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The purpose of the study was to explore the implications of the articulation gap on Grade 6 EFAL learners’ essay writing skills. A qualitative approach was followed with a Case study research design. The research paradigm used in this study was the interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to select 18 English First Additional Language (EFAL) teachers in 3 primary schools at Malamulele Central Circuit. Document analysis, focus group interviews and lesson observation were used to collect data. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the Garrison theory of teaching essay writing and the strength-based approach were aligned with the interpretivist paradigm. The study found that EFAL learners are unable to write essays that are academically acceptable in terms of the stipulated standard in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document. Such an articulation gap results in a difficult transition from the foundation to the intermediate phase which has contributed to the high failure rate in Grade 6. The study concluded and recommended that the curriculum during transitioning from the foundation to the intermediate phase (Grade 6) should be revised and the Teaching and Learning Language (TLL) in the Foundation Phase should be English in order to build a strong foundation. This research study is of practical importance to various sectors of the South African education system and abroad as it contributes invaluable information to curriculum developers and implementers within the education department and to the entire stakeholders in the schooling system.

The recent Council on Higher Education report avers that Higher Education in South Africa experiences serious shortcomings in graduate output and outcomes. The report corroborated the general belief pervading existing research into students’ first-year university experiences. Students are unable to cope with the rigours of academics during this transition. Furthermore, research, especially from the field of psychology, also holds that first-year students struggle to succeed in their first year due to emotional and behavioural problems. However, this study argued that the transition from high school to university is a period characterised by mismatches and discontinuities in the lives of students. The purpose of this article was to investigate the mismatch and discontinuities, expressed as the articulation gap in the exposition of the article, experienced by first-year students at a university of technology. Data was drawn, using a cutting-edge qualitative instrument, from selected first-year B.Ed. students. The findings revealed that first-year students’ high school experiences are often not replayed at university. Students experience a myriad of new challenges which require new ways of learning (academic), and new ways of relating to peers (social challenges). The study recommended that universities need to engage in full orientation programmes to narrow the transition gap between high schools and universities. Universities should also provide ongoing programmes for mentoring, counselling and support services to help students navigate social and psychological challenges.

Despite the successes that are liberating South Africans and changing educational policies, many citizens are still trapped in poverty and chronic unemployment, and the country remains a highly unequal society. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the nature of the symbiotic relationship between the Technical; Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges National Certificate; Vocational (NCV) programme; and NDP 2030 objectives. The qualitative research approach was adopted with a Case study design. Purposive sampling was used to select eight TVET college lecturers. The interpretive paradigm was used to describe the nature of the relationship the college has with other stakeholders. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analysed through a thematic approach. The findings revealed a lack of communication, poor relationships with relevant stakeholders, and infrastructural and resources as attributes that impede practices within TVET colleges. The other major challenge that emerged from this study is the lack of a responsive policy system which compromises practices within TVET colleges. Based on empirical evidence, it was recommended that the college requires a fully responsive TVET policy and synergistic efforts, pulling all resources together in achieving these objectives. The ultimate outcome contributes key knowledge that advances proper communication and a healthy relationship with different stakeholders that should be established and maintained for the success of TVET colleges.

Teacher Trade Unions remain an integral part of stakeholders within the basic education sector and the school organogram. However, research pertaining to the role that can be played by Teacher Unions in preventing staff victimisation remains restricted globally, and with no enquiry arising within the South African milieu. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of teachers regarding the role of Teacher Trade Unions in preventing staff victimisation, in the District 10 schools of the Province of Gauteng. The researchers used a qualitative approach, grounded in phenomenology as the research design. The sample consisted of five teachers who belong to various unions and data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data collected was analysed using thematic content analysis. The study revealed that teacher unions were found to be the main perpetrators of staff victimisation particularly when it comes to promotional positions. The study concluded that for teacher unions to protect teachers’ rights, they should not be aligned with political parties. The study recommended that teacher unions should instead conduct training and workshops on pro-social behaviour, peaceful conflict resolution and how teachers are supposed to protect themselves from retribution and threats. The study aims to advance scholarship on the role of teacher unions in creating safer working conditions for teachers.

The study reported here aimed to explore the Intervention strategies for challenges experienced when supporting learners from child-headed households in secondary schools. Children from child-headed households experience challenges that hinder them from receiving good quality education. It is, therefore important for schools to ensure that classroom teachers are aware of the challenges experienced by children from child-headed households. This study followed the qualitative approach to explore the intervention strategies to be used. The study consisted of 20 participants (principals, Departmental Heads, teachers and School Governing Bodies) in South Africa. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The Bottom-up theory was the underpinning theory for our study. Thematical analysis was followed. This study revealed that children from child-headed households were not identified at schools. Therefore, schools do not have a database of children from child-headed households hence a lack of intervention strategies. We recommended that schools should establish the School Based Support Team and follow the collaborative model as an intervention to support children from child-headed households. The study provided insights on intervention strategies that schools and the Department of Education should implement for challenges experienced by schools when supporting learners from child-headed households.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate inclusive education practices at secondary schools in rural settings in the Lebopo Circuit of South Africa. The qualitative research approach was used to evaluate inclusive education practices using the social realist perspective. The study used the case study research design together with an interpretive paradigm to evaluate the daily practices of inclusive education. The study consists of a population of 10 teachers, 5 School-Based Support Team (SBST) members and 5 principals from the selected schools. The participants were selected following purposive sampling and some participants have experience in implementing inclusive education. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews, observation and document review. The data was analysed thematically. Archer’s social realist perspective and Bernstein’s pedagogic discourse were used as theoretical lenses to evaluate the practices of inclusive education in the circuit under study. The study results revealed that teachers misinterpret the policy of inclusive education because they view it as a policy supporting only learners with disabilities. The study further showed that the majority of schools do not have functional school-based support teams, and they are not aware of and do not perform their duties as expected. The study concluded that there is a knowledge gap in School-Based Support Teams in fulfilling their roles in inclusive education practices, no sufficient support from the parents and monitoring by the Department of Basic Education in the implementation of inclusive education practices. The study recommended that the School-Based Support Teams be provided with continuous sufficient training with the engagement of the district-based support teams and that a parent-teacher collaborative approach be used to accomplish positive outcomes.

Many countries have adopted learner progression practices and policies to support learners to progress to the next grade without meeting promotion requirement. South Africa is not exception in this regard. Learner progression policy in South Africa states that a learner cannot spend more than four years in any phase. In each phase, a learner can therefore only fail one grade. Thereafter, they are progressed to the next grade even if they do not meet promotion requirements. Qualitative approach and Interpretative paradigm were used to explore learner progression implementation with an intention to recommend curriculum support model to address learner articulation gap. Data was collected through document analysis and individual semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select one curriculum advisor and three secondary school teachers. Bandura’ social learning was used as theoretical framework. To support progressed learner, Bandura proposes five essential theoretical lenses in order for the learning to take place: Observation, attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. The adopted theoretical lenses assisted progressed learner to observe their previous learning experience by paying attention to critical attributes, retain what was good by reproducing good practices and gain self-motivation. Findings of the study revealed that limited curriculum support programmes addressing specific needs of progressed learners as per their reasons for progression. The study concluded cognition and sense making determines the extent to which progressed learners receive curriculum support. The study recommended curriculum support model applicable for progressed learners to bridge content gap.

This empirical paper provides a critical analysis of progressed learners’ participation in the development of curriculum support programmes through Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy. Progression policy was promulgated in the Further Education and Training Phase to ensure uniformity and consistency in the implementation of National Policy Pertaining to the Programme and Promotion Requirements (N4PR) to prohibit learners from spending more than four years in a phase. The policy stresses the development of intervention programmes for identified learners to bridge the content gap. However, literature based on progression policy focus on programmes that teachers develop and implement. The focus of this paper is on progressed learners’ contribution to curriculum support. Through Freire’s critical pedagogy, it critiques traditional teaching methods where the teacher is the knower who deposits knowledge to novice “progressed” learners. In an argument for a problem posing education, the study employs a qualitative research approach. Data was collected through document analysis and interviews with six teachers. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed a lack of evidence of progressed learner participation in the development of curriculum support programmes. In addition, progressed learners feature when they have to respond to developed programmes. This study concludes that teachers are fixated on traditional learning models. Based on the findings, the study recommends the need to shift to a “dialogue approach” where both the teacher and progressed learners design intervention strategies that communicate directly to the specific needs of such learners.

With this study we investigated strategies to support rural-based schools in teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in 6 secondary schools in the Maune circuit, Capricorn North district of the Limpopo province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach using a case study research design was followed in the study. The population consisted of 42 school management teams (SMTs) and school governing bodies (SGBs) in the Maune circuit. Purposive sampling was used to select 18 participants. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data. The social realist theory was adopted as theoretical framework using the concepts of structure, culture and agency as theoretical lenses. We found that the Department of Basic Education did not train SMTs and SGBs, which affected teaching and learning. We concluded that due to the unavailability of ICT infrastructure within the Maune circuit, teaching and learning during strict lockdown (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) were impossible and difficult when learners were rotating attendance. We recommend a shift from a blanket approach to school support to conducting an intensive needs analysis for each school in order to provide appropriate and relevant support. A social realist approach to school support is also recommended, where structure and culture are considered critical attributes for school development. It will be good for policy makers, role players and stakeholders to work together towards a common goal and carry out their agential role in ensuring that the needs of marginalised learners are met in schools.

The aim of the study reported on here was to evaluate the roles of supervisors in the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in South African schools. The supervisors are the School Management Teams (SMTs), namely principals, deputy principals, or heads of department (HoD), circuit managers, and district coordinators. We followed a qualitative approach to evaluate the implementation of the IQMS based on supervisors’ perspectives. A case study research design was used with an interpretive paradigm to evaluate the day-to-day practices of the IQMS. The population in this study consisted of 38 supervisors (circuit managers, principals, deputy principals and HoDs). Purposive sampling was used to select 12 participants who have been supervisors in the past 10 years. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Kolb’s learning theory was used as a theoretical lens to evaluate how the IQMS was applied in the circuit under study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there was no proper implementation of the IQMS in schools. Teachers conducted the IQMS for monetary reward instead of quality assurance. We conclude that the roles and responsibilities of supervisors are crucial during the implementation of the IQMS in schools, and that a huge discrepancy existed between the perceptions of supervisors and educators. We recommend that continuous training for both supervisors and educators is necessary for better implementation.