Re-visiting the decolonising of South African higher education question: A systematic literature review [Scholarly Article - South African Journal of Higher Education, 2021]

Title:

Re-visiting the decolonising of South African higher education question: A systematic literature review

 

Author:

V. Chikoko

University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

 

Published:

South African Journal of Higher Education, 21 March 2021

https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/view/4420

Abstract:

During and soon after the #feesmustfall and decolonisation student protests in South Africa, the decolonisation topic invaded the academic world in the country. There seems to exist a heterogeneity of viewpoints regarding what decolonising higher education entails. A search for systematic reviews on this topic did not yield any results. Such reviews can reveal what we currently know, what we do not know, and guide the knowledge production process going forward. This article analyses published research articles on decolonising higher education in South Africa through the lenses of soft reform, radical reform and “beyond-reformâ€. Findings show that some papers dwell on decolonising isolated aspects of the university such as a programme or qualification, some on decolonising the entire university curriculum, and others on transforming the entire university. The article concludes that seeking to decolonise isolated aspects of the university constitute sub-soft reform strategies which leave the colonial pillars intact and therefore not contributing significantly to the decolonial project. Works that seek to decolonise the entire university curriculum are moving in the right direction towards radical reform, however, the article argues that to dismantle the colonial character of the present university requires the struggle to stretch beyond that. The South African university has a double-barrelled role to decolonise itself and to inform the societal decolonial project.

The Enneagram: A systematic review of the literature and directions for future research [Scholarly Article - Journal of Clinical Psychology, 17 December 2020]

Title:

The Enneagram: A systematic review of the literature and directions for future research 

 

Authors:

Joshua N. Hook  Todd W. Hall  Don E. Davis  Daryl R. Van Tongeren & Mackenzie Conner

 

Published:

Journal of Clinical Psychology, 17 December 2020

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jclp.23097

 

Abstract:

The Enneagram is a typology that many clients use to understand their personality and interpersonal patterns, despite some concerns about its validity. Thus, the purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive and clinician‐friendly review of the extant empirical work on the Enneagram. After reviewing 104 independent samples, we found mixed evidence of reliability and validity. In terms of strengths, some factor analytic work has shown partial alignment with prior theorizing, and subscales show theory‐consistent relationships with other constructs such as the Big 5. Also, several studies found the Enneagram was helpful for personal/spiritual growth. However, factor analytic work has typically found fewer than nine factors, and no work has used clustering techniques to derive the nine types. Also, there is little research supporting secondary aspects of Enneagram theory, such as wings and intertype movement. We conclude by highlighting directions for future research and implications for clinical practice.

Scholarly Article (2020) - The Linguistic Deception of the Phrase Best Practices: A Critical Analysis of Articles Discussing “Best” Practices in Online Learning

Title:
The Linguistic Deception of the Phrase Best Practices: A Critical Analysis of Articles Discussing “Best” Practices in Online Learning

Authors:
David Johnson & Jennifer Cox

Published:
Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume XXIII, Number 1, Spring 2020
[University of West Georgia, Distance Education Center]

Available: 
https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring231/Johnson_cox231.html

Abstract:
This article examines the use of the phrase best practices in academic literature that discusses online learning. Results of our study indicate that, despite the ubiquity of this phrase in academic literature concerning online pedagogy, the majority of articles lack empirical support for promoting certain approaches as best practices. Faculty and administrators would be well advised to critically examine articles that purport to promulgate best practices in online learning.

Scholarly Article (2020) - Twenty years of research on total quality management in Higher Education: A systematic literature review

Title:
Twenty years of research on total quality management in Higher Education: A systematic literature review

Authors:
Kanwal Nasim, Arif Sikander & Ziaowen Tian

From the abstract:
"Faced with intensified global education competition, universities and other Higher Education institutions are implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) to keep rivals at bay. Meanwhile, research interest in TQM in Higher Education is growing. This paper reviews the achievements and limitations of extant research on TQM in Higher Education, and discusses directions for future research."

Citation:
Nasim, K. [et al.]. (January 2020). Twenty years of research on total quality management in Higher Education: A systematic literature review. Higher Education Quarterly, 74(1). 
https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12227

Scholarly Article: How Many Ways Can We Define Online Learning? A Systematic Literature Review of Definitions of Online Learning (1988-2018)

Title:
How Many Ways Can We Define Online Learning? A Systematic Literature Review of Definitions of Online Learning (1988-2018)

Authors:
Vandana Singh and Alexander Thurman

Published:
American Journal of Distance Education, Volume 33, Issue 4, 1 October 2019 doi: 10.1080/08923647.2019.1663082

From the abstract:
"Online learning as a concept and as a keyword has consistently been a focus of education research for over two decades. In this paper, we present results from a systematic literature review for the definitions of online learning because the concept of online learning, though often defined, has a range of meanings attached to it."