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In Nigeria, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused many economies to crumble and claimed lives, has been a drawback to the teaching and learning of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). This paper examined the strategies scholars have identified in the previous studies to reposition and make effective the instruction of technical and vocational education in Nigeria post-COVID-19. A PRISMA protocol was adopted to document the analysis method and inclusion and exclusion criteria. The authors used relevant electronic databases (Google Scholar and Scopus) to search for qualitative and quantitative journal articles published in English between 2020 and 2022 on TVET in Africa. Studies that focused on primary education level were excluded. A three-step synthesis process was used to map the literature to the study objectives. It was found that teaching and learning in TVET in the post-COVID period can be improved by providing professional training programmes for teachers or instructors on relevant skills in a disruptive situation. This paper will guide the educational stakeholders (government, school administrators, teachers, and non-governmental organisations) on the effective strategies for teaching and learning TVET in Nigeria post-COVID-19.

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a total shutdown of global economies and education institutions to lessen the spread of the virus. Due to strict compliance with safety protocols, educational institutions were duty-bound to shift from traditional face-to-face to virtual classroom teaching and learning strategies. This new teaching approach was unanimously embraced and adopted by all institutions globally. The easing of COVID-19 restrictions has led to the re-opening of mainstream schools. As a result, the study focused on teaching strategies adopted by educators after the lockdown. This study employed an interpretive paradigm anchored on the opportunity to learn (OTL) theory. Teaching and learning strategy is one of the key variables grounded in the OTL. Critical issues emerged from this conceptual paper. Among these was the lack of uniform teaching and learning methods approved by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in the post-COVID-19 era. The teaching approach adopted during the national shutdown mostly benefited learners from affluent homes, lack of digital learning and teaching support systems disadvantaged learners from poor communities. This study recommended, among others, the provision of adequate online teaching resources for implementing blended teaching and learning methods in South African schools.

Universities in South Africa are confronted with student unrest, which has hindered the effective university education process. They have faced various shortages of academic activities and teaching and learning because of protests and subsequent management responses that culminated in the closures of universities at most times. Student unrest has made it difficult to actualise the set predetermined goals and objectives of the university. These challenges have severally been linked to problems with tuition fees, financial support for students, adequate and conducive hostel accommodation, student socio-economic background and university management styles. Among the management styles, according to the literature and observation, is the decision-making process where the issues concerning students are decided upon. This study explores the potential of the collegial leadership approach to enhance the university decision-making process towards alleviating student unrest in universities. This study is located within a transformative paradigm to transform social unrest in the university system. Conceptual analysis was employed to make sense of the adopted approach as a veritable tool for managing the power differential between the students and the university management. The study found that collaboration and teamwork, consensus building and organisational relationships are the dimensions of managing student unrest in universities. The recommendation is that collaborative management style, teamwork, consensus building and organisational relationships are encouraged in the university management process. Contribution: This article seeks to contribute to the higher education management system by providing a collegial leadership model. As an integral part of the university system, this model addresses student unrest and improves transformative prospects for the institution. By exploring new ways of managing internal conflict resolution, change is fostered, and improved conditions are cultivated. In this way, it directly responds to the journal’s focus on the transformation of higher education, making it an essential read for scholars and practitioners specialising in this field.

This study addresses potential conflicts during collaborative tasks among university undergraduate students and presents strategies to mitigate such conflicts at a university in South Africa. Drawing on the unique context of South Africa, characterised by its rich cultural diversity and historical challenges, Social Identity Theory (SIT) was used to theorise the study within a transformative paradigm, qualitative approach and participatory research design. Ten undergraduate students were sampled and interviewed. Thematic analysis was employed to make sense of the data. The study found that a lack of a culture of open dialogue and clear guidelines and expectations leads to conflict, and the study also found that promoting a culture of open dialogue and establishing clear guidelines and expectations during collaborative projects can help prevent potential conflicts among university undergraduate students during collaborative engagement. The study concludes that promoting a culture of open dialogue and fostering establishing clear guidelines and expectations provide undergraduate students with the tools to manage group conflicts.

University systems are increasingly facing the consequences of the dark side of leadership. The dark side of leadership in educational organisations is a worldwide phenomenon affecting universities, academies, and college campuses. To respond to this, this paper explores the potential of community practice as an approach to respond to the dark side of leadership in the university system. The paper is a conceptual argument and derives knowledge from argumentative and logical reasoning, located within an interpretive worldview and analysed using conceptual analysis as a tool to make sense of the arguments. The paper argues that shared commonality, collective problem solving, mutual participation, and social interactions are dimensions of remedy that can ameliorate the dark side of leadership. Based on this argument, the paper concludes that effective dimensions of remedy that could ameliorate the dark side of leadership in university contexts are shared commonality, collective problem solving, mutual participation, and social interactions, with a recommendation that they must be incorporated in university leadership dispositions.

This theoretical opinion paper responds to the existing colonial hegemony in university classrooms. The study is underpinned by decoloniality with objectives to conceptualise decoloniality as a theoretical lens for classroom management and to present the assumptions of decoloniality as an effective classroom management system in universities. The study is located within a transformative worldview, and the argument was analysed using conceptual analysis as a tool to make sense of the argument deductively. The study argued that knowledge production through dialogue, advocating for the weaker voices in the classroom, and challenging power structures are dimensions needed to decolonise classroom management in the university system. The study concludes with the need to promote an atmosphere that encourages discussion, provides opportunities for underrepresented groups to take centre stage, and facilitates bravery from its members towards oppressive systems within the classroom.

The study aimed at examining the strategies of teaching English as a second language in Grade 4 in selected schools of the Amathole District of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. From the entire elementary schools within the Amathole District of the Eastern Cape Province, the researchers of this study randomly selected eight Grade 4 ESL instructors, from the agreed four elementary schools, which means two Grade 4 ESL instructors for each agreed school. For the data collection, a questionnaire with thoroughly designed questions and an observation checklist that entails guidelines of what to observe were used. Hence, the data were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The study findings particularly indicated that all the interviewed Grade 4 ESL instructors understand what teaching strategies denote and can recognise the current teaching strategies of Grammar Translation Method (GTM), Direct Method (DM), Silent Method (SM), and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method except for the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) and the Total Physical Response (TPR). However, the findings indicated that all the Grade 4 ESL instructors were only able to apply the features of both GTM and CLT strategies during the classroom observation, while the features of direct and silent methods were recognised by some of the Grade 4 ESL instructors were not applied during the classroom observation. Also, the findings established that the GTM is more applied by the Grade 4 ESL instructors compared to the CLT. Thus, the implication is that realistically in the teaching of Grade 4 ESL learners, the instructors only employed either the GTM or CLT, where the GTM is mostly used against the CLT.

Decolonising the research process is inevitable in today’s world full of social and power inequalities. Participatory Action Research (PAR), as one of the methodologies that enhances the transformation of both the researchers and researched, is, therefore, inevitable in social research targeting social, inclusive, and informed change. This study responds to various agitations of decoloniality of the research process that sees the participants as mere subjects rather than essential partners of the knowledge production process. This study conceptualises decoloniality and PAR with an argument recognising PAR as a decolonised research process. This study is located within a transformative paradigm and employs conceptual analysis as a tool to argue the nexus between decoloniality and participatory action research and their assumptions. This study attests to the fact that it is an effective and valuable tool in achieving the decolonised research process because it allows for the research subjects to have input into the process, have their voices recognised, and provide them with a platform to take agency and exercise self-determination. The elements, therefore, resonate with the decolonial agenda to deconstruct oppressive power structures and remembering those who have been historically dismembered by systems of colonial occupation. In this way, this study finds that PAR functions as an important element in implementing the decolonised research process.

This conceptual article critically examines the pervasive issue of epistemic injustice within educational settings. Drawing from critical theory and social justice frameworks, this paper aims to uncover and critically analyse the various forms of epistemic injustice in education settings, focusing on marginalised and underrepresented groups. Through lensing within the transformative worldview and employing conceptual analysis to make sense of the arguments, this paper explores how epistemic injustices manifest through biased curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, and assessment methods. The article argues the detrimental impact of epistemic injustice on marginalised students. Additionally, it evaluates strategies and interventions to address epistemic injustice in education, such as inclusive pedagogical practices, curriculum reforms, and the promotion of diverse perspectives in knowledge systems. I propose alternative approaches for creating inclusive learning environments towards dismantling epistemic injustice. This paper contributes to the scholarly discourse on epistemic justice, calling for the transformation of educational practices and policies to promote equity, inclusion, and the recognition of diverse knowledge and experiences, inspiring stakeholders to actively work towards achieving epistemic justice for all students.

Literature and social reality confirm that rurality and its people remain underprivileged, while groups within communities, even in urbanism, still demonstrate marginalisation and social inequalities. Not only that, but research is also limited to emancipate the perpetual deficiencies and the various inequalities that emerge within the context of rurality and community livelihood. Even the little research output in this category suffers revered outlets where rural and community studies could be disseminated. This forms the gap to which the Interdisciplinary Journal of Rural and Community Studies (IJRCS) intends to fill. This, therefore, is the inaugural statement of the Journal. The statement presents the historical background of the Journal, the focus of the Journal, and subsequently defines the conceptual understanding of the rural and community to enlighten the authors and readers about the kind of acceptable articles. The editorial process and the professional profile of our editors were presented with a conclusion that whatever knowledge production is coming from the archives of IJRCS is authentic, productive and will definitely assume national and international standards without giving loopholes for contestation.

This is an editorial statement for the Journal of Education Research and Rural Community Development (JERRCD); the journal is releasing its inaugural publication. The article provided a brief background to the journal, and the research forum that birthed the Journal was situated, coupled with it meritorious promises for quality knowledge production. The reviews and the review processes, the ethical issues considering the operation of the journal was itemised with request for adequate compliance by the contributors (authors). In order to describe the compendium of originality and quality production, the article also described the calibre of pioneering scholars that constitute the editorial board. The article conclusively described it modus operandi as second to none with an affirmative recommendation for well-meaning scholars to partner with us in the journey.

As our inaugural statement, this article conceptualises sociality, which forms the focus of the "Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies". We reinvigorated its “scope and focus” for the cognisance of our potential authors. We also explicated, step by step, our fundamental editorial process, including the issue of originality, trustworthiness and misconduct, ethical considerations, citation and referencing style, disclosure and conflict of interest, permissions and acknowledgement, as part of our quality production process. The article also presents the academic background of all our inaugural editorial team to display the potential of IJSS towards the production of quality knowledge on sociality studies. Based on this exploration, we conclude that IJSS accommodates any scholarly articles that solve social-related problems with an iota of sociological and emancipatory tendency involving humans and their relationships with but not limited to environment, objects and subjects. Therefore, we recommend that all potential authors ensure that the author guidelines' instructions are strictly adhered to while preparing for submission.

Observation and experience exist among university students during COVID-19 new normal; the quality and the process of academic activities have been compromised. This study, therefore, examines the lacuna on whether the new normal is more productive by ensuring that the intention of the curriculum towards students' content knowledge is met or not. Organisational change theory was used to theorise the study within the transformative paradigm (TP) and participatory Rresearch (PR) lenses as a research design. The study was conducted in one of the universities in South Africa. Ten students were selected using the convenience sampling technique because the students were not fully on campus as of the time of this study. The online interview was adopted to collect data because of social distancing rules across the country. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The findings revealed that the COVID-19 new normal does not affect students’ academic performance negatively even though the quality of content delivery is low. The channels of teaching-learning and the Internet of Things are deduced to be unpleasant for the students with recommendations that there is a need to provide the internet-or-things alongside training and retraining for students and lecturers.

The dwindling of teachers’ effectiveness in secondary schools as linked to the behaviour of principals necessitates this study. The study was theorised with Ubuntu philosophy to uncover deficiencies relating to principals’ organisational behaviour indices such as; communication, participatory decision making and stress management as correlates of teachers’ effectiveness in secondary schools in Ekiti State Nigeria. Descriptive research of survey design was used to cover all public secondary schools in Ekiti State. Seven hundred and twenty (720) respondents were sampled; 360 teachers and 360 students were selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Principal Behaviours Questionnaire”(PBQ) administered on teachers and “Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire”(TEQ) administered on students were used to collect data. Face and content validity were used to ascertain the degree of accuracy and appropriateness of the instruments. Test-retest reliability method of the instruments was done with reliability coefficients of 0.77 and 0.94 respectively. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages) and Inferential Statistics (Pearson Product Moment Correlation PPMC and Regression Analysis) were used to analyse the data. The study found out that the effectiveness of teachers is on average while principals’ behaviour variables are highly significant to teachers’ effectiveness with the conclusion that communication, participatory decision making and principal stress management are the dimension of teachers’ effectiveness in secondary schools.

Orientation Research Purpose: In response to social unrest that has eaten deep into the fabric of the University system in Nigeria, this theoretical paper is positioned to respond by examining the Human Relations Theory of Management (HRTM) as a suggestible solution to the management of the incessant students’ oriented crisis in the system. The theory was argued towards exposing the dividends enjoy by organisational stakeholders emanating from the outcome of the Hawthorne study. Research approach and Finding: The study adopted literature and observations as a research approach, while theoretical analysis was employed to interpret and make sense of HRTM. The analysis was considered from its evolutionary point of view; the development of Human Relation Theory of Management, the contributions of Jacob Moreno’s stoichiometry and McGregor’s Theory X and Y. I further argued and justified that the assumptions of the theory such as; belongingness, inclusiveness and recognition, an informal or formal social group within a workplace, development of affinity in workplace, motivation, and communication are the roadmap to the people’s management. In the same vein, it becomes a useful tool for managing students’ unrest in Universities. The relevant of the theory to crisis management was equally exemplified, coupled with the development of a theoretical model to better simplify the nexus between HRTM and crisis management. Implication for Management: Observations were made based on the assumptions of the theory to respond to the vacuum HRTM supposed to have filled. The study conclusively recommends that; inclusive decision making, the committee system, motivation and communication should be paramount in managing the system to enable amicable relationships for better productivity, peace and relative tranquility.

Introduction: The defects found in Tessier clefts number 3 and number 4 come in various forms in different patients. These variations have to a great extent affected not only documentation of these craniofacial defects but invariably their treatment and communication amongst craniofacial researchers. This study has not only documented the clinical presentation of these clefts in a South African population but has also incorporated the clinical presentation of Tessier clefts number 3 and 4 from different regions of the world., Methods: The records of 8 patients, who had been treated for either Tessier clefts number 3 or 4, were reviewed and compared with 16 studies pulled from the literature systematically. The defects recorded as well as associated clefts and other congenital malformations were documented, and findings were compared., Results: The anatomical and clinical presentation of the patients was compared to the reviewed literature and the different parameters were documented. In addition, associated clefts were also recorded in the study-it was noted that the association pattern recorded in Tessier cleft number 4 in this study did not conform to its traditional counterpart., Conclusion: This study concluded that the clinical presentations of these clefts, however variable, seem to have a similar presentation worldwide. Additionally, associated clefts do not conform to the original Tessier classification system and therefore it is imperative for these patterns to be clearly mapped out.