Higher Education Monitor: a case for improving teaching and learning in South African higher education
This paper aims to contribute to higher education development by making a case:
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that the improvement of graduate output – in terms of key parameters such as size, shape, equity, efficiency and quality – should be accepted as a central driver of higher education policy, planning and resourcing
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that improving the effectiveness of the educational process in higher education is an essential element of improving graduate output.
The paper provides a basic analysis of current student performance patterns, drawing primarily on disaggregation of cohort data produced by the DoE. The analysis argues substantial shortcomings in performance in terms of completion rates, equity of outcomes, and efficiency, all of which are important for meeting national needs.
In the interests of drawing attention to what can be done to improve the output of the sector, some key factors affecting student performance in the South African context are identified. It is recognised that there are a range of such factors, some outside and others within the sector’s control. Particular attention is given to considering some indicators of performance and prospects in the school sector, and it is concluded that improvement in schooling should not be relied on in itself as the primary means of achieving substantial improvement in graduate output and equity of outcomes in higher education.
The paper then focuses on aspects of the educational process that are within the control of the higher education sector, and argues that making a commitment to improving output, particularly by means of improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning in higher education itself, should be a central element of the sector’s contribution to transformation and development.
Based on analysis of the performance patterns as well as institutional experience, the paper argues that systemic responses are essential for improving the educational outcomes of the sector. Strategies that are seen as necessary conditions for improvement include: the reform of core curriculum frameworks; building educational expertise in the sector to enable the development and implementation of teaching approaches that will be effective in catering for student diversity; and clarifying and strengthening accountability for educational outcomes.
Since some key obstacles are embedded in traditional higher education structures and practices, it is recognised that bringing about positive change constitutes a substantial leadership challenge, involving strengthening both accountability and incentives. The paper concludes with an outline of the kind of planning, monitoring and professional development initiatives that it is suggested will be needed to constitute a comprehensive capacity building approach that can address the importance and scale of the challenge.
