Education In South Africa Research Articles

Subject Advisors’ Understanding of their Curriculum Leadership Roles for Mathematics Improvement in South African Schools

The study aimed to investigate the curriculum leadership role of Mathematics subject advisors in enhancing Mathematics education in South Africa. Using a case study design, seven Mathematics subject advisors and ten Mathematics educators were sampled from all seven districts of the Free State province. Data collection methods included in-depth semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. Data analysis followed Tesch’s (1990) eight-step coding technique. The field study revealed that Mathematics subject advisors’ leadership roles encompassed providing support and guidance to educators, conducting educator appraisals, monitoring and overseeing educators’ and learners’ workbooks, mentoring, and professional development. They also handled administrative tasks findings like resource provision and paperwork using monitoring tools. While all subject advisors aimed to improve Mathematics achievement, their approaches varied. Some reviewed past strategies while others adapted based on resource availability. Individual educational philosophies also influenced their strategies. Moreover, subject advisors operate within a network that includes principals, educators, learners, and the broader context. Effective curriculum leadership depends on these interactions. Interestingly, none of the subject advisors claimed comprehensive knowledge of their subject area. Some lacked specialization in Mathematics or related fields in which they were operating. Many expressed a need for training, particularly in managing and supporting progressed learners. These findings suggest the need for a standardized model to guide leadership training for Mathematics subject advisors. Such a model could enhance curriculum leadership, thereby improving teaching practices and student performance. Future research could use these insights to develop this model. Keywords: Curriculum Leadership, Subject Advisors, Mathematics, Curriculum, Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), Cognitive Theory

India's role in the odyssey of medical training in South Africa.

Apartheid had a devastating impact on medical education in South Africa. Until the development of the University of Natal Medical School in 1951, there were minimal opportunities for blacks (collectively Africans, Indians and so-called coloureds) to undertake undergraduate and postgraduate medical training in South Africa. At the height of apartheid (1968-1977), whites who had constituted 17% of the population, accounted for up to 87% of all medical graduates. The African majority, constituting 70% of the population had less than 5% of all medical graduates in South Africa. The global isolation of South Africa from the late 1940s further impacted negatively on the medical training for blacks in South Africa. During apartheid, the Government of India provided full scholarships to the marginalized in South Africa to study medicine in India. This initiative, coming at a time when India was grappling with its post-colonial challenges, was a remarkable yet seldom appreciated gesture.

Digital Pedagogical Approaches for Preparing South African Matric Teachers for Higher Education

South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are undergoing a digital revolution, facing challenges from social, historical, and cultural diversity and low schooling backgrounds. Incorporating digital technology into teaching and learning has become essential, yet a notable digital divide persists. Students with Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills perform better in higher education compared to those from resource-restrained or marginalized communities, such as Pinetown, Durban, South Africa. This research aims to equip learners and teachers in South Africa to adapt to the rapid pace of technological change while examining the pedagogical approaches of matric teachers in digitally preparing matric learners for HEIs. A quantitative research approach was utilized to collect primary data from a sample of 363 teachers across 25 high schools in Pinetown, selected based on Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) methodology, ensuring an appropriate representation for the population of 1,300. A high response rate was achieved, facilitated by a pilot phase that clarified the research subject for participants. In addition to primary data, relevant secondary literature was also utilized. The findings revealed that a majority of teachers prefer problem-based and project-based pedagogical approaches and acknowledge the benefits of an online learning environment. These results indicate that most teachers are capable of digitally preparing matric students for higher education. Therefore, problem-based and project-based teaching and learning approaches should be emphasized in the field of digital technology. It is also recommended that teachers and lecturers in HEIs utilize online platforms to enhance the curriculum. Keywords: Digital pedagogy, Higher Education, Digital divide, ICT skills, South African education, Problem-based learning, Project-based learning

Decolonisation is not even a footnote: On the dominant ideologies and smokescreens in South African higher education

The turn to democracy in South Africa brought hope for a higher education sector that would play a key role in tackling racial inequalities and injustices. However, transformation promises ended up being largely smokescreens for maintaining entrenched racist and capitalist logics rooted in colonialism and apartheid. Instead of focusing on epistemic decolonisation, universities became commodified and commercialised neoliberal enterprises focused on the maintenance of Eurocentric epistemic hegemony. In this conceptual article framed within the decolonial theoretical framework, we critically interrogate how two dominant ideologies – the Rainbow Nation and neoliberalism – have sidelined fundamental transformation and epistemic decolonisation in South Africa. Focusing on the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Strategic Plan 2020–2025, we illustrate that decolonisation is not government’s priority and that neoliberal visions continue to dominate strategic planning for higher education. We argue that the lack of political will and policy alignment from the government will contribute to the further entrenchment of coloniality, Eurocentricity and neoliberal logics at universities. We conclude with the call for critical engagement with the history of universities and their role in propagating and supporting colonialism and apartheid and argue that progressive scholars and students must continue to organise within South Africa and beyond and work on the radical dismantling of the Eurocentric and neoliberal universities.Contribution: While other scholars have engaged separately with neoliberalism and the Rainbow Nation and their impact on higher education in South Africa, in this article, we bring these two ideologies together to show how they have combined to prevent decolonisation of higher education.

Enhancing education: the role and perceptions of assistant teachers in South African secondary schools

The concept of Assistant Teachers is new in South Africa. This concept was brought to South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The introduction of assistant teachers in South Africa was an intervention in teaching and learning and in curbing youth unemployment. The assistant teachers are viewed as strangers in a school setting. Teachers and learners need to figure out their roles. South African teachers need assistance in classrooms to provide high standards of education. Using a qualitative research method, the study investigated the perceptions of principals, teachers, and learners of assistant teachers in secondary schools at Maleboho Central Circuit, Capricorn District, in Limpopo Province. The study used purposive sampling as a non-probability sampling technique procedure to select participants. The study sample comprised six learners, six teachers and three principals from three schools. Data were collected through interviews and document analysis. Collected data were analysed thematically. The study found that the presence of assistant teachers in a classroom has been documented as an asset to teachers. The assistant teachers play essential roles in the school. They manage and provide their skills in different departments of the school. Assistant teachers also learn and develop themselves into productive members of the school. Assistant teachers seemed to increase learners' enthusiasm for their academics. The study may assist the Department of Basic Education in providing the necessary support for having assistant teachers in respective schools.

Towards the Integration of Ethico-Socio-Scientific Issues in Science Teaching in South Africa: A Conceptual Analysis

AbstractScience teaching and learning is facing a new dilemma. It has to move from its old perception of science as a purely positivistic and value-free enterprise into regarding it as what it really is: a value-laden human endeavour characterised by historical, cultural, social and political parameters. Science teachers now have to deal with ethical, and social issues encountered in their teaching of science. In essence school science has moved from its conventional form of being a pure science to more of a social subject that has to talk about day to day social and ethical issues. This conceptual paper explores the problems that science teachers face in their teaching. The paper goes further to suggest radical approaches that teachers may use to teach these issues successfully. The incorporation of radical approaches is relevant in order to address this issue which has the potential to adversely affect the teaching and learning of science. Relevant examples from the South African context are cited throughout the paper.

Unlocking Access: How Gauteng Province's Online Admission System is upholding the Right to Basic Education in South Africa: A Human Rights Perspective

Access to basic education is a fundamental human entitlement enshrined within the framework of the Constitution of South Africa, playing a crucial role in promoting societal equity and national progress. In the dynamic context of Gauteng Province, characterised by rapid urbanisation, demographic diversity, and socio-economic disparities, achieving this constitutional mandate faces significant challenges. This research meticulously examines the implementation and consequences of the online admission system, designed to enhance access to basic education in Gauteng. The study delves into the constitutional framework of education rights and the socio-economic context of Gauteng Province, stressing the importance of innovative solutions like the online admission system to address educational disparities. It scrutinises the legal basis of education rights and the functioning of the online admission system, with a focus on legislative frameworks such as the South African Schools Act. The research extensively examines the implementation and impact of the online admission system in Gauteng, highlighting its role in enhancing access to preferred schools and rectifying historical inequalities. It also assesses challenges like the digital divide and administrative complexities, proposing strategies to enhance fairness and inclusivity in education delivery. Lastly, the study examines the impact of Gauteng's online admission system on educational access, using empirical evidence to assess outcomes and implications. By offering a detailed analysis spanning legal, socio-economic, and practical aspects, the research contributes to discussions on education rights and policy implementation in South Africa. Overall, it suggests that the online admission system has significant potential to advance societal equity and human development. Keywords: Access; Basic Education; Gauteng Province; Human Rights; Online Admission System

A Quest to Nurture Creativity in Technology Classrooms: Are Physical Factors a Spanner in the Works?

Nurturing creativity in Technology classrooms will, potentially, prepare learners for adaptability to the sweeping transformations that the new industrial revolutions portend and equip them to maximise the opportunities inherent in these revolutions. This study examined the effects of physical factors on the development of creativity in Grade 9 Technology classrooms. A qualitative research design was employed to purposively sample three Grade 9 Technology teachers to participate in this study. Open-ended questionnaires and non-participant observations were used as the methods of data collection for the study and the data were analysed thematically. The research findings show that creative pedagogy and the resultant development of creativity in the classroom, to a significant extent, are influenced by physical factors – class size and availability of Technology equipment. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by outlining how unfavourable physical conditions hinder the development of creativity skills in Technology classrooms, which is a core objective of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) guiding Technology education in South Africa. The study outlines the importance of a conducive learning environment to the quest to enhance learners’ creativity. Furthermore, the study recommends solutions to the paucity of resources for the enhancement of creativity in the Technology classrooms.

Build the body, build a nation: the making of nationalist physical education in South Africa, 1920–1947

ABSTRACT The rise and development of standardised physical education in South Africa was forged within the context of the nation’s colonial and segregationist pasts. While the country’s long history of formal physical education can be traced back to the eighteenth century, this paper is interested in a nuanced dissection of the cross-institutional implementation of physical education from 1920 to 1947. In considering South Africa’s broader socio-political context, the paper seeks to track the progression of physical education as a practical subject designed to train the body and a research area that sought to employ physical education as a civilising agent. In mapping the spread of physical education, the paper will investigate foundational moves toward national standardisation that occurred from the 1920s onward. Moreover, the article will explore the expansion of the physical education discourse, which began to reflect a medicalised and remedial ethos. As the paper seeks to examine the shifting contours of the physical education movement in South Africa, the article is interested in examining the ways in which physical education became an essential building block of nation building.

Neoliberalism in South African higher education language policy: A decolonial perspective

The global spread and hegemony of English as a medium of teaching, learning and research has come to be closely associated with neoliberalisation of higher education in the universities across the world, and has negatively impacted on epistemic issues, especially in Global South universities. No permanent solution has been found on challenges of English hegemony, particularly in African higher education. This article adds to the advancement of neoliberal discourse in higher education in South Africa by analysing neoliberal manifestations in its higher education language policy agenda. The article used desktop analysis to assess relevant literature on mainstream neoliberal ideologies and manifestations in the language policy reform post-apartheid. Drawing on relevant literature and through critical discourse analysis, it integrated evidence from the selected sources associated with mainstream neoliberal ideologies and then analysed the neoliberal manifestations in the language policy reforms pursued in South African post-apartheid context to bring out how the neoliberal actors in the higher education sector have reconfigured neoliberal principles. The decolonial perspective premised on concepts such as coloniality of being, power and knowledge was used to critique the neoliberal manifestations in South African higher education language policy directives. The paper presents the argument that universities in the country are deeply entrenched in linguistic hierarchisation which perpetuates epistemic injustices in teaching and learning. The African higher education should endeavour to underpin its language policies in indigenous knowledge systems to help harness the African content while existing in a global space where all knowledges should be regarded as equally relevant.Contribution: This article contributes to the emerging discourse of neoliberalism in higher education in the Global South and its impact on language policy formulation and implementation.

Neo-Liberalism’s Shadows: Modern slavery in South African Higher Education

Neoliberal ideology globally prioritises competition and productivity over staff well-being in higher education, leading to exploitative practices and heightened stress among academic faculty, culminating in what can be termed modern academic slavery. This study investigates the contemporary impact of neoliberalism on South African universities, focussing on governance, funding and academic freedom, and how these factors contribute to deteriorating conditions for academic staff and toxic work environments. This research examines academic experiences in a South African urban higher education institution (HEI) utilizing a single-case study approach. It examines their context within institutional and societal trends. Using a single-case ideographic approach in a South African HEI, the study utilises detailed documentation, incident analysis and literature review to understand academic enslavement within the chosen HEI, contextualising the academic’s experiences within these broader institutional and societal trends. The findings reveal four key themes: moral disengagement, corporate malfeasance, exploitative labour practices, and labour coercion, illustrating the widespread exploitation of academic staff. The study advocates for urgent interventions to ensure respectful treatment, foster ethical work environments, and address disparities between administrators and faculty. It calls for autonomy, ethical leadership and a culture of inquiry in HEIs to combat modern academic slavery while acknowledging the need for further action and exploration.Contribution: This study underscores the current impact of neoliberalism on higher education in South Africa, exposing challenges for academic staff and advocating systemic reforms. It emphasises the necessity for future investigations into institutional accountability and strategies to enhance staff well-being in HEIs.

Transforming research and pedagogy in higher education through scientific inquiry steps

This research aims to investigate how to transform study and pedagogy in higher education through scientific inquiry steps. Scientific research serves as the foundation for human development. It drives humanity forward into discovery and innovation. The purpose of this study is to explore how teachers and researchers apply scientific inquiry steps to improve research and pedagogy in higher education in South Africa. Constructivist theory serves as the foundation for the study. Therefore, we employed a qualitative method and phenomenology design to explore the lived experiences of participants. The participants included ten experienced researchers doubling as teachers in the field of science education. We selected these participants from ten public universities in South Africa using a purposive sampling technique. The main instrument for data collection was a semi-structured interview schedule, which covered scientific inquiry steps. Recordings were made of the data with the permission of the participants, later transcribed into a notebook, and analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that teachers and researchers were aware of the scientific inquiry steps. Most of them benefited from scientific inquiry, which included constantly refining methods, embracing diverse perspectives, and revisiting hypotheses and experiments. Also, scientific inquiry steps enhanced the effectiveness of their teaching practices and provided them with a reliable scope for making informed decisions in the ever-evolving educational environment. This study has practical implications, including creating opportunities in higher education for both prospective teachers and emerging researchers to acquire a rigorous education in the scientific inquiry steps. This approach forms the bedrock for acquiring knowledge and promoting best practices in education.

Authentic caring in online professional development for early childhood teachers in South Africa

Background: The professional development (PD) of early childhood teachers is of strategic importance in higher education and the profession given the need to improve responsiveness and progress towards millennium goals.Aim: The purpose was to analyse classroom practices and teachers’ experiences of PD programmes, through the theoretical lens of the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers to construct an authentic data-based model, which can be used to understand PD challenges and guide decisions about the improvement of education quality.Setting: The study was conducted in Gauteng with teachers from a selection of early childhood centres.Methods: A phenomenological inquiry explored the settings and practices of 23 selected teachers in Gauteng province. Interview and observation data were analysed for content categories and grounded theory articulations.Results: The main finding is that teachers facing everyday educational challenges benefit from school-based support and available media but need additional learning to advance their professional aspirations. The grounded theory analyses of the data highlighted that early childhood practices and articulated development needs are best explained as authentic caring. This was conceptualised metaphorically as garden spaces where careful tending, deliberate planning and various elements of nurturing knowledge may harmoniously be blended. The model extends prevailing theories of PD and the flipped ICT Competency Framework for Teachers.Conclusion: The model of authentic caring is a grounded theory articulation based upon beliefs of practising EC teachers.Contribution: The article provides a comprehensive online teacher professional development framework for EC teachers, emphasising authenticity, care and alignment with global educational standards.

Interrogating the Academy: Higher Education Transformation for the Public Good beyond Diversity in Race and Gender

This article draws on findings from a qualitative study of academics’ role in higher education’s contribution to the public good based on 15 interviews with academics from two universities in South Africa. I argue that if higher education in South Africa is to transform for the public good, the transformation of the university academic staff needs to be taken seriously and move beyond diversity of race and gender. The findings of the study that underpins this article suggest that the attributes of academics must be considered in initiatives that seek to transform the academy. This has implications for meaningful transformation because diversity, in terms of race and gender, does not necessarily translate to transformation in practice. Based on these findings, I suggest what these attributes may be through the concept of “public good academics,” which the academics I interviewed associated with being progressive, reflexive, critically conscious, and socially competent. I conclude that public good academics are aptly positioned to engage in transformational practices. Therefore, the personal attributes of academics do matter and should not be ignored in our thinking and conversations about transformational practices in higher education, especially in South Africa—a country with a history of colonialism and apartheid that has shaped the higher education landscape.

Projections on (re)designing pedagogical pathways towards decolonial praxis in postgraduate literacy education

What would it mean to teach a postgraduate course about literacy education in South Africa in a way attuned to place, bodies, ways of being, and decolonial knowledge making? In this paper, we engage with this question through reflections and projections on our ongoing work of curriculum re-design of a master’s level course on literacy theories. This course, which we have taught three times since 2018, seeks to place the existing theoretical architecture of sociocultural literacy under pressure, asking whether these various frameworks still hold relevance for literacy education in South Africa in this post-Fallist and, more recently, post-Covid-19 reality. In each iteration of the course, we have invited students to think together with us about how literacy education in the Global South might respond to the opposing forces of globalisation and decolonisation. Yet, each time, the course has flowed differently as the configuration of bodies, identities, languages, knowledges, dispositions, affects, and materialities of learning mode has changed year by year. We aim to map the pedagogical pathways, in the sense of “configurations that guide the constraints and potentialities shaping the movement of pedagogy” (Madden, 2015:2) of the course. We draw on decolonial theory and transhumanist ideas of relational ontologies to explore selected incidents when significant discursive, affective, institutional, and material elements crystallised into patterns revealing of the ways in which coloniality can be either reproduced or challenged within our particular context. Emerging insights relate to assessment issues, multimodal tasks, article selection, and student reflections across time, and gesture towards a decolonial praxis. We conclude by projecting the lessons learned into the course’s future redesign.

Exploring the Professional Development Needs of Student Affairs Practitioners: Towards Professional Development of the Student Affairs Domain in Higher Education in South Africa

Exploring the Professional Development Needs of Student Affairs Practitioners: Towards Professional Development of the Student Affairs Domain in Higher Education in South Africa

Economic and Management Sciences Teachers’ Experiences of Teaching Financial Literacy: Implications for Teacher Training

This paper reports on economic and management sciences (EMS) teachers’ experiences of teaching the financial literacy component in this learning area. It also provides a holistic understanding of their challenges and professional development needs in this integrated field. A qualitative case study approach was used to allow for an in-depth understanding of EMS teachers’ views and experiences. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select information-rich participants from selected government secondary schools in Gauteng province, South Africa. Participants in the study included grades 8 and 9 EMS teachers. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze data collected from the open-ended questionnaires and interview responses. The findings show that, due to poor training, EMS teachers continue to experience challenges in integrating the financial literacy component. Consequently, teachers default to fragmented approaches to teaching EMS, which undermines government initiatives aimed at realizing social transformation objectives through the EMS curriculum. The study recommends an implicit approach to teacher development programs by incorporating EMS teachers’ views, experiences, and specific needs as well as contexts. The research contributes to the literature on commerce education in South Africa by offering ways in which education can be transformative and how the quality of teaching financial literacy in EMS can improve.

Exploring the Potential for Tuition-Free Higher Education in South Africa: A Scoping Review.

The debate on tuition-free higher education has raged in South Africa since the #FeesMustFall protests at South African universities in 2015 and 2016. The government responded with a tuition-free education policy targeting students from households earning less than R350 000. However, the question remains can South Africa sustain a tuition-free education policy given its developing nation status and the levels of its GDP? This article sought to assess the feasibility of tuition-free higher education for all in South Africa. A scoping review was used, and fifteen articles about tuition-free higher education feasibility in South Africa were reviewed. The choice of the scoping review was due to the need for an understanding of the current state of play in research on the feasibility of tuition-free higher education in South Africa. The results suggest that tuition-free higher education for all is not feasible in South Africa. There seems to be a consensus that South Africa lacks the resources to finance tuition-free higher education for all. Tuition-free higher education is also viewed as a regressive tax on the poor given that the majority of students in higher education institutions come from middle and upper-income households. However, it is important to note that a distinction is drawn between tuition-free higher education for all and tuition-free higher education for the poor and academically deserving. The latter seems to receive support with some viewing it as a moral imperative in an unequal society such as South Africa's. It is recommended that future studies approach the issue from an empirical standpoint whereby the GDP levels are assessed against higher education funding.

Evaluating the dynamics of fee-free higher education in South Africa: a causal loop diagram approach

Background This research investigated the dynamics of fee-free higher education in South Africa, aiming to elucidate the complexities surrounding its implementation and impact. By employing a causal loop diagram approach, the study examined the interplay of socioeconomic, political, and institutional factors influencing the provision of fee-free higher education. Method A participatory approach to developing the CLD was used. Through an extensive literature review, the research contextualised fee-free higher education enabling a preliminary CLD to be developed. Discussions were held to improve the preliminary model based on stakeholder and expert opinion. The model was then validated by stakeholders and experts. Results The CLD has explicitly mapped out the causal relationships which play a fundamental role in fee-free higher education in South Africa. Key findings revealed that fee-free higher education initiatives, such as managing funding constraints and administrative complexities, hold promise for fostering inclusivity and socioeconomic development but are hindered by bureaucratic policy establishments and inefficiencies. These challenges underscore the gap between policy formulation and implementation, highlighting the need for comprehensive reforms to streamline administrative processes and enhance financial sustainability within the higher education sector. Conclusion This research thoroughly examined the dynamics of fee-free higher education in South Africa, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities in its implementation. The study emphasized the need for systemic reforms to improve accessibility and effectiveness, while also underscoring the potential of such initiatives to promote social mobility and economic empowerment, aligning with global goals like the SDGs and the African Agenda 2063.

Adoption of artificial intelligence to enhance records management practices at Gauteng Department of Education in South Africa

Purpose This study aims to examine the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance records management practices at the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study used a convergent mixed-methods research approach, employing interviews and questionnaires for data collection. Analysis of the collected data involved both verbatim and statistical methods, and the results were presented through tables and figures. Findings The study revealed that AI can proficiently and effectively execute all records management practices across the entire records lifecycle. Originality/value Consequently, the study proposed a framework that can be used as a guiding tool for the implementation and use of AI. This framework aims to enhance records management processes, not only within the GDE but also within the broader archives and records management industry.