Masters Degrees (School of Higher Education Studies)
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Item Open Access Optimising the design, implementation and evaluation of first year seminars in South African higher education: implications for evidence-based practices(University of the Free State, 2024) Oosthuizen, Lauren Lisa; Loots, S.Globally, first-year students face many challenges as they transition into university. This is mainly because they need to adapt to a new environment, and because there is a steep increase in the volume, complexity, and variation in an undergraduate degree workload compared to high school. In addition, many South African students are underprepared for university due to inequalities in the basic education system. The variation in school quintile and access to resources means that students entering tertiary education do not all enter on an equal footing. In response, most higher education institutions have support initiatives in place for students, in the form of First Year Experience programmes. In this study, I focus on one of these programmes – the First Year Seminar (FYS). The purpose of an FYS is to support students in their transition into university. To do so, however, it must be well-designed, well-executed, and evaluated to measure if it has achieved what it set out to do. There is limited literature in the South African space on the design and evaluation of FYS programmes. Because these programmes are often operationally focused, there is also limited research on the use of theoretical underpinnings or conceptual frameworks in contributing to the knowledge base of FYS programmes. To address this gap, this study makes use of Transition Pedagogy and its First Year Curriculum Principles (FYCPs) as a conceptual framework to argue for the optimisation of FYS programmes by interrogating how the planning, implementation, and evaluation of such programmes can support the transition and success of first-year students. The primary research question guiding this work is: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? The first article analyses the use of an evidence-based approach to design and evaluate an FYS. To do so, curriculum documents from the FYS at the University of the Free State (UFS) are analysed and mapped against the FYCPs for design. Key findings indicate that the nature of the FYS at the UFS – a hybrid seminar that is delivered institution-wide through its integration into the curriculum of all faculties – does meet the criteria for evaluating FYCPs. However, this investigation was also useful in determining ways to improve the design of this FYS to better support students’ transition into university. The implications of these findings are promising for the development of well-designed and evidence-based FYS programmes as core contributors to supporting first-year students’ transition into university. The second article uses data from students’ evaluations of the FYS at the UFS over a five-year period to reflect how the evaluation of an FYS can inform successful student transitions. The FYCPs for design of a transition programme are used as a conceptual framework to map against the student-informed design of the institutional FYS, and the article draws on the pragmatic paradigm to integrate quantitative and qualitative data in this goal-oriented, applied social research study. Although previous studies have examined student evaluations of transition programmes, there has not been a strong focus on using student evaluation data to inform the design of transition programmes. As such, this study focuses on the types of questions asked in student evaluations and how that data informs the design of a transition-focused FYS. The FYCPs are used to map how the FYS addressed these principles for supporting transition. Key findings show that the design and implementation of the FYS improved each year as a result of the student evaluations and that the majority of the FYCPs were addressed. However, there is room for improvement in the consistency of the questions asked in the student evaluations, as well as the frequency at which these were conducted. These findings contribute to the literature base of case studies in which student evaluations are used to inform the design of an evidence-based transition programme. Ultimately, this dissertation contributes to the field by exploring the value of using datainformed approaches to the design, implementation, and evaluation of FYS programmes in South Africa, thereby impacting the transition of first-year students into higher education. Additionally, this study will add value by contributing to the literature base on transition and student success in South Africa.Item Open Access Exploring the opportunities and challenges of teaching controversial topics in Social Sciences at the Intermediate Phase(University of the Free State, 2024) Mlambo, Sithembiso; Chimbi, Godsend T.; Ogbonnaya, Ijeoma C. E.The study investigated the challenges and opportunities that teachers face when teaching controversial topics in the Social Sciences at the Intermediate Phase. Controversial topics, which involve conflicting interests and perspectives, can be emotionally charged and challenging because they arouse emotions among learners. However, teaching such topics can empower learners, foster diversity, enhance subject knowledge, and promote a deeper understanding of justice and inclusivity. This study utilised critical social theory to explore the influence of power dynamics, ideology, and societal structures on knowledge creation. Its goal was to challenge existing norms and promote equity by encouraging critical thinking and open dialogue among learners. A qualitative approach was employed, utilising open-ended interviews and focus group discussions, to investigate teachers’ experiences in teaching controversial topics. A narrative research design was used to explore the complexity and perspectives surrounding the teaching of contentious topics in Social Science classrooms. By comparing and contrasting different narratives, a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges encountered by Intermediate Phase teachers when engaging learners on controversial topics was achieved. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes and sub-themes from the transcribed data. Findings revealed that topics like racism, tribal discrimination, gender roles, and religious diversity spark debate and opposing views within communities and the classroom. During interviews teachers explained that inclusive learning settings and critical social theory are essential for transformative learning. By teaching controversial topics, teachers play a crucial role in fostering social awareness, critical thinking and active citizenship skills which expose conscious and unconscious biases among learners. Controversial topics align with curriculum guidelines, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and South Africa's Social Sciences curriculum, encouraging critical citizenship and understanding of social justice concerns. Teachers in this study acknowledged the impact of cultural origins on teaching contentious subjects such as gender norms, religious diversity, racial and tribal discrimination, and xenophobia. Teachers emphasised the importance of promoting tolerance and diversity in their teaching methods by using case studies, role-playing and multimedia content. They used these techniques to develop empathy and a sense of diversity among learners. They also employed coping strategies, active learning techniques, debates, and multimodal approaches to address systematic disparities and promote inclusivity among learners. The study recommended six strategies for teaching controversial topics in the Intermediate Phase. These are facilitating structured debates, examining the causes of intolerance, community involvement, fostering a culture of trust in teachers, and using case studies. These strategies promote self-reflection, critical thinking and effective communication by exposing learners to diverse perspectives.Item Open Access Students’ perspective on a Blackboard Collaborate virtual learning experience in a higher education rural campus(University of the Free State, 2024) Motaung, Dinkeng Nicolette; Jita, T.Recently, technology has holistically been accepted as an element that plays a major role in the function of a normal daily life globally, in particular within the higher education sector. The outbreak of Corona virus required students to utilise technology to learn in their various programs. Remote learning was instigated on this rural higher education campus through the integration of Blackboard Collaborate as one of the tools embedded within Blackboard. This study aims to explore students’ perspectives of a Blackboard Collaborate Virtual Learning Experiences in a higher education rural campus in the Eastern Free State province, South Africa. The incorporated theoretical framework to explore students’ perspectives on the use of Blackboard Collaborate as a mode of content delivery is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM has been identified as one of the most globally used models to describe the users’ acceptance and use of technology with its factors named perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of technology. These factors assist in analysing students’ intention and motivation in using Blackboard Collaborate to learn. A qualitative research approach was designed with non-probability purposive sample selection of 8 students, two from each of the four faculties at the campus understudy. Participants were interviewed regarding their perspectives of learning virtually through Blackboard Collaborate. Furthermore, students from a compulsory first year module were also observed to see how they engage with various functions on this platform. The thematic analysis approach on ATLAS.ti 22 was used to analyse data and develop themes to create a generalized data regarding the students’ perspectives on the integration of Blackboard Collaborate Virtual learning in teaching and learning. The result from the interviews provides a logical qualitative database indicating that the majority of students on this rural campus mainly faced technical and financial issues during the virtual learning period. The results discovered during the observation concluded that the majority of students did not use the Blackboard Collaborate at the exposal for effective virtual learning. The challenges faced hindered them to learn to their fullest potential on this platform. This campus was also a cornerstone to its students as institutional support was highlighted during that disruptive time. Furthermore, it is also noted that students and facilitators need continuous training on how to effectively utilise the functions of the system and also how to fully engage students online. In addition, it is highly recommended for the institution to ensure that any apps provided to students is tested beforehand and that students must be supported financial so that they spend more time on learning than dealing with basic socio-economic challenges.Item Open Access Grade 1 teachers’ knowledge and use of Information and Communication Technology in selected North-West former Model-C schools(University of the Free State, 2024) Letsapa, Moses; Jita, T.Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to offer positive opportunities for transforming the education sector. Research has acknowledged the use of ICT in institutions of higher learning and in secondary schools where it has contributed to the improvement of students and learners’ learning skills. Recently, many authors are convinced that ICT in Early Childhood Education (ECE) provides multiple possibilities for young children, improving their learning experiences. Therefore, the current study, conducted in selected North West former Model-C schools, explored teachers' knowledge of the use of ICT in Grade 1 classrooms. For this purpose, three former Model-C primary schools were purposively selected as research sites for this study. Participants, from each of the three different primary schools selected, were Grade 1 teachers with five or more years of experience. The study employed the qualitative method using interviews, document analysis and observation of lessons. Three Grade 1 teachers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Following the interviews, lesson plans and Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs) were requested from teachers to further explore their knowledge of how to integrate ICT in the classroom. Grade 1 classroom observations were conducted as the last phase of data generation in each of the three schools. The data generated from interviews, document analysis and observations were combined and analysed thematically through individual and combinatory analysis procedures. The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) was adopted as the theoretical lens which directed the study. From the study, three main findings were revealed. The first finding revealed that former Model-C schools did not provide Grade 1 teachers with ICT tools for integration in classrooms. Teachers used their own ICT tools such as smartphones, Bluetooth speakers and laptops. Secondly, teachers only used ICT tools for their class presentations. Finally, Grade 1 teachers in former Model-C schools have limited knowledge on the use of ICT in teaching and learning. This is because of the lack formal training regarding the use of ICT and are dependent on their self-taught knowledge. The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) should capacitate teachers with ICT knowledge through training and continuous workshops. Furthermore, the DBE should also provide teachers with relevant ICT tools to use in their classrooms, following the training and workshops. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Provincial Departments to support their teachers through continuous ICT trainings and workshops. It is recommended that policy makers ensure that the e-education and school-based ICT policies are made available to teachers and that they are fully implemented. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) should be revised to include specific guidelines on how teachers can integrate ICT into various subjects.Item Open Access Developing the profession and practice of academic advising for South African universities(University of the Free State, 2024) Khanye, Gugu Wendy; Strydom, Francois; Loots, SonjaInternationally, academic advising plays a critical role in supporting student success, promoting retention and contributing to positive graduation rates, while facilitating a positive and fulfilling experience. It has become the cornerstone for higher education institutions in how they guide and support students and connect students to the institution and resources. In the South African context, similar developments have been observed. In recent years, academic advising in South African higher education has shown significant increases in the advancement of it as a practice and profession. It has helped facilitate how students are supported, how students access and navigate higher education successfully. With the intentional efforts to advance the professionalisation of academic advising through the Academic Advising Professional Development (AAPD) short course, this study has the dual purpose of reflecting on whether the AAPD meets the needs of both practitioners and students in the South African higher education context. Reflecting on literature and international best practice, work by Yarbrough (2002), as well as Troxel et al. (2021), has demonstrated that it is the engagements between advisor and advisee that are amongst the most impactful encounters that influence a student’s sense of self-efficacy towards completing their degree requirements. Adopting a meta-approach, this study evaluates whether the use of the AAPD and its foundational theoretical approaches support the development of academic advising in South Africa by aligning conceptual and practical needs of students. The first paper uses a constructivist paradigm to explore how AAPD participants between 2018 and 2021 acquired knowledge and learned. Building on this, the second paper focuses on the practice, reflecting on whether the students who went for academic advising had their needs met by the AAPD using a pragmatic paradigm. The significance of this study is that core to academic advising, the informational, conceptual as well as relational components are at the core of what students need support with and what should form the base of the AAPD short learning programme. Some advisors still find it challenging to distinguish conceptual and informational components, which is usually caused by the reality that when students do seek advising support, they are confronted by a combination of needs. When considering how advisors are trained, the AAPD forms an introductory basis to the profession and practice. There are, however, gaps for advisors with regard to leading and coordinating the work. There is a need for ongoing communities of practice that afford for advisors to reflect and continue realigning their practice, especially within the conceptual and relational components.Item Open Access Effective pedagogical practices teaching assistants use in hybrid teaching modes: a community of inquiry approach(University of the Free State, 2023) Scheepers, Stefanus Johannes; Stott, AngelaScripted lessons serve as guides for instructors in various educational circumstances, promoting pedagogical consistency. This study explored the use of semi-scripted lessons in the context of higher education, specifically on a large module that utilised hybrid teaching methods (online and face-to-face) across two campuses. This large module employs a considerable number of teaching assistants (TAs) to teach sections of the module, despite not being specialised instructors. Using the Community of Inquiry framework as a guide to gathering empirical evidence, a pragmatic, sequential, exploratory, three-phase (quantitative-qualitative-quantitative) mixed-methods research methodology was implemented to explore the effectiveness and implications of semi-scripted lessons. Convenience sampling was used in Phase 1 to observe 31 TAs’ hybrid teaching practices across the two campuses. The four highest-scoring TAs, two per campus and one per hybrid mode were chosen as exemplary TAs to be interviewed in Phase 2. An additional TA who had been awarded the “Best Presenter of the Year’ the previous year was also interviewed. Phase 3 comprised a full population survey sent to all the TAs and staff members involved in the module. The design of this survey was informed by the findings of the previous phases, and its purpose was to examine ways to improve the TA training programme. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse Phases 1 and 3 and thematic analysis for Phase 2. It was found that semi-scripted lessons contributed to the enactment of consistent, effective teaching and cognitive presences across the hybrid classrooms. However, while the semi-script included high-order thinking activities and discussion prompts, the TAs’ capacity to facilitate these were found to be lacking. Furthermore, the semi-script was found to be least effective at promoting the enactment of social presence, primarily due to TA avoidance of the scripted collaborative activities, due to time constraints. The social presence that was observed, largely arose from TA initiatives beyond the script, and these were evidenced considerably more in face-to-face than in online classes. Findings from the third phase provide suggestions for improvements to the TA training programme: optimisation of the training objectives; extending the training to five days; providing early access to the course material; devoting more time for TAs to practise facilitation, and receiving comprehensive feedback. The significance of this study lies in its exploration of semi-scripted lessons in the given context by providing support for this approach, while also highlighting its limitations. The primary limitation of this study is its context, which focused on TAs in a unique higher education setting, using semi-scripted lessons. Although this provided in-depth insights for comparable circumstances, the extent to which the findings could be generalised to other contexts would still need to be determined.Item Open Access Enhancing skills acquisition in electrical infrastructure construction studies(University of the Free State, 2023) Lehlakola, K. D.; Tlali, M. F.; Dlamini, M. E.This study was a qualitative study with the aim to contribute towards the enhancement of skills acquisition in electrical infrastructure construction (EIC) among youth with the purpose of providing them competences that have the potential of heightening chances of their employability. The study achieved the identified aim by responding to the research question: How can youths’ acquisition of skills in EIC be strengthened to empower them to be self-employed and employable? The problem in this study was that a significant percentage of the South African workforce, which includes technical and vocational education and training (TVET) students who are accessing higher education, lack specific technical skills and this results in poor employability prospects. The delivery of quality TVET courses and content is dependent on the competences of the lecturers for enhancing skills acquisition in EIC studies. The framework guiding this study was critical emancipatory research for it is transformative and emancipatory. Youth participatory action research was used as method of data collection with critical discourse analysis to analyse the data according to discursive, textual and social settings. The findings of the study may empower TVET colleges to prepare students with skills for the EIC industry and contribute to socio-economic development of the economy of South Africa. The workforce needed comprises engineers, technicians and the tradesmen from South African universities and TVET colleges.Item Open Access The use of entrepreneurial games as a pedagogical application in teaching entrepreneurship in Grade 10 business studies(University of the Free State, 2020) Letebele, Simon Bushman; Sekwena, GaileleThe study advocates the incorporation of Entrepreneurial games in teaching entrepreneurship to create learner interest and promote a better understanding of this topic. However, this topic is predominantly taught in a more teacher-centred and theoretical approach, leaving a wide wedge between theory and practice, lower levels of learner interest, and an inability of learners to perform well in this topic. The study also focused on identifying the suitable conditions for incorporating entrepreneurial games in Business Studies Class and how best to mitigate the possible challenges that may hinder using these games in the class. Therefore, this study aims to explore using entrepreneurial games as a pedagogical application in teaching entrepreneurship in grade 10 Business Studies to address the preceding challenges. Social Constructivism by Levy Vygotsky is selected as the theoretical framework underpinning the study. In this theory, knowledge is co-constructed through social interaction. This study used an exploratory case study that allowed for a far-reaching review of an unclear or new phenomenon. At the same time, it retains the complete and meaningful characteristics of real-life events. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data with four grade 10 Business Studies teachers. A thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data generated. The data generated demonstrates that teachers still use teacher-centred teaching methods and a theoretical approach in the classroom because they are constantly pressured to complete the Annual Teaching Plan. Furthermore, the study found that using entrepreneurial games in the classroom creates an active learning environment that generates learner interest and an enhanced understanding of the topic. The study also found that these games bridge the gap between theory and practice and motivate learners through the practical elements they bring to the teaching and learning process.Item Open Access Instructional design standards for online learning material at South African Higher Education Institutions(University of the Free State, 2023) du Preez, Isabella; Jacobs, Lynette; Möller, JohanThe quality of online learning is a contentious topic in higher education, partly because it is elusive in that there is no uniform and concrete definition for it, but also because there are countless standards, principles and instruments as attempts to establish quality in online learning. These quality initiatives, however, emanated mostly from the Global North, with little or no consideration for the challenges online practitioners face in the Global South. What is evident, though, is that more and more pressure is put on online practitioners to ensure and enhance the quality of these learning programmes. One such group of practitioners are termed instructional designers: responsible for the design and development of online learning material. In Sub-Saharan countries such as South Africa, the instructional design profession is still in its infancy stage, facing a lack of published quality standards from the qualification authorities on the design and development of online learning material. Research on the practices of these instructional designers in the African context is also scant. As a novice instructional designer at a dual-mode higher education institution, I am responsible for the design and development of online learning material and often find myself questioning whether the material that I am designing can be regarded as effective and engaging. My research question was born out of my own need for contextualised standards specifically for online learning, as I realised that online learning is mostly judged in terms of its online learning material. I therefore posed the following research question: what standards, relevant to the South African context, can be used to design and develop quality online learning material? My study is based on the model of writing two interrelated publishable manuscripts, both focusing on two crucial aspects of instructional design, namely pedagogy and visual design. In the first manuscript (Chapter 2), I followed a qualitative approach to analyse 12 global and local quality guiding documents to distil key pedagogical and visual presentation principles for the design and development of online learning material. This study revealed 19 pedagogical principles, with the most eminent ones being collaboration and the fostering of higher-order thinking skills. Thirteen visual presentation principles were identified, with multi-modality and personalisation being the most prominent. I concluded the first manuscript by proposing a framework depicting key pedagogical and visual presentation principles for instructional designers to use when they design and develop online learning material. In the second manuscript (Chapter 3) the aim was to gain insight into how some experienced South African instructional designers view and translate quality when they design and develop online learning material. Following a qualitative research approach, I conducted in-depth interviews with nine experienced instructional designers in South Africa. The interviews revealed that human connectedness is a top priority for South African instructional designers, and they do so by intentionally incorporating a teaching presence and collaborative learning activities. The quality principles mentioned by participants coincide with the community of inquiry model ensuring sound practice from a pedagogical and visual design point of view. In my final chapter, I intended to respond to the main research question. I used the insights gained in each of the manuscript to synthesise standards relevant to the South African context that can be used to design and develop quality online learning material. I propose a set of standards with comments on how to adapt it for the Southern context where applicable, also alluding to challenges to implement these standards as a means for instructional designers to mitigate and address them proactively. It is my hope that this set of standards can assist novice instructional designers in their design and development practices of online learning material.Item Open Access Exploring the teaching and learning of accounting: a case of a South African university(University of the Free State, 2023) Moyo, Grate Ndabezihle; Mosia, M. S.The aim of this paper was to determine the accounting lecturers’ teaching practices at a South African higher education institution. Teaching practices are a complex set of ways which lecturers use for instruction. When compromisingly crafted and implemented, the impact is on students’ success. Hence the application of lecturers’ minds is needed in the process. In accounting education, teaching practices were found cognitively driven to determine success. Hence cognitivism learning theory guided this study. Cognitivists, and accounting educationists believe in related key elements; mental processes, thinking, remembering, solving complex problems, focussing on tasks requiring an increased level of information processing, classification, and procedural rules. Related key elements enhance the crafting of accounting teaching practices. This paper used a qualitative exploratory research methodology which enabled the researcher engaging to engage with participants in their natural settings. Three first first-year accounting lecturers were purposefully selected for this study. Data was generated through Microsoft teams Teams interviews determining different practices used in teaching accounting. Furthermore, responses from participants were used to corroborate the data generated. Issues such as participants’ teaching practices, knowledge of feedback teaching practices, and challenges experienced by accounting lecturers were explored. Data was analysed through thematic analysis. The Finally, the paper responded to one question: what are the teaching practices used by accounting lecturers? Findings suggest that some of the current accounting teaching practices are a detriment to the undesirable performance, which cannot be ignored. Additionally, there is no consistency in the application of accounting teaching practices, yet more research specifically in accounting education is needed to enhance performance. Hence this paper further suggests that university accounting teaching practices require intervention to encourage effectiveness.Item Open Access Departmental Heads’ perspective on collaborative strategies to enhance teamwork in secondary schools at Nketoana District(University of the Free State, 2023) Koloti, Machogoane Sanah; Mdodana-Zide, Lulama; Dlamini, Moeketsi EliasThere are many situations in a school environment that need to be viewed to forn effective teamwork at school. The literature confirms that teamwork is an important tool in any organisation, such as schools, which should practice teamwork to achieve the vision and goals they have set to be functional. Collaborative strategies should, therefore, be in place to ensure that teamwork is effective. Therefore, managers and leaders in schools, especially Departmental Heads, are entrusted with ensuring that collaborative teamwork is practiced effectively in schools for improved learner academic success. However, teamwork in schools still proves to be a challenging concept. Lack of teamwork in schools is believed to be one of the factors that are detrimental to the success and efficiency of the core business of schools, which is teaching and learning. This study aimed to explore collaborative strategies that can enhance teamwork in secondary schools. The study was grounded by the collaborative theory used as a lens for the study. The study employed a qualitative research approach to gather data through a case study research design. Semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and focus group discussions were adopted as data collection instruments. Purposive sampling was employed to sample 12 Departmental Heads (DH) from three schools in one Department of Education district in the Free State Province. Content analysis was used to analyse data where four themes emerged from the perceptions and expressions of the participants. The findings revealed that collaborative strategies are a tool that can assist in enhancing teamwork in secondary schools. The findings further revealed that Departmental Heads implement various collaborative strategies such as class subject meetings, school twinning, analysing and accounting for the results together, team planning and teaching, team marking, and parental involvement, to enhance teamwork in secondary schools. However, the findings also revealed that the DHs do experience some challenges with the collaborative strategies they employ to enhance teamwork but find ways to mitigate the challenges. The study, therefore, recommends that every stakeholder in schools play a role in ensuring that more effective collaborative strategies to enhance teamwork are implemented in schools.Item Open Access Natural sciences pre-service teachers’ experiences and perceptions of the practical learning component of their bed curriculum(University of the Free State, 2021) Du Plessis, Odette; Moreeng, B. B.; Mosia, M. S.Microteaching, as part of pre-service teachers’ preparation towards teacher effectiveness, remains a contentious issue in teacher training. This paper reports on the reflections of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) pre-service teachers, that specialise in Natural Sciences (NS), about microteaching as part of their teaching practice component. Understanding the experiences and perceptions of the NS pre-service teachers can be helpful in determining the components that need to be strengthened to inform the effectiveness of microteaching in general and for the NS classes in particular. Microteaching is a skill-based analytical technique that is used to engage pre-service teachers in practicing their teaching skills in simplified classroom settings. It plays an important part in preparing pre-service teachers for the profession. This qualitative study, framed within an approach based on Bandura’s social learning theories, used focus group discussions and individual interviews to generate data. Eight purposefully sampled NS fourth year education students were sampled to share their microteaching experiences. The focus group discussion and individual interviews revolved around the preparation, presentation and feedback phases of microteaching. Thematic analysis was used to make sense of the focus group discussion and individual interviews. Findings indicated that the NS pre-service teachers had both positive and negative experiences that needed strengthening and attention.Item Open Access Translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy to implement multilingual language policy at a South African university(University of the Free State, 2021-11) Motaung, Brakpan Letsela; Tsotetsi, CiasSouth African institutions of higher learning continue to grapple with the practical implementation of language policies. Universities have amended their policies to adhere to the language policy for higher education and others have shown progress in their implementation strategies. However, a recent report from the minister of DHET has shown that universities have not implemented their language policies as guided by the constitution and other promulgated policies in higher education terrain. In tandem, in recent times, translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy has been gaining momentum in the higher education space. Various studies have reported its benefits and limitations in the education sector. Against the foregoing policy and pedagogy backdrop, this study explored the use of translanguaging as an alternative pedagogical strategy to implement multilingual language policy in undergraduate tutorials. Tutors and students were invited to participate in this study. The theoretical approaches which guided the study were Orientations in Language Planning and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis was done through thematic analysis. Findings indicate that translanguaging as pedagogical strategy has the potential to leverage implementation of multilingual language policy, when deployed strategically, this implies the necessity to assess the on current challenges and future of multilingual practices. Findings further show that translanguaging assists both tutors and students to make sense of their learning and understanding of the content, promotion of indigenous languages, decolonization and student engagement within tutorials. The study concluded that translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy create a space for both tutors and tutees to use their linguistic repertoires in a multilingual classroom. In addition, translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy is helpful in responding to the contemporary multilingual language policy conundrums in higher education. In conclusion, the study recommends ways in which translanguaging could be employed to implement multilingual language policy in the tutorials within the higher education space in South Africa, and possibly elsewhere.Item Open Access Integrating academic and career advising in a South African Higher Education institution(University of the Free State, 2021-12) Schoeman, Monique; Loots, S.; Bezuidenhoud, L.South African Higher Education has focused extensively on widening access to further inclusivity and economic development. However, it has become apparent that access alone is not enough, as students need to persist and succeed in their studies to graduate in the minimum amount of time. International research on what contributes to timely degree completion has focused on academic advising, counselling, orientation programmes, learning communities, and institution-wide reform, amongst others. Academic advising stands out here, because research suggests that a comprehensive approach, specifically where effective academic advising is present and combined with other support efforts, best assists timely degree completion. This study thus delves deeper into effective academic advising practice. Academic advising, a well-known concept in the United States of America (USA), is relatively new field in South Africa. That said, there is a growing body of knowledge in South Africa on the impact of peers on students’ academic development and success. In addition to the challenge of timely degree completion, with the graduate unemployment rate of 11% and other challenges beyond the scope of this dissertation, higher education institutions’ responsibility to help students succeed should not end with assisting students in graduating. Rather, students need to be guided in career-related matters while engaging in curricular and co-curricular matters. As many as three out of four students entering the university for the first time have no clear career goals. The fact that there is little connection between academic majors and future career paths among general degrees can contribute to students making decisions incongruent with their academic and personal strengths. Therefore, it is crucial that academic and career information need to be integrated when advising students. Academic advisors are in an excellent position to facilitate guidance in career-related matters when providing academic advice. They are also well placed to assist students in developing academic goals and career plans consistent with their interests and values in order for them to succeed. This assistance in understanding how academic and personal interests, abilities, and values relate to possible careers and forming plans is what Gordon (2005) terms career advising. To explore how academic and career advising could be integrated in practice, this study uses the University of the Free State (UFS) as a case example. This study uses Gordon’s 3-I Process, a framework that integrates career advising into academic advising practice, as a lens to assess academic advising practice at the UFS. The 3-I Process is widely used within academia in the USA, and is associated with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) – the global leader in academic advising. This study is situated in the constructivist paradigm and follows a qualitative approach. Results from interviews with advisors at the UFS stress the need for such a unified framework, and recommendations are made on how advising at the UFS could develop more holistically. This study also contributes to the conceptualisation and practical application of advising in the broader South African context.Item Open Access Supporting east Asian students enrolled at a South African university(University of the Free State, 2019-01) Xie, Tao; Jacobs, Lynette; Muller, MargueriteOver the previous 30 years, most East Asian (South Korea, China, Japan) countries have achieved remarkable economic success, and are entering the global economic market. Therefore, more and more East Asian parents support their children to study in other countries. Chinese parents, for example, may consider that studying overseas inter alia would enhance their children's competitiveness in terms of learning other languages, especially English and understand different cultures, getting a good quality of education, learning from other countries’ different sets of values. They thus consider studying overseas as a long-term investment towards global citizenship. Due to different language, culture, and learning styles between the East Asian and English-speaking countries, these students often find it difficult to adapt to the new environment. As an East Asian student myself, I had found it difficult to adapt to the circumstances in South Africa. As I could find no reference in literature to the problem in the context of South Africa, the aim of my dissertation was to explore and describe the challenges of East Asian students studying at one South African English-medium university towards improving the support provided by higher education institutions. Based on my literature review I gathered that East Asian students studying abroad often find challenges with academic and social practices. The literature also highlighted difficulties in terms of transport and accommodation. The level of support varies at different institutions, and in different parts of the world. Based on my literature review, I developed some interview questions which I posed to six East Asian participants and seven staff members at the University of the Free State. I transcribed the data, and sorted similar themes based on what the literature and data indicated as relevant. My study showed that East Asian students experience barriers with regard to language and the academic practices. In terms of language, the students shared that it was difficult to understand English, and in particular also to follow the different accents. Adjusting to continuous assessments, with diverse assessment tasks was also difficult, as it is quite different from the systems used in their own countries.The interviews with the staff members revealed that many units exist to assist the students, albeit not specifically for East Asian students. Services include support for international students in terms of administrative issues such as study permits, registration and so forth. There are units that assist students with academic writing, studying methods and many more. For me, the most significant observation was that while the East Asian students were struggling, the university seemed to have numerous support structures in place that could help them to overcome these challenges. However, the students seemed to be unaware of the services that they could make use of. It became clear that it is vitally important that universities find a way to continuously make English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students aware of the services that could assist them.Item Open Access Exploring higher education capabilities of black women graduates towards personal and professional development(University of the Free State, 2014-10) Mahlaha, Nteboheng Theresia; Walker, Melanie; Loots, SonjaEnglish: Student success does not cease to be important after students have graduated, but extends to how employable graduates are and what they can do with their lives. Even though more than half of students enrolled in South African higher education institutes are women, men still hold the majority of positions in the labour market. The number of black women enrolled in higher education institutions has more than doubled in the last 19 years, according to a 2014 report by Higher Education South Africa (HESA). However; this seems insufficient progress when compared with the national demographics. Of the total black population, only 3.2% have access to higher education. Local and international literature shows a significant number of policies that attempt to establish gender and racial equality. However, in most cases, black women in both higher education and the workplace are experiencing unfair treatment. Statistics are unable to bring insight into gender and racial inequalities in order to ensure the same quality of higher education for both men and women. This study investigated the life trajectories of black woman graduates in South Africa, and how and if, in anyway, higher education has equipped them with the capabilities to succeed both professionally and personally. The life experiences of women in higher education and the workplace were investigated by the capabilities approach, which is a normative framework developed by Sen (1992) and Nussbaum (2003). This framework aids the understanding of what people want to do and be, which freedoms or capabilities enable them to pursue these doings and beings, and which factors prevent them from achieving their being and doings. Thus, this approach allowed me to move from statistical findings to insight into what a group of black women graduates’ value to be and whether they have the freedom to achieve well-being. This study was framed by the following research questions: 1) What contribution has higher education made to the capabilities and valued functionings of selected black women graduates regarding the professional and personal lives they have reason to value?2) How do gender and race enable or constrain black women graduates’ capability for work, including their career development, over time? 3) Do black women graduates have the agency and freedom to achieve what they value both professionally and personally? Although studies in feminist research have investigated the life histories of black women, not much work has been done on the capabilities of black women graduates. A feminist methodology was employed in this study, supported by life-history and narrative methods. These two methods focus mainly on how individuals choose to shape their own lives, whereas the life-history method enables an understanding of people’s stories against the wider background of society, in this case, gender equality and social justice. All lives are different; thus, the life-history method draws on both the differences and the similarities of participants’ experience. In this study, narratives of nine black women were drawn from to explore the experiences of black women in higher education and the labour market. The selected women had graduated from South African higher education institutions from various fields of study and socio-economic backgrounds. The capabilities approach allowed the analysis of each woman’s narrative and the mapping of the similarities. The capabilities of these women, as generated through higher education, included cross-cultural exposure; communication and interpersonal skills; knowledge, imagination and critical thinking; empowerment; respect, dignity and social consciousness; practical reasoning; lifelong learning; resilience and bodily integrity. The findings shed light, firstly, on how these women are acting as active agents in converting the capabilities into valued beings and doings beyond graduation and, secondly, on how race and gender proved to be both positive and negative social factors that influenced the women. Owing to the fact that the study is embedded in gender issues and the capabilities approach, which are both concerned with the well-being and agency of women in higher education and the labour market, the research contributes to higher-education research concerned with empowering black women. Furthermore, the study can provide a knowledge base for gender empowerment and fill a significant research gap in South Africa.Item Open Access The experiences of black women undertaking doctoral studies at a South African University(University of the Free State, 2014-10) Ts’ephe, Lifutso; Walker, Melanie; Loots, SonjaEnglish: This dissertation builds on and contributes to work in the fields of higher education and the capabilities approach. Specifically, it investigates the educational biographies of a small number (n=7) of black women who were either in their final year of doctoral study or had graduated recently at the time of the interviews. Although a number of studies (e.g. Acker, 1980; Magano, 2011; Pillay, 2009; Prozesky, 2008) have investigated women in academia, there has not been a strong focus on the experiences of black women in doctoral studies, and even less so on South African students. The available studies show that students leave doctoral programmes prematurely due to a number of reasons, for example, an inability to manage time effectively, financial constraints, demotivation and depression, and poor supervision (Magano, 2011). Pillay (2009) adds that the balancing of two lives, being a mother and an employee, generates further challenges. As part of its National Development Plan, South Africa’s National Planning Commission aims to not only rapidly increase the number of doctoral graduates, but to also promote postgraduate education for marginalised groups within the next 15 years. In 2012, black women represented 2 294 (16.4%) of all doctoral enrolments in the country, which is a significant increase from the 468 (7.5%) who enrolled for doctoral studies in the year 2000. The current research draws conceptually on the capabilities approach, developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. This framework was chosen because it is used mainly to evaluate and assess an individual’s well-being, as well as the social arrangements that foster or hinder this well-being. The capabilities approach, therefore, includes issues such as the design of policies and proposals for social change within societies (Robeyns, 2005) and relates the evaluation of the quality of life to the assessment of the capability to function; that is, to be and do in ways which are valued by an individual. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study as the most suitable method. A case study design allows the researcher to emphasise the experiences of the individual, as well as the social arrangements which help or hinder each individual’s success. In-depth information regarding the participants’ social experiences was also gathered. The issue that was explored in this study was black women’s experience of doctoral study – the highs, the lows, and the challenges. The assumption was that gender plays a significant role in shaping the educational lives of these women. In the study, gender is understood as the social organisation of the relations between the sexes, differentiating the social meaning that is attributed to sexual differences from the sexual differences themselves (Robeyns, 2005). Exploring these women’s experiences revealed the developmental outcomes of doctoral education they value, the opportunities to reach these outcomes they appreciated, and the personal, social and environmental factors which influenced their ability to use the developmental opportunities. The findings from this study could lead to recommendations to higher education institutions with regard to increasing the enrolment and retention of this marginalised group. These recommendations could also contribute to improving policies which attract and retain more black women doctoral students in higher education.Item Open Access Improving cultural intelligence of education students through an education module(University of the Free State, 2017-06) Nel, Christoffel Cornelius; Jacobs, LynetteEnglish: The value of teacher Education programmes should be recognised as being instrumental in the development of future learners and citizens of South Africa. Furthermore, the intention of specific Education modules should be planned according to outcomes based on contributing to more Culturally intelligent teachers. Nevertheless, many South African teachers do not have the necessary skill set to provide students in their classes with an appreciation for diversity and social differences. Students need to be nurtured to understand different cultures and have to interact with different cultures to learn from one another. This learning process contributes to Cultural intelligence, in short, CQ. This research study was conducted on the University of the Free State’s South Campus to determine whether a possible change in CQ was evident amongst two groups of students. The Education module, which specifically focuses on social reflections and issues of diversity, was compared to a control group of students in Economic and Management Sciences. This was done to determine if the Education module might have contributed to an increase in CQ as one of its unintended outcomes. Furthermore, a document analysis was conducted on the materials used in the Education module. This was done using the guidelines provided by David Plowright, namely deconstructing the materials to determine the informational, presentational, representational and interpretational value thereof. After analysing the data, I can confirm that the Education group of students had improved their levels of CQ in all domains of CQ, compared to the control group of students, who had only improved in the behavioural domain of CQ. Additionally, the growth in Meta-cognitive CQ that Education students had experienced was statistically significant, compared to the control group of students. This contributes to my argument that the materials used in the Education module had nurtured a deeper understanding and higher reflective ability in these Education students. In conclusion, I can recommend that, firstly, the relevant lecturer plays an important role in shaping the students in classroom by starting these difficult dialogues. Secondly, having lesser students in a classroom, as was the case on South Campus, also contributes to a better relationship between the lecturer and the students. Finally, the content used in an Education module should be designed according to definite outcomes to contribute to delivering a better teacher when leaving university.Item Open Access The contribution of the institute for reconciliation and social justice to transformation at the University of the Free State(University of the Free State, 2017-07) Vanneste, Lien; Nel, W. N.This dissertation reviews the contribution of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice to transformation at the University of the Free State. A qualitative research approach was followed and entailed official document analysis and in-depth interviews. Sixteen key informants were selected and interviewed. The data was thematically analysed so that patterns could be identified. The key findings of this study were: The IRSJ is a strategic unit in the process of pursuing institutional transformation within the UFS. Facilitating the transformation process at UFS equals a higher cognitive legitimate institution because its organisational activities become more in line with the recommendations of the higher education sector as well as the wider social system. Transformation represents a novel idea that needs to be introduced within UFS’ institutional walls. This is not an easy task, but the IRSJ is doing a progressive and productive job by using strategic reframing strategies such as the critical conversations. The IRSJ completes a challenging task of strategically reframing the novel idea of transformation in order to gather more support for this greater goal. They do this by helping people better understand the importance of transformation. This topic is so sensitive and challenging to comprehend that a safe space such as the IRSJ is vital in achieving a transformed institution. Once the UFS will have achieved its transformation goals, it will become a more cognitive legitimate institution that is more accepted by the wider social system.Item Open Access A support programme for first-year chemistry students: a campus case study(University of the Free State, 2012-12) Moji, Rantooa Goodchild; Holtzhausen, S. M.; Meintjes, R.Chemistry is often regarded as a difficult subject, which is reflected in the high failure rates of university first-year students. These students are faced by diverse challenges such as the difficult and abstract nature of the subject, lack of interest in and motivation for this subject, irrelevant prior knowledge or misconceptions, large classes, and the application in the world of work. The success rate of first-year Chemistry students at the UFS (Qwaqwa campus) has also been unsatisfactory for some years and that adversely affected the through-put rates of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. This made it necessary to embark on a study to establish what could be the root causes of this problem and propose a possible way to remedy the situation. In order to address this problem, this study was designed to address the following main research question: What are first-year students’ and lecturers’ experiences of the teaching, learning and assessment employed in the Chemistry subject (i.e. CEM104) and how can possible shortcomings be addressed? This study used an adapted explanatory mixed methods design to address the main research question, using qualitative findings (from focus groups and semi-structured interviews) to explain the quantitative findings from the self-constructed questionnaire. Hundred and thirteen first-year Chemistry students (UFS, QwaQwa campus) participated in the questionnaire survey, while two focus groups were conducted and two lecturers were interviewed. In essence, the data revealed that both first-year Chemistry students and lecturers at the UFS (QwaQwa campus) perceived learning, teaching and assessment deficiencies, but the determinant factors/reasons for these were diverse. The participants, however, recognised the need for a support programme as well as various additional facilities (e.g. computers, e-mail, internet, library services and textbooks, academic support and a departmental manual) to improve the academic performance of first-year Chemistry students.
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