Implementation Dilemma of the Concept ‘Research-Intensive University’ at Institutions of Higher Learning: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Critical theory is used in trying to understand the concept of research-intensive universities and the moral collapse of teacher training institutions in higher education. What makes critical scholarship different from interpretive scholarship is that it interprets the acts and the symbols of society in order to understand the ways in which various social groups are oppressed. This article is driven by the researchers’ own experiences at institutions of higher learning in South Africa, as well as literature review. Moral reasoning is important within the professions because of the social status of professions. Claims by various groups about fairness of college access are central to the public discourse about equal treatment. The pressure to publish is keenly felt by all education academics, so considerable tension could arise over who is involved in initial teacher training. There is a danger that training quality teachers may be compromised as research-intensive universities will pay more attention to research at the expense of teaching and learning

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p35