KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)
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Fragmented strivings: A scoping review of inclusivity and internationalisation in higher education policies and practices
Full text linkEquality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy frameworks are enacted to establish and maintain equitable and fair conditions for marginalised students. However, marginalised students, specifically refugees and forced migrants, face multiple obstacles when entering higher education (HE). The ability to overcome many of these hindrances rests in the formation and implementation of inclusive policies and good practices at national and institutional levels. However, since little research has hitherto been conducted on how inclusivity informs HE internationalisation policies and practices globally, an attempt was made to explore this notion. A scoping review was conducted to discover how inclusivity informs internationalisation on a global scale regarding policies and practices, along with a specific focus on how inclusivity informs policies and practices for refugees. A total of 35 studies published between 2018 and 2023 were included in this review. The findings illustrate that the Global North still dominates the conversation with little collaboration across the socio-political divide. In addition, the literature shows that globally, very few countries have effectively adopted policies and practices in terms of inclusivity to accommodate displaced students within mainstream internationalisation. In addition, those countries that have adopted policies often present social and administrative challenges for refugees. Consequently, specific sub-areas of policies and practices needing inclusive reform were identified. Finally, articles that explore how institutions have altered their policies and practices to address inclusivity were reviewed. Results revealed an inconsistent approach to and application of inclusive policies and practices within internationalisation in HE. Research on mainstream internationalisation identified limited literature on policy and practice implementation to address the HE needs of forced migrants. Despite a call for inclusive education, policies and practices in HE remain largely theoretical. This article aims to provide a perspective on these issues by discussing the trends and challenges discovered in the literature and making recommendations to potentially address the transformation of contextual spaces for refugees in HE
The role of career development, technostress, and organisational commitment in shaping the work performance of elementary school teachers: Insights from Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS) analysis
Full text linkThis study examines the complex relationship between career development, technostress, and organisational commitment in influencing the performance of school teachers in Aria Kemuning, West Java, Indonesia. The main objective of this study is to identify how the three constructs individually and interactively contribute to teacher performance in the context of an increasingly digital and demanding educational environment. A quantitative approach was used by a survey method of 162 respondents selected through the proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Data was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the direct effects and mediation between variables. The results of the study show that career development and organisational commitment have a significant positive effect on work performance, while technostress has a negative influence. Interestingly, organisational commitment partially mediates the relationship between career development and technostress on teacher performance. This indicates that career development initiatives can directly improve performance, but the effect will be more optimal if they are accompanied by a strong organisational commitment. In contrast, technostress can lower performance, but its negative impact can be reduced through increased organisational commitment. The authenticity of this study lies in an integrated analysis of the psychological, organisational, and technological dimensions in the teaching profession, using SEMPLS in the context of developing countries. The study provides new insights for schools and education policymakers to simultaneously address digital pressures and career satisfaction in order to optimise teacher effectiveness. The theoretical contributions and practical strategies offered are also useful in the management of human resources in the education secto
Pre-service teachers’ views of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world
Full text linkThis article reports on a study that explored final year preservice teachers’ conceptualisations of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world. The study was framed by literature on reflective practice. A basic qualitative research design was used to examine how the preservice teachers constructed meaning of the phenomenon under study. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and thorough analysis of the preservice teachers’ research projects on the topic. The findings are that ideal teachers for a fast-changing world must: be adaptable; be digitally literate and fluent; encourage agency in the teaching and learning environment; use innovative teaching methods; and value continuous professional development. The findings lead to the question as to whether teacher education programmes pay sufficient attention to preparing pre-service teachers for the fast-changing world, in the curriculum and through practices taught.
 
Indoor thermal comfort comparison of stabilised latscrete and sandcrete blocks as walling materials in buildings in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria
Full text linkStabilised sandcrete (sand-cement) and latscrete (clay/mud-cement) blocks are the most commonly used materials for masonry building walling material in Port Harcourt metropolis. Despite the hot, humid tropical climate in this region, the interior thermal comfort benefits of selecting suitable walling materials for buildings are frequently overlooked. In addition to the interior thermal comfort in buildings, rising energy usage is also a cause for concern. The choice of material for wall building is influenced by cost, strength, and durability. However, interest in employing sustainable green architecture and thermally comfortable building materials has increased in recent years. Selecting appropriate wall materials that can be energy efficient and lower cooling load is necessary, since external walls play a significant role in thermal insulation. Therefore, the study evaluated indoor thermal comfort, comparing commonly used stabilised latscrete blocks as walling material in two model buildings. To evaluate the characteristics of the two walling materials, a series of tests were performed to determine the water absorption rate, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength, following the standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Readings of relative humidity and indoor temperature of the two buildings were respectively taken and recorded for a period of twelve months. The data were collated and analysed using the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI), Heat Index (HI), and Effective Temperature Index (ETI). To compare the thermal comfort performance of the building models, the ASHRAE 55-2020 standard scale was used. Latscrete was found to be a better thermal comfort performer than sandcrete and was, therefore, recommended as an alternative local walling material for building in the study area
Provincial inequalities in Iran: A comprehensive planning model for budget allocation
Full text linkAlthough regional disparities were declining in Iran between 2001-2013, the provincial allocation of budgetary resources in Iran is not done fairly. The absence of a clear model for optimal budget distribution hinders achieving regional balance between Iran’s provinces. Making use of applied research, this study identified 47 development indicators in 3 main development dimensions (economic-infrastructural, educational-cultural, and health-therapeutic) as the indictors to assess the characteristics of each province (level of development) to identify provincial inequalities of development in Iran. Descriptive analysis and the VIKOR model were used for the provincial development ranking in Iran during the years 2011 to 2021. Using comparative analysis, the K-means clustering method, the CV method, and GIS were used for calculating and mapping provincial inequalities. The results revealed severe inequalities among provinces. Tehran and Yazd provinces have had the highest development levels. CV calculations of the provincial indicators based on two scenarios (equal coefficients and AHP coefficients) showed that a budgetary resource distribution model that provides the percentage of budget allocation, by taking into account the territorial divisions, features, and sustainable development indicators of each province, might reduce inter-provincial inequalities, and would help achieve sustainable and equitable development at the provincial level. This model uses a method that optimally allocates financial and budgetary resources based on the degree of development of the regions and environmental characteristics
The promise of planning: Global aspirations and South African experience since 2008 by Philip Harrison and Alison Todes
No full textThe book covers an expansive range of topics across 14 chapters: international and domestic contexts, South African planning at national, provincial, and municipal scales, the role of organised civil society, the national space economy, spatial transformation, social transformation, environmental challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic, the planning profession, as well as planning education and research. It draws from a wide-ranging review of existing research and from 68 interviews with planners and academics. A key contribution of the book is a review of the many initiatives that have been put in place since 2008. Internationally, this includes the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals, the 2016 New Urban Agenda, and the 2016 Paris Agreement. In South Africa, major initiatives include the Cities Support Programme of National Treasury established in 2011, the 2012 National Development Plan, the 2012 National Infrastructure Plan (revised in 2022), the 2013 National Planning Commission Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, the 2014 Infrastructure Development Act, the 2016 Integrated Urban Development Framework, the District Development Model announced in 2019, and the 2022 National Spatial Development Framework. At the municipal scale, innovative policies were introduced on transit-oriented development and inclusionary housing.
‘Chakachenjedza Ndochakatanga (Once Beaten Twice Shy)!’: Zimbabwe and the Economics of Mistrust
Full text linkThis article details Zimbabwe’s enduring monetary crisis by using the concept of trust in economics. It posits that mistrust between citizens and the state and the mistrust among citizens themselves significantly accounts for Zimbabwe’s never-ending economic malaise. In the economy of mistrust, actors operate on the belief that monetary policy will unceremoniously change as has happened many times before — hence, the ChiShona idiom chakachenjedza ndochakatanga, which encourages one to stand guard, aptly describes the prevailing economic scenario. In making its arguments, the paper historicises monetary developments in Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980 to 2022. During the period under review, money became the primary commodity bought and sold on the local market, forcing every individual and entity to trade in money. Relying on monetary and fiscal policy statements, newspapers, statutory instruments and interviews, the article concentrates on the overt actions of the state in creating and sustaining the economics of mistrust and how economic players navigated it. It reveals three aspects of Zimbabwe’s monetaryhistory that are veiled or absent in the literature. First, it demonstrates the politics of money and monetary institutions, arguing that the ruling ZANU-PF uses the monetary system as a tool for regime survival. Secondly, it describes the impact of monetary policy pronouncements on the day-to-day practicalities of navigating Zimbabwe’s economic landscape.Finally, it questions aspects of economic orthodoxy, particularly the spirit and consequences of central bank independence and how the regulation has manifested in Zimbabwe’s monetary system
Reimagining forgiveness: A transformative engagement with a social imagination of forgiveness through intercultural Biblical reading in South Africa
Full text linkHow can one work towards the transformation of the social imagination of forgiveness among racially divided South African Christians, with the focus on the White participants, through a process of intercultural Bible reading of Matthew 18:15-35? The study highlights therole of local congregations as both sites of constraint and transformation. The research involves two Methodist churches that are institutionally united (sharing the same doctrine, polity, and denominational identity) but socially separated by their lived realities. The findings suggest that ecclesial institutions are not neutral containers of belief but active participants in shaping theological imagination. When these spaces facilitate shared practices across lines of division, they may offer a “road to reconciliation” by challenging fixed ideas of community, justice, and grace. In doing so, they contribute to reimagining forgiveness as a socially embedded and transformative process in postapartheid South Africa
The Significance of Calvin’s Theology of Mission and its realization in the sixteenth century for twenty-first century church mission in Indonesia
No full textThis article aims to examine the theological themes of mission in the works of John Calvin and their implementation in the 16th century, as well as their significance to the mission of the present-day church. This purpose contradicts the criticism of modern mission experts who consider Calvin to have made no contribution to the mission movement and even to have weakenedit. However, an in-depth study of Calvin’s works, using a theological-historical method, reveals the meaning of mission, the Bible as a missional book, the mission of the Trinity, the holistic mission of the kingdom of God, the church as the sole agent of mission, the missionary function of the apostles, holistic mission, and inclusive mission to the nations. All of these were implemented by Calvin in Geneva in the 16th century, continued and contextualised by Calvinist mission experts and missionaries in many countries, including Indonesia, in the 21st century
Rethinking rural development research: Gaps, frameworks, and emerging directions (2010-2025)
Full text linkRural human-settlement planning faces persistent theoretical and methodological challenges that weaken policy design and implementation. Despite extensive scholarship, the field remains fragmented by inconsistent definitions of ‘rural’, limited theoretical integration, and methodological heterogeneity, all of which constrain comparative analysis and evidence-based decision-making. This review of literature (2010-2025), based on a qualitative desktop approach and thematic analysis, identifies four critical gaps. First, definitional ambiguity produces widely divergent rural population estimates, complicating programme targeting and evaluation. Secondly, theoretical fragmentation prevents the development of integrated frameworks that address social, economic, and environmental priorities collectively. Thirdly, methodological practice is dominated by single-case studies, limiting cross-context learning and the transferability of findings. Fourthly, environmental and governance dimensions are unevenly incorporated into sustainability research, reducing its relevance for resilience building and institutional reform. These shortcomings have practical consequences, namely unclear classifications risk excluding intended beneficiaries, siloed theory undermines coordination, and narrow methods weaken the evidence base for scaling interventions. Advancing the field requires context-sensitive rural classifications, integrated socio-ecological-governance frameworks, and methodological innovation – particularly comparative, longitudinal, and mixed-methods designs – to enable systematic learning across diverse rural settings and respond effectively to pressures such as climate change, urbanisation, and technological transformation