Inclusive educational systems value the unique contributions students of all backgrounds bring to the mathematics classroom and allow diverse groups to grow side by side, to the benefit of all. Such wide differences are easily catered for when instructional artefacts are culturally curated and utilized for teaching and learning. The differentiation that is present in African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS), such as ancient numeration systems, has been affirmed to enhance student self-monitoring, and ensures all students are involved, experience success, and yet are still challenged to improve their academic performance. However, many African indigenous numeral systems are already endangered, with some almost extinct, cutting off the present generation of learners from an appreciation of their cultural roots. This reality has necessitated an exploration of ancient African number systems to re-emphasize the need for incorporation into modern mathematics curriculum for preservation. This study is a conceptual non-systematic narrative literature review aimed at a broad exploration and implications of African numeration systems for present-day mathematics classroom. The study considers the origin of numeration with a particular interest on documented systems across the African continent, including the Bambara, Bamum, Yoruba, Mende, Oberi Okaime, and Wolof numeration systems. The implications of these indigenous numeration systems for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in present-day mathematics education were duly considered. It is hoped that the deliberations of this study will spur all concerned stakeholders into a joint venture of revival and preservation of our cherished intellectual heritage.
This research presents the initial findings and strategic frameworks of the FOSTER Project (Fostering Digital Transformation of Science in Kenya and Tanzania), an EU-funded initiative (Erasmus+ CBHE) aimed at modernizing the research ecosystem in East Africa. The paper focuses on the promotion of Citizen Science (CS) in Sub-Saharan Africa through the Science Shop 2.0 model across Higher Education Institutions in Kenya and Tanzania. This research used a multi-phase case study and purposive sampling approach, primarily among five Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Kenya and Tanzania. The first phase entailed mixed-methods surveys on CS skills gaps, practices, and mainstreaming in national policies in select HEIs among 235 participants in the two countries. The second phase included a baseline comparative analysis of CS implementation across the five partner institutions, focusing on the current situation, key barriers, and emerging opportunities for CS, among 190 participants. The third phase entailed stakeholder workshops conducted during mobility visits to partner institutions in Kenya and Tanzania, focusing on the transition to open science practices. Across the combined valid sample, more than half of the academic and research staff and students were aware of CS, although CS practices remained minimal. Second, the Science Shops approach has several benefits in strengthening the social relevance of academic research and promoting knowledge democratization by allowing communities to contribute to scientific inquiry. Third, several structural and institutional barriers continue to limit widespread adoption. One significant challenge relates to intellectual property and data ownership concerns. Fourth, institutional leadership and policy support play a central role in embedding CS within HEIs. Fifth, international collaboration and mentorship provide valuable opportunities for knowledge transfer and capacity building in CS implementation. Sixth, technological infrastructure plays a foundational role in enabling CS ecosystems in Sub-Saharan HEIs. The paper provides a scalable roadmap for strengthening the role of Citizen Science (CS) and Open Science (OS) in fostering digital transformation and inclusive knowledge ecosystems in East African HEIs. The paper also contributes to ongoing discussions on participatory research and knowledge democratization in the Global South. This is achieved through digital inclusion, community-engaged research, and sustainable development.
This research set out to explore pausing during the implementation phase of a change intervention in credit risk in an African bank, using the strategy-as-practice perspective, amidst a grand challenge. Understanding how the practice of pausing influences strategy during a grand challenge may offer valuable insights for practitioners and researchers. A sociological view of strategy, as opposed to mainstream economic views, provided the theoretical lens through which punctuated pausing practices could be analysed. A qualitative approach was adopted to engage practitioners about their practices during strategy implementation. From the data, pausing is first, confirmed as a practice that practitioners actually engage in. Second, pausing is confirmed as an enabling practice that positively influences strategy implementation. During times of strategic uncertainty, there is an impulse to act with reflexive urgency. Pausing generates opportunities to review the prevailing environment, reshape strategies, and enable organisational agility.
Today's complex sports-related injuries and the limited prevention mechanisms call for more intelligent, data-informed strategies in physical education (PE). The purpose of this research was to explore the relevance of AI-powered analytics as a strategic tool for injury prevention across training, treatment, and communication management in PE. There is a notable research gap regarding the incorporation of AI-powered analytics into educational and sports management frameworks. The authors aimed to identify key measures, benefits, and limitations of AI applications through a secondary research study. Using the PRISMA approach, a thorough systematic literature review was conducted. The authors focused only on peer-reviewed articles between 2021 and 2025 from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Out of 514 initial articles, 42 met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that AI-powered tools support injury prediction with up to 87% accuracy, optimize training loads by up to 25%, and reduce rehabilitation time.
This study employed Google Scholar and Scopus to systematically review the role of microfinance in enhancing the performance of women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 protocol. The researcher identified, screened, assessed eligibility, and included 22 articles among the 90 articles that were consulted. The study applied thematic analysis, in which the studies were appraised, and the risk of bias was assessed to determine their inclusion. Studies in English, published between 2000 and 2025, with titles that included terms such as microfinance, SME performance, and SSA, were included in the analysis. The study excluded master's dissertations, PhD theses, and non-peer-reviewed publications. The analysis revealed that more studies were conducted in Nigeria and Kenya than in other SSA countries. Regression analysis, the most widely used data analysis technique, was used, while longitudinal and comparative studies, as well as individual country-level studies, were lacking. Moreover, access to microcredit was the most widely covered microfinance service by scholars. Most scholars have reported the positive influence of microfinance on women SMEs' performance and profitability, which are the most commonly used indicators of SME performance. The findings further revealed that higher interest rates, collateral requirements, and a lack of gender-anchored, microfinance-sensitive policies limit microfinance's role in improving the performance of women-led SMEs. Policymakers should design policies that address microfinance barriers to improve the performance of women’s SMEs. .
