NTESU INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

RE-SHAPING WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFRICA

January 13-15 2008

DURBAN

SOUTH AFRTICA

Presenter:

Mrs. T.S. Moraka

Centre for Higher Education and Staff Development

University of the Free State

Tel: 051 401 9059

Fax: 051 444 6357

Co-presenter:

Prof. M.L.E. Mapesela

Centre for Higher Education and Staff Development

PO Box 4345

University of the Free State

Bloemfontein

Tel: 051 401 3777

Fax: 051 444 6357

Title: Capacity development of academics: A challenge for innovations in teaching and learning

Stream: Career Pathing and Promotion

Format: Slides

Capacity development of academics: A challenge for innovations in teaching and learning

ABSTRACT

The last decade has seen the South African higher education institutions devoting time and energy to debates upon enhancing teaching and learning through innovation. Capacity development of academic staff, a core issue of human resource management and development, is one of the initiatives employed to innovate teaching and learning in higher education, and it may take on various forms. However, there are problems/challenges hindering the implementation of expected innovations. One such challenge is the lack of expert academic staff in higher education. This is due to among other things lack of formal capacity development efforts and structures dedicated to the development of existing and new generations of academics. This shortcoming is highlighted by major higher education policies in South Africa. It is against this background that the different South African national policies and bills were reviewed in order to investigate the role of policy as a driving force in capacity development.

This paper is based on an empirical investigation into and an analysis of the implementation of capacity development system for academic staff at the University of the Free State. The findings showed that although no formal policies were available for capacity development at the UFS, it was informally practiced at different levels of the institutions.

Finally, recommendations on the effective implementation of a capacity development system as an endeavour to innovate teaching and learning at the UFS were made based on the findings.