Qualifications development for an unknown future

Abstract

Curriculum development at universities of technology (UoTs) in South Africa has become a matter of urgency given the revised Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF). The HEQSF required large-scale curriculum revision of existing qualifications and curriculum development of new qualifications such as the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDips). This paper focuses on challenges encountered in developing PGDips in business studies, for future implementation regarding knowledge, pedagogy and professional practice. Four PGDip qualifications were purposively selected for this study based on having completed certain curriculum development processes. Data generation by means of interviews with lecturers tasked with curriculum development provided insights into their perceptions of the process and its challenges. The data were subjected to content analysis from which the main themes were extrapolated. These themes served as the backdrop for the literature review, and theoretical perspectives on the production and recontextualisation of curriculum content provided a lens for analysis and discussion. The findings show that curriculum development for professional qualifications requires collaborative efforts between faculty and industry to present a qualification that meets all stakeholders’ expectations. The significance of this study relates to the challenges faced by universities to develop qualifications for an unknown future of fluid business environments.