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A self-determination theory perspective of teacher motivation and self-directed learning skills to enhance academic performance in selected lower quintile primary schools
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning (APORTAL) Vol 7 (1) (2023)Learners from low socioeconomic contexts are often instructed by poorly trained and qualified teachers, causing them to be often poorly motivated for their tasks, which is detrimental to learner performance. This study explored (a) factors that influenced the motivation and teaching behaviour of lower quintile schoolteachers with a view to enhancing learner academic performance and (b) the self-directed learning skills reflected in teachers’ teaching behaviour that enhanced learner academic performance. This study followed a basic qualitative study method in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 purposively selected teachers from lower quintile primary schools. The participants listed a supportive school environment, collegiality, organisations, and community projects that support education in small towns as extrinsically motivating contextual factors. Furthermore, the reciprocal influences of communities with a low socioeconomic status, poor parental involvement, ill learner discipline, and limited support from the Department of Basic Education in providing specialised psychological and remedial support for struggling learners were factors that had a negative bearing on the participants’ relatedness, competence and autonomy. Future research is needed to explore the drivers of motivation in lower quintile schoolteachers by using a greater sample of participants from primary and secondary schools
Exploring the challenges and possibilities of using learner-centered approach to teach in Nigeria public secondary schools
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning Journal (APORTAL) Vol 7 (2) (2023)Teaching is a universal human experience, a process of passing down information from
generation to generation. Teaching is a deliberate activity done in a professional manner to bring a positive change in the learner; in order to teach well. The 21st-century student, as a digital native, has access to a mobile phone and can surf the internet, they do not want a teacher that will come to the class and still write what they have in their textbook and online, they want to be engaged academically, yet the Nigeria education, most especially secondary level are still rooted in using the traditional method of teaching in the classroom despite the outcry to shift the paradigm from teacher-centered approach to learner-centered approach, Therefore, this study aims to explore the challenges and possibilities of using the learner-centered approach to teach in Nigeria public secondary schools. The research is based on a qualitative research approach while a case study research design was used to explore the phenomenon under consideration, and constructivism theory was used as the theoretical foundation. Three research questions were raised to guide the conduct of this study, thematic coding was used to analyze the interviews where themes such as challenges (class size, attention problem, lack of teaching aids, financial constraints, student attitude, lack of teaching aids, time learner differences, unavailability of instructional material, environmental factors) and possibilities (class size reduction, government intervention, student positive attitude to learn, provision of infrastructure, teaching in area of specialization, teacher professional development) that emerged. The findings of the research show there are numerous possibilities indicating learner-centered approach can be put into practice in Nigeria despite all the challenges that teachers who have and are willing to use this approach encounter
School leadership and its dexterity to provide access to quality instruction : a case of a private academy in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning Journal (APORTAL) Vol 7 (2) (2023)The study explored school leadership practices in high-performing schools with reference to a private academy in Masvingo district. Literature suggests that leadership has a strong influence on the performance of any school organization. The nature of leadership is not always known but leaders need the tools to make things happen. The rationale for this study was to explore the hallmarks of leadership in high-performing contexts. The study applied interpretivist philosophy and qualitative methodology. The case study research design was employed as it could draw experiences from a high-performing school. Data was generated using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and open-ended questionnaires. The data was presented through themes that emerged from the data analysis process. Informed by the findings, the themes were discussed
following the research questions. Major findings were that school leadership in high performing schools must have vision and direction, it must capacitate teachers with pedagogical and instructional skills, as well as improving the quality of teaching through supervision. Instilling student discipline is important to allow smooth instruction in the classrooms. School leadership must influence responsible authority to provide adequate financial, material, and human resources to reduce large class sizes to increase teacher commitment. The study recommends that staff development programmes that capacitate teachers be put in place so that teachers are equipped with deep approaches to teaching
Learners’ opportunities to learn algebra content in grade 9
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning (APORTAL) Vol 7 (2) (2023)The aim of this research was to examine the extent to which algebra content was taught to
Grade 9 mathematics learners in four schools within a specific education district in Gauteng
province, South Africa. This qualitative case study was conducted within the framework of
interpretive qualitative research. Document analysis was employed as the method of data
collection. The findings of the study indicate that the coverage of algebra content in the
participating schools did not align with the prescribed curriculum. Consequently, it can be
inferred that the learners did not have adequate opportunities to learn the algebra content. It is
recommended that teachers adhere to the curriculum guidelines when delivering instruction
In search of lasting peace in schools: learner’s perceptions of peace education in Western Cape Province, South Africa
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning (APORTAL) Vol 7 (2) (2023)Over the last decade, peace education programmes have been implemented in many European and African countries. peace education is essential to reduce the scourge of violence affecting schools and for developing positive thinking. it is a tool to create consciousness among individuals to better comprehend the threat of conflict and violence. However, research and media reports indicate that violence continues to affect affect learners in schools. This poses the question of whether learners fully understand peace education as a strategy to combat school violence. the study was undertaken to determine secondary schools in the western cape province, South Africa. Three focus group interviews with a purposefully selected group of five learners in each school were conducted. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that most participants had a poor understanding of peace education. it is recommended that schools should promote peace education; intergrating peace education into curruculum; and providing learners and teachers with training in peace education
To embrace or not to embrace? new academics (NAs) or new university teachers (NUTs)’ challenges and preferences between face-to-face and online teaching
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning (APORTAL) Vol 7 (2) (2023)The COVID-19 pandemic has caused institutions of higher education to urgently seek appropriate
methods of involving students in matters of learning and teaching. Whether by conscious decision
or circumstantial necessity, the imperative to embrace and implement online instruction has proven
to be a formidable challenge for some academics, Particularly those who are new to academia and
are referred to as New Academics (NAs) or Newly Appointed University Educators (NUTs).
Framed within the context of Glasser (1998)’s Choice Theory (CT) and Rational Choice Theory
(RCT), and employing a qualitative research methodology, this paper draws upon data obtained
from questionnaires focused on needs analysis (NAQs) that were distributed during the induction
of new academics from 2020 to 2022. The primary aim was to comprehend the challenges and
preferences faced by new academics (NAs) or new university teachers (NUTs) pertaining to
student instruction. NAQs were sent to NAs/NUTs prior to the induction to understand the kind of
support they need, and the NAQ responses were thematically analysed. The study’s findings reveal
that NAs and NUTs faced challenges in online teaching due to inadequate resources and reduced
student participation. Despite the pandemic’s push for online teaching, these NUTs still favored
in-person interaction. The article’s conclusions suggest that there should be adjustments in how
new academics or teachers are introduced to their roles, along with enhanced support to help them
develop skills for engaging and instructing students effectively in various online settings
Teachers’ experiences of technology integration in Sarah Batman District, Eastern Cape Province
Get PDFJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning (APORTAL) Vol. 7 (3) (2023)Rural schools encounter unique challenges including low socio-economic status, insufficient infrastructure, and inadequate funding, significantly affecting rural secondary teachers in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. This study explored the experiences of veteran secondary school teachers, deemed ‘digital immigrants,’ who independently integrate technology despite potentially limited exposure or training. Using purposive sampling, seven teachers were selected and data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and sharing circles. Findings revealed that digital immigrant teachers experienced: learners with greater technological knowledge and skills; technology-enhanced teaching and learning; fundamentally transformed teacher roles; shifting beliefs and perceptions about technology use; and persistent experimentation with diverse technologies. Challenges identified by teachers included a lack of training for subject-specific technology integration, limited access to technology resources, and the need to keep up with digitally-native learners while mastering new educational technologies. Therefore, the paper proposes training programs should be provided for digital immigrant teachers to enhance their technological pedagogical content knowledge, helping them adapt to the learning approaches of modern students
The analysis of gender representations in selected South African Television Soap Operas
Get PDFThesis (M.A. (Media Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023Soap opera has become very popular recently. Some of the reasons for its popularity stems from how it mimics reality and its open-ended nature that has attracted a large audience and fan base. Therefore, the study analysed how gender was represented using three selected South African soap operas (Rhythm City, Scandal! and Generations: The Legacy). Alongside a codebook and 20 episodes per soap opera, a content analysis was used to meet the objectives which are; to analyse gender representation, identify dominant themes, identify gender-based roles and the trends found in all three soap operas. The study was based on the feminist and the hegemonic masculinity theory. For gender representation, results showed that there were males and females featured in all three soap operas but there was still a reluctance in queer portrayal. Queer characters were represented in just two of the soap operas and underrepresented with just two queer characters being the maximum. Furthermore, even though few queers were represented and found in two out of the three soap operas used in this study, queers were not represented as the “other”, which is a great improvement. However, there are still other stereotypes that come to the fore. Queers are represented as flamboyant and often in a secretive and once-off relationship. More women were portrayed in the workforce and both women and men were portrayed in skilled and unskilled jobs. Few men were represented in contra-stereotype jobs like cleaners and waiters. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve gender equality as women in the workplace were still portrayed in challenging situations like gender discrimination. Findings revealed that gender stereotypes still exist, however in a more subtle way. In the current study, soap operas have failed to portray a woman who can balance her professional career and family life, suggesting that a woman cannot have both. Men are still not represented in the domestic environment, like doing household chores. Also, even though there are more women like men in the workforce, the men have moved further up to demonstrate their superiority over women. They are into legal as well as illegal businesses that have put them steps ahead financially. Hence, women are still being dominated. Some of the prominent themes identified include motherhood, marriage, love and romance, crime, violence and family. The study recommended that content producers still need to work on producing content that is free of stereotypes and encourage gender equality and contents that are educative of what they hope the future should be. Female roles identified include motherhood, villainess, sex object, gold digger, and housewife. Also, men’s roles include father, villain, gold digger, womaniser and sex offender. Furthermore, the queers roles identified were emotionist and object of decoration. Common trends found in all three soap operas include the fact that most characters were between the ages of 24-29 and 30-45 years old and both genders doing skilled and unskilled jobs. The three soap operas were characterized by themes like motherhood, fatherhood, family, revenge and conflict, marriage, gender discrimination and violence. Similar roles in the findings on all three soap operas include mother, sex object, gold digger and career woman. For the men, roles include villain, model and spy and manipulator
Representation of the illicit drug scourge in the South African press : a study of selected newspapers
Get PDFThesis (Ph.D.(Media Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023The study examines the representation of the drug scourge in the South African
press with a focus on selected newspapers, namely the Daily Sun, The Sowetan,
and The Citizen publications. The objectives of the study were to interrogate the
editorial role of the selected newspapers in reporting illicit drug consumption,
determine the framing of news reports on the coverage of illicit drugs, and analyse
challenges that impede journalists’ editorial role in presenting news reports on the
consumption of illicit drugs. In addition, the study purposed to recommend an
editorial tool kit to benefit a dissuasive campaign against the rampant consumption
of illicit drugs in South Africa. It draws from the framing and accumulation theoretical
propositions to underpin the study, and this is complemented by a detailed literature
review on the press’ representation of (illicit) drugs and drug abuse. The study
employed the qualitative research approach and a descriptive design where data
were collected through qualitative content analysis and a piloted in-depth interview
method. Qualitative content analysis was used to determine news frames in the
news reports about drug abuse whereas thematic analysis was applicable in
determining the editorial role and challenges that impede journalistic practice in
reporting the drugs scourge. The study noted that, a majority of the frames and
editorial approaches to the coverage of the drug scourge were largely not beneficial
to an effective anti-illicit drug campaign in South Africa. Instead, coverage of the
selected newspapers yielded peripheral angles with emphasis on crime and
violence; race-oriented, gendered, and class infused frames. This was further
compounded by the press’ focalisation on the scare-alarmist frame; foreignerscapegoating;
perpetrating the helpless frame; blame frame, and inept
interventionist frames which lacked the capacity to generate a nuanced focalisation
to stir the discourse on the drug scourge. In the end, the study concludes that there
were both editorial and structural limitations to the social construction of the illicit
drug scourge in the selected newspapers. Hence, the study has recommended a
self-designed editorial tool kit to benefit a dissuasive press campaign against the
rampant consumption of illicit drugs in South Africa
A critical appraisal of the implications of a tactical resignation: some perspectives from South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho
Get PDFThesis (LLM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2023It is settled law that an employee is at liberty to voluntarily end his or her employment contract by resigning subject to serving a notice period. If an employee fails to serve a notice period, that constitutes breach of contract of employment. The usual contractual remedies for breach apply. A familiar problem encountered in labour relations environment is pre-emptive resignation with immediate effect by employees under suspension pending the institution of disciplinary charges. Also prevalent are resignations while disciplinary proceedings are in process. The ultimate of purpose strategic resignation is evasion of accountability for alleged workplace misconduct. Additionally, premeditated resignation is intended to divest the employer of disciplinary jurisdiction with the departing misconducting employee asserting that she has ceased to be the employee.
The important question for critical consideration is the legal effect of resignation on the employer’s disciplinary jurisdiction over escaping employee. This question warrants close scrutiny and extended study in light of conflicting authorities on the powers of the employer to discipline an employee post the resignation from South Africa, eSwatini and Lesotho. The message emerging from three leading eSwatini cases namely: Dludlu v Emalangeni Foods Industries [2007] SZIC 21, Rudolph v Mananga College [2007] SZIC 17 and Mdluli v Conco Swaziland Ltd [2009] SZIC 12 is that resignation with immediate effect deprives the erstwhile employer of disciplinary power over the departing employee. Likewise, the Lesotho Labour Appeal Court in Mohamo v Nedbank Lesotho Ltd [2011] LSLAC 9 has held that a former employer has no right to proceed against an employee who has resigned. The implications of the jurisprudential posture from the Kingdoms is that escape artists are shielded from accountability and accorded a free pass to simply disappear into the sunset.
While the approach taken in eSwatini cases and by the LSLAC in Mohamo is in line with the minority of judgement Zondo J in Toyota SA Motors (Pty) v CCMA (2016) 37 ILJ 313 (CC); a different stance emerges in key cases such Mzotsho v Standard Bank of SA (Pty) Ltd (unreported case number J2436/18 of 24 July 2018), Coetzee v Zeitz Mocca Foundation Trust (2018) 39 ILJ 2529 (LC), Naidoo v Standard Bank SA Ltd (2019) 40ILJ 2589 (LC) and Mthimkhulu v Standard Bank of SA (2021) 42 ILJ 158 (LC). To illustrate, in Mzotsho, the LC determined that the contractual power to discipline endured despite the fact that an employee resigned immediately upon being given a notice to attend a disciplinary hearing. The clear message from the recent LC decision in Mthimkhulu is that that the resignation before the announcement of a sanction of dismissal has no legal effect