Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2105728
Mitja Tanjga
Abstract The present study investigated the influence of ad hoc transfer from classic classes to fully online classes during the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 on a student’s satisfaction with e-learning. It is significant for all stakeholders, especially policymakers in the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to learn about the importance of thorough planning and development of e-learning. E-learning classes have increased awareness about the necessity for continued research on e-learning and its implications on higher education classes. The 2020 COVID-19 lockdown drew the attention of the whole world to the importance of e-learning as a powerful tool for academia. For this study, 196 students participated in an online survey of 21 questions divided into four categories. Results show that while most students didn’t have feelings of studying for real and preferred face-to-face teaching and contact with their colleagues, most participants were partially or fully satisfied with e-learning classes during the lockdown. If results are put in the right perspective of transferring from face-to-face lectures to fully online classes in a matter of days in a lockdown, they represent a solid base for future e-learning development. Also, methods of analysis were used in the search for previous research. The synthesis method was used to summarise and explain the results of the study.
{"title":"Ad Hoc E-learning Measures during 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown: Student Insights","authors":"Mitja Tanjga","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2022.2105728","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2105728","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The present study investigated the influence of ad hoc transfer from classic classes to fully online classes during the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 on a student’s satisfaction with e-learning. It is significant for all stakeholders, especially policymakers in the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to learn about the importance of thorough planning and development of e-learning. E-learning classes have increased awareness about the necessity for continued research on e-learning and its implications on higher education classes. The 2020 COVID-19 lockdown drew the attention of the whole world to the importance of e-learning as a powerful tool for academia. For this study, 196 students participated in an online survey of 21 questions divided into four categories. Results show that while most students didn’t have feelings of studying for real and preferred face-to-face teaching and contact with their colleagues, most participants were partially or fully satisfied with e-learning classes during the lockdown. If results are put in the right perspective of transferring from face-to-face lectures to fully online classes in a matter of days in a lockdown, they represent a solid base for future e-learning development. Also, methods of analysis were used in the search for previous research. The synthesis method was used to summarise and explain the results of the study.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48780687","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 : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2070507
M. Ramchander
Abstract South African universities have evidenced exponential increases in the numbers of doctoral students, bringing pressure to bear upon traditional supervisory practice. With the literature on the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students at South African universities being very limited, it was anticipated that the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students abroad could be drawn upon to inform supervisory practice. The aim of this paper was to perform a systematic literature review of the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students at universities in other parts of the world. The objective of the study was, firstly, to consolidate the empirical evidence and, secondly, to develop a framework to inform supervisory practice at South African universities. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify relevant empirical studies relating to the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students. The search was executed by deploying keywords in selected databases. Twenty-one articles were identified and analysed using thematic analysis. The review evidenced that the key challenges that characterise international postgraduate students revolve around linguistic ability, cultural dissonance, academic expectations and isolation. While some studies found a positive relationship between supervisor multicultural competence and supervision satisfaction, supervisors find that both local and international students are equally challenged in academic writing. Some studies conclude that there is no difference in the supervision practice employed for international and local postgraduate students with many supervisors believing that international postgraduate students would be able to find their way through institutional and non-institutional support networks. A framework for the supervision of international postgraduate supervision has been suggested.
{"title":"A Systematic Literature Review of Challenges Experienced by International Postgraduate Students and Implications for Supervisory Practice at South African Universities","authors":"M. Ramchander","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2022.2070507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2070507","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract South African universities have evidenced exponential increases in the numbers of doctoral students, bringing pressure to bear upon traditional supervisory practice. With the literature on the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students at South African universities being very limited, it was anticipated that the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students abroad could be drawn upon to inform supervisory practice. The aim of this paper was to perform a systematic literature review of the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students at universities in other parts of the world. The objective of the study was, firstly, to consolidate the empirical evidence and, secondly, to develop a framework to inform supervisory practice at South African universities. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify relevant empirical studies relating to the challenges experienced by international postgraduate students. The search was executed by deploying keywords in selected databases. Twenty-one articles were identified and analysed using thematic analysis. The review evidenced that the key challenges that characterise international postgraduate students revolve around linguistic ability, cultural dissonance, academic expectations and isolation. While some studies found a positive relationship between supervisor multicultural competence and supervision satisfaction, supervisors find that both local and international students are equally challenged in academic writing. Some studies conclude that there is no difference in the supervision practice employed for international and local postgraduate students with many supervisors believing that international postgraduate students would be able to find their way through institutional and non-institutional support networks. A framework for the supervision of international postgraduate supervision has been suggested.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47441623","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 : 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":null,"pages":null},"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 : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2109050
D. Hannaway, H. du Preez
Abstract Higher education institutions (HEIs) remain fraught with student activism because transforming and decolonising curricula to promote culturally responsive education is still lingering. Prolonging a trajectory of culturally apathetic education will not only lead to impoverished and decoupled human knowledge systems but also quell democratic citizenry and social justice. South Africa's educational trajectory can be explored using the methodology for critical instance cases for traces of cultural responsiveness and accountability in its academic cohort and andragogy, which is the focus of this inquiry. Foregrounding former traces of uncharitable andragogy can help HEIs to understand students’ impulse to protest. We interpreted literature and the critical instance case study by integrating the seminal work of Diamond and Moore (1995) and Gay's (2018) views on culturally responsive teaching and care (CRTC). Interpreting this moment in an HEIs education trajectory in early childhood education indicated traces of superficial understanding of culture, cultural relevance, and cultural responsiveness. We perceived ethnocentrism in the academic cohort, as the lecturer-participants’ own geography, socio-economic status, and historical heritage succoured how diverse groups were educated. We learned that critical instance case studies could serve as a rear-view mirror for HEIs to identify signs of ethnocentrism that counteract cultural relativism. South Africa's complex historical trajectory constructed many critical instance case studies for appraising, offering HEIs a head start to transform and decolonise initial teacher education (ITE) programmes and adopt CRTC educational philosophy. Scouring lecturers’ perceptions, frames of reference, and assumptions about CRTC practices awakens one's conscious state of mind, creating opportunities for capacity building and mobilising academic and teacher citizenry.
{"title":"Ethnocentric Shapeshifting: Seeking Traces of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Caring amongst Early Childhood Education Lecturers","authors":"D. Hannaway, H. du Preez","doi":"10.1080/18146627.2022.2109050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2109050","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Higher education institutions (HEIs) remain fraught with student activism because transforming and decolonising curricula to promote culturally responsive education is still lingering. Prolonging a trajectory of culturally apathetic education will not only lead to impoverished and decoupled human knowledge systems but also quell democratic citizenry and social justice. South Africa's educational trajectory can be explored using the methodology for critical instance cases for traces of cultural responsiveness and accountability in its academic cohort and andragogy, which is the focus of this inquiry. Foregrounding former traces of uncharitable andragogy can help HEIs to understand students’ impulse to protest. We interpreted literature and the critical instance case study by integrating the seminal work of Diamond and Moore (1995) and Gay's (2018) views on culturally responsive teaching and care (CRTC). Interpreting this moment in an HEIs education trajectory in early childhood education indicated traces of superficial understanding of culture, cultural relevance, and cultural responsiveness. We perceived ethnocentrism in the academic cohort, as the lecturer-participants’ own geography, socio-economic status, and historical heritage succoured how diverse groups were educated. We learned that critical instance case studies could serve as a rear-view mirror for HEIs to identify signs of ethnocentrism that counteract cultural relativism. South Africa's complex historical trajectory constructed many critical instance case studies for appraising, offering HEIs a head start to transform and decolonise initial teacher education (ITE) programmes and adopt CRTC educational philosophy. Scouring lecturers’ perceptions, frames of reference, and assumptions about CRTC practices awakens one's conscious state of mind, creating opportunities for capacity building and mobilising academic and teacher citizenry.","PeriodicalId":44749,"journal":{"name":"Africa Education Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48311780","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":null,"pages":null},"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: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2064310
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":null,"pages":null},"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: 10.1080/18146627.2021.2012087
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":null,"pages":null},"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: 10.1080/18146627.2021.2004551
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":null,"pages":null},"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":null,"pages":null},"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.
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