They also suggested that differences in the scale of institutions (in terms of number of students) possibly influences the kind of teaching innovations adopted.

Accelerating the implementation of SDG 4: stakeholder perceptions towards initiation of sustainable community engagement projects by higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lombuso Precious Shabalala ◽  
Sisa Ngcwangu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Stakeholder Perceptions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Community

Purpose This paper aims to present the results of an investigation on how a reciprocal relationship between the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in South Africa and the surrounding communities can be used to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4). The aim of this paper is to establish stakeholder perceptions on the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the development and implementation of sustainable community engagement (CE) projects geared towards the acceleration of SDG 4. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was adopted. This consisted of a presentation at UMP, an educational tour of the campus and discussion sessions with 3 education officials and 19 high schools representatives from Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Content and narrative analysis were used to analyse the data obtained during the discussions. Findings The key findings indicate that a reciprocal relationship between HEIs and their surrounding communities can be used to accelerate the implementation of SDG 4 by positioning HEIs to take the lead with initiatives and implementation of CE projects. Research limitations/implications For HEIs to be in a better position to take a leading role in CE, they must guide without imposing, else it may lead to stakeholders losing interest. Practical implications The importance of a mutual working relationship between HEIs and communities becomes paramount, as it may lead to the realisation and acceleration of SDG 4 through CE. It is suggested that HEIs prioritise CE and also involve communities from the conceptualisation of any project. Originality/value The paper raises awareness and demonstrates the importance and possibilities of using CE towards the acceleration of the implementation of SDG 4 by HEIs.

THE HOUSE OF SCHOLARSHIP, THE SEEDS OF KNOWLEDGE, THE TREASURY OF SCIENCE: RHETORICAL IMAGERY AND SOCIAL METAPHORS OF 13TH AND 14TH CENTURIES WESTERN EUROPEAN ACADEMIC COMMUNITIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-34
Author(s):  
Alexandr Rusanov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Social Reality ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Academic Communities ◽  
University Communities ◽  
The Status ◽  
Western European ◽  
Ars Dictaminis ◽  
Legal Concepts

The article scrutinizes the ideas about the academic communities typical for the Latin world of the 13th and 14th centuries. It focuses on the ‘metaphorical vocabulary’ of academic corporations that was formed at that time within the framework of the Ars Dictaminis and was widely used to substantiate the status of university communities. These metaphors significantly supplemented the vague legal concepts that described academic communities (studium/studium generale, universitas). The most widespread metaphors of higher education institutions included such images as house of scholarship, seeds of knowledge, and treasure. All of them had deep roots in the Holy Scripture, but became widespread thanks to ‘exemplary’ texts included in rhetorical manuals and summae. With their help, social reality was interpreted within the framework of rhetoric as an epistemic system, often overlapping with the spheres of law and theology. The paper considers these metaphors in the context of their distribution, within the networks of local political and cultural ties drawing on cases of two Iberian universities – those of Lisbon (founded between 1288 and 1290) and Lleida (founded in 1300).

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