An exploratory review of the challenges faced by lecturers of tourism research methodology in South Africa

Abstract

Tourism higher education is an emerging discipline, more specifically tourism postgraduate study. Within these tourism postgraduate qualifications, the module research methodology is a common module. The tourism higher education landscape is in a state of volatility, affected by macro and micro environmental forces, the latter specifically relevant to the Generation Z cohort of current students. There are also specific challenges in the perception of research methodology as a module by students. This paper sought to explore challenges faced by lecturers of tourism research methodology in South Africa as a high-level benchmarking study using semi-structured interviews. We employed a thematic data analysis approach to analyse the interviews and by means of a constructivist epistemology, discuss these results and make recommendations in this regard. These recommendations call for the promotion of a constructively aligned competency-based research methodology curriculum.