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2. Mentoring Higher Education Leaders and Managers through Contextual Intelligence
- Author
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Tebogo Jillian Mampane and Sharon Thabo Mampane
- Abstract
This study investigated the mentoring of academics for leadership and management in higher education institutions through the application of contextual intelligence. Experts and professionals generally agree that effective institutional leadership and management mentorship, using contextual knowledge, is crucial for achieving institutional success. The paper aims to illustrate the significance of mentoring institutional leaders and managers using contextual intelligence skills. The dearth of literature on mentoring academics using contextual intelligence in South Africa might be addressed through mentoring, as this practice poses a significant obstacle. The challenges of applying contextual intelligence in mentoring academics are highlighted with a focus on four key areas: mentoring, leadership and management, contextual intelligence, and achieving organisational success. Despite their relatively tiny proportion within the overall framework, these elements exert influence over all aspects of the institution s activities. While tackling each impact individually may result in success, the continuous emergence of new factors makes it unlikely for this method to maintain improvement. The findings illustrate that the perception of improvement is determined by a dynamic and intricate setting. The paper plays a vital role in considering contextual dynamics when mentoring for contextual intelligence. [For the complete Volume 22 proceedings, see ED656158.]
- Published
- 2024
3. Science Teacher Educators' Engagement with Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Scientific Inquiry in Predominantly Paper-Based Distance Learning Programs
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Fraser, William J.
- Abstract
This article focuses on the dilemmas science educators face when having to introduce Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) to science student teachers in a predominantly paper-based distance learning environment. It draws on the premise that science education is bound by the Nature of Science (NOS), and by the Nature of Scientific Inquiry (NOSI). Furthermore, science educators' own PCK, and the limitations of a predominantly paper-based distance education (DE) model of delivery are challenges that they have to face when introducing PCK and authentic inquiry-based learning experiences. It deprives them and their students from optimal engagement in a science-oriented community of practice, and leaves little opportunity to establish flourishing communities of inquiry. This study carried out a contextual analysis of the tutorial material to assess the PCK that the student teachers had been exposed to. This comprised the ideas of a community of inquiry, a community of science, the conceptualization of PCK, scientific inquiry, and the 5E Instructional Model of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. The analysis confirmed that the lecturers had a good understanding of NOS, NOSI and science process skills, but found it difficult to design interventions to optimize the PCK development of students through communities of inquiry. Paper-based tutorials are ideal to share theory, policies and practices, but fail to monitor the engagement of learners in communities of inquiry. The article concludes with a number of suggestions to address the apparent lack of impact power of the paper-based mode of delivery, specifically in relation to inquiry-based teaching and learning (IBTL).
- Published
- 2017
4. Towards a Social Realist Framework for Analyzing Academic Advising in Global South Contexts
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Aneshree Nayager and Danie de Klerk
- Abstract
Academic advising is a proven high-impact practice, shown to have the potential to help increase students' prospects of academic success, increase their sense of belonging and integration at their institution of higher learning, and provide unique insights into the lived realities and experiences of higher education students. For this reason, advising can be seen as a transformative activity within the student support space in South African higher education institutions. As a practice and profession, advising has existed in the Global North (GN) for decades. However, in South Africa -- a developing country in the Global South (GS) -- academic advising remains a nascent field. Consequently, the overarching ideas that inform academic advising in the South African context (both theoretically and practically), tend to be drawn predominantly from the GN and more developed countries. The unchallenged acceptance and tacit dominance of theoretical perspectives and practices from these countries can be considered problematic. This is largely due to differences in the socioeconomic, cultural, and historical contexts of students attending university in GS countries like South Africa. This paper works towards developing a conceptual framework, informed by social realism, for analysing academic advising in GS contexts. It is the anticipated value of a GS framework for analysing the emergence of academic advising in South African and similar contexts that is the core contribution of the paper.
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- 2024
5. Affirming Inclusive Education at University: A Case of Two Sub-Sahara African Universities
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Lorna M. Dreyer and Annaly M. Strauss
- Abstract
This research aimed to investigate the experiences of students with learning disabilities (LD) at two universities in Sub-Sahara Africa. While universities are increasingly addressing the needs of students with sensory and physical disabilities, there is less emphasis on LD which does not present physically, thus often referred to as invisible or hidden disabilities. The research was, conducted as qualitative case studies, guided by Vygotsky's social cultural theory (SCT). A basic qualitative research methodology, embedded in an interpretive paradigm was used. Data was collected through an online background survey and semi-structured interviews. Thematic qualitative content analysis was used to analyse collected data systematically. From a social justice perspective, the major findings suggest that there are several factors that impede on equal education for students with LD at university. The research outcomes revealed that the hidden nature of LD becomes apparent as participants must self-declare their needs. They further experienced a lack of acknowledgement and support from lecturers. Most participants revert to valuing the support of family and friends more than that of lecturers. While both universities have policies and structures of support for students with LD, it is concluded that university lecturers need to adopt an inclusive pedagogical stance by acknowledging the factors that affect the learning of students with LD. Recommendations from the findings include the need for professional development for lecturers and increased awareness of learning support services on campus. It is further concluded that university lecturers need to be reflective of their pedagogical practices to transform higher education learning spaces in pursuit of authentic inclusion. [For the complete Volume 22 proceedings, see ED656158.]
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- 2024
6. Data-Driven Insights: A Decade of Sol Plaatje University's Research Journey and Development
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Moeketsi Mosia
- Abstract
This paper analyses Sol Plaatje University's (SPU) progress on increased research activities. The paper employs bibliometric analysis review method to demonstrate the university's transition from being a predominantly teaching-focused to a more research-oriented institution. A novel, data-driven methodology is also adopted in this paper, to identify and examine SPU's research niche through publications. This paper's data were collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The paper's findings reveal that there was an overall significant increase in research outputs, observable on yearly basis for a decade (2014 to 2023). The yearly increase in research output is recorded from diverse research fields, including machine learning, cryptography, environmental research, and public health. Findings further reveal that SPU has built its international research collaborations within the African and European continents. This paper's findings contribute to literature on higher education development by offering insights into how newly established universities can transition from a teaching-centric focus to becoming research-active. This paper revealed the importance of strategic planning, interdisciplinary research, and international collaboration in the development of a vibrant research environment.
- Published
- 2024
7. Transforming Academic Library Operations in Africa with Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges: A Review Paper
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Echedom, Anthonia U. and Okuonghae, Omorodion
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This paper focuses on the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic library operations. In the quest to render fast, effective and efficient services, academic libraries have adopted different technologies in the past. Artificial intelligence technologies is the latest among the technologies currently being introduced in libraries. The technology which is considered an intelligent system, come in the form of robots and expert systems which have natural language processing, machine learning and pattern recognition capabilities. This paper examined the features of AI, the application of AI to library operations, examples of academic libraries with AI technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the need for AI in libraries and the challenges associated with the adoption of AI in libraries. The study concluded that AI holds a lot of prospects for the improvement of information services delivery in African academic libraries. Consequently, its adoption is a sinequanon to delivering robust library services in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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8. Justice through Higher Education: Revisiting White Paper 3 of 1997
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Kumalo, Siseko H.
- Abstract
Interrogating the White Paper 3 of 1997 which upholds academic freedom, institutional autonomy and public accountability, I make the case for justice through higher education using public accountability. I argue that the higher education system in South Africa is capable of fulfilling such a role in the context of extreme injustices but not without a critical engagement of the extent and causes of these injustices and an understanding of their implications for academic curricula, practices and deeply embedded conceptions of knowledge. A redefinition of higher education institutions' public accountability in terms of responsibility to their 'institutional locale' or community (the populations whose needs they should be meeting) can be an effective 'proactive tool' with which higher education can redress social injustices. This requires an interrogation of the social, political and economic conditions of possibility that either inhibit or aid educational desire and attainment. An investigation of this nature entails a rigorous reappraisal of all three of the key principles within which higher education systems operate--academic freedom, institutional autonomy and public accountability--if they are to guard against the continued perpetuation of epistemic and social injustices.
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- 2021
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9. Developmental TVET Rhetoric In-Action: The White Paper for Post-School Education and Training in South Africa
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Akoojee, Salim
- Abstract
This paper explores the extent to which latest developments in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in South Africa respond to key principles espoused for a developmental, democratic and inclusionary ideal. The White Paper for post school education and training approved by Cabinet in November, 2013 is referred to by the Minister as the "definitive statement of the governments vision for the post school system" and as such represents a crucial strategy document intended to chart the TVET direction to 2030. Using key theoretical constructs from development theory, this paper provides an assessment of the TVET strategy contained is the paper and explores the extent to which it does respond to the agenda defined by the promise. It is argued that the challenges outlined are not yet able to provide the blueprint for a TVET transformative vision. It is concluded that while the development rhetoric contained in the paper is plausible, the creative tinkering of the system is unlikely to lead to the radical revisioning necessary for a truly transformative TVET system. The underlying assumptions regarding purpose, impact and outcome will need to be carefully reconsidered if the system is to be responsive to the promises of the democratic developmental ideal to which the government is committed.
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- 2016
10. Are e-Books Effective Tools for Learning? Reading Speed and Comprehension: iPad®[superscript i] vs. Paper
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Sackstein, Suzanne, Spark, Linda, and Jenkins, Amy
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Recently, electronic books (e-books) have become prevalent amongst the general population, as well as students, owing to their advantages over traditional books. In South Africa, a number of schools have integrated tablets into the classroom with the promise of replacing traditional books. In order to realise the potential of e-books and their associated devices within an academic context, where reading speed and comprehension are critical for academic performance and personal growth, the effectiveness of reading from a tablet screen should be evaluated. To achieve this objective, a quasi-experimental within subjects design was employed in order to compare the reading speed and comprehension performance of 68 students. The results of this study indicate the majority of participants read faster on an iPad, which is in contrast to previous studies that have found reading from tablets to be slower. It was also found that comprehension scores did not differ significantly between the two media. For students, these results provide evidence that tablets and e-books are suitable tools for reading and learning, and therefore, can be used for academic work. For educators, e-books can be introduced without concern that reading performance and comprehension will be hindered.
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- 2015
11. 'I Am Asking the Scope of the Paper': Negative Washback and Examination (Under)Preparedness in South Africa
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Hove, Muchativugwa Liberty and Hlatshwayo, Abigail
- Abstract
University education has been massified in South Africa and this has disrupted conventions and practices of assessment. Universities are perceived as promoting complex achievements and complex skills through rigorous curriculum specifications and assessment instruments. Due to experiences in high school and the novelty of university education, students have begun to enquire about the "scope of the paper." This enquiry has tended to destabilise the reliability of assessments and judgments in universities in South Africa. Grades and symbols certified by some universities have become both indeterminate and ambiguous. A qualitative, quantitative design was adopted to identify and interrogate university research participants' views on experiences about examinations at university level. In the process, the meanings that first-year degree-level test-takers ascribed to the concept of "the scope of the paper" were unpacked. It was determined which aspects of the test scope students had studied in order to prepare for tests. Inferences were made about the concepts that the students marginalised because they were perceived to be "out of the scope" of the examination. A holistic and broad educational experience for university students is recommended in spite of the daunting numbers enrolled in certain university courses.
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- 2015
12. Applying Threshold Concepts Strategies to Teaching Computing Students in an ODL Context
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Jaroslaw Pawel Adamiak
- Abstract
The academic success of first-year students' learning in science faculties is by no means assured, especially in an Open Distance Learning setting with its limited number of face-to-face encounters between students and lecturers or tutors. Therefore, such encounters should be highly efficient in view of the considerable amount of knowledge transfer to students. The University of South Africa (Unisa) makes provision for contact sessions of 15 hours per semester for selected modules in an attempt to elevate the pedagogical efficiency of these sessions by focusing on the threshold concepts as an innovative way of learning. This paper shows that tutorials adopting the threshold concepts approach have the potential to make students academically more successful. The focus of this study is an introductory information systems module that teaches the Python programming language. Our statistical analysis demonstrated that the year marks and final exam scores of the participating students were frequently higher than those of the students in the control group.
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- 2024
13. Towards Enhancing Open Distance Learning Students' Roles and Responsibilities: An African Epistemological Perspective
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Kgati, Noziphiwo Cleopatra and de Beer, Zacharias L.
- Abstract
South Africa requires an educated population to sustain her economic development. Higher education institutions are under pressure to produce graduates with skills and competencies to fulfil such an aspiration. Distance education is an essential avenue through which more South Africans can have the much-needed education without necessarily displacing themselves. Distance education is facilitated and regulated by the White Paper on e-Education which is a generic policy document to serve the needs of the system-wide use of ICT integration at all levels of education. It falls short of conceptualising the implications of ICT in distance education particularly the North-West University's (NWU) open distance learning (ODL) multi-mode of education content delivery. The conceptualisation shortfall facilitates a Western-oriented understanding of knowledge while ODL students' traditional understanding of their roles and responsibilities is ignored. The concepts of roles and responsibilities are critically important for the effective functioning of ODL, and they are essential to the attainment of students' education aspirations. At the NWU, approximately seventy per cent of ODL students are Africans whose worldviews do not harmonise with the vision of universities. The research question which underpinned this study was "What are the experiences of the roles and responsibilities of open distance students at a higher education institution?" This study followed an interpretivist research paradigm, which would draw on a qualitative research approach. A systematic literature review was utilised and subsequently the views of ODL students were explored. Purposive sampling was employed to select ODL students as research participants for focus-group interviews. The collected data were analysed using the computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (a CAQDAS), ATLAS tiTM. Due attention was given to ethical considerations throughout the study. The findings revealed that ODL students have several ways in which they understand their roles and responsibilities which were shaped by their African worldview, Africanisation. The findings that emerged from the analyses of roles and responsibilities were task orientation; time management; personal growth; social roles; financial responsibilities; personal responsibilities; family responsibilities; and social responsibilities. [For the complete Volume 21 proceedings, see ED629259.]
- Published
- 2023
14. Challenges Associated with Implementation of Sustainability-Oriented Principles and Practices: Lessons Learnt from South African Universities
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Daniels, Carlo, Niemczyk, Ewelina K., and de Beer, Zacharias L.
- Abstract
As evident in scholarly literature, universities worldwide embrace Sustainable Development Goals initiated by United Nations. Yet, regardless institutions' commitment, many countries, especially developing ones, struggle to effectively implement sustainability-oriented principles and practices in higher education. To that end, this paper, based on the qualitative document analysis, brings attention to main challenges associated with the implementation of sustainability-orientated principles and practices in seven South African universities. The findings show that several challenges exist due to the holistic nature of sustainable development (SD) as it is a concept that not only connects different areas of knowledge but also articulates knowledge from distinctive disciplines. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the strategy with the most potential of enhancing the implementation of sustainability-orientated principles and practices and ensuring longevity and improvement require support from top management of higher education institutions (HEIs). In addition, in order to strengthen SD, HEIs need to adapt a holistic approach and implement sustainability principles, knowledge, and practices within all academic activities. In alignment with the theme of the conference, this study provides reflections and recommendations towards the improvement of education considering the experiences and lessons learnt in a specific context. [For the complete Volume 21 proceedings, see ED629259.]
- Published
- 2023
15. Invited Paper: Teaching Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Design Thinking--Preparing IS Students for the Future
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Matthee, Machdel and Turpin, Marita
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Critical thinking and problem solving skills are included in the IS curriculum as foundational skills. IS education researchers recognize the importance of these skills for future IS practitioners given the complexity of the technology based society and economy of the future. However, there is limited work on how these skills are best taught in IS. This research reports on a course focusing on the explicit development of critical thinking and problem solving skills of first-year IS students at the University of Pretoria. The critical thinking part of the course focuses on the analysis, evaluation of, and response to arguments. Class discussions and assessments are based on local, authentic arguments. In the problem solving skills component of the course, students are taught to understand the nature of a problem and to classify it as belonging to one of three categories: puzzles, problems, and messes. For each category, appropriate problem solving approaches are suggested and practiced. To illustrate the role of design and creativity in problem solving, students have to create an artefact using the Maker Space of the university. They have to apply the five phases of design thinking as suggested by the Stanford d.school design thinking approach. The course has been presented since 2016, and feedback is collected from students annually. Based on a feedback questionnaire that the students complete at the end of each course, we have reason to believe that they find the course valuable and consider those skills to be applicable to other courses as well as elsewhere in their lives. They also point out the value it holds for their future as IS practitioners. As part of our ongoing research, we are investigating ways to develop a critical disposition amongst students, an important component of critical thinking.
- Published
- 2019
16. Universal Design for Learning and Writing Centres in South African Higher Education
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Désireé Eva Moodley
- Abstract
Could a transformative, inclusive and emancipatory educational framework like the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) advance academic success for all? Could racism and dis/ableism be dismantled through such an emerging educational trend that offers a redefinition of dis/ability abolishing oppressive pedagogical practices that perpetuate constructed views of special needs, often negatively correlated with racial and intellectual superiority? Could such a framework that foregrounds physical, cognitive and linguistic injustices advance achievement beyond merely meeting academic literacy standards within higher education settings like writing centres in a post-COVID 21st-century South Africa? These critical questions are some of the tensions raised in this paper proposing a compelling, yet controversial attempt at advancing student learning and achievement within an expanded definition of disability offered by the UDL framework developed by Rose and Meyer at the Center for Applied Special Technology at Harvard University. While COVID-19 centred around a pandemic, this global catastrophe accelerated the technological thrust into virtual and blended learning mediums of learning and engagement. Yet, given the technological explosion of the mid- and late 20th century, in many ways education have headed towards this direction. Now more than ever, the awareness of the Universal Design for Learning within the role of the writing centre and academic literacy is especially critical, given the drive for technologically driven approaches to address issues of social justice. This paper seeks to understand the obstacles and opportunities of the UDL framework within the role of writing centres in post-COVID 21st-century South African higher education. Through professional insights as a qualified practising writing consultant both locally in South Africa and in the United States, this reflective critique on the emerging vociferous dialogue around the adoption of the Universal Design for Learning framework at higher education institutions in South Africa, and its implications for the role of the writing centre, are based on this author's pragmatic, commonplace experiences as well as research studies conducted on UDL and the Harvard Review. It is hoped that this reflective paper may make visible some of the inherent juxtapositions Universal Design for Learning may hold for meeting individual students' learning needs principled on its universal approach to learning success for all, affording opportunities for further research and critique.
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- 2024
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17. Innovative Multimodal Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) Supervision Practices for Master's and Doctoral Candidates
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Lydia Mbati and Ramashego Shila Mphahlele
- Abstract
Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) is on the rise to cater to non-traditional students. However, the surge in master's and doctoral students opting for ODeL raises concerns about the quality and timely completion of degrees. Existing literature on student attrition in higher education indicates that both student-related factors and institutional variables significantly impact completion rates. Factors such as students' sense of connection or isolation, as well as institutional aspects like supervisor responsiveness to feedback and feedforward, contribute to student persistence. To address this early attrition and extended stays in postgraduate studies, a community of practice (CoP), comprising lecturers and master's and doctoral students was formed. The CoP employed the Social Learning Theory (SLT) approach to initiate collaborative partnerships designed to promote a research culture and explore alternative approaches to curb master's and doctoral late completion and attrition. This paper reports on a study undertaken to explore the experiences, perceptions and insights of master's and doctoral candidates regarding the implementation of innovative multimodal Open Distance e-Learning supervision practices. Grounded in SLT, the exploratory case study employed an open-ended questionnaire to gather data from the students participating in the support programme. The findings revealed the positive impact of innovative practices on candidates' academic development and overall research experience. The findings further demonstrated that virtual communication tools have significantly enhanced collaboration between candidates and supervisors, breaking down geographical barriers and facilitating real-time feedback and guidance. The innovative multimodal OdeL supervision practices gave master's and doctoral candidates flexibility and increased their learning engagement.
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- 2024
18. Exploring Insights from Initial Teacher Educators' Reflections on the Mental Starters Assessment Project
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Rosemary D. L. Brien and Sharon M. Mc Auliffe
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Background: The Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) seeks to address poor performance in Grade 3 mathematics. The programme focusses on eliminating inefficient counting methods and promoting strategic mathematical skills, including numerical sense, mental calculation and rapid recall skills. Additionally, MSAP supports teachers' professional growth by providing them with a toolkit of effective calculation strategies to bridge the performance gap and enhance mathematical education. Aim: This paper explores the insight gained from reflections of final year Bachelor of Foundation Phase (FP) initial teacher educators (ITE) students in South Africa. Setting: Grade 3 classrooms. Methods: The ITE students were given training and materials to implement the MSAP, and this occurred over a 4-week teaching practicum, after which they completed a reflective task on the implementation. A total of 20 students were selected from a cohort of 138 based on their academic performance. Results: The analysis of the reflections showed that ITE students benefitted from reflecting on their practice and highlighted important elements of their professional learning. The reflections raised issues related to challenges in their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as well as their confidence and competence to teach mathematics and manage the classroom context. Conclusion: With a multi-dimensional model of reflection, ITE students can achieve a deeper understanding of mathematics teaching and learning when building learners' mental strategies, fostering professional growth and elevating the overall quality of mathematics education. Contribution: Overall, the findings provide insight into the benefits of reflective practices for ITE students' professional development and the improvement of mathematics education.
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- 2024
19. Assessing Students' Perceptions and Preferences for Blackboard at a South African Public University
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Dominique Emmanuel Uwizeyimana, Victor H. Mlambo, Tasneem Majam, and Carmen Joel
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This study examines students' perceptions and preferences for Blackboard at a South African public university. When the South African government, driven by COVID-19, announced the closure of schools in March 2020 for high school learners, home-schooling became the only option despite challenges such as lack of internet access, family support and computer access. This paper argued that learners were not prepared for home-schooling, which would negatively affect those in rural areas. It would be worse when they enroll for higher education as most universities in SA had adopted online learning. A quantitative research approach was used, and a sample of 370 first-year students was selected. The result showed that most first years found Blackboard easy and very easy to use. Moreover, the results show that despite this, some students preferred face-to-face learning more than Blackboard. This suggests that whilst Blackboard had its appeal, students still found comfort in familiar learning systems, especially considering that they had used such systems for most of their learning lives.
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- 2024
20. Curriculum Decolonization and Internationalization: A Critical Perspective from South Africa
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Savo Heleta and Samia Chasi
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This conceptual paper presents a decolonial critique of Eurocentric epistemic hegemony in South Africa and its impact on the curriculum. We argue that the propagation of knowledge from the Global North as 'universal' through conceptually vague framings of curriculum internationalization is contributing to the maintenance of Eurocentric hegemony. We explore how to think otherwise about the world, knowledge and curriculum, framing this around a critical understanding of historical and contemporary politics, geopolitics and coloniality of knowledge. This includes an interrogation of historical workings of power and domination, hegemonic and ideological assumptions, and how all this continues to shape knowledge and curriculum. We offer a set of critical questions that can assist academics and curriculum developers in assessing what is amplified and what is silenced in the curriculum. This can contribute to a genuine engagement with diverse global perspectives and promotion of epistemic plurality in higher education.
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- 2024
21. Foucault, Governmentality and the Performance Management of Academics: A Case Study at a South African University
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Cindy Ramhurry and Runash Ramhurry
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This article examines the power dynamics underpinning performance management at a selected South African university. It specifically employs Michel Foucault's (1977) ideas on Governmentality to interpret the envisioning of performance management in this context at the level of Policy. The study employed a qualitative research methodology to address the questions at hand. Data were generated from one primary source: a discourse analysis of the Performance Management Policy (2013) at a selected university in South Africa. Using Michel Foucault's (1991) theories on governmentality, a discourse analysis of Performance Management Policy documents was conducted with the goal of critically interrogating the kinds of new academic subjectivities being created in South African higher education. The findings show that the Policy on Performance Management at the university in question works towards creating academic subjects which conform with the university's expectations and are consistently self- regulated. Findings also show that management of academics is constantly controlled and regulated by a powerful matrix of governance, comprising the university and the wider global community. This paper recommends that performance management discourses should take into stronger cognizance the matter of academic freedom and autonomy. We further recommend that Policy developers and management teams at universities be conscious of the complex forces of power that shape academic identities so that their policies move away from oppressive discourses. We argue that there is much we can learn from governmentality theory if we hope to build more just and equitable societies going forward.
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- 2024
22. Pre-Service Teacher Investment through Dialogic Action Learning
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Ilse Fouché
- Abstract
Background: A lack of student 'buy-in' and engagement are often major obstacles in academic literacy courses. To create a dialogic learning environment which encourages student investment and challenges traditional student-lecturer hierarchies of power, the curriculum of a first-year academic literacy course at a South African university was reconceptualised around an action-learning project. Objectives: The aim is to determine whether the reconceptualised course enabled dialogic learning that fostered a sense of investment in students. Method: An interpretivist paradigm was followed, drawing on a qualitative research approach. To explore the nature of student investment, discourse analysis was used to analyse group reflections submitted at the end of the 21-week course. Student reflections were coded thematically using an inductive approach. Results: These reflections indicate that specific mechanisms need to be in place for effective dialogic engagement. If in place, findings suggest that the dialogic approach could encourage critical thinking, help students to develop problem-solving skills, lead to cognisance of multiple perspectives, deepen understanding of course material and expectations, promote inclusivity, and encourage reflection on the learning process. Conclusion: This study indicates that purposefully embedding a dialogic approach into a curriculum through purpose-driven group activities, can lead to more engaged learning. Contribution: The paper contributes to the field of academic literacy studies by showing how academic literacy practitioners may use the now-established pedagogies of action-learning and dialogic teaching and learning to design courses that create an enabling environment for students to draw on deep approaches to learning.
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- 2024
23. Nurse Educators' Perceptions Regarding Online Education: A Qualitative Study
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Saviten Govender and Kholofelo L. Matlhaba
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The fourth industrial revolution has brought about plenty of changes in the educational landscape. As a result, the implementation of online education is now a necessity for any higher education institution that seeks recognition in the 21st century. Furthermore, online education has become a well-established global practice that enables active, individual, and flexible learning. While online education is growing at a tremendous rate in higher education, in South Africa, its use in Nursing Education is a relatively new phenomenon. This explorative, descriptive, qualitative research design paper aimed to report the results of a whole study whose purpose was to explore and describe the perceptions nurse educators have towards online education at the Nursing Education Institution in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Three themes emerged: the perceived advantages of online education, the perceived disadvantages of online education, and the perceived measures that can be used to promote the use of online education. The study concludes that online education has both advantages and disadvantages.
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- 2024
24. The Use of Social Network Sites to Enhance Relational Teaching in Higher Education
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Yaw Owusu-Agyeman and Semira Pillay
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Emergent scholarly studies on the use of social network sites (SNSs) in higher education have focused mainly on how SNSs could enhance effective teaching and learning. However, very few studies have explored how social relationships between teachers and learners could serve as a learner-centered approach to promote teaching and learning through SNSs. To address this gap, the current study gathered and analyzed qualitative data from 27 teachers and 51 students in a public university in South Africa. The findings show how the outcomes of the use of SNSs in the university are also linked to learner-centered approaches which include: the development of the knowledge, skills, and attributes of students required for the twenty-first century; students' demonstration of good social skills, teamwork, individual self-esteem, and confidence; and empowering students through their scholarly voices in the social network environment. To the teachers, the use of SNSs enhances their relational skills, enables them to be innovative in the use of digital technology, and allows them to create new pedagogical approaches. The study also reveals that when teachers interact and share knowledge with students in the social network environment, they serve the learning needs of all students, including those from low socio-economic backgrounds and first-generation students, through leaner-centered approaches. This paper adds to the literature on social constructivism by highlighting how the development of good social relationships between teachers and learners through what the authors term as digital relational pedagogies could serve as a learner-centered approach to effective teaching and learning, especially when facilitated by SNSs.
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- 2024
25. Exploring Online Teaching and Learning Challenges for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Lecturer
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Joseph Mesuwini and Sello Mokoena
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This paper explored the challenges lecturers face in teaching through online platforms. Online learning has become increasingly prevalent in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, offering opportunities and challenges for TVET lecturers. The transition from traditional face-to-face teaching to online environments requires lecturers to adapt to the new teaching methods, design engaging content, and navigate digital platforms. The qualitative research gathered data from 35 lecturers out of 60 conveniently and purposefully selected from five engineering campuses at a South African TVET college. Participants were accessible to the researcher and possessed online teaching experiences. Participant observation was used as a data-gathering tool. The study attempts to answer the question: What challenges are lecturers facing during online teaching and learning? The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework for Teacher Knowledge by Koehler and Mishra guided the study. Data were analysed thematically from the identified patterns and themes. The findings revealed technical difficulties like connectivity and software glitches, which disrupted the teaching and learning process. Lecturers grappled with receiving practical online support. The limited interaction and collaboration among students in virtual settings posed additional challenges in maintaining engagement and addressing individual learning needs. Furthermore, access and equity issues hindered students' ability to participate fully due to inadequate technology, internet access, and power outages. To overcome these challenges, the study recommended lecturers continuous professional development in online learning methods and technologies. Addressing the challenges contributes to the successful implementation of online learning in the TVET sector by ensuring quality education and enhancing students' skills and competencies.
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- 2024
26. A Pilot Study of MBA Programmes in South Africa
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Muposhi, Asphat, Dhurup, Manilall, Martin, Robert L., and Bhadury, Joyendu
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In recent years, Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes and their curricula have been subjected to substantial scrutiny. However, the majority of studies have been confined to business schools in Western countries. By comparison, much less research is available on MBA programmes in developing countries, particularly those in Africa. In an effort to address this gap, this article examines MBA programmes in South Africa by first situating them within the global MBA curriculum debate. It then notes the need to move away from a generalist MBA programme to a specialized MBA in line with emerging global trends. Finally, it suggests a multidisciplinary approach to the redesign of the MBA curriculum.
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- 2019
27. Education for Sustainable Development: Insights from Canadian and South African Universities
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Saudelli, Mary Gene and Niemczyk, Ewelina K.
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Universities can play a key role in contributing to a sustainable future for our planet and its inhabitants. In times of constant changes, there is a growing urgency to reflect on the vision of universities as well as their respective practices and projects that can promote the creation of sustainable societies. As is evident in scholarly literature, there is a need to empower universities and enhance their ability to prepare individuals who can confront global sustainability challenges and pursue sustainable development. The United Nations' adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 recognised that societal problems were territorially blind, meaning that no country has sufficient knowledge or research capacity to solve all challenges on its own. To that end, this qualitative, comparative research study represents the unified effort of two very different countries to explore the topic of education for sustainable development (SD) at universities. The study employed a document analysis of selected publicly funded universities in Canada and South Africa. Gathered documents are from the past seven years and include the universities' mission and vision statements, annual reports, and strategic plans. The three main questions addressed in this work are: (a) What is the status and role of higher education for SD in Canada and South Africa? (b) What areas of SD are on the agenda of universities under investigation in Canada and South Africa? (c) What are the main similarities and differences between the two contexts under investigation? Findings indicate that universities focus on several aspects of SD, namely sustainable education, sustainable relationships, and sustainable initiatives. The paper discusses these areas for each country in connection to their contextual setting. Although the study's findings cannot be generalised, they can be informative for other universities and contexts and thus contribute to the body of knowledge about education for SD in higher education.
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- 2022
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28. Managing Racial Integration in BRICS Higher Education Institutions
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Naidoo, Shantha and Shaikhnag, Noorullah
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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed by the United Nations in 2015 to encompass universal respect for equality and non-discrimination regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, and cultural diversity. Since 2000, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) have aligned with SDG 4.3 by developing higher education institutions (HEIs) which aims to "By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university". This was intended to create equal opportunities and permit full realisation and prosperity of human rights and human dignity. This paper explores the effectiveness of managing racial integration in BRICS HEIs and illustrates remarkable progress in research and policy enactment. Particular attention is devoted to the period from the mid-2000s when evidence around the globe exposed the presence of many forms of violence, which inhibit management of effective racial integration. Based on case studies from selected BRICS countries (South Africa, Russia, and Brazil), this paper explores how the management of racial integration is being addressed within these contexts. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]
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- 2022
29. Institutional Autonomy and Academic Freedom in the Light of National Regulatory Frameworks: Glance at Hungary and South Africa
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Rónay, Zoltán and Niemczyk, Ewelina K.
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Having reviewed several pieces of strategy documents, policy papers, and literature, we concluded that there is no uniform definition of either institutional autonomy or academic freedom (AF). Many different points of view determine the interpretation of these terms. Furthermore, the policymakers (e.g., governments, legislators) can ignore the theories connecting to autonomy and AF and separate from them the legislation-level realization. This paper aims to overview different interpretations of autonomy and AF, highlighting the most important standpoints and presenting how autonomy and AF are realized in the national legislation. Considering the limited length of this paper, we focus on our respective countries, namely Hungary and South Africa. Our previous findings show that in many aspects, our countries face similar challenges despite the different historical antecedents. In previous research we compared the factors, which can influence research activities, however, we did not investigate the legislative framework. To that end, in this paper, we go further and look specifically at legal frameworks within our respective countries. Our results illustrate that without a homogenous content, the State may use the concepts of autonomy and AF in its legislation as it sees fit. This in turn may lead to autonomy and AF or some of their components, while being formally safeguarded, they may lose the guarantee character that corresponds to their actual content. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]
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- 2022
30. Building a Risky-Safe-Space: Using Reflective Pedagogies and Values to Support Writing Development in Work Based Learning
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Boyd, Vic, Wilson, Colin, and Smith, Christopher
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The concepts of 'graduateness' and graduate attributes became contested terrain before COVID-19 destabilised even the most assured of shared learning constructions. Indeed, for those of us immersed in the delivery of work-based learning (WBL), this has long been the case. Promotion of reductive notions of 'skills' acquisition to comply neatly with an employability agenda holds little relevance for those students already engaged in full time careers, and with a wealth of professional experience. What can hold influence and interest, however, is the opportunity to engage in meaningful, agentic, professionally-aligned reflective practices as a scaffolded route to promoting self-awareness and developing confidence in mapping competences from the professional domain to the academic (and vice versa). This paper shares an account of taking an embedded approach to supporting the development of academic literacies amongst work-based learners in one UK HEI. In particular, it will consider the use of reflective pedagogical tools and values in supporting work-based learners to become confident and adaptable writers. Discussion considers how work-based pedagogies and approaches may have far-reaching relevance in a post-pandemic landscape, where reskilling and professional agility are likely to become more prolific aspects of education and work. Writing itself is framed as an integrated communication practice that encompasses literature retrieval, reading, evaluation, synthesis and articulation of argument. The paper will describe pre-pandemic academic support activities and share qualitative survey data in which students consider their confidence as both professional and academic writers. It concludes with consideration of how some of the approaches outlined may have relevance for the wider academic community.
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- 2023
31. Non-Monetary Poverty: Addressing Issues of Student Deprivation in South African Higher Education
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Gore, Oliver Tafadzwa and Ruswa, Anesu Sam
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South African higher education experiences low outcomes regardless of the significant financial investments made into the sector to address student poverty through financial aid. Concerning is that more than half of the low-income students who receive funding from the government do not graduate which points to the presence of other deprivations that are not financial. Despite the well documented adverse impacts of multidimensional poverty and non-monetary deprivations, there has been limited research on it in South African higher education. This study fills in this knowledge gap by exploring non-monetary deprivation and ways of addressing multidimensional poverty without necessarily increasing funding. The study uses the Capabilities Approach to argue for universities to give attention to non-monetary deprivation in their interventions aimed to address multidimensional student poverty. The study employed a sequential-mixed methodology that collected data using four focus group discussions, followed by an online survey that collected quantitative and qualitative data using a questionnaire. A total of 2306 undergraduate students who were selected from one university using a simple random sampling technique completed the questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. This paper only focuses on the data from the qualitative survey, which indicates that nonmonetary deprivation is manifesting in the following dimensions: being able to live stress-free lives, dignity, participation, self-determination and motivation, social networks and being safe and secure. The study recommends that universities should consider reducing the effects of the non-material deprivations, such as mental health in order for students to flourish in higher education. [For the complete Volume 21 proceedings, see ED629259.]
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- 2023
32. Professional Development Needs for TVET College Novice Lecturers: Transitioning to Higher Education
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Buhle Stella Nhlumayo and Sbongile C. O. Shandu
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The objective of this paper is to explore the professional development needs of novice lecturers in three selected Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in South Africa as they transition from different industries into the higher education sector. The methodology of collecting data was individual face-to-face interviews. The study participants were six novice lecturers and three TVET college managers, who were selected purposefully. The study is underpinned by an adult learning theory, which argues that adult learners have accumulated life experiences and knowledge and require structured programs that have clearly defined outputs. The paper responded to two research questions: What are the professional development needs of novice lecturers in a TVET college, and how does college management respond to the professional development needs of novice lecturers? Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings indicate that pedagogic and classroom management skills were the basic needs of novice lecturers through professional development programs. In light of the findings, the study suggests capacity-building for college management to respond appropriately to the induction and mentoring needs of novice lecturers as well as the provision of internally conducted and structured professional development programs.
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- 2023
33. Eradicating a Culture of Public Mistrust in TVET College Education in South Africa: A Manifesto for the Sector's Sustainability Ahead of 4IR
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Bongani Innocent Nkambule and Sindile Amina Ngubane
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The consumption of technical and vocational education and training has increased exponentially over the past two decades. In terms of inclusion, it is without a doubt that today's TVET sector is a far cry from what it was before the democratic government took over the baton from the apartheid government. TVET has become a refuge to many hopefuls from the historically disadvantaged sectors of society who, due to a range of apparent reasons, would ordinarily not have managed to partake in tertiary education. To many South African youth, TVET presents an avenue for the acquisition of a skill that will give them a fighting chance at escaping the harsh recurrence of poverty, economic inactivity and resource deprivation they are subjected to almost on a daily basis. However, beneath this silver lining lies a growing public disgruntlement over the TVET system's ability to steadfastly deliver quality education and transform the lives of students, by instilling in them agency for self-regulated and collaborative innovation that will turn them into formidable and assertive role players in the knowledge societies, come the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). To understand the crux of public mistrust in TVET college education in South Africa, an extensive body of literature was reviewed. The findings of the paper point to strategic factors (which in the main are attributed to a lack of effective leadership and managerial skills) and contextual factors that occur at a campus level, as major causes of public mistrust in TVET education. The paper concludes by tabling a manifesto for changing the status quo ahead of the advent of 4IR.
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- 2023
34. Analysis of Difficult Concepts in Senior Phase Mathematics Baseline Assessments: First-Year Student Teachers' Reflections
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Folake Modupe Adelabu and Jogmol Kalariparampil Alex
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This paper report on first-year student teachers' reflections on the difficulty levels of mathematics concepts in the senior phase baseline assessments. This paper emanated after first year student teachers completed the baseline assessments for each of the three grades in the senior phase, Grades 7, 8, and 9. One hundred and sixteen (116) first year mathematics student teachers were included in this study. Data were collected using purposive and convenience sampling methods. This qualitative research adopted a case-study design, using an interpretivist paradigm. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire as the research instrument. The questionnaire was designed to determine student teachers' thoughts about the difficulty levels of concepts of the mathematical content in the baseline assessments. The results of the study revealed that Algebra; Number Pattern; Statistics; Shapes; Geometry; Simplification; Sequences and Series; and Addition and Subtraction of numbers as easy topics to answer, Fractions, Mixed fractions, Factorisation, Probability, and Measurement were topics that were very difficult. The study recommended that teacher educators design instructions that will assist student teachers in constructing senior phase mathematical concepts to improve their understanding of these complex topics in higher education institutions.
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- 2023
35. On Violence in South African Higher Education: An Ideological Perspective
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Mlamuli Nkosingphile Hlatshwayo
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South Africa is inherently a violent country. From the service delivery protests, rise in murder rates, gender-based violence, and an increasingly violent higher education sector; South Africans are increasingly feeling vulnerable and despondent about the future. In this paper, I attempt to provide a conceptual understanding of violence in higher education. Through Gramsci's idea of the organic crisis, I propose two kinds of violence that need urgent attention if we are to realise higher education transformation and decolonisation. Firstly, I propose a focus on what I see as the deeply embedded and well-entrenched epistemic violence in higher education. This violence operates at the level of curricula and knowledge production, and occasions the need to displace the dominance of Eurocentric thought in curriculum design. Secondly, I propose a focus on social violence, which operates at the discursive level of the institutional culture. This relates to the growing frustrations, anguish, and depression among Black academics and Black students who continue to see, read and experience higher education in South Africa as inherently anti-Black, anti-women, and increasingly anti-poor. I end the paper with some concluding thoughts on the need to adopt a broader conception of violence, and the epistemic/ontological/methodological possibilities this gives us in transforming the higher education sector in South Africa.
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- 2024
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36. Microteaching Networks in Higher Education
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Sonia Santoveña-Casal, Javier Gil-Quintana, and José Javier Hueso-Romero
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Purpose: Microteaching is a teacher training method based on microclasses (groups of four or five students) and microlessons lasting no more than 5-20 min. Since it was first explored in the late 20th century in experiments at Stanford University, microteaching has evolved at the interdisciplinary level. The purpose of this paper is to examine the networks found via an analytical bibliometric study of the scientific output related with microteaching in teacher training, through a study and examination of the Web of Science database. Design/methodology/approach: This research was conducted with the VOSviewer tool for content analysis through data mining and scientific network structure mapping by means of the normalisation technique. This technique is based on the association strength indicator, which is interpreted as a measurement of the similarity of the units of analysis. Findings: Two hundred and nine articles were thus obtained from the Web of Science database. The networks generated and the connections among the various items, co-authorship and co-citation are presented in the results, which clearly indicates that there are significant authors and institutions in the field of microteaching. The largest cluster is made up of institutions such as Australian Catholic University. The most often-cited document is by Rich and Hannafin. Allen (1968), who defines microteaching as a technique based on microclasses and microlessons, is the author most often cited and has the largest number of connections. Research limitations/implications: This research's limitations concern either aspects that lie beyond the study's possibilities or goals that have proved unattainable. The second perspective, which focuses on skill transfer, contains a lower percentage of documents and therefore has a weaker central documentary structure. Lastly, the authors have also had to bear in mind the fact that the scientific output hinges upon a highly specific realm, the appearance and/or liberalisation of digital technologies and access to those technologies in the late 20th century. Originality/value: This research shows that microteaching is a promising area of research that opens up vast possibilities in higher education teacher training for application in the realm of technologies. This paper could lead to several lines of future research, such as access to and the universal design of learning from the standpoint of different communication and pedagogical models based on microteaching.
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- 2024
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37. Sustaining Opportunities and Mutual Partiality through Collaborative Online International Learning in South Africa
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Ashika Naicker
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The value of internationalization within the limits of mobility has become more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As reflection occurs on our own history, navigating a period of reset and renewal, this paper examines how to advance our thinking, and explore and transverse essential differences within the digital space. Hence, recalibrating the global north and south agenda to create inclusionary principles through virtual exchange. First, this ethnographic paper explores the sympoeitic relationship of creating opportunities and a sense of agency toward morphogenesis. Second, it focuses on the contextual rationale for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) within higher education. Third, it explores equity in the digital space through multiple engagements in COIL. The paper offers associated conclusions for critical virtual exchange to advance equity, inclusion, and social justice and suggests responsible pluralistic internationalization.
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- 2024
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38. Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on Mobile Learning (13th, Budapest, Hungary, April 10-12, 2017)
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International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS), Sánchez, Inmaculada Arnedillo, and Isaías, Pedro
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These proceedings contain the papers and posters of the 13th International Conference on Mobile Learning 2017, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS), in Budapest, Hungary, April 10-12, 2017. The Mobile Learning 2017 Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of mobile learning research which illustrates developments in the field. Full papers presented in these proceedings include: (1) Design of a Prototype Mobile Application to Make Mathematics Education More Realistic (Dawid B. Jordaan, Dorothy J. Laubscher, and A. Seugnet Blignaut); (2) Tablets and Applications to Tell Mathematics' History in High School (Eduardo Jesus Dias, Carlos Fernando Araujo, Jr., and Marcos Andrei Ota); (3) Assessing the Potential of LevelUp as a Persuasive Technology for South African Learners (Nhlanhla A. Sibanyoni and Patricia M. Alexander); (4) #Gottacatchemall: Exploring Pokemon Go in Search of Learning Enhancement Objects (Annamaria Cacchione, Emma Procter-Legg, and Sobah Abbas Petersen); (5) A Framework for Flipped Learning (Jenny Eppard and Aicha Rochdi); (6) The Technology Acceptance of Mobile Applications in Education (Mark Anthony Camilleri and Adriana Caterina Camilleri); (7) Engaging Children in Diabetes Education through Mobile Games (Nilufar Baghaei, John Casey, David Nandigam, Abdolhossein Sarrafzadeh, and Ralph Maddison); (8) A Mobile Application for User Regulated Self-Assessments (Fotis Lazarinis, Vassilios S. Verykios, and Chris Panagiotakopoulos); and (9) Acceptance of Mobile Learning at SMEs of the Service Sector (Marc Beutner and Frederike Anna Rüscher). Short papers presented include: (1) Possible Potential of Facebook to Enhance Learners' Motivation in Mobile Learning Environment (Mehwish Raza); (2) D-Move: A Mobile Communication Based Delphi for Digital Natives to Support Embedded Research (Otto Petrovic); (3) Small Private Online Research: A Proposal for a Numerical Methods Course Based on Technology Use and Blended Learning (Francisco Javier Delgado Cepeda); (4) Experimenting with Support of Mobile Touch Devices for Pupils with Special Educational Needs (Vojtech Gybas, Katerina Kostolányová, and Libor Klubal); (5) Mobile Learning in the Theater Arts Classroom (Zihao Li); (6) Nomophobia: Is Smartphone Addiction a Genuine Risk for Mobile Learning? (Neil Davie and Tobias Hilber); (7) Analysis of Means for Building Context-Aware Recommendation System for Mobile Learning (Larysa Shcherbachenko and Samuel Nowakowski); (8) RunJumpCode: An Educational Game for Educating Programming (Matthew Hinds, Nilufar Baghaei, Pedrito Ragon, Jonathon Lambert, Tharindu Rajakaruna, Travers Houghton, and Simon Dacey); (9) Readiness for Mobile Learning: Multidisciplinary Cases from Yaroslavl State University (Vladimir Khryashchev, Natalia Kasatkina, and Dmitry Sokolenko); and (10) The M-Learning Experience of Language Learners in Informal Settings (Emine Sendurur, Esra Efendioglu, Neslihan Yondemir Çaliskan, Nomin Boldbaatar, Emine Kandin, and Sevinç Namazli). Reflection papers presented include: (1) New Model of Mobile Learning for the High School Students Preparing for the Unified State Exam (Airat Khasianov and Irina Shakhova); (2) Re-Ment--Reverse Mentoring as a Way to Deconstruct Gender Related Stereotypes in ICT (Kathrin Permoser); (3) Academic Success Foundation: Enhancing Academic Integrity through Mobile Learning (Alice Schmidt Hanbidge, Amanda Mackenzie, Nicole Sanderson, Kyle Scholz, and Tony Tin); (4) Using Tablet and iTunesU as Individualized Instruction Tools (Libor Klubal, Katerina Kostolányová, and Vojtech Gybas); (5) DuoLibras--An App Used for Teaching-Learning of Libras (Erick Nilson Sodré Filho, Lucas Gomes dos Santos, Aristóteles Esteves Marçal da Silva, Nidyana Rodrigues Miranda de Oliveira e Oliveira, Pedro Kislansky, and Marisete da Silva Andrade); (6) Educators Adopting M-Learning: Is It Sustainable in Higher Education? (Nicole Sanderson and Alice Schmidt Hanbidge); and (7) M-Kinyarwanda: Promoting Autonomous Language Learning through a Robust Mobile Application (Emmanuel Bikorimana, Joachim Rutayisire, Mwana Said Omar, and Yi Sun). Posters include: (1) Design of Mobile E-Books as a Teaching Tool for Diabetes Education (Sophie Huey-Ming Guo); and (2) Reading While Listening on Mobile Devices: An Innovative Approach to Enhance Reading (Aicha Rochdi and Jenny Eppard). The Doctoral Consortium includes: How Can Tablets Be Used for Meaning-Making and Learning (Liv Lofthus). Individual papers include references, and an Author Index is included.
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- 2017
39. Current Business and Economics Driven Discourse and Education: Perspectives from around the World. BCES Conference Books, Volume 15
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Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES), Popov, Nikolay, Wolhuter, Charl, Kalin, Jana, Hilton, Gillian, Ogunleye, James, Niemczyk, Ewelina, Chigisheva, Oksana, Popov, Nikolay, Wolhuter, Charl, Kalin, Jana, Hilton, Gillian, Ogunleye, James, Niemczyk, Ewelina, Chigisheva, Oksana, and Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES)
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This volume contains selected papers submitted to the 15th Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES), held in June 2017 in Borovets, Bulgaria, and papers submitted to the 5th International Partner Conference of the International Research Centre (IRC) "Scientific Cooperation," Rostov-on-Don, Russia, organized as part of the BCES Conference. The 15th BCES conference theme is "Current Business and Economics Driven Discourse and Education: Perspectives from Around the World." The 5th International Partner Conference theme is "Science and Education in Modern Social, Economic and Humanitarian Discourse." This volume consists of 38 papers written by 69 authors. Following a Preface entitled BCES: A Fifteen-Year Conference Tradition, the following papers are included in this volume: (1) Introduction: The Current Business and Economics Driven Discourse and Education--Perspectives from Around the World (Johannes L. van der Walt). Part 1: Comparative Education & History of Education: (2) Economics and Comparative and International Education: Past, Present, Future (Charl Wolhuter); (3) Spontaneous Responses to Neoliberalism, and Their Significance for Education (Johannes L. van der Walt); (4) Affirmative Action in Education and Black Economic Empowerment in the Workplace in South Africa since 1994: Policies, Strengths and Limitations (Harold D. Herman); (5) Commodity versus Common Good: Internationalization in Latin-American Higher Education (Marco Aurelio Navarro Leal); (6) Education and Communities at the "Margins": The Contradictions of Western Education for Islamic Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (Obed Mfum-Mensah); and (7) Resilience and Intercultural Education on Secondary School: A Comparative Study in Mexico and Germany (Octaviano García Robelo and Ileana Casasola Pérez). Part 2: Teacher Education: (8) Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession: A Study of Elementary School Teachers' Perspectives (Jana Kalin, Renata Cepic, and Barbara Šteh); and (9) The Internationalization of Teacher Education: Different Contexts, Similar Challenges (Bruno Leutwyler, Nikolay Popov, and Charl Wolhuter). Part 3: Education Policy, Reforms & School Leadership: (10) Disappearing Teachers: An Exploration of a Variety of Views as to the Causes of the Problems Affecting Teacher Recruitment and Retention in England (Gillian L. S. Hilton); (11) Government Policy in England on the Financing of ITT: Value for Money or a Waste of Resources? (Gillian L. S. Hilton); (12) The Roles of Teacher Leadership in Shanghai Education Success (Nicholas Sun-keung Pang and Zhuang Miao); (13) Capitalism and Public Education in the United States (Peter L. Schneller); (14) STEM Education Policies and their Impact on the Labour Market in Latvia (Rita Kiselova and Aija Gravite); (15) Reading Partridge's "The Goblet Club" as an Integral Part of a Secondary School's Anti-Bullying Programme (Corene De Wet); (16) Implementation of School Uniform Policy and the Violation of Students' Human Rights in Schools (Vimbi Petrus Mahlangu); (17) Influence of International Organisms in the School Management Autonomy as an Education Policy (Amelia Molina García, José Antonio Sáenz Melo, and José Luis H. Andrade Lara); and (18) The Reorganisation of the Curriculum in Educational Cycles in Codema College: A Positive Step (Claudio-Rafael Vasquez-Martinez, Felipe González-Gonzalez, Francisco Flores, Josefina Díaz, Jose-Gerardo Cardona-T., Hector Rendon, Jorge Chavoya, Sandra-Milena Gutiérrez-Cardenas, María-Ines Álvarez, Joaquín Torres-Mata, Erik-Moises Betancourt-Nuñez, María Morfín, Miguel Álvarez, and Carlos Anguiano). Part 4: Higher Education, Lifelong Learning & Social Inclusion: (19) Training Middle Managers of South African Public Schools in Leadership and Management Skills (Sharon Thabo Mampane); (20) The Higher Education Policy of Global Experts Recruitment Program: Focused on China (Hanna Kim); (21) Job Motivation and Job Satisfaction among Academic Staff in Higher Education (Gordana Stankovska, Slagana Angelkoska, Fadbi Osmani, and Svetlana Pandiloska Grncarovska); and (22) Comparative Analysis of English Language Student's School Paths at a Mexico University (Octaviano García Robelo, Jorge Hernández Márquez, and Ileana Casasola Pérez). Part 5: Law and Education: (23) Integrating Art and Creative Practices into a Programme of Support for Nigerian Students Studying in UK Higher Education Institutions (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu); (24) Comparing Student Retention in a Public and a Private College: Implications for Tackling Inequality in Education (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu); and (25) Legal Understanding of "Quid Pro Quo" Sexual Harassment in Schools (Vimbi Petrus Mahlangu). Part 6: Research Education: (26) Burke's Dramatism Framework: A Lens to Analyse Bullying (Lynette Jacobs); (27) Is It Necessary to Articulate a Research Methodology When Reporting on Theoretical Research? (Juliana Smith and Rosalie Small); and (28) Early Support Development of Children with Disorders of the Biopsychosocial Functioning in Poland (Anna Czyz). Part 7: Educational Development Strategies in Different Countries and Regions of the World--National, Regional and Global Levels: (29) Analytical Overview of the European and Russian Qualifications Frameworks with a Focus on Doctoral Degree Level (Oksana Chigisheva, Anna Bondarenko, and Elena Soltovets); (30) Tutor System as a Source of Harmonizing the Educational System with the Needs of Economics (Tatiana Korsakova and Mikhail Korsakov); (31) Psychological Counseling Services in the Universities of Russia and the West (Elena Kirillova, Boris Kuznetsov, Vasiliy Aleshin, and Evgeniy Vodolazhskiy); (32) Experience of Teaching Drawing in German Schools by A. Ažbe and S. Hollósy (on the Example of the Image of Human Head) (Svetlana Melnikova and Ludmila Petrenko); (33) Short Cycle Higher Education Development in Latvia (Intra Luce); (34) Peculiarities of Teaching Medical Informatics and Statistics (Sergey Glushkov); and (35) The Role of Social Practice for the Development of Educational and Professional Standards (Irina Bobyleva and Olga Zavodilkina). Part 8: Key Directions and Characteristics of Research Organization in the Contemporary World: (36) Some Aspects of Developing Background Knowledge in Second Language Acquisition Revisited (Galina Zashchitina and Natalia Moysyak); (37) On the Theoretical and Practical Consistency of Neoclassicism as a Theoretical Platform of Economic Disciplines (Lyudmila Dyshaeva); and (38) Terrorism as a Social and Legal Phenomenon (Anna Serebrennikova and Yekaterina Mashkova). Individual papers contain references. [For Volume 14, Number 1, see ED568088. For Volume 14, Number 2, see ED568089.]
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- 2017
40. Enhancing Conceptual Understanding in Engineering Mathematics through E-Textbooks
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Ekaterina Rzyankina, Frikkie George, and Zach Simpson
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to digital learning materials have dramatically reduced the use of paper-based textbooks in higher education. In the field of engineering, students need a comprehensive understanding of mathematical concepts, which can be achieved through the use of e-textbooks. These digital learning materials can provide a more comprehensive and effective learning experience by incorporating a variety of multimedia elements, such as audio, visual aids, and interactive features. Rationale/Relevance: Mathematics students are expected to possess critical problem-solving skills, yet they are rarely asked to elaborate on and explain their mathematical reasoning and concepts through written argument in the engineering mathematics classroom. While students may excel in formula manipulation, they may still possess misconceptions about mathematical principles and concepts. A reliance on mechanical and procedural approaches, such as formula application, without proper conceptual understanding can result in serious misunderstandings of mathematics and its real-world applications. Without the ability to reason about mathematical concepts, students may struggle to connect what they are learning in class with real-world scenarios, leading to difficulties in solving practical problems. It is, therefore, crucial to foster conceptual understanding and critical reasoning skills in mathematics education, rather than solely relying on memorisation, in order to equip students with the necessary skills to succeed in their careers. Research Problem/ Research Question: This study will answer the following research question:How effective are e-textbooks in promoting conceptual understanding of engineering mathematics? Aim of the Study/Focus: The purpose of this study is to investigate conceptual learning in engineering mathematics using an e-textbook as a learning tool. Methodology: This qualitative case study explores e-textbooks as adaptive technology, with functionalities that include artificial intelligence allowing students to develop their understanding by interacting with digital text, watching videos of real-world mathematics concepts, and responding to quick quizzes on concepts; as well as practising and mastering further mathematical principles and concepts. It focuses on first-year engineering students and lecturers at a University of Technology in South Africa. The analysis of interview recordings was done with ATLAS.ti. analytical software. Theoretical Framework: The data from this study was analyzed through the lenses of cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and Vosniadou's notion of conceptual change, allowing the researchers to explain complex real-world situations that students experience when engaging with the e-textbook to solve mathematics problems. Recommendations: The work presented here has implications for future studies of conceptual learning in mathematics research and may provide opportunities around learning engineering mathematical concepts, particularly in the context of developing countries. This is because it offers novel instructional approaches that are tailored to the specific needs and challenges of these countries.
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- 2024
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41. Medical Students' Views on What Professionalism Means: An Ubuntu Perspective
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Mantoa Mokhachane, Lionel Green-Thompson, Ann George, Tasha Wyatt, and Ayelet Kuper
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Medical training has become a global phenomenon, and the Physician's Charter (PC), as a missionary document, is key to training those outside the Global North. Undergraduate and postgraduate students in the medical profession are sometimes trained in contexts foreign to their social and ontological backgrounds. This might lead to confusion and blunders, creating an impression of what might look and feel unprofessional to those unfamiliar with the local context. Understanding the cultural backgrounds of the trainees is crucial, and the reverse is also as important. It is essential for clinicians and trainees to understand the cultural backgrounds of their patients to avoid miscommunication. In this phenomenological study, we recruited participants in 2020 who were in their first to fourth year of study of medical training during the #FeesMustFall protests. We used data from this extensive study looking at students' experiences during their training amidst protest and social upheavals in a South African tertiary institution. For this paper, we examined what professionalism means to the student participants using an African Ubuntu lens. Ubuntu and the Collective Finger theory were used to investigate what professionalism means to participants. The Ubuntu philosophy was compared to the PC. In the findings, the clinical space is hierarchical, silencing and the opposite of what Ubuntu means. In comparison to the PC, respect is overarching while compassion and responsibility are the most comparable to the Charter. This study adds an African voice to the professionalism discourse while showing African elements that could be aligned to the PC to challenge the current global discourses.
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- 2024
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42. Paper-Based Theses as the Silver Bullet for Increased Research Outputs: First Hear My Story as a Supervisor
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Pretorius, Marius
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With increased pressure to publish, academics are pursuing creative ways to achieve enhanced research outputs. One such process is the publication-based thesis (PBT) for both masters and PhD candidates, rather than monographs. While this process is not novel in the sciences, it has not been widely applied by economic and management schools, particularly in South Africa. Despite the apparently limited institutional guidelines and policies, some academics have pursued an article-based thesis writing process. Doing so has several consequences of special interest for supervisors and candidates. This research set out to identify the impediments to the PBT process, so as to guide future consideration by academics. This is an auto-ethnographic study by one senior academic with experience in both masters and PhD supervision, who has embarked on the PBT process purposively, and reflects on a deliberate choice to change from standard monograph thesis writing to the PBT approach. Member-checking interviews with 12 senior academics in management sciences (some supporting and others not supporting PBT) to some extent validated the generalizability of the liabilities expressed here as concerns. I conclude with a conceptual framework containing the experienced and envisaged realities of PBT writing. The aim of the framework is to assist and warn newcomers to the process with guidelines for considering the associated impediments. Five main liabilities that may "bind" progress, covering 13 antecedents to consider, were identified. The findings led to improved understanding by contextualizing the issues underlying the PBT supervision process, giving structure and meaning to possible solutions to overcoming the liabilities.
- Published
- 2017
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43. Novice Doctoral Supervision in South Africa: An Autoethnographic Approach
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Makoni, Patricia Lindelwa
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This paper presents an autoethnographic, narrative analysis through self-reflection of my own personal transition from doctoral student to doctoral supervisor. An evaluation of the importance of the PhD in South Africa, the role of doctoral supervisors, and characteristics of good supervisors was undertaken; against which my personal experience was assessed. This paper was important in challenging whether institutions of higher learning in the country are adequately preparing young academics to become independent, effective doctoral supervisors. Some of my recommendations include the need for universities to come up with PhD supervision development programmes, as well as to consider alternative supervision models so as to facilitate mentorship of new doctoral supervisors, to ensure the attainment of PhD standards. The limitations of this paper are that, the researcher and subject, are one and the same person, hence there may be concerns of objectivity.
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- 2022
44. Critical Determinants for Learning Analytics Adoption in Higher Education
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Aaron Bere, Patrick Chirilele, and Rugare Chitiga
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical investigation of the critical determinants for the adoption of learning analytics in higher education. A conceptual model was proposed to understand better the adoption of learning analytics in higher education by teaching staff. Structural equation modelling is used for testing and validating the proposed conceptual model based on the survey data collected from Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Five study hypotheses were statistically significant, while two were statically insignificant. A positive relationship was revealed between user preparedness, technology preparedness, perceived usefulness, and social influence with behavioural intentions to adopt learning analytics in higher education. Hypotheses between user preparedness and perceived usefulness as well as user preparedness and learning analytics adoption were rejected. This study contributes to the learning analytics adoption research by proposing and validating a research model for the adoption of learning analytics in higher education. [For the full proceedings, see ED639633.]
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- 2022
45. Mobile Technologies Reinventing Teacher Preparation for Education 4.0 Outcomes in Marginalised Communities
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Tunjera Nyarai, Moyo Moses, Sadeck Osman, and Chigona Agnes
- Abstract
Mobile technology is a promising area of research post COVID-19 and helps the realisation of education 4.0 The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise mobile learning in Education 4.0 paradigm in the South African context. This descriptive study used a questionnaire made in a google form and distributed amongst pre-service teachers at a faculty of education. The survey questionnaire explored perspectives, ownership and use of mobile technologies by pre-service teachers. The data was analysed using the frequencies of the answers to the questionnaire. The findings establish the need for all stakeholders to holistically invest in the technical and capacity building of mobile technologies for learning purposes and help realise and develop the education sector to partake of the Education 4.0 opportunities. The study recommends the need for further studies that will explore additional knowledge on effective mobile technologies that make learning mobile aligning with the fourth industrial revolution innovations. [For the full proceedings, see ED638044.]
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- 2022
46. Education Provision to Every One: Comparing Perspectives from around the World. BCES Conference Books, Volume 14, Number 1
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Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES), Popov, Nikolay, Wolhuter, Charl, Kalin, Jana, Hilton, Gillian, Ogunleye, James, and Niemczyk, Ewelina
- Abstract
Papers from the proceedings of the 14th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society was submitted in two volumes. Volume 1 contains papers submitted at the conference held in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 14-17, 2016. Volume 2 contains papers submitted at the 4th International Partner Conference of the International Research Centre (IRC) "Scientific Cooperation," Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The overall conference theme was "Education Provision to Every One: Comparing Perspectives from Around the World" and included six thematic sections: (1) Comparative Education & History of Education; (2) Pre-service and In-service Teacher Training & Learning and Teaching Styles; (3) Education Policy, Reforms and School Leadership; (4) Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Social Inclusion; (5) Law and Education: Legislation and Inclusive Education, Child Protection & Human Rights Education; and (6) Research Education: Developing Globally Competent Researchers for International and Interdisciplinary Research. The book contains a Preface: "Bulgarian Comparative Education Society: 25 Years of Being International" (Nikolay Popov); an Introduction: "Education Provision to Everyone: Comparing Perspectives from Around the World" (Lynette Jacobs) and papers divided into the respective thematic sections. Part 1: "Comparative Education & History of Education": (1) Jullien: Founding Father of Comparative and International Education Still Pointing the Way (Charl Wolhuter); (2) Presentation of Marc-Antoine Jullien's Work in Bulgarian Comparative Education Textbooks (Teodora Genova & Nikolay Popov); (3) "Teach Your Children Well": Arguing in Favor of Pedagogically Justifiable Hospitality Education (Ferdinand J. Potgieter); (4) Theory for Explaining and Comparing the Dynamics of Education in Transitional Processes (Johannes L. van der Walt); (5) Nordic Internationalists' Contribution to the Field of Comparative and International Education (Teodora Genova); (6) International Research Partners: The Challenges of Developing an Equitable Partnership between Universities in the Global North and South (Karen L. Biraimah); (7) Providing Books to Rural Schools through Mobile Libraries (Lynette Jacobs, Ernst Stals & Lieve Leroy); (8) South African Curriculum Reform: Education for Active Citizenship (Juliana Smith & Agnetha Arendse); (9) Universities Response to Oil and Gas Industry Demands in South Texas (USA) and Tamaulipas (Mexico) (Marco Aurelio Navarro); (10) Goals That Melt Away. Higher Education Provision in Mexico (Marco Aurelio Navarro & Ruth Roux); (11) How the Issue of Unemployment and the Unemployed Is Treated in Adult Education Literature within Polish and U.S. Contexts (Marzanna Pogorzelska & Susan Yelich Biniecki); (12) Contribuciones de un Modelo Multiniveles para el Análisis Comparado de Impactos de Políticas Educativas en la Educación Superior (Mirian Inés Capelari) [title and paper are provided in Spanish, abstract in English]; and (13) Internationalization, Globalization and Relationship Networks as an Epistemological Framework Based on Comparative Studies in Education (Amelia Molina García & José Luis Horacio Andrade Lara). Part 2: "Pre-service and In-service Teacher Training & Learning and Teaching Styles": (14) The Goals and Conditions of Qualitative Collaboration between Elementary Schools and Community -- A Challenge for the Professional Development (Jana Kalin & Barbara Šteh); (15) South African Heads of Department on Their Role in Teacher Development: Unexpected Patterns in an Unequal System (André du Plessis); (16) Do Teachers, Students and Parents Agree about the Top Five Good Teacher's Characteristics? (Marlena Plavšic & Marina Dikovic); and (17) Personality Traits and Learning Styles of Secondary School Students in Serbia (Gordana Djigic, Snežana Stojiljkovic & Andrijana Markovic). Part 3: "Education Policy, Reforms & School Leadership": (18) Routes into Teaching: Does Variety Aid Recruitment or Merely Cause Confusion? A Study of Three Different Programmes for Teacher Training in England (Gillian Hilton); (19) The Status of Teaching as a Profession in South Africa (Corene de Wet); (20) Initial and Continuing Professional Development of Adult Educators from an Educational - Policy Perspective: Rethinking from Croatia (Renata Cepic & Marijeta Mašic); (21) Educational Reform from the Perspective of the Student (Claudio-Rafael Vasquez-Martinez, Felipe Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Jose-Gerardo Cardona-Toro, MaríaGuadalupe Díaz-Renteria, Maria-Ines Alvarez, Hector Rendon, Isabel Valero, Maria Morfin, Miguel Alvarez); (22) Leadership and Context Connectivity: Merging Two Forces for Sustainable School Improvement (Nylon Ramodikoe Marishane); (23) Approaches to In-servicing Training of Teachers in Primary Schools in South Africa (Vimbi P. Mahlangu); (24) Social Justice and Capacity for Self-development in Educational Systems in European Union (Bo-Ruey Huang); (25) Social Justice and Capacity for Self-Development in Educational System in Japan (Yu-Fei Liu); and (26) Emotions in Education Generated by Migration (Graciela Amira Medecigo Shej). Part 4: "Higher Education, Lifelong Learning & Social Inclusion": (27) Ambivalent Community: International African Students in Residence at a South African University (Everard Weber An); (28) Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions in Latvia and Turkey: Its Management and Development during the Last Decade (Sibel Burçer & Ilze Kangro); (29) Lifelong Learning: Capabilities and Aspirations (Petya Ilieva-Trichkova); (30) Where Have All the Teachers Gone: A Case Study in Transitioning (Amanda S. Potgieter); (31) An Overview of Engineering Courses in Brazil: Actual Challenges (Alberto G. Canen, Iara Tammela & Diogo Cevolani Camatta); (32) Multiculturalism and Peace Studies for Education Provision in Time of Diverse Democracies (Rejane P. Costa & Ana Ivenicki); (33) Social Inclusion of Foreigners in Poland (Ewa Sowa-Behtane); (34) An Autistic Child Would Like to Say "Hello" (Maria Dishkova); (35) Research Approaches for Higher Education Students: A Personal Experience (Momodou M Willan); (36) Social Networks Use, Loneliness and Academic Performance among University Students (Gordana Stankovska, Slagana Angelkovska & Svetlana Pandiloska Grncarovska); and (37) The Personal Characteristics Predictors of Academic Success (Slagana Angelkoska, Gordana Stankovska & Dimitar Dimitrovski). Part 5: "Law and Education: Legislation and Inclusive Education, Child Protection & Human Rights Education": (38) An Exploration of the Wider Costs of the Decision by the Rivers State Government in Nigeria to Revoke International Students' Scholarships (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu & Queen Chioma Nworgu); (39) Strategies for Improving the Employability Skills and Life Chances of Youths in Nigeria (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu, Steve Azaiki, Shade Babalola & Chinuru Achinewhu); (40) Examining the Role, Values, and Legal Policy Issues Facing Public Library Resources in Supporting Students to Achieve Academic Success (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu, Steve Azaiki & Queen Chioma Nworgu); (41) Peer Exclusion at Physical Education (Gorazde Sotosek); (42) Exclusion and Education in South Africa: An Education Law Perspective of Emerging Alternative Understandings of Exclusion (Johan Beckmann); and (43) Educational and Social Inclusion of Handicapped Children. Polish Experiences (Anna Czyz). Part 6: "Research Education: Developing Globally Competent Researchers for International and Interdisciplinary Research": (44) Observations about Research Methodology during 15 Years of Presenting Capacity-Building Seminars (Johannes L. van der Walt); and (45) Using a Play-Based Methodology in Qualitative Research: A Case of Using Social Board to Examine School Climate (Anna Mankowska). Following the presentation of the complete conference papers, the following abstracts are provided: (1) Project-Based Learning in Polish-American Comparative Perspective (Marzanna Pogorzelska); (2) Teaching and Researching Intervention and Facilitation in a Process of Self-reflection: Scrutinity of an Action Research Process (Juliana Smith); (3) Investigating Perceptions of Male Students in Early Childhood Education Program on Learning Experiences (Ayse Duran); (4) Teacher Professional Development and Student Achievement in Turkey: Evidence from TIMSS 2011 (Emine Gumus & Mehmet Sukru Bellibas); (5) The Usage of CBT and Ayeka Approach at the Kedma School (Yehuda Bar Shalom & Amira Bar Shalom); (6) Factors Affecting Turkish Teachers' Use of ICT for Teaching: Evidence from ICILS 2013 (Mehmet Sukru Bellibas & Sedat Gumus); (7) Application of Big Data Predictive Analytics in Higher Education (James Ogunleye); (8) The Pursuit of Excellence in Malaysian Higher Education: Consequences for the Academic Workplace (David Chapman, Sigrid Hutcheson, Chang Da Wan, Molly Lee, Ann Austin, Ahmad Nurulazam); (9) Challenging the Value and Missions of Higher Education: New Forms of Philanthropy and Giving (Pepka Boyadjieva & Petya Ilieva-Trichkova); (10) The Effects of Major-changing between Undergraduates and Postgraduates on the Major Development of Postgraduates (Jinmin Yu & Hong Zhu); (11) Spotlight on Canadian Research Education: Access of Doctoral Students to Research Assistantships (Ewelina Kinga Niemczyk); (12) Regulation or Freedom? Considering the Role of the Law in Study Supervision (J. P. Rossouw & M. C. Rossouw); (13) The Subjectivity-Objectivity Battle in Research (Gertrude Shotte); and (14) Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Chemistry: Electrochemical Biosensors Case Study (Margarita Stoytcheva & Roumen Zlatev). A Name Index is included. (Individual papers contain references.) [For Volume 2, "Education Provision to Every One: Comparing Perspectives from around the World. BCES Conference Books, Volume 14, Number 2" see ED568089.]
- Published
- 2016
47. Cultivating Criticality in a Neoliberal System: A Case Study of an English Literature Curriculum at a Mega Distance University
- Author
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Retha Knoetze
- Abstract
Neoliberal practices such as managerialism and academic casualisation impact higher education systems globally. While these practices can constrain any curriculum aimed at enabling transformative learning, this paper shows that they place particular limitations on arts and humanities curricula intent on cultivating criticality and a sense of social responsibility. I draw on data from an English literature curriculum study at a mega distance education institution in South Africa and use Legitimation Code Theory to take a close-up look at how two neoliberal practices: managerialism and academic casualisation cause misalignments between the underpinning values of the curriculum and the kinds of pedagogic and formative assessment practices that are employed. I conclude that decisions regarding administration, enrolments and staffing based on neoliberal values can frustrate students' epistemological and ontological access to humanities disciplines and limit the potential of humanities curricula to offer a higher education in service of the social good.
- Published
- 2024
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48. Effects of Same-Year/Level Peer-Assisted Learning on Academic Performance of Students in Health Sciences' Extended Curriculum Programmes at a University of Technology in South Africa
- Author
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Róan Slabbert
- Abstract
Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a long-standing educational concept in higher education (HE) and has been subjected to ongoing development and ultimate implementation into so-called 'high-risk' programmes. Substantial literature and evidence are available to confirm that PAL is an effective tool for unlocking active learning in medical education. This paper focusses on the effects of same-year/level PAL implementation on the academic performance of tutors and tutees in a health sciences' extended curriculum programme (ECP) at a University of Technology (UoT) in South Africa (SA). A retrospective, longitudinal and quantitative analysis of pre- and post-intervention results of three consecutive ECP student cohorts (2017-2019) was conducted to determine whether same-year/level PAL implementation enhanced academic performance. A total of 138 ECP students participated in this study and a statistically significant difference (p-value <0.05) was found with the overall comparison between the pre- and post-intervention results. Although not all ECP students benefited from this same-year/level PAL intervention, the findings of the study suggest that for the majority of ECP students, same-year/level PAL can be considered as an innovative educational intervention to improve academic success and preparedness for future studies.
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- 2024
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49. Crossing Boundaries: Beginner Teachers Transitioning from University Graduates to Full Legitimate Participants in the Teaching Profession
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Ruben Abraham Stephen Daniels and Lucinda Du Plooy
- Abstract
This paper stems from a broader study that foregrounded an existing mentoring programme against the backdrop of low teacher retention in the South African schooling system. It works from the premise that beginner teachers are exiting the teaching profession within the first three to five years of teaching. This research suggests that one way of addressing low teacher retention is through a formal mentoring programme that will assist in the transition from university graduates into school practitioners. Data was produced through semi-structured individual and group interviews with a principal, two mentors, and two mentees. Theoretically, we drew on the work of Lave & Wenger (1991) whose constructs of Community of Practice (CoP) and Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) were used as analytical tools to frame this study conceptually. The data revealed that beginner teachers come into the profession with marked inadequacies stemming from their initial training at universities which meant that they were insufficiently prepared for the realities of schooling. Furthermore, the data reveals multiple and overlapping CoPs in operation, pointing to viewing mentoring as multidimensional and not only in dyadic terms as a relationship between a mentor and mentee as it has traditionally been viewed.
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- 2024
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50. Access, Equity and Redress: Towards a Sustainable Funding Framework for Public Universities in South Africa
- Author
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Oliver Jan Mbhalati
- Abstract
This article aims to understand how access, equity and redress challenges are addressed at South Africa's public universities based on their current funding frameworks. Relying on a pragmatic research approach combining desk-research literature review and secondary data analysis, government funding and tuition fees were found to be the primary sources of funding in most universities, while third stream income from universities' own commercial activities lagged far behind. Secondary data from the public universities' audited annual financial statements for the period 2015 to 2020 further revealed that investment source income superseded third-stream income in most universities. There is consensus in literature on the pivotal role of equity-based funding mechanisms such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in providing tuition cover and living expenses for students from poor households. Based on the agency theory, government funding is used to influence public universities to pursue transformation goals. The general trends observed in various countries is the inclusion of equity-based indicators in a funding model to ensure that students are not denied the opportunity for university education solely based on their poor backgrounds. It is argued in this paper that the NSFAS remains an appropriate vehicle to achieve South Africa's transformational goals in its public universities.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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