Therefore, from the perspective of this thesis, what is of great concern about the overall transformation is its micro-level impact on the predominantly black students in academic development programs in higher education in South Africa. It should be noted that the study of academic development in higher education in South Africa cannot be conducted independently of the complex social system of which it is a part. Despite the widespread prevalence of academic development programs at many institutions of higher education, the academic difficulties faced by black students appear to be on the rise.
The parameters of the research were set by the researcher in accordance with the established practitioner-researcher methodology. This is mainly due to the lack of clear, policy-driven prescriptions of what academic development should be and how it should be applied. Furthermore, one can also argue that these are some of the causal factors that ultimately have an impact on academic performance.
Therefore, the thesis is able to interrogate the research context based on the personal experiences of the human subjects under study. It is through acknowledging this feedback that this research, through a constructivist paradigm, will articulate the benefits of the Theory U model of transformation in academic development within South African higher education.
Introduction
- Social and Political Developments which shaped Post-Apartheid Education in
- Educational and Socio-Political Imperatives for the Implementation of Academic
- Framing the Problem
- Motivation for Study
- Intended Contribution to academic development praxis
- Source of the PhD Journey: An Autobiographical Account
The research also provides a 'student voice' in the form of student feedback on variables impacting learning in UKZN's UNITE academic development programme. This feedback underlines the profound impact of context, as well as the power of reflexive learning in shaping responses to contextual variables. Therefore, this primary data provides valuable insights into the socio-economic and academic challenges faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the benefits that can be gained from mindful learning.
To guide the reading of this thesis, discipline-specific terminology, where it appears in the thesis, is described in footnotes. For further conceptual clarity of the thesis, Chapters 1 – 5 will provide a contextual, historical and theoretical framework outlining the research objectives and research methodology.
Contextual, Historical and Critical Review of Education in South Africa
There is general consensus in the literature about the need for academic development in South Africa. From the constructivist perspective, people possess the ability to actively engage in the acquisition of all of the above. The separation of the researcher (subject) and the phenomena being investigated (object) is not feasible.
During a short stay on the banks of the Ljublaniça River, I realized that I wanted to contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of academic development. You might also be surprised at the variation from the beginning of the reflective journey to the end. International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the powerful economic policies of the 'First World'.
A key focus (among others) of the RDP is the development of human resources through education. The importance of the learning culture program must also be seen in the context of Financial considerations were also one of the major obstacles to the implementation of effective transformation.
The core of the challenge of making sense of the transformation process from a Foucauldian perspective is: As a 'holon', the higher education sector reflects the emerging and turbulent social context of the wider post-apartheid society. Therefore, the researcher must be alert to the often 'messy' and 'organic' nature of the process.
These may be inherent to the approach, but also arise from the nature of the research. Additional problems could also arise from the epistemological definitions of the concepts of 'social transformation' and 'academic development'. Some comments that reinforced this were as follows: “Learning coping skills has helped me overcome my nervousness.
One must consider Scharmer's statement in light of the rapidly evolving social realities plaguing the world. It awakens us to the fact that much of the discord in the world and indeed in personal lives stems from a lack of awareness.
Epistemological Theories Underpinning the Research
Research Outline and Methodology
There are many methods and tools that a researcher can rely on, depending on the worldview of the researcher and the available resources. Depending on the nature of the research and the researcher's dominant research paradigm, these results can be presented in either a quantitative or qualitative form. Reflexivity', as opposed to 'reflection', refers to the impact of the researcher's position on the outcome of the research.
The outcomes of the small group sessions were further supplemented with written feedback in the form of autobiographical essays. In order to categorize the responses in terms of their relevance to the objectives of the research, several themes were identified. As the research was supported by two key objectives – to be a change agent and to interrogate academic development practices – the research methodology was determined by the motives of the research.
The researcher must also be aware of the inevitable intervention in the social context within which the research operates and the possible consequences of the "change" he/she wishes to introduce. The need for transformative skills must be seen within the context of students' lived experiences. Transformation is one of the indelible qualities that characterizes social life as we know it.
This change is appropriate for the type and strength of training to override already established conditioning (Crowley, 2006:93). One of the main benefits of postmodernism was the introduction of a critical dimension to the evolution of social theory. This non-positivist approach asserts that the separation of the researcher (subject) from the phenomena (object) being researched is not feasible.
One of the examples of a learning approach that has been associated with postmodernism is. Essential to the process of "letting go" is one's "ontological status", that is, how one views oneself in relation to the social field. This is a necessity, especially in light of the increasingly complex and rapidly changing social fields in which students find themselves.
Factors Impacting on Learning for Disadvantaged Students on the UNITE
Meta Narratives of Social Transformation: Modernity, Postmodernity, Post-
Consciousness and the Construction of Reality
Theory U Model of Social Transformation
Conclusion
