Brown-Bag Research Framework for Nurturing Early-Stage Graduate Students: the Ubuntu Perspective

Background/purpose. Transitioning from coursework to an independent, complex inquiry has constantly been a challenge in advanced scientific programs, which often presents numerous barriers arising from limited research knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to navigate the contemporary research environment. This conspicuous gap breeds frustration, delays, poor performance, and, in many cases, dropouts, mostly among early-stage graduate research students. Consequently, there is a need for a strategy to empower nascent researchers, stimulate essential competencies, foster progress, and enhance graduate efficacy.

Materials/methods. This qualitative research, conducted through an integrative desktop narrative review, summarises empirical and theoretical discourses to inform the conceptualisation of a pragmatic intervention. The sample comprises secondary data, specifically published materials on higher education, graduate research, the brown bag concept, and Ubuntu philosophy. The content analysis illustrates that brown-bag seminars, grounded in the Ubuntu philosophical foundations, promise a flexible and cohesive atmosphere that energises discussions more effectively, leading to attendees' broader comprehension and competencies.

Results. The delivery of the brownbag seminars, which is structured through three distinct stages (peers-to-peers, peers-to-mentors, and peers-to-broader audience), will potentially enhance learning outcomes and graduate research efficacy.

Conclusion. The findings provide a blueprint for a comprehensive Ubuntu-centred brown-bag research framework in higher education. It will guide reforms tailored to strengthen internal agencies that inherently possess the attributes conducive to fostering graduate research efficacy, particularly at the early stages.

Keywords: Brown-bag concept, early-stage research, Ubuntu philosophy, post-graduate performance.

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