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An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT)
The quest for institutional transformation has created a need to continually challenge traditional notions of what an academic is and should be. While several studies have explored academics' experiences to engender transformation systems, few studies have focused strictly on emerging academics (per...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Psychology
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613206235578368 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Odiase, Osareme Nathan |
| author2 | Kessi, Shose |
| author_browse | Kessi, Shose Odiase, Osareme Nathan |
| author_facet | Kessi, Shose Odiase, Osareme Nathan |
| author_sort | Odiase, Osareme Nathan |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The quest for institutional transformation has created a need to continually challenge traditional notions of what an academic is and should be. While several studies have explored academics' experiences to engender transformation systems, few studies have focused strictly on emerging academics (permanently working scholars within the first five years of academic careers). These early-career academics are faced with the challenge of adapting to the institutional culture and meeting disciplinary standards of performance. Their novelty in the system makes them more vulnerable to the effect of these challenges. This study aimed to identify how they navigate these challenges, what defines them as academics, what impacts their academic freedoms, how they challenge disciplinary standards of performance, and the extent to which institutional culture affects their experiences. Through a purposive and snowball sampling strategy, 20 academics were selected from the University of Cape Town (UCT) to study. They were interviewed using a semi-structured approach and were asked openended questions with an interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data as it utilized an ideographic approach in providing insights into the participants' lived experiences. This methodological approach also helped prioritize how the study is carried out and explore participants' meaning-making processes. The participants perceived being an academic as an opportunity for subjective self-expression and a character-building process. They conceded that being an academic required genuine intellectual curiosity and a platform to engender innovation. The study also uncovered the effects of UCT's institutional and transformative plan on assimilating into the academic space. Academics perceived the performance appraising structure as too prescriptive and affirmed their desire to harness their positions to build strong interpersonal relations with students. The study recommends a more comprehensive and longitudinal approach to studying academic experiences focusing on the psycho-social factors influencing these experiences. The research further suggests a streamlined and faculty-based approach to further strengthening educational support systems at UCT. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36104 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:27.580Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Department of Psychology |
| publisherStr | Department of Psychology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36104 An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Odiase, Osareme Nathan Kessi, Shose Malinga, Mandisa Emerging Academics Transformation Disciplinary Standards Academic Freedoms Institutional Culture Academia Thematic Analysis The quest for institutional transformation has created a need to continually challenge traditional notions of what an academic is and should be. While several studies have explored academics' experiences to engender transformation systems, few studies have focused strictly on emerging academics (permanently working scholars within the first five years of academic careers). These early-career academics are faced with the challenge of adapting to the institutional culture and meeting disciplinary standards of performance. Their novelty in the system makes them more vulnerable to the effect of these challenges. This study aimed to identify how they navigate these challenges, what defines them as academics, what impacts their academic freedoms, how they challenge disciplinary standards of performance, and the extent to which institutional culture affects their experiences. Through a purposive and snowball sampling strategy, 20 academics were selected from the University of Cape Town (UCT) to study. They were interviewed using a semi-structured approach and were asked openended questions with an interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data as it utilized an ideographic approach in providing insights into the participants' lived experiences. This methodological approach also helped prioritize how the study is carried out and explore participants' meaning-making processes. The participants perceived being an academic as an opportunity for subjective self-expression and a character-building process. They conceded that being an academic required genuine intellectual curiosity and a platform to engender innovation. The study also uncovered the effects of UCT's institutional and transformative plan on assimilating into the academic space. Academics perceived the performance appraising structure as too prescriptive and affirmed their desire to harness their positions to build strong interpersonal relations with students. The study recommends a more comprehensive and longitudinal approach to studying academic experiences focusing on the psycho-social factors influencing these experiences. The research further suggests a streamlined and faculty-based approach to further strengthening educational support systems at UCT. 2022-03-15T12:47:18Z 2022-03-15T12:47:18Z 2021 2022-03-14T07:56:23Z Master Thesis Masters MSocSci http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36104 eng application/pdf Department of Psychology Faculty of Humanities |
| spellingShingle | Emerging Academics Transformation Disciplinary Standards Academic Freedoms Institutional Culture Academia Thematic Analysis Odiase, Osareme Nathan An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| title_full | An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| title_fullStr | An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| title_short | An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Emerging Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| title_sort | exploratory study on the experiences of emerging academics at the university of cape town uct |
| topic | Emerging Academics Transformation Disciplinary Standards Academic Freedoms Institutional Culture Academia Thematic Analysis |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36104 |
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