Analysing an audit cycle: a critical realist account

Abstract

This paper reports on the use of a framework developed from Bhaskar's critical realism and Archer's social realism to analyse teaching- and learning-related data produced as a result of the first cycle of institutional audits in the South African higher education system. The use of the framework allows us to see what this cycle of audits did achieve, namely some change in structural systems related to teaching and learning alongside the appointment of key agents. It also allows us to see how the stagnation of sets of ideas about teaching and learning in the domain of culture may mean that an assurance of the quality of learning experiences for all students remained elusive.

Keywords:

• teaching and learning
• quality assurance
• institutional audits
• critical realism
• social realism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Population group categories are those used by Statistics South Africa. The term ‘black’ is used to refer to African Black, Coloured and Indian groups.

2. The Teaching Development Grant is now accorded to all universities, though the amount is calculated according to need as indicated by teaching output statistics.