KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)
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What Gets into the Media:The Case of Media Bias in Vietnam During COVID-19
Get PDFThis study investigated the coverage of COVID-19 in Vietnam to understand what types of information can be published, how accurate it is, and if media bias exists. The results show that media biases are more clearly presented during the gathering and editing stages of news production. Although COVID-19 received a heightened frequency of reporting, news articles about this topic had limited use of sources, provide mostly general information and statistics, and lack of scientific quality. These results are intended to provide public health authorities and news audience with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media
Editorial
Get PDFIn recent times, the use of cell phones or mobile devices in schools has often been debated in the media and in education circles and conferences. For many educators the availability of cell phone technology has opened new education delivery opportunities whilst for others it has become a serious bone of contention. A review of the literature shows that mobile phones are changing behaviour, relationships, communication and the dynamics of physical environments. Most people, including academics and teachers, will readily admit that reliance on mobile technology for everyday activities has increased. Consequently, “nomophobia”, defined as the fear of being without one’s mobile phone, has emerged as a new phobia. In our opening article Zyliekha Matwadia provides us with an overview of research into nomophobia as a possible mental health disorder. Sticking with the psychological theme, Gore and associates present their findings on research into teachers’ perceptions of the psycho-social effects of COVID-19 on learners’ well-being and we close the section on education psychology with an article on the Self-Assessment Inclusion Scale (SAIS) by Panagiotis Paoullis, Eleni Samsari and Agathi Argyriadi
Faith formation in the tension interplay of tools, processes and the course for social transformation
Get PDFTheological commentators indicate that the church in Africa faces the challenge of converting the Christian faith into practice. This calls for reconsidering the practice of forming faith among African churches. According to Astley (2018:16), in Christianity, faith formation is more than learning about Christ; it is about “learning” Christ. Learning Christ as Christian formation constitutes the shaping of the dimensions of faith, namely orthopraxis, orthopatheia, and intelligentia (Maddix et al. 2020:6). This article discusses Gadamer’s conversation theory as the means to inform and form these dimensions of faith. This entails that, for faith to be informed and formed in its dimensions, there is a need for an effective conversation among tools, processes, and contexts. The discussion revolves around the following question: How can the tools and processes of faith formation effectively converse with context in order to facilitate the learning of Christ in terms of informing and forming these dimensions of faith? Using conversation theory and literature review, this article discusses the tension interplay of tools, processes, and discerning contexts for a holistic approach to informing and forming the dimensions of faith
Reviewers of articles received for publication in 2023
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Sept 2023 Editorial
No full textThe Covid-19 pandemic brought about a profound transformation in the landscape of higher education. This special issue delves into the complex and far-reaching impact of the pandemic on academic continuity, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by academic literacy practitioners during this extraordinary period.
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented and rapid shift in higher education. Universities and colleges worldwide were compelled to abandon traditional in-person teaching methods and pivot to online learning modalities. This abrupt transition disrupted established academic routines and posed numerous challenges for educators, students, and institutions alike
Interaction between teachers’ emotional intelligence and classroom management
Get PDFSince recent years, emotional intelligence (EQ) has gained prominence in the field of science education and has been widely regarded as an important element in classroom management (CM). It is known that educators with EQ have a positive effect on academic achievement and that these teachers also increase their CM. This is also reflected in school success. In addition, teachers with EQ have better CM skills. Thus, anyone with good CM skills can create a positive learning environment. In a classroom where a culture of EQ is adopted, it is important to support student motivation, make students feel valued, and focus on success. This study examines how teachers manage classrooms using EQ. Therefore, the reason for this study was to investigate whether there is a difference between teachers’ EQ levels and CM skills according to their demographic characteristics (gender, age, professional experience and educational level). The sample of this research consists of 341 teachers working at TRNC primary education institutions in the 2021–2022 academic year and determined by random method. Within the scope of the research, a Turkish version of the “Rotterdam EQ Scale” was used to measure the EQ levels of the teachers, the “CM Scale” was used to measure the effectiveness of the CM and the Personal Information Form prepared by the researchers was used. Study findings suggest that teachers’ EQ and CM skills have a positive, moderately significant relationship. This situation reveals that teachers who are aware of their own emotions and those of others, who can put themselves in others’ shoes, and who have a developed sense of empathy have better CM skills. Research results indicated that the EQ level of the teachers as well as their CM skills did not vary according to their gender, age, and seniority according to demographic variables. However, when the educational status variable is examined, although the EQ levels of postgraduate graduates are higher than those of undergraduate students, this difference was not significant
Students’ acceptance and perceptions of online assessments post- COVID-19 pandemic: A case of Community Extension students at a historically disadvantaged institution
Get PDFTraditionally, research has shown poor uptake and acceptance of non-traditional assessments. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, necessitated a drastic shift towards online assessments and negated the practicality of traditional assessments. The acceptance of online assessments by university students enrolled in historically disadvantaged higher education institutions is currently underresearched. To address this gap, the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) is employed as a theoretical framework to examine the acceptance of online assessments and identify barriers to their adoption. The study used a quantitative research design and data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via ®Microsoft Teams, the university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Descriptive and inferential data analysis was conducted using a combination of Microsoft Excel and JASP version 0.16.1.0. A total of 83 second and third-year students registered with the Department of Community Extension participated in the study. The results showed that 42% (n=35) of students found online assessments difficult to complete. Anxiety during the assessment was prevalent in 57% (n=47) of the students. Forty percent (n=50) of the students indicated that online assessments improved academic performance. The percentage of students that still preferred face-to-face invigilated tests over online assessments was also 40% (n=33). The results indicate that online assessments were accepted by students in historically disadvantaged institutions. However, results emphasised the need for the implementation of effective measures to maintain academic integrity, mitigate technical challenges and the provision of training and support to reduce anxiety among students caused by assessments
Book review of, Apartheid’s Black Soldiers: Un-national Wars and Militaries in Southern Africa
No full textApartheid’s Black Soldiers examines the experiences of combatants from Namibia and Angola who fought in the security forces ofthe apartheid regime, above all the Southwest Africa Territorial Force (SWATF), Koevoet, and 32 “Buffalo” Battalion. As the author,Lennart Bolliger, argues, these experiences challenge the dominant notion that southern Africa’s decolonisation should be understood in terms of “national liberation” struggles, wherein liberation movements representing distinct African nations fought against colonial regimes and their “collaborators.” Rather, the encounters and trajectories of Bolligers’s research participantspoint to the complex and highly constrained circumstances in which black men joined the security forces and the social alienation which they have collectively experienced in postapartheid Namibia and South Africa, the countries in which most now live
Using WhatsAppbased mobile learning environments during abrupt switches to online learning: A duoethnographic account
Get PDFAbrupt switches to online learning without face-to-face contact between facilitators and students can cause distress and have a negative impact on student success. As students use instant messaging applications (IMAs) to communicate with one another, we have integrated WhatsApp-based mobile learning environments (MLEs) in two disparate higher education settings to facilitate learning. Christa used an MLE pre-pandemic in a postgraduate distance education context, while Liezel used several MLEs during the pandemic in an undergraduate contact education context. In this duoethnographic1 account, we share our stories about using these MLEs during times of distress. Duoethnography is a collaborative methodology that allowed us to juxtapose our life histories to create multiple understandings of the phenomenon to learn from one another. With currere as theoretical framework, we employed storytelling to compare our life histories, educational contexts and beliefs while we illustrate a sense of personal change. In addition to sharing our insights regarding the affordances and challenges related to WhatsApp-based MLEs, we illustrate how this dialogic methodology facilitated dialogue and reflection – affording two educational researchers in disparate higher education contexts deeper insights regarding their own practices
Impact of urban renewal changes on urban landscape identity: Case study of Kisumu City, Kenya
Get PDFUrban renewal undertaken to respond to physical deterioration and decay within cities resulted in various changes. The changes can impact on physical, socio-economic, and meaning aspects attached to various features, thus affecting the urban landscape identity of the city. Urban renewal in Africa is undertaken in the existing built forms in post-colonial times with the works impacting on city identities. Cities are striving to be unique and distinct, in order to attract and promote world trade and tourism, making city identity an issue of great concern. This study postulates that a city’s uniqueness and distinctiveness lie in its landscape identity that should be highly considered when upgrading urban environments in renewals. This study aims to investigate the impact of changes in urban form elements, due to urban renewal, on landscape identity. This is a case study analysis of Kisumu City, Kenya, which has recently undergone the upgrading of urban forms. A sample of 384 participants were involved in the field survey, 12 participants for the photo elicitation interview (PEI), and four key informants. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. The survey results supported by PEI responses revealed that renewal changes of urban physical forms had a positive impact on the city’s landscape identity, thus making it a visually appealing place. The vast majority of the respondents were satisfied with both the various components implemented and the overall outcome. They opined that the city had become a different but better place. The article highlights concern for the preservation of urban landscape identity within urban renewal projects in the post-colonial era