Challenges of Transformation in Higher Education Curriculum Development in South Africa during Time of Decolonisation

Globally, the universities are recognized as the centres of higher learning, which are considered as expedient agents of development in the nation building. Curriculums determine the skills and knowledge that will be obtained from the qualification, and these are vital in the progress and transition of one’s life. However, in South Africa higher education requires a synergy to engage the issues of redress. In addressing apartheid legacy, transformation in higher education curriculum remains a mechanism for achieving the needed change. Although, the general purpose of higher education may change overtime, as it remains important for individuals to gain access to education. This study is premised on the belief that, the purpose of higher education is to meet the socio-economic and developmental needs of a country. As a result, this study investigated the challenges of transformation in higher education curriculum development in South Africa. A qualitative approach was employed. The finding was that institutions of higher learning in South Africa are still mired in the past, as a result, the curriculum in place isn't geared towards meeting the residents' economic needs or the country's overall social goals. Furthermore, South Africa government raced towards reforming the higher education curriculum system shortly after 1994, when the new government took control, with the primary goal of repressing everything, notably in education. The researchers recommend that effective transformation for higher education curriculum in South African institutions requires an alignment of skills and knowledge taught in universities qualifications should address the need of the society.


INTRODUCTION
According to Watson, Hollister, Stroud, and Babcock (2011), curriculum development transformation is a global challenge that higher education institutions are currently facing. This move is intended to address inequity, oppression, and professional advancement. Woodhouse, Phillips, and Hogg (2016), on the other hand, proposed that addressing curriculum development transformation challenges can lead to success and, in turn, a new professional identity for all higher education institutions. The issues of curriculum development transformation in higher education institutions are global, according to West (2014). Shay (2015) backed up this conclusion by stating that the higher education sector faces global transformation curriculum development problems. Shay (2015) goes on to mention that there is a | 158 difference in how these difficulties are dealt with in different institutions of higher learning, and how they affect how curriculum development is transformed as a result. Chan (2016) confirms that the entire curriculum change process in institutions of higher learning is complex, and that other institutions must deal with issues from the past, such as unequal and poor educational provision, low student retention, and a low pass rate. Mendy (2018) agrees that university education in many parts of the world is in crisis because universities are failing to strike a balance between teaching and learning content and curricular transformation, because of which it has gotten little attention.
Curriculum revolution in society, according to Denson and Bowman (2013), has largely gone unreported in localised Higher education (HE) settings where such renewal occurs. According to Prew (2012), many African countries are beginning to reform their higher education curricula after oppressors designed them. In Zimbabwe, a policy was developed to address the reform of university curriculum development (Mlambo, 2004). Universities in Zimbabwe undertook the first major curricular revisions in the late 1980s. Furthermore, the change of university curricula has aided economic growth by allowing Zimbabwean university graduates to play a more important part in economic development by being job creators rather than job seekers (Mlambo, 2004). According to Mendy and Madiope (2020), higher education institutions in South Africa have begun to implement curriculum development transformation, in part because the educational system the country inherited from its colonial legacy has been deemed ineffective in meeting the country's current needs. Furthermore, the long-awaited transformation in the South African educational system has historically failed to account for and keep up with changes in technology, the role of students in the implementation of pedagogies that are aligned with the country's changing politics, the type of language, history, student and staff participation. Higgs (2016) confirms that universities in South Africa must speed curriculum transformation since it entails academics being empowered to construct teaching and learning curricula that contribute to society's progress and the realization of a dignified, sustainable living for all Africans. This frequently means decolonizing the curriculum to satisfy local and current staff needs while also aligning with and resolving the economic and socio-political difficulties that institutions and their students face. The researchers aimed to investigate the obstacles of transformation in higher education curriculum creation in South Africa against this backdrop. government's role (Khan & Law, 2015). Moreover, there is a growing need for higher education institutions to respond to the changing environment in a positive and learner-centered manner through quality curriculum. For example, the competencebased curriculum produces graduates who are better prepared for their future management tasks.
This affirms the importance of higher education because in every instance, the curriculum for higher education must be focused on addressing society needs and goals. This is mainly important because the curriculum made available primarily through HEIs serves as a vehicle for a nation's vision. (Kurasha & Chabaya, 2013). Even though curriculum development at higher education may seem like a simple process to undertake, it is important to note that the development of curriculum is more than just a pedagogical design exercise. It is surrounded by numerous governance procedures at various levels. At the macro level, the curriculum is based on standards that have been established nationwide. Institutional regulatory frameworks demonstrate meso-level governance, while local, micro-level decisionmaking is framed by departmental culture and processes (Carey, 2013). Besides procedural matters that must be taken into consideration when developing the curriculum at HEIs, it is important to note that there are other components that make the whole transformation process to be a daunting task. Akojee and Nkomo (2007) stipulate that to witness true transformation in South African context, black South Africans must be given the chance to realize their potential if a society is to truly evolve and move past the ravages of its history. However, balancing institutional autonomy difficulties with national imperatives of efficiency, justice, and restitution presents a difficulty for the success of solutions.
A transformational learning theory was presented to underpin the study, based on global expectations and shifting realities connected to the way university curriculum promotes economic growth in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Transformative learning is defined by Mezirow (2000) as an orientation that argues that how learners interpret and reinterpret their sense experiences is crucial to producing meaning and hence learning. Adults are stuck by their history, according to transformative learning theory, and require the ability to reflect on their taken-forgranted assumptions, which are the result of years of socialization and experience. Adult learners' most crucial role, according to Mezirow's approach, is to question assumptions. Adults can use this theory to evaluate previously held presuppositions, or frames of reference, that lay beneath the surface of their consciousness, and challenge such attitudes in ways that allow for change and progress. When this happens, their previously held beliefs and opinions become more inclusive, discriminating, open, emotionally capable of change, and introspective, allowing them to produce beliefs and opinions that are truer or justified to lead action. Transformative learning, according to Mezirow (2000), is a major structural transformation in consciousness as a result of critically reflecting on one's frames of reference. Furthermore, this form of learning entails more than a heightened sensation of new understandings; it also entails shifting mental models or worldviews. Mezirow (2000) agrees that children need to understand how to accomplish things and solve issues in order to be successful. However, it is pointed out in Mezirow (2000) that many individuals believe that this is the only way to learn. According to Mezirow (2000), when transformative learning theory is used, there is usually a set series of exercises or modules that follow a linear path from explanation to demonstration to | 160 practice, test, and feedback. This is what Mezirow (2000) refers to as a "technicist approach," and it gives rise to concepts like competency-based education, management by objectives, criterion-referenced evaluation, and empirical/analytical research. In contrast to the technicist approach to adult learning, Mezirow (2000) claims that the cardinal goal, primary purpose, and heroic promise of adult learning is to create learning environments that support change. There is an outrageous presumption, he claims, that acquiring knowledge or achieving competencies will somehow immediately develop the understandings, abilities, and dispositions needed to learn to think independently. However, there are various learning processes at play, as well as various types of suitable educational intervention (Mezirow, 2000). "Transformative learning theory is not an afterthought," Mezirow (2000) asserts. Adult education is all about this.

METHOD
The study took a qualitative method. Qualitative research is a sort of social science research that collects and analyzes non-numerical data in order to derive meaning from the data in order to better understand social life via the study of specific people or locations (Hardesty, Haselschwerdt & Crossman, 2019). According to Meredith (2007), research design refers to the researcher's overall approach for integrating the many components of the study in a coherent and logical manner, ensuring that the researcher effectively addresses the research problem. A case study design was used in this investigation. A case study is a research effort in which one or more examples are described and analysed (Denscombe, 2010). The case study focuses on South African universities.
In this study, secondary data was the data source used. As described by Maree (2016) secondary source of data refers to any form of material such as books, documents or articles based on the work that has been previously published and often serve as the basis of literature review. In this study documents that are collected, contain texts and images that have been recorded without the authors' intervention, hence they are referred to as secondary data. Moreover, other mute or trace evidence, such as participants taking part in the study, is not included since the study does not include any human participation or population. Data sources provide a summary of the relevant sources of information that can be used in the study, as well as where and how to locate them. Reports, studies, and publications from libraries, state departments (such as DHET), political organizations, survey research organizations, and private organizations are examples of these sources.

Data analysis and interpretation
Data analysis, according to Robinson & Savage (2004), is the systematic application of logical reasoning to describe and show, condense, summarize, and evaluate data. Document analysis served as the study's main method of data analysis. Document analysis is defined by Bowen (2009) as a methodical approach to studying or assessing documents. Moreover, according to Bowen, document analysis, like other analytical techniques used in qualitative research, necessitates the study and interpretation of data to elicit meaning, gain comprehension, and produce empirical knowledge. Since this allowed the authors to make logical sense of the data sources and determine the best aspects for the study, document analysis was chosen as the best method of data analysis for this study. In this study, literature and documents were reviewed and critiqued as they were acquired, and the authors used coding and deductive reasoning to identify emergent themes. Then, as new information became available, social phenomena were classified and their characteristics noted, and examples were compared. When interpreting the documents, the authors underlined the sections that related to the research question. The researcher then engaged in open coding, which involved defining the subject matter of the data that would be analysed, choosing a passage from the documents, searching for and underlining concepts, and discovering the connections between them. The codes then provided more insight as a result of the authors' closer inspection of the data at this stage. As a result of this process, the codes became increasingly complex, which led to a deeper examination of the data. The use of colour coding, which involves highlighting text within documents in different colours to signal concepts, identify links, and group concepts together, was employed for this purpose. The use of codes in a study is essential since they give the authors credibility based on the data they have acquired. A word or phrase that conveys the meaning and context of an entire phrase or paragraph is known as a code (Dehlinger & Chin, 2005). For the purposes of the study, codes are the smallest pieces of text that transmit the same meaning (Christians & Carey, 1989). The authors used open coding, axial coding, and selective coding as their three (3) coding processes.
In collecting data, the authors brought out the document types and due to the tittles of the documents, aims/objectives, problems being addressed as well as the findings and recommendation, the researcher was able to note that the selected documents are the relevant ones. The sample of the documents and data analysed is provided Table 1. The documents were valuable sources of information in a sense that they assisted the authors to meet the ends of the study. The documents were used to as reference and also to provide answers to the research question asked. According to Marshall, and Rossman (1995), this process was essential because it is a way of validating the documents collected. Additionally  Table 2). The authors began color-coding the data sources at this point, choosing codes afterwards. In order to make things clearer and make it easier for the authors to correlate the collected papers and tie them to the study question in order to develop meaning and knowledge, colour coding was utilized. The authors subsequently reached the second step, called axial coding, as a result of this process. In the process of axial coding, the authors first reduced the amount of codes and then consolidated them in a way that indicated a relationship between them through data comparison and analysis. The authors essentially produced themes during this process, which were subsequently organized into categories. Following the concept-creation process, the authors connected subcategories to the major category, which ultimately served as the foundation for the deductive reasoning. During the selective coding phase, the authors organized categories in a way that covered the results from diverse sources and gave the study context. As it led to the consolidation of the concepts into categories with a firm foundation within the context of the study, this stage was essentially about establishing deductive reasoning. Curriculum development remains a key factor in the transformation process From the ten (10) documents that were chosen and gathered as data sources, the authors found approximately ten (10) open codes at the early stage of analysis and interpretation. The authors opened coding after initially colouring-coding the data sources. Since comparison and analysis were initiated at the beginning of the process and brought the authors to the level of axial coding, the initial stage can be thought of as a type of pyramid. The authors subsequently engaged in axial coding by simply lowering the number of codes from ten (10) to six (6) by continuous comparison, analysis, and interpretation of the obtained data. The authors then combined them by showing how they were related to one another, which helped the authors organize them into particular codes. According to the six (6) grouped codes that were chosen, the authors arrived at the four themes of "fees must fall," "access," "decolonization," "transformation," and "curriculum" because related codes that were comparable to one another repeatedly emerged in the data.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges of transformation in Higher Education (HE) curriculum development in South Africa. The research question then formed basis of this study around which secondary data was collected, analyzed and interpreted. Furthermore, the process of analyzing and interpreting the secondary data, led the authors to the following findings.

Geographical Context of the Institution
Social inequities were ingrained and reflected in every sector of social life in South Africa as a result of colonialism and apartheid's systemic exclusion of blacks and women. The system of higher education was no exception. South African higher education has been significantly impacted and continues to be shaped by social, political, and economic discrimination and inequalities of class, race, gender, institutional, and spatial origin. As a result, South Africa's new democratic government pledged in 1994 to alter higher education and curriculum development, as well as the inherited apartheid social and economic framework, and to institutionalize a new social order. Bozalek et al., (2010) posits that due to educational system disparities, most students could not afford some prestigious colleges and universities. Since institution that were administered from a geographical constituency and apartheid's consequences, are still geographical. People who were barred from receiving a proper education during the apartheid era continue to be barred, argued Bozalek et al., (2010). Moreover, authors like Yeld (2010) have written about the general underperformance of South African higher education in comparison to other nations, including the low participation, low throughput, and low pass rate. Cohort studies that follow students from admission through graduation, for instance, show that graduation rates for contact institutions are 40% in South Africa, 78% in the UK, and 58% in the United States (Scott et al., 2007). Furthermore, the findings show that the 1996 Constitution of South Africa, as well as the 1997 Act and White Paper, ordered the state and institutions to achieve significant and far-reaching imperatives and goals through and via higher education. It was believed that their gradual substantive realization would make a significant contribution to the reform and growth of higher education curricula as well as society.
The higher education transformation agenda was developed within the framework of a commitment to rebuilding and development of society program to which higher education was anticipated to contribute significantly. Naturally, such a transformation strategy would have significant financial and personnel ramifications, which might inevitably impact the speed, dynamism, and trajectory of institutional transformation. According to the findings of this study, socioeconomic inequities afflicted every aspect of life in South Africa during the apartheid era, including schooling. Despite a desire for a reformed curriculum development in higher education, it is clear that a major difficulty is that South African higher education is still defined by discrimination on the basis of race, gender, politics, and economics, as well as class, racial, and gender disparities. In light of this situation, the South African government has pledged to overhaul higher education and curriculum development, as well as unjust inherited apartheid practices. With a desire to overcome higher education's transformational problems curriculum development in South Africa, it was assumed that substantive contributions would be made towards transition of curriculum in higher education through the directive of the constitution, the Higher Education Act of 1997, and the White Paper.

Institutional Cultures
Institutional cultures, particularly at traditionally white institutions, were shown to impair fairness of opportunity and outcomes in various ways and to diverse degrees, according to the findings. The histories of these institutions, lingering racist and sexist behavior, privileges associated with social class, English as the language of tuition and administration, the overwhelming predominance of white academics and administrators and male academics, the concomitant under-representation of black and women academics and role models, and the ongoing challenge of building respect for and appreciation of diversity and difference could all combine to reflect poorly on these institutions (Badat, 2010). This therefore confirms that institutional cultures, particularly at mostly white higher education institutions, can be an impediment to transition in higher education curriculum development in South Africa. Taking into consideration the view expressed by Badat (2010), the new institutional culture that is experienced by all living beings regardless of race, gender or historical background could be created by addressing historical issues ranging from privileges associated with belonging to a particular social class to the consequent underrepresentation of blacks and women in academia.

Adequate State Funding
The historical inequities in South Africa's educational system made the transformation of higher education a challenging endeavour. This is supported by the claim made by Cloete (2014) that while there have been significant advancements in higher education in South Africa since 1994, challenges with equity, involvement, and access for students continue to be at the forefront of discussion. The socioeconomic standing of the vast majority of the population, according to , further restricts access to higher education. In order to achieve its societal purposes and goals, higher education needs an effective regulatory framework that includes intelligent state supervision, efficient guidance, stability, continuity, and consistency in policy. In this regard, in December 2017, during the ANC National Congress in Nasrec, the former president of the nation Pres. Jacob Zuma announced free higher education for all with which he stated that through the successive implementation of the National Development Plan (Vision 2030) as well as the incorporation of the Radical Economic Transformation (RET, 2017), this would be achieved. However, while a supportive policy environment is essential, it is not sufficient by itself. Desai (2018) posits that financial restrictions will weaken the promise of higher education unless such a structure is maintained and promoted by substantial governmental funding. Desai further alludes that the dearth of or insufficient financing for academic personnel and academic development programs for students at institutions may stymie parity of opportunity and quality improvement. In light of the legacy of previous injustices as well as new demands and expectations on institutions, it is becoming increasingly evident that higher education does not receive enough public support. For higher education institutions in South Africa to overcome obstacles connected with curriculum development transformation, they need an effective and consistent policy that includes governmental assistance. It is crucial to keep in mind, however, that having a strong policy is not sufficient. In order to ensure that the issues of transformation in higher education curriculum development in South Africa are addressed, it is crucial to acknowledge that proper state funding can be a useful component (Badat, 2010). Without adequate funding, equitable promotion opportunities, academic staff growth, and student academic development may all suffer. It is obvious that the curriculum development transformation process in South Africa will remain a challenge that must be faced because state funding for higher education institutions is insufficient.

The diverse of higher education
Smith (2020) determined that no reform of the higher education system will succeed unless the diversity of higher education institutions is considered seriously when evaluating the diversity's promise for education. According to Becker et al. (2017) and Smith (2020), it is essential to create the conditions and opportunities, as well as the necessary resources, for all higher education institutions, especially those in historically underserved areas, to pursue developmental trajectories while taking institutional histories and anticipated new social and educational roles into account. The capacities, competencies, and institutional features of higher education institutions are not fixed. To satisfy significant societal demands, all of these goods can be produced throughout time (Badat, 2010). The authors argue that, what remains of paramount importance is; to address the issue of a national, coordinated, differentiated, and diverse higher education system, the department of higher education and training should encourage an open and serious interaction with universities and South Africa's Higher Education. This is because, given South Africa's past, it is obvious that tackling diversity issues in these institutions is necessary in order to solve the difficulties of curriculum development in higher education. As a result, a system that provides opportunities and all essential resources for higher education institutions, especially historically underrepresented universities, must be developed. Real dialogues between the DHET and South African institutions are necessary for such systems to be effective in addressing challenges affecting diversity in South African institutions (Badat, 2010;Becker et al, 2017;Smith, 2020).

Creating a New Generation of Academics
In South Africa, colonialism and apartheid were characterized by racial discrimination and patriarchy, according to the findings, and affected all aspects of higher education, as well as social life. In the case of the academic staffing, this resulted in gendering and racialization, leaving South Africa with academic staff that is predominately white also male dominated. The argument made by Breakfast (2020) when reflecting to Biko (2004), assets that racism is the treatment of someone unfairly based on their race in order to uphold oppression. Racism is incompatible with having the ability to oppress others. Meaning that racism is a psychological phenomenon as well as a social construct. To this end, since 1994, universities in South Africa have been required to promote social justice and reparation for black South Africans, including women, in compliance with newly legislated constitutional and societal standards, as well as the objectives and methods for higher education. Heleta (2016) provides evidence to support this claim by indicating that South African institutions of higher education were not exempt from the main features of colonialism, such as racism and patriarchy. Heleta (2016); Badat (2010) further asserts that the main characteristics of colonialism led to the dominance of white male academics in South African higher education institutions. In order to incorporate blacks and women in higher education programs, new curricula had to be developed in South Africa after the country's democratization in 1994.

CONCLUSION
The goal of curriculum change in higher education institutions is to offer citizens with high-quality education. However, despite the fact that South Africa's education system needs to address the country's apartheid heritage, curricular development is moving at a snail's pace. Furthermore, while Zimbabwe, a neighbouring nation, has a policy directing the development of its higher education curriculum, South Africa lacks such a policy.

RECOMMENDATION
According to the researchers, effective transformation of higher education curriculum in South African institutions necessitates an alignment of skills and information offered in universities degrees with societal needs. Furthermore, the researchers suggest that a policy directing the change of higher education curricula in South Africa be devised. We also believe that university administration should collaborate with government authorities in order to address challenges of curricular transformation in higher education.
The curriculum development process must be well-planned, the content and delivery methods must be exact and geared toward social goals, and the curriculum must be implemented and evaluated in a logical order. According to the researchers, it is important to acknowledge that things may not always go as planned, but the government should be clear when approaching curriculum development, and the government should consider channelling curriculum development in a way that will benefit the economy in the long run.