The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) College of Humanities offers a robust Doctoral Coursework Programme, meticulously designed to strengthen the research capabilities of its doctoral candidates. This intensive programme, delivered via webinars, focuses on equipping students with the essential knowledge and skills to conduct impactful research. Specifically, the “Research Proposal Development II” module is a cornerstone of this initiative, scheduled for August, September, and October 2024, and accessible through Learn 2024 Ukzn platforms.
Expert Facilitation for Doctoral Excellence
This module is expertly coordinated by Professor Jannie Smit and Professor Relebohile Moletsane, ensuring high-quality guidance throughout. A diverse team of facilitators, all leading academics within the UKZN School of Education and School of Applied Human Sciences, contribute their specialized knowledge. These facilitators include:
- Prof. Nyna Amin
- Prof. Carol Bertram
- Prof Lauren Dyll
- Prof. Johannes John-Langba
- Prof. Nhlanhla Mkhize
- Prof. Matshepo Matoane
- Prof. Anna Meyer-Weitz
- Dr. Adele Munsami
- Prof. Michael Samuel
- Prof. Jannie Smit
- Prof. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy
Their collective expertise ensures a comprehensive and enriching learning experience for all doctoral students participating in learn 2024 ukzn.
Programme Overview: Building Research Capacity in Africa
The Humanities Doctoral Coursework Programme at UKZN serves as a crucial intervention to build research capacity. It aims to provide doctoral students with a strong foundation in research methodologies and theoretical frameworks. The programme is specifically tailored to address societal problems and contribute to knowledge that can tackle contemporary social, educational, and behavioral challenges prevalent in Africa.
Through advanced training, students will delve into social, educational, and behavioral research theory and methodology. They will also gain in-depth understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks and policies within education, humanities, and social sciences. The curriculum emphasizes practical application, with students learning and practicing advanced qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research approaches, as well as data analysis and interpretation techniques. A key aspect of the programme is the close collaboration between doctoral students and their assigned supervisors. This partnership helps students define a specialized area of study, informing their coursework assignments and, most importantly, their doctoral research proposal, which will guide their thesis journey.
Research Proposal Development Module: A Webinar Series
The “Research Proposal Development” module is delivered through a series of webinars, making it accessible through learn 2024 ukzn. This module is designed to guide students through the critical steps of crafting a robust research proposal, a fundamental requirement by the end of their first year. Key topics covered include:
- Identifying a Research Idea and Topic: Guidance on selecting relevant and impactful research areas.
- Conceptualizing the Research Problem: Defining clear problem statements, objectives, and research questions.
- Literature Review Mastery: Understanding the role and process of critical literature review, including utilizing major research databases and empirical sources.
- Theoretical and Philosophical Foundations: Exploring the nature and importance of theory, philosophical underpinnings of research in Humanities and Social Sciences, and developing suitable conceptual and theoretical frameworks.
- Research Design and Methodology: Choosing appropriate research designs, analytical approaches, and research methodologies.
- Data Generation Strategies and Instruments: Learning effective data generation techniques and utilizing appropriate instruments.
- Sampling Strategies: Understanding population versus sample considerations.
- Ensuring Rigor and Validity: Addressing reliability, validity, and rigor in research.
- Ethical Research Practices: Navigating international and local ethical guidelines, national laws on research with human subjects, and understanding research misconduct, fraud, and plagiarism.
- Components of a Research Proposal: Detailed breakdown of all essential components.
- Novelty and Originality: Emphasizing the importance of these aspects in a PhD thesis.
- Thesis Structure: Guidance on organizing PhD chapters.
- Project Management: Time scheduling and budgeting for the research project.
Module Learning Outcomes: Skills for Research Success
Active participation in all webinar sessions and critical engagement with the provided literature, both before and after sessions, are expected of doctoral candidates utilizing learn 2024 ukzn. The primary goal of this module is to empower students to select suitable research topics, conceptualize viable research projects, and develop strong, ethically sound research proposals. Upon completion of this module, students will be better equipped to:
a) Synthesize Literature and Identify Research Gaps: Effectively extract information from existing literature and pinpoint areas requiring further investigation, leading to well-defined research questions.
b) Analyze Research Issues in Context: Critically analyze research issues, considering research gaps, socio-cultural and socio-political contexts, target populations, and the broader impact on communities and society.
c) Select Appropriate Research Paradigms and Methods: Choose suitable research paradigms, designs, data generation methods, and research instruments to effectively address the research problem.
d) Implement Ethical Research Procedures: Describe and implement appropriate steps and procedures to safeguard research participants and adhere to ethical considerations.
e) Ensure Research Viability and Validity: Demonstrate the viability, reliability, validity, and/or trustworthiness of their chosen research design.
f) Communicate Research Significance: Effectively communicate the anticipated significance and potential impact of their research results.
g) Develop Implementable Research Proposals: Translate their understanding of research proposal components into realistic and implementable proposals, complete with budgets and timelines.
Recommended Resources and UKZN Policies
To support students throughout this module and their broader PhD journey, the following recommended basic methods texts are invaluable resources:
- Cresswell, J.W. & C.N. Poth, C.N. 2018. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. 4th Edition. Los Angeles: SAGE. (The 2nd Edition of 2007 is available open access: https://revistapsicologia.org/public/formato/cuali2.pdf.)
- Cresswell, J.W. & J.D. Creswell 2018. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 5th Edition. Thousand Oakes, CA: SAGE. (The 3rd Edition, 2009, is available open access: https://www.ucg.ac.me/skladiste/blog_609332/objava_105202/fajlovi/Creswell.pdf.)
- Trafford, V. & S. Leshem, S. 2008. Stepping Stones to Achieving your Doctorate: Focusing on your Viva from the Start. Berkshire & New York: Open University. (Earlier 2002 paper version available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310055048_Starting_at_the_end_to_undertake_doctoral_research_Predictable_questions_as_stepping-stones/link/59a5707d0f7e9b348eb00f27/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19.)
Furthermore, students are urged to familiarize themselves with key UKZN policies:
- UKZN APA & Harvard Styles of Referencing: https://libguides.ukzn.ac.za/c.php?g=1043478&p=7569657
- UKZN Plagiarism Policy: https://utlo.ukzn.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/UKZN-Plagiarism-Policy-CO05041209.pdf
- UKZN College of Humanities PhD Policies: Available from the Research and Higher Degrees Committee of each school.
Preparation for Week 1: Doctorateness and Research Process
To prepare for the first session on Tuesday, 20 August 2024, participants accessing learn 2024 ukzn should review the following readings:
- Leshem, S. 2021. The Question of Doctorateness: Theory and Practice. Doctoral School Annual Lecture 2020. University of Malta Doctoral School. Available at: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/73548/1/DSAnnLect_2020_FOR%20UPLOADIGN%20TO%20UM%20OAR.pdf
- Trafford, V. & S. Leshem, S. 2008. Stepping Stones to Achieving your Doctorate: Focusing on your Viva from the Start. Berkshire & New York: Open University. (2002 paper also available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310055048_Starting_at_the_end_to_undertake_doctoral_research_Predictable_questions_as_stepping-stones/link/59a5707d0f7e9b348eb00f27/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19.)
Weekly Module Topics and Schedule
The “Research Proposal Development II” module, accessible through learn 2024 ukzn, follows a structured weekly schedule:
- Week 1 (20 August 2024): Doctorateness, the Research Process, and Research Proposal Development and RP Finalisation (Prof Jannie Smit & Prof Nhlanhla Mkhize)
- Week 2 (27 August 2024): The Quantitative Research Process and Research Paradigms for Research Proposal Development (Prof Anna Meyer-Weitz & Prof Nyna Amin)
- Week 3 (03 September 2024): RP Development and Social and Educational Policy Analysis for Policy Renewal and Implementation (Prof Michael Samuel and Prof Carol Bertram)
- Week 4 (10 September 2024): The Basics of Scholarly Literature Review in PhD Research; and Quantitative Research Methods for RP Development (Prof Lauren Dyll; Prof Radhamany Sooryamoorthy)
- Week 5 (17 September 2024): Research Proposal Development, and Qualitative, and Mixed Methods and Quantitative Research Ethics in African Contexts (Prof Nhlanhla Mkhize; and Prof Matshepo Matoane)
- Mid-Term Break: Saturday, 21 – Sunday 29 September 2024
- Week 6 (01 October 2024): The RP, and Research Instrument Development for both Data Generation and Analysis/ Interpretation (Dr Adele Munsamy & Prof JA Smit)
PhD Coursework Research Proposal Submissions and Assessment
Formative Assessment Progress Workshops – FIRST Year Semester 1 PhD Students (January – December 2024)
| Date | Time | Workshop Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 02 September 2024 | 10.00 – 13.00 | UKZN PhD Students – Research Proposal Development Progress Workshop |
| Monday 02 September 2024 | 16.00 – 19.00 | FIRST Year IUC PhD Students – Research Proposal Development Progress Workshop |
*Summative Assessment Online Submissions – FIRST Year Semester 1 PhD Students (January – December 2024)**
| Date | Time | Assessment Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday – Thursday, 21 – 24 October | 16.00 – 19.00 | Mock defence of Research Proposal in online groups, via scheduled ZOOM meetings. |
| Friday 25 October 2024 | 24.00 | UKZN & IUC PhD Students – Final Research Proposal ONLINE submission on learn 2024 ukzn |
Formative Assessment Progress Workshops – FIRST Year Semester 2 PhD Students (July 2024 – June 2025)
| Date | Time | Workshop Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 03 March 2025 | 10.00 – 13.00 | UKZN PhD Students – Research Proposal Development Progress Workshop |
| Monday 03 March 2025 | 16.00 – 19.00 | FIRST Year IUC PhD Students – Research Proposal Development Progress Workshop |
*Summative Assessment Online Submissions – FIRST Year Semester 2 PhD Students (July 2024 – June 2025)**
| Date | Time | Assessment Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday – Thursday, 21 – 24 October | 16.00 – 19.00 | Mock defence of Research Proposal in online groups, via scheduled ZOOM meetings. |
| Friday 26 May 2025 | 24.00 | UKZN & IUC PhD Students – Final Research Proposal ONLINE submission on learn 2024 ukzn |
* Students are encouraged to submit their proposals to their respective School Research Proposal Review Committees once they have supervisor support for submission.
This comprehensive Doctoral Coursework Programme, accessible through learn 2024 ukzn, is a vital step in your doctoral journey at UKZN, providing the necessary tools and support for impactful research.
