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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.

This paper analyses the determinants or factors that best explain student research skills and success in the honours research report module during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The study reported in this paper employed the mixed methods approach comprising a quantitative and qualitative analysis. The quantitative and econometric analysis of the dependent variable, namely, the final marks for the research report and the independent variables that explain it. The results show significance in terms of the assignments and existing knowledge marks in terms of their bachelor's average mark. We extend the analysis to a qualitative and quantitative survey, which indicated that the mean statistical feedback was above average and therefore strongly agreed/agreed except for library use by the student. Students, therefore, need more guidance in terms of library use and the open questions showed a need for a research methods course in future. Furthermore, supervision tends to be a significant determinant in all cases. It is also here where supervisors can use social media instruments such as WhatsApp and Facebook to inform students further. This study contributes as the first to investigate the preparation and research skills of students for masters and doctoral studies during the COVID-19 pandemic in an online environment.

Background: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including South Africa, are currently experiencing multiple epidemics: HIV and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), leading to different patterns of multimorbidity (the occurrence of two or more chronic conditions) than experienced in high income settings. These adversely affect health outcomes, increase patients' perceived burden of treatment, and impact the workload of self-management. This paper outlines the methods used in a qualitative study exploring burden of treatment among people living with HIV/NCD multimorbidity in South Africa. Methods: We undertook a comparative qualitative study to examine the interaction between individuals' treatment burden (self-management workload) and their capacity to take on this workload, using the dual lenses of Burden of Treatment Theory (BoTT) and Cumulative Complexity Model (CuCoM) to aid conceptualisation of the data. We interviewed 30 people with multimorbidity and 16 carers in rural Eastern Cape and urban Cape Town between February-April 2021. Data was analysed through framework analysis. Findings: This paper discusses the methodological procedures considered when conducting qualitative research among people with multimorbidity in low-income settings in South Africa. We highlight the decisions made when developing the research design, recruiting participants, and selecting field-sites. We also explore data analysis processes and reflect on the positionality of the research project and researchers. Conclusion: This paper illustrates the decision-making processes conducting this qualitative research and may be helpful in informing future research aiming to qualitatively investigate treatment burden among patients in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative community embraces transparent dialogue through sharing knowledge to improve rigour and develop new initiatives. In this paper, we recognise there are many complexities within qualitative research, leading to important debates. We explore the benefits and challenges, as well as the practicalities and technicalities, of conducting research that 1) employs multiple methods within the qualitative paradigm, 2) is interdisciplinary, and 3) examines a sensitive research topic 4) with a vulnerable group of participants. Specifically, when research is also 5) cross-cultural and 6) utilises participatory techniques. Through our discussion, we draw upon an existing project and examine the complexity of designing and completing intra-paradigmatic mixed methods research with children from different sociocultural contexts, underpinned by interdisciplinary perspectives, in a complex area like mental health.

Medical education in Africa is in desperate need of reforms, evident in widespread diseases, and an inability to mobilise and train the required medical workforce to deal with these health issues. However, the exponential rise in the use of mobile technologies due to the spread of the Internet and increased telecommunication networks offer an opportunity for the transformation of medical education and practice through the deployment of mobile devices as a medium for learning and conveying health care services to the remote and resource-constrained locations of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This paper reviewed articles on the affordances of m-learning for distributed medical education in SSA published between 2010-2018. Results from 18 articles identified in the review revealed a slow-paced ascendancy of practice and research in the field; it further exposed competing priorities, infrastructural deficit, and chronic workforce shortages as the bane of m-learning implementation in the subregion. This paper makes recommendations that will enhance the growth of mobile-based distance medical education and practice in SSA.

Learners, because of their minor status, are a virtual absence in everyday school leadership work, particularly on the African continent. School leadership, therefore, continues to be misconceived as an adult phenomenon. Framed by Cultural Historical Activity Theory, this paper reports on a Southern African Higher Education study that engages with the Vygotskian principle of 'double stimulation' and its relationship to transformative agency in the context of a school-based learner leadership development initiative. One school change project was purposively selected as the case, and data were drawn from a postgraduate student research report and self-reflective journal. Drawing on the Sannino model of double stimulation, the paper explores the phases of double stimulation as well as instances of transformative agency evident in the data, and speculates about the relationship between double stimulation and transformative agency in the leadership development of learners.

The paper provides an overview of the global research on graduate education. The study applied a combination of a bibliometric and social network analysis methods to bibliographic data from Thompson Reuters' Web of Science. More specifically, a keyword search approach was used to retrieve 2,454 articles on graduate education from 1996 until 2020. The set was processed with the VantagePoint software. The paper reports the findings in the form of lists of top scholars, research centres, and countries contributing to research on graduate education. The findings include similar lists of the key funding agencies, contributing disciplines and publication venues, as well as maps representing collaborative activity in the field between institutions, and countries. Finally, the frequency of utilisation of groups of author-supplied keywords is analysed to determine the basic thematic structure of the research on the topic. The originality of the paper consists in the fact that it represents the first attempt to map the landscape of research on graduate education using bibliographic data. It can be used to supplement the results of literature reviews on the topic, which apply a more in-depth content analysis-based approaches to a limited number of papers to determine the thematic structure of the field.

This paper details my efforts as an Indigenous African scholar to indigenize the research process -- from conception to publication -- across three data collection sites in South Africa. To respect the vulnerability and culture of the participants, Zulu and Xhosa cultural values like "hlonipha" (respect) and "ubuntu" (humanness) were incorporated into the research process. This paper also details my reflections on positionality, especially the sense of in-betweenness that came with a fluid sense of belonging and identity while researching my own culture. While there are certain advantages that a cultural insider possesses in terms of access to closed-off and historically oppressed communities, these privileges also come with the added responsibility of portraying these communities with the dignity and respect they deserve. This paper further discusses the pragmatic realities of decolonized research and offers insights and discussion for other indigenous researchers hoping to conduct research in their home communities.

In response to the call for papers for this special issue and the questions it poses, the authors show how the ontological posthumanist shift of agential realism does not erase but keeps the child human of colour in play, despite the inclusion of the other-than-(Adult)human in its methodologies. Through a montaging technique, the authors explore the philosophical complexity of 'decentering without erasure' by re-turning to data from a large international research project -- Children, Technology and Play (2019-2020). Through an agential realist reading of interview data 'of' 'seven-year-old' Henry when visiting him at home in an informal settlement in Cape Town, they show "what else is going on," and the politically radical and subtle philosophical difference this makes for reconfiguring child subjectivity. To do more justice to the complexity of reality, the analysis bounces around like Henry's sack ball and zooms in on the role apparatuses such as GoPros play in research. The authors 'follow the child' literally but differently, without excluding or erasing the more-than-(Adult)human. In meeting Henry, they also meet Eshal, who introduces the GoPro(blem). By diffractively reading Karen Barad's scholarship through visual and aural texts, the authors respond to the question of how posthumanist research makes a difference to childhood studies. They show how the agential realist move(ment) from Object and Subject to Phenomenon explodes ageist, ableist, racist, extractive and settler-colonial logics in education research.

This paper looks into the importance of a responsible research community and how ethics can contribute towards the building of such a community. The paper starts off by outlining the many challenges facing a responsible research community. These challenges range from doing research, transferring the research results, commercialising the intellectual property, and publishing the research results, to managing the research results. Although some researchers' behaviour may give reason for the public to question their integrity, it is also a misnomer to label all researchers and their research as unethical. The public should also trust researchers in what they are doing. This paper analyses some of the many challenges in a research community. The analysis moves beyond the conventional understanding of research ethics. The paper also engages with the requirement of ethical research leadership to sustain a responsible research community. The author reflects on some guidelines for a responsible research community based on a South African example. The paper is based on a literature review of the topic, reflecting perspectives from the international research community.

Younger children in urban settings are predisposed to numerous risks, yet their 'voices' remain underrepresented in research making them unheard and invisible. The paucity of methods that encourage children's direct participation in studies from such settings, in effect, limits exploration of their ability to engage meaningfully in voicing their lived experiences and potentially informing protection interventions that target them. This paper draws from a study carried out in Kenya and South Africa, which in part sought children's perspectives on their lived experiences within their urban environment. Qualitative methods utilized in data collection included drawing, telling and conversations. The findings highlight risk exposures children contend with, which have an implication on child protection, safe spaces, mobility of children in urban areas, creating child-friendly neighbourhoods, policies and methodological approaches that intensify younger children's 'voices', in highlighting lived experiences.

Purpose: The paper aims to examine, within the context of professional practice and learning, how designers collaboratively working in international teams experience practice-based learning and how such occasions contribute to professional development. Design/methodology/approach: The paper introduces the cooperation project between Tibro Training Centre and Furniture Technology Centre Trust and its workshop context organized as practice-based learning. Participants' learning context consisted of a mixture of professional practices allowing different logics and different cultures make up an innovative working site. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interview data suggests that three phenomenographic hierarchical categories constitute the learning process: getting a recognized professional identity; perceiving new elements and expanding knowledge and seeing new aspects of design work and new steps of development in profession. Findings: Cooperative practice-based learning is understood as social practice in a community of practice, and as continuous changes of the learning object due to that new aspects are discerned by the learners. These categories illustrate how participants' meaning making and understanding of the learning object were expressed in cooperation as doings and sayings, as translation and as situated activities in a community of practice. Accordingly, it contributed to participants' professional development in spite of their different professional educations and professional experiences. Practical implications: More studies of practice-based learning environments in work places are needed that could help societies and companies to advance integrative efforts of new employees and new immigrants into an increasingly diverse globalized labour market. Originality/value: The results suggest that understanding as well as content structure and meaning making of the learning object are intertwined constituent aspects of practice-based learning.

This paper reflects on the identification of relevant aspects of education for measurement purposes. It begins by reviewing some detailed lists of educational capabilities from disparate literatures. It then considers how ordinary South Africans perceive education by drawing on two open-ended surveys, and attempts to reconcile their views with different education lists. The main finding is that most abstract lists need to say more about the practical side of education (skills, information and knowledge for everyday living). They also need to embrace a more joined-up view of education that can incorporate linkages between different aspects of education and between education and other aspects of well-being (including mental states and material things). The final part of the paper makes the case for embracing the complexity and imprecision involved in measuring education and briefly sketches a methodological framework that can achieve this end.

In this paper, we argue that William Stephenson, Qmethodology, when demonstrated through the research conducted for the SANCOOP: "Climate & Beliefs" project can provide guidance for doing context-specific mixed-method research and has implications for climate change education in South Africa. In the project, Q-methodology was mixed with techniques of transcendental philosophical analysis, to investigate the correlations between subjectivity and climate change adaptation in rural South African context. Subsequently, context-specific considerations are in order, since limited research employing mixed Q-methodology has previously been conducted in rural South Africa. Thereby, we hope to provide some guidance for conducting mixed methodological research in this context. Finally, the implications of mixed methodology for climate change education in South Africa are discussed in the light of epistemic justice in the construction of knowledge.

This article reflects on the tensions I encountered as an insider researcher during a qualitative study exploring academics' integration of educational technology in a South African higher education institution. While critical qualitative approaches acknowledge research participants' vulnerability to the researcher's interpretation and presentation of their experiences, this article reflects on researcher vulnerability engendered by my insider status. Through a critical ethnographic lens, I reflexively interrogate the shifting nuances of power, positionality and being in educational technology research with regard to: (1) the struggle to adopt a colonialist methodology in a context still reeling from colonial legacies; (2) sensitively negotiating conflicting role requirements as a researcher, an employee and a PhD student in the same institution; (3) reflecting on the 'politics of the gaze' and how my insider status influenced what data I collected and how I perceived it; and (4) grappling with the tensions inherent in attempting to represent the experiences of the Other through my own.

Purpose: This paper aims to improve the understanding of individual transdisciplinary PhD research in a developing country context, focusing on three individual PhD case studies in South Africa. Design/Methodology/Approach: Multiple-case method was used, and three completed transdisciplinary PhD research efforts undertaken at the Stellenbosch University were selected. They were coordinated through the TsamaHub, an inter-faculty platform at the University which organises educational modules for transdisciplinary research. Using actual research experiences and reflections of the three individual PhDs, the paper evaluates their work in terms of ontological, epistemological, methodological and methodical/methods aspects. Findings: The central challenge to individual PhD researchers is engagement with non-academic actors to enable joint problem formulation, analysis and transformation. To overcome this, the paper suggests that developing individual epistemic relationships to build "transdisciplinary epistemic communities" should be considered for inclusion as an intentional aspect of transdisciplinary research design. Research Limitations/Implications: "Transdisciplinary epistemic communities" is still a concept in its infancy and needs more work before it may be theoretically and practically useful. Practical Implications: Continuously guiding the individual transdisciplinary research process in a reflexive, recursive, transparent and equal manner is absolutely critical because transdisciplinary research cannot be done successfully if dominated by overly methods-driven approaches. Originality/Value: The discourse around transdisciplinary methodology has major implications for the design of individual PhD research. The paper provides recommendations to enhance the theory and practice of individual transdisciplinary PhD research.

In comparison to attention given to research methods for education students at postgraduate level, the offering of research methods for education students at undergraduate level is less often considered. Yet, it is agreed that research methods for undergraduate level students is important for shaping student attitudes, learning and achievement in the field of research. In concurrence with the aforementioned, this paper aimed to examine the views and experiences of a conveniently sampled group of 124 undergraduate South African student teachers of a compulsory course in research methods. By following a quantitative research design, the authors determined the sampled students' experiences of research methods, how they value them, and how they perceive the pedagogy, which in this particular instance was "working-in-pairs", to teach research methods. For all three the mentioned facets, the findings reflected positive results. However, the research results also pointed to specific issues which might enrich the teaching and status of research methods for undergraduate level education students.

This paper reports on an investigation into the representation of teachers in newspapers in five countries. An innovative methodology was used to develop a method of inquiry that supports a deeper understanding of media representations of teachers which can also be used by other researchers in comparative education. The paper explores relevant literature on teachers' work and media studies, and describes the decisions made about the selection of newspapers from the five countries and the analytical framework. Central to the project was the development of an analytic framework which we applied to our analysis of the media data collected from the five countries. The process revealed the construction of four categories of teacher identity: the caring practitioner; the transparent (un)professional; the moral and social role model; and the transformative intellectual. The aim was not to generalise categories but to offer them as they were found in newspapers during this time frame. The data analysis demonstrates the applicability of the innovative methodology while the project also contributes to locally translated understandings of teacher representations. The paper concludes with a reflection on the effectiveness of the methodology for comparative research.

The emphasis of this paper is on the derivation of design principles from qualitative analysis of student reflections based on their participation in authentic, collaborative and technology-mediated activities. This paper reports on the initial phases of a design-based research project at a comprehensive university in South Africa where the authentic nature of the activities contributed to the depth of student reflections and ultimately led to meaningful design principles based entirely on the experiences of students. Students' reflective reports were analysed for their content using simple inductive coding techniques leading to the identification of themes and the derivation of design principles from further refinement of these themes. These design principles, therefore, have their origins in the specific theories underpinning the learning activities that were used in the teaching and learning process, and contribute once again in an innovative way to this same body of knowledge. This theory-driven praxis thus makes a contribution to both educational theory and teaching practice which is applicable across a variety of contexts and sectors worldwide. More importantly, this can be seen as meaningful research that is socially responsible, with a high theoretical and practical value, and of relevance to a wider international audience.

This paper, written as a confessional tale, explores the dialectic between the perception of the researcher ("how the multiple positions HE researchers simultaneously occupy in the field influence the framing of the research") and the reception of the researcher ("how the playing out of the researcher's role within the specific context--as an 'insider' amongst the 'invisible other' in a HE institution--was facilitated and constrained by the multiplicity of positions") and how this bequeathed both a multiplicity of levels of access and a complex burden of responsibility towards the data and its subsequent ab/uses. The paper reflects on a study of the changing class locations of "non-academic" "knowledge workers". Studying "the other" requires access to what Scott describes as "hidden transcripts", which take place within subaltern space. Endogenous research allows access but brings ethical, political and social challenges. Spivak claimed that the subaltern cannot speak; these study data suggest that even where the subaltern acquires the dominant discourse and learns to speak, subalternity marks their voice with "accent" which precludes their being heard.

Migration to South Africa is motivated by the pursuit of employment, safety, and improved living conditions. However, immigrants encounter significant challenges, such as restricted access to essential services, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Malawian immigrants in South Africa, addressing the lack of attention given to this immigrant population by highlighting their vulnerabilities. Using a qualitative exploratory and descriptive approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 Malawi immigrants who were over 18 years old and had established residency in South Africa before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five key stakeholders were also interviewed for additional perspectives and to ensure triangulation and improve data reliability. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis strategies and coding with Nvivo12 software. The study highlighted the exacerbated struggles of Malawian immigrants in South Africa amid the COVID-19 pandemic, uncovering systemic discrimination in healthcare, marked by longer wait times and reluctance from health workers to treat undocumented immigrants. The study also revealed a dire security situation, with immigrants living in high-crime areas and feeling particularly targeted due to their foreign status, a situation worsened by the pandemic's economic effects. Additionally, the economic downturn induced by COVID-19 significantly impacted employment opportunities, with many immigrants facing prolonged unemployment and job losses, especially in sectors where they traditionally found work. The detailed accounts of participants highlight not only the multifaceted challenges imposed by the pandemic but also the critical need for inclusive policies and support systems that ensure healthcare access, safety, and economic resilience for immigrants, particularly during global health emergencies. Future research should focus on effective interventions for socioeconomic integration and well-being, particularly for immigrants from other African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery of adequate services to citizens has been a major problem that has ignited social protests in South Africa’s local municipalities. The paper found that a lack of accountability, transparency, and public participation has impacted service delivery. It was found that services delivered to the citizens have failed to meet their expectations. This is because in situations where there is no accountability, transparency, or public participation, there is a lack of inclusivity, which in turn raises violent feelings that ignite social protests. The paper found that the use of Artificial Intelligence would promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity which are needed for delivering adequate services that meet people’s expectations. To achieve those assertions, the paper used secondary datacollected through a qualitative research methodology and analysed via document and content analysis. There is a need for South Africa’s local municipalities to adopt Artificial Intelligence technology in the service delivery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores methodological insights from a mixed methods study that aims to understand how school leaders promote literacy development in their schools. The study findings consider both the complementarities and the challenges of the qualitative and quantitative approaches to measuring leadership practices and their linkages with learning across schools. We begin by identifying a conundrum in school leadership and management (SLM) research -- strong effects found in qualitative studies and weaker effects in quantitative studies. From the literature we identify some of the central challenges that account for these differences. We then show how these challenges were and were not addressed in the mixed method research we conducted in an SLM study of South African primary schools in challenging contexts. We consider why the central aim of the study -- to develop a scalable instrument for measuring SLM -- remains elusive.

Almost two decades after the demise of apartheid, rural communities in South Africa are still plagued by seemingly insurmountable challenges, with no change in sight for those who need it most. In spite of the many interventions that have been implemented, real transformation remains elusive. This position paper is premised on the notion that this lack of social change is due, in large part, to the dominance of research paradigms that ignore the voices of those most affected and those who are the intended beneficiaries of the interventions informed by the scholarship. Thus, the paper aims to critically reflect on the nature of rurality and to map the issues that face rural communities as well as the limitations of dominant research paradigms and their impact on social change (or lack thereof). It concludes with an exploration of the possibilities for using participatory visual methods for conducting research that makes a difference in the lives of participants and those around them.

This article addresses the issue of harm in the research process. While researchers seek to conduct research that minimises harm, this paper argues that approaches adopted often create new forms of harm. This proposition is examined through drawing on Bourdieu's ideas about symbolic violence and poststructural theories of identity, to critically reflect on three moments of harm that occurred in research on violence with groups of young people in South Africa and the UK. The paper traces ways in which the research topic, research relationship and dynamics of friendship groups produced physical, emotional and symbolic violence, and asks whether the research was itself an act of violation. Yet sometimes there is value in the conflicts that happen. Conflicts in the research setting may disrupt, destabilise and contest violence, and perhaps the most ethical research position may not be to try to eradicate harm, but to increase these destabilising moments.

This paper examines the relationship between political change and epistemologies and methodologies employed at doctorate level. It does so by analysing the range of topics, questions and methodologies used by doctoral students at the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Education between 1985 and 2005--a time-frame that covers the decade before and the decade after South Africa's historical transition to democracy in 1994. During this period the composition of doctoral students at that faculty changed from being largely white and male to a more diverse population in terms of gender and race. A crucial shift took place after 2000 with the arrival of a Black dean who sought to introduce a transformational shift. The paper makes use of Karmon's notion of epistemic environment, which refers to the way knowledge is conceptualised at institutional level. The data shows how the authoritarian and regulated epistemic environment that shaped the conception of knowledge at the faculty until 2000 created doctoral dissertations that aimed to correct and guide the society but lacked critical discourse and relevance to South Africa's political, social and educational context. While the transition to democracy in 1994 produced merely semantic changes, if any, the strong internal initiative to change the research culture from 2000 onwards has managed to shift basic notions of truth and knowledge and the understanding of the role and nature of research. This movement was, however, constrained by the institution's long-established epistemic environment.

Population mobility makes patient-tracking and care linkage in the South African Development Community (SADC) challenging. Case-based surveillance (CBS) through individual-level clinical data linked with a unique patient-identifier (UPI) is recommended. We conducted a mixed-methods landscape analysis of UPI and CBS implementation within selected SADC countries, this included: (1) SADC UPI implementation literature review; (2) assessment of UPI and CBS implementation for high HIV-prevalence SADC countries; (3) UPI implementation case-study in selected South African primary healthcare (PHC) facilities. Research into CBS and UPI implementation for the SADC region is lacking. Existing patient-identification methods often fail and limit patient-tracking. Paper-based records and poor integration between health-information systems further restrict patient-tracking. Most countries were in the early-middle stages of CBS and faced UPI challenges. Our South African case-study found that the UPI often goes uncaptured. Difficulties tracking patients across prevention and care cascades will continue until a functional and reliable UPI is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent educational journals on both sides of the Atlantic have seen a resurgence of debate about the nature of educational research. As a contribution to these debates, this paper draws on theoretical and methodological "thinking tools" of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Specifically, the paper explores what Jenkins [Jenkins, R. (2002). "Pierre Bourdieu." London: Routledge and Falmer] refers to as Bourdieu's ''reflexive epistemological pluralism'' and its implications for research into higher education, with a particular focus on assessment as social practice. This particular theoretical and methodological understanding is used to critically reflect on a study conducted in 2005 on the impact of a policy on anonymous examination marking which was implemented at the University of Cape Town in 2004. The study collected both quantitative data of student examination performance pre- and post-policy implementation, as well as interviews with course conveners. The paper argues that when viewed interdependently the data offers insight into some of the ''principles of vision and division'' [Bourdieu, P. (1996). "The state nobility: Elite schools in the field of power." Cambridge: Polity Press] at work in assessors' judgment-making process. The assessors' deliberations expose ideological tensions between the dual challenges of equity and excellence in the context of a historically white liberal university under transformation.

This paper discusses the adoption and validation of a research instrument, on determining learners' levels of perception of classroom inquiry based on data collected from South African Grade 11 learners. The Learners' Perception of Classroom Inquiry (LPCI) instrument consists only of Likert-type items which rank activities according to how often they occur. Learners' rankings were used to predict extent to which they are engaged in principles of scientific inquiry in the laboratory. Other data sources included expert and learner interviews for purposes of content validity and corroboration of learners' LPCI responses respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that all five inquiry facets correlate substantially with the total score of all the constructs. Results provide evidence of relevant satisfaction that relates mainly to the instrument having passed the test in terms of face, criterion, construct and content validity. On a wider scale and in larger populations, the instrument can be used with confidence. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

This paper reports the findings from an investigation into the distance learning support systems of a UK University's overseas MBA programme. This programme is provided to several countries around the world in alliance with the overseas' local higher educational institutions (HEIs), and is delivered primarily via online courses, but also with periods of face-to-face teaching by both UK and local staff. The aim of the research was to evaluate the learning support mechanisms that are used to deliver this programme overseas, and to determine their impact on the learning experience of the MBA students. The primary research method was questionnaire surveys which were conducted over two periods: April-July 2008, and January-March 2009. The first survey showed a high level of satisfaction with the MBA programme as delivered, but also indicated areas that could see further improvement. The impacts of programme changes were examined in the second survey which revealed students' improved satisfaction with the programme after the implementation of the changes in the programme support systems. The outcomes of this research have not only helped improve the learning support systems and enhanced the quality of this particular programme, but could also help provide guidelines for other HEIs that offer, or intend to offer, blended learning courses globally. (Contains 12 tables and 2 figures.)

For many years, research epistemologies and methodologies have been influenced by colonial perspectives in knowledge production. The focus of this article is to discuss ways in which research can be transformed for the purpose of including marginalized communities, such as Indigenous communities, whose knowledge has been systematically excluded in academic research. In fact, I argue that whether or not research is conducted in the contexts of Indigenous or other marginalized communities, it must embody the elements of decolonization to interrupt and interrogate the long-standing colonial discourse in research. I specifically focus on the importance of language as well as the sociocultural and historical awareness of communities who allow us to work with them. I conclude by urging all scholars to ask serious questions about the knowledge they produce and who benefits from it.

We reflect on methodological issues arising in two of our own research projects as a form of practice, as a way of engaging in a praxis of project research. The projects chosen for this purpose are themselves concerned with teacher education and curriculum development in environmental education: they include participatory "reflective practice" processes in exploring issues relating to formal education in schools and informal education in communities and are grounded in the specific contexts of developing countries. We discuss issues in participatory research such as: (1) Whose research agenda gets to be explored?; (2) The importance of project partnerships; (3) Participants' preconceptions about the nature of research; (4) What is "rigor" in participatory research in environmental education?; (5) The Colonialist Dilemma: Avoiding the "package or perish" mentality; and (6) The Bigger Picture: Technocratic Rationality and Participatory Research. (Contains 2 notes.)

The "new sociology of childhood" has activated a growing interest in children as social actors and their level of involvement in activities that affect their lives. In the field of research, debate is underway regarding the consent processes and methodological activities that support child participation. This paper highlights methodological and ethical considerations that emerged while engaging in research with young boys (aged 9-11 years old) with a formal diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Key issues include recruitment, informed consent, and participatory activities for data production. Sociocultural theories of childhood and disability are applied to reflect on the power and privilege operating through the research process. Engaging in research that involves children with disabilities, in which discourses of risk, stigma, and protection are elevated, problematizes the researcher-researched relationship and expands considerations of what constitutes ethical practice and "valuable data".

Purpose: This paper aims to outline the benefits of using resilience assessment instead of command and control mechanisms to evaluate sustainable campus environments. Design/Methodology/Approach: An exploratory mixed-method design was followed for the purposes of the project. During the first qualitative phase, a historical timeline of the focal system was created. In the quantitative phase, the resilience assessment guided the investigation. To collect data, the case study research strategy included a heuristic process of collecting and reviewing documents, semi-structured interviews, observations and the systematic implementation of the resilience assessment approach. Findings: Based on the resilience assessment approach, it is argued that the environmental status of university campuses can be considered relevant to the local community and immediate environment. Knowledge of the finite resources and their capacity in the context of the social-ecological system may increase the resilience of a campus. Originality/Value: This research study explores the use of an alternative approach to environmental practices at university campuses. The resilience assessment is usually performed on large ecosystems. By applying this approach to a small ecosystem, the study fills a gap in the applicability of the resilience approach.

Background: Globally, mothers have identified work as one of the main obstacles to exclusive and continued breastfeeding. The support a woman receives in her workplace in terms of workplace arrangements can be critical to enable women to continue breastfeeding. This study aimed to develop and assess the face validity of a practice model to support exclusive and continued breastfeeding in workplaces in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: An explanatory, sequential, mixed-method research design, was conducted (June 2017 to March 2019) in three distinct phases. Phase one employed a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study design. Phase 2 used a qualitative, multiple case study. Phase three involved the development and face validity of a practice model to support exclusive breastfeeding in workplaces. The face validity included two Delphi rounds for experts to provide input on the draft practice model. This paper will only report on phase 3 of the study. The practice model was developed, drawing on the analysis of data from phases one and two and using programme theory approaches and a logic model. Results: The practice model was positively perceived. Participants viewed it as informative, well designed and easy to follow, even for those not knowledgeable about the subject. It was viewed as an ideal tool, if accompanied by some training. Participants were positive that the model would be feasible and most commended the tiered approach to implementation. They felt that workplaces would be more open to a step-by-step approach to implementation and if only a few activities are implemented it would be a start to make the work environment more conducive for breastfeeding employees. There were mixed opinions regarding commitment; a few participants mentioned commitment as a challenge they anticipated in the male-dominant environments in which they worked. The provision of space for breastfeeding at the workplace was also highlighted as a potential challenge. Conclusions: Advocacy around creating an enabling workplace environment for breastfeeding is needed. The practice model has the potential to be internationally relevant, locally applied and may be of particular use to workplaces that want to initiate and/or strengthen breastfeeding support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Literature shows that in South Africa there are insufficient resources to meet mental healthcare needs. At general or district hospital level, the non-specialist doctor is often responsible for the holistic assessment and management of mental health service users. Such situations inevitably increase doctors' care load as they are required to treat across disciplines. We highlight the particular challenges faced by a community service (CS) doctor in this context. Methods: The presented case study formed part of a larger project that investigated public mental healthcare provision in the Eastern Cape province. Data were collected through a once-off semi-structured interview with the participant. The interview was transcribed and data analysed by utilising thematic analysis to yield results. Results: The study suggests that the CS doctor experiences being overloaded with duties, and feels overwhelmed in a healthcare context that lacks resources needed for service provision, which may lead to inadequate mental healthcare provision to public health service users. Conclusion: Healthcare facilities in rural parts of the Eastern Cape province are in need of assistance. This in-depth account highlighted the consequences of working on the front line of a disadvantaged and under-resourced health system. The presented account can be interpreted as a cry for help by CS doctors for relevant authorities to improve access and provision of mental healthcare in the area. Contribution: The paper provides an exploration of the circumstances wherein mental healthcare is provided in rural parts of South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by new feminist materialism, this paper seeks to reimagine existing knowledge of girls, sexuality and playgrounds by considering how the socio‐material reality may unlock girls' capacities for what is possible through play. Focusing on semi‐structured interviews of girls (aged 12–13), the paper draws attention to the playground as an 'assemblage' of human and non‐human matter that connect to illuminate other ways of being, feeling and doing. We argue that the assemblage not only creates spaces for girls to disrupt hetero‐patriarchal ideologies but simultaneously serves to reinforce them. Interventions require attention to the oppressive materialities that underpin play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond realising the right of children and young people to be heard in routine interactions, there is much scope for research with (rather than on) children. This is particularly pertinent in the field of inclusive education where there is potential for the voice of children and young people to be a lever for change and to promote inclusive practice. South African inclusion research has, however, given little attention to the perspectives and experiences of children and young people. In advocating for research to listen to the voice of insiders--children who have experienced inclusion and exclusion, this paper explores the dilemma of inclusion research. Selecting some children to participate in inclusion research on the basis of disability or other marker of difference undermines the inclusive endeavour. But without their perspective, we may never expose excluding and marginalising practices and attitudes, even within inclusive contexts. Four research initiatives which highlight this dilemma are described, concluding that the dilemma is unresolvable, but that the ongoing debate is valuable. Ultimately the call is for research that is both participatory and emancipatory, resulting in the reduction of exclusionary cultures and practices and the inclusion of young voices in the discourse that produces inclusion knowledge.

Spectrum research on teaching has been conducted since 1970s. The purpose of this study was to identify, categorize, and analyze research in this area. Fifty three Spectrum studies conducted between 1970 and 2008 were included in this study. Each paper was coded for (a) decade the study was published, (b) publication outlet/dissertation research, (c) country of origin, (d) teaching styles used, (e) population, (f) focus, (g) general methodology employed, (h) type of class, (i) observation used, and (j) aptitude treatment interaction effects. The results showed that Spectrum research has increased in number over the years, focused mainly on the psychomotor domain, used teaching styles from the Reproduction cluster most frequently, and was quantitative. Although there were methodological flaws, some of the reviewed studies met the minimum demands of good research in the area. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

This paper presents some reflections on the process of creating research, from the point of view of a psychologist working in an academic environment in a developing country which is undergoing social transformation. It explores some tensions between global and local concerns in research, and reflects on the relation between research, art, narration, and the person of the researcher. The ideas presented are based on the personal reflections of the author after developing a methodology for a qualitative research project. The aim is to open up areas of inquiry into the process of constructing research, rather than providing final answers, thus honouring the postmodern assumptions that are tentatively put forward as vehicle of innovation in research in a global psychology. (Contains 7 figures and 4 footnotes.)

A triage system in the emergency department is necessary to prioritize and allocate scarce health resources to the medical needs of the patients to facilitate quality health service delivery. This paper aimed to ascertain if the triage system is welcomed in the tertiary hospital of Limpopo Province by exploring patients' perceptions in the emergency department in South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used in this study with descriptive, explorative, and contextual research design to reach the research objective. Purposive sampling was used to select the patients who participated in semi-structured one-on-one interviews, which lasted between 30 and 45 min. The sample size was determined by data saturation after 14 participants were interviewed. A narrative qualitative analysis method was used to interpret and categorize the patients' perceptions into seven domains of Benner's theory. The six relevant domains illustrated mixed patients' perceptions regarding the triage system in the emergency departments. The domain-helping role of the triage system was overweighed by the dissatisfaction of the needy patients who waited for an extended period to receive emergency services. We conclude that the triage system at the selected tertiary hospital is not welcomed due to its disorganization and patient-related factors in the emergency departments. The findings of this paper are a point of reference for reinforcing the triage practice and improved quality service delivery by the emergency department healthcare professionals and the department of health policymakers. Furthermore, the authors propose that the seven domains of Benner's theory can serve as a foundation for research and improving triage practice within emergency departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gender equality remains an outstanding global priority, more than 25 years after the landmark Beijing Platform for Action. The disconnect between global health policy intentions and implementation is shaped by several conceptual, pragmatic and political factors, both globally and in South Africa. Actor narratives and different framings of gender and gender equality are one part of the contested nature of gender policy processes and their implementation challenges. The main aim of this paper is to foreground the range of policy actors, describe their narratives and different framings of gender, as part exploring the social construction of gender in policy processes, using the Adolescent Youth Health Policy (AYHP) as a case study. Methods: A case study design was undertaken, with conceptual underpinnings combined from gender studies, sociology and health policy analysis. Through purposive sampling, a range of actors were selected, including AYHP authors from government and academia, members of the AYHP Advisory Panel, youth representatives from the National Department of Health Adolescent and Youth Advisory Panel, as well as adolescent and youth health and gender policy actors, in government, academia and civil society. Qualitative data was collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 30 policy actors between 2019 and 2021. Thematic data analysis was used, as well as triangulation across both respondents, and the document analysis of the AYHP. Results: Despite gender power relations and more gender-transformative approaches being discussed during the policy making process, these were not reflected in the final policy. Interviews revealed an interrelated constellation of diverse and juxtaposed actor gender narratives, ranging from framing gender as equating girls and women, gender as inclusion, gender as instrumental, gender as women's rights and empowerment and gender as power relations. Some of these narrative framings were dominant in the policy making process and were consequently included in the final policy document, unlike other narratives. The way gender is framed in policy processes is shaped by actor narratives, and these diverse and contested discursive constructions were shaped by the dynamic interactions with the South Africa context, and processes of the Adolescent Youth Health Policy. These varied actor narratives were further contextualised in terms of reflections of what is needed going forward to advance gender equality in adolescent and youth health policy and programming. This includes prioritising gender and intersectionality on the national agenda, implementing more gender-transformative programmes, as well as having the commitments and capabilities to take the work forward. Conclusions: The constellation of actors' gender narratives reveals overlapping and contested framings of gender and what is required to advance gender equality. Understanding actor narratives in policy processes contributes to bridging the disconnect between policy commitments and reality in advancing the gender equality agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational collaboration is "en vogue", especially in higher education. So far, little is known about the mechanisms that explain co-operation formation and their impact on the social structure of the research systems. By examining co-authored research papers written at South African universities between 1966 and 2006, co-operation structures are visualized and analyzed from a social network perspective. Regression analysis indicates that status homophily and geographical proximity help to explain attachment processes among universities. Policy makers looking to overcome the steep status hierarchies among South African institutions of higher education need to provide incentives for establishing a stronger research culture in previously disadvantaged institutions. This will enhance their attractiveness for co-operation with reputable organizations and contribute to more equality among institutions.

Many universities with a strong research tradition have courses or modules examining the tradition's philosophies and methodologies to prepare their students to undertake research programmes. Recently, however, authors have called for wider debate concerning how these courses are taught and this paper aims to make a contribution to this debate. The Research Philosophy and Methodology module examined here has a number of distinctive characteristics. The teaching philosophy is social constructivist and it uses Gowin's Knowledge Vee as its main heuristic device. This facilitates the construction of knowledge concerning philosophy and methodology in an integrated manner. The module has also been designed for both physical and human geography students at the introductory postgraduate level. There is, therefore, a second element of integration in the curriculum. Lastly, the module is predominantly Web-based, being taken by distance students through the exchange agreement between Rhodes University, South Africa and University West, Sweden. Evidence from reflective exercises shows that the learners' understandings of research and the research process has deepened considerably through using Gowin's Vee. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

In this article, the author argues for a central and critical role for "reflexivity in research" with the aim of developing and strengthening not only everyone's understanding of what everyone does in environmental education research, but also how, and why everyone does it. In a narrative account of methodological issues that occurred within, and emerging out of, his doctoral studies, the author draws on various instances in the "evolving" methodological framework of the study. Firstly, he offers a response to Connell's reading of antagonism in Robottom and Hart's work, attempting to illustrate the value (rather than negativity) in opening such work up to critical review, in order to help other people and other researchers explore in reflexive and ongoing ways the "pinches, binds and gaps". Secondly, he offers support to Hart's views on the potential difficulties of developing generic guidelines across diverse research traditions. In this instance, he sees the development of such guidelines for environmental education research as a potential constraint on practice, rather than something that can open up our reflexive exploration of improved methodological approaches to the field. In support of Hart's work, he debates for a more critical consideration of the role of reflexivity in developing research practice. The author illustrates an example of an evolving methodology, the development of which was centrally supported through an open-ended and reflexive approach to his work.