A staff development programme for newly appointed academics in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State

English: In this research project, an in-depth study was conducted with a view to developing a formal, outcomes-based staff development programme aimed at orientating, developing and supporting the newly appointed academic staff member in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FoHS), University of the Free State (UFS). The training and development of academic staff members have not yet been researched in the FoHS setting and it is believed that by offering newly appointed staff members appropriate, scientifically founded, outcomes-based staff development opportunities, they might be integrated in the educational culture of the faculty with more ease, and become better equipped health sciences educators. The overall goal of the study was to provide quality training to newly appointed academic staff members in the FoHS, UFS, with a view to improving the overall quality of teachinglearning, educational research and administrative competence; to ensure continued highlevel academic activities in departments, schools, the faculty and the university and, most important, to enhance the learning success of the students who ultimately, as health care professionals exiting our institution, will offer a skilful and valuable service to their communities. The overall research question which was pursued was: What should an outcomes-based staff development programme, which complies with adult education principles, and is aimed at newly appointed academic staff members in Health Sciences, entail? This study included components of both qualitative and quantitative research. The purpose of the literature study was to contextualise and conceptualise staff development for newly appointed academics. A qualitative phenomenological research design, making use of focus group interviews, was used to determine how a cohort of newly appointed academics, who attended the course for newly appointed lecturers in the FoHS, UFS, during the previous three years (2011-2013), had experienced the course. Findings of the questionnaire survey were used to inform the content of the envisaged staff development programme for newly appointed academic staff in the FoHS, UFS. In terms of the focus group interview findings, respondents overall expressed positive experiences, but room for improvement in the existing course for newly appointed lecturers was identified. The findings of these interviews were used to make improvements to the 2014 and 2015 courses for newly appointed lecturers offered by the DHSE in the FoHS, UFS. The results of the questionnaire survey gave an indication when the newly appointed academics should be exposed to certain roles. These results also were used to determine the timeframe and additional topics to be included in the final programme. Findings from the literature study and the questionnaire survey were used to identify needs of the FoHS, UFS academics and competencies of an academic in health sciences, which in turn were used to develop a three-phase staff development programme. Each phase in the programme consists of several units with unique outcomes and learning activities which consider the adult learner. A contribution is made and new knowledge is added to both the fields of staff development and health sciences education. By exploring the experiences of newly appointed academics and describing responses of both newly appointed and more experienced academic staff members at the FoHS, UFS, a faculty-specific staff development programme was developed. The research approach followed ensured quality, trustworthiness, reliability and validity in the research. The developed programme ensures a basis for follow-up research in terms of implementation and evaluation of this programme, as well as related future research.