Teachers’ preparedness for implementing the Educational Coding and Robotics curriculum in South Africa

Cyber bullying has become a topical issue in South Africa. However, there is very little guidance and training for teachers on how to deal with cyber bullying in the classroom. This study investigated the perceptions of cyber bullying amongst student teachers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The backdrop of this study is a context where there is a proliferation of technologies in much of South African society. Within this, there are calls to not only investigate the positive side of technology but also aspects where technology may have a “dark” side. The study made use of a quantitative survey approach to collect data from 150 student teachers at a university in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The student teachers were representative of all three the school phases used in South Africa. The results indicated that almost half of the student teachers had been victims of cyber bullying. Overall, cyber bullying was considered a serious issue for the student teachers but awareness of the prevalence of the issue decreased outside the classroom. The topic has not been incorporated into policy or the school curriculum in South Africa. The recommendation of the study is that the Department of Basic Education in South Africa must provide a standardised policy and curriculum that schools can use to implement and enforce cyber safety behaviour in the schools.

BackgroundTeaching learners with specific learning difficulties requires competent teachers who can provide learning support. Competencies such as identifying learning difficulties, assessing learners, designing interventions such as curriculum differentiation and facilitating referral systems are crucial. However, Senior Phase teachers in South Africa seem to be challenged when it comes to providing learning support. Consequently, learners do not meet the desired learning outcomes.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore Senior Phase teachers’ competencies in supporting learners with specific learning difficulties in four mainstream schools.MethodsA qualitative research approach and phenomenological research design were used. Eighteen teachers who were members of the school-based support teams, including learning support educators, were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through individual and focus group interviews, the analysis of support forms and field notes. A thematic data analysis was used to generate findings.ResultsThe thematic data analysis revealed discrepancies relating to participants’ competencies in identifying language difficulties, short-term memory problems and contextual barriers. Also, participants differed in collaborating with peers, social workers, and the district-based support teams. Furthermore, some participants were able to design intervention programmes and facilitate internal and external referral processes.ConclusionThe study concludes that teachers have different competencies in providing learning support. Therefore, the Department of Basic Education should provide a clear practical learning support strategy in the Senior Phase mainstream schools as well as continuous professional development for teachers couple with monitoring.ContributionIt is envisioned that the study will contribute to understanding teachers’ competences in providing learning support for learners with specific learning difficulties in the senior phase. The study advocates for collaborative continuous professional teacher development focusing on interventions programmes to support learners with specific learning difficulties in the mainstream schools.

In South Africa, paper-based geographic information system (PBGIS) was introduced as a strategy to resolve the hindrances in schools without computers in implementing GIS. This study explores the geography teachers’ perceptions of implementing PBGIS in a rural learning ecology. In this context, PBGIS is defined as teaching and learning of GIS utilising topographic and orthographic maps, while rural learning ecology refers to a school in a rural environment consistent with how learners learn in a particular context. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) constituted the theoretical framework used to understand the geography teachers’ perceptions in this inquiry. Qualitative research methods, and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data to answer the research question. Two geography teachers from a rural learning ecology were purposively selected to participate in this study. The data generated from the field was then analysed thematically utilising a deductive and inductive approach. The findings showed the following: inadequate teacher training; teachers are unsure about the resources required for PBGIS; lack of teaching time; and the complexity of PBGIS concepts, and improper PBGIS examination setting. This study proposes that the Department of Basic Education (DBE), in association with universities, train teachers and provide resources; support teachers by reviewing the time allocated in the Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) for teaching PBGIS; engage teachers about ways to simplify PBGIS concepts when teaching; and guide teachers on the approaches that must be used when teaching PBGIS.

ABSTRACTThe curriculum is a critical element in the transformation of higher education, and as a result, I argue for the inclusion of what I refer to as an African epistemic in higher education curricula in South Africa. In so doing, attention is directed at the decolonisation of the curriculum in higher education in South Africa, which aims to give indigenous African knowledge systems their rightful place as equally valid ways of knowing among the array of knowledge systems in the world. In developing my argument, I maintain that a critical questioning of the knowledge included in higher education curricula in South Africa should be taken up in what I call transformative education discourses that examine the sources of the knowledge that inform what is imposed on or prescribed for curricula in higher education in South Africa, and how these higher educational curricula are implicated in the universalisation of Western and European experiences.

The integration of information and communications technology (ICT) in the engineering graphics, and design (EGD) classroom is essential to enhance learning by providing learners with advanced tools to understand abstract EGD concepts. However, there are few challenges that are proving to be a stumbling block. Hence, this study is to investigate the barriers that prevent effective integration of ICT in EGD classrooms. Nine EGD teachers from technical schools in the uMgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province in South Africa were purposively sampled. The primary objective of this study was to investigate specific challenges EGD teachers face when attempting to integrate ICT tools into their teaching practices. Therefore, the study was anchored on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and self-efficacy theories conceptual framework. To explore the phenomenon, a descriptive research approach was utilized to obtain data. As a result, data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations which was analyzed thematically. The findings revealed a lack of ICT tools in some of the technical schools, security breaches leading to the stealing of ICT tools, and had teachers with limited technological skills, all of which contributed to hindering the effective integration of ICT in EGD classrooms. Based on the findings, the study recommends the department of basic education (DBE) in KZN to equip schools without ICT resources and implement stronger security measures to protect these resources. Moreover, the study further recommends DBE to take action to empower teachers with limited technological skills by providing training on ICT usage.

PurposeMany developing countries such as South Africa have been introducing measurement of results to improve public service delivery. The practice of development of performance measures in the public service emanates from pressure exerted by citizens who are calling for more efficiency and effectiveness in delivering services. This article examines the implementation of the audit of pre-determined objectives at the Department of Basic Education (DBE).Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a qualitative case study approach. Secondary sources of data were used in order to analyse the DBE's challenges in managing performance information. Key secondary documents used include the AGSA annual audit reports as well as the DBE 2010/11–2014/15 Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plans (APP) that provide the pre-determined objectives selected by the Department to measure performance for the five-year period.FindingsThe findings indicate that there are shortcomings in the processes of managing performance information. Based on the findings, it is incumbent upon the senior management of the DBE to strive towards understanding and improving their oversight roles and responsibilities in the management of pre-determined objectives.Originality/valueThe study generates a deeper understanding of what has been happening when pre-determined objectives were developed, reported or assessed in the DBE. This will assist the Department and similar public institutions to make further improvements in order to achieve pre-determined objectives.

The aim of this work is two-fold. On the one hand, the authors wish to provide relevant information to educators willing to develop an educational robotics (ER) curriculum. They thus provide the current state of the art in the field of ER and the various approaches reported in the literature. They also provide examples of how computational thinking (CT) can be applied in ER and main theories behind ER: constructivism, constructionism, and inquiry-based learning. As ER requires problem-solving abilities, they discuss the link between CT and metacognition, which is considered one of the required educational improvements of the 21st century (also related to the role of gender in STEM methodologies). On the other hand, they wish to present their methodology to teach coding and ER (coding robots through exploring their affordances – CREA), how it was designed, and its main outcomes. It aims at teaching programming and robotics to children in primary school, focusing not on only the performance of the students, but also the cultivation of collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.

This paper endeavors to discuss critically the mismatches between the international teacher training curriculum and the South African context in teacher training institutions. The exponential growth of the internationalisation phenomenon has influenced the curriculum in higher education. Consequentially, higher education, including teacher training institutions, adopted an international curriculum. Nevertheless, several mismatches have been identified, including the relationship between the knowledge and skills required by the South African economy and provided by higher education and the curriculum failing to meet social needs such as employability, high mobility, entrepreneurship, and slow economic growth. Using critical theory and Participatory Action Research (PAR), this study examined the mismatches created by the internationalised curriculum in a South African teacher training institution and proposes context sensitive adaptations. Four lecturers were selected to be co-researchers in addressing the research phenomenon of the study per PAR’s guidelines. Content analysis strategy was employed to analyze data collected. We found three discrepancies: internationalised curriculum in teacher training institutions proposes a 100% standardized curriculum for all, which is unsuitable for institutions in developing countries, particularly South Africa; the language of instruction only accommodates 70% of South African students; and assessment strategies fail entirely (100%) to match the country's level. We argue that although various countries and scholars advocate for the internationalised curriculum, it should be modified for adoption in South African context. The study aspires to contribute to the foregoing debate of including the international teacher training curriculum in higher education in the South African context.

South African higher education curricula are largely Eurocentric, to such an extent that indigenous knowledge is marginalised (Horsthemke in Transform High Educ 2(1)–9, 2017). Consequently, the decolonisation of university curricula has become a necessity. The nationwide ‘FeesMustFall’ student protests in 2015 and 2016 have underlined the need to address this matter urgently. Free quality education and the decolonisation of university curricula were among some of the students’ demands (Le Grange in SAJHE 30(2):1–12, 2016). Fundamentally, decolonising curricula involve a serious investigation of history and the strategising of future actions (Ngulube in Historia 47(2):563–582, 2002). Little is known about the potential role of archives in the process of decolonising higher education curricula in South Africa. Perhaps this can be attributed to a lack of awareness about archives and their significance in South Africa (Sulej in ESARBICA J 33:13–35, 2014). This paper explores the role of archives in the decolonisation of higher education curricula in South Africa. It appears that sub-Saharan scholars rarely consult archives (Onyancha et al. in ESARBICA J 32:67–77, 2013). Therefore, public programming is investigated as a means to get more members of the academic community to use archives as centres of critical inquiry. The relevant literature was consulted and discussed. Unique outreach or public programming initiatives will help the academic community to better understand the significance of archives in the decolonisation process.

The contemporary educational paradigm, which brings learning outcomes and competencies to the foreground, puts special emphasis on digital competencies. The relevance of their development is visible in a series of strategies and initiatives at the global and national level. The application of AI and robotics poses a number of pedagogical challenges to teachers, with the use of robots in education being one of the latest trends. The paper discusses the perceptions of students of the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Education (Serbia) about robots. The aim of the research was to determine how future preschool and primary school teachers perceive robots, and their pedagogical implications, in order to create opportunities for improving teaching on the use of robots in an educational setting. Students perceive robots in two dominant functions: educational and assistive. A statistically significant difference in the attitudes of future preschool and primary school teachers were observed regarding the reasons for choosing the robot they drew. Preschool teachers gave primacy to the cognitive domain, while primary school teachers found it difficult to judge which domain was dominant. Misconceptions about robots were observed among some of the respondents, and these were further analyzed. The most dominant function of the robot was the educational one, and its predominant appearance was in the animal form. Most of the respondents did not draw elements that would indicate emotions of the depicted robots. However, the drawings of the robot in the animal form included clear positive emotions. The obtained results can be a significant predictor of the way in which future preschool and primary school teachers will use robots in their teaching and educational work with children and students. They can also give the professors of the faculties of education useful guidelines for modifying syllabuses used for building student digital competencies.

Current trends in technology dictate how archives and records management fraternity should take action to remain relevant in the industry. The mode of operation illustrates that current business strategies intend to go fully online without any physical records to be managed. Records practitioners are thus systematically becoming irrelevant and unemployable. This study sought to investigate a framework to infuse data science into archives and records management curriculum in South Africa. This qualitative study relied on literature review to explore a framework to infuse data science into the archives and records management curriculum in South Africa. The study discovered that archives and records management education is still lagging technology; this may result in candidates with impressive qualifications but dated knowledge and expertise. The study recommended an infusion of data science into the archives and records management curriculum, using the proposed framework to guide the process. It is hoped that this will enable institutions of higher learning to upskill students in line with the growth in technology and modus operandi.

Strangulation: Know the Symptoms, Save a Life

Background: Despite the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, most black schools in the country still embrace coloniality through policies and practices. This leads to disempowerment, loss of identity, inequalities and inferiority in the learners, which are nurtured till their adulthood. It is therefore important to decolonise the inherited curriculum and recognise African identity, culture and system as valuable for Africans.Aim: This article aims to explore coloniality within the primary school education system in South Africa and aims to motivate curriculum transformation that will divest coloniality in Africa.Setting: This article centres around South African Primary schools.Methods: This article employs a desktop approach and a systematic literature review. To collect the data, the study selected articles from different search engines such as EBSCO, Science Direct and Google Scholar. This enables the synthetisation of previous works to provide knowledge on the topic. The decoloniality theory underpins the study.Results: Primary school education in South Africa is influenced by coloniality; hence, there is a need for transformation.Conclusion: The primary school curriculum in South Africa needs to be revised in a decolonised manner to suit a multi-racial or ethnic South Africa for the realisation of an equitable and just future for Africans.Contribution: This article provides knowledge about coloniality within the context of primary schools in South Africa and further recommends curriculum transformation to a truly African manner. It thus aligns with the journal’s theme and scope, which is the interrogation of coloniality in South African primary schools.

For gaining proficiency in physical human-robot interactions, it is crucial for engineering students to be provided with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with robotic devices that feature kinesthetic feedback. In this article, we propose HandsOn-SEA, a low-cost, single degree-of-freedom, force-controlled educational robot with series elastic actuation and introduce educational modules for the use of the device to allow students to experience the fundamental performance trade-offs inherent in robotic systems. The novelty of the proposed robot is due to the deliberate introduction of a compliant element between the actuator and the handle, whose deflections are measured to perform closed-loop force control. As an admittance-type robot, HandsOn-SEA relies on force feedback to achieve the desired level of safety and transparency and complements the existing impedance-type educational robots. We present the integration of HandsOn-SEA into the robotics curriculum, by providing guidelines for its use in a senior level robotics course, to help students experience the challenges involved in the synergistic design and control of robotic devices. We systematically evaluate the efficacy of the device in a robotics course delivered for five semesters and provide evidence that HandsOn-SEA is effective in instilling fundamental concepts and trade-offs in the design and control of robotic devices.

South Africa experienced continuous change in education curriculum. This affected teachers in a way because teachers were not sure on how to implement the new curriculum introduced. They, (teachers), were confused and stressed and then that led to underperformance of learners in some schools. Therefore this study tends to explore and compile literatures on the perceptions of teachers about curriculum changes in South Africa. The study does not leave behind some literatures on concepts of education; curriculum in South Africa; an overview of curriculum policy in South Africa; curriculum changes to mention a few. The study however recommended among others that the South Africa Government should actively involve the teachers in formulating or drafting any policy that will affect curriculum since they are the custodians and implementers of the curriculum. Not only those changes in curriculum should not come overnight; there should a year or two for piloting any new curriculum so as to see the effect and its validity before being released for use in schools. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p983