Integrating graduate attributes into a Master of Divinity programme at a South African university

Nell, Ian A.; Bosman, JP

doi:10.20853/31-1-868

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…A final suggestion for a future research agenda item involves further studies around staff at all levels of the university to determine their level of engagement with the learning and development of graduate attributes. This issue was also previously highlighted by authors such as Koen (2011), Mashiyi (2015) and Nell and Bosman (2017) and underscores the need to investigate how, for instance, new staff could be best orientated towards promoting graduate attributes with their students. Such research may also promote the development of learning programmes and courses, which would afford lecturers more time and a firmer platform to make connections between course material and the learning of graduate attributes.…”

Section: Implications For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…However, both Kew (2014, 6) and Mashiyi (2015) contend that there is a serious paucity of research on graduate attributes in the South African context. Nell and Bosman (2017) also highlight that often, institutional policies on GAs are implemented without a careful consideration of the contextual basis within which it is positioned.…”

Section: Graduate Attributes In South African Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Graduate attributes: How some university students experience and learn them

Bitzer

Withering

2020

SAJHE

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The voices of university students are often absent from academic discourses on the learning of graduate attributes (GAs). Such attributes are mostly constructed and conceptualised from the viewpoint of academics, institutions, education authorities and industry. However, as students within democratic contexts are increasingly challenged to assume greater responsibility for their own growth and development, it seems imperative that they participate in discussions related to the acquiring of graduate attributes. This article reports on how students at one South African university understand and relate to graduate attributes. Data were generated from a group of students at the University of the Western Cape through focus group interviews and photo elicitation. The results indicate that students who understand what graduate attributes are and how they can acquire these attributes might enhance such students' further growth and their employability.

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Section: Implications For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Graduate Attributes In South African Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Graduate attributes: How some university students experience and learn them

Bitzer

Withering

2020

SAJHE

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“…At SU, from 2015, we started a process of embedding the graduate attributes in the curriculum of certain chosen programmes in the 10 faculties of the university (Nell & Bosman 2017). This initiative was performed to ensure that students acquire the core competencies that move them towards graduate success.…”

Section: Review Of Relevant Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Competency-based theological education in a postcolonial context: Towards a transformed competency framework

Nell

2020

Transformation in Higher Education

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Therefore, the assessment of students enjoys a high priority in higher education institutions all around the world, and there are also ongoing efforts to improve it by adopting new policies every year. All this is related to quality assurance and control and forms an integral part of the Higher Education Qualification Framework in South Africa. At the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University (SU) (2013), we are currently in the process of going through a new phase of policy renewal in this regard and it forces every lecturer to investigate in depth his or her various forms of assessment.Background: Assessment of students for ministerial practice is traditionally performed through assignments and oral examinations, which often only concentrate on the knowledge component and outcomes of the programme. Assessing students in this way lead to a view of religious practitioners as people who are not really in touch with their parishioners and communicating in language that is not addressing their needs and this normally leads to a disjuncture between knowledge, practice and context. Disjuncture of this nature signals a need for a broader set of competencies than simply working with and analysing texts in theological education. Aim:The aim of this research is to develop a set of competencies that responds to the reality that the practice of ministry takes place within a rich diversity of postcolonial settings and practices. Setting:The research was done as part of my own interest in developing a competency framework for religious leaders. I am coordinating the Master of Divinity program as well as the Postgraduate Diploma in Christian Ministry at our Faculty of Theology. Both these programs directly relate to the preparation of students for ministerial leadership. Methods:The central research question of this study was formulated as follows: What are the central ingredients for developing a competency framework for ministerial formation from a postcolonial perspective at a research-intensive university in South Africa? The method that was used to answer the research question was a literary study of primary and secondary sources related to a broad set of competencies and then narrowing it down to religious leadership as well as some qualitative empirical research in the form of personal interviews. Results:The research in the article looked at the ways in which a competency framework can help translate generic graduate attributes into a set of competencies that is specific to the field of ministerial training. Some empirical work showed evidence of a growing postcolonial awareness in the development of these competencies. Conclusion:Through this research a competency framework for religious leaders has successfully been developed. The next phase of the research project will be to implement the framework, to have feedback and to make some adjustments.

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“…Measuring graduate attributes is complicated, partly due to the conceptual ambiguity noted. Graduate attributes are typically developed longitudinally, making them challenging to operationalize, and context dependent, limiting the generalizability of scales (Hughes and Barrie, 2010;Cavanagh et al, 2015;Nell and Bosman, 2017). Graduate attributes often include a combination of skills, dispositions, values, and competencies that may be more abstract and difficult to quantify (Hinchliffe and Jolly, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of doctoral graduate attributes: Domains and definitions

Senekal

Munnik²,

Frantz³

2022

Front. Educ.

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Doctoral graduate attributes are the qualities, skills, and competencies that graduates possess, having completed their doctorate degree. Graduate attributes, in general, lack conceptual clarity, making the investigation into and quality assurance processes attached to doctoral outcomes challenging. As many graduate attributes are “unseen” or implicit, the full range of attributes that doctoral graduate actually possess needs to be synthesized, so that they may be recognized and utilized by educational stakeholders. The aim of this study was to establish and describe what attributes graduates from doctoral degrees possess. A systematic review of peer-reviewed, primary literature published between January 2016 and June 2021 was conducted, identifying 1668 articles. PRISMA reporting was followed, and after screening and full text critical appraisal, 35 articles remained for summation through thematic synthesis. The doctoral graduate attribute domains identified included knowledge, research skills, communication skills, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, reputation, scholarship, higher order thinking skills, personal resourcefulness, and active citizenship. Many of the domains were conceptualized as transferable or interdisciplinary, highlighting the relevance of the attributes doctoral graduates possess. The review findings align with existing frameworks yet extend those that tend to focus on generic “seen” attributes, and include a range of “unseen”, intrinsic qualities as outcomes of the doctoral degree. The review contributes to the conceptual development of doctoral graduate attributes, by synthesizing actual outcomes, as opposed to prospective attributes or attributes-in-process. Doctoral graduate attributes should be conceptualized to integrate both generic attributes alongside intrinsic qualities that are important for employability. Increased awareness as to the scope of doctoral graduate attributes among stakeholders, such as doctoral supervisors, students, graduates and employers, may facilitate improved educational outcomes and employability. Future research into the contextual relevance of the domains identified and how they are developed may be beneficial. Future research could involve the development of context-relevant scales to empirically measure doctoral graduate attributes among alumni populations, as a quality assurance outcome indicator. Such findings could inform program reform, improving the relevance of doctoral education and the employability of doctoral graduates.

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Integrating graduate attributes into a Master of Divinity programme at a South African university

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Graduate attributes: How some university students experience and learn them

Graduate attributes: How some university students experience and learn them

Competency-based theological education in a postcolonial context: Towards a transformed competency framework

A systematic review of doctoral graduate attributes: Domains and definitions

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