Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2107940
B. Coetzee, A. Kagee
Abstract In psychology departments in South Africa, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is routinely used for quantitative analysis. While SPSS has a user-friendly interface, it does not permit application of some of the more sophisticated analytic approaches and therefore has limited functionality. The programming language R can perform most statistical functions. However, research on user experiences of R and its integration into the psychology curriculum in South Africa is lacking in the literature. To better understand the acceptability of integrating R into psychology training at a local residential university, we interviewed ten staff and students with a background in psychology about their experiences of a six-session R training course in November 2017. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data were analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti v8. We identified three super-ordinate themes that provided insights into our participants’ experiences of the software and the workshop. Participants spoke about the various advantages and useful functionalities of R and described it as a sought-after skill in research. They spoke about challenges they experienced with the software and preferred menu-driven software such as SPSS and perceived such tools as being easier to learn, time saving and more user-friendly. They also indicated that their limited statistical skills and knowledge influenced their willingness to pursue software like R in future. We found that there is sufficient curiosity and interest among staff and students in psychology about learning new statistical programs and integrating R into the curriculum.
{"title":"Training Staff and Students in Psychology in the R Computer Language: Implications for the Psychology Curriculum in South Africa","authors":"B. Coetzee, A. Kagee","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2022.2107940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2107940","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In psychology departments in South Africa, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is routinely used for quantitative analysis. While SPSS has a user-friendly interface, it does not permit application of some of the more sophisticated analytic approaches and therefore has limited functionality. The programming language R can perform most statistical functions. However, research on user experiences of R and its integration into the psychology curriculum in South Africa is lacking in the literature. To better understand the acceptability of integrating R into psychology training at a local residential university, we interviewed ten staff and students with a background in psychology about their experiences of a six-session R training course in November 2017. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data were analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti v8. We identified three super-ordinate themes that provided insights into our participants’ experiences of the software and the workshop. Participants spoke about the various advantages and useful functionalities of R and described it as a sought-after skill in research. They spoke about challenges they experienced with the software and preferred menu-driven software such as SPSS and perceived such tools as being easier to learn, time saving and more user-friendly. They also indicated that their limited statistical skills and knowledge influenced their willingness to pursue software like R in future. We found that there is sufficient curiosity and interest among staff and students in psychology about learning new statistical programs and integrating R into the curriculum.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"18 1","pages":"33 - 50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46160540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.1961088
Amir Zaman, Riaz Ahmad, A. Ghaffar, M. Hussain
Abstract The study aimed to develop and validate a test for the measurement of mathematical thinking of secondary-level students. The first-stage aspects of mathematical thinking were explored for a consolidated model in line with the curriculum of secondary-level education in Pakistan. Thirty-six items were developed and piloted in three schools. Factor analysis was applied to ensure the construct validity of the instrument. The analysis shows that each item was significantly loaded in its corresponding construct with a little deviation shown by two of the 36 items. The data show that this deviation was caused by the overlapping nature of the content and construct.
{"title":"Measuring Mathematical Thinking Skills: Framework and Test Development for Secondary School Students","authors":"Amir Zaman, Riaz Ahmad, A. Ghaffar, M. Hussain","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.1961088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.1961088","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The study aimed to develop and validate a test for the measurement of mathematical thinking of secondary-level students. The first-stage aspects of mathematical thinking were explored for a consolidated model in line with the curriculum of secondary-level education in Pakistan. Thirty-six items were developed and piloted in three schools. Factor analysis was applied to ensure the construct validity of the instrument. The analysis shows that each item was significantly loaded in its corresponding construct with a little deviation shown by two of the 36 items. The data show that this deviation was caused by the overlapping nature of the content and construct.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"16 - 26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45442870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.2012087
Özge Özsoy, Hilal Peker
Research on Reflective Practice in TESOL, by Thomas S. C. Farrell (2018), is a very comprehensive book and includes nine chapters focusing on 138 research studies on reflective practices in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The book could be used as a well-organised guide for those who are interested in finding out more about research studies that have been conducted on teacher reflective practice over the past decade. Looking at the structural side of the book, it can be said that the chapters are easy to scan through because each one includes an introduction, which summarises what the chapter entails, and a conclusion, which summarises the content of the chapter. Thus, the reader can easily navigate through the book. In terms of its content, both preservice and in-service teachers as well as teacher trainers can benefit equally from the book if they would like to learn more about the empirical body of literature written on the realm of reflective practice. The reflective questions provided for each section in each chapter would especially be invaluable for practitioners, as these questions would help them reflect in a more systematic and detailed way.
Thomas S. C. Farrell(2018)的《TESOL反思性实践研究》是一本非常全面的书，包括九章，重点介绍了138项关于向其他语言的人教授英语的反思性实践的研究。对于那些有兴趣了解更多关于过去十年来对教师反思实践进行的研究的人来说，这本书可以作为一本组织良好的指南。从书的结构方面来看，可以说每一章都很容易浏览，因为每一章都有一个引言，总结了这一章的内容，还有一个结论，总结了这一章的内容。因此，读者可以很容易地浏览这本书。就其内容而言，在职和职前教师以及教师培训师都可以从本书中受益，如果他们想了解更多关于反思实践领域的实证文献。每章每节提供的反思性问题对实践者来说尤其宝贵，因为这些问题将帮助他们以更系统和详细的方式进行反思。
{"title":"Research on Reflective Practice in TESOL, by Thomas S. C. Farrell","authors":"Özge Özsoy, Hilal Peker","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.2012087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.2012087","url":null,"abstract":"Research on Reflective Practice in TESOL, by Thomas S. C. Farrell (2018), is a very comprehensive book and includes nine chapters focusing on 138 research studies on reflective practices in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The book could be used as a well-organised guide for those who are interested in finding out more about research studies that have been conducted on teacher reflective practice over the past decade. Looking at the structural side of the book, it can be said that the chapters are easy to scan through because each one includes an introduction, which summarises what the chapter entails, and a conclusion, which summarises the content of the chapter. Thus, the reader can easily navigate through the book. In terms of its content, both preservice and in-service teachers as well as teacher trainers can benefit equally from the book if they would like to learn more about the empirical body of literature written on the realm of reflective practice. The reflective questions provided for each section in each chapter would especially be invaluable for practitioners, as these questions would help them reflect in a more systematic and detailed way.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"119 - 123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47753996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2064310
Michack Mandla Masango, L. van Ryneveld, M. Graham
Abstract The use of information and communications technology (ICT) is gradually increasing in South African schools. In the Gauteng province, the Department of Education has prioritised the provisioning of electronic textbooks (ebooks) to public schools since 2014. However, to this day, there seem to be multiple barriers that hamper the adoption and use of digital technologies, and specifically ebooks. This study was premised on the technology acceptance model, and a mixed-method approach was used with an online questionnaire and a semi-structured interview protocol as the data collection instruments. For the qualitative data, thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, and inferential statistics, such as the two-proportions z-test and the chi-square test of independence, were utilised. Results indicated that although portable electronic devices that facilitate the reading of ebooks are readily available at public schools in Gauteng, the availability and use of ebooks are still very limited. The results also show that the participants found digital resources easy to use and easy to navigate and indicated that teachers would like to have more training to fully develop the necessary skills required to implement the ebooks effectively. Teachers do not seem to have adequate time to prepare teaching materials and learning activities using these ebooks. In this article, the barriers to the successful implementation of ebooks are explored, and the article culminates in putting forward some guidelines to create an enabling environment to support the successful adoption of ebooks in schools.
{"title":"Barriers to the Implementation of Electronic Textbooks in Rural and Township Schools in South Africa","authors":"Michack Mandla Masango, L. van Ryneveld, M. Graham","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2022.2064310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2064310","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The use of information and communications technology (ICT) is gradually increasing in South African schools. In the Gauteng province, the Department of Education has prioritised the provisioning of electronic textbooks (ebooks) to public schools since 2014. However, to this day, there seem to be multiple barriers that hamper the adoption and use of digital technologies, and specifically ebooks. This study was premised on the technology acceptance model, and a mixed-method approach was used with an online questionnaire and a semi-structured interview protocol as the data collection instruments. For the qualitative data, thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, and inferential statistics, such as the two-proportions z-test and the chi-square test of independence, were utilised. Results indicated that although portable electronic devices that facilitate the reading of ebooks are readily available at public schools in Gauteng, the availability and use of ebooks are still very limited. The results also show that the participants found digital resources easy to use and easy to navigate and indicated that teachers would like to have more training to fully develop the necessary skills required to implement the ebooks effectively. Teachers do not seem to have adequate time to prepare teaching materials and learning activities using these ebooks. In this article, the barriers to the successful implementation of ebooks are explored, and the article culminates in putting forward some guidelines to create an enabling environment to support the successful adoption of ebooks in schools.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"86 - 118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47676266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.2004551
Paul Goldschagg, Tanya L. Bekker
Abstract Noise disturbance has been recognised as a problem in schools, affecting the intelligibility of speech, and consequently, educational outcomes. Whilst research has explained various effects of noise on learning, less is known about specific learner populations’ perceptions of the effects of noise on their learning. This article reports on a study that compared the noise perceptions of learners at two all-girls high schools (one comprising mostly English home-language speakers; the other English second-language speakers) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings of the purposive questionnaire survey that was administered to girls aged 15–18 are presented. Sound measurements are considered alongside questionnaire data and published standards for acceptable classroom noise. Higher levels of noise interference were reported by second-language speakers, which suggest that increased language processing demands make these learners more susceptible to the negative effects of noise. Thus, the implications point to the need for schools to recognise and minimise the negative effects of noise particularly when learners are engaged in tasks of higher order cognitive demand or when teachers are verbally presenting new or complex concepts. This is particularly true for girls for whom English is their second language.
{"title":"Effects of Classroom Noise on Learning: Perceptions of Grade 10–12 Girl Learners","authors":"Paul Goldschagg, Tanya L. Bekker","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.2004551","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.2004551","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Noise disturbance has been recognised as a problem in schools, affecting the intelligibility of speech, and consequently, educational outcomes. Whilst research has explained various effects of noise on learning, less is known about specific learner populations’ perceptions of the effects of noise on their learning. This article reports on a study that compared the noise perceptions of learners at two all-girls high schools (one comprising mostly English home-language speakers; the other English second-language speakers) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings of the purposive questionnaire survey that was administered to girls aged 15–18 are presented. Sound measurements are considered alongside questionnaire data and published standards for acceptable classroom noise. Higher levels of noise interference were reported by second-language speakers, which suggest that increased language processing demands make these learners more susceptible to the negative effects of noise. Thus, the implications point to the need for schools to recognise and minimise the negative effects of noise particularly when learners are engaged in tasks of higher order cognitive demand or when teachers are verbally presenting new or complex concepts. This is particularly true for girls for whom English is their second language.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"46 - 64"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48188423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.1954536
A. Venter
Abstract While online learning is increasingly used to provide continuation and facilitate interaction between students, institutions are challenged by low participation rates on their learning management systems and high drop-out rates. At the same time, students engage in extensive, needs-driven informal collaborations on a spectrum of offline and online platforms in support of their learning. It seems pertinent to understand the process though which students self-direct their learning across different learning spaces. A combination of focus groups and personal interviews was used during a qualitative study to gain in-depth feedback from a variety of online students in an online course at the University of South Africa (Unisa). Unisa is a large open distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa and hosts students from diverse social backgrounds. Insights about student collaborations emerged after a thematic analysis, grounding the results in a social capital theoretical framework. The results indicate that students engage in social networking across various learning platforms, establishing a variety of social ties with perceived learning benefits, deriving value from the social capital fund in the respective social ties. Online educators can gain useful insight from understanding the process and value of students’ self-initiated participation in informal learning spaces to find ways for improved student participation in online learning. Practical ideas are offered as to how student collaborative learning can be facilitated by integrating formal and informal learning spaces in a seamless learning environment.
{"title":"Synchronising Informal and Formal Learning Spaces to Facilitate Collaborative Online Learning","authors":"A. Venter","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.1954536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.1954536","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract While online learning is increasingly used to provide continuation and facilitate interaction between students, institutions are challenged by low participation rates on their learning management systems and high drop-out rates. At the same time, students engage in extensive, needs-driven informal collaborations on a spectrum of offline and online platforms in support of their learning. It seems pertinent to understand the process though which students self-direct their learning across different learning spaces. A combination of focus groups and personal interviews was used during a qualitative study to gain in-depth feedback from a variety of online students in an online course at the University of South Africa (Unisa). Unisa is a large open distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa and hosts students from diverse social backgrounds. Insights about student collaborations emerged after a thematic analysis, grounding the results in a social capital theoretical framework. The results indicate that students engage in social networking across various learning platforms, establishing a variety of social ties with perceived learning benefits, deriving value from the social capital fund in the respective social ties. Online educators can gain useful insight from understanding the process and value of students’ self-initiated participation in informal learning spaces to find ways for improved student participation in online learning. Practical ideas are offered as to how student collaborative learning can be facilitated by integrating formal and informal learning spaces in a seamless learning environment.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"1 - 15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18146627.2021.1954536","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48740366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.1979894
K. Teise, Emma Groenewald, Anthony Mpisi
Abstract Since South Africa’s transition to democracy, numerous policies have been enacted to address gender oppression. Taking its cue from the country’s constitution, these policies and acts, such as the Higher Education Act (1997), aim, in particular, to promote social justice by addressing gender imbalances in society. Likewise, the vision of Sol Plaatje University includes advancing social justice by addressing gender oppression. The prevalence of various types of violence against women suggests that South African women are still being oppressed; it also points to power imbalances within society that are aimed at maintaining the status quo. This paper seeks to explore the value of an education module at Sol Plaatje University to raise the consciousness of first-year education students about gender oppression. Data were generated through three reflective narratives, through which six students from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds were requested to reflect on and narrate their socialisation and their experience of the module. We used Harro’s (2000b) cycle of socialisation and Love’s (2000) cycle of liberation as lenses to make sense of the students’ experiences of gender and the module. Indications from the narratives are that this particular module has the potential to raise student teachers’ consciousness about gender oppression.
{"title":"Raising Consciousness of Gender Oppression through a Transformed Curriculum","authors":"K. Teise, Emma Groenewald, Anthony Mpisi","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.1979894","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.1979894","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Since South Africa’s transition to democracy, numerous policies have been enacted to address gender oppression. Taking its cue from the country’s constitution, these policies and acts, such as the Higher Education Act (1997), aim, in particular, to promote social justice by addressing gender imbalances in society. Likewise, the vision of Sol Plaatje University includes advancing social justice by addressing gender oppression. The prevalence of various types of violence against women suggests that South African women are still being oppressed; it also points to power imbalances within society that are aimed at maintaining the status quo. This paper seeks to explore the value of an education module at Sol Plaatje University to raise the consciousness of first-year education students about gender oppression. Data were generated through three reflective narratives, through which six students from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds were requested to reflect on and narrate their socialisation and their experience of the module. We used Harro’s (2000b) cycle of socialisation and Love’s (2000) cycle of liberation as lenses to make sense of the students’ experiences of gender and the module. Indications from the narratives are that this particular module has the potential to raise student teachers’ consciousness about gender oppression.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"27 - 45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48020710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-01DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2063750
L. Vem, R. B. Tuamyil, Samuel A. Ocholi, R. Thurasamy
Abstract Spirituality research has attracted much interest in recent times, particularly among the management group of researchers, owing to the realisation that people come to work not with their hands and heads only but also with their spirit. The present study explores the intervening role of spiritual climate in the relationship between spirituality and turnover intentions among academics at tertiary institutions in Plateau State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and 320 questionnaires out of the 500 administered were used. The data set collected was analysed using Smart-PLS to test the hypothesised relationships. The results reveal: (1) No relationship between spirituality and turnover intention; (2) Spirituality relates positively to and significantly with spiritual climate; (3) Spiritual climate significantly influences academics’ intention to leave; (4) Spiritual climate is found to mediate the relationship between spirituality and intention to quit. We situate our contribution in this paper to theory and practice.
{"title":"Turnover Intention in Nigerian Universities: Do Academics’ Spirituality and the Spiritual Climate Matter?","authors":"L. Vem, R. B. Tuamyil, Samuel A. Ocholi, R. Thurasamy","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2022.2063750","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2063750","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Spirituality research has attracted much interest in recent times, particularly among the management group of researchers, owing to the realisation that people come to work not with their hands and heads only but also with their spirit. The present study explores the intervening role of spiritual climate in the relationship between spirituality and turnover intentions among academics at tertiary institutions in Plateau State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and 320 questionnaires out of the 500 administered were used. The data set collected was analysed using Smart-PLS to test the hypothesised relationships. The results reveal: (1) No relationship between spirituality and turnover intention; (2) Spirituality relates positively to and significantly with spiritual climate; (3) Spiritual climate significantly influences academics’ intention to leave; (4) Spiritual climate is found to mediate the relationship between spirituality and intention to quit. We situate our contribution in this paper to theory and practice.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"65 - 85"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44256805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-02DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.1959357
M. Abelha, Paulo Jesus, S. Fernandes, A. Albuquerque, A. Vidal
Abstract Teacher appraisal (TA) or teacher performance appraisal (TPA) has assumed a central importance in educational systems and reforms worldwide, contributing to the improvement of teaching practices, and therefore it is considered an essential factor for teachers’ early training, teachers’ professional development, school management, and promotion of critical reflexivity and self-regulation among teachers and school administrators. The main purpose of this study is to understand how the TA process is implemented in teachers’ training schools in Angola. Four research objectives were established: i) to identify teachers’ perceptions of TA’s goals; (ii) to characterise the procedures and instruments used in TA; (iii) to describe the impact of TA on teachers’ career; and (iv) to present proposals for improving the TA process. The study adopts a qualitative research design with a descriptive and interpretive approach. Research data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, involving a sample of 13 teachers in two different teachers’ training schools in the province of Benguela, Angola. The results show that the implementation of TA is not highly effective because of two main reasons: firstly, evaluators lack specific training and expertise; secondly, evaluated teachers perceive this process as being unfair and useless, given that they do not consider themselves accurately appraised and that the TA system, violating legal regulations, has no effects on career development or salary recognition.
{"title":"Teacher Performance Appraisal as a Formative Experience: A Case Study in Two Teachers’ Training Schools in Benguela, Angola","authors":"M. Abelha, Paulo Jesus, S. Fernandes, A. Albuquerque, A. Vidal","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.1959357","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.1959357","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Teacher appraisal (TA) or teacher performance appraisal (TPA) has assumed a central importance in educational systems and reforms worldwide, contributing to the improvement of teaching practices, and therefore it is considered an essential factor for teachers’ early training, teachers’ professional development, school management, and promotion of critical reflexivity and self-regulation among teachers and school administrators. The main purpose of this study is to understand how the TA process is implemented in teachers’ training schools in Angola. Four research objectives were established: i) to identify teachers’ perceptions of TA’s goals; (ii) to characterise the procedures and instruments used in TA; (iii) to describe the impact of TA on teachers’ career; and (iv) to present proposals for improving the TA process. The study adopts a qualitative research design with a descriptive and interpretive approach. Research data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, involving a sample of 13 teachers in two different teachers’ training schools in the province of Benguela, Angola. The results show that the implementation of TA is not highly effective because of two main reasons: firstly, evaluators lack specific training and expertise; secondly, evaluated teachers perceive this process as being unfair and useless, given that they do not consider themselves accurately appraised and that the TA system, violating legal regulations, has no effects on career development or salary recognition.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"132 - 156"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47783688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-02DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2021.1959356
T. Nenjerama
Abstract Open distance learning has helped produce quality teachers and has functioned as an alternative to qualifying underqualified and unqualified educators. This article problematises the effectiveness of mentoring and its strategies in the context of open distance learning using the case study of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education offered by the Zimbabwe Open University. The action research method was used to attain data and evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring strategies on professional development. The study reveals the importance of co-learning in mentoring processes. The findings also show a lack of dialogue between teacher-training universities and the practicing schools. It finally recommends that education policymakers review key areas such as mentor selection processes and mentor in-service training.
{"title":"Problematising Mentoring in Open Distance Learning Teacher Education: An Action Research","authors":"T. Nenjerama","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2021.1959356","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2021.1959356","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Open distance learning has helped produce quality teachers and has functioned as an alternative to qualifying underqualified and unqualified educators. This article problematises the effectiveness of mentoring and its strategies in the context of open distance learning using the case study of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education offered by the Zimbabwe Open University. The action research method was used to attain data and evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring strategies on professional development. The study reveals the importance of co-learning in mentoring processes. The findings also show a lack of dialogue between teacher-training universities and the practicing schools. It finally recommends that education policymakers review key areas such as mentor selection processes and mentor in-service training.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"113 - 131"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2020-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18146627.2021.1959356","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46675359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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