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Access status: Open Access ,
Managing student unrest in a South African university: A case study
(University of the Free State, 2022) Gwama, Unathi Mvuyisi; Omodan, Bunmi I.
Higher education and training institutions in South Africa have been plagued by nationwide student unrest and crises for the past few years. This has been a problem for the nation's colleges and universities. This is not just a problem for higher education in South Africa; similar problems exist in nations like Ghana, Nigeria, the United States among others. Most of these unrests are linked to lack of appropriate forum for dialogue between university administration and the students, and neither side is prepared to yield and make concessions. Therefore, it is necessary to ameliorate the conflictual gap between students and management so that the two can interact without interfering with the learning process. Therefore, this study sought to answer the following question: How can the prevalence of student unrest be managed in South African universities to ensure peaceful university education and its productivity? Using decoloniality theory, the study was underpinned by Transformative Paradigm as the research paradigm. The research design used was Participatory Research (PR) and method of data collection was focus group discussion (FGD). Participants were selected using a homogeneous sampling technique. The data was analysed using Braun and Clarke six-step thematic analysis. The study revealed that lack of the proper structure to manage unrest, failure to involve the student in decision-making, and power differentials between students and university authorities are the challenging factors in the management of student unrest. And the neglect of rural universities, especially those merged with the campus in urban areas, and violent behaviour stems from society are also the two themes that have come as other contributing issues to student unrest in rural universities. And the possible solutions to the above challenges were the development of proper structures, involvement of stakeholders in decision making and development of common ground between the stakeholders could be used as solutions. It was recommended that society be brought into the picture in order to properly address the issue of student unrest. It has been embedded into the society that for your demands to be heard, for example, when you need water, you must burn the library, and this has been inculcated into the youth of the country; therefore, universities must find ways of ensuring that this culture is unlearned among students. Secondly, the integration of students is a much-needed strategy. That is, students from high school need to be properly integrated into the university, which is a new environment for them and that comes with independence. Thirdly, universities that have undergone the merger process need to pay attention to such as it has brought a lot of inequality between the campuses through amalgamation.
Access status: Open Access ,
Creating an action research-based framework for blended Mathematics Teacher Development in Rural South African Schools
(University of the Free State, 2024) la Grange-Taylor, Maryke; Stott, A. E.
This thesis describes a participatory action research study that creates a framework for a blended mathematics teacher development programme in rural South African schools. The literature highlights the importance of integrating cognitive, social, and teaching presence to enhance teacher engagement in blended learning environments. However, a gap exists between practice and theory, particularly in applying blended learning to mathematics teacher development in rural contexts. This study addresses the gap by moving from an online-dominant to a traditional face-to-face (F2F) blended approach, leveraging manipulative and structured curriculum resources to trigger teachers’ interest in Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (MKT). In this study, this approach led to open conversations, exploration of online MKT resources, and improved engagement. The study employed a mixed-methods instrumental case study design across four action-research cycles, with 46 teachers from seven low-quintile schools participating in the PG Bison Infundo EC Schools Project. Data were collected through questionnaires, classroom observations, workshops, reflective journals, and semi-structured interviews. A combination of inductive and deductive qualitative data analysis was used, with the Community of Inquiry and Engagement Theory providing analytical frameworks for consistent indicator development. The findings showed that teachers engage more meaningfully in the programme activities while following a traditional blended, low-tech approach. I suggest that this is due to low ICT skills and consistent connectivity issues in rural areas. The significance of this research is the explicit explanation of the importance of the low-tech traditional F2F approach to blended learning, how it can be designed and implemented, and the value of Community of Inquiry Theory through facilitating mathematics teacher development programmes. Furthermore, it highlights the difficulty of the online approach to blended learning in rural South African schools. This Blended Mathematics Teacher Development framework should be valuable to programme developers and contribute to educational and teaching practice in rural, under-resourced education contexts.
Access status: Open Access ,
Guidelines for peer physical examination as a teaching tool for health professional students in South Africa
(University of the Free State, 2023) Hattingh, Maryna Gertruida Maria; labuschagne, M. J.; Adefuye, A. O.
Globally, students learn clinical skills and surface anatomy in health professions education using each other as models (Rees, Wearn, Vnuk & Sato 2009:104). In the South African context, with its multicultural student population, practising on one another might bring forth challenges for various reasons, such as differences in gender, ethnicity, age, religion and culture. The researcher could not establish any policy or best practice guidelines regulating the use of PPE as an educational tool at any South African university. The researcher addressed the problem by conducting a study to establish the elements students and lecturers regard essential to include in best practice guidelines when PPE is used as the educational tool of choice at South African universities. The researcher followed a qualitative research design and conducted the study in four phases. During phase one, the researcher conducted a comprehensive literature study to answer the question, 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘗𝘌 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? In phases two and three, which ran concurrently, the researcher conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with students and lecturers, respectively, at the Faculties of Health Sciences of five South African universities. The empirical phase of the study happened amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in the majority of the interviews being conducted virtually. The researcher transcribed all the interviews verbatim and identified themes, categories, and subcategories. The identified data were compared with the literature on existing guidelines and policies on PPE use at universities in New Zealand and Australia. The results of these two phases answered the last research question, 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘗𝘌 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵? The researcher then compiled preliminary guidelines to use when PPE is the educational tool of choice at South African Faculties of Health Sciences. During the last phase of the study, the researcher asked a panel comprising seven experts to validate the proposed guidelines. With the input of the expert panel, the guidelines were finalised to reach the aim of the study.
Access status: Open Access ,
Taking stock of South African responses to homelessness: advocating for victim-inclusive and protective policy reform
(MDPI, 2025) Pophaim, Jean-Paul
Homelessness remains a neglected and under-prioritized area of policy intervention in South Africa. Without a national policy framework, homelessness is generally overlooked, resulting in intermittent, fragmented and ineffective responses. The lack of attention has contributed to a concerning rise in both at-risk and street-based homeless populations, who continue to face challenges in accessing effective support. Using document analysis, the paper maps the content of six local homelessness policies. The findings reveal that the documents adhere to a rigid and static framework, thereby failing to capture the complex contextual and conceptual factors associated with homelessness. A notable shortcoming is the limited focus on and response to experiences of victimization. Using the Health Policy Triangle (HPT), the paper aligns the key findings with the four dimensions of the framework to advocate for inclusive, protective and victim-sensitive policy recommendations to aid in the development of holistic and humane responses to homelessness in South Africa.
Access status: Open Access ,
Lesotho integrated curriculum: using professional learning communities to monitor the challenges in the implementation
(ERRCD Forum, 2025) Ratsele, Rapel Edward; Tsotetsi, Cias Thapelo
Globally, various studies highlight challenges in the implementation of most new curricula. Lesotho introduced the Lesotho Integrated Curriculum as a response to the examination-oriented curriculum that had been in place for some time. This study aims to explore the challenges experienced by school leaders, who are responsible for supervising the implementation of the Lesotho Integrated Curriculum. Informed by Change Management theory, we situated the study within the interpretive paradigm. Furthermore, we opted for a qualitative research approach and a Participatory Action Research design. This study was conducted in a rural primary school using a Professional Learning Community to monitor the implementation of the Lesotho Integrated Curriculum. Data was gathered from seven participants, comprising three senior teachers and four teachers who were at the entry level of their teaching profession. To generate data, participants were asked to reflect during scheduled meetings. Ahead of these meetings, participants were required to review the official teaching and learning books, as well as integrated curriculum-related documents at different intervals. To make sense of the data, we thematically arranged it. The findings revealed that in monitoring the implementation of the Lesotho Integrated Curriculum, school heads face challenges such as a lack of suitable time for monitoring curriculum enactment, learners' absenteeism, an inconsistent assessment mechanism, large class sizes, and teachers' negative reactions towards classroom visits. The current study calls for the Ministry of Education, policymakers, and universities to create more time for training and engagement prior to implementing any new curriculum, and to ensure manageable class sizes.
Access status: Open Access ,
The rugged trajectory of Africa’s Reparations Agenda: from aspiration to claim and action
(UNISA Press, 2025) Namakula, Catherine S
The first advances of Africa’s reparations agenda are traceable to the First International Conference on Reparations held in Nigeria in 1990. The profile of the subject was promptly raised to that of a regional undertaking at the level of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1991. The continent is henceforth seen to stumble into institutional formulations that lack the support infrastructure and formidability to operate. The momentum for reparations set by the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of 2001 faltered in Africa, primarily because the continent prioritised development assistance, investment and market reforms with the very powers responsible for reparations. More than two decades after this conference, it is increasingly evident that reparations are crucial for dismantling the structural impoverishment that undermines even the most well-intentioned reforms. The African Union (AU) is currently resuscitating the continent’s reparations agenda, amid some gains by Africa’s diaspora, protracted litigation and advances by certain African societies and the renewal of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent, which is based on the pillars of recognition, justice and development. A continent’s reparations agenda must be guided by clear and established principles of engagement, driven by a formidable and sustainable institution, with continental-wide representation and consensus. A holistic agenda must unify the continent, in its diversity, around the core objective. It should include strategies that exert influence over the nations owing reparations to fulfil their obligations and be supported by authoritative African-centred thought leadership rooted in an authentic African conscience. It is a multi-sectoral, multi-dimensional, multidisciplinary, multi-layered and resilient venture.
Access status: Open Access ,
Chitosan-based materials as effective materials to remove pollutants
(MDPI, 2025) Dambuza, Anathi; Mokolokolo, Pennie P.; Makhatha, Mamookho E.; Sibeko, Motshabi A.
Chitosan is a natural polymer derived from chitin through the deacetylation process. It has emerged as a key ingredient in sustainable wastewater treatment, due to its biodegradability, non-toxicity, and low cost. This biopolymer possesses abundant functional groups, such as -NH2 and -OH, that efficiently interact with pollutants. This review offers a comprehensive evaluation of pollutant separation techniques involving chitosan-based materials, including adsorption, membrane filtration, flocculation, and photocatalysis. It further examines the underlying adsorption mechanisms, emphasizing how pollutants interact with chitosan and its derivatives at the molecular level. Special focus is given to various modifications of chitosan, alongside a comparative assessment of different chitosan-based adsorbents (hydrogels, nanoparticles, nanocomposites, microspheres, nanofibers, etc.), highlighting their performance in removing heavy metals, dyes, and emerging organic pollutants. The reviewed performance of these polymeric materials from 2015–2025 not only gives an insight about the recent advancement but also points the need for the design of high-performing chitosan-based adsorbents with applications in real water matrices.
Access status: Open Access ,
Trajectories into gang membership: exploring risk exposure, protective factors and the factors motivating involvement in devil-worshipping gangs
(Stellenbosch University, 2025) Phillips, Ashwill R.
Gangs represent a complex phenomenon, emerging in response to social exclusion, limited opportunities and systemic inequalities. In South Africa, gang-related crime is rife, impacting on individuals, families and broader society. Gang practices in the Free State province allegedly incorporate elements of the occult, including devil-worshipping and witchcraft, generating fear within affected communities. These gangs engage in spiritually-motivated crimes including blood sacrifice, animal slaughter and communication with demons. Drawing on qualitative data obtained from interviews with detained gang members, non-gang-affiliated offenders and service providers, the paper explores key factors motivating membership as well as the protective factors which safeguard against gang involvement. Moreover, the existence of ‘devil-worshipping’ gangs and the prominent risks and protective features in this regard are explored. The findings highlight the need for protection, poverty and peer influence as pertinent factors perpetuating gang membership, while creating prosocial activities, employment and gang-awareness were noted as key protective factors. Understanding risk exposure, gang trajectories and factors that enhance resilience from the lived experience of offenders serve to humanise the gang issue and assists social workers and other stakeholders to strengthen support services for vulnerable youths, develop targeted interventions, refine policies and systemic responses, and incorporate relevant protective factors when designing or facilitating programmes within gang-prone communities.
Access status: Open Access ,
Curriculum concepts appropriate in addressing “How” and “Why” knowledge in Agricultural Sciences Pedagogical Practice
(Society for Research and Knowledge Management, 2025-07-30) Nduku, Nonhlanhla Fortunate
South Africa’s Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) specifies the content to teach and confines pertinent curriculum concepts to addressing the questions of “what”, “how” and “why” in teaching practice. Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) was used as a lens, because it is driven by human activity (teachers) and the six principles teachers should embrace in the activity system (the classroom). The prescriptive, communal and habitual perspectives (PCHP) framework personalises CHAT principles by producing curriculum concepts that underpin Agricultural Sciences (AGRIS) practice, while addressing the questions of “how” and “why”. The study presents emancipating action research of six AGRIS teachers to explore curriculum concepts they use to address the questions of “how” and “why” when teaching AGRIS in secondary schools. Reflective activities and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. Purposive sampling was used to select the most convenient six participants. The findings indicate that teachers’ teaching is dominated by content, which addresses the “what” question; teachers were unaware of other concepts that underpin AGRIS practice. This suggests that teachers mainly impart scientific knowledge when teaching AGRIS and neglect skills and values/attitudes. Consequently, this study recommends an intervention from AGRIS curriculum developers in South Africa to infuse curriculum concepts to address the questions of “how” and “why” in CAPS. The study will contribute to scholarship by bringing an in-depth understanding of curriculum concepts pertinent to the needs of learners and society. It will further assist AGRIS curriculum developers and teachers in producing globally competent learners with the right skills and values/attitudes.
Access status: Open Access ,
The failure factors of change management initiatives within a large insurance organisation
(University of the Free State, 2024) Hansi-Arendse, Thembakazi; Christie, Peter
Change management is an important concept for leading organisations through changes and transitions, by helping them adapt to new organisational strategies that are often put in place to increase an organisation’s capability, competitive landscape, and, often, to increase market share. Apart from strategic changes, organisations, specifically insurance organisation, are often expected to comply with regulatory requirements and therefore need to be in a position to effect those changes should there be any regulatory changes from the bodies that govern the industry. The insurance industry is an environment categorised by strict regulations, technological advancement, and client expectations that evolve regularly; therefore, effective change management ensures that the organisations have operational resilience and are continuously at a competitive advantage. This qualitative study explored the factors that contributed to the failure of change management initiatives within MMA in Gauteng, South Africa. The study made use of the descriptive research design and engaged 14 participants, through semi structured interviews to gather data and insights on the challenges that were encountered by the organisation when implementing change. The participants were employed within the organisation and were directly involved in change efforts. The most important research findings were identified to include but not limited to change saturation, a culture of entitlement, insufficient or lack of understanding of the organisation’s strategic objectives, insufficient or lack of leadership commitment which contributed to the communication and engagement gap highlighted by some of the participants. The absence or lack of a designated change methodology was also highlighted by the participants as a critical contributor to change initiatives failing in the organisation. The literature review conducted demonstrated that these findings were not isolated to this organisation; rather, this was a global challenge faced by various institutions globally.