Epistemic Disruptions in Reconstituting Higher Education Pedagogy in South Africa

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Epistemic Disruptions in Reconstituting Higher Education Pedagogy

Themes 2, 3 and 4

Overview

This project includes six South African universities: University of Johannesburg (UJ), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Fort Hare (UFH), University of South Africa (UNISA), and Sol Plaatje University (SPU). The research aims to expand understanding in two key areas:

  • The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on pedagogy
  • Student-led decolonisation movements

It explores how these two epistemic disruptions have redefined higher education pedagogy in South Africa, particularly focusing on ICT-based remote teaching and the demand to decolonise curricula and examinations.

Research Approach

This collaborative project is led by SARChI Chairs in T&L (UJ) and Teacher Education (CPUT). A mixed-methods approach is used:

  • Quantitative: Institutional data analysis
  • Qualitative: Interviews with university leaders and student representatives

Team: Otilia Chiramba, Shireen Motala, Yusuf Sayed, Taryn Williams, Arina Sibanda, Thabo Motshweni

Progress and Achievements

  • Ethics clearance granted by UJ
  • Permissions received from five out of six universities
  • Data collection underway; transcriptions stored in AtlasTi
  • Panel presentations at SAERA, CIES, and Volkswagen Foundation conferences
  • One special issue article published
  • One book chapter and one journal article under review

Challenges

  • Delays in participant responses
  • Network issues affecting interview recordings
  • Audio transcription difficulties due to poor quality

Knowledge Contribution

Preliminary findings emphasise the role of leadership in shaping student experience and the importance of reframing theories of social justice and resilience in post-pandemic education. The study also stresses the need for conceptual clarity on transformation and decolonisation in higher education.

Strategies Going Forward

  • Complete data collection across all six institutions by mid-2023
  • Publish a co-authored book (Sayed, Motala, Chiramba) in 2023
  • Continue data analysis and manuscript development