Doctoral Degrees (School of Higher Education Studies)
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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (School of Higher Education Studies) by Advisor "Erasmus, Mabel A."
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Item Open Access Community service learning as a transformative tool for infusing the university curriculum with graduate attributes for improved service delivery(University of the Free State, 2016) Pitso, Pulane Lerato; Erasmus, Mabel A.; Teise, Victor N.๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐ Over the past few years, higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide, including in South Africa, have come under increasing pressure to bridge the gap between employer expectations and higher education outcomes. As such, community service learning (CSL) as a form of community engagement has been identified as an important transformative pedagogical tool that can transcend lecture halls and realign the curriculum to resonate with the demands of society. The aim of this study was to design a framework for the infusion of graduate attributes (specifically those required for the implementation of the Batho Pele principles) in CSL modules towards improved public service delivery. This was done by means of a contextualised perspective on public service delivery, with reference to the implementation of the Batho Pele principles, as central to the transformation of public service delivery and the role of CSL in infusing such graduate attributes for improved service delivery. This study was predominantly qualitative in nature, using a phenomenological research design conducted in the transformative paradigm to generate empirical data. The first stage of the empirical part of the study focused on determining the current state of public service in terms of the implementation of the Batho Pele principles. In this regard, data was generated through a focus group discussion with the managers of the selected non-profit organisations, as well as semistructured interviews with selected public servants. In the second stage of the empirical study, the focus was on determining the extent to which the graduate attributes (specifically those required for the implementation of the Batho Pele principles) are instilled in students by means of an exit-level CSL module (GOVE3724). This was achieved through document review, as well as pre- and post-implementation student questionnaires completed by students enrolled in the Governance and Political Transformation undergraduate programme. In addition, GOVE3724 academic staff members/facilitators participated in semi-structured interviews and self-administered survey questionnaires. The findings of the study culminated in a framework outlining the graduate attributes (specifically those required for the implementation of the Batho Pele principles) in CSL modules towards improved public service delivery. The resulting framework points to the need for a realignment of the entire curriculum with the infusion of such graduate attributes, entrenching and institutionalising the organisational culture characterised by a citizen-oriented approach (the Batho Pele initiative) through the use of CSL as a transformative pedagogical tool to explicitly infuse graduate attributes in university students for improved service delivery. The study revealed that although the Batho Pele principles are central to public service transformation, their implementation is currently lacking, partly due to a lack of supervision within government. Internal weaknesses and operational challenges within the system must be removed, while government must shift from perceiving citizens as โmereโ sources of information and instead treat them as active partners in the effort to improve service delivery. It is crucial that initiatives aimed at improving service delivery are executed through a multifaceted and collaborative approach, as a crucial requirement for effective and efficient service delivery, to the benefit of all sectors of civil society, including those that have been historically marginalised. ___________________________________________________________________