Doctoral Degrees (Curriculum Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Curriculum Studies) by Author "Bester, Marianne"

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    An integrative approach to the development of expertise in higher education: an inquiry into the curriculum of a professional master's degree programme
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-03 ) Bester, Marianne; Bitzer, Eli; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The complexity of everyday life in contemporary society compels people to rely on professionals with expertise. Yet, despite the necessity and expediency of professional expertise in today’s modern world, the notion of expertise remains a complex phenomenon. Although much has been written in education about developing professional expertise in higher education over the past few years, very few studies have attempted to explore the nature, kinds, dimensions, theories and models of professional expertise from the vantage point of different disciplinary perspectives such as sociology, psychology, philosophy and education. Furthermore, only a handful of scholars have attempted to develop models and curriculum frameworks to promote an integrative approach with knowledge building and creation as its primary goal. This study aimed to explore and integrate diverse disciplinary perspectives by problematising the concept of professional expertise in higher education curricula using a coursework master’s degree programme in sustainable agriculture as a domain of practice. Selecting sustainable agriculture as the domain of practice for this study brings food security as one of this century’s critical global issues in a world beset by volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous challenges into sharper focus. Recent studies suggest that the world will require increased crop production in the next three decades to feed the predicted increased population growth to 9.7 billion by 2050. Addressing the need to secure an adequate supply of food, fibre and fuel for the world’s growing population must be done in the face of climate change, growing scarcity of water and land, the presence of infectious diseases, war, migration, and changing consumption patterns of people. Professionals, including people with expertise in sustainable agriculture, are thus needed to address these challenges. In this study, an interpretive case study design was employed using second-generation activity theory as an analytical lens focusing on the activity system of the MSc (Sustainable Agriculture) programme at Stellenbosch University. The existing curriculum, as the mediating artefact, served as the primary unit of analysis. Through the dialogical process of data generating and analysing methods, the interaction among the six core elements of this activity system was examined, using qualitative and quantitative data. Additionally, the specialisation codes and semantics codes of Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) were used to examine the domain of practice and curriculum logic in more detail. The data analysis findings revealed several major contradictions in the activity system. The indistinctiveness of the functional, manifestational and dispositional dimensions of professional expertise in this domain of practice influenced participants’ conceptions of sustainable agriculture, resulting in polarised perspectives with resulting curriculum implications. Within the existing curriculum as a contested space, these tensions contributed to curriculum incoherence, poor programme coordination, inadequate communication among university teachers, and unsatisfactory learning experiences for students. Although the findings of this case study are specific to the selected academic programme, the integrative approach to developing professional expertise through a multi-layered and multi-dimensional curriculum framework contributes to the growing body of existing knowledge in the field of curriculum studies in higher education with knowledge building and creation as its primary goal.