KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)
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Differing priorities: International research collaboration trends of South African universities, 2012-2021
Get PDFThis study analyses international research collaboration (IRC) trends of South African public universities during the 2012-2021 period. While previous studies have explored IRC trends between South Africa and the rest of the world, there is a gap in literature when it comes to the analysis of institutional IRC trends. Using bibliometric data from Scopus, we analyse the internationally coauthored scholarly output of 24 public universities. Our focus is on the annual and overall institutional IRC trends; a comparison of IRC trends between different institutional types; and an analysis of institutional IRC trends broken down by world regions. Our findings show that the inequalities rooted in colonial and apartheid policies continue to be evident in South African higher education, and that most of the scholarly output through IRC is produced by historically white institutions (HWIs). The findings highlight that HWIs prioritise IRC with the Global North while neglecting research collaboration with the African continent and Global South. On the other hand, even though research output at historically black institutions (HBIs) is low, these institutions prioritise intra-Africa and South-South IRC. Our findings highlight the need for the government to move beyond the policy rhetoric and implement programmes that would enable HBIs to develop capacity to produce scholarly output through national and international collaboration. The government also needs to develop incentives for universities which are contributing to the expansion and strengthening of IRC within the African continent and Global South, in line with the national higher education and research priorities
The oversight functions of school governing bodies in the management of budgets
Get PDFThe South African Schools Act, No. 84 of 1996 (RSA, 1996) heralded a shift in decision-making powers through decentralising school governance from the state to local communities. One of the primary functions of school governing bodies (SGBs) is to manage school finances. It is imperative for SGBs to design and implement irrefutable finance policies that clearly and unambiguously spell out specific structures and processes by applying relevant legislation and regulations enforced by the Ministry of Education. Using a generic qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm, this paper accentuates the oversight functions of SGBs to manage budgets effectively and efficiently. This research was grounded in a social constructivist paradigm and data were collected by way of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings revealed that many SGBs place very little importance on the oversight functions of budgets which usually result in the mismanagement of school funds. This is reflected in poor finance policy formulation and implementation, and the absence of operational mechanisms (e.g. budget variance analysis) to curb wasteful and fruitless expenditure. Furthermore, challenges associated with the non-compliance of a finance policy and the failure of SGBs to take timely corrective action exasperate the problems of poor financial management
The Impact of a one-day adventure-based experiential lernaing programme on the communication competence of adult learners at a business school
Get PDFIn today’s dynamic business environment, every avenue that can contribute to fostering business performance has to be embraced. Interest in the contribution of communication to organisational effectiveness and performance has increased considerably in the last few decades. Despite positive claims made by advocates of adventure-based experiential learning programmes (AEL), the expansion of AEL into business schools and the corporate world necessitates ongoing empirical investigations. The aim of the study was to determine the developmental impact of a one-day programme on the communication competence of adult learners at a business school. The Communicative Adaptability Scale was administered as pre- and post-test measurement to adult learners with a permanent work appointment who enrolled for a qualification in management leadership in a business school at a university in South Africa. The overall post-test scores of the experimental group (n=140) were significantly higher (p=0.0001) than the post-test scores of the control group (n=126). The post-test scores of five dimensions differed significantly (p<0.05) from the post-test scores of the control group. The findings indicate the potential efficacy of an AEL course for the development of communication competence in adult learners. Ongoing research directed at principles underlying the application of particular methodologies and other programmatic factors to maximise efficacy in reaching the desired outcomes of the interventions, are required
Have we lost touch with the Prophet Amos\u27s warning? Church leaders and blood money rituals among youths in Nigeria
Get PDFThis article reviews the literature on how religious leaders in Nigeria have become complacent and conspire in thecorrupt activities of members of their congregations. Church leaders, who are meant to be guardians of ethics and morality, have lost it and are now dining with and covering people of dubious character. Some of these young people who engage in money rituals give money to these pastors, who accept it without inquiry. These young people are revered in the church and receive special prayers and honours. Others, who aspire to the same honours, seek ways to generate quick cash. This study investigates the role of church leaders in the growing ritual activities among Nigerian youths. It concludes by admonishing church leaders to emulate the life of Jesus, who was not afraid to speak the truth to the people whomhe was shepherding.
Adaptive translation of medieval morality plays for contemporary African audiences: A case study of the morality play Everyman in Sesotho
Get PDFMorality plays such as Everyman were first produced in England during the latter half of the 15th century. Their fictional nature, however, clothed moral truths in line with Catholic doctrines. The main aim of these plays was to teach audiences lessons in Christian living and salvation. Although these plays initially have a Catholic background, this does not exclude them from providing valuable lessons in Christian teaching to Protestant believers of the 21st century. The major problem with these plays is their interpretation of theological concepts such as “saints”, “Adonia”, and “priests”, making it difficult for Protestant believers, the Sesotho audience, in this case, to understand Everyman translated in Sesotho and written from a Catholic perception of such concepts. This article seeks to address the most important question: How can a better translation of the morality play Everyman be offered to Sesotho-speaking Protestant believers? The answer to this question is that an adaptative translation of the morality play Everyman into Sesotho better addresses the needs of these Protestant believers. In addition, this kind of translation should also be performative. The study uses the research methodologies of translation adaptation, performance criticism, and the functionalist skopos theory within the broader theoretical framework of a complexity approach to translation
African Women Agency gender Based Violence and the law in colonial Harare 1930s to 1950s
Get PDFAfrican historiography has largely silenced the domestic agency of African women. Studies have shown that urban spaces, particularly in colonial Zimbabwe in the 1940s and 1950s, became centres for high mixed-culture population growth. In addition to local rural urban migration, regional migration from Malawi and Zambia contributed to the population. Growth of manufacturing and the service industry stimulated by the Second World War opened opportunities for several economic activities, thus creating opportunities for women’s empowerment. African women demonstrated agency in their multiple identities as economic players: as informal traders, formal employees, wives and part-time lovers. Due to housing restrictions allotted only to men and later married persons, some women entered into marriages of convenience so called Mapoto marriages; others became entrepreneurs in the local beer brewery, Skokiaan; while others engaged in informal trade and commercial sex work. Amidst all these shifts and turns and processes of urbanisation, gender-based violence found a breeding ground. As will be shown, women were not passive victims of gender-based violence. African women used the colonial justice system to challenge patriarchal male entitlement exposed in sexual and physical violence. Admittedly, that very legal system also identified them as legal minors who were represented by male figures. In spite of these limitations, women redefined their own identity and negotiated their survival in urban spaces. This paper uses largely court records to explore African women’s agency in the face of structural constraints in the colonial urban spaces and within the households. The findings are significant in amplifying the voice of women, who have largely been considered as victims
“Our Experiment”: Nkrumah’s Ghana in British Diplomatic Correspondence
Get PDFGhana’s independence in 1957 was a milestone for African decolonisation, as well as for the winding up of the British Empire. While the years of Kwame Nkrumah’s government, as well as Britain’s decolonisation, have each been widely discussed, the perspective of bilateral post-colonial relations between Ghana and Britain has so far been underemphasised in literature. In this article, these relations are observed mostly from the perspective of British diplomats and civil servants who interacted with Ghana in the first years after independence between 1957 and 1966. The relationship is analysed through four most significant dimensions in the bilateral relations: Britain’s disagreement with Ghana on internal policies and international standpoints in the light of its Commonwealth membership; the economic level and the backlash to the 1961 budget, which was shaped by a British economist; the military assistance provided by Britain to Ghana, as a significant area of British influence; and the quarrel about Britain’s policies in Southern Africa, which in the course of the Rhodesia crisis led to the severing of diplomatic relations. As Ghana’s first President cracked down against internal opponents and stepped up the support for anticolonial movements and armed groups throughout the continent, Britain’s idea that Ghana might act as a role model for post-colonial relations and nation-building in Africa, as well as Ghana’s expectations for more British support, were equally disappointed
The impact of the duration of the marriage in forfeiture of patrimonial benefits: PP v PJ [2020] ZAGPJHC 281 (2 November 2020)
Get PDFWhen deliberating whether to issue a forfeiture order for patrimonial benefits, section 9 of the Divorce Act 70 of 1979 mandates the court to take into account the marriage’s duration, the reasons behind the marriage’s breakdown, and any significant misconduct. These factors aid the court in determining if any financial benefits granted to a party are unwarranted. The presence of any of these factors might provide grounds for justifying a forfeiture order. This analysis examines how the duration of a marriage impacts a court’s decision regarding forfeiture, as well as how the duration of the marriage affects the extent of the forfeiture, as explored in the case of PP v JP [2020] ZAGPJHC 281 (2 November 2020). It illustrates that while forfeiture provisions retain a residual influence from the fault-based divorce system, the duration of the marriage remains distinctively impartial to fault
Exploring multimodal approaches for writing centres in remote and in-person configurations
Get PDFWriting centres have had to adapt to many challenges, including the move to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. In South Africa this move was complexified by differential access to digital environments and contextual issues such as lack of electricity and rolling blackouts. Writing centres also need to consider the increasing massification of higher education and ways of harnessing diverse resources to enrich communication. This paper explores writing centre approaches to research and pedagogy within a social justice agenda, including combining an academic literacies approach with a multimodal social semiotic approach. It also investigates innovative approaches to teaching writing in diverse and multilingual contexts, including expanding the repertoire of resources used in writing consultations. It argues that the explicit utilisation of a range of modes can enhance writing production and enable writers to actively explore different modes for constructing meaning. The paper reflects on developing inclusive multimodal writing centre materials. It then explores the changing function of modes in online and face-to-face consultations (postpandemic lockdowns), including talk as mode, silence as mode, visual modes, and the use of time. The aim is to interrogate our academic practices concerning the diverse languages and various forms of communication that students possess, whether in virtual or physical learning environments
Perspectives on dialogue and care in teaching, learning relationships in an ever-changing online higher education landscape
Get PDFThis article explores whether pedagogies of dialogue and care are evidenced in how lecturers engage online with their students in teaching and learning on Learning Management Systems (LMSes). Many lecturers in the online higher education landscape predominantly come from affluent educational habitus, whereas many students come from working-class backgrounds. Many students struggle with internet connectivity, the cost of mobile data, as well as software and hardware issues that prevent them from accessing quality tertiary education. The South African education and training system is unevenly distributed and has too many barriers to growth for many working-class students from an online learning perspective. All online higher education institutions are responsible for creating teaching and learning outcomes that are achievable for students, as well as empowering them to take part in their own learning, which ought to speak to how these institutions create dialogue and care for students. Moreover, a student’s full potential as a person must also be developed when setting the content and standards on LMS platforms like Blackboard. A pedagogy of care as a holistic pedagogy emphasises the relationship between the lecturer and the student (social consciousness). An interpretivist paradigm was employed in this study. Identified outcomes for the use of LMSes exploring staff’s engagement with students through Blackboard were employed in a recent academic article based on a project done by the University of the Free State’s Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). From this quantitative document, an analysis was made by the researcher to sustain the following three broad themes. These include lending support to students participating in online teaching and learning, supporting students in building relationships on online teaching and learning platforms and the challenges faced by lecturers in caring for students in online teaching and learning. The most obvious finding to emerge from this study is that social class plays an active role in the decision-making in the online teaching and learning process, as lecturers are the unwitting tools of the ruling class. This is foregrounded in whether pedagogies of dialogue and care are evidenced in how lecturers engage online with students on LMS platforms such as Blackboard. Important observations are noted and can be summarised as follows: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), if managed byonline and higher education spaces, could potentially be a landscape where the nature of the relationshipbetween lecturer and student is neither docile nor self-gratifying. Instead, such a relationship has thepotential to be transformative because teaching and learning should empower working-class students tobecome successful graduates