期刊名称：International Online Journal of Educational Sciences
电子版ISSN：1309-2707
出版年度：2014
卷号：6
期号：1
页码：95-101
出版社：IOJES
摘要：Academic development practitioners in most institutions in South Africa grapple with the issue of identity andestablishing themselves in their role of staff developing academics. Informed by Archer 's theory of structure, culture andagency, this qualitative study sought to establish cultural factors enabling or constraining academic developers in performingtheir staff development functions in three historically disadvantaged universities in South Africa. The study utilised a casestudy design in which a purposive sample of academic development practitioners from three South African universitiesparticipated. Data were collected through individual interviews with participants. Content analysis was used to interpret data.The study found that academic staff developers faced a lot of resistance from academic staff members who were themselvesresistant to change, held academic development centres with mistrust as they perceived them as managerial units and in somecases were outright uncooperative showing a negative attitude towards staff development efforts by academic developers. Thestudy found that there were enabling cultural factors that included the willingness of new and young staff members to participatein staff development programmes. The study concludes that it some cases it was not easy for academic development practitionersto establish themselves and perform their functions. The study recommends the need for systematic buy-in to ensure mindsetchange and cooperation from academics
