African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies
Not a member yet
282 research outputs found
Sort by
Integrating Research-Based Learning into the Undergraduate Curriculum: Challenges and Solutions
Get PDFIntegrating undergraduate research into introductory level courses can improve student accessibility, inclusion, and retention. Herein, we discuss two one-on-one research projects that are being scaffolded into the undergraduate curriculum. We will describe the design and application of CUREs (course-based undergraduate research experiences) in forensic biology as well as physics and astronomy degree programmes. The forensic biology CURE includes trace evidence analysis and models the experimental methods, techniques, and instrumentation students will use in their future careers. In the Eclipsing Binaries CURE, students are introduced to coding and computational physics through modelling spectroscopic and photometric data. The lessons learned through scaling up these interdisciplinary models can apply to other fields of study
Online Teaching of an Undergraduate Research Module amid COVID-19 Lockdowns: Reflections of an Academic at a University of Technology in South Africa
Get PDFWith the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the transition from face-to-face teaching to online teaching was enforced in higher education institutions. The study illuminates the lecturer’s reflections on practices adopted whilst embarking on the trajectory to move teaching an undergraduate research module to online platforms amid COVID-19 lockdowns at a South African University of Technology. An auto-ethnographic qualitative approach was adopted, with personal reflections as data sets. Using a Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to analyse data, findings indicate that cognitive, teaching, and social presence are crucial in an online undergraduate research module. Significant during the lockdowns was the need for communication; the lecturer had to be present as a real person; show compassion towards students; and treat students as real people online, thus adopting humanistic pedagogy. Furthermore, the findings indicate various factors enhancing or impeding the quality of online undergraduate research pedagogical practices. Hence, the study recommends the addition of "policy presence" focusing on staff development, provision of online related resources, and ensuring a conducive environment in pursuit of inspiring and enabling both staff and students to participate in impactful research
A Model for Selecting Theoretical Framework through Epistemology of Research Paradigms
Get PDFDespite the importance of a theoretical framework in research, researchers face several challenges when selecting a theoretical framework for their study among which are a lack of agreement as to what constitutes a theory, a lack of a single theoretical framework that applies to all social science research, and selection based on personal conviction and interest rather than on the suitability of the theory to the research problem and the paradigmatic orientation of the chosen theory, which takes account of the epistemological assumptions. This study, therefore, aims to develop a model capable of enhancing the researcher's knowledge towards selecting an appropriate theoretical framework. The article is conceptual and dependent on logical arguments by presenting four paradigms alongside their epistemological standpoints. I argued the epistemology of research paradigms and their theoretical lensing using conceptual analysis to analyse the concepts and make sense of them. The study concludes that hypothesis, statistical/mathematical postulations, projections via research questions, and models are better to underpin studies under the positivist/post-positivist paradigm. Descriptive and analytic theories are better used when working within the interpretive paradigm. While transformative paradigm is best to be underpinned within critical theory, postcolonial theories and postcolonial indigenous paradigms are dependent on Indigenous Knowledge System
The Continuum of Care for the Neonate: A Critical Review
Get PDFA continuum of care is an integrated system of care that guides and monitors patients throughout their lives as they access a variety of health services. The purpose of this literature review was to identify barriers to care throughout the continuum of care that affect the services provided to neonates. A comprehensive search of electronic databases PUBMED, EBSCOhost Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, and ScienceDirect was used to identify relevant literature. Furthermore, policy documents from organisations such as the South African National Department of Health, the South African Nursing Council, and the World Health Organisation have been sourced via websites. The review concludes that gaps exist due to a lack of neonatal care facilities, neonatal infrastructure and supplies, and staff shortages despite increased demand for neonatal care. Additionally, institutional issues and policies should be reviewed, as they may contribute to an efficient continuum of neonatal care. Moreover, training specialised healthcare workers is critical to ensuring that neonates receive quality care
Post-Doctoral and Non-Faculty Doctorate Researchers in Engineering Education: Demographics and Funding
Get PDFThe driving force behind research in many countries is funding for research and development. The research at postgraduate level is predicated on a core research group championed by one principal investigator which might include staff scientists, postdoctoral appointees, non-faculty doctorate researchers, or graduate students and they play major roles in supporting the day-to-day duties in a research laboratory in order to gain more knowledge to continue their own independent research careers. In this case study, postgraduate postdoctoral appointees and doctorate holding non-tenure researchers in engineering were the study group and secondary data from National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (2018) was used in this study. From this result, it was noticeable that there were more of postdoctoral appointees in units much more than the other categories. There were more males than females among postdoctoral appointees and non-faculty doctorate researchers in engineering education. Findings reveal that the most prominent primary sources of support for postdoctoral appointees are federal and nonfederal domestic. From the primary mechanism of support, research grants were the most available for post-doctoral appointees. This study therefore recommends that there should be more inclusion for females in engineering education and efforts be intensified on increasing funding in postdoctoral engineering education
Assessing the Impact of Undergraduate Research on Graduate Attributes Development: A Case Study of DUT Civil Engineering Students
Get PDFEngineering graduates are expected to demonstrate competence after their engineering programmes in the form of graduate attributes (GAs) prescribed by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). It has, however, been challenging to develop and assess these attributes, especially using conventional assessment or examination methods, just as on the global scale. Nevertheless, studies have demonstrated that undergraduate research enables students to develop independent critical skills, as they do in graduate studies, by identifying a problem that needs to be solved. Undergraduate research has not been widely explored as a tool in developing and accessing GAs in engineering students. This study examined the impact of undergraduate research in engineering student ECSA GAs development and assessment using a case study of civil engineering diploma students. Therefore, using purposeful quantitative sampling methods, first-year and second-year diploma students were interviewed on their experience with newly introduced undergraduate research. Observations of the students' responses indicated that students' understanding, and views of GAs do improve from the first year to the second year due to continuous exposure to research. A conceptual model for assessing and developing GAs among engineering students is proposed in this study. This conceptual framework can assist in the further development of strategies in the implementation of undergraduate research at universities of technology
Redesigning Undergraduate Laboratories: From Recipes to Research
Get PDFIn an effort to introduce discovery-based learning in our undergraduate laboratory curriculum, we joined two collaborative, crowd-sourcing efforts to engage early career undergraduates in searching for novel antibiotics or bacteriophages as antimicrobial therapies. This was the first step in transforming the curriculum into one focused on providing research experiences to all our undergraduates. Our goal was to engage students in open-ended research projects that foster a sense of ownership, advance knowledge, and introduce relevant skills. We also developed courses built on faculty research programs and biotechnology industry practices. In one, students design cell culture models of tissue regeneration. Another connects to faculty research investigating stress responses in a model of mycobacterial tuberculosis. In an immunotherapies course, students design cell culture and protein purification strategies to maximize generation of a monoclonal antibody. In our newest course, students examine number and diversity of soil nematodes in urban locations. This course has evolved to include interdisciplinary research into the environmental history of the sites. Assessments demonstrated gains in concrete skills and related concepts, and in aspects such self-efficacy. All are measures shown to increase retention and student future success
Mentoring Undergraduate Research in Different College/University Settings
Get PDFOne innovative strategy that can improve higher education is undergraduate students’ engagement in research. Mentoring is one of the few opportunities that afford extended face-to-face and one-on-one instruction. However, mentoring undergraduate students in doing research is not the same at different types of colleges and universities. This paper gives insights from my perspective on how undergraduate students are being mentored in doing research in different university/college settings, namely a premier university (University of the Philippines Los Baños), a public research university (University at Buffalo), a public senior college (York College) and a private university (Pace University). The main goal of this paper is to compare the undergraduate research structure at the four institutions. I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each setting, emphasizing how I engaged my students to do research with emphasis at Pace University. This paper also includes the similarities and differences in how students achieved the following learning outcomes: knowledge, skills, attitudinal outcomes, and learned abilities
Message for the Special Issue: Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Inquiry
No full textAcademic and professional practice development is taking an ever-more dominant role in higher education and is evolving through undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry (URSCI) in the undergraduate curriculum, particularly in courses involving interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary modules/subjects. Such courses are critical to engaging students in more meaningful and deeper learning experiences and enabling them to experience real-world issues, all while developing various disciplinary and professional skills as part of both a specific content area and more general competencies. By developing and enhancing URSCI skills, graduates from higher education institutions gain the agility to adapt to changes in the world. Inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches are required to tackle global challenges such as climate change, food security, and public health. Such engagements and experiences are particularly important as employers increasingly expect graduates to have higher-order literacies and communication skills in addition to their discipline-specific knowledge. This special issue, therefore, presents original work and nuanced ways that faculties around the world actively engage students in URSCI
Nexus of Loan Re-payment Plans, Interest on Loans and the Sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises in South Africa
Get PDFThis paper examined the influences of interest on loans and loan re-payment plans on the sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. A quantitative research design that adheres to the positivist paradigm was utilized for this study's methodology. The study targeted 103 SMEs operating in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa using purposive sampling. A total of 103 surveys were administered, representing a participation rate of 100 percent. The analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between interest on loans and the SMEs’ sustainability and positive relationship between Loan re-payment plans and SMEs’ sustainability. The study recommended that financial institutions should examine loan re-payment plans for SMEs as necessary in order to minimize loan defaults by SMEs, and financial institutions should cut loan interest rates and the costs associated with loan approvals, which may be accomplished via automation and the utilization of online applications. Furthermore, the study suggested that financial institutions should design a flexible loan re-payment plan for SMEs that considers the nation's economic realities