African Students Research Articles

South African Postgraduate STEM Students’ Use of Mobile Digital Technologies to Facilitate Participation and Digital Equity during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The transition to online mobile teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic required more than access to mobile digital technologies, particularly in South Africa, a country trying to address the injustices and inequalities of the pre-democracy period. The argument advanced in this research is that the transition to online mobile teaching and learning could be used as leverage to promote active participation, quality inclusive learning, develop relevant and responsive content and achieve mobile digital equity. This interpretative case study was conducted at a South African teacher-training institution. The primary aim of this study is to explore the following question: How did postgraduate STEM students use mobile digital technologies to facilitate teaching and learning under COVID-19 conditions? Data was obtained from 20 purposively selected postgraduate STEM students enrolled for their Bachelor of Education honours degree. They participated in online discussion forums and maintained reflective journals. Due diligence was taken to ensure all the required ethical protocols were observed. Mishra and Koehler’s Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model framed this study. The constructs of the model were used during the analysis of data. The findings highlight that mobile digital technologies were used for translanguaging, supporting students in developing disciplinary science understanding through exposure to practical work and linking cross-cutting concepts in STEM subjects. The findings of this study are significant as they indicate how to operationalize STEM teaching in developing countries; how to address issues of access and social justice; and how to leverage mobile technologies to improve practice in STEM subjects, post-COVID.

What motivates South African students to attend university? A cross-sectional study on motivational orientation

Students’ reasons for attending university are likely to impact their participation, academic engagement, and learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ motivations for attending a South African university and its association with specific socio-demographic factors. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were undergraduate students ( N = 220) who completed a socio-demographic survey and the Student Motivations for Attending University Questionnaire-Revised scale. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and analysis of variance were used to determine associations between the study variables. The reasons for attending university were significantly related to racial identity, student generational status, parental educational status, and family characteristics. Students in their first and second years of study were motivated to attend university to prove their self-worth. Students who identified as Black as well as those coming from a single- or double-parent household and students whose parents had a school-level education were more likely to attend university to help their families. The findings suggest that students are motivated beyond the immediate benefits of employment and personal earnings and that the upliftment of their families is a central reason for attending university. For universities striving to connect with their students, understanding students’ motivational orientation can inform intervention efforts aimed at enhancing retention and throughput.

Exploring young students’ attitude towards coding and its relationship with STEM career interest

This paper presents findings of an investigation on students’ attitudes towards coding and its relationship with interest in STEM-related careers. A concurrent mixed-method research design involving a pre-intervention-intervention-post-intervention non-equivalent control group was adopted. A sample of 50 grade seven to nine South African students (21 male and 29 female) from Township schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, participated. Quantitative data was gathered using the elementary students’ coding attitude survey and STEM Career Interest survey, while qualitative data was collected through a focus group interview. Interview data was analysed using content analysis, and quantitative data was analysed using multiple correlation analysis and standardized regression coefficients (β). It was found that students’ attitude towards coding was generally positive. A number of correlations between students’ attitude and their STEM career interests were significant at p < .05. Results also revealed that students’ attitudes in terms of coding confidence, coding interest, the social value of coding and perceptions of coders were found to be significant predictors of their interest in a STEM occupation. Based on this, it is argued that encouraging a positive attitude toward coding in students and increasing their self-efficacy can reinforce STEM learning and increase students’ interest in STEM occupations.

An Investigation of Exploitation and Labour Within Memes Production: A Case Study of South African Student Meme Pages

ABSTRACT This study investigates labour, and exploitation within the production and consumption of student memes in South Africa. Using two case studies of two prominent South African student meme pages found on Instagram, UCT Just Kidding (@uctjustkidding) and Wits Just Kidding (@witsjustkidding), and critical political economy theory coupled with interviews conducted with administrators and meme creators from both pages, the study interrogated the notion of labour and the forms in which exploitation occurs in the memes production and distribution process. The study found that labour was conceived from the traditional Marx perspective by the administrators of both pages, which doesn’t recognise creative, cultural, affective, and free labour. Therefore, paving the way for exploitation of the meme creators’ labour which remains unchallenged due to the dynamic power imbalance between the meme creators and administrators. The study calls for a nuanced perspective in labour discourse within the South African student memes context.

Rethinking China: Perceptions from Africa. A survey of Nigeria University students

This article studies the sources from which Nigerian university students receive information about China. The awareness of the Nigerian youth about China's initiatives such as 'One Belt One Road' and 'Forum on China-Africa Cooperation' further discloses the perception of the students on the rise of China and its influence on global affairs. In addition, the study reveals how African students perceive China as a trade partner. The results indicate the internet and social media are major sources of awareness. Some students are somewhat aware of the Chinese initiatives, but others have never heard about these initiatives. The students think that China has influence in the World and African affairs and are neutral about the responsible behavior of China as a global power. Students are positive about the Chinese development model and are concerned about the influx of Chinese labor in Nigeria.

28th International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC2022)

The 28th International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC2022) was successfully held in Cape Town, South Africa from 11 to 16 September 2022, marking the first time the conference was held on the African continent. This event, overseen by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), coincided with three major scientific events: The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD), the centenaries of the Nobel Prize awarded to Niels Bohr and the establishment of IUPAP.The conference program spanned a wide range of topics across the breadth of Nuclear Physics, from hadrons to nuclei, from fundamental science to applications, covering topics such as Hadron Structure and Spectroscopy and QCD Partonic Phenomena, Hot and Dense Nuclear Matter, Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Reactions, Nuclear Astrophysics, Applications and Societal Impact, Neutrinos and Nuclei, Fundamental Interactions and Symmetries, New Facilities and Instrumentation, Outreach and Science Education, and Quantum Computing, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Physics.The in-person conference was the largest to bring our scientific community together since the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided an excellent opportunity for the 468 delegates to explore the latest progress in the field and reconnect with colleagues. The INPC2022 was a great success, providing an excellent platform for the delegates to share their latest research work, techniques, experiences, challenges, and innovative solutions with colleagues from around the world and provided an opportunity for over 40 African students to be exposed to the field. The conference coincided with the completion of many projects that constitute the pillars of the 2017-2022 Long-Range Plan of iThemba LABS. The delegates had the opportunity to visit the facility and appreciate the advancement and completion of many of these pillars.The INPC2022 was sponsored and supported by the South African National Convention Bureau, Department of Science and Innovation, National Research Foundation, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of the Witwatersrand, University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Metrological and Applied Sciences University Research Unit, IUPAP, NuPECC, ACF Metals, XIA and IBA.List of Local Organizing Committee, International Advisory Committee, Session Conveners are available in this pdf.

July 2021 civil unrest: South African diagnostic radiography students' experiences.

South Africa (SA), in 2021, experienced a wave of civil unrest following political events that led to mass looting and the destruction of property. Civil unrests, among other disruptions, have been seen to cause ripple effects on healthcare education, particularly for radiography students who undergo work integrated learning within hospitals and universities, even during these times of unrest. This study aimed to explore and describe the undergraduate diagnostic radiography students' experience of the civil unrest that occurred in SA in 2021. The study was conducted across five universities in South Africa, offering the diagnostic radiography programme. A qualitative, interpretive phenomenological design was employed as it enabled the researchers to facilitate focus group interviews to gain insight into the lived experiences of the students during this time. Four themes emerged from the study data, namely: (1) Negative effects on students' emotional and psychological well-being, (2) Academic and clinical support mechanisms during disruptions, (3) The influence of disruptions on clinical training, (4) Recommendations to support students for future disruptions. The participants from this study described the negative effects that the civil unrest had on their emotional and mental well-being. There is a need for increased support mechanisms during times of disruptions from universities across South Africa. The findings highlight the ripple effects that disruptions, such as civil unrests, have on radiography students. This can assist universities to relook at their institutional support structures, in order to enhance the current support given to students across universities in times of disruptions.

Experimental study of the effects of culture and location on single-file fundamental diagrams

Empirical observation, controlled experiments, and pedestrian dynamics models are used to research pedestrian movement. These studies rely on single-file fundamental diagrams. Experiments were conducted in Ghana, and African students in China and Germany undertook experiments (Seyfried et al., 2005) [1]. Different groups of pedestrians were tested, and then told the entrance group conducted three corridor rotations. A t-test and z-test were employed to compare all measurement findings statistically. The study found significant spatial and cultural implications on single-file pedestrian travel. African pupils in China have an R2 of 0.63 (63%), while Ghanaians have an R2 of 0.77 (77%). Both groups are African, suggesting that location influences single-file pedestrian principles. According to a comparable study, Indian and German pedestrian fundamental diagrams [2,3], German and Brazil [4,5] show considerable variances. This research examines whether locations and culture affect single-file pedestrian travel.

Students’ entrepreneurial learning through an internship abroad: A cross-cultural experience

Background: Cross-cultural learning provides students with the opportunity for improved self-awareness when they are placed in unfamiliar situations where their understanding of who they are and what they can do is challenged or expanded. This paper built on the concepts of experiential learning in rich contexts and self-image shocks and explored the research question on how cross-cultural learning in entrepreneurship exchange programmes offered students unique personal learning possibilities and outcomes.Aim: The aim was to build new theoretical and empirical knowledge on the influence and importance of cross-cultural learning in entrepreneurship education (EE).Setting: The study involved South African (SA) students taking part in an internship programme in the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem of Bergen, Norway.Methods: Adopting a longitudinal design and purposive sampling, four SA students were included in the study. Data were acquired from two reflective group sessions, on two separate instances, and a final student reflection report. The interviews were transcribed and coded along with the written reflection reports and these data sources were subjected to thematic analysis.Results: Four themes were uncovered: Learning about the entrepreneurial culture triggers comparison with own culture, Embracing uncertainty and developing entrepreneurial capabilities, Transformational learning through self-image shocks, Can I become a future entrepreneur? Where am I going?Conclusion: The research highlighted the importance of cross-cultural experience and foreignness as powerful triggers in stimulating students’ introspection and development of self-image.Contribution: The research combines two research streams, hence advancing our theoretical conceptualisation of cross-cultural learning in EE.

International students’ linguistic entrepreneurship: motivation, ‘Chinese fever’ and the neoliberal burden

ABSTRACT Against the backdrop of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the number of educational migrants from the member states, particularly African international students, has dramatically increased over the past decade in China. Much of previous research on international student mobility (ISM) and its ensuing language learning has exclusively focused on the East-West flow of students and their investment in English, while ignoring the emerging atypical ‘South-South’ migration pattern and rise of Chinese as a global language. Engaging with interviews with 59 African international students, I trace their ways of thinking and approaches to Chinese language learning which strongly resonate with practices of ‘linguistic entrepreneurship’, as each of them demonstrate self-responsibilisation and constant self-development, while suffering a growing sense of linguistic insecurity. This article debunks the myth of English as the sole language for socioeconomic success, while making a unique contribution to theorising the previously under-recognised value of the Chinese language with the changing global matrices of power.

Experiences and perceptions of undergraduate optometry students towards public eye care services in South Africa

Background: Public eye care services in South Africa are relatively underdeveloped. This is, in part, due to optometry services historically being private sector-focussed, as well as a lack of ophthalmologists in the country. Optometry students who engage in service learning at public health facilities are well placed to share their perceptions of this service.Aim: To investigate the perceptions and experiences of optometry students regarding public eye care services in South Africa.Setting: Data were collected on the Phelophepa Health Care Train while it was stationed at Musina and Polokwane in 2019.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using focus group interviews to collect data from South African optometry students. Two focus group sessions were held, with a total sample of 18 representing two different higher education institutions. Interview recordings were transcribed, and data were thematically analysed using interpretive content analysis.Results: Three main themes emerged, namely ‘inability to deliver quality services’, ‘negative perceptions about public eye care services’ and ‘potential to improve public eye care services’. Strengthening infrastructure and human resource capacity were seen as fundamental steps to improving public eye care services in South Africa.Conclusion: Strengthening public eye care services in South Africa is necessary in order to improve the experience-based perceptions of optometry students towards this sector. Addressing eye health system weaknesses through appropriate resourcing will likely contribute to attracting this potential future human resource to the sector, and assist in alleviating the shortage of human resources for eye health within South Africa’s public health service.Contribution: Optometry education and professional practice in South Africa is increasingly adopting a more public health approach. This shift towards strengthening public eye care services and improving human resources capacity for the same is both important and necessary to address unmet eye health needs in the country. However, current gaps and challenges within the public health system may deter new graduates in South Africa from choosing this practice path if the overall challenges of resourcing and capacity to deliver quality services are not addressed.

South African health sciences students’ perspectives on utilisation, constraints and future possibilities of mHealth and e-Learning

The global COVID-19 pandemic has added considerable complexity to the education and training of health care professionals as well as patient care. Literature suggests that e-Learning and mobile health (mHealth) technologies have great potential, but research studies are sparse, especially in low- to middle-income countries. The paper presents South African health science students’ perceptions of the importance, relevance, constraints and future possibilities of e-Learning and mHealth. Students from five universities participated in a modified Delphi. The first phase of student focus groups and interviews (n = 5), established baseline experiences and perceptions of e-Learning and mHealth during and post-COVID-19. These findings informed the design of an online survey (n = 155) for the second phase of the study. The majority of students were familiar with e-Learning, less so with mHealth; however most believed both to be a beneficial complement to theoretical and clinical teaching. Reasons for an integrated Learning Management System (LMS), also known as virtual learning environments, include increased flexibility, access and enhanced learning; and issues of anxiety, reduced interactivity, an absence of context and a lack of discipline- or profession-specific features as reasons against. The perceived importance of particular features of e-Learning and mHealth tools were highlighted. These findings will contribute to the redesign of online work-integrated curricula and the development of an inclusive, student-centred, health sciences-specific integrated and multi-modal LMS directed towards student-centred learning while addressing concerns around the digital divide and social justice.

Can life satisfaction be measured fairly for different groups of South African first-year university students? Testing differential item functioning and invariance of The Satisfaction With Life Scale

Student well-being has gradually become a topic of interest in higher education, and the accurate, valid, and reliable measure of well-being constructs is crucial in the South African context. This study examined item bias and configural, metric and scalar invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) for South African first-year university students. A cross-sectional design was used. A sample of 780 first-year South African university students was included. Confirmatory factor analysis, differential item functioning (DIF) measurement invariance, and internal consistency were tested. A one-factor structure was confirmed. Item 1 of the SWLS was particularly problematic concerning bias (uniform and non-uniform bias). Measurement invariance was established; however, Item 1 was again problematic, resulting in only partial metric and scalar invariance. The scale was reliable (α ≥ 0.70). This study contributes to the limited research on the specific psychometric properties of the SWLS in a diverse Higher Education setting. The results could assist with valid and reliable measurement when developing interventions to enhance student well-being.

Developing professionalism from within and outside: Reflections of editors of the Journal of Student Affairs in Africa at 10 years

The Journal of Student Affairs in Africa (JSAA) was founded in 2013 with the aim to contribute to professionalizing Student Affairs in Africa. The 10th anniversary of the journal is a good occasion to ask in what ways the editors of the journal think they have contributed to achieving this aim, and what their vision for the future of such contribution is? Using four reflective accounts of six editors of the journal, this article analyses the editors’ reflections on their professional pathways and the role the journal played in them; how they contribute to the professional development of their emerging and established peers by means of their editorship; the challenges they encounter and lessons they have learned; and the visions they have for the future of the journal. By applying Evett’s notions of professionalism, the article shows different types of professionalism signified in the reflective accounts. It finds that the agency of the editors combines standards, ethics, and operating procedures of publishing ‘from outside’ with principles and commitments indigenous to African Student Affairs. In this regard, the JSAA-led professionalization process combines both elements of professionalism ‘from within’ and ‘from outside’. It further highlights commitments of the editors to wellbeing (of students, staff, and communities), professional development and ‘excellence’, deliberate inclusivity and social justice, and a focus on relevance in the African Student Affairs context.

Made in Others’ Wor(l)ds: Personhood and the Angloscene in Afro-Chinese Beijing

Postcolonial theorist Frantz Fanon noted in Black Skin, White Masks that the postcolonial subject's nightmares have a time and a place—a socius of the colonial encounter that haunts and recontextualizes the future of the colonized eternally within that shape-shifting nightmare. This article—exploring the English-language-mediated cosmopolitan aspirations of African students in contemporary Beijing—recasts Fanon's observation and explores how dreams of efficacious personhood, like nightmares of compromised subjectivity, imbricate the same spatiotemporal tension between aspirational horizons and their compromised conditions of mediation. In doing so, this article maps a relationship between language, personhood, and space-time: in particular, the persistence of English in Sino-South encounters where signs of Anglocentrism and Englishness become the only available forms of cultural capital for postcolonial actors.

Reducing Underachievement and Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Computer Studies Through a Culturally Sensitive Instructional Method

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Ap- proach (CTCA) on students’ achievement and critical thinking skills in Computer Studies. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase one was a survey of difficult concepts in computer science/studies. While phase two explored the potency of the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach (CTCA) in breaking the barriers to meaningful learning of refractive indices. Results obtained from the survey in the first phase revealed 19 topics as a difficult topic among African secondary school students in computer studies. The second phase was guided by two research questions with two public junior secondary (JS) in Lagos State (Nigeria). About 38% of the respondents were males while about 62% were females. A critical thinking skills task (CTST), and an interview guide were used to collect data for the study. The data gathered was subjected to multivariate analysis of covariate (MANCOVA), and the results revealed a statistically significant difference in the methods used, multivariate F (Pillai’s Trace) was significant [F=17.67; p&lt;.05], univariate ANOVA on achievement [F (2, 208) = 20.67; p&lt;0.05]; and critical thinking skills [F (2, 208) = 15.14; p&lt;0.05]. Within the scope of the study, it was tentatively recommended that CTCA should be adopted by computer studies teachers in the teaching of computer science/studies in secondary schools.

Is Social Justice and the City still relevant? Some thoughts

ABSTRACT This year (2023) marks the 50th anniversary of David Harvey’s Social Justice and the City. At the time of its publication, it was viewed by many as a text that revolutionized thinking in urban geography. Since then, it has been subjected to numerous reviews and critiques. Each time, its intellectual strength allowed it to maintain its place in the geography canon. This paper describes my encounters with Social Justice; how I read it in 1978 as an African American woman graduate student in geography; and how I read it now almost 50 years on. I argue that, while Social Justice of the City demonstrates Harvey’s command of an extensive body of literature, it falls short in several ways. First, in its relative silence on the role of capitalism and the capitalist agenda, it lacks the political assertiveness (aggression) that the times required. Second, it fails to acknowledge a socio spatial dialectic or the importance of sociological variables (race/ethnicity, gender, and intersectionality) in planning. Finally, as a theory, it fails to anticipate the intellectual advances in the US and geography. This paper offers a brief synthesis of the ideas in existing reviews but is primarily a personal reflection.

Repetitive negative thinking mediates the relationship between experiential avoidance and emotional distress among South African university students

The psychological processes contributing to emotional distress among university students in South Africa have not been extensively researched. The current study sought to examine the mediating role of repetitive negative thinking on the relationship between experiential avoidance and student emotional distress. A convenience sample of 419 students from a large public university in South Africa participated in this study. The results indicated that experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking positively predict emotional distress. Furthermore, repetitive negative thinking partially mediates the interaction between experiential avoidance and emotional distress. These findings highlight the importance of targeting experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking in the alleviation and management of emotional distress among students in the South African higher education environment.

Assessing awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of hubbly bubbly smoking health risks among South African university students

Assessing awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of hubbly bubbly smoking health risks among South African university students

Fish in a Dish: Using Zebrafish in Authentic Science Research Experiences for Under-represented High School Students from West Virginia.

Early research experiences positively affect students' interest in STEM careers, and develop practical science and critical thinking skills. However, outreach opportunities are not equally accessible for all students. In states like West Virginia, where many students live in rural Appalachian communities, opportunities for engaging in STEM experiences are limited. In addition, rural teachers may not be equipped to provide authentic research experiences for students due to lack of resources or support. For many students in West Virginia, the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) is a major opportunity for STEM engagement. Since its inception in 1998, HSTA has spread to 26 of 55 counties in West Virginia. The program recruits first-generation, low-socioeconomic status, rurally living, and African American high school students who are under-represented in STEM fields. Our research laboratory partnered with HSTA to implement an innovative, hands-on research camp using zebrafish for students participating in their annual junior-level biomedical sciences summer camp. Our camp was held in-person and adapted to an online format during the Covid-19 pandemic. We used pre-post surveys in both camps to assess impacts on science confidence and to collect information about general perceptions of zebrafish, research, and STEM fields. We found that students participating in the in-person and online camps experienced similar overall gains in science confidence. We also identified strong interest in zebrafish, research, and STEM degrees among online students. Online students did not prefer virtual learning experiences; however, they still enjoyed our camp. We also surveyed high school teachers volunteering for HSTA to identify factors that would encourage use of zebrafish in classrooms. The most prominent needs include classroom supplies, experience, and funding. Our successful science-education partnership demonstrates that zebrafish research experiences foster positive outcomes for under-represented students, and can inform future outreach efforts and collaborations with teachers.