Doctoral Degrees (School of Higher Education Studies)

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Open Access
Towards formulating a management model to enhance inclusivity at a teacher training college in Zimbabwe
(University of the Free State, 2024) Ncube, Nozinhle; Dube, B.; Chimbi, G.
The aim of this study was to formulate a management model to enhance inclusive education at a teacher training college in Zimbabwe. Throughout the world student teachers with disabilities face many barriers in teachers’ training colleges and other higher education institutions. People with disabilities constitute some of the poorest economically and are socially excluded and marginalized. In Zimbabwe, people with disabilities constitute about 7% of the population, yet they make up 20% of the poorest people at the national level. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers to academic and social inclusion faced by students with disabilities at a teacher training college in Zimbabwe. The objectives were to determine the challenges faced by student teachers with disabilities at tertiary institutions, explore policies on students with disabilities at tertiary institutions and suggest possible strategies that could be adopted to overcome these challenges. The study is located in critical emancipatory research (CER) and adopted the transformative paradigm. Qualitative research methods, specifically participatory action research (PAR), were employed. The study used purposive sampling which is synonymous with qualitative research. The target population comprised all students with disabilities at a teacher’s training college in Zimbabwe. Research instruments were triangulated by using interviews and focus group discussions. Qualitative data analysis was done through the thematic analysis of responses from both lecturers and students. The study revealed that there was no inclusive education policy at national level as well as in teachers’ training colleges in Zimbabwe, only circulars were in place. The study also found that students with disabilities had some barriers on physical access to different places at the college under study. The study also established that staff’s lack of competencies was one of the major barriers that hindered the implementation of inclusive education in teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. There was no effective inclusive policy in teacher training colleges that could promote the implementation of inclusive practices. Stigma and discrimination among students and staff regarding students with disabilities was also prevalent. The rigid curriculum was another major barrier against the implementation of inclusive education in teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. The study also revealed that there was a lack of funding to purchase equipment and assistive devices for students with disabilities. The study recommended that the inclusive management model should consider easy accessibility to all places that are currently inaccessible to students with disabilities. The other recommendation was that staff members ought to be trained on inclusive education through workshops and staff development programmes. There is a need to review syllabi in order to accommodate students with disabilities, especially in practical subjects. The study also recommended that there was need to have a working policy for inclusivity in teacher training colleges so as to implement inclusive practices.
Open Access
Towards a facilitation framework for effective learning and teaching for first-year students in the building measurement module
(University of the Free State, 2024) Els, Mart-Mari; Loots, S.; Holtzhausen, S. M.
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it aims to identify the pedagogical challenges faced by first-year students and lecturers in the building measurement module in South African universities. Second, it seeks to investigate the constructivist teaching approach, with a particular focus on the applicability of Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural development, as a potential solution to these challenges. As such this study employed two separate but complementary research designs. Due to the limited contextual knowledge in the learning and teaching environment of first-year students in the building measurement module, it is essential to investigate and establish the challenges they face, as there is currently very little information available on this topic. The second methodology examines and proposes a potential solution to these challenges. The chosen research designs for this study are a convergent mixed-methods approach and a case-study design. Data collected through a baseline survey, focus-group discussions, and semi-structured interviews in the first methodology informed the case-study design. In this case study, data from pre- and post-tests, participant observations, and reflections yielded significant results. The first methodology identified various challenges faced by first-year students and lecturers in the building measurement module. These challenges were then addressed and tested in the second methodology. The findings of the research suggest that a constructivist teaching approach, more specifically Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural development are successful and can be applied through a facilitation framework. The value of this research study is the enhancement of first-year learning and teaching experience in Quantity Surveying Education.
Open Access
An appreciative inquiry into the entrepreneurial attributes of three young African entrepreneurs
(University of the Free State, 2024) Bucheli, Zosia; Pretorius, J. P. H.
The research is an Appreciative Inquiry into the Entrepreneurial Attributes of three young African Entrepreneurs. It recognised the vital role that entrepreneurial attributes play in entrepreneurial success. The study aimed to inquire into and identify the positive and most life-giving entrepreneurial attributes that these three individuals have developed through their entrepreneurial endeavours. The study assumed an Appreciative Inquiry perspective which accentuated and focused on strengths-based positive attributes. The research employed 5D Appreciative Inquiry Cycle workshops for each of the three African entrepreneurs to gather in-depth information regarding their most effective entrepreneurial attributes. Through the use of an appreciative lens, the study aimed to uncover the individual strengths and life-giving attributes of each entrepreneur which empowered them to further development to advance their entrepreneurship. These were encapsulated by the positive entrepreneurial attributes which emerged through the workshops. The results of this research highlight the best entrepreneurial attributes of these three African entrepreneurs. Each article provides unique results specific to the entrepreneur studied. The entrepreneurs’ individual experiences, cultural backgrounds, communities and entrepreneurial journeys have impacted the development of their positive entrepreneurial attributes. Further, the research provides necessary literature on entrepreneurial attributes. It also contributes towards the individual experiences and strategies utilised by three African entrepreneurs to further enhance and develop their entrepreneurial attributes. Aspiring entrepreneurs on the African continent may employ these practical implications in their entrepreneurial endeavours. It fosters the identification of effective entrepreneurial attributes which propels economic growth and development in South Africa and elsewhere.
Open Access
A collaborative self-study exploring the experiences of Creative Arts teacher educators to inform professional practice
(University of the Free State, 2024) Chisale, Paseka Blessing; Müller, Marguerite
This thesis represents a living assemblage of my personal development as a Creative Arts teacher educator and the collective experiences of other educators in this field. By intertwining my educational journey with a broader focus on Creative Arts teacher education, the study reflects how my background in Art Education informs and shapes my current practices. Using self-study and Arts-Based Research (ABR) methods, I explore the interplay between personal memories, past experiences, and the evolving identity of Creative Arts teacher educators. Central to this inquiry is the concept of rhizomatic pockets, which are repositories of knowledge and memories that shape individual pedagogical practices, and the collective understanding of how past experiences influence present and future teaching. Drawing on the narrative of the Avengers' journey in 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 this study illustrates the process of revisiting and reinterpreting significant moments in teaching and learning, allowing educators to shed biases and inform future practice. It emphasises the importance of reflexive and collaborative learning, highlighting the transformative potential of engaging with colleagues, mentors, and students to create a richer, more nuanced understanding of teaching and learning within Creative Arts Teacher Education. The study advocates for positioning Creative Arts classrooms as dynamic research sites where teacher educators engage in inquiry to understand how collective experiences and contextual factors shape pedagogy. Recognising classrooms as spaces where social and physical environments intersect, I argue for acknowledging the lived experiences of both students and educators as rhizomatic pockets that inform practice. Educators can foster meaningful student engagement, cultivate confidence, and promote artistic expression by creating safe and supportive environments. Further, this research highlights the value of collaboration and communities of practice. It suggests that through collaborative self-study and reflexive practices, Creative Arts teacher educators can co-construct knowledge, mentor each other, and engage in continuous professional growth. Collaborative research in this context enhances individual pedagogical practices and the collective development of evidence-based best practices for Creative Arts Teacher Education. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability for Creative Arts teacher educators. By embracing a research-oriented, reflexive approach, teacher educators can innovate within their classrooms, contribute to the advancement of Creative Arts Teacher Education, and better prepare future educators. The concept of rhizomatic pockets emerges as a guiding framework for understanding how personal and collective experiences can transform teaching and learning within this field.
Open Access
A first-year commuter student network framework for student success: a case study
(University of the Free State, 2024) Macwele:, Benedict Mathole; Holtzhausen, S. M.; Wahl, W. P.
First-year commuter students face various challenges as they transition and adjust to the academic, social, and emotional environments of university life. These challenges highlight the crucial role of peer relationships and networks, as informed by Tinto's student integration theory. Building on these conclusions, this study's primary objective was to develop a framework for a supportive peer network that addresses the academic, emotional, and social needs of first-year commuter students. To achieve this, I conducted an analysis of key documents, particularly annual reports, from seven South African universities to gain insights into their support systems for first-year commuter students. These analyses revealed that while several programmes catered to the needs of first-year commuter students (see 5.2 and 5.3), the primary focus was on academic support. The integration of social and emotional well-being for these students was notably underemphasised, with limited evidence on how these programmes influenced the adjustment of first-year commuter students. Chapter 6 of this study serves as the focal point of analysis, exploring the success stories and best practices related to the academic, social and emotional transitions of first-year commuter students. It also examines the role of peer mentor programmes in supporting their adjustment. During the empirical research, eight focus-group discussions were conducted with first-year commuter students at the University of the Free State (UFS). These discussions were organised by gender and campus, following an appreciative inquiry framework that aims to highlight and build on positive experiences and strengths. The findings underscore the critical role of peer relationships and support in addressing the challenges faced by first-year commuter students during their transition to university life. In the Discovery step of the AI 4D framework, participants highlighted various success stories and best practices that facilitated their adjustment (see 6.2). Conversely, in the Dreaming step, participants identified opportunities for growth to improve the adjustment experience for first-year commuter students (see 6.6). Building on these insights, the Designing (see 7.2) and Delivery steps (see 7.4) proposed a five-pillar mentoring framework and an implementation plan. By proposing the five-pillar mentoring framework and the accompanying implementation plan (see 7.4.1), the study offers a practical solution to enhance the effectiveness of peer mentor programmes. This framework aims to create a supportive peer network that ensures first-year commuter students receive the necessary guidance, support, and resources to thrive throughout their university journey.
Open Access
A capacity building strategy for managing curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges
(University of the Free State, 2023) Mlotshwa, Sanele Jerome; Teis, N. J. P.; Nkoane, M. M.
The study aimed to formulate a capacity-building strategy in managing curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges. A number of objectives were devised to direct the study; the main objective was understanding the need to develop a capacity-building strategy for managing the delivery of the curriculum. The other objectives were exploring strategies to develop a capacity-building for management of curriculum delivery, determining the conditions that were required for a capacity-building strategy in managing curriculum delivery, identifying the threats that could arise to hinder the development of a capacity-building strategy for managing curriculum delivery, and formulating the indicators that could be used to enrich the management of a curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges. Critical emancipatory research (CER) was identified by the researcher as a theoretical framework that could support the achievement of the stated objectives of the study. CER is more about empowerment, which is in line with this study. Hence, the researcher proposed the adoption of CER as the perspective that would best address the challenges. The researcher argued for a collaborative research approach, conducted by a team of researchers in collaboration with suitable co-researchers, who emerged during the research process. This qualitative research approach incorporates the best aspects of team-building in TVET colleges. Using data collected by our research team, the researcher showed how we had operationalised CER to formulate a capacity-building strategy for the management of curriculum delivery in selected TVET colleges. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was used, as it addressed the participation, emancipation and working with real challenges to bring about change in the community. As per the principles of PAR, the researcher worked with the co-researchers collaboratively to find solutions to the challenges curriculum managers encountered. Data generated through the use of PAR was analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The empirical analysis, interpretation of data, discussion and determining the findings resulting from interventions, were made with CDA. In the first part of the study, reflections were made through the use of PAR, looking at the needs to develop a capacity-building strategy for the management of curriculum delivery, which resulted in the absence of a collaborative team. The second part of the study identified the components of the solutions as strategies to be used to develop a capacity-building strategy for managing curriculum delivery in TVET colleges. The solutions predicted by the co-researchers to curtail the challenges, were discussed. Numerous findings concerning the challenges were compared with the results of the previous research studies, reported in the literature review, such as teamwork, teaching and learning resources, participatory decision-making, career development, blended learning, technology, collaborative involvement, active stakeholder engagement, collaborative teams, networking and monitoring, technology-based learning, and stakeholder development programs. This research project is distinctive in understanding the strategy to be implemented successfully by a collaborative team to create a collaborative environment in TVET colleges. In conclusion, the study argues that capacity-building can never be done by an individual, but only by working as a team having a collaborative relationship, where all stakeholders are engaged and able to partake in the decisions and are involved collectively.
Open Access
Enhancing economics curriculum implementation in selected schools in the Northern Cape
(University of the Free State, 2023) Manzi, Wellington Itai; Moreeng, Boitumelo
Economics, as a high school elective subject, helps learners to understand the operations of the economy and equips learners with critical thinking, analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills. It empowers learners with the skills required to confront 21st-century challenges. This qualitative study aimed to explore how Economics curriculum implementation can be enhanced in selected schools in the Northern Cape Province through article publications. This study is vital because Economics academic achievement has been reported to be poor in the province and country at large. There has also been literature which documents that Economics teachers face challenges in implementing the Economics curriculum. This qualitative study explores how Economics curriculum implementation can be enhanced in the selected schools in the Northern Cape Province. Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory was chosen to theorise the study while adopting case study research for the design and interpretive paradigm as the lens for the study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis and analysed using thematic analysis. The study findings revealed that although there are pockets of good practices in Economics curriculum implementation, more still needs to be done in terms of the provision of teaching and learning resources, equipping teachers with proper Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and improving the support provided to Economics teachers by various stakeholders including departmental heads. The study recommends more meaningful use of current and relevant educational resources and that teachers should undergo continuous teacher-initiated empowerment workshops to enhance their Economics curriculum implementation practices.
Open Access
Competency-based education and training for technical and vocational education training in Namibia: an evaluation of the technical teacher training programme
(University of the Free State, 2023) Hauuanga, Lance ; Holtzhausen, S. M.; Khanare, F. P.; Jansen van Rensburg, L.; Van Tonder, F.
Since 2008, with the establishment of the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), there has been an unprecedented focus on vocational education and training (VET) in the country. The establishment of the NTA reflects the government's commitment to addressing issues such as high youth unemployment, economic struggles, and the need for (re)industrialisation as well as revitalising the economy through technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Quality TVET depends heavily on the competencies and performance of TVET teachers, trainers, and instructors, which includes their theoretical knowledge, technical and pedagogical skills, and positive attitudes as well as staying up to date with new technologies in the workplace. Recognising the need for competent TVET teachers in a knowledge-based society undergoing technological transformation is crucial to producing skilled artisans and craftsmen in the country. This research addressed this gap by reconsidering the training and competence of TVET teachers in technical settings through assessing the adequacy, appropriateness, effectiveness and relevance of the DTVT qualification in training vocational teachers and trainers in Namibia. Bridging this gap is essential for TVET teachers to effectively prepare students and trainees for the world of work and the demands of the modern workforce. This new approach requires a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, and it is acknowledged that many TVET teachers currently lack these integrated abilities, which confirms the study’s relevance and contemporariness. The study conducted in Namibia used a qualitative phenomenological case study approach to evaluate the DTVT programme offered at NUST. This approach was selected due to its ability to provide in-depth insights into the lived experiences within the TVET context, enabling a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. To guide its activities, the study adopted a dual theoretical framework that focused on Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model and the Capability Approach (CA). These models aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the TVET teacher training programme’s effectiveness and to identify areas for improvement. By using these evaluation frameworks and conducting further research, the study aims to identify strategies and recommendations to transform TVET teachers’ education in Namibia. The ultimate goal is to either enhance, amend, or replace the existing programme to transform and equip TVET teachers with the necessary skills to effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice. Overall, this study emphasises the importance of TVET in addressing Namibia’s socioeconomic challenges and highlights the need to invest in quality TVET teachers to ensure the successful transformation of the TVET industry in the country. Two of the major findings were DTVT programme was inappropriate as it was not preparing student-teachers to effectively fulfil the demands of a dual profession. This encompassed the necessity for them to possess both practical/technical skills, and a comprehensive understanding of methodological approaches as well as work integrated learning (WIL) that affected its appropriateness.
Open Access
Exploring teachers’ implementation of knowledge and skills beyond a school-university partnership
(University of the Free State, 2022) Moeti, Pakiso James; Ramohai, N. J.; Stott, A.
School–university partnerships have been shown to be effective in developing the knowledge and skills of participating teachers. Understanding what teachers do in classrooms with these knowledge and skills, including after the end of the partnership, and factors that affect this, is vital in the assessment of the long-term impact and sustainability of such partnerships, but is largely unexplored. This qualitative case study describes the experiences of 16 participants who taught mathematics and physical sciences within a school–university partnership, ways in which they implemented the knowledge and skills they gained through this partnership, and their perceptions of threats to, and conditions for, successful implementation of this knowledge and skill beyond the partnership period. The investigation drew data from two sources: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The data were analysed using an interpretivist paradigm that allowed for a iterative and process-oriented research approach. The knowledge produced was analysed and interpreted using Kram’s framework of mentoring and complex systems theory. The findings suggest that the teachers developed content and pedagogical knowledge, and curriculum management and assessment skills, and are using a variety of approaches to implement these beyond the partnership period. Certain individual and institutional factors that threaten, and teacher traits and school conditions that are conditional for this implementation, were identified. Based on the findings, the study makes several recommendations for future school–university projects.
Open Access
A communication strategy to foster social cohesion in a higher education institution
(University of the Free State, 2022) Smith, Michael; Fru, Raymond Nkwenti
The aim of the study is to design a communication strategy to foster social cohesion in a higher education institution. Bricolage is the theoretical framework/lens through which I view and approach this study. The reason is institutions of higher learning have over the decades become communities of diversities of culture, religion and various other aspects of human life. Literature Reviewed include that of the two main disciplines in the title namely Communication and Social Cohesion. Because Communication deals largely with behavioural factors, the study dictates a review/exploration of both main legs namely Verbal and Nonverbal Communication. That is followed by literature regarding the three pillars of Social Cohesion, namely Social Capital, Social Inclusion and Social Mobility. Main objectives of the study include challenges, solutions, conditions, threats and indicators of success. Three countries are discussed based on their experiences relating to such objectives namely Britain, Kenya and South Africa by focusing on their political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal environments. Habermas’ Communicative (Participatory) Action is used in methodology, with focus group interviews and participant observation to collect data amongst community members of the University of the Free State. Analysis includes a SWOT Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis and Nonverbal Communication Analysis, which provide components/answers for the intended communication strategy for social cohesion. Based on the theoretical framework, literature reviewed, data collected, analysis, findings and discussion thereof, a conclusion is reached, which informs the recommendations for the type of communication strategy suitable to foster social cohesion in the University of the Free State. The study therefore concludes and recommends a communication strategy based on based on the principles of Ubuntu with Participatory Development Communication as its bloodline that infiltrates all its veins for its survival.
Open Access
Exploring the use of collaborative learning to promote pre-service teachers’ participation in a rural university classroom
(University of the Free State, 2022) Adebola, Oyinlola Omolara; Tsotetsi, Cias
Pre-service teaching education globally is provided to equip students who wish to specialise in the relevant teaching skills and pedagogical knowledge needed to teach and learn effectively. This study aimed to explore collaborative learning strategies to promote pre-service teachers' participation in South African rural university classrooms through article publications. This study is important because universities situated in rural South Africa have been reported to face challenges due to historical, religious, political, and social marginalisation. This study is qualitative and intended to investigate the challenges that influence pre-service teachers’ less participation, the way out of the challenges, and the threats that could hinder the implementation of the suggested solutions in rural universities. Social constructivism theory and asset-based community development were chosen to theorise while adopting participation research for the design and transformative paradigm to lens the study. Data were collected using structured interviews, focus group discussions and interest in thematic analysis. The first article, titled: “Challenges of pre-service teachers’ classroom participation in a rurally located university in South Africa,” addresses the challenges responsible for pre-service teachers’ lack of participation in a rural university classroom. The findings based on the above discovered that lack of preparation from both lecturer and students, the use of a teacher-centred approach, difficulty in understanding the English language, teaching workload, large class size, student background and tribalism were the major challenges facing pre-service teachers’ classroom participation in a rurally located university in South Africa. With a research objective, the second article, titled: “A veritable tool for promoting classroom participation among pre-service teachers in rural universities in South Africa,” explores the strategies that engender collaborative learning among pre-service teachers in rural university classrooms. The study revealed the think-peer-share strategy, group work strategy, micro-teaching strategy, positive feedback and encouragement, learner-centred method, and inquiry method as strategies for improving participation among pre-service teachers in rural universities. Article three, titled: “Sustaining collaborative learning in a South African rurally located university classroom: Threats and conducive conditions,” examines the conducive conditions that could sustain collaborative learning among pre-service teachers and evaluates the threats that could hinder the implementation of the possible solutions in a rural university classroom. The findings revealed connecting activity to assessment, connecting content to students’ lives, establishing classroom culture and planning as the possible solutions. At the same time, language barriers, unconducive classrooms and the lack of infrastructure were suggested as impeding factors that could hinder the implementation of the proposed solutions in the study.
Open Access
Influence of technology mediated teaching and learning in the preparation of pre-service teachers with disabilities
(University of the Free State, 2023) Manyinyire, Fanuel; Tsakeni, M.
Enrolment of students with disabilities in teacher education and other higher education programs has increased steadily, following policy reviews and advocacy by civic society (WHO, 2017; Pitman, 2022; FOTIM, 2011). Efforts have been on reducing learning barriers for students with disabilities by integrating technologies in pedagogic contexts (Jenson et al., 2010; Bekteshi, 2015). Nevertheless, studies on use of technologies to support learning for pre-service teachers with disabilities are limited, which inspired this study. Adoption of Universal Design for Learning, as the theoretical framework helped appraise inclusiveness, while Substitution Augmentation Modification and Redefinition helped establish extent to which technologies were integrated in pedagogic contexts (Rose & Meyer, 2002; Meyer et al., 2014). This study employed the social constructivism paradigm which influenced adoption of purposive and snow ball sampling of three teacher educators, a principal and twelve pre-service teachers, who provided study data through: interviews, observations and focus group discussions (Neuman, 2014; Cohen et al., 2018). Data was analysed through a thematic approach (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Results reveal inclusive enrolment, some infrastructural adaptations, some technology mediated teaching and learning and improvisation, as inclusive practices that benefitted pre-service teachers with disabilities. While teacher educators used technologies in presenting content, instructions and learning tasks, their efforts were impeded by inadequacy of technologies and inappropriate facilitation strategies. Effectiveness was also influenced by perceptions, attitudes and facilitation skills of particular educators. Students with dysfunctional or missing limbs used technologies for note capturing, presenting, researching and compiling assignments, which enhanced their social presence, participation and autonomy in learning processes. Despite predominant use of the technologies at substitution and augmentation, this promoted multiple presentations, expression and engagements (UDL). Notwithstanding lack of explicit policies on inclusive education, the institution availed several technologies, although these were not particularised to students with specific disabilities. Furthermore, these technologies were not easily accessible to pre-service teachers with disabilities, who largely relied on personally owned technologies. Findings from this study are fundamental on inclusion and responding to disabilities, as the recommendations highlight enhanced access to appropriate functional technologies, capacitation of teacher educators and infrastructural adaptation, as well as and apposite policies on use of technologies and its monitoring.
Open Access
A framework to improve curriculum leadership in primary schools
(University of the Free State, 2023) Shale, Motsamai Ishamel; Tshelane, M. D.
Research attests that there is correlation between leadership and learner achievement. Principals, deputies, head of departments and subject heads play an important role in designing high quality, critical, community-oriented and collective curriculum leadership in schools. Since the dawn of democracy, the South African education system has experienced many changes in their curriculum. This has led to a serious confusion in terms of leadership, which has resulted in ineffective curriculum leadership in schools. The aim of this study was to design a framework to improve curriculum leadership with the purpose of improving learner achievement. The study used a qualitative approach and a diverse group of curriculum leaders were involved, using critical participatory action research as participants, and the researcher used two primary schools for research. A focus group technique to facilitate participants’ observation was used to stimulate sustained interaction. The research question is: how can a framework to improve curriculum leadership in primary schools be designed? Providing ongoing curriculum leadership in schools today is a multifaceted process. The study used Africana Critical Theory (ACT) as its theoretical framework. African leadership models contend that there is a great interest in educational leadership today, because of the widespread belief that the quality of leadership makes a significant difference to school and learner achievement. It is a critical common place that leadership in schools is confronted by moral and ethical dilemmas, thus ACT as the 21st century outgrowth of efforts to deconstruct and reconstruct, the dialectics of domination and liberation of Africana life worlds, as well as lived experiences. Data were collected using free attitude interviews and analysed using critical discourse analysis. The study drew heavily on critical leadership studies as a conceptual framework that was used throughout the study. Critical leadership studies, as a conceptual framework proposed by the study - respond to the failure of mainstream leadership studies to address important questions of power, control and inequalities (cf. 1.3, 1.7, 2.2, 2.2.8.3, 2.7.1. 2.7.2, 2.7.3, 5.1, 6.2.2.3 & Figure 7.1). The discussion of the findings resulting from the intervention was done with the use of critical discourse analysis.
Open Access
Flipping the classroom to enhance student engagement in first-year statistics education
(University of the Free State, 2023) Da Silva, Liza; Van der Merwe, Sean; Van der Merwe, Linda
This study explores the effectiveness of a flipped classroom (FC) variant based on students engaging with content outside of class by viewing video-lectures. The flipped classroom encouraged students to take responsibility for their own learning. When they were unclear on specific concepts, they could use technology to collaborate with their peers or the lecturer. To encourage viewing of the videos, an incentive was given in the form of weekly assessments that the students had to complete, which formed part of their semester mark. A randomised pre-test-post-test control design was implemented in a sample of Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) students in a first-year statistics course. The FC approach was exercised in the experimental group (Group A), while the control group (Group B) received traditional face-to-face lecturing. A comparison between the final scores of Group A and Group B was used to give insight into the effectiveness of this treatment. Each group consisted of 67 students. The results showed that a video-based lecturing pedagogy significantly improved ECP students’ final scores. In this study, students applied different learning activities such as inquiring about information, watching video-lectures, and practically applying the knowledge studied when completing weekly online assessments. Students collaborated with the lecturer and their peers via e-mail or WhatsApp to thoroughly understand the subject. Therefore, active learning, which fosters deep learning, was encouraged. This finding is consistent with the constructivist pedagogical theory, which emphasises the importance of interaction with others in knowledge construction and develops a deeper understanding of the subject matter. These findings align with other studies that report positive student perceptions of blended learning in first-year statistics. This research found that the FC intervention, as applied by the researcher, resulted in a significant increase in student performance on their final marks, which indicates that the FC approach is an important pedagogical approach to increase student achievement. Further, the results confirmed that the FC approach improved student engagement. One factor that significantly enhanced student engagement was the students’ preferred place of study. Students from the experimental group studying at their place of residence significantly outperformed students from the traditional group who studied at their place of residence. Another factor that indicated that student engagement was enhanced was that student-staff interaction significantly increased in the experimental group. Some interesting findings surfaced. An unexpected gender finding evidenced that male students in the experimental group significantly outperformed the male students in the control group. Furthermore, when the place of study was examined, the experimental group performed better when studying at their residences. Many participants in Group A showed a favourable perception towards the videoed-lecturing approach as they enjoyed watching video-lectures at their own pace. They also indicated that they prefer this new variant of flipping because it motivated them to learn. From the survey analysis, many students preferred watching video-lectures at their own pace, time, and space. An overwhelming portion of the participants indicated that the use of technology was pivotal in their learning. It was also derived that the more students participated in all their assessments, the higher their final score was.
Open Access
An integrated service-learning praxis approach for flourishment of professional development in community-higher education partnerships
(University of the Free State, 2022) Venter, Karen Elizabeth; Holtzhausen, S. M.; Myburgh, E.
Universities and communities should embrace engaged scholarship for sustainable development challenges, through co-creation of responsive knowledge for the public good. Therefore, academics have infused community engaged service-learning (CESL) into the functions of teaching-learning and research, to deliver engaged scholarship in democratic community-higher education partnerships. However, sustainable CESL practice and partnership development are challenged by the complex process of institutionalisation. This five-articles-style thesis explored the contribution of an integrated service-learning praxis approach towards the flourishment of engaged scholarship in community-higher education partnerships. The approach combined CESL, appreciative inquiry and appreciative leadership, to advance the praxis of engaged scholarship. The study was demarcated in the field of higher education, applied in the discipline of nursing education, and contextually bound to three interrelated action research cycles and settings – for international, national and local level engagement. The study followed a transformative paradigm and qualitative, strength-based action research design of appreciative inquiry. Participants were conveniently and purposefully selected, based on their practical, career-bound wisdom of engaged scholarship. Data was co-generated in paired appreciative conversations, which were followed by collective data analysis in small and large-group format and guided by a 5D-process-driven (define, discovery, dream, design and delivery/destiny) semi-structured interview protocol. The research contributed to practical theory development, by providing five articles for improved CESL practice towards positive change. These articles comprised (1) a practical framework towards an integrated model for advancing engaged scholarship; (2) best practices for national support of engaged scholarship; (3) a community-university research partnership model, which affiliated with the Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL), to reward reciprocal action learning in parallel with academic certification; (4) a set of principles for becoming globally competent citizens; and (5) the WHOLE model for engaged scholarship, balanced by social justice values-in-action, to co-create action-oriented knowledge for a better future for all people, the economy and the environment.
Open Access
A phenomenological reading of the racial knowledge and identities of student leaders engaged in reconciliation
(University of the Free State, 2017-08) Buys, Barend Rudolf; Jansen, J. D.; Niemann, S. M.
𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 This study wants to make sense of the lived experiences of student leaders engaged in racial reconciliation at a South African university campus by exploring their struggles with racial knowledge and identity over time. Four students, two male and two female, two black and two white, participated in the study. They were senior student leaders that played a public role in racial reconciliation on campus following a traumatic incident of racial discrimination at Reitz, a men’s residence on campus. The study faced a dearth in current literature on the combined themes of student leadership, racial knowledge and identity, and reconciliation. However, a broad literature review on student engagement, student leadership and student diversity revealed critical themes and gaps relevant to this study in the research on diversity and change in higher education. A framework of concepts was developed to read the narrative data of the study. These included the notions of conscientisation (Freire), racial ignorance (Mills), in-betweenness (Bhabha), transitionality (Winnicott), scapegoating (Girard), nearness (Jansen), embrace (Volf) and bridge-building (Boske). The study uses a phenomenological approach to describe and interpret the life histories of the participating student leaders. I drafted the four racial biographies of the four student leaders in conjunction with the students, which were then analysed for patterns of experiences that reveal shifts in racial knowledge and identity in and across lives. On the one hand, the students reproduced the racial ignorance and the hierarchies of racial distance that marked their lifeworlds. However, on the other hand, the students behaved in alternative ways to the norm of their environments. They built friendship across racial divides and challenged cultural codes and norms. The different and competing realities of racial distance and togetherness reveal a continued struggle between knowledge defined by ignorance and knowledge defined by the transitional context of post-apartheid South Africa. Similarly, their alternative experiences of race in a changing society reveal an alternative racial identity that emerge over time in their lives, an identity of in-betweenness. A synthesis of the emerging themes revealed successive moments of struggle with racial ignorance and alternative knowledge in their lives prior to and on campus, and prior to, during and after Reitz. The students learned to reproduce racial ignorance at school and at home prior to arriving on campus. On campus they faced radical racial distances prior to and immediately after Reitz. But, the trauma of the incident also disrupted the established racial hierarchies of their environment. Thereafter the post-Reitz interventions raised their consciousness about race and racial hierarchies so that ignorance dissipated. At the same time, the transitional nature of their racially integrating schools and local communities compelled new knowledge and identities different to established black and white identities. However, at school and on campus prior to Reitz, the students faced reprisals for their attempts at racial in-betweenness and breaking with racial codes and norms. Reprisals discouraged and cast doubt on new knowledge and identity. They internalised this rejection of their alternative knowledge, but rediscovered its value when the post-Reitz interventions for change embraced in-betweenness and alternative knowledge and identities. Their conscientisation disrupted racial ignorance and brought their in-betweenness and transitional knowledge to the surface. As ignorance dissipated, their new knowledge and in-betweenness were actualised as racial bridge-building. The study defines the students’ struggle with ignorance and transitional knowledge as the struggle of an epistemology of transitionality to emerge in the face of the dominant epistemology of ignorance that marks the post-conflict environment of post-apartheid South Africa. It defines their growing in-betweenness as an emerging ontology of transitionality and uses the notion of bridge-building to define the methodology and praxis of their leadership for racial reconciliation and change. The study contributes to current scholarship on leadership for change in higher education by describing in detail how student leaders experienced change personally and as part of change interventions on a divided university campus. The study provides new ways to make sense of how student leaders who counter-culturally lead reconciliation on campus become leaders for change and the social, cultural and political influences that mediate their transition. The study also contributes potential theoretical readings of transitionality, bridge-building and reprisal as important concepts to theorise leadership for change in higher education. The study recommends further research to test the transferability of the findings of this research.
Open Access
Teacher educators' perceptions and practices of teaching in a blended learning mode in Ghana
(University of the Free State, 2022) Brenya, Boahemaa; Olugbenga, I. G. E.; Jita, Thuthukile
The teaching and learning approach for higher education institutions all over the world has been transformed as a result of the emergence of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in March 2020. The pandemic necessitated the shift from face-to-face teaching to a blended learning mode by higher educational institutions in Ghana. Despite the effectiveness of blended learning in the delivery of instruction and learning, the scenarios created by Covid-19 forced teacher educators to accept the transformation of their teaching practice from residential classes to partly or full virtual programmes. This mixed-methods explanatory sequential study investigated the perceptions of teacher educators in their practices of blended learning in Ghana. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed as a theoretical framework for the study. Data collected from the quantitative study was analysed using SPSS (R-Package) and inductive thematic analysis was employed to analyse the qualitative data. Results indicated that teacher educators have positive perceptions about the blended learning approach being effective and efficient for teaching and learning. That is, the perceptions of teacher educators have an influence on the blended learning approach; hence, the blended learning method should be practised for effective and creative teaching. However, educators revealed certain challenges such as lack of internet resources, disturbances (such as technical problems, lack of office space and recording studio) in the blended learning environments, students’ poor attendance and participation in teaching sessions, inadequate and continuous training workshops for educators and poor functionality of technological gadgets. This study concludes by making philosophical recommendations to strengthen teacher educators’ application of the blended learning approach in their teaching and student learning practices in Ghana.
Open Access
Analysing student affairs research within higher education through Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model lens
(University of the Free State, 2020-07) Holtzhausen, Sophia Maria; Wahl, W. P.
Through Bronfenbrenner’s Person, Process, Context and Time (PPCT) model lens, this study identified the most important student affairs research themes for transforming student (including postgraduate students) learning and development in higher education, as well as how these themes might be managed or implemented best by higher education institutions. In order to address these questions, this five-article doctoral journey is situated within the parameters of Higher Education Studies, Student Affairs, Student Development Theory, and Ecology of Learning. All these fields of study and theories play a fundamental role in accomplishing student learning and development. However, this study predominantly is positioned within the field of student affairs, with special reference to Jones and Asbes’ (2017:143) third student development theory category. The motivation for this is that the study specifically concentrated on the ecological aspects of student development, reinforcing the applicability of Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) bio-ecological systems theory (i.e. the PPCT model) as a theoretical lens. Mainly qualitative data generation methods were employed in this study. The research findings are put forth in the format of five articles, which present a kaleidoscope of research that focused on the historical interval of 2008-2019: In Article 1 four North American directives and Kuh’s High Impact Educational Practices provided a development trajectory of the student affairs profession. Although Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model lens has signposted four historical movements (in loco parentis, service providers, out-of-class development officers, and multiple educators), the reader should note that these student affairs practitioners’ roles are evolutionary. This study also found that scholarly student affairs practitioners should be flexible and theory-based in their praxis. Also, because student affairs function under a contemporary umbrella with broad and diverse responsibilities, there is substantial scope for further development in this field. Article 2 explores the student affairs research position worldwide between 2008 and 2019 in the light of an extensive document analysis of 926 student affairs research articles published in 91 peer-reviewed journals. The thematic categorisation of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) was used to determine nine prominent and five new international publication trends as derived from the document analysis (CAS 2019). Thereafter, Bronfenbrenner's PPCT model, particularly the chrono-system, provided critical insights in this study about how and why student affairs manifest in worldwide higher education. Article 3 established an increase in and emphasis on African student affairs research. This provoked the significance of mapping African student affairs research during the past interlude (2008-2019) through Bronfenbrenner’s lens. The document analysis of 121 articles (published in 34 selected academic journals) confirmed nine of CAS’s prominent African student affairs research trends, while four new local themes were observed. Finally, postgraduate programmes and services requiring future exploration to extend and promote student affairs as a field of research and studies in the African context were identified. Article 4 focused on the interrogation, namely: In what way can scholarly article style postgraduate studies specifically enrich the field of student affairs? In this qualitative research journey, taken through Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical microscope, higher education experts and supervisors agreed that well-defined institutional policies, faculty/departmental guidelines, and assessment are essential for success. Subsequently, article option training and support for postgraduate students, supervisors, and student affairs practitioners are essential. This study’s final, proposed outcome is postgraduate attribute indicators for quality assessment of article style postgraduate studies, which require extensive future exploration. Finally, in Article 5 the findings of a 360-degree circle reflection on the four intervention guideposts are presented and analysed (through Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model). Lessons learned to promote postgraduate student development could serve as catalyst for further research.
Open Access
Enhancing English academic literacy programmes for first year university students
(University of the Free State, 2015-06) Mathobela, Moodiela Victor; Hlalele, D. J.; Tsotetsi, C. T.; Papashane, M.
This study aims at enhancing English academic literacy programmes for first year university students at the Qwaqwa Campus of the UFS. In order to achieve this, the following specific objectives were formulated to direct the study: 1. To identify challenges justifying the need to enhance EALPs for first year university students, 2. To identify and discuss the components and aspects necessary for such enhancement to occur, 3. To determine the conditions under which such enhancement can be successfully achieved, 4. To anticipate plausible threats that may hinder the enhancement operationalization and the strategies that could be put in place to circumvent them, 5. To identify monitoring strategies as well as indicators of successful enhancement, and 6. To propose strategies for enhancing EALPs for first year university students. Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) as the theoretical framework was chosen to couch this study towards the operationalisation of the above mentioned objectives. CER's agenda of equity, social justice, freedom, peace and hope made it suitable for the enhancement of EALPs for first year university students that would include facilitators and students. These stakeholders are included in this study on the basis that their direct participation would likely enhance and promote their sense of ownership, legitimacy and also democratise and legitimise the process of enhancing EALPs for first year university students. Guided by CER as the lens anchoring th is study, I reviewed the literature on EALPs for first year university students who learn through English as a second, third, fourth or foreign language in South Africa, Australia, Canada, UK and the USA because these countries represent the best practices with regard to academic literacy teaching at first year university level given their socio-economic contexts which are more or less similar to the kind of students we teach at this campus of the UFS. Literature revealed a number of challenges and mechanisms which were put in place to solve them. Informed by theory and guided by the objectives of the study, I also looked at the components and aspects necessary for enhancement of EALPs, the conditions that made these solutions to be operational, as well as the threats that scampered their effectiveness in some instances and strategies put in place to circumvent them. The intent was to finally identify monitoring strategies and indicators of successful enhancement so that strategies can be proposed and replicated in our context. To complement the conceptualisation above, we generated empirical data through Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a research methodology and design which enabled the study to operationalise CER in action and to problematize issues of unequal power relations between the facilitators and the students. These power disparities seemed to be the most important factors that caused problems in the implementation of EALPs on the said campus. Through this the PAR approach, the voices of the marginalised and excluded stakeholders who were directly affected by the implementation of EALPs were given the opportunity to be expressed and heard. The empirical data confirmed that there were challenges in the implementation of EALPs at the Qwaqwa Campus as revealed in the literature elsewhere. These challenges included the exclusion of facilitators as EAL practitioners, as well as other beneficiaries in the implementation of these EALPs like students. There were also problems in formulating a commonly acceptable vision, hence no coordinated plan in implementation as well as lack of proper monitoring procedures to name a few. In order to overcome these challenges, seven components and aspects necessary for enhancing EALPs for first year university students emerged to counteract the challenges. Thereafter, eight conditions conducive for EALPs enhancement to occur were identified. Threats to enhancement and strategies to circumvent them were also highlighted. Based on the above, monitoring strategies and indicators of successful enhancement of EALPs were also explored and examined. The study concludes by proposing strategies to effectively enhance EALPs for first year university students using data from the literature and from the empirical data emanating from this study.
Open Access
Early career women academics: a case study of working lives in a gendered institution
(University of the Free State, 2019) Lewin, Thandi; Walker, Melanie
𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 This study was informed by my interest in a set of inter-related policy concerns about the academic profession in South Africa. Academic staff in South African universities remain predominantly white and male at senior levels, the pace of demographic change has been slow, and not enough young people are choosing academic careers and being retained in academic jobs. Women, and black women in particular, are significantly under-represented in the professoriate. The imperatives for change in South African higher education in the post-apartheid era have been linked both to social justice demands for a more equitable, representative and transformed system, as well as global pressures for more accountable, productive and competitive universities. Despite progressive policy frameworks, South African universities retain highly gendered and racialised institutional cultures, which create constraints for academic staff in building academic careers. However, policy has limitations, and deeper exploration is needed to understand gender inequity. There is a dearth of research on the working lives of academics in the South African academy, in particular on the experiences of early career academics and women in the early career. This study explored the working lives of a small group of early career academic women in one faculty at one institution through narrative research, informed by the following research questions: • How does gender impact on academic working lives, career development choices and professional identities of selected early career academic women? • How do early career academic women understand, experience and mediate gendered institutional environments and how does this affect their professional functioning and agency? • What does this reveal about why gender inequalities persist in universities? This study used a combination of feminist theorisation about organisations and the capability approach as a framework for analysis. Institutions are gendered in multi-dimensional ways and this impacts profoundly on academic lives and career trajectories. Gendered institutions affect the everyday experiences of academic women. Gender is implicated in the way institutions are structured and how they operate. Job structures, expectations and workloads are gendered. Gendered everyday interactions (which can be both overt and invisible) and individuals’ own gendered socialisation, influence how women navigate academic working lives. All these factors affect how early career academic women form professional academic identities and what kinds of career trajectories they follow. While academic careers emerge as multi-dimensional, systems of recognition are relatively one-dimensional. Experiences are diverse – some academics are able to successfully navigate institutions and achieve well-being- while others struggle to achieve a sense of stability. The capability approach offered a normative social justice framing of the data, allowing for an exploration of individual experiences. It highlighted valued aspects of working lives, explored constraints and enabling factors, and ultimately arrived at a set of contextual and multi-dimensional valued capability dimensions. From the narratives and engagement with other capability sets, five capability dimensions emerged, based on the valued and aspirational functionings of the nine participants: • navigation: to be able to navigate academic life successfully; • recognition: to be able to be recognised and valued for one’s academic work; • autonomy: to be able to achieve professional autonomy; • affiliation: to be able to participate in social and professional networks; and • aspiration: to be able to aspire to a professional academic career. The usefulness of these five dimensions is that they provide a way of understanding what kinds of careers early career academic women want, and therefore suggest ways in which institutions can reduce institutional barriers and enhance opportunities for career development and well-being. ___________________________________________________________________