African Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

Use of Collective Expertise as a Tool to Reinforce Food Safety Management in Africa

The Erasmus+ project (2017-2020) entitled Societal Challenges and Governance of African Universities: the case of ALIments in Morocco, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal (DAfrAli) seeks to strengthen the governance capacity of African Higher Education Institutions to mobilize their resources in order to respond to major societal challenges in relation to external stakeholders. A work package consisted of organizing three workshops to use Collective Expertise as a tool for the identification of societal risks, in the area of food safety. These three workshops were conducted in Morocco, in Senegal and in Democratic Republic of Congo. The exercise was performed by country academics with the contribution of the European project partners. 
 
 Collective Expertise gave results that demonstrated that, with a careful and diversified selection of experts, this methodology can have a deep importance to list the food hazards in a country. The results obtained can induce changes in university curricula, showed the social impacts of food safety, unveiled research needs and training needs for different agents in the food sector and above all the impact in food policy in a country. The collective expertise approach of the determination of hazards also permitted to discuss possible organization models for food risk management in the 3 countries.

Mission studies at South African higher education institutions: An ethical and decolonial perspective in the quest to ‘colour’ the discipline

The recent debate on decolonisation calls for all academic disciplines, including missiology modules, at public universities to reflect on its content, curriculum and pedagogies. However, the danger is always that to ‘de-…’ might lead to an exclusivist and essentialist pattern of a person or institution, and an act that does not take all epistemic communities seriously. The author argues in this article that such tendencies would not be conducive in South Africa, a country with a rich heritage of various cultures. Epistemologies at public universities should embrace all cultures in order to be relevant and transformative. The article oscillates between essentialism in social, racial identities and non-essentialism thereof – primarily contending for the inclusion and appreciation of all social and cultural identities in South African curriculum and content for higher education, in particular, the cultural tradition and heritage among the so-called ‘coloured’ communities. The article reassesses the contributions of theologians towards racial and ethnic identity. The author uses one particular ‘racial identity’ as a case study for racial essentialism and to argue for an inclusive approach in mission education. The article conclusively argues for the re-imagination and inclusion of ‘coloured’ as an African identity in the discipline of missiology.

Bridging Africa's Skills 4:0 Gap: Repositioning Learning, Teaching, and Research of Skills in Higher Education Institutions

The fourth industrial revolution is changing the kind of skills suitable for employment. However, there is scarce research on the implications of the fourth industrial revolution on African higher education institutions regarding skills, teaching and research. Therefore, this study investigated the critical skills that are required for employment, how the skills are taught and lastly, how they are researched. A qualitative research study was conducted with various educational and business practitioners to provide insights on the subject of inquiry. The findings suggest that in addition to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Management) and SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics and Social including digital literacy), Meta skills consisting of managing/leading self, social intelligence, complex problem solving and contextual intelligence skills were found to be important for employment. Amongst many teaching methodologies, blended and experiential designs were found to have influence on translation of education into key skills. Finally, transdisciplinary and innovative applied research will advance research on skills. This study suggests implications for scholars, higher education institutions, practitioners and government.

Sustainability in African higher education institutions (HEIs)

PurposeResearch on sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs) is unequally distributed globally. The existing publications on sustainability in HEIs have largely focussed on the Global North. Meanwhile, little is known about the state of sustainability in HEIs located in the Global South, and within African HEIs in particular. This study aims to fill this gap and investigates the status of sustainability activities in participating African HEIs.Design/methodology/approachA Delphi study involving 32 experts from 16 African countries and a total of 29 HEIs was conducted between December 2017 and May 2018. Experts were asked to share their insights on sustainability and Africanisation through an online questionnaire in two rounds.FindingsAlthough 30 of the 32 participants agreed with the provided definitions of sustainability and sustainable development (two participants did not answer), 11 of the participants commented that important issues such as governance and culture were missing. This trend indicates that the sustainability discussion is still led from a western vantage point. Nevertheless, Africanisation plays a role in around two-thirds of participating HEIs’ sustainability activities, with the language factor representing the most pressing issue.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study provide valuable insights into the current state of sustainability activities and Africanisation of participating African HEIs, and the importance of language and culture in this process.Originality/valueThis study is one of few works that have investigated the state of sustainability activities in African HEIs. Furthermore, it adopts a positive stance on sustainability in Africa, rather than focussing on negative circumstances.

Hopes, Challenges and Goals—Voices of First-Year At-Risk Higher Education Students in South Africa

ABSTRACT South African (SA) first-year university students are especially at risk due to poor performance, high dropout and student protest marches. They face challenges of academic performance, retention and decreased throughput rates. While some students overcome their challenges and risks to succeed into their second year of study, some fall prey to their challenges. These students become “at risk” of not succeeding into their second year of study. For student support strategies to work, listening to student voices may be necessary. The academic voices of students, especially those of first-year at-risk students should be heard by educators, society and policy makers. The study research question was: what do at-risk first-year students perceive to be their hopes, challenges and goals of their learning at a South African higher education institution? An open-ended survey questionnaire was administered to a purposive sample (n = 64) to capture student narrative perceptions. Thematic analysis explored three themes with subthemes. Subthemes of theme 1, student hopes, are to gain knowledge, understanding and motivation. Theme 2, student challenges, revealed subthemes of a lack of understanding, keeping pace with lecturers, rowdy classrooms and time management. Theme 3, student goals, produced one subtheme: to pass their modules. The study contributes theoretically by adding to the body of knowledge on first-year at-risk student perceptions. Practically, the findings offer educators, business, government and society insight into student academic, social and personal voices. Further research on first-year at-risk student voices in Africa is recommended.

Quality Assurance of Community Engagement in South African Higher Education Institutions: Problems and Prospects

ABSTRACT The quality assurance of community engagement was flagged as a major problem during the last cycle of audits of South African Higher Education Institutions (SAHEIs) by the Higher Education Quality Committee. Through the implementation of critical literature review methodology and comparing similarities and differences among SAHEIs in their reporting of their attempts at benchmarking, this article will present concrete proposals for a pathway to effective benchmarking of community engagement at SAHEIs. SAHEIs have looked at conceptual models to enable high-quality community engagement, but effective measuring tools have eluded their efforts. Through evaluating the critiques and recommendations of the Higher Education Quality Committee at all SAHEIs regarding community engagement as well as the responses thereto, this article will discuss the obstacles to developing quality assurance of community engagement and the prospects for overcoming them. Insights into key elements required in the benchmarking of community engagement will be drawn from the history of community engagement at SAHEIs from apartheid to democracy.

Enthusiastic Academic and Support Service Staff as an Agent for Change: A Case Study Based on a Project in African Higher Education Institutes

The aim of this case study was to evaluate whether there had been educational changes and if so, in which phases of implementation and institutionalization in three African higher education institutions. The changes were evaluated from the point‑of‑view of trainees in the field of e‑learning and library services during the project conducted in 2013‑2015. Written texts and visual material were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The enthusiasm and mutual pedagogical understanding of the academic and support service staff were the key factors promoting the changes in the integration of e‑learning and modern library services into everyday practices in these higher education institutions. The provision of suitable training and pedagogic skills to the academics and the support service staff made it possible dovetail these concepts to suit their home institution and provide them with a common language and value base that supported student learning.

An Expanded Understanding of Art as an Agent of Change in Higher Education

South African higher education institutions seek strategies to address belonging and decolonization. The student protest movement across South African university campuses during 2015–2016 further underlined this fact. We explored the capacity of interactive artworks to address belonging and active citizenship, both prioritized by university management. Art, in this sense, facilitates out-of-classroom education to aid the institutional decolonial vision of a university entrenched in colonial history and apartheid. Furthermore, the protests challenged the slow pace of institutional change at South African universities. This article examines responses to an interactive artwork placed on the Stellenbosch University campus. Our elastic understanding of art and education deviates from traditional art history and acts as a critical public intervention that aimed to stimulate conversation about belonging at Stellenbosch University. The employed research methods are informed by the decolonial framework which engages a crucial attentiveness of the power issues embedded in knowledge production, validation and dissemination. An interactive public artwork, titled “We Belong Here”, was placed on the main campus of Stellenbosch University in South Africa. We invited students on campus to make visual statements related to topics such as community, apathy, legacy, honour, protest, ethical conduct and creativity. Qualitative data was gathered from individual and group interviews with students, lecturers and staff members who were most likely to have encountered the artwork. Theories on critical citizenship education, and art education informed the research and discussion. The data suggests that art education in the expanded field has the potential to aid higher education institutions in bringing about personal and intellectual growth. Both accepting and dismissive opinions were raised by participants and welcomed by the researcher. Viewing their voice among many, led some to a sense of belonging in the university community, and their interaction led them to converse with others on the topic of citizenship. There was also criticism to the artwork text written in English, and concern that such a work could not create any relevant impact. Although the parameters of the artwork is limited within the field, the student protest movement was a forceful reminder of urgent matters in higher education and a reason to continue enquiry and interventions to decolonialize education.

Students’ reflections on assessment and feedback practices at a South African higher education institution

Students’ reflections on assessment and feedback practices at a South African higher education institution

Critical success factors for the effective implementation of e-learning in South African higher education institutions

Critical success factors for the effective implementation of e-learning in South African higher education institutions

Mobility, Gender and Career Development in Higher Education: Results of a Multi-Country Survey of African Academic Scientists

Empirical knowledge of the mobility of African scientists, and women scientists in particular, holds an important key to achieving future success in the science systems of the continent. In this article, we report on an analysis of a subset of data from a multi-country survey, in order to address a lack of evidence on the geographic mobility of academic scientists in Africa, and how it relates to gender and career development. First, we compared women and men from 41 African countries in terms of their educational and work-related mobility, as well as their intention to be mobile. We further investigated these gendered patterns of mobility in terms domestic responsibilities, as well as the career-related variables of research output, international collaboration, and receipt of funding. Our focus then narrowed to only those women scientists who had recently been mobile, to provide insights on the benefits mobility offered them. The results are interpreted within a theoretical framework centered on patriarchy. Our findings lead us to challenge some conventional wisdoms, as well as recommend priorities for future research aimed at understanding, both theoretically and empirically, the mobility of women in the science systems of Africa, and the role it may play in their development as academic leaders in African higher education institutions.

The effect of an outdoor adventure programme with selected team-building and cultural activities on the personal effectiveness of students

Students often find it difficult to adjust during the transition from high school to higher education institutions (HEIs). Less than 15% of the students enrolled in South African HEIs actually graduate, and numerous factors affect the success of students at HEIs. However, evidence suggests that outdoor adventure education (OAE) with experiential group-based activities can promote meaningful learning, retention, academic achievement, social support and self-esteem in students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an outdoor adventure programme with selected team-building and indigenous cultural activities on the personal effectiveness of students at a South African HEI in Gauteng Province. On arrival (pre-test) at and on completion (post-test) of a 2-day camp, the Review of Personal Effectiveness with Locus of Control (ROPELOC) instrument was employed to collect quantitative data from a cohort of multicultural university students (n=120). The findings revealed an increase in the overall effectiveness of students. Follow-up interventions are recommended to ensure its sustainability and retention.Keywords: Team building, personal effectiveness, outdoor adventure education.

Relationship between transformtion and institutional culture

Transformation of higher education (HE) is presently a buzzword in the higher education globally and in South Africa. Government policy has suggested a system of higher education relevant to the new South Africa. Since 1994 elections not enough transformation took place in South Africa. This was affirmed by violent student protests two years ago at universities sparked by fees’ hikes. In South Africa, institutional transformation and institutional culture have been approached as different phenomena, and recently it was demonstrated that the one cannot exist without the other. The turmoil at South African HE institutions in 2015 and early 2016 highlighted the issues of institutional transformation and institutional culture. The student protests were linked to lack of transformation and an institutional culture that alienates black students. This article explores the concepts of transformation and institutional culture, in the context of HE institutions. I conclude that these concepts are intertwined, therefore we cannot have a completely transformed HE in South Africa until the institutional culture also changes.

Integrating African Traditional Health Knowledge and Practices into Health Sciences Curricula in Higher Education: An Imbizo Approach

Traditional health knowledge and practices remain the primary source of health services for most African communities. Despite this, the training of health professionals in South African higher education institutions remains underpinned on paradigms based on Western medicine, adversely perpetuating health disparities and widening the gap between health professionals and African health service users. This research describes the views of African traditional knowledge holders, traditional health practitioners, health sciences academics, and nursing students on how African traditional health knowledge and practices can be integrated into health sciences curricula. In this qualitative study, we purposively selected a panel of experts as participants and collected data via a discussion forum. Ideas that stood out from the discussions include the nature of transformation as starting from within, barriers to the co-existence of African and biomedical health systems, and strategies to facilitate integration. This venture has revealed that the successful integration of African traditional health knowledge and practices into existing nursing curricula will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders in order to transform and recognise the value of African traditional medicine. Lessons learnt from adopting an imbizo approach for discussions include improved collaboration and the levelling of power differentials. We recommend that more studies on decolonisation within the African context adopt this methodology to ascertain and strengthen its viability.

“What can I offer America?” A postcolonial analysis of faculty motivations and perceptions in North-South university partnerships

International university partnerships are a prevalent internationalization strategy for both North American and African higher education institutions, yet the predominance of discourses that reflect the inequities of the global knowledge economy among participants perpetuate the very challenges that they are designed to address. Using a postcolonial framework, this study provides a critical analysis of qualitative interviews conducted with faculty members from one West African and one U.S. university participating in an international higher education partnership. The paper examines the motivations and perceived benefits of the partnership among participants at both institutions. It argues that the history of inequitable relationships perpetuated by globalization continues to shape understandings and pose challenges to achieving mutuality in North-South university partnerships. Findings show, for both institutions, motivations for partnership participation are based on the expectations and anticipated benefits to their institution as well as an alignment with the individual’s personal goals and objectives. Furthermore, perceptions of power imbalances between participants at the two institutions are evident. Despite the partnership’s intent for mutuality and reciprocity, the narratives of both West African and U.S. participants reinforce inequitable hierarchies. However, they also highlight opportunities for working toward greater mutuality and intercultural learning through North-South partnerships. Recommendations for cultivating reciprocity in North-South university partnerships are provided.

Impression management within the recruitment interview: Narratives of employees at a South African higher education institution

Orientation: Job interviews remain a popular platform on which organisations source talent. Interviewees seek to make an impression in interviews to influence the decision to be hired.Research purpose: The study explores why and how impression management manifests within the recruitment interview setting.Motivation for the study: Calls exist within the local and international literature for studies that explore the concept of impression management further as a basis to improve activities such as recruitment and selection.Research approach, design/method: An interpretivist research paradigm using the qualitative approach and the exploratory research design was utilised. In-depth interviews with 20 employees at a South African higher education institution were conducted. Narrative analysis formed the basis of the data analysis by adopting the three levels of the meaning-making approach used in previous studies.Main findings: Two major narratives emerged. Firstly, when exploring why impression management occurs in the recruitment interview, the strategising behaviour was identified. Secondly, when exploring how impression management occurs in the recruitment interview, the switching behaviour was identified.Practical/managerial implications: The study provides information that organisational strategists and recruiters can use to enhance not only the recruitment process but also the decisions informed by such processes.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in an area of study that has received scant empirical focus locally and internationally. This can be a catalyst for future research on impression management.

The university is not your home: lived experiences of a Black woman in academia

Entering academia as the youngest academic in my department, I encountered my blackness in ways that mirrored my days as a university student. Joining a university department with few Black1academics was psychologically scarring. One of those scars had been constantly wondering whether my employment had been to fulfil demographic obligations or rightfully based on merit and suitability for the job. This evoked a recollection of past experiences: my experiences as a Black student in classes with very few Black bodies to engage with and/or look up to. The burden of constantly needing to prove my worth and intellectual capability became an artificial barrier to belonging in those spaces. Reflecting on transformation in South African Institutions of Higher Education, I utilise an autoethnographic method to reveal my experiences of (un)belonging and exclusions in academia as a way of revealing the psychological cost of being a ‘body out of place’.

Exploring the causal relationship between the antecedents and consequences of talent management for early career academics in South African higher education institutions

Orientation: South African public higher education institutions (HEIs) are facing significant challenges to attract and retain quality early career academics. Therefore, the need exists to explore the potential antecedents and consequences of effective talent management practices for early career academics.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the causal relationship between the antecedents (i.e. talent attraction; management support) and consequences (organisational commitment; intention to quit) for early career academics employed in selected South African public HEIs.Motivation for the study: Research using a holistic approach for the effective talent management of early career academics is lacking.Research approach/design and method: Quantitative data were gathered by administering a Talent Attraction Tool, a Talent Development Measure, a Talent Retention Diagnostic Tool and the Organisational Commitment Measure, using a sample of early career academics in public South African HEIs (N = 117).Main findings: The results showed that management support, talent development, compensation and recognition, and satisfaction with institutional practices significantly enhances the organisational commitment of early career academics and reduces their turnover intentions.Practical/managerial implications: The results highlight the importance of management support in enhancing the effective application of talent management practices among early career academics. Higher education managers are encouraged to implement talent development opportunities and adequate compensation and recognition practices to retain early career academics.Contribution/value-add: The research provides useful information on how talent management practices can be effectively applied to enhance the commitment and retention of early career academics.

A Sociological Framework for Understanding the Participation of African Higher Education Institutions in Transnational Education

Transnational Education (TNE) has potential for expanding access to higher education in Africa, which has chronic high rates of unmet demand for access. Paradoxically, African higher education institutions (HEIs) have the least participation in TNE. There is a dearth of systematic understanding of the factors that influence the participation of African HEIs in TNE and the impacts of their participation at both institutional and societal levels. This article proposes a sociological framework for investigating the factors that enable or hinder the participation of African higher HEIs in TNE, and the impacts of their participation on the institutions themselves and their respective countries. The framework is constructed with societal and organizational factors disparately identified through a purposive review of the literature.

Afro-communitarianism and affirmative action in South Africa: A response to David Benatar

In a 2008 article “Justice, Diversity and Racial Preference: a Critique of Affirmative Action”, published in the South African Law Journal, David Benatar argues that affirmative action in South African higher education institutions cannot be justified. In response to this argument and the views expressed in his article, I show that his conclusions depend on an individualistic, decontextualised, and dehistoricised conception of the person. I argue that if we take an Afro-communitarian understanding of the person as our starting point, Benatar's arguments fail. An upshot of my argument is that affirmative action emerges as a useful and critical measure of restorative justice in the South African context.