Policy implementation is the most crucial phase in the policy-making cycle. If not implemented, policy aims and objectives cannot be achieved, and the quality of education can subsequently not be improved. The Lesotho Ministry of Education (MoET) adopted the Curriculum and Assessment Policy, 2009 (CAP 2009) to localise its curriculum. With this curriculum, MoET intends to make education relevant to Basotho and improve equal and equitable access to quality education for all Basotho. However, a persistent policy gap caused by failing to implement the CAP 2009 effectively renders this curriculum ineffective. MoET now plans to replace CAP 2009 with a new curriculum called the Lesotho Basic Education Curriculum Policy (LBECP), which is intended to close the implementation gap witnessed with the CAP 2009 and counter the contextual factors that led to the failure of CAP 2009. In this article, we argue that the Lesotho education policy context obstructed the implementation of CAP 2009. We, therefore, explore certain contextual factors that negatively impacted the effective implementation of CAP 2009. We argue that the persistent policy gap regarding the implementation of CAP 2009 results from a policy process that is not sensitive to or does not reflect the unique Lesotho education context. Findings suggest that poverty, rurality, HIV/AIDS, corruption, and political instability severely hampered the effective implementation of the CAP 2009. Following this, specific recommendations are made to improve and ensure effective curriculum implementation within the Lesotho education sector.
{"title":"Contextual Factors Obstructing the Effective Implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy in the Lesotho Education Sector","authors":"K. Rakolobe, K. Teise","doi":"10.46303/repam.2024.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2024.4","url":null,"abstract":"Policy implementation is the most crucial phase in the policy-making cycle. If not implemented, policy aims and objectives cannot be achieved, and the quality of education can subsequently not be improved. The Lesotho Ministry of Education (MoET) adopted the Curriculum and Assessment Policy, 2009 (CAP 2009) to localise its curriculum. With this curriculum, MoET intends to make education relevant to Basotho and improve equal and equitable access to quality education for all Basotho. However, a persistent policy gap caused by failing to implement the CAP 2009 effectively renders this curriculum ineffective. MoET now plans to replace CAP 2009 with a new curriculum called the Lesotho Basic Education Curriculum Policy (LBECP), which is intended to close the implementation gap witnessed with the CAP 2009 and counter the contextual factors that led to the failure of CAP 2009. In this article, we argue that the Lesotho education policy context obstructed the implementation of CAP 2009. We, therefore, explore certain contextual factors that negatively impacted the effective implementation of CAP 2009. We argue that the persistent policy gap regarding the implementation of CAP 2009 results from a policy process that is not sensitive to or does not reflect the unique Lesotho education context. Findings suggest that poverty, rurality, HIV/AIDS, corruption, and political instability severely hampered the effective implementation of the CAP 2009. Following this, specific recommendations are made to improve and ensure effective curriculum implementation within the Lesotho education sector.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"22 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140418615","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}
Government sectors responsible for early childhood development (ECD) often have competing priorities and obligations which manifest through fragmentation, silo conflicts, and power dynamics, thus failing to implement ECD policies in South Africa effectively. This article aims to provide a framework for strengthening the implementation of ECD policies to enhance quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Using a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm, data was obtained through open-ended semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes. Key stakeholders, including ECD managers, practitioners, and education officials, were purposely sampled. The conceptual lens was used for exploring the current implementation of ECD policies at the systems level in the theoretical framework. The findings revealed communication and information blockages at the level of national, provincial, and district offices. As a result, ECD centers were left uninformed of the new policies and frameworks for implementation. A framework that stipulates standardized training for the Department of Education officials, support for ECD principals, managers, and practitioners, and open communication through bi-annual conferences and monthly community of practice (CoP) virtual meetings will ensure that policies are implemented and that quality ECD education is achievable in South Africa.
{"title":"Unblocking the System to Strengthen Implementation of Early Childhood Development Policies and Practice in South Africa","authors":"Tuelo Nelly Matjokana, K. Bipath","doi":"10.46303/repam.2024.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2024.3","url":null,"abstract":"Government sectors responsible for early childhood development (ECD) often have competing priorities and obligations which manifest through fragmentation, silo conflicts, and power dynamics, thus failing to implement ECD policies in South Africa effectively. This article aims to provide a framework for strengthening the implementation of ECD policies to enhance quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Using a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm, data was obtained through open-ended semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes. Key stakeholders, including ECD managers, practitioners, and education officials, were purposely sampled. The conceptual lens was used for exploring the current implementation of ECD policies at the systems level in the theoretical framework. The findings revealed communication and information blockages at the level of national, provincial, and district offices. As a result, ECD centers were left uninformed of the new policies and frameworks for implementation. A framework that stipulates standardized training for the Department of Education officials, support for ECD principals, managers, and practitioners, and open communication through bi-annual conferences and monthly community of practice (CoP) virtual meetings will ensure that policies are implemented and that quality ECD education is achievable in South Africa.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"67 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140420639","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}
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa envisions a socially just society where all citizens enjoy fundamental human rights. Education is regarded as significant in realizing social justice (SJ). Hence, South African education policy is underpinned by the conviction that teachers are drivers of societal change and instrumental in creating a socially just society. It is therefore expected that initial teacher education (ITE) programs to train prospective teachers will be infused with knowledge, competencies, values and attitudes to develop the dispositions that would facilitate social justice in a democratic and open South African society. In this desk-top study, we investigate the attributes and competencies promoted and advanced through the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications Policy (MRTEQ) (2015) concerning the training of prospective South African teachers for the realization of social justice. We gathered our data through a literature review and a policy analysis, and we drew from critical social theory (CST), which argues for social transformation, human emancipation, and capacitation to make sense of our findings. We found that the MRTEQ (2015) promotes and advances knowledge, contextual awareness, and critical pedagogy as significant attributes and competencies for realizing social justice through education and, more specifically, ITE. The implication is that all initial teacher programmes must be designed to equip prospective teachers with these attributes to contribute to realizing social justice and transforming society. Against this backdrop, specific recommendations are made to develop these attributes in prospective teachers.
{"title":"Initial Teacher Education for Social Justice in South Africa: A Higher Education Policy Perspective","authors":"E. Barnett, K. Teise","doi":"10.46303/repam.2024.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2024.5","url":null,"abstract":"The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa envisions a socially just society where all citizens enjoy fundamental human rights. Education is regarded as significant in realizing social justice (SJ). Hence, South African education policy is underpinned by the conviction that teachers are drivers of societal change and instrumental in creating a socially just society. It is therefore expected that initial teacher education (ITE) programs to train prospective teachers will be infused with knowledge, competencies, values and attitudes to develop the dispositions that would facilitate social justice in a democratic and open South African society. In this desk-top study, we investigate the attributes and competencies promoted and advanced through the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications Policy (MRTEQ) (2015) concerning the training of prospective South African teachers for the realization of social justice. We gathered our data through a literature review and a policy analysis, and we drew from critical social theory (CST), which argues for social transformation, human emancipation, and capacitation to make sense of our findings. We found that the MRTEQ (2015) promotes and advances knowledge, contextual awareness, and critical pedagogy as significant attributes and competencies for realizing social justice through education and, more specifically, ITE. The implication is that all initial teacher programmes must be designed to equip prospective teachers with these attributes to contribute to realizing social justice and transforming society. Against this backdrop, specific recommendations are made to develop these attributes in prospective teachers.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"83 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140423615","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}
The educational environment within schools serves as a conduit for achieving the educational goals and objectives of each country. Research conducted over a period suggests that effective teaching and learning can only occur in a safe and secure environment. Yet, even with existing laws, policies, regulations, and programs on school safety, teachers and learners face persistent threats to their safety both inside and outside the school grounds in Naboomspruit Circuit Schools. This study examined the implementation of school safety policies in primary and secondary schools within the Naboomspruit circuit in the Waterberg District in Limpopo Province. The study population consisted of principals, teachers, school governing body members, and learners from five (5) schools within Naboomspruit circuit. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, including two schools from quintiles 1 to 3 (representing poor communities), two schools from quintiles 4 to 5 (representing affluent communities), and one combined school covering grades 1 to 12. The study's key features encompassed evidence-based practices to address school safety challenges. Codes were employed to protect the identities of participants and schools involved in the study. The study's trustworthiness was assessed through criteria like credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The study findings revealed that schools partially implemented school safety policies, often without communicating them to learners and/or stakeholders. The study concluded by offering recommendations for addressing school safety challenges, grounded in contextual factors. The findings and recommendations are relevant to education managers, NGOs, parents and stakeholders who possess full or partial interest in the field of education or school safety.
{"title":"Implementation of School Safety Policy in Primary and Secondary Schools","authors":"Ngoako Alfred Masekela, E. Ngobeni, P. Sepeng","doi":"10.46303/repam.2024.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2024.2","url":null,"abstract":"The educational environment within schools serves as a conduit for achieving the educational goals and objectives of each country. Research conducted over a period suggests that effective teaching and learning can only occur in a safe and secure environment. Yet, even with existing laws, policies, regulations, and programs on school safety, teachers and learners face persistent threats to their safety both inside and outside the school grounds in Naboomspruit Circuit Schools. This study examined the implementation of school safety policies in primary and secondary schools within the Naboomspruit circuit in the Waterberg District in Limpopo Province. The study population consisted of principals, teachers, school governing body members, and learners from five (5) schools within Naboomspruit circuit. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, including two schools from quintiles 1 to 3 (representing poor communities), two schools from quintiles 4 to 5 (representing affluent communities), and one combined school covering grades 1 to 12. The study's key features encompassed evidence-based practices to address school safety challenges. Codes were employed to protect the identities of participants and schools involved in the study. The study's trustworthiness was assessed through criteria like credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The study findings revealed that schools partially implemented school safety policies, often without communicating them to learners and/or stakeholders. The study concluded by offering recommendations for addressing school safety challenges, grounded in contextual factors. The findings and recommendations are relevant to education managers, NGOs, parents and stakeholders who possess full or partial interest in the field of education or school safety.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"5 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140420150","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}
This study investigates the effect of employment discrimination on female leaders in the educational sector, with a particular emphasis on South Africa's Limpopo Province. The goal was to investigate the impact of such prejudice at the stages of recruiting, selection, and progression to higher positions. The study included 100 female participants and used a convergent parallel research technique that included quantitative and qualitative methodologies. All participants filled out a structured questionnaire, and a group of ten was chosen for a focus group interview. Audio recording was used to aid with data collecting. This study's theoretical foundation is built on Feminist Theory, which holds that workplace discrimination against women in educational leadership arises from a gender power differential. For the questionnaire data, statistical techniques were used, and theme analysis was used for the interview data. The findings show that, although women are given interim leadership positions within the Limpopo Department of Education, their possibilities decline dramatically throughout official appointment procedures. As a result, the research argues for strict monitoring of workplace discrimination against women in educational leadership posts, as well as the implementation of applicable laws throughout the recruiting, selection, and appointment processes.
{"title":"The Effects of Workplace Discrimination on Women in Education Leadership: A Case of Waterberg District in Limpopo Province","authors":"Seanokeng Julia Madela, P. Sepeng, E. Ngobeni","doi":"10.46303/repam.2024.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2024.1","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the effect of employment discrimination on female leaders in the educational sector, with a particular emphasis on South Africa's Limpopo Province. The goal was to investigate the impact of such prejudice at the stages of recruiting, selection, and progression to higher positions. The study included 100 female participants and used a convergent parallel research technique that included quantitative and qualitative methodologies. All participants filled out a structured questionnaire, and a group of ten was chosen for a focus group interview. Audio recording was used to aid with data collecting. This study's theoretical foundation is built on Feminist Theory, which holds that workplace discrimination against women in educational leadership arises from a gender power differential. For the questionnaire data, statistical techniques were used, and theme analysis was used for the interview data. The findings show that, although women are given interim leadership positions within the Limpopo Department of Education, their possibilities decline dramatically throughout official appointment procedures. As a result, the research argues for strict monitoring of workplace discrimination against women in educational leadership posts, as well as the implementation of applicable laws throughout the recruiting, selection, and appointment processes.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140444861","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}
T. Moloi, M. E. Matabane, Clement Simuja, Byung-In Seo, Bulent Tarman
In the dynamic and ever-changing educational landscape, it is crucial to rethink and construct social curriculum policy in the 21st Century. At the same time considering integrating skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving into the curriculum, and reflecting the evolving needs of a dynamic society. The endeavour of developing a robust social justice curriculum policy requires a clear understanding of the diverse and ever-changing needs of learners and education practitioners, as well as the commitment to fostering inclusivity, equality, equity and empowerment within educational systems. There are twelve articles published in this special issue. We believe that these articles will assist policymakers in various countries, provinces or states, and districts to frame and construct the socially justice curriculum policy for 21st Century.
{"title":"Constructing a Social Justice Curriculum Policy in the 21st Century","authors":"T. Moloi, M. E. Matabane, Clement Simuja, Byung-In Seo, Bulent Tarman","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.36","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.36","url":null,"abstract":"In the dynamic and ever-changing educational landscape, it is crucial to rethink and construct social curriculum policy in the 21st Century. At the same time considering integrating skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving into the curriculum, and reflecting the evolving needs of a dynamic society. The endeavour of developing a robust social justice curriculum policy requires a clear understanding of the diverse and ever-changing needs of learners and education practitioners, as well as the commitment to fostering inclusivity, equality, equity and empowerment within educational systems. There are twelve articles published in this special issue. We believe that these articles will assist policymakers in various countries, provinces or states, and districts to frame and construct the socially justice curriculum policy for 21st Century.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"124 47","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139134809","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}
All public service organisations in the world use social policies as a guide to render services for the greater good of their citizenries. Operating in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) implies that schools need to reinvent their role (administratively, pedagogically and otherwise) to ensure that they become catalysts for transferal of context-specific knowledge, problem-solving skills and creative thinking. Also, amidst a growing call by indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) scholars, governments and tribal authorities throughout the continent for African organisations to consider infusing indigenous epistemologies into their daily professional practices, this qualitative study investigated how Batho Pele (a Sotho word meaning “people first”) principles moderated participants’ execution of internally and externally directed knowledge-sharing practices at three selected public schools in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The sample constituted 20 participants, namely teachers, heads of departments, administrative clerks and principals. Based on a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and documents, the study found that two of the selected three schools did not consistently comply with the Batho Pele principles (BPPs) of (a) consultation, (b) access, courtesy and redress, (c) encouraging and rewarding excellence in innovation, and (d) leadership and strategic direction. Only one school was found to have satisfactorily complied with all the prescribed BPPs in how it fostered internally directed (or collegial) knowledge-sharing practices. However, in so far as the infusion of BPPs in externally directed knowledge-sharing practices (more especially towards parents, educational officials, stakeholders from the public and private sectors and the school community at large) was concerned, all three schools were found to have satisfactorily engendered a climate of (a) consultation, (b) access, courtesy and redress, (c) information, openness and transparency, and (d) value for money. The study recommends that the fervency with which schools practise externally directed knowledge sharing must also be replicated in internally directed knowledge-sharing practices.
{"title":"The Effect of Batho Pele Principles on Mediating Internally and Externally Directed Knowledge-sharing Practices in Public Schools","authors":"B. Nkambule, S. Ngubane","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.35","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.35","url":null,"abstract":"All public service organisations in the world use social policies as a guide to render services for the greater good of their citizenries. Operating in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) implies that schools need to reinvent their role (administratively, pedagogically and otherwise) to ensure that they become catalysts for transferal of context-specific knowledge, problem-solving skills and creative thinking. Also, amidst a growing call by indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) scholars, governments and tribal authorities throughout the continent for African organisations to consider infusing indigenous epistemologies into their daily professional practices, this qualitative study investigated how Batho Pele (a Sotho word meaning “people first”) principles moderated participants’ execution of internally and externally directed knowledge-sharing practices at three selected public schools in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The sample constituted 20 participants, namely teachers, heads of departments, administrative clerks and principals. Based on a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and documents, the study found that two of the selected three schools did not consistently comply with the Batho Pele principles (BPPs) of (a) consultation, (b) access, courtesy and redress, (c) encouraging and rewarding excellence in innovation, and (d) leadership and strategic direction. Only one school was found to have satisfactorily complied with all the prescribed BPPs in how it fostered internally directed (or collegial) knowledge-sharing practices. However, in so far as the infusion of BPPs in externally directed knowledge-sharing practices (more especially towards parents, educational officials, stakeholders from the public and private sectors and the school community at large) was concerned, all three schools were found to have satisfactorily engendered a climate of (a) consultation, (b) access, courtesy and redress, (c) information, openness and transparency, and (d) value for money. The study recommends that the fervency with which schools practise externally directed knowledge sharing must also be replicated in internally directed knowledge-sharing practices.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"4 2‐3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139155550","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}
Academic development of students and staff is a critical element in higher education, especially with reference to their engagement in curriculum development. While higher education institutions advocate for the inclusion of students in curriculum co-creation, in practice, this has not been easily implemented. The urgency to create this collaborative ecosystem necessitates a reflexive contribution. In this article, I explore the experiences of academic staff and students on their engagement in curriculum co-creation with a specific focus on developing a study guide for the newly developed module, which is part of the decolonisation process. The emphasis on meta-cognitive skills and the social justice element in the curriculum development process ensures a responsive curriculum that meets the needs of society, students and staff in a cohesive and integrated manner. I underpin this reflective study on Schon’s theory of reflection on action. I argue that engaging students in curriculum creation stimulates deep learning, an empowerment attribute which I explore as it enhances innovative and critical thinking. This study employed qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data, followed by identifying important themes from the data. The reflections and emergent themes provide pathways to enhance academic development to encourage curricula co-creation processes in higher education.
学生和教职员工的学术发展是高等教育的一个关键因素，特别是在他们参与课程开发 方面。虽然高等教育机构倡导让学生参与课程共建，但在实践中，这并不容易落实。创建这一合作生态系统的紧迫性要求我们做出反思性贡献。在这篇文章中，我探讨了学术人员和学生参与课程共建的经验，重点是为新开发的模块编写学习指南，这也是非殖民化进程的一部分。在课程开发过程中，对元认知技能和社会正义元素的强调确保了课程的响应性，以一种具有凝聚力和整合性的方式满足社会、学生和教职员工的需求。我以 Schon 的行动反思理论作为这项反思性研究的基础。 我认为，让学生参与课程创建可以激发深度学习，这也是我所探讨的一种赋权属性，因为它可以增强创新性和批判性思维。本研究采用定性方法收集和分析数据，然后从数据中确定重要主题。这些反思和新出现的主题提供了加强学术发展的途径，以鼓励高等教育中的课程共创过程。
{"title":"Enhancing Academic Development: A reflexive exploration of Staff and Students’ Experiences on curriculum co-creation","authors":"R. Sebolao","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.29","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.29","url":null,"abstract":"Academic development of students and staff is a critical element in higher education, especially with reference to their engagement in curriculum development. While higher education institutions advocate for the inclusion of students in curriculum co-creation, in practice, this has not been easily implemented. The urgency to create this collaborative ecosystem necessitates a reflexive contribution. In this article, I explore the experiences of academic staff and students on their engagement in curriculum co-creation with a specific focus on developing a study guide for the newly developed module, which is part of the decolonisation process. The emphasis on meta-cognitive skills and the social justice element in the curriculum development process ensures a responsive curriculum that meets the needs of society, students and staff in a cohesive and integrated manner. I underpin this reflective study on Schon’s theory of reflection on action. I argue that engaging students in curriculum creation stimulates deep learning, an empowerment attribute which I explore as it enhances innovative and critical thinking. This study employed qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data, followed by identifying important themes from the data. The reflections and emergent themes provide pathways to enhance academic development to encourage curricula co-creation processes in higher education.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"20 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139157522","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}
Higher education systems across the globally have adopted policies to provide a curriculum which is underpinned by the fundamental values of equality, inclusivity, and diversity. However, owing to lack of transformation and the practical implementation of these policies, higher education is still significantly entrenched in Eurocentric epistemologies which expose students to a learning environment which does not represent their social identities. This has led to the intensification of discourses on decolonisation epistemologies. At the centre of these decolonisation epistemologies is their advocacy for the recognition of indigenous epistemologies and ontologies in the learning environment. Of importance to these discourses is social justice issues that influence the 21st-century curriculum. Guided by the Critical Theory of Education, this study explored social justice issues that inform the 21st-century curriculum from a lecturers’ perspective. Data was collected from thirty-two purposefully selected lecturers from all universities in South Africa using a questionnaire with a Likert scale. The findings demonstrate that academic imperialism, language equity, equality, inclusivity, and diversity are the major issues of social justice that influence the 21st-century curriculum. To promote these social justice issues, this study advocates for radical transformation in language policies and pedagogical practices in higher education. The study further calls for the practical dismantling of the current dispensation in higher education which perpetuates social injustice and inequality. Educational policies need to respond purposefully to calls to decolonise the 21st-century curriculum holistically and create an education system which works for every student on these social justice issues.
{"title":"Exploring Social Justice Issues That Inform the 21st-Century Curriculum in Higher Education: Lecturers’ Voices and Experiences","authors":"Medson Mapuya","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.26","url":null,"abstract":"Higher education systems across the globally have adopted policies to provide a curriculum which is underpinned by the fundamental values of equality, inclusivity, and diversity. However, owing to lack of transformation and the practical implementation of these policies, higher education is still significantly entrenched in Eurocentric epistemologies which expose students to a learning environment which does not represent their social identities. This has led to the intensification of discourses on decolonisation epistemologies. At the centre of these decolonisation epistemologies is their advocacy for the recognition of indigenous epistemologies and ontologies in the learning environment. Of importance to these discourses is social justice issues that influence the 21st-century curriculum. Guided by the Critical Theory of Education, this study explored social justice issues that inform the 21st-century curriculum from a lecturers’ perspective. Data was collected from thirty-two purposefully selected lecturers from all universities in South Africa using a questionnaire with a Likert scale. The findings demonstrate that academic imperialism, language equity, equality, inclusivity, and diversity are the major issues of social justice that influence the 21st-century curriculum. To promote these social justice issues, this study advocates for radical transformation in language policies and pedagogical practices in higher education. The study further calls for the practical dismantling of the current dispensation in higher education which perpetuates social injustice and inequality. Educational policies need to respond purposefully to calls to decolonise the 21st-century curriculum holistically and create an education system which works for every student on these social justice issues.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"117 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139159423","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}
The education sector in South Africa is governed by a complex legal framework that outlines guidelines, policies and standards for pre-service teacher education programmes. In order to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom, universities must navigate this legal framework and ensure that their programmes comply with the requirements set forth by various regulatory bodies. However, the authors argue that these requirements are not enough to prepare student teachers for the classroom. Rather, by using Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy as a theoretical lens, they argue that student teachers should be conscientized to become agents of change in the classroom and promote social justice, while adhering to legal guidelines in their teacher training. Furthermore, education spaces need to consider the context of schools and higher education institutions, student society, teaching and scientific endeavours, educational administration, pedagogical imageology and intercultural education to address these standardisation challenges. Through a desktop analysis, this article provides an overview of the legal framework for integrating learning into pre-service teacher education programmes in South Africa. The study asks: what are the legal requirements and guidelines that universities must follow to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom in South Africa? To answer this question, the authors conducted a literature review of relevant legal frameworks and guidelines, including legal documentations, case law, academic literature and publications from professional organisations. The research methodology primarily consisted of a search for literature using specific search terms and databases. The article provides recommendations for how universities can effectively navigate the legal framework in training pre-service teachers, drawing on key findings from the literature review. These include the need for universities to ensure that their teacher education programmes are socially just.
{"title":"South African Legal Framework to Prepare Pre-Service Teacher Education Programmes: A Freirean Approach","authors":"D. Langeveldt, Doniwen Pietersen, Arrie Van wyk","doi":"10.46303/repam.2023.25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.25","url":null,"abstract":"The education sector in South Africa is governed by a complex legal framework that outlines guidelines, policies and standards for pre-service teacher education programmes. In order to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom, universities must navigate this legal framework and ensure that their programmes comply with the requirements set forth by various regulatory bodies. However, the authors argue that these requirements are not enough to prepare student teachers for the classroom. Rather, by using Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy as a theoretical lens, they argue that student teachers should be conscientized to become agents of change in the classroom and promote social justice, while adhering to legal guidelines in their teacher training. Furthermore, education spaces need to consider the context of schools and higher education institutions, student society, teaching and scientific endeavours, educational administration, pedagogical imageology and intercultural education to address these standardisation challenges. Through a desktop analysis, this article provides an overview of the legal framework for integrating learning into pre-service teacher education programmes in South Africa. The study asks: what are the legal requirements and guidelines that universities must follow to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom in South Africa? To answer this question, the authors conducted a literature review of relevant legal frameworks and guidelines, including legal documentations, case law, academic literature and publications from professional organisations. The research methodology primarily consisted of a search for literature using specific search terms and databases. The article provides recommendations for how universities can effectively navigate the legal framework in training pre-service teachers, drawing on key findings from the literature review. These include the need for universities to ensure that their teacher education programmes are socially just.","PeriodicalId":507551,"journal":{"name":"Research in Educational Policy and Management","volume":"32 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139157423","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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