Understanding Higher Education

Chrissie Bowie, Sioux Mckenna

Description

Drawing on the South African case, this book looks at shifts in higher education around the world in the last two decades. In South Africa, calls for transformation have been heard in the university since the last days of apartheid. Similar claims for quality higher education to be made available to all have been made across the African continent. In spite of this, inequalities remain and many would argue that these have been exacerbated during the Covid pandemic. 

Understanding Higher Education responds to these calls by arguing for a social account of teaching and learning by contesting dominant understandings of students as 'decontextualised learners' premised on the idea that the university is a meritocracy. 

This book tackles the issue of teaching and learning by looking both within and beyond the classroom. It looks at how higher education policies emerged from the notion of the knowledge economy in the newly democratic South Africa, and how national qualification frameworks and other processes brought the country more closely into conversation with the global order. The effects of this on staffing and curriculum structures are considered alongside a proposition for alternative ways of understanding the role of higher education in society.

Chapter One: Taking stock

Chapter Two: Making sense of experiences and observations 

Chapter Three: Dominant discourses, policy challenges

Chapter Four: Denying context, misunderstanding students 

Chapter Five: Reconceptualising curriculum, structuring access

Chapter Six: Resisting and complying: Academics responding to change

Chapter Seven: Evaluating change, looking forward 

A Covid Postscript 

References

Informations

• Publié par: African Minds
• Date de parution: 23 août 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781928502227
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

Extrait

UNDERSTANDING HIGHER EDUCATION ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES

Chrissie Boughey and Sioux McKenna

Understandîng Hîgher Educatîon: Aternatîve Perspectîves

Chrîssîe Boughey & Sîoux McKenna

AFRICAN MINDS

Thîs wonderu book wî be a treasure or graduate students and schoars who seek to understand and theorîse hîgher educatîon în ways that support socîa justîce. Rooted în the experîences o South Arîca, the book uses socîa reaîsm to argue or aternatîve ways o seeîng hîgher educatîon that can înorm practîce and poîcy în both the Goba South and Goba North. Pro. Leesa Wheelahan, William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership, Ontario Institute or Studies in Education, University o Toronto

Proessors Chrîssîe Boughey and Sîoux McKenna have wrîtten a truy însîghtu, engagîng and înormatîve book on teachîng and earnîng în hîgher educatîon. Every vîce-chanceor, academîc and ordînary cîtîzen must read thîs book. Dr Sizwe Mabizela, Vice-Chancellor, Rhodes University, South Arica

Thîs îs an outstandîng book, oferîng an exceptîonay rîch anaysîs o the împacts o neoîberaîsm on hîgher educatîon în South Arîca. ït examînes în vîbrant detaî the ways through whîch a market îdeoogy has penetrated the educatîon system, wîth devastatîng costs on acuty, students, and research. ït aso sheds îght on resîstances to the neoîbera transormatîon together wîth attempts to deveop aternatîve perspectîves. The book îs an essentîa readîng or anyone înterested în neoîberaîsm, hîgher educatîon, and the poîtîca economy o South Arîca and beyond. Pro. Fikret Adaman, Department o Economics, Boğaziçi University, Turkey

Thîs împortant book ofers a theoretîcay rîch and engagîng account o what îs needed to ensure that unîversîty educatîon îs meanînguy accessîbe to a students. By examînîng these îssues rom the perspectîve o poîcîes, students, currîcua, and academîc staf, ît ofers a systematîc vîew o the chaenges acîng teachîng and earnîng în hîgher educatîon and the potentîa or posîtîve change. Pro. Paul Ashwin, Head o Department: Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK

A tîmey, însîghtu, and nuanced rendîtîon o aternatîve perspectîves on hîgher educatîon. Boughey and McKenna have gîven oca thînkîng the gravîtas that wî reverberate at the goba eve or many decades to come. Pro. Emmanuel Mgqwashu, Director: Centre or Teaching and Learning, North West University, South Arica

Thîs book provîdes an înormatîve, îumînatîng and însîghtu crîtîque o hîgher educatîon. ïts arguments change the way hîgher educatîon îs conceîved o and conducted în Arîcan unîversîtîes and beyond. Thîs îs a tîmey and most wecome research work that îs theoretîcay grounded beyond the usua common-sense dîscourses on the subject. Pro. Christopher Odhiambo Joseph (CJ), Dean: School o Postgraduate Studies, Moi University, Kenya

Any academîc text has to strîke a deîcate baance between the compexîty o îts content and sîmpîcîty în deîvery. Thîs book naîs ît! The authors provîde us wîth sîgnîIcant însîghts înto the contextua dynamîcs that are the word o hîgher educatîon. Thîs book îs a compeîng read or everyone învoved în academîa. Dr Lillian Omondi, Department o Sociology and Anthropology, Maseno University, Kenya

ï you wîsh to understand hîgher educatîon today, especîay în the Goba South, thîs book îs or you. Boughey and McKenna brîng theîr extensîve experîence and astute anaytîca mînds to bear on crîtîca îssues o teachîng and earnîng to ofer aternatîve perspectîves that provîde posîtîve ways orward. Pro. Karl Maton, Director o the LCT Centre or Knowledge-Building, University o Sydney, Australia

Based on theîr rîch experîence as engaged ecturers and researchers, Chrîssîe Boughey and Sîoux McKenna have exceptîona abîîtîes to crîtîque the very system o whîch they are înevîtaby a part. They hîghîght why oten seemîngy se-expanatory systems are not efectîve în practîce. Boughey and McKenna have wrîtten an accessîbe text that makes compex goba chaenges and probematîc oca reaîtîes comprehensîbe, whîst aso outînîng a vîsîon or rea change. Dr Henk van den Heuvel, Director o the Centre or International Cooperation, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands

Thîs book ofers a crîtîca stance wîth whîch a hîgher educatîon practîtîoners shoud engage gîven the rapîd socîa and economîc changes takîng pace the word over. Thîs book îs a must-read or academîcs across dîscîpînes, academîc deveopers, researchers, poîcy- makers, students and everyone concerned about unîversîtîes and theîr roe în socîety. Dr Langutani Masehela, Head o Department: Academic Development Unit, University o Venda, South Arica

Thîs îs a poweru and înspîrîng book sustaînîng the îdea that or a just înstîtutîon, teachîng and earnîng îs key. Dr Nelson Mbarushimana, Director-General: Rwanda Basic Education, Rwanda

Thîs book îs an orîgîna and sîgnîIcant contrîbutîon to an împortant set o debates around the purposes and possîbîîtîes or contemporary hîgher educatîon. Boughey and McKenna draw on an încredîbe breadth o expertîse to tacke thîs anaysîs at a whoe new eve o sophîstîcatîon. The core o theîr work îs quîte exceptîona or îts abîîty to take în the dîversîty o înstîtutîona cutures whîch comprîse the South Arîcan hîgher educatîon system, and then to deveop theîr anaysîs across macro eves o undîng and accredîtatîon through to meso consîderatîons o currîcuum or students and staf deveopment or staf through to the very mîcro detaîs o îved reaîtîes o the peope who Ind themseves în these contexts. An extraordînary contrîbutîon îs theîr empathetîc juxtaposîtîon o the sîtuatîons o both students and staf who Ind themseves cuturay adrît în these înstîtutîons wîth huge hangovers o theîr coonîa and apartheîd pasts. Boughey and McKenna unsette the common-sense arguments that tend to condîtîon even the responses o unîversîty eaders, and they go urther to debunk the mîsuse o educatîona theory. Whîe theîr core contextua ocus îs South Arîca, they ofer careu comparîsons o hîgher educatîon systems across the contînent, and înternatîonay. Thîs book îs goîng to be a key resource or hîgher educatîon schoars, wherever they ocate themseves, and an împortant read or poîcymakers aîmîng to transorm hîgher educatîon systems to truy deîver on theîr promîses. Pro. Jennier M. Case, Head o Department: Virginia Tech, USA & Honorary Proessor, University o Cape Town, South Arica

The authors provîde a ascînatîng relectîon on the dîscourses that domînate our hîgher educatîon system. They use Socîa Reaîsm to anayse the hîgher educatîon system and ofer an aternatîve or understandîng students by chaengîng common-sense beîes such as the notîon o the untaented and unmotîvated student. The book turns on îts head the îdea that unîversîtîes are a merîtocracy. Dr Simpiwe Sobuwa, Head o Department: Emergency Medical Care & Rescue, Durban University o Technology, South Arica

Thîs book wî occupy a dîstînct pace or those grappîng wîth research on teachîng and earnîng. ït wî I a sîgnîIcant gap because ît enabes teachîng and earnîng practîtîoners to brîdge the chasm between theîr observatîons and experîences on the one hand, and the essons we can earn rom schoarshîp. Dr Matete Madiba, Director: Student Afairs, University o Pretoria, South Arica

Acknowledgements

We are grateu to a great many peope who have contrîbuted în varîous ways to thîs book. ïn partîcuar we woud îke to acknowedge our coeagues în the Centre or Hîgher Educatîon Research, Teachîng and Learnîng at Rhodes Unîversîty. They undertake academîc deveopment work rom a whoy socîa perspectîve and have contrîbuted to our understandîngs o hîgher educatîon în a great many ways. We woud aso îke to thank our students, especîay those postgraduate schoars we have had the prîvîege o supervîsîng, who have întroduced us to new îdeas and theorîes and whose work has greaty enrîched thîs text. We thank our amîîes or theîr whoehearted and tîreess support o us, especîay when our work eads to extended absences rom home. Specîa thanks are aso due to our edîtor, Susan Baîr, whose eage eye spotted many o the errors we were no onger abe to ‘see’ gîven our own proxîmîty to our text and to our îustrator, Theresa Gordon, or capturîng compex îdeas în such an accessîbe way.

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Table of Contents

Acknowedgements îv

Chapter One: Taking stock 1 Goba change and hîgher educatîon 1 The chaenge or the Goba South 7 Why ook at South Arîca? 9 What does thîs book aîm to do? 12

Chapter Two: Making sense of experiences and observations 13 Doîng research on teachîng and earnîng 13 The nature o reaîty 14 Archer’s Socîa Reaîsm 22 Archer’s morphogenetîc ramework 25

Chapter Three: Dominant discourses, policy challenges 29 The goba and the oca 29 The macro eve 30 The meso and mîcro eves 37 Poîcy ater apartheîd 40 Currîcuum and the goba economy 41 Quaîty assurance 46 Fundîng hîgher educatîon 48 Reorganîsîng the system 50 The Hîgher Educatîon QuaîIcatîons Sub-Framework 51 Concusîon 52

Chapter Four: Denying context, misunderstanding students 53 The power o the words we use 53 Students as decontextuaîsed îndîvîduas 54 The mîsapproprîatîon o theorîes on teachîng and earnîng 58 The ‘anguage probem’ and how ît ets unîversîtîes of the hook 60

Readîng and wrîtîng as îdeoogîca acts 63 Fîxîng the probem o academîc îteracy 67 Dîsadvantage as an expanatîon or aîure 69 The unîversîty as a neutra space 71 Students as cîents 73 Students as socîa beîngs, the unîversîty as a socîa space 75 Foregroundîng students’ epîstemoogîca access 76 Concusîon 80

Chapter Five: Reconceptualising curriculum, structuring access 82 What îs currîcuum? 82 The currîcuum îs condîtîoned by the structure o knowedge 84 The currîcuum provîdes access to poweru knowedge 90 The currîcuum îs condîtîoned by socîa context 94 The currîcuum îs condîtîoned by înstîtutîona hîstorîes 100 Hîstorîca dîferentîatîon by race 109 Prîvate hîgher educatîon 111 The ocus on programmes and modues 113 Extended currîcua 113 Academîc advîsîng 116 Concusîon 116

Chapter Six: Resisting and complying: Academics responding to change 118 Academîcs and agency 118 The condîtîonîng roe o the dîscîpîne în academîcs’ îdentîty ormatîon  118 The hîstory o the system and the condîtîonîng o îndîvîduas 119 New Pubîc Management and managerîaîsm 124 Staing în a goba structure 128 The emergence o compîance 129 Ever-încreasîng demands on academîc îe 130 Staf demographîcs 133 Concudîng thoughts 135

Chapter Seven: Evaluating change, looking forward 136 ïntroductîon 136 The andscape at T 137 4 A dîferentîated and deveopmenta system 147

A Covid Postscript 150

References 155

vîîî

1 Taking stock

Global change and highe education

Over the ast 50 or so years, hîgher educatîon across the word has seen enormous changes, many o whîch have emerged în response to gobaîsatîon and neoîberaîsm. So many wrîters have expored the împîcatîons o these two phenomena or hîgher educatîon that yet another expanatîon mîght seem superuous. Thîs book, however, îs partîcuary concerned wîth teachîng and earnîng în unîversîtîes, so we wî rîsk repeatîng what others have saîd în order to expore the împîcatîons o these orces on thîs area o academîc endeavour. ïn îts most obvîous orm, gobaîsatîon îs concerned wîth the economîc changes that have resuted rom the deveopment o transportatîon and communîcatîon înks thanks to advances în technoogy. As we wî argue în thîs book, however, ît aso has socîa and cutura împîcatîons, as a partîcuar set o îdeas have come to domînate thînkîng and actîon around the word. Economîcay, gobaîsatîon învoves producîng goods usîng networks stretchîng across natîona boundarîes. Possîby even more împortant, gîven that thîs book îs about hîgher educatîon, îs that gobaîsatîon îs about usîng knowedge to ‘reînvent’ the goods that are produced as a resut o the goba economy. The mobîe phone provîdes a sîmpe exampe o the îdea o ‘reînventîon’. Many o us renew our handsets on a reguar basîs, possîby because o the contracts we take out wîth provîders o ceuar teecommunîcatîon or because we are entîced to buy new modes. Typîcay, we ‘upgrade’ to a new handset even though our od devîces may stî be workîng perecty we and serve our current needs adequatey. The manuacturers o mobîe phones, however, keep ‘reînventîng’ theîr products so that updated modes appear on a reguar basîs wîth ‘new eatures’. These new modes are usuay desîgned (or reînvented î we contînue to draw on thîs metaphor) în ocatîons noted or theîr concentratîon o hîghy quaîîed engîneers and other experts such as Sîîcon Vaey, just outsîde San Francîsco. Manuacturîng these desîgns wî învove sourcîng the raw materîas needed to make them rom countrîes whîch oten do not have the capacîty to reîne what îs ound abundanty wîthîn theîr borders. Tîtanîum, or exampe, îs ound on South Arîcan beaches but îs sent to paces

1