Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Change characterises life in the early twenty first century and higher education is no
exception. Higher education in South Africa is currently in a considerable state of flux which
ultimately is actualised at institutional level. It is academic staff who encounter these changes
first hand. Technikon lecturers, in particular, are faced with additional challenges not faced by
their university counterparts - they have been called upon to change from a primarily
vocational to an academic alignment as a result of technikons being given the right to award
degrees.
This study conducts a cross sectional survey of academic staff at the Port Elizabeth
Technikon to identify their academic workload, with particular reference to their research
function. It also seeks to establish whether lecturers consider themselves to be adequately
prepared for their research function.
A review of the literature reveals that lecturers in higher education are involved in a wide
variety of activities, the main ones being teaching, research, service, and scholarship. The
literature review also shows that in overseas institutions with missions similar to the
technikons, lecturers experienced changes to their workload as a result of the restructuring of
higher education.
The empirical study shows that academic staff at the Port Elizabeth Technikon have much in
common with their international peers in terms of the changes and pressures that have been
experienced. The work reality for lecturers at the named institution includes all the traditional
elements associated with being academic: teaching, research, service and scholarship.
Although research is a new function, this has been positively embraced by most staff and that
in most cases lecturers consider themselves to be adequately prepared for this function. The empirical study also shows that more than one third of the respondents do not support the
institutional vision of becoming "the first choice technological university of South Africa".
Further, the study shows that, in common with other studies, staff were of the opinion that the
institution undervalues teaching and that research attracts more recognition and rewards.
Finally, it shows that significant numbers of staff work in excess of 50 hours per week and
carry teaching loads that are greater than the institutional guidelines.
Recommendations are made on the basis of these findings and a further avenue of research is
suggested. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verandering is 'n kenmerk van die lewe in die vroee een-en-twintigste eeu en hoer onderwys is
geen uitsondering nie. Hoer onderwys in Suid-Afrika ervaar tans 'n besonderse toe stand van
veranderlikheid, maar dit is uiteindelik op onderwysinrigtingvlak wat did tot verwerkliking
kom. Dit is akademiese personeel wat hierdie veranderings eerstehands ondervind. In die
besonder word Technikonpersoneel gekonfronteer met uitdagings waaraan hulle
universiteitsewekniee nie blootgestel word nie - daar word van hulle vereis om van 'n primere
beroeps-orientering oor te skakel na 'n akademiese ingesteldheid as gevolg van die feit dat
technikons die mandaat verkry het om grade toe te ken.
Hierdie studie het 'n opname onder akademiese personeel aan die Port Elizabethse Technikon
gedoen om vas te stel wat die personeel se akademiese werkslading is, met besondere
verwysing na hulle navorsingsfunksie. Die ondersoek poog ook om vas te stel of lektore van
mening is dat hulle genoegsaam voorberei is vir hulle navorsingsfunksie.
'n Literatuuroorsig toon dat lektore in hoer onderwys betrokke is by 'n bree verskeidenheid
aktiwiteite, waarvan die belangrikste onderrig, navorsing, dienslewering en vakkundigheid
(scholarship) is. Die literatuurstudie toon ook dat in ander lande aan inrigtings met
soortgelyke doelstellings as die technikons, lektore veranderings in hulle werksladings
ondervind het as gevolg van die herstrukturering van hoer onderwys wat teen die einde van
die twintigste eeu plaasgevind het.
Die empiriese studie toon dat akademiese personeel aan die Port Elizabethse Technikon met
betrekking tot die veranderings en druk wat ondervind word veel in gemeen het met hulle intemasionale ewekniee, Die realiteit in die werkplek vir lektore by genoemde inrigting sluit
al die tradisionele elemente in wat verband hou met die akademie: onderrig, navorsing, diens
en vakkundigheid (scholarship). Alhoewel navorsing 'n nuwe funksie is, is dit deur die
meerderheid personeel positief aanvaar en in die meeste gevalle is lektore van mening dat
hulle vir hierdie funksie voldoende voorberei is. Die empiriese studie toon ook dat meer as
een derde van die respondente nie die institusionele visie om "die eerste-keuse tegnologiese
universiteit van Suid-Afrika te wees" ondersteun rue. Voorts toon die studie soos ook in
ander studies, dat personeel van mening was dat die inrigting onderrig geringskat en dat
meer erkenning en belonings aan navorsing gegee word. Laastens toon dit dat 'n
beduidende aantal personeellede meer as 50 uur per week werk- en onderrigladings dra wat
meer is as die riglyne van die inrigting.
Op grond van hierdie bevindings word aanbevelings gemaak en 'n verdere navorsingsrigting
voorgestel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52399 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Ruscheniko, Iona Helen Felicity |
| Contributors | Bitzer, E. M., Boshof, H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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