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AbstractEthiopia and Sudan are only the latest cases in more than 20 African countries that have burst into civil wars over the last 40 years. Tribalism is viewed as a leading cause of the conflicts in Africa. The overall objective of this paper is to determine how the educational systems of Africa might be reformed along the lines of sociological thinking and harnessed into a mitigative force against the retrograde effects of tribalism. I propose that Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined communities, which argues that all identities are socially constructed, will have a detribalising effect on African children if deployed in school history textbooks. The rationale is that atavistic tribal sentiments stem from false beliefs about the importance and sacredness of each tribe as indoctrinated by elders. The puncturing of the myths surrounding the sacredness of the origins and greatness of the tribe through the concept of imagined communities would lead to disillusionment about tribal distinctiveness and significance. This conceptual paper adopts an autoethnographic qualitative methodological approach. It augments the researcher’s lived experience with the analysis of history and the literature to understand the intellectual potential of the concept of imagined communities to detribalise African children. The failure to stem tribalism in Africa stems from the failure of the school system to expose African children to critical thinking about tribal narratives. African and Africanist sociologists have already revealed the myths of our tribal distinctions. However, this study is the first to focus on African children in the classroom exposed to detribalisation in light of the concept of imagined communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDoctoral supervisors conduct supervision in increasingly complex and demanding environments. Professional support from colleagues may enable supervisors to navigate such complexities and overcome demands. This paper reports on supervisory experiences of collegial professional support. The dynamics between the professional support from colleagues, perceived supervisory competencies, and experienced burnout symptoms is explored. Survey data from a total of 474 doctoral supervisors from across the African continent were collected in 2022 with a modified version of a supervisory experience survey. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results showed that informational support from colleagues was positively related to supervisory competencies, while emotional support buffered the development of all burnout symptoms. Also, supervisory competencies were associated with a reduced risk of suffering from exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy. The study extends the existing body of knowledge on supervisory experience by explicating the dynamics between the professional support, supervisory competencies, and burnout symptoms, and by introducing a new scale for studying professional support from colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a survey that explored the impact of service-learning in the realm of higher education on the readiness of students for their forthcoming leadership positions as citizen leaders. A narrative review approach was adopted. A significant amount of research has been conducted on service-learning outcomes; however, few studies have investigated the role of service-learning in developing civic leadership of higher education students. The primary aim of this study was to assess the current body of literature regarding the pedagogical significance of service-learning in fostering engaged citizen leaders within higher education. The findings of this investigation demonstrate the effectiveness of service-learning as a valuable tool for cultivating leadership abilities among students in higher education. Notable skills enhanced through this approach include problem-solving, critical thinking, public speaking, decision-making, and interpersonal proficiency. These are also considered the top employability skills in the current job market. Based on the findings, the paper supports the integration of service-learning as a useful educational approach in higher education curricula to develop leadership skills of graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. It is also a linguistic and societal reality that many developing countries are characterised by individual as well as societal multilingualism, yet a majority of multilingual societies in Africa continue to experience and even propagate a paradoxical situation in which a single foreign language is allowed to dominate in the education sector. For most African countries and other previously colonised countries all over the world, this has always been blamed on the colonial legacy. Ridiculously, because some of these countries detached themselves from their colonial masters more than half a century ago, yet have done little to correct the situation. In Kenya, for instance, the newly independent nation asserted the hegemony of English over local languages in its first post-independence education commission (Republic of Kenya 1964, 24). This paper argues the case for a paradigm shift in Kenya's language in education policy through the introduction of multi/bilingual instruction in the school system. By deconstructing and interrogating the current policy that places English at the hegemonic pedagogical pedestal, the paper concludes that such a policy has been hinged on the perceived future benefits of English medium of instruction. Grounding its arguments on the notions of linguistic human rights and linguistic pluralism, the paper advocates for a radical shift in Kenya's current language in education policy to an inclusion of other Kenyan languages including Sheng as one of the languages of instruction and communication within Kenyan school classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computers in education, along with soft-computing technology applications, have revolutionised global interconnectedness and the need for a well-educated workforce. Many studies worldwide explore technology in education, often relying on systematic reviews, though concerns about selection bias have emerged. This article takes a different approach, employing bibliometric analysis to delve into the trends, key authors, institutions, and themes of soft-computing technology applications in education (SCTAE) research in Africa. Initially, 7 435 papers were downloaded from Scopus and then narrowed down to 1 358 using the PRISMA model and defined criteria. Utilising the VOSViewer text mining tool, the article maps out prolific authors, institutions, and thematic networks. It provides detailed findings and outlines opportunities, challenges, and future research prospects in SCTAE in the African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to mobile gadgets has increased exponentially, altering social and educational conditions in Africa. This also applies to the reading habits of rural learners in secondary schools. This paper investigates how mobile gadgets could be embraced to nurture the reading habits of rural secondary school learners in Southern Africa. This qualitative study employed a multiple case study design in five rural secondary schools in Beitbridge District, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, and five rural secondary schools in Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa. Focus group interviews were adopted as a data collection tool for this study. Data was then analysed thematically according to the objectives of the study. The findings reveal the benefits of mobile reading, which include sharing reading materials, easy access, and use by rural learners. The barriers to mobile gadget reading include a strong emphasis on academic, as opposed to leisure, reading and internet connectivity problems. The findings further reveal that some rural learners in Beitbridge did not have access to mobile gadgets. In addition, we found that some rural learners in Limpopo were using their mobile gadgets to read e-news and e-novels. Some of them spend five or more hours accessing social media for entertainment purposes only, and this has a negative effect on their reading. The study concludes that some rural learners in Southern Africa use their mobile gadgets to nurture their reading habits, although some challenges were identified. In response, this study presents an integrated framework that could be adopted to embrace mobile gadgets to improve the reading habits of rural learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mistrust between practitioners and academics in Northern Nigeria's primary education sector has severely limited the potential for intra-sectoral collaborations that could lead to the development of robust policy-focused research. This paper examines a Research Capacity Strengthening Strategy (RCSS) intended to bring the two sub-sectors together. The RCSS had five components: (i) engaging in policy-driven research; (ii) partnership; (iii) mentoring; (iv) repeated policy feedback; and (v) hands-on support. These components are examined here in the context of a collaborative study aimed at generating policy recommendations for the identification, recruitment, and deployment of effective primary school teachers. The RCSS was a success but it highlighted the problem of intra-sectoral mistrust. It was evaluated through a qualitative case study. Here that mistrust and its resolution are explored and explained with reference to social identity theory. Although the findings are context-specific, they have considerable significance for addressing concerns about intra-sectoral mistrust in and beyond Northern Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguistic diversity in many schools is high such that science teachers face complex issues regarding appropriate ways of mediating social and academic language in multilingual classrooms. The relationship between these aspects and the task of teaching science (i.e., pedagogy) remains a mystery to many teachers. This paper provides a narrative and shared discoveries of the understanding of this differentiated instruction problem in order to forge the path ahead. Qualitative methods of lesson observations and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from four participants in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Analysis of data revealed a domination of English as a medium of discourse. The paper argues that teachers' pedagogy and language of instruction are essentially related to the quality of science being taught in multilingual classrooms. The findings highlight the fundamental importance of the language of instruction within a multilingual science classroom and lay a foundation for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective use of information resources by lecturers is one of the determinants of university education outcomes. To function optimally, lecturers utilise digitised information resources in their duties. University libraries are saddled with the responsibility of organising and providing lecturers' needed information resources. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of digitised library information resources availability on the use of information resources by lecturers in six federal universities in Southern Nigeria. Instruments used for data collection were the DLIRA (r = 0.73) and UIR (r = 0.64) scales. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson product moment correlation, and multiple regressions at.05 level of significance. The results showed that digitised library information resources availability on the use of information resources influenced the use of information resources by lecturers in the federal universities in Southern Nigeria. Thus, there is a need for the management of university libraries to intensify efforts at converting most of the paper-based resources to digitised formats for increased use of library resources by lecturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is indisputable that one of the factors connected to improvements in the quality of education is the implementation of relevant curricular reform that is pertinent to the culture and needs of the given country. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate how the adaptation from an exogenous curriculum was attempted through analysing the three mathematics curricula for the years 1983, 2004, and 2015 that have been applied after independence, reports and policy papers issued by the Ministry of Education (MINED), and interviews with technical officials involved with the curriculum revision in 2015. The results show that Mozambique has been steadily and appropriately moving away from an exogenous curriculum in a cycle of 10 years through the accumulation of their own experiences. The series of observations that we attained could be relevant to other African nations from the viewpoint of transitioning away from an exogenous curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we suggest strength-based approaches for the creation of sustainable rural learning ecologies. We have framed the creation of rural learning ecologies with appreciative inquiry (AI) as a framework and argue that it begins from understanding rurality from positive psychology. The premise within AI has been seen to be the shift from deficient understanding of rural spaces to consideration of them as areas with untapped potential. Arguments for strength-based approaches are based on the fact that they promote improvement from within. This is placing rural communities at the forefront and removing them from the receiving end. We argue that such approaches are giving acknowledgement to rural dwellers that they are better placed to address their solutions drawing from different forms of capital. This paper argues that rural education improvement strategies are possible when educational leaders draw from the capacities that exist in rural spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South African universities have evidenced exponential increases in the numbers of doctoral students, bringing pressure to bear upon traditional supervisory practice. With the literature on the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students at South African universities being very limited, it was anticipated that the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students abroad could be drawn upon to inform supervisory practice. The aim of this paper was to perform a systematic literature review of the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students at universities in other parts of the world. The objective of the study was, firstly, to consolidate the empirical evidence and, secondly, to develop a framework to inform supervisory practice at South African universities. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify relevant empirical studies relating to the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students. The search was executed by deploying keywords in selected databases. Twenty-one articles were identified and analysed using thematic analysis. The review evidenced that the key challenges that characterise international postgraduate students revolve around linguistic ability, cultural dissonance, academic expectations and isolation. While some studies found a positive relationship between supervisor multicultural competence and supervision satisfaction, supervisors find that both local and international students are equally challenged in academic writing. Some studies conclude that there is no difference in the supervision practice employed for international and local postgraduate students with many supervisors believing that international postgraduate students would be able to find their way through institutional and non-institutional support networks. A framework for the supervision of international postgraduate supervision has been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spirituality research has attracted much interest in recent times, particularly among the management group of researchers, owing to the realisation that people come to work not with their hands and heads only but also with their spirit. The present study explores the intervening role of spiritual climate in the relationship between spirituality and turnover intentions among academics at tertiary institutions in Plateau State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and 320 questionnaires out of the 500 administered were used. The data set collected was analysed using Smart-PLS to test the hypothesised relationships. The results reveal: (1) No relationship between spirituality and turnover intention; (2) Spirituality relates positively to and significantly with spiritual climate; (3) Spiritual climate significantly influences academics' intention to leave; (4) Spiritual climate is found to mediate the relationship between spirituality and intention to quit. We situate our contribution in this paper to theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since South Africa's transition to democracy, numerous policies have been enacted to address gender oppression. Taking its cue from the country's constitution, these policies and acts, such as the Higher Education Act (1997), aim, in particular, to promote social justice by addressing gender imbalances in society. Likewise, the vision of Sol Plaatje University includes advancing social justice by addressing gender oppression. The prevalence of various types of violence against women suggests that South African women are still being oppressed; it also points to power imbalances within society that are aimed at maintaining the status quo. This paper seeks to explore the value of an education module at Sol Plaatje University to raise the consciousness of first-year education students about gender oppression. Data were generated through three reflective narratives, through which six students from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds were requested to reflect on and narrate their socialisation and their experience of the module. We used Harro's (2000b) cycle of socialisation and Love's (2000) cycle of liberation as lenses to make sense of the students' experiences of gender and the module. Indications from the narratives are that this particular module has the potential to raise student teachers' consciousness about gender oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessments are important to academic institutions because they help in evaluating students’ knowledge. The conduct of assessments nowadays has been influenced by the continuous evolution of information technology. Hence, academic institutions now use computers for assessments, often known as Computer-Based Assessments (CBAs), in tandem with Paper-Based Assessments (PBAs). The literature, however, shows that the use of CBAs has received controversial reactions, and also shows that students face challenges when undertaking CBAs. This study was conducted to understand the perceptions of students and the challenges they face when undertaking CBAs. The study employed a descriptive research approach and data was collected through questionnaires. A total of 210 questionnaires were distributed to students. Findings show that students find it easy to undertake CBA and hence prefer it to PBA. However, the findings also show that students experience challenges that include Internet connectivity and mode of presentation of items, when undertaking CBA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper emanates from a case study which focussed on 15 Managerial Accounting and Financial Management (MAFM) students’enjoymentof learning MAFM in an 18-week Writing Intensive Tutorial (WIT) programme. Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) was used for the research design and as a data analysis tool. Following IQA protocols participants articulate their experiences of the programme and develop emergent categories of meaning, or affinities, and the relationship between the affinities. Of the nine affinities that were confirmed as describing students’ experiences of learning in the WIT programme, this paper reports on the students’ experiences of one of these affinities,enjoyment.Participants said that they found the WIT programme enjoyable which made learning fun. MAFM tutorials were no longer perceived as dull and boring, but rather exciting and enjoyable. The awareness that higher education can be a fun learning environment impacted positively on students’ experiences of learning MAFM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers who lack professional maturity will never be able to be responsible teacher leaders; hence, school leaders who strive for school improvement constantly try to introduce various alternative practices, and teacher leadership may be among these. Teacher leadership is defined in numerous ways: Some understand it as teachers who have taken on leadership roles and additional professional responsibilities. The major argument in this paper is that teachers need to be professionally matured if they are to be able to be effective teacher leaders. Effective schools are likely to be those where leadership permeates throughout the entire organisation. This qualitative study was conducted in two Gauteng and two Eastern Cape historically black schools, and data were collected through interviews and observations. The results demonstrate that there are several reasons as to why some teachers may fail or be reluctant to be teacher leaders. Furthermore, the study reveals that teacher leadership needs visionary school leaders who will employ the critical practices of teacher leadership to attain school improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognising the usability challenges that are linked to tools like the Blackboard learning management system are significant. This paper presents the outcome of an assessment of adherence to design principles on Blackboard from the learner-user perspective at Botho University, Botswana. As the university is shifting from a conventional teaching mode to a more contemporary blended mode, slow progress in using Blackboard is observed among learners. It is critical to increase the usability of Blackboard by addressing imbalances, such as those observed in this study. Addressing these issues will increase the effective usage of Blackboard and they can be seen as the main agenda for the learning, teaching, and assessment strategy of Botho University. It is critical to gather the opinions of learners who study specific modules in programmes that could be offered by any of the faculties. The study was conducted using evaluation questionnaires completed by learners, who are the users of Blackboard. It is found that users are generally satisfied with the expectations concerning the tool's usage. The study identified issues of low internet bandwidth and the need for more training. These issues have been raised to increase and enhance the accessibility and usability of Blackboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Zimbabwean mathematics classrooms have student populations from diverse cultural backgrounds who speak diverse Shona dialects. Most of the mathematics teaching is not related to the learners' world or everyday experiences because it is taught in English, a second language for most of these learners. Teachers therefore play a fundamental role in making sure that learners in this bilingual setup understand the mathematical concepts being taught. The debate on whether English or indigenous languages are suitable for use in education is increasing. This paper explores possible instructional practices to assist bilingual learners. A qualitative approach was used to explore the instructional practices used by primary school teachers during the teaching and learning of mathematics in Zimbabwe. The findings indicated that teachers code-switched between English and Shona and also used examples from the learners' environment. It was concluded that there was a possibility of using a bilingual model including Shona and English when teaching mathematics to bilingual learners. The idea is to create a caring, colourful, exciting, stimulating, and reflective environment as a way of engaging learners even if they are from diverse cultural and social backgrounds. The latter would also reduce marginalisation of bilingual learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African White Paper on E-education. Transforming Learning and Teaching through Information and Communication Technologies emphasises the need to integrate educational technology (Et) in classrooms. Yet, the situation in practice indicates that effective integration has not occurred. This article reports on a study that used a quantitative, cross-sectional design to explore the role of educators' access and attitudes towards ET in understanding the use and integration of Et in classrooms. Hence, a convenience sample of 119 educators from schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, completed a questionnaire consisting of a demographics section, the Attitudes towards computer Scale (AtcS), and the Information and communication technology Survey (IctS). The results were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions. From the results it was evident that educators had differential access to Et at school and at home. Generally, the educators reported positive attitudes to Et particularly as it pertained to the usefulness of Et in the classroom. Furthermore, the results indicated that educators' access and attitudes significantly predicted their use and integration of Et in classrooms. Differential patterns of use and integration were found across teaching and learning, lesson planning, communication with parents and learners and personal communication. The findings suggest that interventions to improve the uptake of ET should consider access and attitudes as core constructs which influence Et use and integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the White Paper on Post-School Education and Training of 2013, the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) encourages the use of digital technology where appropriate to enhance access, improve communication and generally optimise student engagement. As a consequence, higher education and open and distance learning (ODL) must contemplate a transformation that requires high quality teaching and learning. Faculty teaching staff must therefore be reskilled not only to teach in this digitised environment, but also to become technocratic learners. In this article, we report on a literature review and an exploratory study that we conducted of sources published from 2003 to 2014 in order to map the requirements for the planning of an online course. We identify the elements needed to ensure student success in this environment, focusing on course design and the self-efficacy of students. We end with an attempt to explain why many online courses do not seem to reflect a scholarly approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the inception of inclusive education (IE) much energy has focused on educators and learners. This study addresses a gap in literature by analysing an important component of the transformation process in the South African educational landscape – Department of Education (DoE) district-based officials. This descriptive research project conducted in Pinetown, KwaZulu- Natal, studied the attitudes of officials towards the inclusion of learners with learning difficulties at mainstream primary schools. The results indicated that respondents generally held positive attitudes towards inclusion and that five demographic characteristics of district officials are significant predictors of positive attitudes towards IE: training in the field of IE; experience in teaching learners with disabilities; contact with people with disabilities; knowledge of White Paper 6 (WP6); and the official's workstation. Finally, the study found that officials were alarmed that as many as 10 selected school-based factors could collectively impede the successful implementation of IE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wellbeing of young children is of national and international concern. Urgent action is therefore required to address issues of children's wellbeing, and failure to do so will have adverse consequences for children today and in generations to come. This paper addresses issues arising from recently published literature in the areas of Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) within the global arena. It covers aspects such as policy implications, various theories and Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of early childhood development (ECD) as the theoretical basis of the paper, education and inclusion, teachers and parents and, finally, ECD centres of excellence. Universities need to establish ECD centres that can operate as centres of excellence, which can assist neighbouring centres focussing on day-to-day operational and managerial issues; training teachers on the curriculum and pedagogical aspects of ECDE; and conducting research with a view to ensuring cutting-edge ECDE practices [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following on the 1990 and 2000 World Conferences on Education for All, African governments increased their focus on access to schooling (but not necessarily on outcomes) by providing more facilities for increased enrolments. The learning outcomes that had been neglected led to a call to focus on more sustainable access – re-examining the quality of some of those facilities against the anticipated quality of educational outcomes. Studies in Southern and Eastern Africa, including the one under discussion here, indicate that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not rely only on school-based factors but also on the careful analysis of wider socioeconomic and cultural factors. This paper, through the results of the case study component of the Early Literacy Development project in the Lindi Rural District of Southern Tanzania, discusses why literacy development has lagged behind in Sub- Saharan Africa. The focus of the study and of this paper is on the relationship between literacy practices, literacy events and early literacy development at home and school in low-resourced communities. The extent to which school infrastructure and ecology including buildings, teaching learning materials and teacher characteristics reinforced literacy practices and events at home and school is also highlighted as being of special interest. The study was sponsored by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development (formerly CIDA) –Strengthening Education Systems in East Africa(SES-EA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from the third stage of a longitudinal, qualitative study involving nine female participants from a class cohort in a secondary school in rural Uganda. Since 2004–05, this study has tracked the progress of these young women's lives, and the present aspect of the study explores the ways in which they have found that post-primary education has impacted their adult lives, particularly with respect to employment-related factors. I draw upon the conceptual construct of Amartya Sen'scapabilities approach(1999) to interpret and present data. Findings considered in this paper indicate that post-primary education has been crucial to the capabilities development and socioeconomic well-being of the participants’ lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School of Continuing Teacher Education (SCTE) in South Africa delivers an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) Learner Support Programme to Open Distance Learning (ODL) students in Namibia, a developing sub-Saharan African country. This paper examines the experiences of student-teachers using DVDs included in the tutorial package. Fifteen participants from rural and remote areas of Namibia took part in a semi-structured focus group and individual interviews. A first phase analysis identified a set of codes and categories that guided the researchers to two themes to using DVDs: frustration and attitude. Student-teachers' frustration and attitude towards DVDs are linked to sufficient appropriate information, also available as a paper-based tutorial package. Although electronic learning material can assist in achieving curriculum goals and enrich students' learning experiences, students' expectations are paramount in the design and development of instructional DVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the apartheid rule in South Africa, established universities and other tertiary institutions were forcibly segregated to serve particular racial groups. Some critics have stated that the apartheid regime in South Africa supported an exclusively Western model of education, and that university education was based on a mono-cultural approach with bias towards Western values and expectations. With the demise of apartheid in 1994, the Government of National Unity (GNU) merged the fragmented hodgepodge of segregated tertiary institutions into 23 (now 26) public universities (26 since in 2004), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) being one. There has been a paradigm shift to accommodate a new form of education which is not only supposed to address the imbalances of the past but be of relevance to the twenty-first-century knowledge economy. The transformation of the education sector is supposed to boost the Africanisation (African-oriented content) of the syllabus, foregrounding the cultural practices and values of the African people. In TUT the arts faculty faced challenges of rationalisation, and the faculty management is poised to effect the paradigm shift. The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the African-oriented content concept has been realised in the arts curriculum of Tshwane University of Technology TUT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many positive developments in South Africa (SA), the education system and educational outcome face many challenges and require further improvement. This is reflected by elevated school dropout rates and suboptimal annual pass rates in various grades (Grades 7–12). Over the years, a plethora of studies has identified methods through which academic performance/educational outcome can be improved. However, from a practical point of view it might be difficult to implement these methods in for example a classroom or school, particularly because these methods are mainly discovered upon thorough online literature searches, and therefore published methods to improve educational outcomes are not always within reach of schools or teachers. Our aim is thus to provide a review paper that contains a collation and overview of the possible methods that can be used by various education stakeholders in order to contribute to better educational outcome. Essentially, we are attempting to answer the questions, “What does decades of research tell us about possible ways in which educational outcome can be improved in SA? Can we use these methods in the classroom or school?” This review therefore demonstrates (1) demonstrates various ways education stakeholders/influencers (teachers, learners, parents, government, non-governmental organisations and school governing bodies) can contribute to improved educational outcome, and (2) provides a useful overview of these methods that can be used within or without the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes how a professor-instructor of a Master of Arts (MA) programme in Contemporary Issues in an Adult Education classroom applied constructivist tenets to address an ICT-mediated teaching and learning class. The study provides an analysis of the professor's constructivist pedagogical approach in designing curriculum, engaging in learner-centred teaching delivery, developing an assessment method and using educational technologies including the Sakai Learning Management System for the teaching and learning. The University of Ghana was the study area. A qualitative, descriptive case study design was used. The data collection methods were document review, observation and interviews. All the 14 MA students were sampled to be interviewees but 11 applicants were available for the interviews. Convenient sampling method was used. The findings included the unique success associated with using constructivist tenets in teaching and learning. From an international readership perspective, this paper calls for higher educational institutions everywhere to emulate the experience of the University of Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines leader–member exchange behaviour for the development of academic talent in higher education. Drawing from a sample of academic leaders at a large South African university, interviews conducted with the chairs of departments (CoDs) provide new insight on development practices and actions for follower development within a leader– member exchange relationship. The study reveals significant differences in the behaviours of CoDs with low LMX scores and those with high LMX scores in the task of developing academic staff. Suggestions for enhancing academic follower development within this relationship are also offered. This study provides academic leaders with a comprehensive and constructive perspective for developing academic talent in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The idea of students participating in decisions that affect them as individuals, organisations and/or communities is recent and urgent. The participation of students in decision making has gained global support, yet it does not seem to be regarded as a main vehicle for promoting democracy in educational institutions. This conceptual paper aims at demonstrating the difficulties perceived to hinder student participation in educational institutions. It further proposes strategies that may favour the increased and improved involvement of students in decision making processes. The reviewed literature on student participation informing this article highlights positive outcomes from engaging students as decision makers in education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing from documents, observation, interview and questionnaire, we highlighted the role of issues of human security and its impact on the educational development of the Niger Delta region as well as means of enhancing human security in Nigeria. This article is a conceptual and methodological breakthrough in Nigeria's academic land- scape where qualitative and quantitative experiences highlight issues that are pertinent to the educational development in The Niger Delta. Diverse statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences version 18 to assess the study 's hypotheses. It was predicted that the region would be advanced educationally and on all other development indices if human security issues are resolved. This paper contends that the Niger Delta region has the potential to address the challenges currently faced by Nigeria including social disruption, poverty, hunger, disease, conflict, marginalisation, and the achievement of the movement for Education For All by 2015. This paper is of the opinion that the successful integration of the Niger Delta region into federal planning, structures and funding will enhance development, livelihoods, and human security not only for the region but also for Nigeria's educational development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This theoretical paper looked at the possibility of incorporating the social learning concept of achievement-oriented behaviour in promoting children's public participation in policy-making in the educational system. The paper highlighted how the concepts of public participation and achievement-oriented education could be used in the governance of the educational system in South Africa. The paper explored concepts such as goal-directed behaviour, achievement standards, achievement beliefs, and how the educational system could use the concepts in the promotion of children's public participation. Future studies could focus on the empirical relationship between achievement-oriented behaviour and child involvement in participatory democracy in the governance of the educational system in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Universities in South Africa are operating in an increasingly competitive environment with each institution aiming to attract the best students and meet their enrolment targets. The Department of Education’s (DoE’s) strategy to address the inadequacies of the past and the shortage of skills in maths and science in South Africa has also affected how universities operate. In responding to the DoE’s strategy to address past inadequacies many universities offer access programmes to students from previously disadvantaged schools. This paper highlights the factors or attributes that are important, specifically to access students, in their selection of which university to attend for their tertiary studies and makes recommendations in terms of a marketing strategy for universities targeting this group whose background and needs are different to students who come from more advantaged schools. Marketing implications for access programmes are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girls performing well in mathematics at school do not necessarily enrol for mathematics courses at South African universities. Teachers could be transferring beliefs about the nature of mathematics favouring boys. This paper compared male and female pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the nature of mathematics. A quantitative, descriptive research approach was adopted. One hundred and twenty-six mathematics pre-service teachers, enrolled for an undergraduate teaching training programme at a South African university, completed a questionnaire. While both genders hold the same Platonist and instrumentalist beliefs, females embrace lower experimentalist beliefs than males. Research on differences between male and female pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the nature of mathematics could promote gender equity in mathematics teacher training and better facilitation of the subject, which might consequently encourage more girls to opt for mathematics-related careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learners’ self-regulation, which includes motivational variables, is influenced by personal variables within learners themselves, as well as by contextual factors. A great deal of research has focused on personal variables in learners that influence their self-regulated behaviours; yet contextual influences that operate outside of formal schooling of township school learners, although generally acknowledged, remain under-researched. The research presented in this paper explored 14 secondary township school teachers’ perceptions of the factors that influence learners’ motivation to achieve academic success. A better understanding of contextual motivational factors could influence teaching and learning, as well as provide the needed support that ultimately will enhance the academic achievement of South African township school learners. Participants perceived autonomy-supportive, extrinsic motivation, schools as positive learning environments, study and job opportunities, community projects, friends and peers, poverty, and encouragement from the local community as strong sources of motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of children for the teaching of initial writing is a problem which is, in the system of unique institutional education, addressed by the preschool institution and the school. The open preschool education system includes the engagement of parents in these activities. The aim of this paper was to determine the attitudes of parents about the tasks of preschool teachers in the preparation of children for the teaching of initial writing. The research was conducted by using the descriptive method and a process of inference. A Likert-type descriptive attitude scale was used for the purposes of this research. The research results suggest that it is necessary to achieve a continuous cooperation between preschool teachers and parents in preschool institutions, in terms of informing parents about the children’s possibilities and the tasks of preschool teachers in activities that prepare children for the teaching of initial writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a case study of using the ePortfolio in a module taught in a Master degree at the High Institute of Continuous Education of a Tunisian university. The first purpose of our initiative is to raise awareness of the concept among the Tunisian teachers because most of our students are teachers. Our second purpose is to support these students throughout their learning. To evaluate the impact of the ePortfolio use, a questionnaire was proposed to the students and its results indicate that they appreciate it. The students were keen to have the ePortfolio extended to the other modules despite the fact that they find it time-consuming. An ideal student’s profile for the continuation of similar initiatives is suggested: it is an adult learner who massively uses the computer in a diversified and a well-targeted manner. This paper addresses also the case study findings concerning teaching adult learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the new curriculum post-1994 was coupled with a strong drive towards recognising and affirming the critical role of indigenous knowledge, especially with regard to science and technology (World Intellectual Property Organization, 2006). In the light of this claim, the author of this paper critically examines, from a literature study point of view, the extent to which the technology education curriculum accommodates or integrates indigenous technologies as part of IKS. In fulfilling this purpose, the author clarifies the important concepts related to IKS that will facilitate an understanding of the said critical examination of the technology education curriculum. These concepts include indigenous, culture, indigenous people, indigenous knowledge and Africanisation. The concept of indigenous technologies will be clarified later in this paper, under the relevant heading, since this is the main focus of the study. The paper also includes a section that argues the need for the curriculum to integrate IKS, and the author examines the extent to which the technology education curriculum integrates indigenous technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the interface between Nigeria's anticipated failure in the Education for All (EFA) 2015 targets and her policy implementation strategies in relation to children literacy. The principal purpose is to locate evidences that may explain the expected failure. The paper relies largely on secondary data and existing literature to examine key literacy intervention strategies in Nigeria under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) and Nomadic Education policies. The analysis focused on the linkage between the book industries, education funding and literacy policy implementation strategies, where evidence of large scale disagreement was found in support of the thesis of this paper that Nigeria's anticipated failure in the 2015 EFA targets is largely consequent upon poor policy implementation strategy arising from 1) disconnection between her book industry and literacy policy implementation and 2) unsettled socio-demographic influences. Some measures are recommended to reinvigorate Nigeria in the global drive towards EFA beyond 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of knowledge in the current knowledge economy cannot be overly emphasised. Successful regions are continuously being linked to excellence in the production, accumulation, and application of knowledge. Universities have increasingly been at the centre of such knowledge production, application and transfer. Yet, there is little research and evidence in this regard pertaining to less developed countries. The paper aims to fill this gap. The study uses the conceptual notion of knowledge transfer to interrogate the engagement level between the university and its region. Using a qualitative approach comprising the use of primary and secondary data, the authors capture some of the factors affecting knowledge transfer. Highlighting both supply-side and demand-side factors, the authors argue in favour of a nuanced and complex negotiation of the knowledge-development interface between universities as knowledge producers and regional stakeholders as knowledge users. Such negotiations should take cognisance of local realities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the first private university in Uganda was founded in 1988 and the private university sector has since grown rapidly to become one of the most prominent features of higher education (HE) in Uganda, the contribution of private universities (PUs) to the provision of HE has remained largely unexplored and as such, less understood. The purpose of this paper, then, is to analyse the contribution of PUs to the provision of HE in Uganda, using theories of the non-profit organisations and Geiger's conceptual framework about rationales for growth of the PUs. The paper is based on data that were collected through qualitative interviews conducted in 2008 with six faculty deans from Uganda Christian University (UCU); reviews of paper and web-based documents from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the PUs in Uganda; and reviews of national and internal literature about private higher education (PHE). Data analysis reveals that excess demand for HE, per se, was not responsible for the growth of the PUs in Uganda; instead, it created opportunities for individuals and organisations to establish PUs. Because of their diverse backgrounds and the policy environment in which they exist, PUs undertake various roles in the provision of HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of any open and distance learning (ODL) programme depends on how well it is evaluated. In the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), students are assessed and evaluated through continuous assessment as well as end of semester examinations. This paper focuses on Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA), which forms part of continuous assessment process. TMA plays an important role in providing useful feedback to learners. Students are required to work alone on their TMA and the marked TMA scripts returned to students with tutors’ comments serving as a means for feedback. Research evidence indicates that timely/continuous feedback is essential to facilitate learning. In this context and considering the nature of distance learners believed to be physically, temporally and spatially separated from their tutors, this paper seeks to assess how TMA is implemented in NOUN with a view to determining the extent to which the intended purpose is achieved. 320 students, 60 tutorial facilitators, and 180 copies of TMA marked scripts formed the sample for this study. Adopting the descriptive survey design with both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection and analysis, the study addressed the following fundamental questions: What type of tutor comment is written on TMA marked scripts What is the time interval between students’ submission of TMA response and receipt of the marked scripts What is the level of TMA cheating among students To what extent does TMA contribute to students learning Findings revealed a wide gap between the intended purpose of TMA and the reality on ground. Suggestions are made on measures to be taken to minimize the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives prominence to rural teachers’ own accounts of gender in three co-educational primary schools in Lesotho. The paper employs the social constructionist paradigm as its theoretical framework. Drawing from ethnographic data (observations and informal discussions), it discusses factors that inform teachers’ constructions of gender and the implications of these on gender in/equality in the schools. Twelve teachers’ (male = 1; female = 11) participated in the study. Analysis denotes how teachers constructed masculinities and femininities as inherent gender qualities, and the role of Basotho culture, language and its discourse in promoting gender inequalities. The conclusion provides strategies that would strengthen teachers’ ability to promote gender equality in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs a stochastic production frontier model to assess the efficiency of the senior secondary schools in the Gambia. It examines their efficiency in using and mixing the educational inputs of average teacher salary, average teacher education, average teacher experience and students to teacher ratio in producing the number of students scoring credit and above in English and Mathematics. The schools are categorized into three types: the Government schools, the subsidized schools and the private schools. The paper finds no evidence that the private schools are different from the subsidized schools, but there is robust evidence that the private schools are significantly different from the Government schools. The average teacher salary is found to be irrelevant to the student performance, whereas high average teacher experience significantly improves student performance, and high student-to-teacher ratio significantly negates the student performance. Private schools appear to be the most efficient in 2006, but from 2007 to 2008, the performance of the schools in general is found to be highly volatile and unpredictable. Only one school emerges to consistently maintain a superior efficient performance throughout the three years studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of unprecedented curriculum change it is not surprising that many South African teachers have begun to question their ability to affect learner performance. Teachers have to engage with a changing learner culture, with new curriculum content and are under pressure to embrace different teaching strategies without fully understanding the theoretical principles on which they are based. In this paper the authors explore high-school Economics teachers' beliefs about their capacities to influence learning. This paper is based on a quantitative empirical investigation into Economics teachers' efficacy beliefs about the teaching of Economics. Economics teachers from each of the 45 Department of Education delineated districts in KwaZulu-Natal province were selected to be participants in the study. We argue that while Economics teachers perceive their role as important in the learning process, male teachers in particular see the teacher as the dominant influence on learner performance, and are more confident than female teachers of their knowledge and teaching abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the participatory development of a new curriculum for an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) (Inclusive and Special Needs Education) programme in the Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria. Several challenges in the existing programme necessitated curriculum re-design and development. These challenges included responding to policies regarding inclusive and special needs education; responding to revised higher education frameworks; revisiting the structure and content of modules in order to improve articulation; addressing an anticipated increase in student enrolment and a changing student profile; and incorporating current trends in distance education service delivery. Partners in this collaborative curriculum initiative included the Unit for Distance Education, the Department of Educational Psychology, the Department for Education Innovation and the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE). Insights derived from this paper could possibly inform similar curriculum development initiatives, as well as extend knowledge on open and distance learning service delivery, in particular for in-service teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how genealogy could be deployed to provide a deeper understanding of environmental education policy discourses in environmental education policy research. Reference is made to environmental education policy processes in Botswana to demonstrate the application of genealogy and its related concept of governmentality. Both genealogy and governmentality are core to microphysics analysis of power relations in policy research. The paper makes reference to evidence drawn from data generated through document analysis, focus group discussions, interviews, and observations on environmental education policy research conducted in Botswana. A post-structural analysis of environmental education policy discourses in Botswana is historically linked to the global environmental policy discourses. It was through an in-depth analysis of the genealogies of environmental education policy discourses that it was established that the deployment of power techniques influenced decisions to introduce environmental education at both macro to micro levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the experiences of the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) in running distance education programmes for teachers and education personnel in sub-Saharan Africa. The Institute, established by UNESCO in 1999 and located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is mandated to work with teacher education institutions (TEIs) in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of curriculum development, teacher education, distance education and educational planning. The subject areas IICBA focuses on are the teaching of Science, Mathematics, languages and ICT (Information and communication technologies) through the use of modern pedagogy. The Institute implements its projects in partnership with distance education offering institutions in Africa and other parts of the world. The paper begins by providing brief remarks on IICBA and its mandate and organisation, and proceeds to explain why it focuses on the areas of teacher education, capacity building and the distance mode of delivery to offer its training programmes. At the end, it describes the kinds of programmes it has been running since its establishment and the partner distance education institutions that offered the training courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the prospects for improving teacher education and development in South Africa through the National Policy Framework on Teacher Education and Development (NPFTED). The key elements of the policy framework are critically analysed in terms of their limitations and their potential for improving teacher education and development as a crucial means to improve learner performance. The paper looks at the current realities in teacher education and development, the progress made and opportunities available, the identifiable gaps, and the proposals for closing the gaps. Possibilities and constraints in the current situation, as they are described in the NPFTED, are discussed. These include globalisation, the challenges facing a fledgling nonracial democracy, the legacy of skewed development under apartheid, current social inequalities, conditions in rural schools, declining recruitment trends, large mismatches between the supply and demand of teachers, HIV/AIDS and other diseases among teachers, the limits of the current planning, information and communication systems, and the situation in education faculties in higher education institutions. The paper concludes that the challenges are formidable, but that proper planning and synergisation of objectives and resources by government, higher education institutions, labour unions, the private sector and the public can contribute to significant improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]