African Schools Research Articles

Violence Perpetrated by Learners and Management Towards Early-Career Educators in South African Township Schools

The reality in South Africa is that township school environments are not safe for early-career educators. According to South Africa’s Constitution in the Bill of Rights, every learner has the right to a free, reputable education. Although educators are obligated to facilitate this free education, the right to education does not supersede the right to safety because, without protection, more rights will be violated. This study aimed to explore forms of violence perpetrated by school management teams and learners against early-career educators in township schools in Soshanguve, South Africa. A qualitative research method was used to access deeper information on the topic. Clarke’s six steps of thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather information. The major findings of this study revealed four forms of violence experienced by early-career educators, which included physical and verbal violence, financial violence and sexual violence. This study recommends that parents should make a habit of checking their children’s schoolwork. This will hold learners accountable for their work. Parents should minimise engaging in conflict in the presence of their children, as this can have adverse emotional and psychological effects on them. They should provide a supportive environment for their children, which can foster a positive parent–child relationship. In addition, the community should play a proactive role in combating substance abuse by ensuring that substances are not accessible to children.

Factors influencing virtual lab adoption in marginalized rural schools: insights from South Africa

Teaching in rural schools is frequently marked by challenges ranging from restricted technological infrastructure and geographical remoteness to sparse professional development. Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this paper reports findings from a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study that investigated Virtual Lab (VL) adoption in rural South African schools. Data collected through a questionnaire (N = 186) and semi-structured interviews (N = 4) involving life sciences teachers were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The study revealed surprising trends in VL adoption, indicating that family and friends have a greater influence than colleages. Contrary to conventional wisdom on teacher motivation, this paper underscores learners’ enthusiasm as pivotal. Despite reservations regarding facilitating conditions, improved technology access challenges prior assumptions of scarcity in rural schools. Nevertheless, while challenges such as low competence and inadequate professional development persist, rural school teachers express readiness for adoption, signalling potential increased usage under favourable conditions.

Experiences of Teachers and Learners Transitioning from Isixhosa to English Instruction in Grade 4

The South African Language in Education Policy stipulates that African languages shall be employed as languages of learning and teaching in South African schools, at least from Grades 1 to 3. After that, there must be a switch to an additional language - in most cases, English first additional language (EFAL), as is the case with most schools in Matatiele, Alfred Nzo West District, South Africa. The topicality of this transition has led to this study, which explores the experiences of Grade 4 EFAL teachers and learners in Alfred Nzo West District transitioning from isiXhosa to EFAL as a medium of instruction in Grade 4. Data for the study was collected from participants drawn from a school in the rural Eastern Cape Province, Alfred Nzo West District. The sample comprised two Grade 4 EFAL teachers and ten learners. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations while reading English texts. The findings revealed that the learners struggle to read because they were accustomed to using their home language, isiXhosa, in Grades 1-3. Now, they are using English as their Language of Teaching and Learning (LoTl), a language hardly spoken outside of the classroom. Besides, the findings showed that learners who were doing English home language in their previous schools, Grades 1-3, did not battle much with Grade 4 EFAL, since they relied on their prior linguistic knowledge accrued in these grades. To overcome Grade 4 EFAL learners’ barriers to reading, the teachers rely on parental involvement, phonics, collaborative learning and learners’ prior linguistic background. The study is important in underscoring the need to give Grade 4 EFAL learners age-appropriate reading materials because their comprehension is naturally developed as they acquire new vocabulary, and learners are cognitively engaged in less challenging texts.

Enhancing School Administration in Rural South African Schools: Challenges and Opportunities-Using the Scooping Review Method

This scoping review investigates the deployment and operational challenges of the South African School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS) within rural secondary schools in the iLembe District. Aiming to understand the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in educational administration, this review analyses existing literature from 2008 to 2024 to map the effectiveness and obstacles encountered by SA-SAMS. Rural schools often need help adopting technological innovations due to inadequate ICT infrastructure, limited access to technology, and a deficit in training and support for educators and administrators. The review highlights that while SA-SAMS is designed to enhance administrative efficiency and improve data management, its implementation needs to be improved by these systemic issues, complicating its potential benefits. Furthermore, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the review identifies a need for targeted interventions, including enhanced training programmes, better ICT resource allocation, and infrastructure development. Overcoming these challenges could improve educational outcomes by enabling more efficient school management practices. This review contributes to the broader discourse on educational technology integration in rural settings, providing a foundation for policy recommendations and future research to optimise the use of SA-SAMS in improving school administration.

Quality of higher education mission statements and relevance to SDGs: the case of African business schools

Quality of higher education mission statements and relevance to SDGs: the case of African business schools

Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching Education for Sustainable Development in the Technology Education Curriculum

This study investigates pedagogical strategies to teach sustainable development within the Technology curriculum in South African secondary schools, with an emphasis on the Senior Phase. Despite the global acknowledgment of sustainable development as a critical topic, its practical application in the South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is limited. This study seeks to fill this gap by studying the pedagogical tactics used by Technology teachers to build sustainability skills. Eight technology teachers from the Ehlanzeni region in Mpumalanga Province were carefully chosen to participate. Data was collected through observations and interviews, and analysed using content analysis. The findings show that while teachers are aware of sustainable development concepts, converting this understanding into successful classroom implementation presents substantial hurdles. The study identifies teacher collaboration as the primary instrument for incorporating sustainable development principles into the technology curriculum; nevertheless, practical implementation was challenging. This study responds to the requirement of integrating sustainable development into all South African disciplines, notably the Technology curriculum It emphasises the importance of specific interventions to bridge the gap between policy intent and classroom practice.

Empowering quality education through sustainable and equitable electricity access in African schools

Empowering quality education through sustainable and equitable electricity access in African schools

African Training School on Green Chemistry and Environmental Sustainability

African Training School on Green Chemistry and Environmental Sustainability

The use of mobile technology in abductive inquiry-based teaching and learning of chemical bonding

Continuous enhancement of mobile devices such as smartphones offers new opportunities for using these technologies in inquiry-based learning environments. Inquiry-based learning has followed deductive and inductive forms of inquiry, while the abductive form of inquiry that targets the development of higher-order thinking skills such as critical thinking is less prevalent. This study investigated the use of mobile technology in abductive-inquiry based teaching and learning of chemical bonding for grade 11 physical sciences learners in two South African schools. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design that entailed first collecting quantitative data and then qualitative data to help explain or elaborate on the quantitative results. Two grade 11 physical sciences classes were randomly designated as the experimental and control groups in each of the two different schools. The experimental group in each school experienced activities in a laboratory using mobile technology-enhanced abductive scientific inquiry through the ‘Molecular Workbench’ web-based simulation using a mobile device, while the control group in each school experienced activities in abductive scientific inquiry in a science laboratory without using mobile learning technology. The principal findings indicated that learners within the control group displayed a significant increase in their performance to create a scientifically accurate hypothesis that is the essence of abductive inquiry, whereas for the experimental group there was no significant improvement in their hypothesis generation capacity. However, participants within the experimental group felt that their use of mobile devices created a sense of learner agency amongst themselves, developed their communication skills, made them feel responsible for their own learning, and also made learning scientific concepts more fun as opposed to what they are normally exposed to.

The effective management of teachers’ tardiness: Protecting scheduled teaching time

Teachers’ habitual tardiness poses the most problem to school managers anywhere in the world and has countless drawbacks. It is one of the main anomalies that have beset many South African public schools, deplorably substantial emphasis has been given to teachers’ absenteeism. Espousing a qualitative research approach, coupled with multiple case study design, this enquiry aimed to explore how School Management Teams (SMTs) effectively manage teachers’ habitual tardiness and come up with strategies to protect scheduled teaching time. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and the review of documents. Data was analysed with the employment of Inductive Thematic Analysis (ITA) method embedded within the moral leadership framework. The purposefully selected sample comprised seven SMT members from three public secondary schools in Soshanguve township, South Africa. The findings revealed that habitual tardiness by same teachers is a problem in all the three schools, whereby missing the first period was a daily occurrence. The findings further painted a bleak picture on the scheduled teaching time that is lost and usually unaccounted for. To effectively manage habitual tardiness, school managers are advised to implement and monitor the tardiness attendance register. It is further recommended that a roundtable discussion be held amongst basic education stakeholders for the introduction of the biometric log-in system. To protect scheduled teaching time, the streamlining of the school timetable is proposed.

Curbing Teenage Pregnancy in South Africa's Schools

Teenage pregnancy in South African schools presents a significant challenge to the education system and society as a whole. This study seeks to investigate the strategies implemented to decrease teenage pregnancy in South African schools. It is based on qualitative secondary sources such as expert analysis, teacher input, civil society, and testimonies from teenagers. The data was collected from public online sources, including audio, YouTube videos, and written testimonies. The findings indicate that teenage pregnancy has reached a crisis point. Socioeconomic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, peer pressure, cultural and societal norms around sexuality, and related challenges are at the center of child pregnancy in South Africa.

The use of screening, identification, assessment and support policy to support vulnerable learners

South African schools are becoming overwhelmed by the large numbers of learners who experience various vulnerabilities, including socio-economic issues and psychosocial factors. The policy for Screening, Identification, Assessment, and Support (SIAS) serves as a guiding tool to teachers, in providing necessary support to vulnerable learners. This study sought to explore the teachers' views on the implementation of the SIAS policy to support vulnerable learners. The qualitative research approach was employed. The study is interpretive and selected the case study research design. Purposive sampling was employed to sample five secondary schools for participation. Within the five sampled schools, ten teachers, five school-based support team members, and five principals were selected for participation. The sampling criteria was based on participants’ experiences in implementing the SIAS policy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and document review. The data were analysed thematically. The study revealed misconception of the SIAS policy, the incredibility of school-based support teams, inappropriate learner profiling, lack of comprehensive psychosocial support systems, poor parental involvement, the teachers’ preparedness in contributing towards enabling schooling environments. It is recommended that the Department of Basic Education develop comprehensive policy guidelines to address psychosocial support to vulnerable learners in rural schools, provide sufficient resources to enhance the support measures and devise strategies to continuously assess the efficacy of the support systems. Lastly, the Department of Education should make it a priority to actively engage parents or guardians in the learners’ academic activities.

Cultural-Historical Activity Theory in Examining Creative Arts as an Anti-Bullying Strategy in South African Public Schools

This article explores the integration of creative arts as an anti-bullying strategy in South African public schools through the lens of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). The study aims to comprehend the complex interactions between creative arts interventions, cultural contexts, and the dynamics of bullying. By applying CHAT, the research delves into the cultural significance of artistic expressions, shedding light on how these interventions act as cultural tools that mediate and transform the complexities of bullying within the South African educational landscape. This article employed a qualitative research methodology under desktop design, incorporating existing literature retrieved from reputable academic platforms such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, ResearchGate, and university repositories. The findings of this article reveal the nuanced ways in which creative arts interventions resonate within the cultural expectations of South African public schools, impacting social interactions, attitudes, and behaviours related to bullying. This article also highlights the historical and societal dimensions influencing the success of creative arts as an anti-bullying strategy, contributing to a holistic understanding of the dynamics at play. In conclusion, the article discusses the implications of the findings and underscores the significance of tailoring anti-bullying strategies to align with the cultural and historical nuances of South African public schools.This article explores the integration of creative arts as an anti-bullying strategy in South African public schools through the lens of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). The study aims to comprehend the complex interactions between creative arts interventions, cultural contexts, and the dynamics of bullying. By applying CHAT, the research delves into the cultural significance of artistic expressions, shedding light on how these interventions act as cultural tools that mediate and transform the complexities of bullying within the South African educational landscape. This article employed a qualitative research methodology under desktop design, incorporating existing literature retrieved from reputable academic platforms such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, ResearchGate, and university repositories. The findings of this article reveal the nuanced ways in which creative arts interventions resonate within the cultural expectations of South African public schools, impacting social interactions, attitudes, and behaviours related to bullying. This article also highlights the historical and societal dimensions influencing the success of creative arts as an anti-bullying strategy, contributing to a holistic understanding of the dynamics at play. In conclusion, the article discusses the implications of the findings and underscores the significance of tailoring anti-bullying strategies to align with the cultural and historical nuances of South African public schools.

Composing a canonical narrative of Black African immigrant school leaders in the United States

This study gives voice and visibility to Black African immigrant school leaders and provides them with a platform to describe and make sense of their lived experiences through the construction of their narratives from a marginalized standpoint. Using narrative inquiry, thirteen narrators were identified and interviewed through in-depth open-ended questions. Initial interview times varied from one to two hours, and all participants had at least one follow-up conversation. This study produced a radiography of their souls and outlined six thematic constructs that seeded the development of their canonical narratives. The discussion elicited an alignment between the findings and the literature consulted and indicated recommendations for research, policy, and practice.

Exploring accountability practices of South African school governing bodies: Examination of financial records of Section 21 schools

This study examined the accountability practices of South African school governing bodies (SGBs), specifically focusing on the decision-making process regarding the submission of financial records and statements for either audit or examination purposes. This flexibility has led to inconsistencies and a lack of comparability in the financial reporting of Section 21 schools. The study adopted a qualitative research approach using document analysis and supplemented by face-to-face interviews. Provincial guidelines and selected schools’ financial statements were analysed. Schools’ principals, finance officers, auditors, school governing body treasurers, as well as districts officials were also interviewed. Twenty-nine participants were selected using a purposive sampling method while semi-structured interviews were adopted. Findings reveal that there is a lack of accountability by the SGBs regarding the auditing of financial records and financial statements. The study further revealed that the SGBs opt to submit the financial records and financial statements for examination instead of an audit. The study recommended mandating all schools’ audits by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), akin to other public entities, possibly requiring amendments to the South African Schools Act (SASA). Alternatively, including audit expenses in the annual budget or allocation for schools may discourage opting for examination, thereby improving accountability.

A Review towards Enhancing Geospatial Technologies in South African Rural Education

This study investigates the geospatial technologies in the South African rural schools. Despite the increasing importance of geospatial technologies, there is inadequate research examining their integration into rural education curricula. This gap in the literature raises questions about the effectiveness of current pedagogical practices in fostering proficiency in utilizing geospatial technologies among students preparing for careers in this field. The rationale behind this study lies in recognizing the critical role that geospatial literacy plays in contemporary professional practice. By identifying effective pedagogical practices, educators can enhance teaching and learning experiences, ultimately improving student outcomes, and the study addresses the broader societal need for skilled geospatial professionals in South African rural schools. The study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on geospatial technologies in South African rural schools. In addition, the inclusion and exclusion research design were adopted for the study, while the social constructivism theory guided the study. The review process resulted in a detailed analysis of 54 relevant articles utilized for the study. The findings reveal that the challenges to utilizing GIS in South African rural education curricula are multifaceted, encompassing infrastructural deficiencies, limited access to technology and resources, lack of teacher training, curriculum integration issues, The findings contribute to understanding how proficiency in geospatial technologies can be enhanced through innovative teaching methods, addressing the growing demand for geospatial skills in various professional domains. This study recommends the enhancement of geospatial technologies rural education programs and standardizing geospatial curriculum frameworks, hands-on learning experiences, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

E-Learning Framework Development for Grade 12 Accounting Learners in South African Public High Schools

E-Learning Framework Development for Grade 12 Accounting Learners in South African Public High Schools

Delivering a South African mathematics mindset intervention via Social Networking Service (WhatsApp)

Growth mindset interventions delivered to mathematics students have resulted in improved mathematics performance in numerous countries in the global north. South African high school students consistently underperform on international measures of mathematics achievement. This study investigates whether a culturally adapted growth mindset intervention delivered on WhatsApp can make a significant difference to mathematics performance in South Africa. In addition, it investigates whether WhatsApp delivery is feasible and acceptable to high school participants. The intervention employed a combination of YouTube videos, text information and facilitated WhatsApp conversations and combined simplified information on neural plasticity, learning strategies, and growth mindset messaging. The intervention utilised a field-based, quasi-experimental design with 301 students, 160 in the experimental condition. Mixed-methods data were collected, including mathematics performance and mathematics mindsets tracked over 18 months and user engagement and feedback in the intervention. In mixed-effects linear regression, students receiving the intervention showed a significant change in their mathematics performance over time, controlling for baseline differences between the schools. WhatsApp was a well-accepted medium for delivering this intervention. This study adds to the understanding of behaviour change and the use of WhatsApp to deliver behaviour change interventions. The results underscore the importance of teaching study strategies alongside growth mindset content to equip students with the appropriate skills to act on their changed beliefs.

A key to literacy? Exploring Bliss words combined with traditional orthography as a teaching strategy for language and literacy learning for learners with learning disabilities

AbstractFor decades, Blissymbolics (Bliss) has been used as a communicative symbol system for persons with complex communication needs. The linguistic features of Bliss words offer the potential for use with learners with learning disabilities to acquire literacy; however, no formal documentation of this is available. This qualitative study aims to describe how Bliss words, as a bridge to teaching and learning literacy for speaking learners with learning disabilities with diverse first languages, is perceived by learners, caregivers, and teachers at a South African school for learners with special educational needs. The study will further report on observations of learners' behaviours since Bliss was introduced. Semi‐structured online interviews were conducted with learners (n = 16) (aged 13–18), teachers (n = 14) as well as caregivers (n = 2). The reflexive thematic analysis developed three primary themes with 10 subthemes. Findings indicate that Bliss was perceived as a useful and enjoyable tool in teaching learners with learning disabilities who have different first languages. Furthermore, it was reported to improve learners' literacy and language skills as well as their psychosocial behaviour. Further studies are proposed to support these findings.

Attainable pedagogical practices for contexts of poverty: a South African case study

ABSTRACT Curricula in ‘developing’ country classrooms have long attempted unsuccessfully to replace teacher-centred pedagogy (TCP) with learner-centred pedagogy (LCP). This South African case study treated TCP as a realistic pathway for improving student achievement in its societal context. The ex post facto mixed methods analysis combined experimental design principles with qualitative classroom observation of a teacher in a poor township whose grade 9 students had high achievement gains, using Guthrie’s Teaching Styles Model and Schweisfurth’s learner-centred minimum standards. Well-established dialogic routines with frequent closed questions emphasised memorisation of basic facts and principles required by the stipulative science curriculum. The study is a ‘proof of concept’ for qualitative research to identify successful, contextually appropriate classroom techniques in other South African schools and possibly those in similar contexts elsewhere. The study also illustrates international controversies over the merits of different types of curricula, associated pedagogy, and the embedded cultural and societal issues.