Using Social Networking Technologies for Postgraduate Research Supervision at a South African Rural-Based Historically Disadvantaged Institution

Autor/inn/en	Munyoka, Willard; Runhare, Tawanda; Dzimiri, Patrick
Titel	Using Social Networking Technologies for Postgraduate Research Supervision at a South African Rural-Based Historically Disadvantaged Institution
Quelle	In: Africa Education Review, 16 (2019) 6, S.128-150 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Munyoka, Willard) ORCID (Runhare, Tawanda) ORCID (Dzimiri, Patrick)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1814-6627
DOI	10.1080/18146627.2018.1464679
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Social Media; Graduate Students; Student Research; Supervision; Supervisor Supervisee Relationship; Rural Schools; Disadvantaged Schools; Distance Education; Problem Solving; Critical Thinking; Research Projects; Educational Benefits; Blended Learning; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Soziale Medien; Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Studentenforschung; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Problemlösen; Kritisches Denken; Forschungsvorhaben; Bildungsertrag; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	The use of social networking technologies (SNTs) for academic purposes has created new pedagogy opportunities, especially for well-resourced teaching and learning institutions. This article reports on a study that analysed the use of SNTs for postgraduate research supervision at a South African university classified as previously disadvantaged during the apartheid era. The current democratic government is trying to ameliorate the consequences of the Bantu Education Act by paying greater attention to historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs). Although the study generated quantifiable data from a questionnaire, it largely employed the qualitative research approach and was underpinned by the connectivism theory of learning. A structured questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to collect quantifiable and qualitative data, respectively, from 32 postgraduate students who were enrolled for research by distance learning and eight lecturers who supervised postgraduate research. Quantifiable data from the structured questionnaire was analysed and plotted on graphs while qualitative data from the interviews was thematically analysed. The study findings revealed that the use of SNTs had positively impacted on postgraduate supervision and improved the success rate in students' problem-solving skills and critical thinking at one rural-based HDI. From the study findings, it is recommended that more resources be channelled to the South African HDIs, to equip both their students and lecturers with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively harness SNTs into research supervision, as well as teaching and learning, through deliberately designed online learning platforms, so that they can catch up with all-white historically advantaged institutions (HAIs) on research output. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01