Conclusion: The Era of Mass Early Career Academics and Aging Faculty--Africa's Paradox

Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

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13

College Faculty; Aging (Individuals); Teaching Methods; Mass Instruction; Foreign Countries; Teacher Characteristics; Enrollment Trends; Age Differences; Role Models; Higher Education; Trend Analysis; Socialization; Career Development

10.1080/03075079.2016.1221650

0307-5079

African higher education has witnessed phenomenal enrollment growth in the last decade--and this trend is expected to continue well into the future owing to the continent's youth bulge. In this "massifying" system, the academic profession faces a paradox: as the academic profession at the senior level is aging it is also concurrently growing younger at the lower level. The situation is serious in the newer institutions--which are dominated by academic neophytes--with limited guidance and role models in their midst. This trend has become a concern both inside and outside academia. This article provides a concise background on the state of higher education in Africa, discusses issues surrounding Early Career Academics in global context, and concludes with a glance of the African practice with the induction to the academic profession, with emphasis on teaching praxis.

As Provided

49

2016

EJ1116695