Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch,2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Changing circumstances and new initiatives have made it necessary for
Higher Education institutions to reflect on all aspects of their teaching
portfolios. Recent global and national trends have had numerous
implications for different aspects of the university as an entity, which in turn
have important implications for teaching, and particularly postgraduate
teaching. The need for greater transparency and efficiency is forcing
universities into discussions around facing these challenges. The
overarching aims of this study were twofold: firstly, to identify historical and
current tendencies and patterns in postgraduate studies at the University of
Stellenbosch and secondly, to determine the enabling and constraining
factors relating to postgraduate studies at the University of Stellenbosch. It
was decided to focus on both completed postgraduate students (years 1991
- 1999) as well as current postgraduate students (year 2000). Furthermore,
"postgraduate" was defined as relating to all Master's and Doctoral
students at the University of Stellenbosch.
The empirical research for this study included three components. Firstly,
two postal surveys were carried out at the University of Stellenbosch in
2000 in order to explore a representative sample of postgraduate students'
attitudes and perceptions. Secondly, a secondary data analysis of existing
data on the University database for postgraduate students was carried out
in order to do an estimate of success- and follow through rates. Finally,
interviews were conducted with coordinators of four postgraduate
programmes at different departments in the Faculty of Arts at the University
of Stellenbosch.
Results show that the nature of postgraduate studies at the University
follows the same form of dynamics, diversity and complexity that
characterizes postgraduate studies worldwide. Although there has been an
exceptional increase in the number of postgraduate students over the past decade, completion rates have stayed the same. This increase in numbers
places enormous additional administrative, academic and managerial
demands on the University. Although postgraduate students (both
completed and current students) seem to have a general positive perception
of the University, its academic and administrative services as well as the
quality of postgraduate supervision, there are certain aspects that can still
be improved upon. For example: the University has to realize that although
the completion rates of postgraduate students have reasonably stayed the
same over the last decade, the number of students who did not complete
increased with almost 50%. The University has to put structures in place in
order to cope with the increasing demands these students are placing on
administration, departments and supervisors. Also, although it seems as if
the University are open to the trends in higher education, they are not
totally geared for part-time and non-resldentlal students. All four
programmes in the Arts Faculty were initiated by individual academics
within the departments. In terms of managing postgraduate students within
departments, it seems that greater standardization regarding aspects of
admission, administrative support, requirements for research proposals,
examination and guidelines for the research components are needed.
Supervisors and students both need to know what is expected from them.
In terms of the supervisory process, supervisors must have guidelines in
terms of what their responsibilities are and they have to realize the
importance of their task. Students need to be informed about their rights
and the whole process of postgraduate studies.
Overall, it is the responsibility of the University, together with its
postgraduate students and supervisors to ensure that the process of
postgraduate studies is characterized by success, effectiveness and
efficiency. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Veranderende omstandighede en nuwe beleldsmaatreels maak dit
noodsaaklik dat Hoer Onderwysinrigtings deurentyd besin oor aile aspekte
van hul missies en funksies. Resente globale en nasionale tendense het
verreikende implikasies vir verskeie aspekte van die universiteitswese,
waarvan die gevolge vir die onderrigtaak, en in besonder nagraadse
onderrig, van besondere belang is. Oproepe tot deursigtigheid, gekoppel
aan die imperatief tot doeltreffendheid, is alles faktore wat universiteite tot
besinning dwing. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die historiese en
huidige tendense en patrone in nagraadse studie aan die Universiteit van
Stellenbosch te skets asook om vas te stel wat is die bemiddelende en
belemmerende faktore wat nagraadse studie by die Universiteit kenmerk.
Daar is besluit om te fokus op beide afgestudeerde studente (vanaf 1991
tot 1999) asook huidige studente (ingeskryf in die jaar 2000). Verder is
"nagraads" gedefinieer as verwysende na aile meesters en doktorale
studente by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch.
Die empiriese navorsing vir hierdie studie bestaan uit drie komponente.
Eerstens is twee posopnames in 2000 uitgevoer om "n verteenwoordigende
steekproef van nagraadse studente aan die Universiteit se persepsies
rakende hul nagraadse studie te toets. Verder is daar "n sekondere analise
uitgevoer van bestaande data op die Universiteit se databasis vir nagraadse
studente spesifiek met die doel om sukses- en deurvloeikoerse van
nagraadse studente te bepaal. Laastens is onderhoude gevoer met
koordineerders van vier nagraadse programme aan verskillende
departemente binne die Fakulteit Lettere en Wysbegeerte.
Die resultate toon dat die aard van nagraadse studie aan die Universiteit
van Stellenbosch dieselfde mate van dinamika, toenemende diversiteit en
gepaardgaande kompleksiteit weerspleel as wat nagraadse studies
wereldwyd kenmerk. Alhoewel daar "n buitengewone toename in nagraadse
studentegetalle aan die Universiteit oor die afgelope dekade was, het die voltooiingskoerse van studente dieselfde gebly. Hierdie toename in getalle
plaas geweldige ekstra administratiewe, akademiese en bedryfseise aan die
Universiteit. Alhoewel nagraadse studente (beide afgestudeerd sowel as
huidig) in die algemeen "n positiewe persepsie van die Universiteit, sy
akadernlese en administratiewe dienste, sowel as die kwaliteit van
nagraadse studieleiding blyk te he, is daar enkele sake waarop verbeter kan
word. 50 byvoorbeeld moet die Universiteit besef dat alhoewel
voltooiingskoerse konstant gebly het, het die getal van nagraadse studente
wat nie voltooi nie, met ongeveer 50% gestyg. Die Universiteit moet
strukture in plek stel om te kan voldoen aan die toenemende eise wat sy
nagraadse studente aan administrasie, departemente en studieleiers stel.
Alhoewel die Universiteit oop blyk te wees vir nuwe tendense in hoer
onderwys, blyk dit dat hy nog nie heeltemal gerat is vir deeltydse studente
en nle-resldenslele studente nie. AI vier die programme in die Fakulteit
Lettere en Wysbegeerte het ontwikkel uit individuele akademici binne
departemente. In terme van die bestuur van nagraadse studente binne
departemente, is groter standardisasie van aspekte rakende toelating,
administratiewe ondersteuning, vereistes rondom navorsingsvoorstelle,
eksaminering en riglyne vir die navorsingskomponent van nagraadse
studies nodig. Beide studieleiers en studente moet besef wat van hulle
verwag word. In terme van die proses van studieleiding, moet studieleiers
oor riglyne beskik van hulle verantwoordelikhede en verder moet die
belangrikheid van die taak besef word. 5tudente moet ingelig word oor hulle
regte en die proses van nagraadse studie. Die Universiteit, tesame met sy
nagraadse studente en studieleiers, moet verseker dat die proses van
nagraadse studies gekenmerk word deur sukses, effektiwiteit en
doeltreffendheid.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53007 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Hunter, Maryke |
| Contributors | Mouton, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 149 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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