Experiences of administering large classes : a case study of a faculty of management sciences at a university of technology

Abstract

Gradual increases in student intake (massification) at South African universities have created significant difficulties for both academics and administrative support staff to effectively manage hundreds of students crowded into large lecture halls or classrooms. Large class discourses have been a focus of research for several decades, but none of these studies have investigated the administration of large classes in Universities of Technology in South Africa, nor have they focused on the integration of the experiences of all the principal stakeholders. The study investigated the experiences of students, academics, and administrative support staff in administering large classes, with specific reference to three departments at a selected University of Technology. The study used a mixed methods approach, involving questionnaires to students and lecturers and semi-structured interviews conducted with administrative support staff. The study’s conceptual and theoretical framework was systems theory, enabling an overview of systems of lecturing, tutorials, and administration, as well as academic support systems, which all influence each other. The study findings established the value of systems theory for envisaging a closer coordination between different university respondent groups and operating systems. Results indicated that most academic staff members experience a heavy administrative workload, while secretaries were often not informed as to the nature and extent of their expected administrative duties. The findings also indicated that most students felt that large classes prevented them from receiving individual attention, and that the number of tutors available was insufficient. The study recommends the university to appoint more teaching assistants and tutors to assist academic staff with the large class administrative workload, while various teaching and learning strategies may help to deal more effectively with large classes. More detailed job descriptions should ensure greater awareness of expected support required from secretaries. Moreover, the findings provide academics, administrative staff, and students with insights to collaborative approaches that could address large class challenges effectively, as well as strategies for their administration. While the findings only apply to one university, they will be of interest to other South African universities of technology with similar class sizes.