SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Doctor of Philosophy: Curriculum Studies

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
15557	Doctor of Philosophy: Curriculum Studies
ORIGINATOR
University of Pretoria
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Doctoral Degree	Field 05 - Education, Training and Development		Higher Education and Training
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	360	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 10	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 091/21	2021-07-01	2023-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30		2027-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

1. This whole qualification aims to expose postgraduate students of education, who have previously studied towards a Master's degree in education and teacher education specifically, to the research field of Curriculum Studies.

2. One of the most important aim of the qualification is to provide doctoral students with the required research and analytical expertise and skills, with the intention of processing and interpreting complex and multi-dimensional teaching and training issues. Students will therefore be subjected to various and different research strategies and techniques, allowing them to apply and utilise such skills in their investigations.

3. The second purpose with the qualification is to provide South Africa with a cadre of teaching and education experts, capable of assuming leadership roles in the field of teaching, training and classroom practice. The emphasis falls on knowledge and expertise in subject and learning area teaching with an emphasis on the understanding of the nature of the subject, its substance and its syntax.

4. The third purpose of the qualification is to provide real-life, trans-disciplinary team-building, research and project management experiences by exposing doctoral students to a variety of scientific disciplines and backgrounds that relate to Curriculum Studies (CS).

5. The fourth purpose of the qualification is to provide doctoral students with an adequate background of the complex teaching environments and to allow them to contribute towards the generation of new information and theories in the field of CS.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Matriculation certificate
First degree: Any Bachelor's degree of 360 credits (BA, B Sc, B Com, or B Ed (undergraduate, level 6a) or 480 credits (BA (Ed), B Com (Ed) or B Prim Ed, level 6b) which qualifies as a teaching qualification in terms of the appropriate school subjects or learning areas selected. The possession of a professional teaching qualification (HED/PGCE) is compulsory towards the registration for a B Ed (Postgraduate).
Honours degree: B Ed (Postgraduate, level 7) or any Honours qualification of which the main focus applies to a school subject or learning area.
Master's degree: M Ed
Other:
Any other qualification and appropriate practical experiences, which according to the programme manager, would be considered as being equivalent to a qualification at REQV 16. The registration of a candidate will also depend on the availability of a suitable promoter, appropriate topic and adequate research experience. Preference will be given to candidates in possession of a Master's degree of which a research report has formed part of the prior learning experiences.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Ph D with specialisation in Curriculum Studies

Learning outcomes:
1. Demonstration of a thorough understanding of the specialised and advanced fields of CS.
2. Demonstration of an ability to analyse text, and synthesise important findings.
3. Identifying and solving appropriate problems in the field of educative education as applied to CS.
4. Application of relevant and appropriate research techniques and skills to be used in the solving of specific problems.
5. Correct formulation of hypotheses that will be used to direct the research towards the achievement of the proposed research objectives.

Critical cross-field outcomes:
1. Identifying and solving problems in the field of CS, in which responses of the learner display valid and reliable decisions. The student should also demonstrate the use of critical thinking skills in the achievement of these goals.
2. Should the investigation form part of a team research project or should the researcher be obliged to work with others as part of the investigation, the report should reflect the researcher's ability to work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation or community in the solving of problems which related to classroom teaching, instructional design, learning programme development, classroom assessment and quality assurance, with specific reference to CS.
3. Organising and managing oneself and one's actions related to scientific research, problem solving and investigation in the field of Curriculum Studies, responsibly and effectively.
4. The research report has to demonstrate that the researcher was competent in the collection, analysis, organisation and critical evaluation of information gathered during the investigation.
5. Another purpose of the research report is to supply evidence that the research is able to communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of especially a written presentation.
6. Using science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the teaching and training scenario.
7. Demonstrating and understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The thesis will be assessed in terms of the following criteria:

Appropriate selection of relevant and contemporary research techniques and strategies

Ability to communicate the assumptions and research findings clearly in the official language

Use of appropriate literature to support or rejection of arguments.

Ability to analyse text and come to relevant conclusions.

Correct use of reference techniques.

Ability to communicate scientifically through the use of diagrams, tables, sketches and equations.

Proof of evidence that the candidate was able to conduct the research independently under supervision

Ability to infer from logical arguments and to support recommendations and theoretical implications.

Scientific contribution towards the body of knowledge in the field of specialisation.

Integrated assessment:
Oral examinations
Other:
Assessment commences with the submission of the research proposal by a panel of experts. Continuous assessment underpins the mentoring process by various experts whose knowledge and skills will contribute towards the conductions and completion of the research.

Students will then submit a research report as part of research done under supervision on a theme or topic appropriate to the field of study and focus areas. Where the research report (thesis) will be submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, the report will be assessed internally (locally) by the promoter and co-promoter and externally by the three examiners, one of which resides in an overseas tertiary institution of international reputation and standing.

The candidate will also enter for and oral examination after the submission and assessment of the thesis by the external examiners. The mark for the oral assessment will contribute towards the final promotion mark of the candidate.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Related qualifications:
Ph D by thesis

D Ed through the submission of research articles in an appropriate field of study serves as an entry point to the related qualification.

MODERATION OPTIONS

The assessment of a thesis will be done in terms of and according to a set of criteria selected and complied for this purpose. Three external assessors at international and national level will assess the thesis.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Qualifications required:
For the assessment and evaluation of a doctoral thesis, an assessor should be in possession of at least a doctor's degree (Ph D/D Ed) in the field of specialisation. Furthermore, one would expect from a candidate to demonstrate an acceptable tract record of academic specialisation in the related field of study and professional competence in the assessment of dissertations and theses. A consistent record of performance in the assessment of research reports, dissertations and theses, is also required.

Career experience required:
Demonstrated research proficiency in the teaching/training fields. Academically composed and competent to deal with the problems and field of study highlighted.

Other criteria
Competent and experienced in the assessment of research reports, dissertations and theses.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015.

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

1.	University of Pretoria