scholarly journals Mainstreaming African Indigenous Epistemologies into Student Development in Higher Education: A Case of Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (Issue 3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Crispen Mazodze ◽  
Jacob Mapara ◽  
Maria Tsvere
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
University Education ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Student Affairs Practitioners ◽  
Indigenous Epistemologies ◽  
Qualitative Data Analysis Software

Framed in the context of decoloniality, this study advocates for the embedding of African indigenous epistemologies into student development in university education in order to emancipate it from the pervasive Eurocentric hegemony. The thesis of this paper contends that student development in higher education has remained firmly anchored on Eurocentric ways of knowing at the expense of other epistemologies especially those from the Global South. Indigenous epistemologies are interiorized and marginalized. Efforts to Africanize the curriculum have largely been piecemeal and student development theory has continued to be underpinned by Eurocentric epistemology with a devastating impact on student identity and character development. This study employed the qualitative research paradigm in which three state universities in Zimbabwe were purposively selected as research sites. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with student affairs practitioners and were analysed qualitatively through coding of emerging themes and this was complimented by the use of the NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Results revealed that Eurocentrism is largely the dominant epistemology in student development while African indigenous epistemologies are marginalized, invisibilized and interiorized. The findings also exposed several challenges that are faced by student affairs practitioners with the major ones being; inadequate institutional funding, unavailability of Afrocentric literature on Student Development as well as well as lack of space on the timetable. The study recommended the inclusion of African indigenous epistemologies into student development through the adoption models that imbue cultural values and ways of knowing of indigenous people.

scholarly journals Challenges Faced by Student Affairs Practitioners in Embedding Indigenous Knowledge into Student Leadership Development Pedagogy. A Case for Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 01-12
Author(s):  
Crispen Mazodze ◽  
Jacob Mapara ◽  
Maria Tsvere
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Student Leadership ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Student Affairs Practitioners ◽  
Student Leadership Development ◽  
Indigenous Epistemologies

The drive to mainstream indigenous knowledge into student leadership development in Zimbabwean higher education has recently gained currency. Student leadership development has a Eurocentric historical background and it has continued on this paradigm in the post-independence era. Framed on decolonial theoretical framework this study interrogates the challenges that are faced by student affairs practitioners in their efforts to include indigenous epistemologies into student leadership development programmes. The research was designed as a case study that employed qualitative methods of data collection and analysis focussing on student development practice at three state universities in Zimbabwe namely Bindura University of Science Education, Chinhoyi University of Science Education and Great Zimbabwe University. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with student Affairs practitioners and analysed through NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Research findings indicate that student affairs practitioners face a myriad of problems which hinder the mainstreaming of the knowledge of the local indigenous people into leadership development. These problems include lack of training to empower them with skills to include indigenous epistemologies into student leadership training, lack of funding and policy guidelines. Theorising on this complexity the research recommends the designing of leadership programmes that imbue indigenous epistemologies of the local people in student development such as hunhu/ubuntu values.

Purpose in Life, Student Development, and Well-Being: Recommendations for Student Affairs Practitioners

NASPA Journal ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christy D. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Development Research ◽  
Student Affairs Practitioners ◽  
Recommendations For Practice

To supplement student development research, the author reviews clinical psychological research on the concept of purpose in life. This review is presented to provide implications and recommendations for practice in the higher education setting. By not only encouraging students to identify a purpose in life but also assisting them in this process, student affairs practitioners may positively influence their personal development and well-being.

Friends from Home: Asset and Liability to African American Students Attending a Predominantly White Institution

NASPA Journal ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Guiffrida
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
Student Development ◽  
African American Students ◽  
Predominantly White Institution ◽  
Student Affairs Practitioners ◽  
Student Departure ◽  
American Students ◽  
The Impact

The importance of connections with peers to student development and retention has been highlighted in Astin's (1984) Theory of Student Involvement and Tinto's (1993) Theory of Student Departure, which are two of the most widely referenced and validated models in student affairs literature. However, recent research has questioned the applicability of these models to African American students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Although prior research has indicated that the models should be modified to recognize the importance of students’ relationships with their families, research has failed to understand the impact of relationships with friends from home. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the conditions under which friends from home were perceived as assets or liabilities to 99 African American undergraduates who attended a PWI. The results provide a link for broadening the applicability of Astin’s and Tinto's models and offer student affairs practitioners deeper insight into African American students' experiences at PWIs.

The Future of Student Affairs: A Guide to Student Development for Tomorrow's Higher Education

1978 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Alvin Lipsetz ◽  
Theodore K. Miller ◽  
Judith S. Prince
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Development ◽  
The Future

Skills, Knowledge, and Personal Traits Necessary for Success as a Student Affairs Administrator: A Meta-Analysis of Thirty Years of Research

NASPA Journal ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl D. Lovell ◽  
Linda A. Kosten
Keyword(s):  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Bases ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Student Affairs Administration ◽  
Personal Traits ◽  
Political Skills ◽  
Successful Student ◽  
Student Development Theory

This study synthesized 30 years of research relating to successful student affairs administration using meta-analysis techniques. The findings suggest a successful student affairs administrator has skills such as administration, management, and human facilitation; knowledge of student development theory and functional responsibilities; and traits of personal integrity and cooperation. The researchers noted possible additional skills, knowledge bases, and personal traits for continued success as a student affairs administrator relating to technology, assessment, political skills, and postsecondary public policy knowledge.

Moving from Theory to Practice

2014 ◽  
pp. 165-177
Author(s):  
Melissa L. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Student Affairs Professionals ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Graduate Preparation ◽  
Student Development Theory ◽  
Graduate Preparation Programs

While higher education grapples with new and emerging technologies that are changing the way courses and degree programs are delivered, as well as how students and faculty communicate with each other, the field of student affairs has been relatively slow to adapt to this changing landscape. The purpose of this case study is to describe the integration of technological skills and competencies into a graduate-level education course for future student affairs professionals, a relatively new phenomenon for graduate preparation courses. A brief overview of the field student affairs and student development theory is followed by an in-depth description of the adapted course, course assignments using technology, and the results of those activities. Recommendations for graduate preparation programs are provided at the conclusion of the case.

scholarly journals How a Public Relations Crisis Led to the Development of a Partnership Between Academics and Student Affairs to Enhance Student Success.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Smith ◽  
Tom Brophy ◽  
Adam Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
First Year ◽  
Strategic Enrollment Management ◽  
Student Development Theory ◽  
The University

In 2013, a public relations crisis led a mid-size university to reconsider the concept of student success on campus. Collaborations between Academic and Student Affairs leaders have resulted in important changes at the university. The university developed increased ability to support student success by investing in staff positions, exploring best practices to increase student success and retention, and implementing several initiatives including a first-year seminar pilot. Relying on data from national surveys, areas for improvement were identified. Underscoring all of these activities was a focus on student development theory, an increased understanding of institutional data, and a commitment to a comprehensive pan-institutional approach. Because the university has a lower than desired graduation rate (55%), several action teams were created to oversee various goals related to communications, year-long orientation experiences, and an academic anchor. Ultimately, this work has now reached the stage where a strategic enrollment management plan is under creation.

scholarly journals College Student Development within the Context of Formalized Sport in American Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Springer ◽  
Marlene A Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Road Map ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Two Bodies

Those providing and managing sport in primary, secondary and post-secondary educational settings must be cognizant of the need for sport programs to enhance, rather than detract from, the educational environment. American post-secondary education provides an important context for inquiry in sport for two primary reasons. First, college enrollment marks a significant period of transition for individuals who are at a developmentally impressionable stage of their lives. Second, roughly 80% of all college students participate in some form of physical activity during their time on a college or university campus, with roughly half of them participating in formal sport. Two bodies of literature provide guidance for sport managers in US higher education: 1) sport development theory and 2) student development theory. This paper aims to provide a road map to facilitate the conversation between these two bodies of theory to unpack the potential contribution of sport to the individual development of sport participants at American colleges and universities.  

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