Research in Social Sciences and Technology (E-Journals)
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Navigating the Contemporary Rites of Passage: A Typology of STEM Professional Identity Transition
Get PDFAnchored upon a renewed rites of passage perspective, this study employs a narrative inquiry to understand how professional identities are enacted, developed, negotiated, and reconstructed among final year STEM undergraduates in Malaysia. While professional identities are largely studied within the workplace or organisational context, there is limited knowledge of how students make sense of their professional identities during their study. To address this gap, this study explores the dilemmas and dreams of twenty-four final year STEM undergraduates as they were at the critical juncture of transition towards their first full-time career. While the participants shared a common experience of STEM professional identity formation during their childhood and adolescent phases of life, there were variations in how individuals negotiated their professional identities as they reached the crossroads upon university enrolment and graduation. In navigating the liminal phase of uncertainties, negotiation strategies included defending and rethinking STEM professional identities while balancing identities in work and non-work roles. Towards the reconstruction phase, a process of redefining, affirming, and securing STEM professional identity takes place as individuals make sense of their roles and place in the communities. The narrative findings illustrate contemporary dynamics of societal expectations, structural forces and personal agency that facilitate STEM professional transitions. The study also adds insights into emerging discourses surrounding STEM education and talent retention strategies among the contemporary STEM workforce
Learning Mathematics through WhatsApp Groups in University Preparatory Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThis study examined the impact of learning through social media (WhatsApp learning groups) on university students' mathematics achievements in the first-year university preparatory program when they engaged in some form of social media learning interaction compared with students who did the same module with a traditional face-to-face interaction learning approach. The study was undertaken using a quantitative research method. It employed a randomised Post-Test-Only with a Non-equivalent Groups design to investigate the only statistically significant difference between university students who studied through the traditional face-to-face lecturing approach and students who utilised a blended approach to learning mathematics. The study population comprised first-year university students enrolled for the university extended programme offered by all universities in South Africa. The sample consisted of 192 experimental groups and 341 control group students conveniently sampled from a university in South Africa. The main instruments used in this study were two standardised semester exams. These tests were checked and moderated by senior mathematics lecturers to ensure they conformed with the module content and satisfied all assessment policies of the university. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to measure the consistencies in these two-semester exams. The study's main finding showed no statistically significant difference in results between students who studied Mathematics through a face-to-face lecturing approach and students who studied mathematics through a blended learning approach. The study concludes that the latter performed slightly better than students in the former, confirming that a WhatsApp learning group can be a viable alternative to the teaching and learning at the university when face-to-face learning is not possible, as for an example in the Covid-19 era. The study recommends that more profound research be conducted to identify and analyse positive indicators when learning is done through social media interaction
Academic Resilience Among Deaf Learners During E-Learning in the COVID-19 Era
Get PDFThis study aimed to assess the contributory roles of parental involvement (PI), parental acceptance/rejection (PAR), academic self-efficacy (ASE), computer user self-efficacy (CUSE) vis-à-vis gender and the onset of deafness on the academic resilience (AR) of deaf learners who participated in e-learning during the pandemic. The Bioecological Systems Theory provided a framework for the study. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from 292 (Male: n = 164; Female: n = 128; Mage = 16.5) deaf learners from 3 provinces in South Africa. Data generated was analysed with IBM SPSS 22 and IBM AMOS 26.0 packages. All the fit measures of the SEM fell within the acceptable range (χ2 = 69.15, df = 28, χ2/df = 2.46, IFI = 0.91, CFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.93, NFI = 0.96, and RMSEA = 0.062). According to the findings, PAR, ASE and CUSE had a directly significant relationship on the AR of deaf learners who participated in e-learning during the lockdowns. An indirect significant relationship was observed between the latent variables and academic resilience when observed through the onset of deafness. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were made
Blended Learning Challenges During COVID-19: A Case of Cost Accounting 2 Students at a Selected South African Higher Education Institution
Get PDFEvery sector in the twenty-first century makes use of technology for its activities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and higher education institutions are not exceptional. However, the cohorts enrolled in the selected higher education institution are from technologically challenged backgrounds. This suggests that in their previous schooling, technology was unemployed as a learning aid. As this may present some challenges for such students, this study aims to investigate challenges experienced by Cost Accounting 2 students who are from a technologically disadvantaged background. To accomplish that, a quantitative approach was used since it permits surveys to be delivered to the entire impacted population while also reducing sampling error. Because of the Coronavirus, online questionnaires were sent to 400 students, but only 119 (n=119) responded. Blended learning was found to be an effective technique for learning Cost Accounting 2 since the university provided sufficient information on how to use the system. However, there was a lot of discussion about internet access, learning materials access, and library resource access. Based on the findings, blended learning is excellent for studying Cost Accounting 2 as long as the learning management system is customised such that students can navigate it effortlessly. Management must work with internet service providers to try stabilise internet connectivity in the students’ neighbourhoods. The additional study can be done using a variety of research methods and target other groups of students
Interdisciplinarity in Data Analysis Through the Primary School Textbooks in Greece and Singapore
Get PDFData analysis is one of the most popular fields of mathematics and includes statistics and probability. These two mathematical domains are some of the most well-known, influencing everyday life and the various sciences. Their teaching lays the foundation for primary education and culminates in secondary education. Probability and statistics are necessary for today and the future of several professions. This research attempts to highlight the multidisciplinary character of these two disciplines through the textbooks of primary education in Greece and Singapore. It aims to highlight the dependence of mathematics teaching on interdisciplinarity through textbooks. The textbook analysis was chosen because books offer varied learning opportunities. The researchers selected the books, partaking in the comparative analysis. After defining the basic principles dividing lines for the differentiation of the exercises, the analysis was conducted. It included two stages. In the first stage, the activities of the books were examined in their framework application. Then, their interdisciplinary character was accentuated in the scientific field. The results reveal a substantial dependence of data analysis on interdisciplinarity. More interesting is that the distribution of interdisciplinary exercises is prevalent in the scientific milieus
Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Technical Schools: The Case of Domestic Installation and Wiring Teaching
Get PDFDomestic installation and wiring are still a concern among the secondary central district schools of Johannesburg. Students reach the to Grades 11 and 12 with signs of inadequate knowledge on the domestic installation and wiring concepts taught in 10. This is a qualitative research study involving six electrical technology teachers from schools within the central district of Johannesburg, South Africa. The teachers were purposively selected to take part in the study. The pedagogical content knowledge construct was used as a theoretical framework to underpin the study. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with the teachers and by observing the classroom when teachers were teaching domestic installation and wiring concepts. Data were analyzed using verbatim quotes for face-to-face interviews and descriptively for classroom observations. Findings of the study revealed that teachers are being negatively affected by lack of resources and of adequate training. The study recommends that more resources be sought so that teachers can fully teach the practical component with ease and confidence. Recurrent refresher training events are also recommended for teachers to keep up with the electrical technology concept
COVID-19 induced psychosocial challenges in South African higher education: Experiences of staff and students at two rural universities
Get PDFAlthough the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education and mental health of the university environment is relatively unknown, it is expected to be very significant considering the high incidence of emotional reactions amongst university students and staff. While fears around COVID-19 exposure, anxieties, and the challenges of support normalize stress, anxiety, and depression as emotional reactions in the face of the pandemic, this psychosocial impact has negative consequences for the university community. Thus, in order to salvage the higher education institutions from the debilitating effects of the pandemic, there is a clear need to safeguard the welfare of students and staff. Hence, it becomes vital to examine the experience of members of the university community during the COVID-19 crisis in order to develop measures and implement interventions that will assist in navigating psychosocial challenges. To achieve this objective, the study employed a mixed-method research approach in which data was collected using web-based survey and online interviews. Concurrent triangulation sampling technique was employed to select a sample of fifteen (15) students, five (5) university managers, and five (5) lecturers – making twenty-five (25) respondents at each of the two universities, thus making a cumulative total of fifty (50) at two (2) rural universities in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Thus, qualitative and quantitative data collected were analysed concurrently by first reporting the qualitative findings and then comparing them to the quantitative findings. Findings revealed that although the university environment traditionally provided opportunities for strengthening social ties which satisfy the universal need to belong to a community, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered rural university life, thus, significantly impacting on psychosocial wellbeing. The study recommends that rural institutions must facilitate psychosocial wellness programming with the assistance of wider stakeholders such as the government and the private sector who can assist in financing this initiative
Accounting Teachers’ Voices on Factors Affecting Online Teaching during the 4th Industrial Revolution in the Face of COVID-19 in Selected High Schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Get PDFThe most prominent debate in South Africa is how teachers will provide instruction online. The purposes of this article was to explore Accounting teachers’ voices on factors affecting online teaching. To this end, the researchers employed a qualitative approach and a case study research design. Interviews were used as a method to collect data from 10 Accounting teachers who were purposively selected. Thematic data analysis was used. The results revealed that, Accounting teachers are lacking required knowledge and skills needed to facilitate technology learning in their classrooms. Results further reveal that, online teaching arrived at an awkward moment when teachers were faced with COVID-19 pandemic. The study concludes that teachers’ voices play an important role in any proposed changes in the classroom. The Eastern Cape Province where the study was conducted should quickly roll out infrastructure at all schools aiming to support online classrooms. It is recommended in this paper that teachers need to be workshopped in online teaching in order for them to perform effectively
Online Learning as a Catalyst for Self-directed Learning in Universities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of online learning and self-directed learning to motivate and engage students. Therefore, this study sought to determine how online learning fostered self-directed learning at a South African university during this period. Higher education institutions worldwide had to shut down indefinitely following guidance from health experts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since education is regarded as a pillar of development for all countries, some means had to be found to keep teaching and learning going irrespective of the ongoing health crisis. Hence, online learning made it possible for university students to continue learning during the emergency university closure. This was a period of reckoning, however, as many students began experiencing challenges related to poor internet connectivity and accessing digital learning devices. Despite these challenges, the solution was to reach out to all students to ensure that they were not excluded from the learning process. The sudden transition to online learning meant that students could no longer follow a well-coordinated, structured learning schedule that was guided and supervised on campus; rather, online learning meant they had to become more independent in their learning. Independent learning encourages students to be proactive and independent, a philosophy aligned to self-directed learning (SDL). This study explored the experiences of third-year student teachers in navigating SDL through online learning platforms. The study was underpinned by self-directed learning theory and adopted a qualitative case study research design, generating data from ten student teachers using a Zoom App focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis framework. The study found that although SDL is appropriate because it promotes learning independently, the majority of student teachers encountered several challenges when adopting online learning, catching them off guard because they were not formally introduced to it
Managing the Culture of COVID-19 "New Normal" as a Motivation for University Students in South Africa
Get PDFThe advent of COVID-19 and its implication on university education has been the bone of contention in recent times. The COVID-19 emergency has led to a change in knowledge inputs, processes, and outputs. This trajectory has demotivated student approaches to their learning. In response to this revolution, this study provides motivational strategies through students' perspectives to respond to the underside of new normal among South African university students. Ubuntu underpins the study within the Transformative Paradigm lens and Participatory Research as a research design. Ten students of a particular module in a selected university in South Africa were chosen to participate in the study. They were selected using the snowballing sampling technique because the participants were under level 3 lockdown with little or no access to campus at the time of the study. Online interview via phone calls, email and WhatsApp, was conducted with the students, and the data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. The study revealed a lack of visualised physical engagement between students and their lecturers and unstable internet access and lack of the internet as the major challenges. The study, therefore, recommends solutions that there should be adequate provision of effective online audio-visual sessions with enough space for student-lecturer’s interactions and low-tech online sessions and content deliveries