Factors influending the throughput of postgraduates in a South African University of Technology

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.51415/10321/3707 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Sanelisiwe Precious Dlamini

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Social Life ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Family Responsibilities ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

University Of Technology ◽

Postgraduate Studies

Failure of students to complete postgraduate studies is a matter of concern globally to several stakeholders among them academics, postgraduate candidates, government representatives, HEIs administrators, and postgraduate funders. The contemporary terminology for this phenomenon is throughput, regarded as the completion of studies within a minimum or maximum allocated timeframe. Throughput related issues in higher education include the length of time it takes for students to graduate, the students’ success rates, termination of studies and dropping out of the system before graduation or remaining in the system inactively, etc. In the context of South Africa, postgraduate throughput is noticeably lower in Universities of Technology (UoTs) given that research was previously not their primary focus. With reference to the above, this study, aimed to examine the factors influencing the throughput of postgraduates in a South African University of Technology. The aim of the study was achieved by establishing awareness of and adherence to the completion timelines for postgraduate studies, determining the research capacity available for the completion of postgraduate studies and determining the factors hindering the completion of postgraduate studies. To fully appreciate the concept of postgraduate studies and issues associated with postgraduate throughput, the literature on the factors influencing postgraduates’ throughput was reviewed. The theory of Student Integration (Tinto 1975) was employed to guide the present study. Tinto’s theory recommends that the extent of students’ integration into the academic life and social life within academia, and the extent of students’ commitment and diligence to their studies and the university-oriented goals are the symptoms signifying students’ persistence within academia. The study was informed by the post-positivist research paradigm allowing for the combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches in a single study within a survey research design. The population groups targeted for data collection were postgraduate students, academic supervisors, faculties’ research coordinators, and library personnel (librarian). Self-administered semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from postgraduate students and academic supervisors. Data from librarians was collected by means of face-toface semi-structured interviews. The collected quantitative and qualitative data was analysed through descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis, respectively. Analysis through descriptive statistics was limited to frequency counts, percentages, tables, charts, and graphs. Qualitative data results were presented in a narrative form (textual formats). The study findings outlined the importance of awareness of completion timelines, and rules and regulations governing postgraduate studies to throughput. It was, however, clear that there was laxity in terms of adherence to rules and regulations, even though the study could not determine whether the extent of laxity extended to failure to meet completion timelines as the majority of those who responded were still within their candidature. The study also found that there is optimum visibility of the core research capacity (in terms of facilities including library and research support programs, and trained personnel) for throughput and the satisfaction thereof was by and large on the moderate to satisfactory scale. The availability of academic writing skills was reported to be low yet significant to postgraduate throughput. The study confirmed the significance of personal/students, supervisory, and institutional related factors to throughput. The most influential factors were slow feedback; challenges associated with financial resources; lack of readiness to conduct research; lack of commitment to conduct research, lack of research skills; supervisors’ workload, commitments associated with family responsibilities; lack of sound training in research methodologies and methods as well as lack of technical support. The institution has the opportunity for significant improvement regarding the factors hindering the throughput of postgraduates.

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A Systematic Review of Challenges in Research Supervision at South African Universities

10.20944/preprints201812.0305.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

King Costa

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Systematic Review ◽

South African ◽

National Development ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Higher Learning ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

Research Supervision ◽

Knowledge Based Economy ◽

Institutions Of Higher Learning

Postgraduate students in South Africa and other parts of the world, particularly in developing nations struggle to complete the research component of their studies. According to the National Development Plan ( 2013) it has become a requirement for South African institutions to play a pivotal role in knowledge production so as to transform South Africa from a resource-based economy towards a knowledge-based economy.  In pursuit of meeting this requirement and further to increase subsidy from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), South African institutions of higher learning have been on the drive for recruiting postgraduate students en masse. One of the main problems facing South African institutions is that the number of students enrolled does not correspond to those who graduate at the end of the postgraduate programme study period.  This study is a systematic review of literature on challenges in postgraduate supervision and further proposes a possible solution.  Five South African institutions of higher learning’s postgraduate throughput data is carefully studied and substantiated by previous research on postgraduate supervision challenges on these particular institutions. Study findings present challenges related to research capacity development and burden of supervision at these institutions.  Collaborative methods of supervision such as the C.O.S.T.A model are hereby proposed as possible solutions to the current throughput problem in South Africa.

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Perception towards formative assessment in selected English pronunciation classes among English majors

SOCIAL SCIENCES ◽

10.46223/hcmcoujs.soci.en.10.1.571.2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 91-108

Author(s):

Nguyen Dinh Nhu Ha ◽

Nguyen Dinh Nhu Huu

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Formative Assessment ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Analysis Approach ◽

Positive Perception ◽

University Of Technology ◽

Assessment Tasks

This research aimed at discovering the students’ perception towards formative assessment conducted in the pronunciation classes at Mien Dong University of Technology (MUT). A total of one hundred and eighteen university freshmen participated in answering the questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions. The quantitative data gained from the questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS in terms of descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed using the content analysis approach. The results showed the students’ proper awareness of formative assessment in general and their positive perception towards the application of formative assessment tasks. However, despite the advantages, this application was still admitted containing some disadvantages.

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A CUSTOMISED FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE PODCAST INTEGRATION IN A SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

Progressio South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice ◽

10.25159/0256-8853/729 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 14-32

Author(s):

Shane Pachagadu ◽

Liezel Nel

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

South African ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Teaching And Learning Environment ◽

Education Environment ◽

University Of Technology ◽

African Higher Education ◽

South African Higher Education ◽

Effective Integration

Numerous studies have explored the potential of podcast integration in teaching and learning environments. This paper first presents and organises perspectives from literature in a conceptual framework for the effective integration of podcasting in higher education. An empirical study is then discussed in which the guidelines presented in the framework were evaluated for applicability in a selected course at a South African University of Technology. Since the results of the study revealed a number of aspects not accounted for in the conceptual framework, the framework was customised to make it more applicable for the particular higher education environment. The customised framework identifies four principles and a series of related guidelines for the effective integration of podcasts in a South African higher education teaching and learning environment. This framework can become a valuable resource for effective podcast integration in similar environments.

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Factors Influencing the Adoption of Electronic Information Resources among Postgraduate Students in Nigerian Universities

Mousaion ◽

10.25159/2663-659x/7590 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Kehinde Abayomi Owolabi ◽

Basirat.Olubukola Diyaolu ◽

Nurudeen Adeniyi Aderibigbe ◽

Mudasiru A Yusuf

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Digital Libraries ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Information Resources ◽

Behavioural Intention ◽

Electronic Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Electronic Information Resources

The advent of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has revolutionised how library resources are made and transmitted to end-users. It has effectively improved the standard of education and research in tertiary institutions worldwide by providing various essential resources, including e-books, journals and databases. However, it has been observed that students still abstain from making the best usage of the digital library, instead using search engines rather than institutional digital libraries. This study investigated the factors influencing the behavioural intention of postgraduate (PG) students to use electronic information resources (EIRs). The Unified Theory of Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT) model was adopted. A cross-sectional research design was used to assess the factors influencing the use of EIRs. A sample of 362 PG students was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Data were collected from participants via the administration of 400 copies of the questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and the Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) were used to analyse data collected. The findings revealed that performance expectancy (PE) and effort expectancy (EE) were the two constructs that influenced PG students’ behavioural intention to use EIRs. In contrast, social influence (SI) and facilitating condition (FC) did not change the PG students’ behavioural plan to use EIRs. The study recommended the need for adequate training for postgraduate (PG) students on the obligation to accept and use EIRs.

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FACTORS INFLUENCING ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS AMONG THE RURAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN BANGLADESH

10.31219/osf.io/4ajkf ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dalowar Hossan

Keyword(s):

Government Policy ◽

Rural Women ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Women Entrepreneurs ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Entrepreneurial Success ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Proper Training ◽

Convenience Sampling ◽

The Government

The aim of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the entrepreneurial success of rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Non-probability sampling specifically convenience sampling is used to draw the sample and data is collected using the self-administered survey. Regression analysis and descriptive statistics are used to analyze the data. The study discloses that motivational factors, government policy and financial support have significant influence on the rural women entrepreneurial success in Bangladesh. Due to lack of suitable training and proper development as well as ICT knowledge, the rural women of Bangladesh could not accomplish the achievement. Half of the total populations of Bangladesh are female and most of them live in rural areas. Therefore, the government and the policymakers in Bangladesh should develop the potential of rural women entrepreneurs by providing development facilities, proper training, and ICT knowledge.

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Emergency LMS Training During COVID-19 at an African University of Technology

11th GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES - Global Conference on Business and Social Sciences Proceeding ◽

10.35609/gcbssproceeding.2020.11(113) ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 113-113

Author(s):

Leanri van Heerden

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Instructional Designers ◽

Delivery Mode ◽

Skills Acquisition ◽

Online Delivery ◽

Face To Face ◽

Department Of Health ◽

University Of Technology ◽

E Learning ◽

Participant Perspectives

After the #FeesMustFall strikes that have been haunting South African universities since 2015, Instructional Designers felt pretty confident that they can drive their institutions through any dilemma. Along came the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic and they realised they have been playing in the kiddie pool all along. On 23 March 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national lockdown level 5 to start on 26 March 2020 (Department of Health, 2020). Three days head start for a three-week lockdown (which was eventually extended till the time of writing) was a logistical nightmare for even the most technology driven universities. All staff were sent home with only enough time to grab their office plants and laptops and no idea how they were going to move forward. The issue with staff and students all working from home is that the lecturers working at the Central University of Technology (CUT), being primarily a face-to-face delivery university, was completely unprepared for moving their traditional and blended approaches to completely online. In their study, Mogeni, Ondigi and Mufo (2020) found that most of the investigated teachers were not empowered enough to deliver instruction fully online and either needed to be retrained, receive further specialised training or be trained completely from scratch. A lack of confidence in the delivery mode of instruction will cause even the most knowledgeable subject spcialist to fail in their task. At the CUT lecturers needed a way of quickly acquiring the necessary skills to deliver their content and assessments on the institution Learning Management System (LMS). The aim of this paper is to measure participant perspectives of an emergency intervention to facilitate the process of online delivery skills acquisition quickly and online. To ensure relevant results a systematic process of designing an intervention and recording participant perspectives is necessary. This extended abstract will take a look at the methods used to drive the paper, briefly discuss the results and findings, and lastly explore the implications and significance of the research for the use of higher education institutions for emergency LMS training. Keywords: LMS training; e-Learning; Online Instruction; Instructional Design

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Postgraduate Students’ Perceived E-Learning Acceptance

International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management ◽

10.4018/jabim.2013070105 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 51-60

Author(s):

M. R. K. N. Yatigammana ◽

Md. Gapar Md. Johar ◽

Chandra Gunawardhana

Keyword(s):

Technology Acceptance ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Relative Advantage ◽

Perceived Ease Of Use ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

Geographically Dispersed ◽

Postgraduate Studies ◽

E Learning ◽

Acceptance Model

E-learning is a method of delivering knowledge using information technology and electronic media for the remote users. The advantages of e-learning method can be fully achieved with the postgraduate studies as majority of the postgraduate students are engaged in learning while they are working and also geographically dispersed due to the family and work life thus physically appearing for the lecture sessions are difficult to them. This paper attempts to develop a framework to measure the postgraduate students’ perceived technology acceptance by developing a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which replaces perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in the original model of TAM with relative advantage and complexity and incorporate other variables of trialability, observability, compatibility, psychological wellbeing and social influence of the students. The developed model is validated using 30 postgraduate students from Sri Lanka and thus this model can be used in future researchers to measure the perceived e-learning acceptance of postgraduate students.

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Contextual factors influencing the South African elite sporting system: an ‘open system’ approach

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics ◽

10.1080/19406940.2021.1951327 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Shaundre Jacobs ◽

Veerle De Bosscher ◽

Ranel Venter ◽

Jacqueline Martins Patatas ◽

Jeroen Scheerder

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Open System ◽

System Approach ◽

Contextual Factors ◽

The South ◽

Factors Influencing

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Developing a Sense of Knowing and Acquiring the Skills to Manage Pain in Children with Profound Cognitive Impairments: Mothers’ Perspectives

Pain Research and Management ◽

10.1155/2017/2514920 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Bernie Carter ◽

Janine Arnott ◽

Joan Simons ◽

Lucy Bray

Keyword(s):

Mixed Method ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Reflective Learning ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Mixed Method Study ◽

Trial And Error ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Pain Diary ◽

Heterogenous Group ◽

Error Learning

Children with profound cognitive impairment (PCI) are a heterogenous group who often experience frequent and persistent pain. Those people closest to the child are key to assessing their pain. This mixed method study aimed to explore how parents acquire knowledge and skills in assessing and managing their child’s pain. Eight mothers completed a weekly pain diary and were interviewed at weeks 1 and 8. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and the quantitative data using descriptive statistics. Mothers talked of learning through a system of trial and error (“learning to get on with it”); this was accomplished through “learning to know without a rule book or guide”; “learning to be a convincing advocate”; and “learning to endure and to get things right.” Experiential and reflective learning was evident in the way the mothers developed a “sense of knowing” their child’s pain. They drew on embodied knowledge of how their child usually expressed and responded to pain to help make pain-related decisions. Health professionals need to support mothers/parents to develop their knowledge and skills and to gain confidence in pain assessment and they should recognise and act on the mothers’ concerns.

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