Bullying behaviours often emerge during early childhood yet are frequently minimised or normalised in Foundation Phase classrooms, limiting opportunities for early intervention. Foundation Phase teachers are therefore strategically positioned to identify, address, and prevent bullying during its formative stages. This qualitative study explores the preparedness of Foundation Phase pre-service teachers to respond to bullying during school-based learning in South African primary schools. Guided by a humanising theoretical framework, the study involved 60 third-year pre-service teachers enrolled in a Bachelor of Education programme at a South African university. Data were generated through reflective narrative essays and analysed using critical thematic analysis. The findings indicate that bullying manifests in verbal, physical, and relational forms and is shaped by broader socio-economic inequalities, overcrowding, and limited institutional support. The findings inform practical recommendations for classroom practice, teacher education and policy aimed at fostering inclusive and emotionally safe learning environments.
In Higher Education online and distance Postgraduate (PG) education programmes, working collaboratively is often used as a strategy to promote deeper learning, peer interaction, and critical thinking. However, students’ perceptions and experiences of such collaboration, particularly within the context of formative assessment, remain relatively under-researched. This study explores how PG students in a Faculty of Education experience and perceive working collaboratively to complete and submit formative assessment tasks. The research is grounded in connectivism (Siemens, 2005), which emphasises learning as a networked process occurring through interaction between people and digital tools. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through open-ended questionnaires distributed amongst two cohorts of distance PG students. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data and reveal key themes related to group dynamics. The findings offer practical insights for lecturers and programme designers seeking to structure more effective and equitable collaborative assessments in online distance PG education.
Entering university entails programme and module choices that can foster or hinder a student’s academic success and future career. This paper argues that, in the absence of adequate information, South African undergraduate first-generation university students’ (FGSs) choice of an elective academic literacy (AL) module is strongly influenced by its perceived relevance to their field of study. This article was theoretically grounded in the disciplinary literacy perspectives of Moje (2008) and Shanahan and Shanahan (2008). The research assumed a qualitative perspective. The study entailed a single case study design because the aim was to gain insights into FGSs’ AL module selection strategies at the selected university. The methodology used pre-module semi-structured individual interviews as a data collection technique. The thematic analysis of interview transcripts and the document analysis of the case-study module, English for Law (EFL), constituted the data scrutiny procedures. The research generated significant findings. The interviewees indicated that the university administration did not provide sufficient comparative information on elective AL modules to empower FGSs to make an informed decision. Some FGSs did not exercise agency in their AL module selection because their registration process was completed by a third party. Law FGSs did not want to do general academic literacy modules. In the absence of sufficient comparative information, FGSs made an intuitive AL module selection. FGSs’ choice of English for Law over other elective academic literacy modules was motivated by the relevance and usefulness suggested by the name. It is recommended that the university administration create pop-ups containing short descriptions of the purposes of the various AL modules from which FGSs must choose. It is further proposed that a Toll-Free registration assistance line be created to assist with the selection of elective modules.
Digital curriculum mapping (DCM) serves as an essential technology-enhanced tool and process for curriculum development, facilitating lecturer-student engagement in online learning. DCM can simplify curriculum alignment and enhance lecturers’ pedagogical skills and technological proficiency by addressing longstanding training and cognitive gaps, as well as the need for dynamic implementation practices. However, little research is available on the current state of digital curriculum mapping at South African higher education institutions (SAHEIs), including both public and private institutions, indicating a significant gap in research. The problem was exacerbated during academic forums on curriculum development when it became evident that some institutions lacked sufficient knowledge and experience in digital curriculum mapping, thereby hindering collective digital sharing efforts. The research aim was to explore how lecturers across diverse educational institutions in South Africa perceive and apply curriculum alignment and digital mapping. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted using in-depth interviews with 13 purposefully selected lecturers from four institutions. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the narratives, guided by Siemens's connectivity theory, Fullan’s change theory, and Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK framework. The findings revealed lecturers’ perceptions of DCM varied considerably, depending on the institution’s approach and the lecturers’ diverse levels of curriculum mapping. Variations were attributed to a general lack of policy and understanding, inadequate lecturer training, inability to engage with DCM at a collective level, a need for systematic and collaborative assistance in implementation, and limited inclusivity in the planning and implementation of DCM across SAHEIs. The conclusion is that adequate knowledge and training, and an inclusive curriculum mapping are crucial for developing an inclusive SAHEI DCM network system. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing information on the current SAHEI situation as well as outlining some strategies for addressing DCM issues, providing directions for future research.
Incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in various African countries is increasingly viewed as a response to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Most students engaging with STEM disciplines in Africa are English as a second language (ESL) speakers, while the medium of instruction remains English. This paper critically examines translanguaging as a potential pedagogical strategy for the effective teaching and learning of STEM subjects within ESL contexts in Zimbabwean secondary schools. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 16 science and mathematics teachers who were equitably drawn through purposeful sampling from two rural and two urban secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Two non-participant lesson observations were also conducted at each of the four selected schools. The findings reveal that the incorporation of learners’ first language (L1) in STEM instruction correlates with improved outcomes. Translanguaging serves as a beneficial instructional approach in bilingual and multilingual educational environments as it recognises and leverages the coexistence of multiple languages and represents a significant advancement towards the intellectualisation of African languages. The government, through the Ministry of Education, should integrate translanguaging in its language-in-education policy.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a critical role in preparing students for the complexities of the modern workforce. While existing research has explored graduate attributes from industry and policy perspectives, limited attention has been given to the views of lecturers, who are central to curriculum design and implementation. This study addresses this gap by employing a qualitative Delphi approach to identify the attributes considered essential for undergraduate tourism students, drawing on insights from an international panel of academic experts. Seven core attributes emerged as fundamental for equipping graduates with the competencies required for professional practice, further study, continuous development and lifelong learning. These findings not only reinforce existing theoretical frameworks but also provide empirical input for curriculum development and transformation. Moreover, they offer a foundation for future research and practice-based inquiry aimed at enhancing the alignment between tourism education and the evolving demands of the global industry.
Students seem no longer to be satisfied with the traditional ways of teaching and learning. Seamless learning may be a solution to the problem. The research project’s objectives were: first, to propose seamless learning as an alternative teaching and learning tool by providing students with the freedom to learn whenever and wherever they choose through the use of handheld devices; secondly, to measure the success of implementing this strategy through a single case study. The target group was 39 Community Development students. We implemented a qualitative method using biographic questionnaires and interviews comprising open-ended, non-leading questions. Ten students were selected through a random, purposive sampling method. Students experienced the seamless learning approach as positive, forward-thinking and empowering. This research offers an alternative way of presenting knowledge and designing assessments. The study shows that adapting content may lead to more accessible and engaging experiences for students.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era is continuously transforming the higher education landscape. This transformation includes how students access, evaluate, and use information in their academic activities. Despite this, little is known about undergraduate students' information-seeking behaviour, particularly their competence, confidence, and emotional well-being. This descriptive survey investigates this phenomenon at a selected private higher learning institution in South Africa. Data were collected from 145 undergraduate students using a structured questionnaire administered on Google Forms. The findings revealed that 62% of undergraduate students experience uncertainty and anxiety at the beginning of their information-seeking behaviour and that 96% rely on popular search engines like Google rather than scholarly databases. The reason for this is the limited digital literacy skills, such as advanced domain-specific search techniques and unfamiliarity with Boolean logic operators. Despite the growing popularity of artificial intelligence tools in the 4IR era, only 31% of students admitted to using AI tools like ChatGPT for academic information, which highlights the underutilisation of emerging 4IR tools. To address these gaps, the study recommends integrating comprehensive information literacy programmes into the institution's curriculum. Such programmes should focus on improving students’ confidence and competencies in utilising advanced search techniques. This should include skills in how to use Boolean logic operators, domain-specific search strings and emerging AI tools for their academic information needs. Equipping students with these skills will enhance their ability to search and evaluate academic information effectively in the 4IR era.
Social media applications are increasingly prevalent, yet their educational potential remains underexplored. While these platforms can enhance communication and collaboration in formal and informal learning environments, their effective integration into education requires further investigation. Guided by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, this study examines how seven Grade 6 and 7 teachers at a public primary school in Cape Town, South Africa, integrated social media platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram into their lessons. Although literature highlights the benefits of social media in boosting student motivation and confidence, its role in primary education remains limited. This qualitative case study explored teachers' integration of social media tools and their impact on learning outcomes. Purposive and convenience sampling were used to select participants in a socioeconomically diverse school. Data were gathered through questionnaires, lesson plan analysis, and semi-structured interviews, offering a detailed understanding of teachers' experiences. While WhatsApp was frequently used, YouTube and TikTok were the preferred platforms, promoting creativity, collaboration, and student engagement. The findings suggest that while social media positively impacts educational outcomes, challenges persist due to limited training and technological knowledge. Further research should explore the long-term effects, the role of professional development, and the potential use of social media in summative assessments to enhance dynamic learning environments.
Many South African primary school classrooms remain dominated by monoglossic ideologies, limiting learners’ participation and access to quality education. Research shows that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning across the country’s 11 official languages, highlighting the urgent need to recognise and leverage the language(s) learners bring to the classroom. This study employed a qualitative approach to implement a cross-age reading programme informed by translanguaging pedagogy in a context where English and isiXhosa are traditionally taught separately. Participants included 10 Grade 7 tutors and 10 Grade 3 tutees from a primary school in the Eastern Cape. Data comprised audio-recorded reading sessions, learner-written artefacts, and observation notes. Findings indicate that translanguaging activities enhanced learner engagement, scaffolded comprehension, and supported the development of reading, writing, speaking, and digital literacy skills. By allowing learners to draw on their full linguistic repertoires, the intervention provided meaningful scaffolding and fostered emergent biliteracy. The study recommends the flexible and dynamic use of multiple languages in primary classrooms, positioning translanguaging as a transformative pedagogical strategy capable of challenging traditional monoglossic practices and addressing the diverse linguistic needs of learners.
For decades, concerns have been raised about the dominance of one-on-one or co-supervision models of postgraduate education in the Humanities and Social Sciences in South Africa. These concerns highlight poor throughput and retention, financial constraints, supervisor capacity challenges, and the isolation experienced by both candidates and supervisors. Using an Appreciative Inquiry lens, this article examines the design of a programme in which 10 university staff members undertook PhD studies focused on social justice and quality in higher education. The programme incorporated coursework, supervision panels, ‘Doc Weeks’, online communities, and regular progress presentations and reporting. The article argues that while such curriculum structures are important, they are insufficient on their own to address challenges in postgraduate education. Instead, the cultural norms and values embedded in the programme, and the ways in which these were made explicit, were central to its success. The findings offer practical insights into structuring a PhD programme and, more importantly, demonstrate the need for these structures to be underpinned by a shared culture. Key values included spaces for testimonial justice, collective rather than solely individual success, and spaces for failure without fear, recognising error as part of learning.
Student success is vital to higher education (HE) stakeholders, regardless of how it is measured or defined, highlighting the need for efficient pedagogic practices to successfully achieve intended educational and student outcomes. This research comprises examples of sound pedagogical practices from the success stories of teaching academics in a Humanities Faculty. It explores characteristics of practices that could enhance academic performance and foster student success by analysing eight (n=8) Humanities lecturers' successes in university teaching experiences. The qualitative narrative inquiry used semi-structured interviews, narrative analysis methods, and a reflective narrative analysis lens to unpack some distinctive features of impactful higher education pedagogies from South African higher education settings. Theories of reflection frame the study, permitting reflection, narration, and sharing o f instructive approaches based on critical reflection. Findings suggest that the purposeful, selective use of learning tools and integration into apt working student-centred practices positively impact undergraduate learning, academic performance and success.
Digitising interior design visuals often produces hyper-realistic renders generated through highly specialised programs to simulate utopian design solutions. These digital representations are lauded by their creators but criticised for their homogeneity, lack of context, and lack o f visual narrative. This lack of distinctive visual identity is attributed to the prevalence o f technological determinism, which views technological mastery as innately superior. Nonetheless, students can be exposed to alternative visualisation models through the postdigital paradigm to counter this determinist mindset. The post-digital approach provides a critical lens on technology's role in visualisation and reintroduces affective digital-making practices. It shifts the focus away from technological advancements and challenges to foreground 'designerly' and individual identity and decentralising digital acumen. To explore this, we initiated an action research project investigating the benefits of the post-digital paradigm in the interior design studio. The aims were to develop student awareness of interior design visualisations' emotive potential and encourage creative agency, moving from visua l production to expression. This article presents our reflections on five research cycles, offering alternative approaches to visualising the affective qualities of interior spaces and restoring agency and designerly identity in visuals and the visualisation process.
Hybrid problem-based learning (hPBL) may promote the ability of students to learn independently. This paper explores the impact of hPBL on preservice Technology teachers ' self-directed learning (SDL) abilities. In this case study, a mixed-methods research design was used. The self-directed learning instrument (SDLI) developed by Cheng and colleagues was used to collect quantitative data. For the qualitative data observations, semi-structured individual interviews and self-reflective journals of preservice Technology teachers were used to give more meaning to the quantitative results. In this study, hPBL had positive influences on preservice Technology teachers' SDL abilities. Employing hPBL had a slightly positive impact on 'planning and implementation' as an SDL sub-domain. The preservice teachers' self-monitoring abilities increased statistically significantly. In addition, the hPBL intervention contributed to a slight improvement in the interpersonal communication abilities of these preservice Technology teachers. It is recommended that hPBL be implemented in larger classes in Technology Education, as well as in longitudinal studies to determine the long-term impact of hPBL on preservice teachers'SDL abilities.
This research considered South African primary school teachers’ use of Information Communication and Technology (ICTs) in the domains of English First Additional Language, mathematics, and natural sciences. Utilising the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the study explored what ICTs are being used for assessment purposes and how ICTs are being used. Employing a mixed-method approach within a pragmatist paradigm, a survey designed by the researchers was administered to teachers with a minimum of five years of experience. Quantitative analysis of closed-ended questions revealed that commonly used ICT tools included personal computers, the internet, intranet, and mobile devices, whereas outdated technologies like CDs and DVDs were seldom utilised. Surprisingly, newer ICTs, such as WhatsApp, were not as frequently employed as anticipated. Qualitative insights demonstrated that teachers harnessed ICTs for various functions, including formative and summative assessments, multimedia learning, personalised learning, resource discovery, engagement with educational platforms, and document handling. The findings revealed that social impact on behavioural intention was the only significant effect. Highlighting the critical role of peer and institutional support structures to encourage ICT adoption. Additionally, addressing resource and infrastructure gaps, alongside targeted training and capacity development, is crucial for enabling effective ICT-based assessment in South African primary schools.
Learner participation in their learning is important to foster meaningful learning. Thus, teachers adopt different teaching methods including case-based teaching method to propel learners’ participation in learning. This qualitative study explored business studies teachers’ implementation of case-based teaching in technology-enhanced classrooms. The study is located within the interpretivists’ paradigm and utilises Experiential Learning Theory as a lens to interpret and thematically analyse interviews collected from six business studies teachers, from six secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa that were selected purposefully. The study found that a case-based teaching method is compatible with technology integration and helps teachers to expose learners to real business situations. Consequently, integrating technology while implementing case-based teaching transforms the learning context. It is recommended that business studies teachers intensify the implementation of case-based teaching in their technology-enhanced classrooms to facilitate learners’ understanding as they participate in learning.
Using self-determination as a theoretical perspective, the study sought to understand the motivating factors behind high-performing students’ success. High-performing students who are on track for cum laude and summa cum laude were identified as the cohort for the study. A sample of 10 of these identified students was purposively selected from the School of Education at a South African university. Data were generated using individual and focus group interviews. The findings suggest that these students were motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The students were intrinsically motivated when their needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness were met. The findings further suggest that three levels of extrinsic motivation (introjected, identified and integrated regulation) influenced students’ success. The study challenges a deficit discourse as it enabled us to understand the factors that enabled high-performing students to thrive despite social and economic hardships. These views from high-performing students’ are useful to inform strategies and interventions for understanding and improving undergraduate student success.
Technology-based learning and the development of 21st century skills have the potential to transform the traditional teacher-centred approach into a more student-centred approach. Digital technology integration can be harnessed to foster effective learning and teaching. This study utilised the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework and explores the utilisation of digital technology in the learning and teaching of Design and Technology (D&T) in Botswana’s senior secondary schools, with the aim of fostering the development of 21st century skills among students. The study adopted a case study that involves the collection of data from school heads, teachers and students through a survey. The findings indicate that 83.3% of school heads were somewhat satisfied with available digital technology resources in schools. The study reveals that 37.5% of the D&T students who perceive their teachers as possessing critical thinking skills are good at using digital technology resources during the lesson. This implies that it is imperative to recognise the importance of leveraging the pedagogical benefits of integrating digital technology toimpart 21st century skills and competencies within Design and Technology teaching and learning contexts.
Mitosis is a fundamental biological process that underpins various concepts in Life Sciences (Biology). Consequently, fostering a strong scientific foundation is widely recognised as essential for learners to develop logical reasoning skills. The current study examines the instructional strategies used and challenges faced by teachers in teaching mitosis topics in the FET (Further Education and Training) phase in South African Grade 10 Life Sciences (Biology) classrooms. Eight teachers in one of the circuits of the Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga Province, participated. An interpretive approach was adopted, with the conceptual framework of pedagogical content knowledge guiding the research. Interview data underwent content analysis, while thematic analysis was used for the lesson observation data. The study identified a deficiency in creative, topic-specific instructional strategies, particularly those incorporating technology. Additionally, the study revealed that teachers struggled with mitosis-related content and terminology, demonstrating limited pedagogical content knowledge. The subject advisers are encouraged to conduct workshops for teachers on challenging Life Sciences (Biology) content as well as training teachers to use of technology in teaching Life Sciences (Biology) topics such as mitosis.
Students with learning difficulties face significant challenges in accessing equitable education. Integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can address students’ diverse learning needs and promote inclusivity. This quantitative study explored the role of AI-driven technologies in fostering inclusive learning environments for students, including those with difficulties. Using random sampling, 180 South African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college respondents completed a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The findings showed that AI integration holds significant possibilities to enhance inclusivity but is hindered by challenges such as the digital divide, limited digital skills among instructors, and concerns over data privacy and academic integrity. The study recommended targeted investments in ICT infrastructure in underserved areas, professional development to strengthen educators’ digital competencies, active stakeholder involvement in AI development, and the establishment of ethical frameworks to ensure the secure handling of sensitive data in education. Addressing these challenges is essential to fully harnessing the potential of AI as a tool for equitable, inclusive, and effective teaching and learning, thereby contributing to the development of educational systems that are responsive to and supportive of students’ diverse learning needs.
