A South African University Funding Model and its Contribution to Transformation Agenda

Several studies have focused attention on the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning activities across the globe. There is, however, little research regarding the platformisation of education with the aid of the learning management systems (LMSs) in the contexts of South African universities. With a thematic content analysis of the extant literature and a systematic review of universities’ websites, this study explored and unearthed various LMS platforms which public universities in South Africa adopted and utilized before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the lockdown period. The findings revealed that the majority (46%) of South Africa’s public universities used the Blackboard LMS while another 34 percent of the 26 universities used the Moodle LMS. The rest of the public universities in South Africa used one of the following LMS platforms: the Vula, Efundi, ClickUp, RUConnected, Sakai, SunLearn, Canvas, and D2LBrightspace. Furthermore, the study found that a few South African universities had moved from one LMS platform to another, especially during the period of lockdown precipitated by the pandemic; beginning from the year 2020. The LMS platforms serve the pedagogical needs of the universities in terms of facilitation of online interaction between instructors and students, dissemination of course materials, announcements, submissions, assessments, and grading of student assignments electronically. It is recommended that future studies should investigate the challenging factors responsible for the switch from one LMS platform to another across the public universities in South Africa.

PurposeThis paper uses co-ownership as a proxy for determining the extent of collaboration on LibGuides in public universities in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study that uses webometrics techniques to establish collaboration on LibGuides among librarians in public universities in South Africa. The LibGuide pages of all public universities in the country are visited. Co-ownership of those LibGuides is established by going through the list of co-owners usually situated on the right-hand side menu bar. The data are divided into 16 Excel spreadsheets, each representing a South African public university with LibGuides.FindingsThe results show that only 8.1 per cent or 95 of 1,166 LibGuides are co-owned, whereas in 9.4 per cent (109 of 1,166) of LibGuides, the ownership reverts to the host library, as there are no authors indicated. Only 34 of 95 or 35.8 per cent of co-owned LibGuides are cross-campus or inter-campus collaborations suggesting that there is very little cross-pollination of ideas between different campuses of the same universities in South Africa.Research limitations/implicationsThis study will lead to a better understanding of the extent of collaboration between librarians in Africa, generally, but specifically in South Africa. In addition, it poses a challenge to library managers to develop strategies that promote and nurture a culture of collaboration between and among librarians to avoid unnecessary duplication. The recommendations of this study can be used to improve collaboration between and among librarians. The biggest limitation of this study is that it did not look into the attitudes, constraints and impediments of collaboration between and among librarians. This area, however, is recommended for further research.Practical implicationsThe implication of these results is that there is a duplication of LibGuides, effort and time across different campuses of the same universities, as some universities have a number of LibGuides on the same subject areas across the institutions. There is very little cross-pollination of ideas between various universities as reflected by a lack of inter-university LibGuides in the country.Social implicationsDuplication of LibGuides does not assist the users as it only adds to the information overload rather than assisting them by streamlining the information.Originality/valueThis study may well be the first study of its nature in the world. It is the view of the authors that this study will not only close the gap in the literature on LibGuides but also explain the use of Web 2.0 tools in libraries in developing countries as collaboration tools. It will add another perspective to the discourse about the collaboration in library and information science generally. This paper may lead to further research on the collaboration efforts of practising librarians.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine data literacy (DL) training needs of researchers at South African public universities. The outcome of this study would assist librarians and researchers in developing a DL training programme which addressed identified needs. Design/methodology/approach A survey research method was used to gather data from researchers at these universities by convenience. Online questionnaires were distributed to public universities through library directors for further distribution to researchers. Findings The results indicate low levels of DL training at the respondent South African public universities with most researchers indicating that they had not received any formal training on DL. A few researchers indicated that they would welcome DL training. Research limitations/implications This study was exploratory in nature and data was received from eight universities, which is not representative of all the 26 public universities in South Africa. Nonetheless, the low DL confirmed by the majority in the realised sample is indicative of the need to further investigate the subject. Practical implications Librarians and research support personnel should collaborate on the development of DL training courses, workshops and materials used by researchers at institutions of higher learning to enhance DLs on campus. Originality/value This study may be novel in South Africa in investigating the DL training needs of researchers at several universities and contributes to the growing body of literature on research data management

South Africa, like the rest of Southern Africa, is ravaged by AIDS. Higher education in South Africa has a significant role to play in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS. This article reports the factors contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS in three selected public universities in South Africa. To achieve the stated aim, the study answered the following research question: What are the factors contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS in South African public universities? The problem in this study stems from South Africa's HIV and AIDS infection rate, one of the highest in the world, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting focus group interviews with the students. The data were analysed using axial coding and open coding, where dominant themes from the discussions were identified and discussed in detail. The findings show that barriers to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment exist in the tertiary institutions under study. Social and economic interventions are needed to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS at tertiary institutions. A range of recommendations for halting the spread of HIV and AIDS in these institutions is provided.

Using a second-stage Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) model, this paper seeks to determine the drivers of efficiency for 23 public universities in South Africa for the period 2009-2016 with special attention given to the funding–efficiency nexus. Our Tobit results indicate that quality of staff, government funding, student fees, private income, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita are positive factors of efficiency, while the proportion of non-white to white staff was found as the determinant of inefficiency. It was concluded that adequate funding and proper management of income by the universities, economic growth and employment of high educated academic staff can increase efficiency levels of the public universities in South Africa. On the other hand, an increase of non-white to white staff in the South African public universities is a threat to the universities’ efficiency. It is, therefore, vital to allocate adequate funding for universities to improve their efficiency.

The History, Deployment, and Future of Institutional Repositories in Public Universities in South Africa

Purpose: All institutions of higher learning including public universities in South Africa must participate in green programmes in order to be considered socially responsible. This requires a better understanding of the green environment and green initiatives. Hence, the primary objective is to identify and investigate the existing green initiatives implemented at South African universities. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study investigated five key green initiatives: 1) Renewable energy generation and consumption. 2) Water-saving technology and consumption. 3) Waste management. 4) Sustainable buildings. 5) Personnel training and awareness creation. A five-point Likert scale collected data across 18 criteria measuring the five green initiatives. University managers completed and returned 149 questionnaires but only 144 were usable. Findings: The data has marginal reliability (α=0.412), acceptable sample adequacy (KMO=0.531) and significance at the 95% confidence level (p≤0.05). The results show that universities implement 20-25% of their green initiatives. The exploratory factor analysis identified seven factors explaining a cumulative variance of 56.14%. They are: 1) Recovering natural resources and recycling. 2) Supportive infrastructure. 3) Reallocation of resources. 4) Conservation of natural resources. 5) Leadership involvement and improved communication. 6) Improved technology.7) Efficient use of financial resources. Conclusion: This research contributes to the "going green at universities" of knowledge in South Africa. It is valuable to students, researchers, communities and the department of education in their pursuit to implement green initiatives at universities.

How should the academy teach the Bible? I noted two challenges to this endeavour. Firstly, the Bible has been used as superstructure to justify and to solidify colonialism and apartheid in South Africa which resulted in people to mistrust the way the Western missionaries interpreted the Bible. It also gave birth to the inception of African Independent Churches (AIC) and an urgent need to reinterpret the Bible from the experiences of Africans. However, the initial question remains how the academy should teach the Bible. The complexity of this question is that despite the Bible’s association with a colonial legacy, the ordinary people did not stop reading the Bible and to make meaning of their lives from it. This study justifies the place of the Bible in public universities in South Africa and proposes ways the academy should teach the Bible. This study suggests a two-pronged approach to Biblical Studies at public universities. Firstly, the academy should critically engage the ideological presupposition underlying the theories used in the academy. Secondly, the academy must be open to the fact that the Bible is part of popular culture; hence, the academy should critically reflect how the Bible is used in public space. Therefore my hypothesis is that the academy should further focus on critiquing ideological inclinations that underline established truths in addition to focusing on the historical meaning of the Bible and establishing contextual similarities. Teaching the Bible should focus on analysing cultural, political and economic ideological truths that find support from the Bible. I propose that this line of thought is possible through cultural studies and/or interdisciplinary methods.

CITATION: Nkohla, T. V., et al. 2021. A non-parametric assessment of efficiency of South African public universities. South African Journal of Higher Education, 35(2):158-187, doi:10.20853/35-2-3950.

The status of theological education is declining in public universities in Africa. This article focused on the decline of theology in South African public universities. The article attempted to assess the attempts to restore the status of theology through pluralist, ecumenical, scientific interdisciplinary and humanist approaches. It argued that these approaches are not likely to save theology in public universities but will create a vacuum to be filled by unregistered and substandard theological institutions. These substandard theological institutions have confessional approaches that fill the gap created by secularist approaches adopted by public universities. The public universities are challenged to realise the uniqueness of theology from other disciples and its importance in preventing the mile-long but inch-deep church in South Africa. This article contributes to the saving of theology in public universities by challenging churches to actively seek ways of influencing theological education in public universities because they, the churches, are the primary beneficiaries of theology education. Keywords: Theology, Education, Pluralist, Interdisciplinary, Humanist, Confessional

The HIV/AIDS infection rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world. The article reports on the study that sought to determine the supportive role played by South African public universities in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS. The diffusion of innovation theory underpinned this study. A qualitative approach was adopted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with universities’ clinic staff and/or HIV/AIDS staff and those involved in the formulation of the HIV/AIDS policies and implementation. Though all 23 public universities in South Africa were included in the study, only 15 participated. Data were analysed using open coding and thematic categorisation. The findings show that some South African public universities are already playing a significant role in educating their communities and should continue with their interventions. Results also show that owing to financial and structural constraints, some universities have not fulfilled the Department of Higher Education and Training’s mandate. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n13p727

In most historical research works, conventional sources are used. In most cases these are primary sources (eg, professionally obtained archaeological material, rock art, archival records and oral evidence) and original documents (eg, newspapers, reports and diaries), as well as secondary sources (eg, books, journal articles, theses, etc). There is consensus among historical scholars that alternative sources, such as old objects, and artefacts (eg, machinery, wagons, epitaphs, etc), are not always used adequately in research as compared to conventional sources. Researchers point out that rich sources, including alternative sources, enhance the quality of the research outcome. This study investigated the use of alternative sources by master’s and doctoral scholars in historical research at public universities in South Africa in order to compare the use thereof with the use of conventional sources. The study used a non-reactive research method, that is, content analysis of 93 selected master’s and doctoral historical research works from public universities in South Africa, to investigate the extent to which conventional sources are used at the expense of alternative sources. The study findings revealed that historical researchers preferred using conventional sources to alternative sources, which were used in only four theses. The study concluded that the use of alternative sources can enrich historical research works as well as augmenting conventional sources. A further study to investigate why researchers do not use alternative sources is recommended. In addition to historical research, the study model can be extended to fields of study such as Sociology, Anthropology and Archaeology.

With ever increasing enrolments of students into the public universities and limited funding, assessing the efficiency of universities is vital for effective allocation and utilisation of educational resources. Are higher education institutions in South Africa making the most efficient use of resources made available to them? This study attempts to provide an answer to this question. We apply a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to assess technical efficiency (TE) of 22 public universities in South Africa for the period 2009 to 2013. A university is said to be efficient if it is producing maximum output (number of graduates and publications) from a minimum quantity of inputs (number of staff, students’ enrolments, and expenditure). The results indicates that over the study period the average TE of universities declined from 0.83 to 0.78. Research-intensive universities were more efficient than professional-oriented universities. These results can help key decision makers such as the Commission on Higher Education and universities management in identifying possibilities for improving institutional performance by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and benchmarking with their peers.

Solar photovoltaic deployment acceleration model to advance the sustainability of buildings in public universities in South Africa

A critical gap exists in South African higher education research on postgraduate supervision models. Research emphasis is placed in administrative aspects over the supervision praxis for student throughput. This paper investigates an effective postgraduate supervision model in South Africa to enhance student success. The literature underscores the need for an approach that balances the teaching and the supervising of research. Supervision is a supportive and collaborative journey between the student and the supervisor. However, there are complexities of postgraduate supervision pedagogy that are hardly explored in South Africa - the quality of supervision, time-to-degree, throughput rates, and perceived organisational support. Therefore, inadequate understanding of the elements constitutes supervision relationships issues for masters and doctoral students. Current practice falls short of addressing supervision praxis which necessitated this study to explore a tailored model of supervision. Therefore, how can experiences of masters, doctoral candidates and graduates assist to explain and propose an optimal postgraduate research supervision model that best supports the student success rates in South African universities? As a constructivist designed study, a quantitative digital survey and a snowball sampling method were used targeting masters and doctoral candidates and graduates across private and public universities in South Africa. An online survey was designed and administered using Microsoft Forms to over 500 participants. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted measuring position in percentile rankings. Results elucidate the nature and main feature of postgraduate supervisory relationships in South Africa. We found that a postgraduate research supervision model can be tailored to the South African context, and we contribute to the development of postgraduate supervision model as pedagogical tool related to metacognitive strategies and humanising pedagogy for research supervisors and students.