Knowledge production and higher education transformation in South Africa: Towards reflexivity in university teaching, research and community service

The central question this article addresses iswhether the emergent shift in knowledgeproduction can transform higher education inSouth Africa to the extent that it becomessocially more relevant. It is my contentionthat higher education transformation in SouthAfrica can become socially more relevant ifguided by the idea of a reflexive praxis whichallows for the integration of 'Mode 1' and'Mode 2' forms of knowledge production. I arguethat Mode 1 or disciplinary knowledge should besupplemented by Mode 2 socially distributedknowledge which would cause academics toengender community service which integratestheir research at universities and itsapplication in the broader community. In otherwords, a reflexive praxis needs to be chartedout on the part of academics which would notcause their service to be disengaged from thereal problems in society, but rather, opens uppossibilities for greater social relevance – amatter of 'Mode 2' supplementing 'Mode 1'.