Research Competence Among Academics at a Private Higher Education Institution in South Africa
Article information:
Volume VI 2022, No 1, Pages: 40–63
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24193/JRHE.2022.1.2
Eugene Lee Davids, Varsity College, Independent Institute of Education, Cape Town, South Africa, email: edavids@varsitycollege.co.za
Abstract: The divide between private and public higher education in South Africa has shed light on the largely unknown contributions of private higher education institutions to national research output. Many of these institutions are transitioning to become research-intensive, which significantly changes the roles of academic staff. This study surveyed 124 academic staff at a private South African higher education institution to determine how they evaluate their own research competence. Results indicated that 71.8% identified themselves as emerging researchers. Key motivators included student interaction, desire to belong to a research community, and institutional research support. These findings offer important insights and practical recommendations for both private and public institutions transitioning toward research-focused models.
Keywords: Academia, higher education, private higher education, research, research competence.
