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Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent globally and it is much more prevalent among adolescents because of their exposure to a variety of stressors. Research shows that emotional and biopsychosocial well-being changes over the course of their schooling, with a general increase in anxiety, highlighting the need to further investigate the risk factors that contribute to worry and anxiety symptoms among college student populations. In Mauritius, there has been a rise in the number of adolescents who are recipients of psychiatric treatments at the local government hospitals as well as an increase in the number of cases reported to the school authorities. The present study aimed to identify the causal factors of anxiety among adolescents, and its effects in the educational context. Further, the role of educational social workers in overcoming anxiety was explored and the aim was achieved using the exploratory approach. A focus group discussion using a semistructured questionnaire was conducted with ten (10) people including educational social workers and educational psychologists recruited through convenience sampling. A thematic analysis of the data shows academic anxiety as an emerging factor, followed by bullying and lastly, family issues. The findings revealed impacts at the school level such as students' inability to concentrate in class, non-participative and also showing emotional distress. While educational social workers provide counselling to students and parents, a need for teacher empowerment and peer counselling are proposed as future avenues.

Religion has been associated with human values and competencies needed to shape young people into responsible citizens able to make a positive difference in the lives of others. However, this correlation remains dependent on the context. As the correlation has not yet been investigated in Mauritius, which is a multicultural and multi-ethnic country, this study aims to bridge this knowledge gap using a purely positivist epistemological approach. It will analyze the Mauritius-specific data derived from a public data set which was part of the "Mapping the Terrain" project to examine the correlation between religion and a broad set of human values and competencies, namely forgiveness, individualistic orientation, collectivistic orientation, self-efficacy, problem-solving, meaning-making, sense of belongingness, religiosity/spirituality, hope, life satisfaction, gratitude, emotion, regulation, empathy, and self-regulation. The descriptive analysis and the Structural Equation Model (SEM), developed using the SPSS and AMOS software, revealed that (i) independent of ethnic group, educational stakeholders in Mauritius have a high affinity to most of the human values and competences, and (ii) as compared with others, the Muslim community has a slightly lower affinity to forgiveness, life satisfaction, individualistic orientation, self-efficacy, and problem solving. These data, which represent important baseline information needed to inform policymakers and other educational stakeholders, were used to derive a set of recommendations that will further the development of the key human values and competencies needed to promote harmony in a multicultural and multi-ethnic country.

Background: Learners with reading and writing difficulties (RWD) are accommodated in Mauritian government schools without formal curriculum adjustment and teacher support. Little is known about their RWD. The aim was to describe the characteristics of Grade 4 learners with RWD. Aim: To describe the characteristics of Grade 4 learners with RWD. Setting: Government primary schools in Mauritius, in urban and rural areas. Methods: Grade 4 learners with RWD from 20 randomly selected schools were identified with the Screening Tool for Learning Disorders (STLD). A comparative design was used. Parents of 67 learners with RWD (research group [RG]) gave consent. Forty-nine learners without RWD were selected as a control group (CG) based on academic performance and consent. Hearing loss and visual impairment were excluded. The Clinical Evaluation of Language Function Observation Rating Scale (CELF-5 ORS), the Schonell Spelling Test and the Gray Oral Reading Test were used. Results: The CELF-5 ORS showed a wide range of difficulties of the RG with speaking, listening, oral reading and writing. There were significant differences between the RG and CG with reading and spelling. Despite being in Grade 4 (mean age 9.0 years), the mean spelling age for the RG was 5.5 years, corresponding to a Grade 1 level. Positive correlations were found between the STLD and listening, speaking and reading on the CELF-5 ORS for the RG. The more likely it was that participants had specific learning disorders on the STLD, the worse the spelling. Those with a history of speech and language delay performed more poorly with reading and spelling. Conclusion: Difficulties were confirmed by all the measures. Diagnostic assessments for specific learning disorders are required to exclude intellectual disability and other comorbidities. There is a dire need for intervention programs for learners with RWD in mainstream government schools in Mauritius. Programs should include speech-language therapists and aim at prevention, identification, diagnosis and intervention. Contribution: The study is important for speech--language therapists working in the education system and primary school teachers. There is a dire need to implement intervention programs for learners with RWD in mainstream government schools in Mauritius.

There has been a growing interest in the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) to support educators to adapt, use, re-use, remix and recontextualise content for teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent and intent of adoption of OER practices and tools in secondary schools in Mauritius within a sustainable and innovative teaching and learning model. The main objective was to investigate whether the inclusion of OER in teaching could help maintain quality instruction and sustain a viable economic model for learners. Moreover, this study assessed the readiness and attitudes of secondary educators in their intention to adopt OER. A survey was carried out among 271 secondary school educators to determine the influential factors in the intention to adopt OER in teaching. Factor and regression analysis were carried out to estimate the significance of each independent variable. The findings of this study reported that Productivity, Interactivity, Infrastructure and Constraining Factors were among the factors that had a significant effect on teachers' adoption of OER in their teaching process. Combined with other findings as reported in the literature, this study also helps to enlighten policymakers about teachers' intention in adopting OER in secondary schools in Mauritius and how they add value to the teaching and learning processes. The Cabinet of Ministers in Mauritius approved the National policy on OER in December 2022.

COVID-19 marked the next year with unprecedented death tolls, millions of infected people, and the closure of almost all activities, including education. The UN 2020 report highlights that this pandemic has caused the largest disruption of education in history with a near-universal impact on learners and teachers around the world. A total lockdown was enforced in Mauritius from 19th March 2020. On the eve, the Open University of Mauritius academic staff got prepared to adopt online teaching without any time to train its 400 part-time tutors and time to think about tutor and learner coping challenges. Guidelines to conduct classes and access classes online were shared to teachers and learners respectively. The next day, the tutors were performing tasks in which most of them were not competent in. Along with teaching, they were pushed to learn different skills and methods to teach online and acquaint themselves with new tools. Yet, they did it and the syllabus coverage was not disrupted. This research was carried out with some of those part-time teachers, selected using purposive sampling from one particular programme. It adopts the narrative inquiry to gauge the driving forces that enabled teachers to teach under such circumstances, to be resilient, and to emerge as front-liners in education. The main findings indicate that it was a steep learning curve and daunting task leading to a sense of inadequacy as they successfully emerged to reach out to students and make a difference for them.

Dropout is a global and complex phenomenon affecting all universities. This study aimed at investigating the intrinsic and extrinsic factors causing dropout at the Open University of Mauritius (OU). Secondary data about 1885 learners were collected for five intakes and three levels of study -- foundation, undergraduate and Master courses. The dropout rates were 46.08%, 39.14% and 17.31% respectively, showing that those with previous tertiary education were less likely to drop out of studies. Analysis of data from 96 completed questionnaires revealed that female learners were more persistent in their studies while mature students were less likely to drop out from university. Personal and career-related issues were the major causes leading to attrition at OU. Sub causes included wrong choice in programmes, inadequate tutorial support and lack of employer's support. Corrective actions suggested include providing counselling sessions before registration and during studies, implementing strategies to help students develop time management skills, developing courses in line with industry requirements and improving tutor's support. The low attrition rate at OU is probably because most of its learners are working adults who are able to shoulder learning with greater responsibility. This is also because OU has maximised on technology to reach out to learners, hence mitigating isolation.

The purpose of this research is to review peer-reviewed articles on the effects of e-learning on the academic performance of university students. The SCOPUS database was searched for peer-reviewed articles. The data obtained were analyzed using the content analysis method. Twenty-seven articles were found in journals indexed in the SCOPUS database and considered suitable for this study. Two researchers used the content analysis method to determine the effects of the articles reviewed. The results showed that studies in this area have increased in intensity in recent years. These studies were generally conducted over five years. It was found that quantitative methods were predominantly chosen. Researchers published most articles in 2021 and 2022. Most of the studies reviewed used a quantitative design, and only seven articles chose an experimental research design. Most studies were conducted in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, India, Iran, and Turkey. The results show that different measurement instruments or tools were used to measure students' academic achievement. The impact of the peer-reviewed articles on the impact of e-learning on college students' academic achievement was examined in four categories. These categories are detailed in the results. Finally, pedagogical conclusions are drawn in light of the results obtained.

This study documents how hegemonic masculinity is experienced through the lens of five female students registered in an engineering course using a single instrumental case study research contextualised in a national university in Mauritius. It analyses how these relations and interactions are interpreted and integrated in the ways the participants are choosing to 'do gender' reflecting critically on what this reveals about acceptance of and resistance to these gendered cultural norms by aspiring women engineers. Interpreted from the lens of gender regimes (Connell 2002), the findings indicate how male students legitimised their power by foregrounding the physical inadequacy of their female classmates, the cultural barriers associated with the rough vocabulary of builders which are certain to cause discomfort to female engineers, and the physically strenuous working environments, all of which are designed to assert a male reading of what engineering work is about. What is, however, also evident is the acceptance of these views by some female participants who feel compelled, to accept 'male help' designed to enforce some form of control and superiority. 'Beating the boys' on their own preferred terrain of abstract thinking appears to be a way for some participants to level the field despite against attempts to represent engineering knowledge as 'male', and only allowing privileged female students to access such understandings is a common gatekeeping exercise endorsed by male classmates. Contribution: This study shows the deep transformations that need to be brought about in higher education settings, particularly in small island contexts where the dominant culture is often silently resistant to progressive equality agenda.

Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) compared to their counterparts in other world regions (United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF], 2014). When GBV occurs in schools, it severely endangers access to education. Using the third round of data of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) from over 60,000 Grade 6 learners across 14 countries, we examined the relationship between GBV in primary schools and learners' absenteeism. Findings indicate that sexual harassment perpetrated by teachers significantly increases learners' absenteeism. In contrast, effects were less clear when the perpetrator was a fellow learner. Effects found are similar in magnitude for girls and boys. Violence prevention education programmes and stricter punishment for offenders are needed to establish a safer school environment and overcome harassment-related barriers to learning.

Previous studies have paid considerable attention to the impact on a child's primary education of attending pre-primary school. Researchers have asserted that early educational intervention can compensate for the effects of poverty and inadequate learning environments on child development and school success. This study analyzes the relationship between pre-primary education and student reading and mathematics achievement in the sixth grade, focusing on disadvantaged children, in countries that participated in the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) III project. The results show that the achievement of children who attended pre-primary education is higher than that of those who did not. The achievement of children who have many home resources for learning is better than that of children who have a few such resources. In almost all countries, disadvantaged children's achievement is increased when they attend pre-primary education. However, the contribution of pre-primary education to ameliorating social inequalities is different in the various contexts of different countries. These findings contribute to the discussion on the importance of early childhood care and education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

With evidence of global climate change and ongoing ecological degradation, there is an urgent need to give more attention to sustainability within VET to ensure that VET does not remain complicit in reproducing the unjust and unsustainable trajectories of current economic and development pathways. At present, the VET literature does not adequately address these issues, hence the need for this special issue. In response, this paper offers a meta-reflective 'landscape view' of the sustainability within the VET 'field of knowledge' as it is emerging. Here, we use landscape review as a multi-dimensional, 'outside-in' view that provides a basis for understanding the broad context and helps to inform actionable next steps. This analysis we believe helps to highlight the key emerging priorities as well as what paths VET is taking on the journey to sustainability. The analysis shows that while some progress has been made in policy and practice related to the 'greening' of VET, much of the current response within VET to the environmental challenge reflects a minimalist reformist approach, characterised by 'bolt-ons' to existing institutional structures and curricula whilst leaving the fundamental beliefs in productivism, industrialisation and growth in place. Yet, as argued by researchers working on green economy, these beliefs are often complicit in co-creation of the environmental crisis.

We investigated what students learnt about biodiversity, a broad and multi-dimensional concept, challenging to understand, following a visit to a nature reserve. Acknowledging the individual nature of informal learning, we explore Personal Meaning Maps (PMMs) coupled with semi-structured interviews to investigate learning among 13 scouts aged 13-15 years as they participated in a single guided tour to a nature reserve in Mauritius. PMMs were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Adopting a constructivist approach, biodiversity learning was framed along three lenses, namely, 'ecological literacy', 'biodiversity and society' and 'nature and self', recognising that biodiversity is a socio-scientific concept. Following the visit, there was an increase in ecological literacy through an understanding of the importance of biodiversity, conservation measures and endemic species. Participants retained a species-centred view of biodiversity. Students could better critique biodiversity and society issues and displayed a higher appreciation for nature and the intrinsic value of biodiversity. The visit contributed to an enrichment in biodiversity-related vocabulary especially regarding local endemic and extinct species. Prior knowledge determined vocabulary enrichment but not conceptual additions among individual students. We suggest a wider exploration of PMMs to investigate prior knowledge and subsequent learning during nature reserve visits which can powerfully enhance biodiversity education.

This study uses a case study methodology to showcase the use of the DTSICM (Design thinking Strategy to Identify and Clear Misconceptions) model, which provides a design thinking approach to identify and clear a common misconception on photosynthesis, held by a sample of 27 A-level students. As a first stage, data collected through the administration of a two-tier MCQ diagnostic questionnaire was used to (i) identify the most prevalent misconceptions held by the sampled students on photosynthesis and (ii) describe the types and origins of the identified misconceptions. In the next stage, the teacher selected the most appropriate context-driven methods to clear students' misconceptions, based on the findings of stage 1, the capabilities and needs of the sampled students and a thorough literature review. Consequently, 'direct instruction', 'gamification' and 'modelling' were selected and implemented at classroom level and their efficacy was compared in view of conceptual shift. The findings revealed that the DTSICM model provided teachers with a structured and formalised pathway that allows them to select the most appropriate methods for the identification and clearing of students' misconceptions based on the types and origins of the misconceptions; the specificity of the context; and students' abilities, competencies and needs.

This paper presents personal insights and discussions on the exploration of specific strategies which relate to data collection and analysis used to support the focus group discussion data collection and preliminary analysis of a doctoral research entitled "Undergraduate students' experiences of learning with digital multimodal texts." The main objective of the doctoral research was to understand the different ways undergraduate students experienced learning with digital multimodal texts (DMTs) within the context of a history module included in their first-year programme of studies both as readers (consumers) and authors (producers). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, written reflection accounts, a focus group discussion and consideration given to the DMT (a video) produced by the participants. The focus group discussion event included a hands-on task whereby participants were requested to write their views in response to a given prompt question in the form of tweets. Also, the written tweets were visualised as word clouds for the purpose of initial analysis. The findings reported in this paper, which are based on observation notes and investigation of the word clouds, suggest that the tweet-related, hands-on task acted as a good ice breaker, making the participants feel at ease and more relaxed about sharing their views amongst each other while eliciting discussions and fostering deeper thinking. Also, the word clouds were revealed to be an effective data visualisation tool allowing emerging and salient themes to stand out from the participants' written tweets and reflections.

Each year, a significant number of students from the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius seek higher education opportunities abroad. Yet, limited research exists on these students' expectations, preferences, and experiences in their academic and non-academic university settings overseas. This quantitative study investigates the experiences of Mauritian degree-seeking students at universities in Australia and the United Kingdom, which have been two of the most preferred destination countries for these students over the years. Precisely, this research examines associations between overall university satisfaction and various aspects of the student experience in the arrival, learning, living, and support services environment. Analyses reveal that a number of satisfaction variables were important to students, namely the opportunity to make friends on campus, the availability of social activities and facilities, internet access and IT support, and chaplaincy or multi-faith provision. Implications for international educators, university administrators, and guidance counsellors are discussed.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent to which open, and distance education universities are fulfilling their stated purpose as higher education institutions in SubSaharan countries. The starting point of understanding the purpose of an institutions is to analyse the content of mission statements and the context in which the universities operate. The content of the mission statements of the six selected open and distance universities from Sub-Saharan countries were analysed using contextual content analysis. The role of mission statements is to communicate the purpose of the institution to stakeholders. Although most open and distance universities mentioned some of the principles of openness, many mission statements were silent on access, equity and student-centredness. The findings revealed that there is misalignment between what the university claims to do and their practice. This shows that these institutions did not consider the open and distance education principles and context when developing mission statements.

Despite the extensive research into academic vocabulary in university student writing, little is known about academic vocabulary in international foundation-level students' assessed academic writing. Considering that academic vocabulary is regarded as a key element of academic writing style and that written assignment is one of the main forms of assessment in university contexts, this is an important omission. This study addresses the gap by employing a corpus-based approach to investigate the development of academic vocabulary in assessed academic writing produced by international students (N = 193) in a foundation (gateway) program over an academic year in the context of a British university based in England and its overseas campuses in the United Arab Emirates and Mauritius. The findings show an increase in the usage of academic vocabulary over the course of the foundation program and highlight the impact of the assignment topic and brief.

Learner discipline management is a major but challenging function of school leadership. Adolescents of the 21st century are complex in nature, and school stakeholders are having much difficulty to handle the problem of indiscipline in secondary schools. This paper aims at providing a conceptual model framework for learner discipline management. This model is the result of an empirical investigation conducted in four secondary schools. Focus group discussion and individual interviews were carried out with 80 participants, including 24 teachers, 24 learners, 24 parents, four school principals, and four school superintendents. The non-participant observation was also conducted in the four schools. Based on the conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature on positive, proactive, preventive and restorative discipline, the researcher proposed the model that considers all the research and evidence-based strategies that are combined with the current effective measures prescribed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Mauritius. The model is framed within the context of the Nine Year Continuous Basic Education reform that requires a shift in the conception of discipline from the punitive or reactive approach to the positive approach. This paper formulates a conceptual model framework to implement in an attempt to prevent, reverse and restore discipline among learners in secondary schools.

As research must measure and precisely assess the effects of changes and advances in an area of endeavor, mathematics has played. It continues to play a key role in developing realms of science and technology. Academic performance is an important factor in determining an individual's success or failure in mathematics. Mathematics is obligatory in Mauritius until students reach Grade 11, taking the Cambridge School Certificate Examination. However, in the case of Mauritius, the question of student success growth rate has not been properly explored. The aim of this research is to establish the rate of growth in student math performance for the Cambridge School Certificate Examination. The Verhulst logistic model is adapted for this purpose for the period 2012 to 2019. According to the findings, the predicted growth rate of student achievement in Mathematics Syllabus A, Mathematics Syllabus D, and Additional Mathematics are respectively lowered by about 2.42 percent, 1.86 percent, and 7.01 percent per year.

The aim of this study was to comparatively investigate the predictability of religiosity/spirituality and affective moral reasoning levels of Muslim and non-Muslim students in Muslim societies on their generative altruism. The data of the study were based on a sample of 6722 students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in 10 countries for which data collection and data entry were performed in Wave 1 of Advancing Education in Muslim Societies 2018-2019 fieldwork. Religiosity/Spirituality Scale, Affective Moral Reasoning Scale, and Generative Altruism Scale for Muslim and non-Muslim students were utilized for data collection. T-test and effect size were used for comparing sample means while the Multiple Linear Regression Analysis method was utilized in the regression analysis. The research results showed the level of generative altruism of Muslim students was statistically significantly higher than their non-Muslim peers. It was concluded with the regression model that religiosity/spirituality and affective moral reasoning levels explained generative altruism of Muslim students by 21% and non-Muslim students by 30%. What was noteworthy in this study was that the affective moral reasoning is a stronger predictor of the generative altruism of both Muslim and non-Muslim students than religiosity/spirituality. In light of these results, recommendations were provided about activities that can be conducted on students' generative altruism and future research.

The learning gap between urban and rural areas is a persistent problem in many sub-Saharan African countries. Previous studies have found that the urban-rural learning gap is attributed to the fact that student characteristics and school resources are different in urban and rural areas. Our study updates this finding by using the latest dataset and further examines the changes in the attributed sources over time. Using 15 educational systems in sub-Saharan Africa, we examined 4 potential sources of the gap: student, family, teacher, and school characteristics. Our results reveal that the urban-rural learning gap in recent years is attributed mostly to differences in school and family characteristics. We also found that the attribution remains the same over time from 2004 to 2011 and that the attribution to family characteristics' differences became slightly greater than the one to school characteristics' differences.

This study analyzed the job satisfaction of educators in both private and public low-performing secondary schools in Mauritius. It also assessed the impact of some determinants on job performance and academic performance, and it provides a comparative study of the job satisfaction determinants from both types of schools. A survey was carried out with 120 educators from six secondary schools in Mauritius. It revealed several direct factors that create job dissatisfaction among educators. The article provides recommendations to tackle the problems that were raised. The study concluded that there is a significant relationship between job performance and job satisfaction.

Private supplementary tutoring, widely known as shadow education, has become a global phenomenon. It has a range of providers, including commercial companies, university students desiring extra pocket money, and regular school teachers who provide tutoring as a sideline activity. This paper focuses on the last category. Governments are commonly ambivalent about the existence of shadow education, and may especially disapprove of regular teachers providing private supplementary tutoring in part because they fear that the teachers will neglect their main duties. With such matters in mind, some governments have attempted to prohibit teachers from providing private tutoring. However, such prohibitions are difficult to implement. This paper analyses situations in Korea, Mauritius, Kenya and England in order to derive comparative lessons from experience. It demonstrates the importance of wider contextual factors including alignment of macro-level aspirations with the micro-level perspectives of families finding themselves in increasingly competitive environments.

Background: Although Mauritius has adopted an inclusive education policy for learners with special education needs, it has not yet been implemented. Little is known about how teachers support learners experiencing reading and writing difficulties (RWD) in mainstream government primary schools. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the perspectives of mainstream primary school teachers in Mauritius about learners with RWD and inclusive education. Setting: The data collection took place at the respective schools selected for the study. Methods: A total of 100 teachers from randomly selected schools in Zone 2, an area with urban and rural schools in Mauritius, were recruited to complete a questionnaire. Results: The results show that almost all participants had encountered learners with RWD, but they had no training in RWD or specific learning disorders. Thus, participants had inadequate perspectives about the causes, identification and intervention of RWD. By far, the majority of participants viewed special education schools as the best learning environment for learners with RWD and inclusive education as detrimental to learners with RWD. However, the same number of participants (81.8%) agreed that extensive teacher retraining will facilitate the integration of learners with RWD in regular schools. Younger participants were more interested in training and more experienced teachers tended to view learners with RWD more positively. Conclusion: The study supports the need for in-service training of mainstream primary school teachers in RWD and inclusive education and to include the topics in the curriculum of future teachers.

Engineering plays a crucial role in everyday life and is the backbone of growth and development of the world including Mauritius. To embrace development, higher education institutions have to ensure that students are equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the country. Unfortunately, data shows that there is an underlying gender disparity in civil engineering training in higher education. It is imperative to understand the causes of gender inequity in engineering in higher education. This paper summarises the findings obtained from in-depth critical individual conversations with three participants, which explored the under-representation of undergraduate female students in a civil engineering degree in a higher education institution in Mauritius. The aim was to find ways in which the recruitment of female students in higher education and advancement of women in the field of civil engineering can be achieved. The findings support the 'non-visibility' of civil engineering as a field to study by women and the need to fit in as an engineer by women. As a result of the research, recommendations were made to assist policy and decision makers to develop evidence-based policies to address gender inequity in engineering in higher education.

Although higher education plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of Sub-Saharan Africa, enrollment in universities in the region is unexpectedly low compared to other regions. However, Sub-Saharan African countries have made strides in increasing access to higher education amidst constraints and challenges. The efforts have led to increases in enrollment and what many countries did not anticipate is the increase in unemployment from the greater output of students. In this study, we use panel data from eleven Sub-Saharan African countries for 2000-2018 to analyze the relationship between higher education and unemployment. A panel fixed effect model was estimated, and the results indicate that unemployment has a negative and significant effect on higher enrollment. Besides, higher education enrollment has a significant but negative effect on employment. Per capita income significantly affects enrollment into higher education and has the expected sign. The estimates further show that government expenditures on higher education play a significant role in the demand for places in higher education.

The COVID-19 outbreak stimulated an outbreak of online learning in many institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Educational institutions went beyond fighting the COVID-19 through social distancing norms to tackling Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) with the adoption of online learning as the new modality for instruction. Online learning has the propensity to ensure learners from all geographical regions have access to education, thereby addressing the inequalities in education. However, the disparities in the access to digital infrastructure had a negative impact on the online instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa. The online learning experience is best described as a "challenge-ridden online learning" with many teachers suffering from burnout and students lamenting on limited ICT resources, inadequate access to affordable and reliable internet, power outages, and anxiety over academic outcomes. Despite the challenges, the COVID-19 has presented a silver lining to online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aside the attempt to massify online learning, many institutions have come up with novel technological innovations and inventions to bridge the digital divide in the region. The review gives an overview of the challenges, prospects, and practical implications of online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Abstract-The COVID-19 outbreak stimulated an outbreak of online learning in many institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Educational institutions went beyond fighting the COVID-19 through social distancing norms to tackling Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) with the adoption of online learning as the new modality for instruction. Online learning has the propensity to ensure learners from all geographical regions have access to education, thereby addressing the inequalities in education. However, the disparities in the access to digital infrastructure had a negative impact on the online instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa. The online learning learning" with many teachers suffering from burnout and students lamenting on limited ICT resources, inadequate access to affordable and reliable internet, power outages, and anxiety over academic outcomes. Despite the challenges, the COVID-19 has presented a silver lining to online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aside the attempt to massify online learning, many institutions have come up with novel technological innovations and inventions to bridge the digital divide in the region. The review gives an overview of the challenges, prospects, and practical implications of online learning in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With the advent of e-learning, advocates use the term interactivity instead of interaction among students, and between the teacher and the students. Many universities use Moodle for online teaching and learning. This paper explores the perceptions and experiences of students in three Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Mauritius. A mixed-methods approach was used, with an online survey questionnaire administered to 600 students and focus group discussions were conducted with 15 students from these institutions. It was found that 68.4% of respondents used WhatsApp compared to only 23.6% of them who used the e-learning platform, Moodle. There were no associations between the use or frequency of using WhatsApp or Facebook and the types of HEI to which the students belonged. Students preferred WhatsApp due to its facility for knowledge sharing and construction, its interactivity, its usability, respect for privacy and instant communication. From the findings, it is recommended that HEIs bring a shift in their approaches to teaching and learning from cognitivism to socio-constructivism, connectivism and heutagogy.

The paper aims to contribute to the limited literature on the challenges faced particularly by the primary school headmasters. It contextualizes the problem to the current educational reform in Mauritius. The mixed-methods approach was adopted to examine the daily experiences of headmasters in three selected primary schools. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered with 100 teachers to analyse the challenges experienced by their novice headmasters, and the novice school head of each of these schools was interviewed to explore the reasons behind these challenges. The novice heads suffered from professional isolation; they are overwhelmed with administrative management; their incapacity to manage learner discipline due to lack of parental support in implementing the reform; and they cannot support the implementation of digitalized education. The study was limited to the perceptions of teachers about the challenges met by their novice headmasters. An in-depth interview with these novice school heads would have provided other challenges that were more important to them in their leadership practice, or a survey with a large sample of novice headmasters would have added more input to the study. Implications are provided for the novice school heads and for the Ministry of Education to look into the possibilities for professional development opportunities in school leadership. As a unique study into the challenges of novice school heads in the primary school context, it offers insights to the educational authorities who would be able to design a framework of school leadership for this neglected category of heads.

As a teacher educator of literature methodology in Mauritius, this arts-based self-study is rooted in the need to improve my professional practice. It emanated from a critical incident during the COVID pandemic when I used blackout poetry during an online synchronous session with in-service teachers for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. The data production tools for this self-study include my own blackout poem, a reflection on the critical incident and an autobiographical resume. In addition, I engaged in dialogic discussion with the in-service teachers who served as critical friends. These tools empowered me to reflect on how I use blackout poetry as a creative writing activity and as a form of poetic inquiry with in-service teachers as andragogic learners. It also provided me with the opportunity to learn how I could become more empathetic to the learning experiences of in-service teachers. The thematic analysis revealed that the blackout poetry activity had not been fully optimized for creative and reflective purposes. First, there was the misassumption that this activity would interest the in-service teachers and intrinsically motivate them to engage in deep reflection and dialogic discussion. Second, I had overlooked temporal and technological challenges faced by in-service teachers. Lastly, the inability to align andragogic (adult learning) theory and practice and renegotiate learning expectations impeded the in-service teachers' learning experiences. This study thus valorizes how reflexive blackout poems, alongside other data production tools, can contribute to the unlearning and relearning of teacher educators to better teach adult learners.

The number of students opting for science subjects, particularly biology, beyond compulsory school level has been decreasing substantially in recent decades in Mauritius. This decline is of major concern when scientific literacy and the need for science-based employment are considered fundamental to face both local and global challenges. Although several studies have identified a range of factors to explain students' choice of subjects and the low number of students opting for biology at post-compulsory level, there is little known about how policies respond to the issue. In this article, we explore how policies are responding, drawing on 25 biology education policy documents and focus groups with twelve students, ten educational officials and six parents. The findings of this study suggest that the actions undertaken in attempts to address the issue of poor uptake of biology could have been undertaken in a more coherent way, with an appropriate overarching policy frame to inform the actions. We argue that current policy actions are too state-centred, with policy-makers adopting a top-down approach where policies are simply meant to be implemented by schools. We also argue that more needs to be done to acknowledge and incorporate inputs from other stakeholders, including students.

The concepts Open Distance (ODL) and the Open Educational Resources (OER) are central to Higher Education around the globe. Although the OER are understood to be freely available online material that anyone can use for teaching and learning purposes, there is some evidence to suggest that majority of students in the African continent do not use the OER. On the other hand, existing research recognizes the ODL as the learning environment that breaks the barriers that limit students to access higher education such as location and distance from the university, financial pressures and other social problems. This paper reflects on the students' participation and use of OER, focusing in purposively three selected ODL institutions. Drawing from community of inquiry framework, and given the nature of the ODL environment, this paper argues that students' lack or limited participation in the use of OER seem to be dominated by what the OER can do which is promotion of access, equity and quality. This argument is presented with the full acknowledgement that access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is essential to access, adapt and use the OER.

Characterised by strong human capital dependency, Small Island Development States (SIDS) such as Mauritius depend largely on work-ready graduates to boost their economy. Yet, Graduate Work Readiness (GWR) and graduate unemployment feature prominently on the Mauritian government agenda. This paper investigates the previously unexplored issue of GWR in Mauritius through four key stakeholder lenses -- those of the government, employers, universities, and undergraduates -- before suggesting collaborative strategies to enhance graduate employability. The paper findings build on government and parastatal body interviews and qualitative survey responses from the Top 100 companies, higher education institution directors and final year undergraduates in Mauritius. Study results and recommendations are derived from a thematic content analysis of interview transcripts and qualitative survey data. Results indicate that there is a strong need to (1) strengthen stakeholder links, (2) enforce industry-centric university curricula, (4) improve graduate work experience, (4) hone graduate soft skills, and (5) their attitude to work. A Graduate Work Readiness Integrated Stakeholder Framework (GWRISF) supported by a National Work Integrated Learning Committee (NWILC) is then recommended. It is envisaged that proposed strategies will not only assist Mauritian stakeholders in better joining forces for GWR improvement but can also be useful to other comparable SIDS.

Yearly in Mauritius, only a few Special Educational Needs (SEN) and especially Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students manage to get a passing mark in French language at elementary level. As at date, literature suggests that there is hardly any French language learning tools connected with pedagogical knowledge and technological tools suitable for those children. The rationale behind this paper is to show how gamification of French learning resources can positively affect SEN and especially DHH students' understanding and level of achievement in the language. Research questions were posed about the difficulties faced when students of that specific group learn to read and write in French, about how the gamification of textual resources can be used to improve the students' learning, and the impact the games have on the students. The aim of this research is to embed gamification in the teaching and learning process of French language. Advocating for both qualitative and quantitative methods, the project based itself on the pragmatic paradigm while the theoretical framework is based on action research. Using my methodological inventiveness, data was gathered using techniques such as surveys, interviews, observations and focus group discussions through the lenses of narrative inquiry. On average, most students already did quite well when subjected to their teachers' teaching methods only and showed a slight improvement for some students when games were added as learning aid.

In recent years, quality assurance (QA) in higher education has received increasing attention by academics, learners, institutions, and governments alike. Many open universities (OUs) have taken steps to re-define or re-orient their systems and practices to integrate quality. While there is a growing body of literature on QA best practices, there has been little investigation into the factors that influence institutions to improve or adopt QA and how these factors impact on the specific manifestations of institutional QA. This paper examines the challenges of QA implementation in OUs and, using a neo-institutionalist lens, it advances a framework for understanding drivers of institutional QA implementation. The framework is applied to the case of the Open University of Mauritius (OUM). Existing literature, institutional records, interviews and reports are analysed to assess how exogenous and endogenous factors have influenced QA implementation at OUM, with a focus on addressing the specificities of open and distance learning (ODL). A better understanding of the drivers of change for QA can help OUs plan the implementation of QA mechanisms in a more comprehensive way and to systematically develop a culture of quality that responds to the ideological and practical context of ODL.

Today, more and more working adults are opting for the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode to pursue their tertiary studies as it offers them the flexibility to study anywhere, any time and at one's own pace. But studying at a distance can be problematic for many learners, with the absence of regular traditional face-to-face sessions. Some find it difficult to adapt to this new learning environment and become easily isolated. Collaborative Learning (CL) can help overcome this isolation and boost learning performance. To investigate the implications of CL in the ODL environment, a study was conducted with 155 learners at the Open University of Mauritius. The study revealed that at least one third of the respondents were not participating in CL and were thus missing on the benefits of "learning together". The others had adopted CL to understand the course content, discuss assignments and get better marks. This study also showed that tutors' role was vital in encouraging learners delve in CL. Respondents deplored the lack of appropriate infrastructure and meeting places to hold CL meetings. They also reported lack of awareness of the benefits of CL and difficulty in finding time due to family and professional commitment as some of the obstacles to CL.

The phenomena of disabilities in the Arab world can be viewed from various perspectives, considering historical times, epistemological programmes and theoretical models. This article is a theoretical review and comparative data analysis of the problems regarding the evolution of attitudes and current concept of disability and theoretical assumptions of caring for disabled people in the Arab world. Content of the theoretical part of the paper includes reasons for caring for disabled Arabs, including: analysis of human orientation aspects, social orientation, equality of opportunity and principles of democracy orientation and human development orientation. In the second part of the article the authors discuss empirical comparative data related to disability in the Arab world as: various causes of congenital or acquired disabilities, including culturally bounded causes of disabilities in Arab world, related to marriages in close families and marriages of underage girls. The paper illustrates key aspects of conceptualization of disabilities in the Arab countries and gives comparative analysis of the latest data on the situation of children with disabilities in education sectors and adults in the labor market. This part of comparative analysis broadly refers to the primary data from the Arab countries published as research report in 2018 by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The report is entitled "Disability in the Arab Region".

The phenomena of disabilities in the Arab world can be viewed from various perspectives, considering historical times, epistemological programmes and theoretical models. This article is a theoretical review and comparative data analysis of the problems regarding the evolution of attitudes and current concept of disability and theoretical assumptions of caring for disabled people in the Arab world. Content of the theoretical part of the paper includes reasons for caring for disabled Arabs, including: analysis of human orientation aspects, social orientation, equality of opportunity and principles of democracy orientation and human development orientation. In the second part of the article the authors discuss empirical comparative data related to disability in the Arab world as: various causes of congenital or acquired disabilities, including culturally bounded causes of disabilities in Arab world, related to marriages in close families and marriages of underage girls. The paper illustrates key aspects of conceptualization of disabilities in the Arab countries and gives comparative analysis of the latest data on the situation of children with disabilities in education sectors and adults in the labor market. This part of comparative analysis broadly refers to the primary data from the Arab countries published as research report in 2018 by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The report is entitled "Disability in the Arab Region".

This study aims at exploring the use of tablets in Grade 1 and Grade 2 from the educators' point of view in Mauritius. Data were collected via an online survey, after one year of implementation of use of tablets in these grades. Twenty three (23) educators responded, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five (5) educators from three different achieving schools. For the purpose of analysis, the qualitative method with quantitative insight was opted for the survey and a thematic approach based on themes generated from the interview of the educators was chosen. The general findings show that educators play a key role in the use of tablets in the classroom. This in turn depends on direct impacting factors such as training, infrastructure, educational resources, personal effort and indirect impacting factors such as peer pressure and previous experience with technology in the classroom. The results indicate that the use of tablets has not been fully exploited in the classroom for the benefit of teaching and learning. There is room for further research to identify the on-field problems and hence propose adequate solutions so that optimum use of the tablets can be made.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is increasingly being used to support the process of academic teaching in the higher education sector. However, it is imperative to understand the causes for minimal utilisation of ICT tools by female academic teaching staff in their teaching process, resulting in gender inequity in technology. The research examined the correlation between ICT integration in the teaching process by female academic teaching staff in the higher education sector in Mauritius and the factors that could improve such integration in line. Futures thinking methodology was used for this study to address policy, strategies and actions to support appropriate futures. It comprised an evaluation of the sources and causes of change to map a probable future and a preferable future. The future thinking methods included signalling, horizon scanning, future wheel analysis, alternate futures framework and determining scenarios. As a result of the research, recommendations were made to assist policy makers and decision makers to develop evidence based policies to address gender inequity in the use of technology in higher education.

Teaching to students' local experiences is a tenet of good teaching in many contexts. This study explores the ways eight educators use local meanings in discourse. Through ethnographic work in an elementary school in the township of Roche-Bois, Mauritius, I examine teachers' words about students' localities. Articulating critical discourse analysis with theories of space, I evaluate whether teachers' place-based meanings perpetuate or transform long-standing historical patterns of racialization associated with the town. The analysis identifies how processes of racialization take shape through place-based discourse. I draw implications for a critical pedagogy of the local to support decolonizing teacher knowledge.