Research Report - Research Articles

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Browsing Research Report - Research Articles by Subject "Opvoedkunde"

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    Hoër onderwys as navorsings- en studiegebied in Suid-Afrika: 'n Historiese en tematiese perspektief
    (South African Academy for Science and Arts, P.O. Box 538, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa, Tel: 021 328 5082 Fax: 012 328 5091, 2012-09) Wilkinson, Annette; Bitzer, Eli
    This contribution addresses three issues concerning higher education as a field of study and research in South Africa. It starts off by tracing a number of moments in the historical development of higher education studies and research in South Africa – particularly in the period prior to the 1994 transition of political power. Next, the question of what the field of higher education studies and research entails internationally, is explored. The thematic categorisation of Malcolm Tight from the United Kingdom is used to determine international publication trends as derived from his analysis of 406 articles in 17 selective academic journals for the period 2002 – 2003. Tight identified eight major categories or clusters of publications in the field of higher education research. These were: (1) Teaching and learning in higher education; (2) Curriculum planning and design; (3) Student learning experiences; (4) Quality in higher education; (5) Systems and policies in higher education; (6) Institutional management; (7) Academics and academic work; (8) Knowledge and the nature of knowledge in higher education. For the South African position, three different analyses of studies and articles on higher education were explored. The first included an analysis by Muller (1998), who analysed 371 titles of research projects as well as master’s and doctoral titles that were registered on the Nexus database of the National Research Foundation for the period 1993 – 1997. A second analysis, by Uys and Frick (2009), comprised the abstracts of 1237 articles which were published in the South African Journal of Higher Education in the period 1987 – 2007. Although not directly comparable to Muller’s, this analysis indicated similar as well as different clusters of research undertaken. A third analysis, by Wilkinson and Van Jaarsveldt (2009), comprised 159 articles published by the South African Journal of Higher Education between 2006 and 2007 as one section of their research. The other section looked at 382 titles of master’s and doctoral theses as registered on the database of the National Research Foundation for the period 2006 – 2007. From a comparison between the international analysis by Tight on the one hand and the three South African analyses on the other, it was concluded that while the Tight mapping was largely confirmed by the South African anlyses, two further local themes have emerged and another seems to be evolving. The new themes are (9) Transformation in/of higher education and (10) Higher Education and community involvement. A theme that seems to be evolving, is research on the role and use of electronic information and communication systems in higher education, while research on quality issues in higher education seems to be on the downturn or, at least, not growing. Finally, the authors have highlighted a number of issues for possible future exploration in order to extend and promote higher education as a field of research and studies in South Africa. These include the continuing and pressing question of student access to higher education, the relationship of higher education to other levels of post-school education and the effects of the economic downturn worldwide on higher education institutions and systems. It is also suggested that a more accurate and continuous mapping of the field can assist policy makers, study leaders and postgraduate students in making more informed choices on selecting and funding research priorities and topics in the field of higher education studies and research.
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    Die stand van kurrikulumstudie binne opvoedkundefakulteite aan Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite / The state of curriculum studies in faculties of education at South African universities
    (South African Academy for Science and Arts, P.O. Box 538, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa, Tel: 021 328 5082 Fax: 012 328 5091, 2012) Carl, Arend
    When educational issues are highlighted in the South African context, it is clear many of the problems are curriculum related. A reflection on and investigation into these issues is often required as many of these issues are contextualised within a certain practice. Within each curriculum context there will be curriculum practitioners with varying levels of expertise. South Africa has gone through a number of curriculum changes over the last years, for example a completely new school curriculum with its own implementation challenges, teachers who were not properly prepared to implement these changes, little involvement of teachers who should be the key curriculum change agents and a shortage of curriculum specialists. If a curriculum is to succeed and meet its goals, then key roleplayers, such as teachers and other curriculum specialists need to be enabled to engage critically with the curriculum. Teachers therefore need to be properly prepared with regard to curriculum studies to enable them to ask critical questions, to reflect critically on the curriculum they have to implement and to become creatively involved in curriculum development as curriculum inquirers. Barrow (1984:13) is of the opinion that it is curriculum theory which will determine and set standards for effective curriculum practices. Are teachers in South Africa able to do this as it requires high levels of theorising? Teachers as key curriculum agents, need to have a sound understanding of curriculum studies and the question arises as to who is responsible to provide opportunities to achieve this goal? In this regard, teacher training institutions have a most important role to play. What is meant by a South African curriculum studies? What is the current state of curriculum studies as an independent study field in faculties of education at South African universities? How has the field of curriculum studies developed in South Africa? To what extent is curriculum theory included in teacher training programmes? To what extent are teachers exposed to and trained in curriculum theory? Is curriculum studies an independent field of study in its own right within teacher training programmes at faculties of education at South African universities. This article reports on an investigation which was done to find answers to some of these questions and to try and get a view of what the state of curriculum studies is in teachers training programmes in faculties of education at South African universities. Curriculum studies is a field of study in its own right which investigates the phenomenon of curriculum so that the curriculum can be optimally developed and implemented. It is a well-established research field1 which needs to be continually investigated in order to understand curriculum better. Very little research has been done in South Africa on curriculum theory and how it is accommodated in teacher training programmes at South African universities. Curriculum studies is often seen as a very broad and complex field and it is difficult to encapsulate its meaning in one definition. It is a field of studies in its own right as it has its own set of theoretical constructs and principles which guide it, based on a sound curriculum knowledge and appropriate competences.2 Curriculum studies continually generates new knowledge as it is a dynamic field of study. It has its own theoreticians and practitioners, a fact which ensures that it qualifies as an independent field of study in its own right (See Oliva 1988:17-18; Kelly 2009:6). Ornstein and Hunkins (2009:31-177) describe certain foundations which justify curriculum studies as an independent field of study, namely philosophical (pp31-58), historical (pp 1070145) and social foundations (pp 149-177). Their viewpoint is representative of the literature of why curriculum studies is an independent field of studies, when they state ... curriculum as a field of study is crucial to the health of schools and society. … there is no denying that curriculum affects educators, students, and other members of society. The field of curriculum is not intended to provide precise answers but to increase our understanding of its complexities. Curriculum results from social activity. Curriculum is a dynamic field! A research project was undertaken in 2010–2011 to make an in-depth investigation into the state of curriculum studies as a field of studies in faculties of education at South African universities. Questions such as: What is meant when we talk about a South African curriculum studies? Is there such a phenomenon as a typical South African curriculum studies? How has curriculum studies developed in South Africa? To what extent is curriculum studies being practised as an independent field of studies in faculties of education where teachers are trained? What is the current nature and state of curriculum theory at faculties of education at South African universities? To what extent are teachers enabled through teacher training programmes to function as true curriculum agents who are able to think critically about and conceptualise the curriculum? To answer these questions, a research project was launched, by doing a literature study, a research questionnaire and semi-structured interviews during a visit to these institutions. Results indicated that curriculum studies as a field of study does not come into its own right in most of the teacher training programmes, especially in the undergraduate programmes. There are a few exceptions, but the view that curriculum studies is the process of preparing student teachers to be able to teach their school subject, in other words, a stronger focus on the practical aspects and not curriculum theory, is prevalent. There is thus a stronger focus on the practical aspects of curriculum. The conceptualisation of curriculum studies as a field of study is present but only in the minority of faculties of education. At most of the institutions which participated in this reseach project little curriculum theory is done at an in-depth level. There is also no evidence that there is a unique South African curriculum studies as the views and practices are too diverse and fragmented. Aspects of curriculum studies are presented, for example, as separate themes within modules, sometimes as separate modules (mostly as the teaching of a school subject) and in a few cases, as separate programmes at Masters level. It is recommended that a national discourse be promoted to enable all roleplayers to participate in the debate om how curriculum studies can be developed more extensively. Faculties of education should collaborate in creating opportunities which may contribute towards enhancing the field of curriculum studies, e.g. through the formation of a national forum. Curriculum studies and the issue of curriculum theory should be core components of all teacher training programmes so that all teachers are empowered in the field of curriculum studies. It is clear that a great amount of developmental work still has to be done to enhance the field of curriculum studies and to sensitise all involved in teacher training of the importance of being knowledgeable and competent in the field of curriculum studies.