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A high attrition rate exists among South African higher education institutions, which poses a significant challenge to university productivity as an academic enterprise. The attrition/turnover seems disruptive and costly, and some of the disruptive implications are poor productivity, lack of motivation and poor morale to work, including skill drain. This theoretical paper presents Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and its assumptions as a possible motivation that is needed to enhance academic staff retention in the university system. This study was designed using conceptual analysis within the principle interpretive paradigm, enabling the researcher to adequately engage critically in interpreting Maslow's hierarchy of needs and its assumptions as an alternative strategy that could enhance academic staff retention in the university system. The study argued that the five hierarchies of needs (physiological needs, safety/security needs, love and belongingness, esteem needs, and self-actualisation needs), as propounded by Abraham Maslow, are essential in ensuring academic staff retention in the system. The study concludes that total rewards in the form of basic needs, environmental safety and job security, creation of affectionate work-environment, the need for recognition and self-actualisation are the dimensions of academic staff retention in the university system. Received: 11 January 2022 / Accepted: 4 April 2022 / Published: 5 May 2022

Observations and experiences confirm that most university instructors and lecturers have migrated from traditional teaching, but many teaching styles are not transformative. That is, university classrooms are still within "teach and go" without concerted consideration to the future products of classroom stakeholders. This study examined transformative pedagogy as a teaching philosophy that increases critical epistemology towards students' transformation. This theoretical paper adopted the theory of decoloniality, located within transformative world view and designed with conceptual analysis as a means to interpret the assumptions of transformation in the university classroom. The study argued that collaborative knowledge construction enhances professional trust between the lecturer and the students, encouraging freedom that could be regarded as social and academic support for students towards transformation. Therefore, the study concludes that transformative pedagogy laced with humanity, collectivism, grouping, and unity of purpose in generating knowledge is a decolonised teaching philosophy. The study, therefore, recommends that collaborative knowledge construction, professional trust and relationships, freedom within the classroom, social and academic support for students are dimensions of transformative pedagogy, therefore, should be practised by university lecturers and/or instructors. Received: 4 January 2022 / Accepted: 5 March 2022 / Published: 5 May 2022

In the past, the success of Supplemental Instruction (Tutorial Sessions) depends on the tutors and tutees' physical and social relationships. However, the assumption exists that when there are no physical connections between the duos may affect their social interrelationships, impeding the success and intention of SI in the University classrooms. This study, therefore, investigates the current relationships amidst new normal towards SI and students performance. The study is underpinned by attachment theory to unravel the extent, importance and shortcomings of the assumed change in the relationship between the understudied. The study is guided by the Transformative Paradigm (TP) and Participatory Research (PR) to identify the possible dichotomies in their relationships. Purposive selection method was used to select five tutors and five tutees in a selected university in South Africa. Online (WhatsApp, email, and telephonic) interview was used to collect data from the participants. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. The result showed that that; struggles with the use and lack of Internet-of-Things and unstructured work-hours were the significant challenges that affected online tutorial sessions. On the other hand, the study also found out that students need ICT training and devices, including motivation for performance. Therefore, we recommend that training of ICT and provision of devices alongside strong motivation should be ensured. Received: 1 February 2021 / Accepted: 3 March 2021 / Published: 7 March 2021

Despite the contributions of university education to nation-building, the potential of Nigeria’s university system to fulfil its responsibilities is frequently obstructed by crises. Among the prominent crises, according to observations and literature, are those linked to student-management dichotomies, which make it practically impossible for universities to actualise their aims. This study is framed by the theory of decoloniality, and aimed to formulate a strategy to enhance the management of crises involving students and universities authorities. Participatory Action Research was adopted as research design. Focus group discussion was used to collect data. Ten participants that acted as co-researchers, from Nigeria, representing university management staff, lecturers, security personnel and student union leaders, both past and present. The participants were selected using the expert sampling technique. Socio-thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that a lack of modern communication, poor dialogue mechanisms, and students’ non-involvement in decision-making were major propellers of student-management dichotomies in the university system. The study recommends solutions, among which a mobile/electronic application designed as a strategy to decolonise the old ways of managing students in a university system. Received: 18 November 2020 / Accepted: 2 February 2021 / Published: 5 March 2021

The advent of COVID-19 has thrown the world in upheaval, most notably in the operationalisation of secondary schools. Observation, bodies of existing literature, and experience have shown that rural secondary school learners are disillusioned and uncertain on the future of their academic development amidst the “psycho-social” vagueness regarding their schooling and well-being. This study draws its background from South African teachers’ perspectives and proposed Ubuntu as relational framework lensing through Transformative Paradigm to respond to the problem. Critical Emancipatory Research was adopted as a research design. Five secondary schools located in Thabo Mofutsanyane municipality of the Free State, South Africa, form the research site. Two teachers each were selected from the schools using the opportunistic selection approach. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data from the teachers on the challenges faced in managing learners during the pandemic and how to manage the effect of COVID-19 on the learners. Socio-thematic Analysis (StA) was used to analyse the data. The findings showed that learners in rural areas are disadvantaged through the poverty line, affected psycho-socially, and that the need for sociological and psychological supports for teachers and learners becomes expedient in the management of the vacuum created by COVID-19. The study concluded that the principle of Ubuntu during and after COVID19 is a possible means to ameliorate the vacuum.