Programme Events

Second Semester

Tue 12 July Deadline: submission of approved proposal and recommendation by Doctoral Admissions Committee for HDRC approval at their third meeting in July
Mo 18 July 3rd Term starts
Thu 21 July

9:00-13:00

Workshop 6: Research Ethics

Presenter: Dr Samantha van Schalkwyk

Wed 27 July to Fri 29 July Three Day Writing workshop

Presenter: Dr Moyra Keane

(Taking place in person at STIAS, Stellenbosch)

Thu 11 Aug

11:00-12:30

14:00-16:00

Workshop 7: Introduction to different arts based approaches to data analysis and textual analysis

Textual analysis and close reading

Presenter: Professor Stella Viljoen

Qualitative data analysis

Presenter: Dr Anthea Lesch

Mid-August Proposal to go through Doctoral Admissions Committee (for submission to HDRC on 27 September)
Thu 25 Aug

10:00-13:00

Workshop 8: Mental Health

Presenter: Nordlind Fouche (SU Centre for Student Counselling and Development)

Fri 2 Sep 3rd Term Ends
Mo 5 Sep to Fri 9 Sep Recess
Mo 12 Sep 4th Term Starts
Thu 15 Sep

9:00-12:30

Workshop 9: Ethical clearance (technical aspects)

Presenter: Clarissa Graham (REC: SBE Coordinator)

Tue 27 Sep Final Deadline: submission of approved proposal and recommendation by Doctoral Admissions Committee for HDRC approval at their fourth meeting in October
Fri 21 Oct 4th Term Ends
Fri 9 Dec 2nd Semester Ends

First Semester

Workshop 1: Elements of a research proposal, with a special focus on conceptualizing and formulating research questions and rationale.

March 3 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

A participatory workshop on the basic building blocks of a research proposal.

Presenter: Prof. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

Readings

Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: a reflective Process. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22:4, 431-447.

O’Leary Z (2005). “From real problems to researchable questions.” In Z. O’Leary, Researching Real-World Problems: A Guide to Methods of Inquiry, pp. 23-38. Sage.

O’Leary, Z. (2004). “Developing Your Research Question.” In Z. O’Leary, The Essential Guide to Doing Research, pp. 28-41. Sage.

Bryman, A. (2016). “The nature of qualitative research.” In A. Bryman, Social Research Methods, pp. 379-413. Oxford.

Mapedzahama, V., & Kwansah-Aidoo, K. (2017). Blackness as burden? The lived experience of black Africans in Australia. Sage Open, 7(3), 1-13.

Webinar: PhD Completion – How to keep going

March 8 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Panelists: Dr Oladele Ayorinde & Professor Eric Worby

Professor Eric Worby will be in conversation with Dr Oladele Ayorinde about what it takes to complete the often long, arduous and ultimately life changing journey of a doctoral degree. They will reflect on the practical, psychological and political challenges (like imposter syndrome), on managing time, taking care, and how to cultivate resilience and joy in your thinking and writing in spite of it all.

Presentations: Title, Rationale and Problem Statement/Research Question.

March 10 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Facilitator: Dr Azille Coetzee.

PhD students to present their problem statements and the rationale of their research to members of the Centre for feedback.

Workshop 2: Critical reading and thinking

March 17 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Presenters: Dr Stephen David & Dr Wilhelm Verwoerd.

The aim of this session is to collaboratively reflect on the process of thinking. The workshop is designed to equip participants with the tools necessary to critically read and evaluate extant bodies of knowledge with the goal of generating new knowledge. One of the key concerns of the session is to examine the importance of formulating and asking the right questions whilst analysing and evaluating ideas and concepts.

Readings

hooks, bell. Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. Routledge, 2010. (Teaching 1 section).

McKittrick, Katherine. Dear Science and Other Stories. Duke UP, 2021.

Hamby, Benjamin. “Willingness to Inquire: The Cardinal Critical Thinking Virtue.” The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Thinking in Higher Education, edited by Martin Davies and Ronald Barnett, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013, pp. 77–87.

Bailin, Sharon and Mark Battersby. “Fostering the Virtues of Inquiry”, Topoi, vol. 35, no. 2, 2016, pp. 367–374.

Workshop 3: Designing research methodologies, developing interview questions

March 24 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Facilitator: Dr Samantha van Schalkwyk

A participatory workshop aimed at preparing students for qualitative research and interviews.

Readings

Marshall, C & Rossman, G.B. (2016). “Qualitative Research Genres”. In C. Marshall and G.B Rossman, Designing Qualitative Research, pp.61- 119. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Creswell, J.W. (2007). “Designing a qualitative study.” In C. Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among five approaches, pp. 35-52. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Creswell, J.W. (2007). “Five qualitative approaches to inquiry.” In C. Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among five approaches, pp. 53-84. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

**Wengraf, T. (2001). Models of Research Design and their Application to Semi-Structured Depth Interviewing. In T. Wengraf, Qualitative Research Interviewing: Biographic Narrative and Semi-Structured Methods, pp. 51-59. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Wengraf, T. (2001). Lightly and Heavily Structured Depth Interviewing: Theory-Questions and Interviewer-Questions. In T. Wengraf, Qualitative Research Interviewing: Biographic Narrative and Semi-Structured Methods, pp. 60-70. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Wengraf, T. (2001). Preparing for any Interviewing Sequence. In T. Wengraf, Qualitative Research Interviewing: Biographic Narrative and Semi-Structured Methods, pp. 72-110. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Wengraf, T. (2001). Preparing Lightly-Structured Depth Interviews: A Design for a BNIM-Type Biographic-Narrative Interview. In T. Wengraf, Qualitative Research Interviewing: Biographic Narrative and Semi-Structured Methods, pp. 111-151. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Wengraf, T. (2001). Preparing Moderately-or Heavily-Structured Interviews. In T. Wengraf, Qualitative Research Interviewing: Biographic Narrative and Semi-Structured Methods, pp. 152-182. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

** Calder-Dawe, O. & Gavey, N. (2017). Feminism, Foucault, and Freire: A Dynamic Approach to Sociocultural Research. Qualitative Psychology, 27, 1-16.

**Fine, M. (2016). Just methods in revolting times. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 13(4), 347-365.

Workshop 4: Theoretical framings

April 7 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Presenter: Dr Melike Fourie

The theoretical framework introduces and describes the theory, with reference to relevant scholarly literature, that will be used to explain, predict, and understand the phenomenon under investigation. The concept and relevance of a sound theoretical framework in research projects, and the essential steps in developing an appropriate theoretical framework will be discussed in this workshop.

Readings

Kivunja, C. (2018). Distinguishing between Theory, Theoretical Framework, and Conceptual Framework: A Systematic Review of Lessons from the Field. International Journal of Higher Education, 7(6), 44-53

Grant, C. & Osanloo, A. (2014). Understanding, Selecting, and Integrating a Theoretical Framework in Dissertation Research: Creating the Blueprint for Your “House”. Administrative Issues Journal: Connecting Education, Practice, and Research, 4(2), 12-26

Collins C.S. & Stockton C.M. (2018). The Central Role of Theory in Qualitative Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17(1), 1-10.

Workshop 5: Finding your voice

May 5 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Presenters: Dr Stephen David & Dr Wilhelm Verwoerd

This workshop exposes students to a range of perspectives on the challenges posed by reflexivity and ‘finding your voice’ as a PhD student. Using a participatory approach, students are also invited to identify their own challenges as well as to articulate their own responses in a supportive workshop environment. The facilitators will also weave their embodied learning from their own academic journeys into the workshop.

Readings

Finlay, L. (2002) “Negotiating the Swamp: The Opportunity and Challenge of Reflexivity in Research Practice.” Qualitative Research, 2.2, 209–230.

Gravett, K. (2021) “Disrupting the doctoral journey: re-imagining doctoral pedagogies and temporal practices in higher education”, Teaching in Higher Education, 26:3, 293-305.

McQuillan (ed), D. (2021) “Finding Your Voice In Academic Writing”. https://arrow.tudublin.ie/researchporbk/3

Robbins, S.P. (2016) “Finding Your Voice as an Academic Writer (and Writing Clearly).” Journal of social work education 52.2: 133–135.

Enquiries

Dr. Azille Coetzee
Dr. Azille CoetzeeResearcher and Postgraduate Programme Convenor