Examining research support programmes for academic staff at a South African open and distance learning institution

Abstract

Academic research is essential for the development of individual academics. Universities support academic staff through various research support programmes in order to improve its research enterprise. To improve the quality of these programmes, they must be evaluated on a regular basis. However, in this study, the gap noted in respect to the University of South Africa's (Unisa) research support programmes was the lack of an academic study evaluating such programmes from the perspective of beneficiaries. As a result, there was a misalignment between the efficacy of the programmes and the significance of the experience for participants. Hence, the purpose of this study was to establish if the research support provided by Unisa through its research support programmes contributes to the research development of academic staff. In this qualitative case study, interviews were conducted with 20 participants from three Unisa research support programmes, namely MDSP, AQIP, and ODL-RSP, who participated in the programmes between 2013 and 2020. To uncover and analyse the assumptions underpinning research support, a theory-based evaluation in the form of a realist programme theory approach was used. Following a document-based analysis, this thesis used this analytical technique to discover the context, mechanisms, and outcomes (CMO) and developed programme theories that revealed the supposed causal linkages between inputs and outputs to address the issues of research output and capacity in higher education. Following that, the framework's assumptions about what “works, for whom, and under what conditions” were compared to the perceptions of Unisa academics who benefited from the aforementioned programmes. The findings revealed that Unisa academics' high teaching and administrative workload and domestic duties resulted in their demand for research support, including research funding, reduced workload, more time for research, and research mentorship. As a result, Unisa academics favoured support programmes aimed at addressing concerns, including reduced teaching and administrative workloads, more research and development leave concessions, and work-from-home. In particular, the AQIP was preferred by participants above the MDSP and ODL-RSP. Nonetheless, the study presents a framework that may be used as a thinking tool to gain a better understanding of research support, as well as to plan and evaluate research support programmes similar to those provided by Unisa.

Uphando kwezemfundo lubaluleke kakhulu kuphuhliso lwamagosa ezemfundo. Iiyunivesithi ziyawaxhasa amagosa emfundo ngokusebenzisa iinkqubo zenkxaso ezahlukeneyo ukwenzela ukuphucula icandelo lezophando. Ukuze ziphuculwe ezi nkqubo, kufuneka zivavanywe rhoqo. Noxa kunjalo, kwesi sifundo kuphawuleke ukuba kukho isikhewu kwiinkqubo zenkxaso zeYunivesithi yoMzantsi Afrika, apho kungekho sifundo sivavanya ezi nkqubo siveze izimvo zabaxhamlayo kuzo. Isiqhamo salonto yaba kukungahambelani phakathi kokusebenza kakuhle kwezi nkqubo kunye nokubaluleka kwamava abathathi nxaxheba. Yiyo le nto injongo yesi sifundo yayikukufumanisa ukuba ingaba inkxaso yophando enikwa yileyinivesithi iyanceda na kuphuhliso lophando kumagosa ayo emfundo. Kwesi sifundo sokuzathuza singumzekelo, kwaqhutywa iindliwano ndlebe nabathathi nxaxheba abangama-20 beenkqubo zenkxaso ezintathu zakuleyunivesithi, eziyiMDSP, AQIP, kunye neODL-RSP, phakathi kweminyaka yama-2013 nama-2020. Ukutyhila nokuhlalutya izimvo zoqikelelo ezisuse esi sifundo senkxaso kwezophando, kwaqhutywa uvavanyo olusekelwe kwingcingane ethi ingaba inkqubo izidala njani iziphumo ezibonwayo, irealist programme theory ngesiNgesi. Emva kokuphengulula iimibhalo ethile, le ngxelo yophando yasebenzisa ubuchule bohlalutyo ukuze kufumaniseke imeko, iindlela zokusebenza kunye neziphumo (CMO). Emva koko kwaphuhliswa iingcingane zeenkqubo ezadiza ulwalamano phakathi kokufakwayo (inputs) nokukhutshwayo/iziphumo (outputs) xa kusetyenzwa ngemiba yeziphumo zophando nezakhono kwimfundo ephakamileyo. Kwalandeliswa ngokuthelekisa izimvo zoqikelelo malunga nokuba yintoni “esebenzayo, isebenzela bani, phantsi kweziphi iimeko” nezimvo zeengcali zemfundo ezakha zaxhamla kwezi nkqubo sezikhankanyiwe. Okufunyanisiweyo kwadiza ukuba umsebenzi wokufundisa nowokulawula iinkqubo weengcali zemfundo ukhokelela kwizidingo zenkxaso kwezophando, kuquka nenkxaso mali kwezophando, ukuncitshiswa komsebenzi, ixesha elithe chatha lokuqhuba uphando, kunye nokuba nabacebisi kuphando. Oko kwakhokelela ekubeni iingcali zemfundo zaseUnisa zinqwenele iinkqubo zenkxaso ezijolise ekukhawuleleni iminqweno yabo, kuquka ukuncitshiswa komsebenzi. Inkqubo yeAQIP yakhethwa ngabathathi nxaxheba ngaphezu kweMDSP neODL-RSP. Isifundo sinikezela ngesakhelo esinokusetyenziswa njengesixhobo sokucinga, ukwenzela ukuba kubekho ukuyiqonda ngcono inkxaso yezophando, ukuze kucetywe, kuvavanywe iinkqubo zenkxaso yezophando ezifana nezo zinikezelwa yiUnisa.

Irhubhululo lezefundo liqakathekile ekuthuthukisweni kwesifundiswa ngasinye. Amayunivesithi asekela abasebenzi bomkhakha wezefundo ngamaphrogremu ahlukahlukileko wezerhubhululo asekelako ngehloso yokuthuthukisa ihlelo layo lezerhubhululo kubhizinisi. Ukuthuthukisa ikhwalithi yalamaphrogremu, kufuneka bahlala bahlolwe ngasosoke isikhathi. Nanyana-kunjalo, kuleli rhubhululo, ukuba khona kwesikhala esimalungana namaphrogremu wezerhubhululo asekelako weYunivesithi yeSewula Afrika (Unisa) kubangelwe kutlhayela kwerhubhululo lezefundo elihlola amaphrogremu anjalo ngokomqondo wabazuzi.. Njengomphumela walokho, kube khona ukungakhambisani phakathi kwezinga lokusebenza ngepumelelo kwamaphrogremu kanye nokuqakatheka kwelwazi labadlalindima. Kanti-ngakelinye ihlangothi, umnqopho waleli rhubhululo kwakukuthola ukuthi mhlambe isekelo lezerhubhululo elinikelwa yi-Unisa ngamahlelo wayo wezerhubhululo elisekelako lifaka igalelo ekuthuthukisweni kwerhubhululo kubasebenzi bomkhakha wezefundo. Kulesi sibonelorhubhululo (case study) engasebenzisi amanani, amanhlolombono enziwe nabadlalindima abama-20 abavela kumaphrogremu amathathu wezerhubhululo elisekelako we-Unisa, wona ngilawa; MDSP, AQIP, kanye ne-ODL-RSP, phakathi kuka-2013 no-2020. Ukuze kutholakale begodu kutsengwe nemicabango emumethe isekelo lezerhubhululo, kusetjenziswe ihlelo lokuhlola elisuselwe kuthiyori yezokuhlola ngendlela ekholelwa kuthiyori yephrogremu yezinto zamambala.. Nakulandelwa itsengo elisuselwa emtlolweni, le thesis isebenzise lendlela yokutsenga ukuthola ubujamo, amamekhenizimu kanye nemiphumela (CMO) kanye namathiyori wamaphrogremu athuthukileko aveze ukuhlobana okubizwa nge-causal linkages okuphakathi kwelwazi elisetjenziswako (input) kanye nelwazi elimphumela (outputs) ukulungisa iindaba zemiphumela yerhubhululo kanye namandla asemazikweni wezefundo aphezulu. Ngemva kwaokho, imicabango yesakhiwo emalungana nokuthi “yini okusebenzela bani, begodu lokho kusebenza ngaphasi kwabuphi ubujamo”, imicabango le imadaniswe nemiqondo yeemfundiswa ze-Unisa ezizuze kumaphrogremu akhulunywe ngaphambilini. Ilwazi elivunjululiweko lokuthiumthwalo weemfundiswa ze-Unisa wezinga eliphezulu lokufundisa kanye nezokuphatha, liveze isidingo sesekelo lezerhubhululo, kufakwa phakathi ukusekelwa kwezerhubhululo ngeemali, kuphungule umthamo womsebenzi, isidingo sesikhathi esinengi serhubhululo kanye nokutlhogonyelwa ngelwazi lezerhubhululo. Njengomphumela walokho, iimfundiswa ze-Unisa zithande amaphrogremu asekelako anqotjhiswe ekurarululeni iminako, kufakwa phakathi ukuphungulwa komthamo womsebenzi Ikakhulukazi, i-AQIP yanyulwa badlalindima ngaphezu kwe-MDSP zine-ODL-RSP. Nanyana-kunjalo, irhubhululo lethula isakhiwo esingasetjenziswa njengethulusi lokucabanga lokuzuza ilwazi lokuzwisisa ngcono isekelo lezerhubhululo, kanye nokupulana/nokuhlela nokuhlola amaphrogremu wezerhubhululo asekelako okufana nalawo anikelwa yi-Unisa.