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This article critically examines how selected schools in Qwaqwa (a remote town in the eastern Free State province of South Africa) imagine and "image" schooling through mission and vision statements, mottos, and emblems. We use the word "image" to refer to the way in which schools often use images to represent particular views about schooling and what it entails. Visual architecture of schools in the forms of vision and mission statements, mottos, and emblems communicate specific ways of thinking about schooling that resonate with the cultures and beliefs of the communities where the schools are located. Therefore, a critical analysis of such symbolic representations can reveal philosophies and views about schooling held and promoted not only by schools but also by the communities in which they are located. How do specific communities come to associate education with certain symbols, catchphrases, and idiomatic expressions? Is there a correlation between the ways of imagining and imaging schooling and the sociocultural and ecological landscape of the surrounding communities? The article is based on empirical data collected from 20 primary schools in Qwaqwa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews administered to 10 principals and 10 members of school governing bodies of selected schools. We also took photographs of visions and missions, mottos, and emblems of selected schools, which we later coded and themed for content analysis. Findings of the study revealed that schools in Qwaqwa viewed education as a public good and as a tool for individual and community development.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Inclusive education is an agenda that emanated from the Global North, and had as its imperative the eradication of discriminatory policies and practices that prevent some children from accessing a quality education. In recent years, it has increasingly been argued by scholars in the Global South that the supremacy of Eurocentric knowledge, theory, values, and practices informing inclusive education needs to be disrupted. In South Africa, decolonisation is emerging as a constructive frame for critiquing inclusive education policy and practices, and for informing the agenda of transformation in educational institutions. By undertaking a systematic review of research on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa, this article explores the question of how the debate can be shifted from traditional theoretical discussions on special education versus inclusive education to a focus on the practicality of inclusive education policy implementation within specific cultural historical contexts in South Africa. Possibilities for reimagining inclusive education policy and practice in schooling contexts are explored through a decolonising, equity-oriented, social justice lens. The key message is that transformative inclusive education is an education reform agenda that requires all educational institutions and social actors to embrace socially just, inclusive values and ideologies; new thinking and belief systems that reflect a commitment to educational access, participation, and quality education for all learners; democratic patterns of decision-making and leadership; and a school culture and ethos reflective of the African philosophy of ubuntu. [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]

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]

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]

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]

This paper investigates the impact of idiosyncratic and covariate economic shocks, on the likelihood of children dropping out of primary school. In this endeavour, an Accelerated Failure Time Hazard model was estimated using data from the Young Lives study of childhood poverty. The estimated results indicate that both idiosyncratic shocks and covariate shocks have a statistically significant effect on the risk of children dropping out of primary school. Considering the fact that both idiosyncratic and area-wide economic shocks are experienced at the household level, the study concludes that it is vital to link social protection programmes to education policy as well so as to reduce the vulnerability of households to the shocks and keep children from dropping out from school. [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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

This article reports on research that investigated integration challenges in multicultural schools. The inquiry followed a qualitative approach, using interviews, focus groups and open-ended questionnaires. The understanding of the integration of multicultural challenges in schools was done through the lens of critical race theory (CRT). Individual interviews were conducted with eight principals, followed by focus groups with 34 teachers, together with open-ended questionnaires which were administered to 82 participants. The findings revealed that policies on school integration present opportunities for integration but do not address the challenges of diversity in schools. The research highlighted the problem that integration is not recognised in schools although it is mandated by government policy. The research conducted highlighted the fact that it is not easy to implement a policy on integration because some schools do not see so-called "colour" in the learners. Schools alone cannot deal with and remedy the inequalities and segregation in multicultural schools, and communities should help at all levels to achieve positive transformation in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Geneva-registered International Baccalaureate (IB) celebrated its 50thanniversary as an organisational entity in 2014, having first appeared in 1964 as the International Schools Examination Syndicate. In January 2015 the 5,000thprogramme had appeared at a school in Albania. The IB, now offering four programmes, has moved significantly over recent years into state funded schooling, especially in the United States, and Ecuador. At the same time there has been no significant growth in Africa where the operational paradigm remains largely unchanged since the 1980s. The 76 schools in 25 countries located across the continent of Africa in mid-2015 accounted for just 1.8 per cent of all schools worldwide. Twelve countries in Africa had a solitary ‘international school’ offering the IB programmes. This paper is the first to address this situation. This article reveals the growth and extent of IB activity across Africa, and offers possible reasons for the ongoing dearth of schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates the experience of introducing e-assessment to a foundational ICT networking course for a 'large' group of first-year students at a South African Higher Education Institution. The study employed a mix of participatory action research, systems design, and survey (quantitative and qualitative) analysis over an academic year across two semesters. Although much research has been conducted on teaching in ICT, the purposeful pedagogical use of electronic assessment is limited. The results provide insight into the need for 'extending' the scholarship of teaching and learning to the scholarship of teaching, learning and assessment. While the research has some limitations in longitudinal and comparison studies, it is useful to students, teaching instructors, lecturers and administrators as it provides key thoughts as guidelines for introducing and using e-assessments as platforms for active learning, and as a basis for future research into the use of e-assessment for high-stake summative assessment. [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]

Teacher educators in many countries share similar concerns as they aspire to improve education for learners and stimulate interest in further study and careers. The roles and professional development of school teachers have been researched, but little attention has been given to teacher educators. Using a small-scale, illuminative study in England and South Africa, this paper examines pedagogical implications of progression from classroom teacher to teacher educator-tutor. Systemic issues include attitudes to personal scholarship in moving to high stakes academic environments requiring research. In both countries, there were issues of student teachers’ subject knowledge and their capacity to translate knowledge for learners. South African teacher educators were concerned about student teachers’ lack of appreciation of the integrity of conceptual understanding and sequencing of topic content. Implications for the professional development of teacher educators and their role identities are considered. [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]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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.

Personal epistemology is concerned with people’s beliefs or assumptions about the nature of knowledge and knowing. Whilst contributions in this field can be traced back to the 1970s, fundamental questions about the ontology and epistemology of the construct still remain. The current study explored the effects of three characteristics of questions aimed at eliciting epistemological assumptions on our interpretations of an individual’s assumptions, namely the level of directness with which questions targeted assumptions, the domainspecificity of the question, and whether the questions were open or closed-ended. A paper-and-pencil measure was designed to manipulate these variables, and the interpretations made about the assumptions of 35 postgraduate Psychology students were compared. The results suggested that the characteristics do exert an influence and caution is raised regarding the validity of methodologies that are used in the study of personal epistemology. [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.

This paper presents a report of an analysis of the participants’ stories behind their Setswana names. Questionnaires, made available in Setswana and in English, were used to collect data from the respondents with assistance and permission from their parents and guardians. The results indicate that mothers and grandmothers hold the power insofar as the naming of children is concerned. The results also illustrate the participants’ attitude towards their names. Furthermore, the results indicate that the Batswana's naming traditions, just like those of other African nations, are also affected by the events taking place around the period of birth of their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education in emerging economies has taken advantage of several technology affordances for student assessment in the digital era. However, the use of educational technology remains an area of concern in this context because of unequal technology terrain. This issue is more difficult in distance education, where students live in and work in remote areas. Although distance education providers in emerging economies have started to adopt alternative student assessment strategies, their contexts often force them to continue using conventional assessment methods. Against this backdrop, through a pragmatic mode of inquiry, the authors describe a five-phase study in which they identified the student assessment elements in national quality criteria that are rooted in international standards. These elements were benchmarked against the practices at a higher institution, highlighting good practices and inherent challenges. The findings are discussed in light of the transactional distance theory (TDT), with possible implications for assessment in a digital era. Further research areas are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summative assessment qualifies the achievement of a student in a particular field of specialization at a given time. Questions should include a range of cognitive levels from Bloom's taxonomy and be consistent with the learning outcomes of the module in question. Furthermore, a holistic approach to assessment, such as the application of the principles of the Herrmann Whole Brain Model, needs to be used to accommodate learning style diversity. The purpose of this study was to analyse, assess and compare the summative assessment of two third year level modules in the Bachelor of Science degree programme, namely Biochemistry and Zoology as part of action research with a view to enhancing the professional development of the lecturers involved. The questions posed in summative assessments were classified in terms of Bloom's differentiation of cognitive levels and the four different learning styles determined by Herrmann. Spearman's non-parametric analysis indicated that no correlation existed in this study between cognitive level and student performance based on achievement. In addition, there was not much difference between the cognitive levels and student performance between the two disciplines. Although the students seemed to do better at application level questions, the authors need to reflect on whether the assessments were valid with respect to the learning outcomes, methods of facilitating learning, and the assessments based on cognitive levels and learning style preferences. We conclude that continuous action research must be taken to improve the formulation of learning outcomes and students' achievement of these outcomes and quality of student learning – the main aim being the successful completion of the modules. [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]

Following the rapid expansion of Kenya's education system from 2003, raising education standards has emerged as the country's next major nation-building challenge. There is acknowledgement within Kenya that high education standards are dependent upon the quality of its teachers, which is in turn dependent upon the quality of their pre-service training, and subsequent in-service training. However, amidst accusations that educational standards are declining, in-service training programmes in particular have been singled out as being overly bureaucratic, under resourced, poorly delivered and ineffective in helping to raise teaching standards. Further, the literature suggests that current in-service training programmes are failing to address more fundamental issues surrounding Kenyan teaching professionalism as a whole. This article examines the literature surrounding teacher in-service training in Kenya, as identified by Kenyan researchers, with the aim of synthesising and clarifying the major issues surrounding quality and delivery, and then presents policy recommendations for reframing and building effective in-service provision for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the literature on trends and practices of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in Africa and internationally with specific reference to some of the key elements of the RPL system, including; purpose; assessment methods; quality assurance; and legislative and regulatory frameworks. In addition, a theoretical foundation of RPL is discussed underpinned by the experiential learning theory principles with a brief description of other learning theories related to RPL. The article also discusses the trends and practices of RPL in African countries with an established RPL system. The key finding of the literature review was that there are different conceptions of RPL globally but which all have a similar purpose, that is, economic benefit. Africa has a different take on RPL. A portfolio of evidence is the most commonly used method of assessment both internationally and in Africa with an increased use of e-portfolios internationally. A variety of quality assurance methods are used which differ from country to country but are similar to the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) quality standards which have been in use for many decades in the United States (US) since the inception of RPL. There are discrepancies in terms of legislative and regulatory frameworks. Some countries in Africa and internationally have no formal legislative and regulatory frameworks for RPL despite providing RPL services for years or decades. South Africa and Mauritius boast standardised and regulated RPL systems as do other developed countries such as New Zealand. [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.

This paper emanates from a case study which focussed on 15 Managerial Accounting and Financial Management (MAFM) students' "enjoyment" of 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.