Reflections on Postgraduate Supervision and Academic Development in an African Distance Education Environment

Reflections on Postgraduate Supervision and Academic Development in an African Distance Education Environment

Author: Tennyson Mgutshini

Publisher: African Sun Media

Published: 2024-03-05

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1991260296

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Within postgraduate studies, student non-completion, attrition, and failure rates range from 29% to 65%. These unacceptably high failure rates have been attributed to wide-ranging influences. Even so, there is consensus that postgraduate supervision represents a critical enabling vehicle for student success. Reflections on postgraduate supervision and academic development in an African distance education environment offers a collection of scholarly contributions that focus on critical questions related to the practice of postgraduate supervision, from the multiple perspectives of higher education institutions, postgraduate students, and supervisors. The inclusion of contributions from educators and learners in one manuscript makes this a unique text – one that should be the mainstay of any scholar engaged in postgraduate studies. The manuscript aptly makes the case for recognising that postgraduate preparation and supervision are the most critical contributing factors to the success of postgraduate learners, and by inference, they represent a significant panacea to many of Africa’s social and economic skills.


Contextualised Critical Reflections on Academic Development Practices

Contextualised Critical Reflections on Academic Development Practices

Author: Teboho Pitso

Publisher: African Sun Media

Published: 2021-04-20

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1991201214

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"This book offers insightful reflections on academic development practices. The contributors engage the reader painstakingly in the dynamics of professional learning and effective teaching. This volume facilitates the examination of the need for reflection that leads to professional maturity. All educational institutions seek teachers who continuously search for effective strategies in improving student success. The contributors uncover a variety of approaches as they evince proven suggestions. The chapters are refreshing and edifying. This book is essential for all teachers, lecturers and trainers who want to improve their teaching practice immensely". Professor Vuyisile T. Msila Researcher at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa.


Spaces, journeys and new horizons for postgraduate supervision

Spaces, journeys and new horizons for postgraduate supervision

Author: Eli Bitzer

Publisher: AFRICAN SUN MeDIA

Published: 2018-07-24

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 1928357814

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After centuries of barely visible incremental development, postgraduate education has experienced twenty years of considerable turbulence as governments recognise its latent power, some responding more quickly than others and each in different ways. This anthology, drawing on research, deep reflection and praxis, illustrates the current situation in a range of geographical environments that result from such interventions, or lack of them, providing readers both with information about neglected contexts, challenges and concerns and with stimulating ideas about how they might be managed more effectively. Professor Emerita Pam Denicolo, University of Reading, UK


Pushing Boundaries in Postgraduate Supervision

Pushing Boundaries in Postgraduate Supervision

Author: Eli Bitzer

Publisher: AFRICAN SUN MeDIA

Published: 2014-04-01

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 192068915X

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This book is a very important contribution to theÿgrowing body of work on postgraduate,ÿand specificallyÿdoctoral, education ... I find the metaphor ofÿpushing boundaries to be very appropriate, as itÿsuggests a field of study and a range of behavioursÿand institutional organisational approaches toÿpostgraduate education that are dynamic andÿcharacterised by fluidity, creativity and challengeÿ... Readers will gain new theoretical perspectives,ÿideas for improved practice, and fresh perspectivesÿon boundaries and pressing issues that deserve toÿbe pushed and conceptualised in new ways. -ÿProfessor Ann Austin (Higher, Adult and Lifelong EducationÿMichigan State University)


Postgraduate Supervision

Postgraduate Supervision

Author: Magda Fourie-Malherbe

Publisher: AFRICAN SUN MeDIA

Published: 2016-11-21

Total Pages: 437

ISBN-13: 1928357229

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The 24 chapters contained in this volume provide diverse but also congruent perspectives on future foci for research into postgraduate education and supervision in the knowledge society.The chapters move from deliberations on challenges for postgraduate supervision at macro level (such as the pressure to increase postgraduate output and the implications of increasinglymanagerialist institutions) to meso level matters (the form and function of postgraduate education in specific countries) to the micro (rich case studies of individual institutions, programmes and supervisors).


Global Perspectives on Decolonizing Postgraduate Education

Global Perspectives on Decolonizing Postgraduate Education

Author: Gumbo, Mishack Thiza

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2024-05-13

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13:

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A deep-seated issue persists in postgraduate education—one that threatens the relevance of academia in our diverse and evolving world. The problem at hand is the Western-centric nature of postgraduate education, where research paradigms, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks overwhelmingly reflect a Western worldview. This rigid adherence to Western ideologies has left indigenous communities on the periphery of academic discourse, denying them the opportunity to engage with their knowledge systems and practices. Despite the richness and prevalence of indigenous knowledge, the existing educational structure remains a barrier to their inclusion. This disconnect is not only an academic concern but also a societal one, as it hinders sustainable development and stifles the voices of indigenous scholars and students. Global Perspectives on Decolonizing Postgraduate Education serves as a compelling solution to the problem at hand. It offers a comprehensive roadmap to decolonize postgraduate education, infusing it with indigenous approaches, paradigms, theories, and methods. Through critical examination and practical strategies, this book empowers academics, curriculum designers, and postgraduate students to embark on a transformative journey.


Strengthening Postgraduate Supervision

Strengthening Postgraduate Supervision

Author: Sioux McKenna

Publisher: AFRICAN SUN MeDIA

Published: 2017-03-22

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 1928357318

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An excellent collection of diverse and deeply reflective perspectives. All offer insights into the multiple challenges confronted in improving the quality and depth of postgraduate supervision, increasing throughput, and dealing with complexity. What is also affirmed is the importance of individual capability in supervision that is developed and nurtured over time, and through arduous effort. The book will be of value to novice supervisors and to more experienced ones. Policy makers, planners and administrators looking to enlarge their understanding of the postgraduate terrain in all its complexities will find the mix of theoretical and practical lenses through which the topic is approached particularly illuminating. - Professor Narend Baijnath, Chief Executive Officer, Council on Higher Education


How to Succeed in Your Master's and Doctoral Studies

How to Succeed in Your Master's and Doctoral Studies

Author: Johann Mouton

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780627038310

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The past two decades have seen a huge growth in interest in doctoral studies, not only in South Africa but elsewhere as well. Changes in the funding framework for universities in South Africa, in particular, has meant that from 2005 onwards, more funding has been available. However, postgraduate studies are challenging. The "digital revolution", as one example, has had a radical impact on the way research is done in the 21st century. Because of the more widespread availability of information (including personal information), students have had to become more accountable when they conduct research. How to succeed in your master's and doctoral studies is organised around eight steps that should be followed for the successful and ethical completion of postgraduate studies, whether they be traditional master's theses, mini-theses or doctoral dissertations. How to succeed in your master's and doctoral studies is based on first-hand knowledge of students' experiences with postgraduate studies: what the challenges and problems were, how they navigated the supervisory process and the different styles and approaches of supervisors, the support (or lack thereof) they received from the universities where they had enrolled, and much more. -- Page 4 of cover.


The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning

The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning

Author: Peter Barrett

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2019-02-04

Total Pages: 71

ISBN-13: 1464813787

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'The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning: A Synthesis of the Evidence provides an excellent literature review of the resources that explore the areas of focus for improved student learning, particularly the aspiration for “accessible, well-built, child-centered, synergetic and fully realized learning environments.†? Written in a style which is both clear and accessible, it is a practical reference for senior government officials and professionals involved in the planning and design of educational facilities, as well as for educators and school leaders. --Yuri Belfali, Head of Division, Early Childhood and Schools, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills This is an important and welcome addition to the surprisingly small, evidence base on the impacts of school infrastructure given the capital investment involved. It will provide policy makers, practitioners, and those who are about to commission a new build with an important and comprehensive point of reference. The emphasis on safe and healthy spaces for teaching and learning is particularly welcome. --Harry Daniels, Professor of Education, Department of Education, Oxford University, UK This report offers a useful library of recent research to support the, connection between facility quality and student outcomes. At the same time, it also points to the unmet need for research to provide verifiable and reliable information on this connection. With such evidence, decisionmakers will be better positioned to accurately balance the allocation of limited resources among the multiple competing dimensions of school policy, including the construction and maintenance of the school facility. --David Lever, K-12 Facility Planner, Former Executive Director of the Interagency Committee on School Construction, Maryland Many planners and designers are seeking a succinct body of research defining both the issues surrounding the global planning of facilities as well as the educational outcomes based on the quality of the space provided. The authors have finally brought that body of evidence together in this well-structured report. The case for better educational facilities is clearly defined and resources are succinctly identified to stimulate the dialogue to come. We should all join this conversation to further the process of globally enhancing learning-environment quality! --David Schrader, AIA, Educational Facility Planner and Designer, Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, Association for Learning Environments (A4LE)