Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aims of this study were to establish whether there had been discernable changes
in the nature of knowledge production at higher education institutions in the Eastern Cape
since the transition to democracy, and to relate these to international and national trends in
the way knowledge is produced. In view of the emphasis in government policy on the
development of science and technology, the study was focused on researchers in this area and
on the administration of research in this context. The research was conducted through
structured interviews with administrators and active researchers at the three technikons and
five universities in the province.
The study found that there had indeed been changes, both in the way research is
managed, and in the nature of the research itself. Research has become more applied over the
last five years and there has been a move towards multidisciplinary, multi-institutional
research, although administrators tended to underestimate the extent of this change. Research
management has also become businesslike with the establishment of dedicated
Deans/Directors of research on most campuses. Administrators ascribe these changes to new
government policies and to changes in the requirements of funding agencies. Researchers,
however, generally ascribe the changes to factors more directly related to themselves, such as
changes in institutional research policy, more opportunities for multidisciplinary work and to
greater linkage with the private sector. The study also found that many of the changes were
already underway some time ago and that there was a degree of proactiveness in the way some
institutions had realigned their research. The study found that there are significant differences between formerly advantaged
institutions and their historically disadvantaged counterparts. The latter are dominated by less
well qualified staff and produce fewer research outputs than the former. Research cultures are
less well developed and researchers complain of a lack of institutional support for research.
Despite this, research continues to be a significant activity on these campuses. In general, staff
at technikons are more positive about the future of research than their colleagues at
universities, irrespective of historical advantage.
The study found that knowledge production has assumed some of the characteristics
of so-called Mode 2 knowledge production as a result of a variety of national and international
influences, and historically advantaged institutions have been able to initiate adjustments to
the way in which research is done in anticipation of new policies. Publication of government
policy on science and technology and on higher education may have accelerated the change
but did not initiate it. The historically disadvantaged institutions, however, appeared to have
done little in anticipation of new policy and have been forced to be reactive to recent
government initiatives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om ondersoek na die voorkoms van waarneembare
veranderinge in die karakter van die lewering van kennis by hoer-onderrig institute in die Oos-
Kaap, na die oorgang van demokrasie, in te stel. Verder is gepoog om hierdie veranderinge in
verband met internasionale en nasionale tendense, met betrekking to die wyse waarop kennis
voortgebring word, te bring. In die lig van die regering se beleid aangaande die ontwikkeling
van wetenskap en tegnologie was die studie op navorsers in hierdie rigting, sowel as die
aanpassing van navorsing in hierdie konteks, gefokus. Die ondersoek was deur middel van
gestruktureerde onderhoude met administrateurs en aktiewe navorsers aan die drie tegnikons
and vyf universiteite in hierdie provinsie uitgevoer.
Die ondersoek het aangedui dat veranderinge in die wyse waarop navorsing bestuur
word en in die karakter van navorsing op sigself, inderdaad plaasgevind het. Navorsing het
gedeurende die afgelope vyf jaar toenemend toepaslik geword en hoewel administrateurs
geneig het om die omvang daarvan te onderskat, was daar 'n merkbare verplasing na multidissiplinere
en multi-institution ale navorsing. Die administrasie van navorsing het ook, na die
aanstelling van teogewyde Dekane/Direkteurs van navorsing by die meerderheid kampusse,
toenemend bedryfsgerig word. Administrateurs skryf hierdie verplasing toe aan die nuwe
staatsbeleid sowel as die veranderinge in die voorskrifte van befondsingsliggame. Op hul beurt
skryf navorsers die varanderinge egter aan faktore wat meer op hulself van toepassing is, toe.
Hierdie faktore sluitveranderinge in die institutionele beleid, die toename in geleenthede met
betrekking tot multi-dissiplinere werk, sowel as die toename in skakeling met die private sektor, in. Dit is gevind dat verskeie van hierdie veranderinge al 'n geruime tyd onderweg is
en dat daar 'n mate van pro-aktiwiteit met betrekking tot die wyse waarop sommige institute
hul navorsing hers poor het, bestaan.
Die studie het bevind dat betekenisvolle verskille tussen voormalige bevoorregte
institute en hul histories onbevoorregte ekwivalente voorgekom het. U it die resultate het dit
duidelik geword dat die personeel van die laasgenoernde institute oor die algemeen minder
gekwalifiseerd is en dat 'n laer navorsingsopbrengs geproduseer word. Die navorsingskultuur
is minder ontwikkel en navorsers is ontevrede oor die gebrek aan institutionele ondersteuning
wat navorsing aanbetref. Ten spyte hiervan is navorsing voortdeurend 'n betekenisvolle
akwitiwiteit op hierdie kampusse. Personeel verbonde aan tegnikons is oor die algemeen meer
positief oor die toekoms van navorsing in teenstelling met hul kollegas verbonde aan
universitiete, ongeag die historiese agtergrond.
Die studie het ook bevind dat, weens die verskeidenheid nasionale en internasionale
invloede en die oorspronklike aanpassings wat historiese bevoorregte institute tot stand laat
kom het met betrekking tot die wyse waarop navorsing, met die oog op nuwe beleid, uitgevore
word, die produksie van kennis van die eienskappe van "Mode 2" aangeneen word. Die
bekendmaking van die staatsbeleid aangaande wetenskap en tegnologie en hoer-onderrig kon
uit eie beweging hierdie veranderinge bespoedig het, maar het dit nie geinisieer nie. Histories
onbevoorregte institute het tot dusver min werk gemaak van die vooruitsigte van die nuwe
beleid en word genoodsaak om op onlangse regerings inisiatiewe te reageer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52315 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Dye, A. H. (Arthur H.) |
| 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 | 146 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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