Decolonisation efforts in higher education and the lived experiences of social science academics : a systematic review

Abstract

Academics within higher education play a vital role in furthering the decolonisation agenda but are often faced with marginalisation, undervaluation, and psychological strain. This paper presents a qualitative systematic review of the lived experiences of academics in their attempts to decolonise higher education in South Africa. Drawing from a synthesis of 33 journal articles and five book chapters published between 2016 and 2024, this study explored the lived experiences of social science academics in South Africa. Four main themes with 10 subthemes were generated, including academics’ understanding of decolonisation in higher education in South Africa, lived experiences of social science academics in the decolonisation of higher education in South Africa, perceived barriers to decolonisation as experienced by social science academics, and strategies employed by social science academics for decolonisation. The findings shed light on the challenges, opportunities, and broader implications of decolonisation within higher education, highlighting the critical need for institutional accountability and transdisciplinary collaboration to drive meaningful transformation.