Staff perspective of factors influencing masters and PhD stuent enrolment: A case of public universities in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20853/40-1-6519Keywords:
environmental scanning, macro-environmental factors, micro-environmental factors, masters and doctorate enrolments, postgraduate educationAbstract
The dynamic higher education landscape and government recognition of universities' role in contributing towards a skilled workforce and socioeconomic development increased the demand for masters and doctorate enrolment at universities. There are however various factors that have resulted in a shortfall in enrolments at the postgraduate level. This study therefore aims to explore the environmental factors influencing the enrolment numbers of masters and doctorate students at public universities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The study used a purposive non-probability sampling procedure to select and interview four research managers and two marketing personnel using an in-depth semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse views and discover patterns for theme development. The findings indicate that student background, institutional environment, and political, social and economic factors have an impact on masters and doctorate enrolments at universities. Interestingly, student needs, expectations, and service preferences were highlighted as some of the factors that influence enrolment at the postgraduate level. In light of the findings, it appears that universities will not be able to contribute significantly towards the developmental agenda of the country through high-quality research and skills development. It is recommended that a formal environmental scanning framework is established to help universities formulate effective responses to any external environmental threats and institutional weaknesses
Downloads
References
Abbate, T. and F. Cesaroni. 2014. “Marketing Orientation and Academic Spin-off Firms”. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10016/18322 [Accessed 30 July 2016].
Abu-Rahma, A., and B. Jaleel. 2019. “Perceived uncertainty and use of environmental information in decision making: the case of the United Arab Emirates”. Journal of Organizational Analysis, 27(3): 690‒711. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2017-1205.
Adefulu, A., T. Farinloye, and E. Mogaji. 2020. “Factors Influencing Postgraduate Students’ University Choice in Nigeria”. In: E. Mogaji, F. Maringe and R. E. Hinson, eds. Higher Education Marketing in Africa.Switzerland: Springer Nature, 187‒225.
Alhojailan, M. I. 2012. Thematic Analysis: “A Critical Review of its Process and Evaluation.” West East Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1): 39–47.
Backhouse, J. P. 2009. “Doctoral Education in South Africa: Models, Pedagogies and Student Experiences.” Doctoral Thesis. Johannesburg: University of Witwatersrand.
Bagarukayo, E. and B. Kalema. 2015. “Evaluation of elearning usage in South African universities: A critical review.” International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 11(2): 168‒183.
Bhattacharyya, K. 2012. Communities of Practice Facilitating Learning and Innovation in the Indian Administrative Services-a Qualitative Investigative Study. London: City University.
Biermann, E. & Jordaan, M.C.E., 2007. Developing applied research skills in 4th year students using e-learning: A case study. Paper presented at the WWW Applications Conference, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Breier, M. and C. Herman. 2017. The PhD Conundrum in South African Academia. Higher Education Quarterly, 71(4): 1‒28.
Camilleri, M., 2020. Higher Education Marketing Communications in the Digital Era. In E. O. Mogaji,, F. Maringe, and R. E. Hinson. Marketing Higher Education in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. 1st Edition, CRC Press (Routledge), Oxford, UK.
Cant, M.C. 2016. Essentials of Marketing. 5th ed. Cape Town: Juta.
Castro, F. G., J. G. Kellison, S. J. Boyd, and A. Kopak. 2010. “A Methodology for Conducting Integrative Mixed Methods Research and Data Analysis”. Journal of Mixed Method Research, 4(4): 342‒360.
Carroll, D., E. Ng,. and D. Birch. 2013. “Strategies to Improve Retention of Postgraduate Business Students in Distance Education Courses: an Australian Case.” Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 14(1): 140‒153.
Cekiso, M., B. Tshotsho, R. Masha, and T. Saziwa. 2019. “Supervision experiences of postgraduate research students at one South African Higher Education Institution.” South African Journal of Higher Education, 33(3): 8‒25.
Chasi, S. 2019. North-South Partnerships in Public Higher Education: A selected South African Case Study. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand.
Chasi, S. 2020. Partnership with Universities in South Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Student and Staff Mobility. In: E. Mogaji, F. Maringe and R. E. Hinson, eds. Understanding the Market Higher Education in Africa. New York: Routledge. 89‒107.
Cloete, N., J. Mouton, and C. Sheppard. 2015. Doctoral Education in South Africa, Cape Town: African Minds.
Costa, K.A. 2019. “Systematic Review of Challenges in Research Supervision at Southern African Universities.” Preprints2018120305.http://dx:doi:10.20944/preprints201812.0305.v1.
Centre for Research on Science and Technology (CREST), 2009. Doctoral Students in South Africa: A Statistical Profile Based on HEMIS Data, Cape Town: Centre for Research on Science and Technology, Stellenbosch University.
Council on Higher Education, 2009. Postgraduate Studies in South Africa, Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
Council on Higher Education. 2018. VitalStats Public Higher Education, Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
Department of Education. 2001. National Plan on Higher Education in South Africa, Pretoria: Department of Education.
Department of Higher Education and Training. 2017. Annual Report 2016/17, Pretoria: Department of Higher Education and Training.
Department of Higher Education and Training. 2018. Statistics on Post-School Education and Training in South Africa 2016, Pretoria: Department of Higher Education and Training.
Department of Higher Education and Training. 2020. Are we Producing Enough Doctoral Graduates in Our Universities?, Pretoria: Department of Higher Education and Training.
Desmennu, A. T. and E. T. Owoaje. 2017. “Challenges of Research Conduct Among Postgraduate Research Students in an African University.” Educational Research and Reviews. 13(9): 336-342.
de Villiers, N. 2019. An examination of the factors that influence postgraduate students intention to stay in higher education. Masters thesis. KwaZulu-Natal: Stellenbosch University.
Dominguez-Whitehead, Y. 2015. Evaluating postgraduate preparation in the South African context. Assessment and evaluation in Higher education. 40(7): 914‒927.
Dye, J. 2013. Understanding the Information Needs of Postgraduate Taught Students and How These Can Be Met. London: International Insight group LTD.
Etikan, I., S. A. Musa, and R. S. Alkassim. 2016. Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling. American journal of theoretical and applied statistics, 5(1):1‒4.
Farrugia, B. 2019. WASP (write a scientific paper): Sampling in Qualitative Research. Early Human Development, 133 (1):69‒71.
Filip, A. 2012(a). A Global Analysis of the Educational Market Environment. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46: 1552‒1556.
Filip, A. 2012(b). Marketing Theory Applicable in Higher Education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46: 912‒916.
Friesenhahn, I. 2014. Making Higher Education Work for Africa: Facts and Figures. [Online] Available at: http://sciedev.net/global/education/feauture/higher-education-africa-facts-figures.html. [Accessed 10 June 2017].
Gilmour, D. & Soudien, C., 1994. Disadvantage in South African education: The issue of equality and equity in transformative policy and research. In: A. Dawes & D. Donald, eds. Childhood and adversity: Psychological perspectives from South African research. Cape Town: David Phillips, pp.220–239.
Gray. S. 2022. The importance of environmental scanning for successful marketing: An Analysis of Internal and external Fctors. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Marketing and Management: Theory and Practice, 9(3): 49‒55.
Guilbault, M. 2018. Students as Customers in Higher Education: The (controversial) Debate Needs to End. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 40 (C):295‒298.
Hadi, N. and B. Huhammad. 2019. Factors Influencing Postgraduate Students' Performance: A High Order Top Down Structural Equation Modelling Approach. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 19(2): 58‒73.
Hair, J. F., M. Celsi, D. J. Ortinau, and R. P. Bush. 2016. Essentials of Marketing Research. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill.
Hajar, A. and B. Mhamed. 2021. “Exploring Postgraduate Students' Challenges and Strategy Use while Writing a Master’s Thesis in an English-Medium University in Kazakhstan.” Tertiary Education and Management, 27: 187‒207.
Havenga, Y. and M. L. Sengane. 2018. “Challenges experienced by Postgraduate Nursing Students at a South African University”. Health SA Gesondheid, 23(1):1025‒9848.
Herman, C. 2009. Exemplary PhD Programmes in South Africa: A Qualitative Report of Constraints and Possibilities, Pretoria: Unpublished Report Commissioned by the ASSAF Panel On the PhD.
Herman, C. 2011. “Expanding Doctoral Education in South Africa-Pipeline or Pipedream?.” Higher Education Research and Development, 30(4): 1‒13.
Herman, C. 2012. “The Purpose of the PhD : a South African Perspective.” Higher Education Policy, 25 (1):. 1‒18.
Hooley, G., N. F. Piercy, B. Nicoulaud, and J. M. Rudd. 2017. Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning. 6th ed. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited.
IseOlorunkanmi, J.O., M. E. Rotimi, O. G. Adebola, A. L. Lawal, N. C. Henry and T. Adebisi. 2021. “Challenges in Nigeria’s Education Sector and the Migration of postgraduate students to South African Universities.” Cogent Social Sciences, 7(1): 1‒19.
Jowi, J. O. 2021. “Doctoral Traing in African Universities: Recent Trends, Developments and Issues.” Journal of British Academy, 9(s1): 159‒-181.
Kieu, T., E. Mogaji, C. Mwebesa, S. Sarofin, T. Soetan, and S. Vululle. 2020. Moving from research to practice: Marketing higher education in Africa. In: E. Mogaji, F. Maringe and R. E. Hinson, eds. Strategic Marketing of Higher Education in Africa. Abingdon Oxfordshire: Routledge.
Khauoe, T. and Fore, S. 2020. “Factors impacting postgraduate throughput rates at South African university of technology.” 18th Johannesburg conference on education, economics, Humanitiies and social sciences (EEHSS-20) Nov 16‒17, 2020. Johannesburg South Africa.
Kolb, B. 2018. Marketing Research. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Sage Publications Ltd.
Kuluvhe. M. and E. Netshifhefhe. 2023. Are we Producing Enough Doctoral Graduates in Our Universities?, Pretoria: Department of Higher Education and Training.
Leedy, P.D. and J. E. Ormrod. 2010. Practical Research. 9th ed. New Jersey: Pearson.
Luruli, N., G. Wangenge-Ouma, and T. Mgwebi. 2022. “Government funding of public higher education.” In Review of Higher Education in South Africa Twenty-five Years into Democracy. Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
Mahlangu, V.P. 2019. Rethinking Student Admission and Access in Higher Education Through the Lens of Capabilities Approach. International Journal of EducationalManagement, 34(2):450‒460.
Mail and Guardian. 2021. The future of postgraduate education. 15 March 2021. https://mg.co.za/special-reports/2021-10-15-the-future-of-postgraduate-education/
Mashile, E. O. and F. J. Pretorius. 2003. Challenges of Online Education in a Developing Country. South African Journal of Higher Education, 17(1):132‒139.
Mavundla, N. 2021. The motives behind students pursuing postgraduate studies in Humanities: A case study of postgraduate students at the university of KwaZulu-Natal. Masters thesis. KwaZulu-Natal : University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mlambo, C. C. 2017. Positioning Planning: Creating a Positioning Strategy for The Post-graduate International Students Market for the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Master of Commerce Dissertation. Durban: University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mouton, J., M. van Lill, J. Botha, N. Boshoff, A. Valentine, N. Cloete, and C. Sheppard. 2015. A study on the retention, completion and progress rates of South African postgraduate students. Research Report. Stellenbosch: Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology.
Mogaji, E., F. Maringe, and R. E. Hinson. 2020c. Understanding Higher Education Market in Africa. New York: Routledge.
Mushketova, N., E. Bydanova, and G. Rouet. 2018. “National Strategy for Promotion of Russian Universities in the World Market of Education Services.” International Journal of Educational Management, 32(1):46‒56.
Mutula, S. M. 2011. Challenges of Postgraduate Research: Case of Developing Countries. South African Journal of Library and Information Science, 77(1):184‒190.
National Planning Commission. 2012. National Development Plan: Vision 2030: Our Future-Make it Work. Pretoria: National Planning Commission.
Ndebele, N. C. and J. Ndlovu. 2019. “Employment Experiences of Postgraduate Students in KwaZulu-Natal: An intersection of Qualifications and Employability in the Labour Market.” South African Journal of Higher Education, 33(2):92‒106.
Ngcamu, B. S. 2019. Digitalising South African Universities: Exploring Benefits, Barriers and Risks. [Online]
Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/books/digital-leadership-a-new-leadership-style-for-the-21st-century/digitalizing-south-african-universities-exploring-benefits-barriers-and-risks [Accessed 20 July 2020].
Nkambule, T. 2014. Against all odds: The role of ‘community cultural wealth” in overcoming challenges as a black African woman. South African Journal of Higher Education. 1‒14
Nwedu, C. N. 2019. “Strategies and Opportunities for Student Recruitment and Retention in African Universities: Lessons from Western Universities.” Journal of Educational and Psychological Research, 1(2):1‒9.
Ostrom, A., M. Bitner, and K. V. Burkhard. 2011. Leveraging Service Blueprinting to Rethink Higher Educatiom: When Students Become Valued Customers, Everybody Wins, Washington: Centre for American Progress. [Online] Available at:https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/report/2011/10/31/10512/leveraging-service-blueprinting-to-rethink-higher-education/
Roberts, J. W. 2012. Beyond Learning by Doing: Theoretical Currents in Experiential Education. New Yorke: Routledge.
Sehoole, C. and H. De Wit. 2014. “The regionalisation, internationalisation, and globalisation of African higher education.” International Journal of African Higher Education, 1(1): 216‒240.
Sing, N. 2020. “Experiences of Doctoral Students’ Vulnerability in South Africa”. In: E. Mogaji, F. Maringe and R. E. Hinson, eds. Higher Education Marketing in Africa.Switzerland: Springer Nature, pp. 343‒367.
Strydom, J. 2014. Introduction to Marketing. 5th ed. Cape Town: Juta and Co.
Summer, E. 2007. “Student Targeting Marketing Strategies for Universities.” Journal of College Admission, 196: 14‒19.
Van der Merwe, I.J. 2004. “The humanities in a changing SA: Challenges and opportunities.” South African journal of higher education. 18(1):127‒139.
Wadesango, N. and S. Machingambi. 2011. “Post graduate students’ experiences with research supervisors.” Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 2(1):31‒37.
Wakeling, P. & Kyriacou, C., 2010. Widening participation from undergraduate to postgraduate research degrees: A research synthesis. Swindon, UK: NCCPE & ESRC.
Zikmund, W. G., B. J. Babin, J. C. Carr, and M. Griffin. 2011. Business Research Methods. 8th ed. Mason, Ohio: South Western.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Mzuyanda Christian, Samkele Konyana
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This journal is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Authors, copyright holders, may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors' publishers version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal homepage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: This is an electronic version of an article published in SAJHE, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX “XXX", DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/SAJHE) may be found.
Authors publishers version, affiliated with the Stellenbosch University will be automatically deposited in the University Institutional Repository SUNScholar.
Articles as a whole, may not be re-published with another journal.
The following license applies:
Attribution CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
