Browsing by Author "Van Schalkwyk, Susan C."

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    Acquiring academic literacy : a case of first-year extended degree programme students at Stellenbosch University
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-03) Van Schalkwyk, Susan C.; Bitzer, E. M.; Van der Walt, C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    In this study the experiences of a group of first-year Extended Degree Programme (EDP) students were explored in order to obtain insight into their acquisition of academic literacy. The study was undertaken against the backdrop of a higher education sector that is facing an increasing influx of first-year students on the one hand, and poor retention rates on the other. In South Africa, where the opening up of access to higher education for all citizens has become a political imperative, the need to address the undesirable dropout rate is self-evident. Students’ poor performance at university is often linked to their under-preparedness for higher education studies, and an important aspect of such under-preparedness is their academic literacy. In this context academic literacy is seen as knowing how to speak and act within a particular discourse, and the reading and writing that occur within the discipline as tools through which to facilitate learning. While some students acquire academic literacy by virtue of their participation in the discourse community of the relevant discipline, this is not always so for students who are less prepared for higher education studies. In response to the disconcerting retention rates, higher education institutions have implemented academic support programmes to address the needs of students who enter university with poor school results. One such intervention at Stellenbosch University is the Extended Degree Programme in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, which makes provision for students to extend their first academic year over two years. Since 2006 EDP students have also been required to register for an academic literacy module and it is this group that comprises the focus of this study. Using a case study design, this qualitative, interpretive inquiry was characterized by multiple data collection methods. In this way qualitative data that pointed to the perceptions of the students and some of the lecturers who taught the EDP classes were generated via semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, observation and content analysis. In addition, descriptive quantitative data was collected and this further contributed to generating the rich, in-depth data that characterize case study research. The analysis of the data was undertaken according to a three-tiered approach, in which the results of the empirical inquiry were first analysed per data source and then themes and trends across all the data sources were identified. Ultimately, these findings were interpreted according to an explanatory framework. The study highlights a number of important issues, key of which is that providing an academic literacy module for under-prepared students can facilitate the acquisition of academic literacy, particularly when such provision seeks to support the different discipline-based mainstream modules. Another important finding of the study emphasizes the extent to which institutional factors, such as increased student numbers, have placed pressure on university infrastructure and human resources. The impact of this situation filters down to the first-year classroom and negatively influences student learning. Finally, the results of the study question prevailing notions about under-prepared students as all of the students in the study, irrespective of their backgrounds and levels of sophistication, attested to the significant challenges that entry into the academic community posed for them. The findings of this study, while specific to the context in which it was undertaken, contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of academic development within higher education and the role of academic literacy in student learning.
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    Generic learning outcomes in a technikon diploma programme : a critical analysis
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002-12) Van Schalkwyk, Susan C.; Bitzer, E. M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In 1997, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) published its guidelines 'to provide for the development and implementation of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF)' (Government Gazette 1997:35). This framework was to pave the way for compelling transformation in the education sector. One of the key features of the framework would be a directive that a series of competencies, or generic skills, that SAQA termed its 'critical cross-field outcomes' would have to be incorporated into the design of all programmes of learning. The publication of the guidelines sparked considerable debate; a debate that, in the five years since 1997, does not appear to have been resolved. As higher education institutions prepare for the 2003 submission of programmes to SAQA for registration, the importance of swift and meaningful intervention is self-evident. This report gives an account of a study undertaken to allow for the critical analysis of generic learning outcomes, or specifically SAQA's critical outcomes, as they present themselves in a technikon diploma programme. While the initial impetus in terms of the skills debate may appear to have arisen as a result of national imperatives, the overview of the literature pointed to international precedents, particularly when the issue of generic skills was contextualised against the background of the changing higher education landscape. Thus empirical research was conducted at the Cape Technikon using the National Diploma in Human Resources Management, its academic staff and its second-year student group, as its focus. The qualitative data, generated via multiple techniques including document analysis, interviewing, and a survey, provided a wealth of information and in-depth insight into the perceptions and attitudes of the respondents. The researcher endeavoured to maintain a practical focus throughout the study and sought to interpret and critique existing practice against best practice as described in the literature. The findings highlighted numerous issues relating to the integration of generic learning outcomes into programmes of learning. Key among these were the apparent lack of clarity and guidance among students and staff about the meaning of, and envisaged role for, the generic learning or critical outcomes; the fact that many in the technikon sector are already employing those teaching and learning strategies that are deemed appropriate when following an outcomes-based approach; that the changing student profile has had a direct impact on what happens in the classroom; and that assessment systems and practices appear to be the main barriers to the effective development of generic skills. In response, this study recommends that a structured, holistic, process approach be implemented at those institutions that are serious about integrating SAQA's critical outcomes into their programmes of learning. While such an approach would require institutional support and guidance, as well as an overall commitment to staff development, it is the contention of the researcher that the technikon sector, by virtue of its career-oriented focus and the design of its programmes, is ideally positioned to embrace the SAQA challenge successfully.
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    Identifying research priorities for health professions education research in sub-Saharan Africa using a modified Delphi method
    (BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2020-11-18) Van Schalkwyk, Susan C.; Kiguli-Malwadde, Elsie; Budak, Jehan Z.; Reid, Michael J. A.; De Villiers, Marietjie R.
    Background: Recent increases in health professions education (HPE) research in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), though substantial, have predominantly originated from single institutions and remained uncoordinated. A shared research agenda can guide the implementation of HPE practices to ultimately influence the recruitment and retention of the health workforce. Thus, the authors aimed to generate and prioritise a list of research topics for HPE research (HPER) in SSA. Methods: A modified Delphi process was designed to prioritise a shared agenda. Members of the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) technical working group (TWG) were asked to first list potential research topics. Then, members of the same TWG and attendees at the annual AFREhealth academic symposium held in Lagos, Nigeria in August 2019 rated the importance of including each topic on a 3-point Likert scale, through two rounds of consensus seeking. Consensus for inclusion was predefined as ≥70% of respondents rating the topic as “must be included.” Results: Health professions educators representing a variety of professions and 13 countries responded to the survey rounds. Twenty-three TWG members suggested 26 initial HPER topics; subsequently 90 respondents completed round one, and 51 completed round 2 of the modified Delphi. The final list of 12 research topics which met predetermined consensus criteria were grouped into three categories: (1) creating an enabling environment with sufficient resources and relevant training; (2) enhancing student learning; and (3) identifying and evaluating strategies to improve pedagogical practice. Conclusions: Establishing research priorities for HPE is important to ensure efficient and appropriate allocation of resources. This study serves as a reminder of how the prevailing context within which HPE, and by implication research in the field, is undertaken will inevitably influence choices about research foci. It further points to a potential advocacy role for research that generates regionally relevant evidence.
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    Medical education departments : a study of four medical schools in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (BioMed Central, 2015-07) Kiguli-Malwadde, Elsie; Talib, Zohray M.; Wohltjen, Hannah; Connors, Susan C.; Gandari, Jonathan; Banda, Sekelani S.; Maggio, Lauren A.; Van Schalkwyk, Susan C.
    Background: Many African countries are investing in medical education to address significant health care workforce shortages and ultimately improve health care. Increasingly, training institutions are establishing medical education departments as part of this investment. This article describes the status of four such departments at sub-Saharan African medical schools supported by the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI). This article will provide information about the role of these institutional structures in fostering the development of medical education within the African context and highlight factors that enable or constrain their establishment and sustainability. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with the heads or directors of the four medical education departments using a structured interview protocol developed by the study group. An inductive approach to analysis of the interview transcripts was adopted as the texts were subjected to thematic content analysis. Results: Medical education departments, also known as units or centers, were established for a range of reasons including: to support curriculum review, to provide faculty development in Health Professions Education, and to improve scholarship in learning and teaching. The reporting structures of these departments differ in terms of composition and staff numbers. Though the functions of departments do vary, all focus on improving the quality of health professions education. External and internal funding, where available, as well as educational innovations were key enablers for these departments. Challenges included establishing and maintaining the legitimacy of the department, staffing the departments with qualified individuals, and navigating dependence on external funding. All departments seek to expand the scope of their services by offering higher degrees in HPE, providing assistance to other universities in this domain, and developing and maintaining a medical education research agenda. Conclusions: The establishment of medical education departments in Sub-Saharan Africa is a strategy medical schools can employ to improve the quality of health professions education. The creation of communities of practice such as has been done by the MEPI project is a good way to expand the network of medical education departments in the region enabling the sharing of lessons learned across the continent.
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    Quality of life in patients on chronic dialysis in South Africa : a comparative mixed methods study
    (BioMed Central, 2017-01-05) Tannor, Elliot K.; Archer, Elize; Kapembwa, Kenneth; Van Schalkwyk, Susan C.; Davids, M. Razeen
    Background: The increasing prevalence of treated end-stage renal disease and low transplant rates in Africa leads to longer durations on dialysis. Dialysis should not only be aimed at prolonging lives but also improve quality of life (QOL). Using mixed methods, we investigated the QOL of patients on chronic haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. All the PD patients were being treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The KDQOL-SF 1.3 questionnaire was used for the quantitative phase of the study. Thereafter, focus-group interviews were conducted by an experienced facilitator in groups of HD and PD patients. Electronic recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed manually to identify emerging themes. Results: A total of 106 patients completed questionnaires and 36 of them participated in the focus group interviews. There was no difference between PD and HD patients in the overall KDQOL-SF scores. PD patients scored lower with regard to symptoms (P = 0.005), energy/fatigue (P = 0.025) and sleep (P = 0.023) but scored higher for work status (P = 0.005) and dialysis staff encouragement (P = 0.019) than those on HD. Symptoms and complications were verbalised more in the PD patients, with fear of peritonitis keeping some housebound. PD patients were more limited by their treatment modality which impacted on body image, sexual function and social interaction but there were less dietary and occupational limitations. Patients on each modality acknowledged the support received from family and dialysis staff but highlighted the lack of support from government. PD patients had little opportunity for interaction with one another and therefore enjoyed less support from fellow patients. Conclusions: PD patients experienced a heavier symptom burden and greater limitations related to their dialysis modality, especially with regards to social functioning. The mixed-methods approach helped to identify several issues affecting quality of life which are amenable to intervention.