Box 4: Most common reasons why students at South Africa's public higher education institutions pursue doctoral studies, 2009 72 Box 5: Four most common positive and negative themes reported by doctoral students in the public. Department of Higher Education and Training Department of Science and Technology Durban University of Technology European Higher Education Area European Union.
Biographies of Study Panel Members
Jonathan David Jansen is rector and vice-chancellor at the University of the Free State. Johann Mouton is director of the Center for Research on Science and Technology and the African Doctoral Academy at the University of Stellenbosch.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Executive summary
Key questions
Main findings
What can we learn from other countries about scaling up PhD production?
Recommendations
The brief
In other words, what do we know empirically about the production, distribution, importance and impact of PhD graduates in the national science system. What are the main inhibiting factors that hinder the goal of increasing the number and quality of doctoral students in the national science system.
The rationale
What is the capacity of the national science system to scale up the production of well-qualified PhD graduates to the level expressed in government policy? What can and should be done to achieve the volume and quality of PhD graduates required to meet the high-level skills required for South Africa's economy and society.
The strategic position of the Aca- demy
Moving the entire science system toward these ambitions requires a clear assessment of existing production capacity, a realistic view of the resource capabilities to achieve these goals, and a creative plan to move the different elements of this system in the same direction to move. .
The significant background issues In recent times, advanced economies have launched
The status of previous studies and their outcomes in South Africa
The conduct of similar studies else- where
As historical levels of inequality based on race, gender and discipline (or field of study) are reflected in society and in various kinds of universities, there are important legacies that must be remedied at the same time in the somewhat unique situation of a newly established democracy with still fragile institutions . For these reasons and more, a South African study is necessary and critical if human capital needs are to be met on a rational, planned and systematic basis in the future, and if the South African economy and society are to keep pace. of globalization, which above all requires a strong and growing class of high-quality PhD candidates.
Outline of approach
Critical (Peer) Reviewers
The Academy of Sciences of South Africa commissioned a number of studies in relation to a consensus study on the status and place of the South African PhD in a global knowledge economy; The broader aim of this is to generate evidence-based national advice on how to increase the number of PhDs in South Africa in the context of the global economy. The findings from this overarching study are intended to guide education policy on how South African public higher education institutions can produce more and better PhDs.
Operational Questions
Study Segments and associated Methods
Destination study: a survey of doctoral graduates across a sample of fields and institutions
The institutions differed significantly in terms of the time required to grant consent and reach a conclusion on ethical approval. Various examples from similar studies in the US, Canada and Great Britain were used to design the questionnaire.
Doctoral attrition study
Doctoral students in South Africa: a statistical profile
Employer study report
What suggestions do employers have for universities to better prepare PhD candidates for the working environment. What comments do employers have about the available pool of PhD candidates and their relevant skills.
Exemplary PhD programmes
-Structured interviews were conducted by telephone, audio recorded (with the interviewee's consent) and then transcribed.
A survey of the experiences of current PhD students in South African universities
Requests were sent to the Vice Chancellor to inform them of the overarching study and request their participation. This requirement excluded from participation two previously disadvantaged universities with poor internet connections: the University of Limpopo and the University of Zululand.
Systemic blockages in postgraduate education and training
The capacity to train doctoral students
The capacity to fund doctoral students
The purposes of the doctorate – policy analysis This final segment examined a range of higher educa-
- How many doctorates does SA pro- duce?
In the understanding of the PhD degree as vocational training, the main advantage attributed to the PhD degree is its application to industry. Introduced in the UK in the 1990s, they have been adopted by an increasing number of fields and universities, such that “[by] the end of the.
- Who are the doctoral graduates by demographic characteristics?
The following sections present a synthesis of the ten study reports that answer key questions based on the research conducted. Despite positive growth in the production rate, South Africa continues to produce a very small number of doctorates per year. million of the total population (26 doctorates per million in 2007).
Most of the doctoral graduate class of 2007 were white South African men in their 30s
Compared to black graduates, relatively larger shares of white graduates are under 30 years of age (eg 27% of white graduates in natural and agricultural sciences fall into this age group, compared to 16% of black graduates). This suggests that the dramatic increase in the share of black graduates in this field is largely the result of an intake of students from elsewhere on the African continent.
Significant improvements observed in terms of racial representation among doctoral gradu-
The representation of non-South Africans is highest among black graduates, especially in engineering sciences, materials and technologies where only 36%. While African students increased by 245 graduates, the number of international graduates increased by 252 (see Figure 3 below).
The vast majority of doctoral graduates are 30 years of age or older
- In what fields are doctorates being produced?
The fact that PhD students take an average of about five years to complete their degree, together with the fact that they are between 33 (natural and agricultural sciences) and 41 (social sciences and humanities) when they first register for a degree PhD, it turns out that most South African PhD students are. Among the same group of graduates, the average age of African graduates was 41.1 years, for Indian graduates 40.6 years, for white graduates 40 years and for black graduates 39.3 years.
Most doctoral graduates are produced in the social sciences, with the headcount figure for
- Which institutions are producing the doctorates?
The proportion of doctoral graduates by broad field for the period 2000-2007 is illustrated in Figure 9. Source: Doctoral students in South Africa: A statistical profile (refer to Annex 1) Finding 6: Education, economics and management.
In terms of doctoral output in 2007, the top nine South African public higher education institutions were the Universities of Pretoria, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Witwatersrand, North-West, KwaZulu-Natal, UNISA, etc. However, North West University (NWU) also recorded a significant increase in its proportion of doctoral graduates between 2000 and 2007, ranking 4th nationally in 2007 in terms of total output of PhD and also being included in the 'top five' list. Institutions in four of the five broad areas of study.
Half of doctoral students select a par- ticular PhD programme or institution based on the
- What is the capacity for doctoral supervision?
This shows that the production of doctoral graduates was dominated by relatively larger and more prominent research-oriented universities such as the Universities of Cape Town (UCT), Pretoria (UP), KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Stel-. The vast majority are convinced that they made the right decision when they chose a certain department or program to study (see table 19 below).
About a third of all permanent academic staff members at public higher education institu-
Universities Comprehensive universities Technological universities Total Source: PhD students in South Africa: A statistical profile (see Appendix 1). Source: PhD students in South Africa: A statistical profile (see Appendix 1) Complete information on permanent academic staff with.
The average ratio of doctoral students to supervisors in 2007 was about 2:1 across all South
Most PhD students in public higher education institutions in South Africa have at least two supervisors (see Figure 16 below). Source: Survey of Current Doctoral Students in South African Universities (see Appendix 1) Source: Doctoral Students in South Africa: A Statistical Profile (see Appendix 1).
It is evident that the traditional appren- ticeship model may not be an efficient approach for
- What are the conversion rates from masters to doctoral degrees?
However, the exposure of the students to all these possibilities still depends on the individual supervisor. Some supervisors consider PhD-level coursework to be a critical part in the development of the student.
Major blockages along the educational route towards the doctorate severely limit the pool
- What is the time-to-degree for doc- toral students?
Source: A survey of current PhD students in South African universities (refer to Appendix 1) Finding 14: From 2000 to 2006, the average con-. As Figure 21 (below) indicates, students in the natural and agricultural sciences are more likely to continue with doctoral studies directly after completing a master's degree.
The average time-to-degree completion for doctoral students was 4.8 years in 2007, up from
- Why do students drop out of doc- toral programmes?
Similar effects of accumulation are also seen in broader fields of study (see Table 18 below). In 2007, doctors of natural sciences and agricultural sciences recorded the second longest time to graduation, after graduates of humanities81.
Risk factors for non-completion (at- trition) of doctoral candidates in South Africa are
- How do doctoral students experi- ence doctoral education?
Another study92 indicates that on average 41% of doctoral students are employed full-time during their studies, with a further 23% working part-time. 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year 5th year 6th year & after part time employment full time employment.
There seems to be a balance between those students who portray their experience of doc-
- What do employers expect from PhDs?
Further research is needed to determine how the gap between the conflicting views of faculty staff and doctoral students can be narrowed. We must not forget that doctoral students are individuals from different social backgrounds and life experiences, but they all want to achieve the same ultimate goal - to obtain a doctorate.
Employers note as the salient weak- nesses in the skills and abilities of doctoral gra-
- Where do doctoral graduates go?
Source: Destination research: a survey among PhD graduates in a sample of disciplines and institutions (see Appendix 1). Source: Destination research: a survey among PhD graduates in a sample of disciplines and institutions (see Appendix 1).
More than half of doctoral graduates in South Africa are employed in the higher education
Only 17% of graduates who are employed in a higher education institution eventually migrate to other employment sectors. For PhD graduates in all other fields of study, higher education remains the top employer both before and after graduation.
A third of non-South African doctoral students studying in South Africa intend to stay in
- What are the features of highly productive PhD programmes?
More than half of the PhD migrants also indicate that they would consider returning to South Africa, especially if they received an attractive career offer with similar or better working conditions and remuneration.
The most salient feature of a productive doctoral programme in South Africa is the level and
- What are the systemic barriers to increasing the productivity of PhD
There are three widely held understandings among PhD program leaders about the purpose of the PhD, i.e. i) as training for an academic career; (ii) as training for industry; and (iii) as training for a profession. The description of full-time students as the ideal type relates to the dominant discourse of the PhD as training for an academic career.
The primary barriers to increasing the productivity of PhD programmes at South Afri-
- What can we learn from other countries with respect to escalating
Some PhD programs in the humanities and social sciences were established with external funds (usually from philanthropic and other foundations abroad) or reserve funds of the faculty. In addition to the free-standing and grantee-linked funding of doctoral students, three other programs of the NRF provide for PhD support.
Other countries have attained suc- cess with respect to escalating the production of
- How much do we know about doc- toral education in South Africa?
A significant result has been a noticeable increase in collaborative PhD programs between universities and industry, with most universities reporting completion rates above 90%. A new initiative from the University of Melbourne is the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Learning and Leadership (GCALL).
More research is required to develop a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of
Besides skills, the most important intangible impact on innovation clearly comes from research and development – the domain of the PhD. And do certain types of promotions contribute to certain types (or parts) of the economy?
Research Method and Sample of Source Reports
- The context for increasing the quantity and as- suring the quality of doctoral education in South
- Destination study: a survey of doctoral graduates across a sample of fields and institutions
- Doctoral attrition study
- Doctoral students in South Africa: a statistical profile
- Employer study report
- Exemplary PhD programmes
- The capacity to fund doctoral students Dr Carlton McLellan, University of Fort Hare, 2009
- The interface between the doctorate and indus- try: Reconceptualising doctoral education from an
- A survey of current PhD students in South Afri- can universities
- Systemic blockages in postgraduate education and training
- The capacity to train doctoral students Dr Chaya Herman, University of Pretoria, June 2009
The report is based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 20 staff in 16 organizations employing PhD candidates outside the higher education sector in South Africa. The report is based on a desktop survey of literature and debates relevant to the purpose of the study, i.e.
Additional Data Tables
Have you had access to any of the following (you can choose more than one answer). Did you do any of the following during your PhD studies? you can choose more than one answer).
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
