Research Article

Support Systems for Early-Career Postdoctoral Researchers' Professional Learning and Career Development in an Open Distance eLearning Institution

Bongani Nkambule 1 * , Sindile Amina Ngubane 1 , Mbongiseni Mdakane 2
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1 Institute for Open and Distance Learning, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0003, South Africa2 Department of Psychology, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0003, South Africa* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Social Sciences and Artistic Innovations, 6(3), September 2026, 13-29, https://doi.org/10.35745/ijssai2026v06.03.0012
Submitted: 11 March 2026, Published: 29 September 2026
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ABSTRACT

Following UNESCO's call for African higher education institutions to do everything in their power to transform into research centers of excellence, South African universities have begun appointing vast numbers of postdoctoral research fellows (postdocs), among other research personnel, to make this mission a reality. This qualitative study, situated in an interpretivist paradigm, examined the responsiveness of professional learning and career development support systems for 10 postdocs at an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) institution. Theoretically, the study adopted Nowell et al.'s (2020) professional learning development framework, which posits that, for postdoctoral training to be ideal, it should encompass four main aspects: professional socialization, professional skills, academic development, and personal effectiveness. Several findings emerged from the study, the first of which showed that postdocs rated highly the experience gained by supervising master's and doctoral students' research projects and by publishing articles in reputable journals under mentorship. It was also revealed that the institutional culture fostered collegial relationships at both the departmental and college levels, thereby enhancing postdocs' sense of belonging. Furthermore, there were areas of concern raised by the postdocs, namely: (1) inadequate provision of essential technological hardware and software tools; (2) lack of recognition and rewards for exceptional performance; (3) lack of participation in teaching and curriculum development; (4) international conference attendance budgetary constraints, with only a select few approved to travel abroad; (5) restricted opportunities for personalized learning tailored to their developmental objectives and career aspirations; and (6) protracted processes for research ethics review and approval. The study recommended that the institution update its postdoctoral research policy to remove restrictions that prevent postdocs from accessing personalized or tailored professional learning and comprehensive career development support.
Keywords: Postdoctoral research fellows, Open distance e-learning, Professional learning, Career development, Early-career researcher, Precarity, Marginalization

CITATION (APA)

Nkambule, B., Ngubane, S. A., & Mdakane, M. (2026). Support Systems for Early-Career Postdoctoral Researchers' Professional Learning and Career Development in an Open Distance eLearning Institution. International Journal of Social Sciences and Artistic Innovations, 6(3), 13-29. https://doi.org/10.35745/ijssai2026v06.03.0012

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