Showing papers in "Perspectives in Education in 2006"

Racial equity in education : how far has South Africa come? : research article

Abstract: A major task of South Africa's new government in 1994 was to design a more racially equitable education system. This article evaluates progress towards this goal using three concepts of equity: equal treatment by race, equal educational opportunity, and educational adequacy. The authors find that the country moved quickly towards a race-blind system, including race-blind policies for allocating state funds to schools. Progress measured by the other two criteria, however, has been constrained by the legacy of apartheid, including poor facilities and lack of human capacity in schools serving black students, and by policies concerning school fees. The article concludes with some thoughts on the future outlook.

Education Resourcing in Post-Apartheid South Africa: The Impact of Finance Equity Reforms in Public Schooling: Research Article.

Abstract: Through an analysis of recent quantitative data on equity and school funding in South Africa, this article aims to explicate the patterns and typology of inequality in post-apartheid South Africa, and to deepen our understanding of the construct of equity. It also aims to understand the application of equity in the context of public schooling through a disaggregated school-level analysis of a key equity indicator, per capita expenditure. This approach quantifies inequity and progress towards equality, and establishes a broader set of variables and correlates by which to understand school finance equity. It also analyses the impact of private contributions on formal basic schooling. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to the quantification of finance equity and inequity through a better understanding of finance input data analyses that go beyond race-based analyses.

Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa: A Historical Review.

Abstract: Current debates on internationalisation are couched in relation to globalisation, and gives the impression that this phenomenon is new. There is also a tendency to discuss internationalisation in relation to various rationales, with economic rationales being dominant. This article challenges the assumption that internationalisation is something new and the notion that it is mainly driven by economic rationales. It argues that in colonial contexts, international education is as old as the advent of colonialism. In the context of South Africa international education is as old as the emergence of higher education in South Africa. Therefore current discussions on the role of international education as part of, or a response to globalisation, should also incorporate the role of international education in colonial conquest and perpetuation of segregation, failing which, discussions of internationalisation will be superficial and not do justice to the complex, divided and conflict-ridden nature of South African society.

The Politics of Constructing (A Competitive) Europe(an) through Internationalising Higher Education: Strategy, Structures, Subjects.

Abstract: On-Line Papers – Copyright This online paper may be cited or briefly quoted in line with the usual academic conventions, and for personal use. However, this paper must not be published elsewhere (such as mailing lists, bulletin boards etc.) without the author’s explicit permission. If you copy this paper, you must: • include this copyright note. • not use the paper for commercial purposes or gain in any way. • observe the conventions of academic citation in a version of the following: Robertson, Susan L., The Politics of Constructing (a Competitive) Europe(an) Through Internationalising Higher Education: Strategy, Structures, Subjects, published by the Centre for Globalisation, Education and Societies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1JA, UK, available: http://susanleerobertson.com/publications/.

Parental "Choice": The Liberty Principle in Education Finance: New Scholar Section.

Abstract: Despite the promise of equal educational opportunities for all, most public schools in the townships of South Africa have remained poorly funded and thus have become dysfunctional. As a result most poor parents from townships have started to transfer their children to schools with better resources and education facilities in the suburban areas. However, the emerging problem in this transfer is the high school fees imposed by well-resourced public schools in the suburbs. In this essay, I problematise two complex scenarios: On the one hand, township schools are not funded adequately, and on the other, the cost of education in wealthy public schools is too high for poor parents to afford. I argue that the lack of funding in these poor schools and the imposition of high school fees in wealthy schools ought to be contextualised within the broader hegemonic tendencies that continue to marginalise poor people.

Cross-border education : conceptual confusion and data deficits : research article

Abstract: It is no longer just students who are moving across borders to study. Program and institutions / providers are delivering foreign education programs and qualifications to students in their own countries. A whole new world of international academic mobility is opening up. This article looks at the concepts of cross-border, transnational, and borderless education in terms of key and common elements, and proposes a number of typologies to classify the growing diversity of providers and delivery modes. The serious absence of reliable statistical data on the volume, type, destination, impact and trends related to education being delivered across borders is discussed. This article argues that the lack of solid information on program and provider mobility creates an undesirable environment of speculation, confusion and often misinformation. This can have negative consequences in terms of confidence in the quality and dependability of cross-border education provision and it impedes the analysis needed to underpin solid policy and regulatory frameworks.

"At home", institutional culture and higher education : some methodological considerations : research article

Abstract: This article is a methodological scrutiny of the efficacy of the conceptual complex "home-at home", as a heuristic for understanding the nature of institutional culture as it articulates in higher education institutions. The approach adopted brings together a discussion on different conceptions of "home-at home", institutional culture in general, institutional culture and higher education in particular, and their methodological implications. Instead of suggesting a definitive approach I have attempted to draw out the ontological and epistemological ramifications as a way of clearing the conceptual ground. The idea behind this is to proceed while remaining fully mindful of the pitfalls attendant on research of this nature. I have tried to bring a sociological sensibility to bear on thinking through the implications of researching institutional culture, particularly in higher education where the reflex for reifying the university, that is treating it as an "ivory tower", is always proximate.

The Relationship between the Mathematics Identities of Primary School Teachers and New Curriculum Reforms in South Africa. Research Article.

Abstract: Based on life history accounts of two elementary school teachers in South Africa, this article examines the construction of two teachers' mathematics identities. In the article we juxtapose these identities with the identity forms that are envisaged by the policymakers and the mathematics reforms currently underway in the country. Using the data on contradictions between the reformer's visions and the teachers' accounts of their lived experiences and identities, we construct an account of why the goals of reforming mathematics in primary school classrooms in South Africa continue to elude even this latest set of reform proposals. We conclude by exploring some possibilities for bridging the divide in order to transform mathematics teaching and learning in the South African classrooms and elsewhere.

"Academic Drift" in South African Universities of Technology: Beneficial or Detrimental?.

Abstract: This article examines the issue of academic drift with reference to South Africa's former technikons. The shift from technikon to university of technology and the policy issues which surround these changes, have been viewed pejoratively by many commentators and stakeholders in the technikon sector as "academic drift" with several undesirable educational and economic consequences. It is of course too early to determine how history will judge these recent developments.Up until now participants in the academic drift and merger debates have been higher education leaders who have responded in largely defensive ways, viewing "academic drift" pejoratively, and seeking to protect their institutional rung upon the trinary ladder. The analysis in this article will suggest that the recent developments in South Africa, in particular the upgrading of technikons into universities of technology, could constitute a shift to a more enabling educational environment in which the skill needs of the economy and society are more adequately addressed. This will occur only if four limiting conditions facing the universities of technology are addressed.

Undoing the apartheid legacy : pro-poor spending shifts in the South African public school system : research article

Abstract: By using a consolidated dataset of schools derived from a range of administrative systems, it is shown that overall public spending in the schooling system was close to being equal, though it marginally favoured the rich in 2005. A historical comparison reveals that the 2005 public spending pattern was around 17 times more equal than the apartheid pattern that existed in 1991. The concentration index is used for much of the measurement of spending equity. To better understand the overall pattern in 2005, public spending by province and economic category are analysed. Certain economic categories are found to display a pro- poor distribution, whereas others show a pro-rich distribution. These differences are shown to be the result of specific political and labour relations dynamics. Although school fees reduce equity in the total spending pattern, this total pattern is shown to be five times more equitable than the distribution for public spending alone in 1991. It is argued that the fact that school funding is more progressively distributed than either household expenditure or learner performance can bode well for the future.

Theorising service learning in higher education in South Africa : research article

Abstract: Policy on service learning is framed in the discourse of reciprocity, partnership and engagement. It is tasked with transforming higher education to bring about opportunities for integrating theory and practice, work-based learning and academic learning, so that higher education engages with knowledge created in other sites of practice. While policy is visionary, conditions on the ground bring to the fore complex challenges which relate to the nature of partnerships, reciprocity and engagement on the one hand, and the purposes and practices of higher education on the other. This begs the question, "Can service learning deliver on its espoused goals?" In this article we argue that critical education theory provides a lens which researchers and practitioners can use to illuminate the practice of service learning in higher education. We reflect on our own practice of service learning in teacher education to show the way in which critical theory can illuminate and expose imbalances and gaps in the mutuality and partnership promised in policy.

The multilingual radiography classroom and the world of clinical practice : research article

Abstract: Enabling students to access the discourse of their chosen discipline is to open the door to the content knowledge of that discipline. The medium of instruction (MOI) at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is officially English. Consequently, the student primarily experiences English in the classroom. However in experiential practice in the workplace, the student experiences a multilingual work environment. In the health care environment of the Western Cape, the student will experience interchanging use of the regional languages, English, Xhosa or Afrikaans, when communicating with the patients. Students not fluent in the languages used may misunderstand some of the transactions occurring between the supervising member of staff and the patient. Appropriate multilingual translations need to occur between the supervising member of staff, the patients and students. Students experiencing those transactions with the patient may also require more informal terminology to ensure common understanding among all role-players. This article reports on the language and cultural diversity within the student body and the language requirements of the clinical workplace. In the light of these requirements, the article repositions the tertiary healthcare educator's required expertise in terms of language and disciplinary content.

Working partnerships : the challenge of creating mutual benefit for academics and industry : research article

Abstract: Networks and partnerships between higher education institutions and industry have been identified as a primary means of addressing higher education's role in economic development, globally and in South Africa. This article draws on one component of a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) study to provide an empirically based overview of the benefits of partnership as perceived by academics and research managers in South Africa and, more importantly, to consider if it is possible for academics to pursue partnerships in a strategic manner that is mutually beneficial to industry and higher education partners. It is argued that in pursuing new forms of network partnerships in a strategic manner, and by limiting the scale of the old forms of consultancy and contract partnerships (those with potential restrictions), universities are more likely to be able to achieve the kinds of academic, financial and national developmental benefits that they value, rather than being driven primarily by financial imperatives.

FET college teachers : a knowledge-based profession of the future : conversations

Abstract: The publication of the new curriculum and subject guidelines for the National Certificate (Vocational) marks an important development in policy by the Department of Education. To implement this new National Certificate (Vocational), the teaching staff at FET colleges should not only be familiar with the new curriculum and its pedagogic demands, but must also have clarity on the new meaning of the vocational role of colleges. Thus if the new curriculum is to become a reality, systematic attention needs to be given to the professional development of FET college teaching staff. In this article, I examine possible approaches through which FET college lecturers might become members of a knowledge-based profession of the future.

Working Partnerships: The Challenge of Creating Mutual Benefit for Academics and Industry.

Abstract: Networks and partnerships between higher education institutions and industry have been identified as a primary means of addressing higher education’s role in economic development, globally and in South Africa. This article draws on one component of a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) study to provide an empirically based overview of the benefits of partnership as perceived by academics and research managers in South Africa and, more importantly, to consider if it is possible for academics to pursue partnerships in a strategic manner that is mutually beneficial to industry and higher education partners. It is argued that in pursuing new forms of network partnerships in a strategic manner, and by limiting the scale of the old forms of consultancy and contract partnerships (those with potential restrictions), universities are more likely to be able to achieve the kinds of academic, financial and national developmental benefits that they value, rather than being driven primarily by financial imperatives.

Working adults learning in South African higher education : research article

Abstract: This article draws on a larger study of the dynamics of work and study among adult students in public higher education institutions in South Africa. This study found that over 50% of all students in the higher education system in the country are over 23 years of age, and 80% of them are at undergraduate level. The focus of this particular article is a case study at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), which has a long history of making provision for working adult students. It focuses on the extent to which adult students are engaged in work, and the influence that this might have on their studies. In a context where broadening the social base of higher education is a national imperative, and the majority of students are driven through economic necessity to work, the dynamics between students and their workplaces become an important matter. The improvement of throughput rates is a national concern. The issue that we address is whether adult students' success could be enhanced if there was greater knowledge and understanding of the relationships between students and their work. Our findings are suggestive of both the implications for institutions and the potential benefits for students. The findings also identify areas for further research.

South Africa's Education Legislation, Quasi-Markets and "De Facto" School Choice. Research Article.

Abstract: School choice is often identified with right-leaning, voucher-happy, market-oriented public school systems like those found in the United States. Thus the proposition that a social democratic state such as South Africa will offer many primary and secondary school learners far greater choice strikes many as counter-intuitive and implausible. The authors demonstrate how three major pieces of education framework legislation conspire to create South Africa's unintended experiment in school choice.

The targeting of public spending on school education, 1995 and 2000 : research article

Abstract: This article measures targeting of public spending on school education in South Africa for the years 1995 and 2000. Equalisation of publicly subsidised pupil-teacher ratios in this period largely eliminated discrimination in subsidies per child, but some differentials in subsidies still remain as a result of differences in qualifications and experience, and hence salaries, between teachers in more and in less affluent schools. However, despite these differentials, education spending is now quite well targeted to the poor, even in an international context. Despite improved equity in distribution of fiscal resources, equity of educational outcomes remains elusive, particularly when education quality is also considered. This emphasises the importance of improving efficiency in schools, particularly in poor schools.

Working Adults Learning in South African Higher Education.

Abstract: This article draws on a larger study of the dynamics of work and study among adult students in public higher education institutions in South Africa. This study found that over 50% of all students in the higher education system in the country are over 23 years of age, and 80% of them are at undergraduate level. The focus of this particular article is a case study at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), which has a long history of making provision for working adult students. It focuses on the extent to which adult students are engaged in work, and the influence that this might have on their studies. In a context where broadening the social base of higher education is a national imperative, and the majority of students are driven through economic necessity to work, the dynamics between students and their workplaces become an important matter. The improvement of throughput rates is a national concern. The issue that we address is whether adult students' success could be enhanced if there was greater knowledge and understanding of the relationships between students and their work. Our findings are suggestive of both the implications for institutions and the potential benefits for students. The findings also identify areas for further research.

Balancing knowledge construction and skills training in universities of technology

Abstract: This article considers the prevalence of what have been termed 'training discourses' as dominant practices within a particular University of Technology, and discusses the implications of such discourses for teaching and learning. The rapid emergence of this training or skills discourse in Universities of Technology in South Africa, in preference to discourses that emphasise praxis (a combination of theory and practice) and, by implication, of social redress and transformation, is interrogated within the framework of the current emphasis on training for economic growth. While in some instances the training discourses could be considered empowering for students because of the inclusion of authentic, workplace practices, these discourses could also be considered constraining if they limit students' ability to solve problems critically and creatively. The ability to adapt to new and changing workplace environments, this article will argue, could be better developed by a more developmental discourse of 'critiquing', 'knowing' and 'doing', rather than just 'doing'.

Nation-building without mortar? Public participation in higher education policy-making in South Africa : research article

Abstract: This article tests a case study of public participation in the decision-making about restructuring South Africa's large cohort of higher education institutions, as inherited in 1994, against theories of South Africa's new democracy. It shows that people formally outside the higher education policy sector - students, academics, parents and the public in general - have been able to play only increasingly circumscribed roles in restructuring processes. Public participation has reached a stage termed "symbolic participation" in which selected institutional leaders are deemed to somehow embody the public: an antithesis of principles set down during the final years of the popular anti-apartheid struggle. The article reviews trends of participation in the production of the major post-1994 higher education policy documents and initiatives, such as the establishment of the Council on Higher Education. It also reviews the ways that some decisions on institutional closure and mergers were changed under pressure - not through open or transparent processes - but behind closed doors. The article ends by asking what the wider implications of these developments in higher education might be for South Africa's emerging democracy.

From competence-based teaching to competence-based learning: : The case of generic competencies in the Faculty of Education at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique

Abstract: The article explains how a formative evaluation in the context of a university in a developing country involving different stakeholders contributed to the development of proposals to improve ongoing educational practices. The case to be discussed is the implementation of generic competencies in the Faculty of Education at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. The evaluation was carried out when the first group of Master's students of the faculty was about to finish their studies. It shows how the evaluation of a competence-based curriculum can bring university staff, their students and representatives of the world of work together. The common goal is the improved training of competent professionals, taking into account the learning process of the students, their professional practices and the specific difficulties they encounter.

Income and expenditure trends of higher education institutions in South Africa : 1986-2003 : research article

Abstract: There is a world-wide trend to expect individuals to pay more of the cost of their higher education This is also the case in South Africa since public funding of higher education decreased from 086% of GDP in 1986 to only 068% in 2005 Higher education institutions were forced to increase tuition fees to compensate for this 'loss' of income As a result of these high fees student debt increased and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was introduced by the government to alleviate this There were significant differences in the contribution of different sources of income, in the level of expenditure per student and in the size of outstanding student debt during the study period (1986-2003) between historically advantaged and disadvantaged universities and technikons

Are Agricultural Graduates Meeting Employers' Expectations? A Perspective from Iran.

Abstract: A high level of personal capacity, the relevant professional competence and technical skills are essential for a graduate's successful transition to the workplace. The purpose of this survey was to identify the main competencies that higher agricultural education graduates should possess, based on the perceptions of potential agricultural employers. The population of this study comprised public, private, and cooperative managers and employers in the agricultural sector in the provinces of Mazandaran, Khuzestan, Kermanshah and Hamedan (N=485). A sample of 212 employers was selected using a stratified random sampling method. A four-part instrument in the form of a questionnaire was developed by the researchers to gather the required data. Factor analysis was used to elicit the preferences of employers for key competencies. The results show that employers value generic competencies relatively higher than field-specific competencies for agricultural graduates entering the agricultural field. The generic competencies identified include communication skills, problem-solving ability, agricultural ethics, business and computer skills, and general administrative skills and abilities, such as leadership and team-work. Technical skills and agricultural professionalism were identified as field-specific competencies. To develop these competencies, a new didactical arrangement, including supervised agricultural experience programmes, experiential learning, and fundamental changes in the teaching and learning process are proposed.

Are agricultural graduates meeting employers' expectations? A perspective from Iran : research article

Abstract: A high level of personal capacity, the relevant professional competence and technical skills are essential for a graduate's successful transition to the workplace. The purpose of this survey was to identify the main competencies that higher agricultural education graduates should possess, based on the perceptions of potential agricultural employers. The population of this study comprised public, private, and cooperative managers and employers in the agricultural sector in the provinces of Mazandaran, Khuzestan, Kermanshah and Hamedan (N=485). A sample of 212 employers was selected using a stratified random sampling method. A four-part instrument in the form of a questionnaire was developed by the researchers to gather the required data. Factor analysis was used to elicit the preferences of employers for key competencies. The results show that employers value generic competencies relatively higher than field-specific competencies for agricultural graduates entering the agricultural field. The generic competencies identified include communication skills, problem-solving ability, agricultural ethics, business and computer skills, and general administrative skills and abilities, such as leadership and team-work. Technical skills and agricultural professionalism were identified as field-specific competencies. To develop these competencies, a new didactical arrangement, including supervised agricultural experience programmes, experiential learning, and fundamental changes in the teaching and learning process are proposed.

The status of education finance research in South Africa : editorial introduction

Abstract: Extracted from text ... Perspectives in Education, Volume 24(2), June 2006 vii Introduction Within a relatively short period of time, education finance has emerged from its Cinderella status within local educational scholarship to become one of the most prolific and exciting areas of research and deliberation within South Africa. Though driven largely by international scholars and consultants, there is now a rich collection of analyses available on both historical dimensions of finance equity (Fedderke & Luiz 2002; Fedderke, de Kadt & Luiz 2000; Case & Deaton 1999; Moll 1992) as well as on the reach and impact of equity-focused education reforms of the ..

Securing Provision for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: The Views of Parents. Research Article.

Abstract: There is a strong focus on the part of the UK government on parental involvement in the process of determining provision for children with disabilities This is a main element of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES, 2001) Although laudable, what is missing from this focus is a discussion with parents / guardians on their perspective of the process of securing provision and eventual placement of their child A national survey was distributed throughout the United Kingdom, requesting parental comment on their personal experience of securing educational provision for their child with autistic spectrum disorder 738 completed surveys provided responses to four key areas: parental opinion on obtaining provision, satisfaction with the process, working relationship with the educational provider and the effect that this process had on the family These comments identified the process as very stressful for most families The article concludes with an exploration of the data to identify key variables that indicate areas for focus by agencies wishing to support parents