Journal of Curriculum Studies Research
Not a member yet
145 research outputs found
Sort by
Student Teachers’ Experiences of Open Distance e-Learning Support in a Posthuman Era: A Learner Engagement Perspective
Full text linkOnline learning uses information and communication technologies which rely on reliable connectivity. While this is a giant step to widen access in South African education as shown by a number of studies conducted already regarding online learning, less focus has been paid on rural students which are under-resourced. They are presumed to have access and support to online learning and assistive ICTs that make online learning possible. Therefore, the focus for this study was on KwaZulu-Natal rural student teachers’ experiences of open distance e-learning in a posthuman era. The study focused on students’ experiences regarding online support tools like discussion forum and others as tools for student engagement and support on myUnisa platform. The problem was investigated using a descriptive qualitative case study, which used individual interviews. The study involved fifteen UNISA student teachers from KZN and the findings revealed that, notwithstanding the countless challenges, students were very passionate about the use of online learning in open distance e-learning and they showed a desire to engage more using different types of devices and platforms as they learn through social media and also showed that learning resides in technological appliances they use(posthumanism), hence the study’s conclusion and implications stress that the distance between the student and the institution, student and lecturer and student and other students can be mediated and reduced through proper student support services such as provision of gadgets for internet connection, proper telecommunications infrastructure, ICT workshops and training for all students and in posthumanism terms, formal integration of social networks in learning in light of the finding that learning is non-linear and resides in technological devices used to connect students.  
Early Childhood in the Era of Post-humanism: Lending an Ear to Nature
Full text linkParents, or pre-school educators in early childhood education, focus on assisting children to attain the highest possible pre-numeracy and pre-literacy skills in an attempt to give children a better academic foundation. Children are presented with technology, for example, in the form of a tablet, that act as baby-sitters even before they can speak properly, and this has largely deafened them to the sounds of nature. Sounds of man and machine are the only ones most children will be exposed to, due to their living in cities with few natural spaces. Children are not taken into nature to experience it and get to know the sounds of the bio-network, of which they are an integral part. Rural children may have a better chance to get to know, respect and cherish nature, due to their context, but their guides - parents and/or communities - have sunken into their own disregard for their environment. It is only when children are taught to listen to and appreciate nature that they will be enabled to begin moving back to being ‘mensch’ where the focus, ironically, moves away from the human and focuses instead on creating an equilibrium between humanity and nature, rather than stripping the planet of its natural resources through harmful practices. This empirical research explored the literature to highlight the significance of listening as a mode of developing an appreciation of and caring for nature. Attuning children of the post-humanist era to their natural environment through listening will encourage them to understand their function as part of nature, and assist in the restoration of the planet
Thinking ‘out of the box’ When Designing Formative Assessment Activities for the E-Portfolio
Full text linkE-Portfolios of on-line scholars are integral to instructional planning and the design of authentic, engaging, and active tutoring for periodic self/peer-and-instructor formative assessments. In addition, the formative assessment in open distance and e-learning (ODeL) is meant to provide and facilitate contact, support, and structure to the learning experiences of students who are often unfamiliar and alienated by the distance learning experience. Previous research has focused on formative assessment strategies, results, and feedback in distance learning, but little has been studied on how to design suitable formative assessment activities in this format. This article, therefore, presents findings of how lecturers can the design a formative assessment for e-portfolio activities for online learning. Ten lecturer participants were purposively sampled from three colleges within the ODeL university. These semi-structured interviews, together with an e-portfolio checklist formed the basis for the interpretative analysis of how formative assessment activities are designed for the e-portfolios. The lecturers are guided by the student’s learning outcomes and use sequential activities for students to do via the e-portfolio. This, therefore, involves the lecturer’s consideration of graded and non-graded formative assessment activities of individual and group work e-portfolios to provide evidence and make judgments about each student’s progress. This study’s findings emphasize the importance of designing formative assessment activities to help students learn the content and develop their understanding which further deepens their knowledge and acquisition of the module outcomes. The research shows that the benefits of optimal student engagement, performance, and learning are the result of the creative design of formative assessment activities. 
Integrating African Indigenous Education in the Curriculum: A Learning Curve for South Africa
Full text linkEven though Western education is indispensable and became a game changer, its adoption in the mainstream education system (curriculum) has substantially strained the passing of relevant skills, values, and knowledge to most African communities. The adoption of Western education was not tailored to the context, realities, and needs of most indigenous communities. The popular and accepted Western education has been applauded for preparing graduates who mostly look for employment, do not resonate with their realities and environment, and can barely create jobs with the acquired education. Unlike indigenous education, which prepared the young ones to face their immediate future realities and contribute to the development of the community, Western education seems far from equipping Africans to understand themselves and their surroundings. Grounded in the African Renaissance, this paper explores African indigenous education in a bid to draw lessons from it. To achieve this, a conceptual paper is framed from a review of literature on Google scholar, DHET accredited journals, Scopus, and other relevant credited sources. The paper does not seek to undermine the importance and value of Western education in the curriculum but advocates for the adoption of indigenous education to bring positive impact to African societies. Collaborative efforts are recommended for the revival, adoption, and continuation of indigenous education without looking at it as inferior
Enhancing the Academic Writing Skills of First-Year English Second Language Students at a South African University
Full text linkThe transition from high school to university for first-year students is challenging in academia, globally, and locally. Students must continually provide quality content at university and possess organisational and coherent language skills in writing essays and assignments. They should meet expectations such as demonstrating their academic writing skills, showing meaningful writing, which includes reasoning, and drawing readers’ attention to the pertinent facts. For a few decades, academic support programmes, including writing centres, have been introduced in South African universities to assist first-year students in academic writing. Despite establishing these programmes, poor academic writing persists in many South African universities among first-year students. Therefore, this study explored how the Academic Writing Centre, as a collaborative scaffolded approach, could improve the academic writing skills of first-year English Second Language (ESL) students at a South African university. The study adopted a quantitative method through a descriptive research design. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. Fifty first-year students who were registered for the Senior and Further Education and Training phases at the faculty of education of a South African university were chosen (N=50; males=14, females=36). Descriptive results revealed that the Academic Writing Centre could be considered a collaborative scaffolded model to improve the academic writing skills of first-year ESL students. The study recommends exploring writing support centres and lecturers further as essential tools that can assist students in socialising the link between entry and the discourse of university subjects’ academic requirements
Read, Make, and Mend the World: College Students Developing an Antiracist, Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Children
Full text linkAfter the plurality of crises experienced in 2020, including but not limited to a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, a national reckoning with racial violence, and political violence, one teacher and twelve college students set out to explore and create actively antiracist, self-nourishing pedagogies for elementary students. Using the theoretical approaches of bell hooks, Gholdy Muhammad, Corita Kent, and Gloria Ladson-Billings, the class chose to center the approach of making and crafting as the module to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression. This article charts their journey of using BIPOC-centered books, highlighting marginalized makers and artists, to craft and test curricula that goes beyond simply telling the artists' stories, but allows elementary students to be active participants in those stories through crafting. The class also explored how crafting can be a tool of expression, liberation, and learning. Reflecting on the theoretical underpinnings of their thoughts and the lessons they learned along the way, this article is a reflection on the class's experiences and suggestions for how to read, make, and mend the world
Managing Change in the Teaching and Learning of Geography in South African FET Classrooms
Full text linkThis paper examined the management of change in the teaching of geography from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred pedagogical approach in order to transform teaching to improve learners’ academic outcomes in Further Education and Training (FET) classrooms. Managing change for this paper means actively making changes to benefit geography education in schools and to provide possible solutions that may be introduced in geography education to improve the quality of teaching and learning specifically changing from traditional methods to more active learner-centred methods of teaching and learning in geography. Underpinned by the interpretive qualitative paradigm and the Transformational Learning Theory, using phenomenology as the mode of inquiry, this paper generated data through semi-structured interviews with three geography teachers and structured classroom observations in three geography classrooms. Data was analysed through thematic analysis. The paper responded to what strategies could be used to promote effective and active learner-centred teaching and learning of geography in FET classrooms. The findings revealed that teaching methods are needed to connect geography curriculum content to learners’ real lives. This meant that teachers needed to use learners’ experience and prior knowledge as the platform for teaching, where they only facilitated and guided learners to take charge of their knowledge construction. In light of the findings, the paper recommends collaborative teaching among teachers and the effective use of technology, teaching aids, and resources in the effective teaching of geography
Exploring the Interdisciplinary Relationship between Music and Language for Enhanced Bilingual Curriculum
Full text linkDeveloping an interdisciplinary approach is a paramount concern for educators and researchers in the field of education, given its proven effectiveness in enhancing cognitive comprehension and practical knowledge application. This study examines the pivotal role of music as a potential medium that possesses traits akin to language, serving as a conduit for expressing thoughts and emotions. Emphasizing the significance of music education, this study delves into its profound impact on fostering linguistic abilities. Through a comprehensive review of 32 studies, this study explores the dynamic interplay between music and language. It examines the development of musical properties and inherent characteristics of music competency, catering to diverse intelligences within the framework of linguistic growth. The findings obtained from the specified studies illustrate the manifold benefits of music in enhancing specific aspects of linguistic abilities, underscoring its positive impact on language education. This study provides valuable recommendations for music/language educators and bilingual instructors. It also identifies potential areas of focus, thereby establishing the foundation for future inquiries within this interdisciplinary field
Teachers’ Perceptions of Integrating Technology in Rural Primary Schools to Enhance the Teaching of English First Additional Language
Full text linkTeachers’ perceptions of integrating technology in rural primary schools play a substantial role in the Intermediate Phase (grades 4 to 6) in enhancing the teaching of English first additional language (EFAL). However, in a country such as South Africa, teachers experience barriers such as time constraints, load shedding, a lack of facilities, a lack of digital skills and an internet connection which challenges the incorporation of technology in language lessons in this posthumanism era. This study explored teachers’ perceptions of integrating technology in EFAL classes in rural primary schools in Limpopo, South Africa. There are several studies on how teachers feel about using technology in secondary schools and higher education, but only a few have concentrated on rural primary schools specifically the Intermediate Phase. Therefore, this area deserves further investigation to add to empirical data. An interpretivist paradigm guided this study informed by the technology acceptance model (TAM). An exploratory qualitative case study used semi-structured interviews for data gathering. Ten Intermediate Phase EFAL teachers were selected with the help of purposeful sampling. Using thematic analysis, the obtained data were categorized into codes and themes. It was found that teachers are willing to use technology to teach EFAL as it has revolutionized their teaching and appreciated its productivity in their teaching activities. It is advised that EFAL teachers receive additional in-service training on integrating technology into EFAL teaching. The acquired skills from the training may assist in time management and how to cope working with limited resources.  
Louisiana College: Factors in the Initial Survival of a Later Denominational College
Full text linkThe following historical case study considers the initial history of Louisiana College. It utilizes primary and secondary sources, including dissertations, local histories, news articles, speeches, catalogs, yearbooks, and financial statements. The methods employed were historical, but the framework was that of an educationist. Beyond merely telling the story of the initial years of Louisiana College, the goal was to understand what contributed to the college’s perpetuity in light of the mortality of similar institutions. As we face a period of a demography unfavorable to our system of colleges and universities, it is imperative that leaders and the broader stakeholders of particular institutions have a grasp of the factors that lead to institutional health and decline.