UFS Publications Platform (Univ. of the Free State)
Not a member yet
378 research outputs found
Sort by
Student teachers’ mentorship experiences during teaching practice: A comparison of mentor-student dynamics in rural and urban schools
Get PDFAll teacher training institutions in South Africa send their student teachers to schools for teaching practice as part of preparation for the teaching profession. Our concern is that while teaching practice programmes have been established across various universities, limited research explores student teachers\u27 perceptions of teaching practice and mentorship in general, especially in rural and urban schools. In this article, we explored student teachers\u27 comparative experiences and perceptions of working with mentors from both rural and urban schools during teaching practice. Within an interpretive paradigm, this study utilised qualitative approach involving 15 third-year Bachelor of Education students. The data were generated through the use of their reflective journals as well as group debriefing discussions. To analyse the data, we employed Fairclough\u27s Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings reveal that student teachers encountered different mentor teachers in both rural and urban schools, ranging from mentors who were willing to help them learn and develop knowledge about the teaching profession to those who were reluctant to work with them. The student teachers felt unsupported by rural mentors compared to their mentorship experiences with urban mentors, as rural mentors sometimes abandoned classes for them. There is a need for the induction of school-based mentors into university expectations of their roles to ensure that they effectively support student teachers during teaching practice
Impact of cooperative learning on teaching mensuration to senior secondary students
Get PDFScientific and technological developments rely strongly on mathematical skills. However, mensuration is a challenging topic in school mathematics, leading to poor performance by many students. Various factors are responsible for the unsatisfactory performance, including inappropriate teaching methods where students passively absorb knowledge transmitted through reading and explanations of textbook contents. Thus, this study examined how a cooperative learning method affected students\u27 performance in mensuration. A quasi-experimental research design was used in the study. The sample comprised two intact classes of 80 students assigned to experimental and control groups selected from one senior secondary school in Ogun State. Data were collected using an adopted standardised mensuration achievement test (MAT), which takes an analytical approach that includes problem-solving, geometric reasoning, formula application, and conceptual comprehension. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the mean score (M=11.18, SD=3.09) of students taught mensuration using the cooperative learning method and the mean score (M=7.66, SD=3.32) of students taught mensuration without using the learning method of teaching (t (78)=9.50, p=0.00). Also, the mean score varied statistically significantly (M=7.66, SD=2.63) of male students taught mensuration using the cooperative learning method and the mean score (M=8.73, SD=3.08) of female students taught mensuration without using the learning method of teaching (t (78) = 6.58, p=0.00). Therefore, cooperative learning in mathematics classrooms fosters students\u27 ability to create and achieve learning objectives
Wails Inside Arab Homes: Examining the lived experiences and exploitation of returnee Ugandan migrant domestic workers from Saudi Arabia
Get PDFThe study aimed to investigate the experiences and exploitation of Ugandan migrant domestic workers who returned from Saudi Arabia. The study followed a constructivist paradigm, an interpretive framework that focuses on individuals\u27 understanding of the world and their creation of unique meanings. A qualitative approach was utilised, specifically employing a phenomenological case study design. Data was gathered through unstructured interviews with twenty-eight (28) migrant domestic workers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings regarding the lived experiences and exploitation of returnee Ugandan migrant domestic workers were visualised through concept maps created using NVivo version 10.0. The study discovered that the returnee workers\u27 experiences were primarily related to their interactions with various individuals in their employers\u27 households, including dealing with abusive employers, inconsiderate children and relatives, and challenging working conditions. Other experiences involved working in an unfriendly environment, carrying out difficult tasks, facing heavy workloads, experiencing occupational health difficulties, enduring physical abuse, inadequate rest, food deprivation, sexual advances, and false allegations. Consequently, providing legal protection for domestic workers in Saudi Arabia is crucial. Although progress has been made in addressing legal gaps, particularly regarding weekly rest days, more work remains. This includes implementing or expanding minimum wages and aligning working hour restrictions with those applicable to other workers. It is therefore recommended that Uganda and Saudi Arabia revise labour export laws to ensure that the rights of migrant domestic workers are respected
Assessing the relationship between anxiety and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence tools among mathematics preservice teachers
Get PDFMany revelations have been made about the revolution that artificial intelligence (AI) has brought to the education sector, including the opening of opportunities for personalised instruction, boosting the quality of content developed by teachers while preparing for lessons, and improving the quality of classroom evaluations. Despite the many benefits of AI adoption, there have been concerns and apprehensions about its use in the educational sector. A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between AI anxiety and the adoption of artificial intelligence tools among mathematics preservice teachers who are university undergraduates studying mathematics education in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study sample consisted of 129 mathematics preservice teachers selected through purposive sampling. The AI anxiety scale and AI adoption scale were used for data collection after being tested for reliability. The data collected through the scales were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that the mathematics preservice teachers had a high level of AI anxiety and adopted AI at a moderate level. The study further showed that there is a significant weak relationship between mathematics preservice teachers\u27 AI-Anxiety and AI adoption. Also, there is no significant gender difference in mathematics preservice teachers\u27 AI anxiety and AI adoption. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that teacher education programs include AI and digital literacy in the curriculum to prepare students for the seamless integration of AI. Additionally, targeted interventions should be implemented to reduce the anxiety exhibited by preservice teachers
Self-efficacy and teaching quality of academic staff in public universities in Uganda
Get PDFThis study investigated the association between self-efficacy and teaching quality of academic staff in selected public universities in Uganda. Specifically, the study examined how academic staff\u27s personal sense of efficacy, behaviour management, instructional strategies, and motivational strategies efficacy influenced teaching quality in public universities. Employing the positivist research philosophy, the study used a quantitative approach through correlational research design. Randomly selected academic staff members provided data using a self-administered questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) results indicated that of the four teacher efficacy aspects, only personal sense of efficacy positively and significantly influenced teaching quality. However, the efficacy of behaviour management, instructional strategies, and motivational strategies had a positive but insignificant influence on teaching quality. It was concluded that the personal sense of efficacy of academic staff is essential in enhancing teaching quality. Nonetheless, the efficacy of behaviour management, instructional strategies, and motivational strategies of academic staff has made minimal contributions to teaching quality in universities. Therefore, university leaders should emphasise promoting the personal sense of efficacy of academic staff to enhance teaching quality more than instructional strategies and motivational strategies efficacy
Prime heritages of ethno-bureaucratic corruption in Africa: Ripped curtain sagas
Get PDFPresent-day literature has extensively discussed bureaucratic corruption from different perspectives. However, there is a scarcity of literature that explores the broader narratives of bureaucratic corruption driven by self-interest and ethnic agendas. This paper aims to examine the prevalence of high-level bureaucratic corruption in Africa, specifically highlighting the role of ethnicism as a significant development barrier that negatively impacts social equality and service provision. By analysing relevant literature and considering various viewpoints, this paper presents publicly available data from magazines, newspapers, scholarly books, journal articles, and reports to demonstrate the corrupt practices of "elites" who are characterised as "militarists," "autocrats," and pseudo-democrats. The evidence suggests that the persistence of high-level bureaucratic corruption is primarily attributed to the prevalence of "neo-patronage-clientelism" and power dynamics based on ethnic supremacy. Moreover, it illustrates how the distorted power structure dominated by ethnic interests serves the narrow political and military elite, enabling them to exploit the country\u27s resources within their inner circle. The paper argues that ethnic-bureaucratic corruption is equally prevalent and challenging, exacerbated by ethnic nostalgia. However, it concludes that bureaucratic corruption, coupled with ethnic divisions, has given rise to conflicts that pose a significant threat to the existence of African society. Therefore, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the current research and literature concerning concerns related to bureaucratic corruption
The role of feedback in the development of managers
Get PDFThe landscape in which modern organisations operate is rapidly changing and requires managerial agility. This necessitates a frequent review of how managers are developed. The aim of this article is to examine the role of workplace feedback in employee development. This will be achieved by developing a contemporary and comprehensive definition of feedback and specifying the elements of feedback that are associated with managerial development. Employing a qualitative, non-systematic literature review approach, journal articles and textbooks published after 2015, with feedback as their primary theme, were systematically selected and analysed for their content as well as the seminal works they referred to. The analysed literature suggests that feedback forms part of a dynamic communication and learning process. Development-driven feedback is information presented to recipients regarding their behaviour and/or performance in executing work tasks, as assessed by supervisors, subordinates, peers, coworkers, or the recipients themselves, with the intent to enhance work relationships and job performance. The elements central to structuring feedback were identified as purpose, content, source, frequency, timing, and delivery. These elements are customised to meet workplace performance requirements, also taking individual skill sets and personalised needs into account. A broad base of academic literature was captured and integrated to reach a comprehensive understanding of feedback as a development intervention. It was concluded that, although complex, literature on feedback can be consolidated to present both an inclusive definition of the concept and the elements associated with it
Chapter 18: Interleaved practice in classrooms
Get PDFChapter 18, titled "Interleaved Practice in Classrooms," provides a comprehensive guide on the implementation of interleaved practice within educational contexts. It delves into not only the practical applications but also the theoretical underpinnings, advantages, limitations, and illustrative examples across various subjects to contextualise the utilisation of interleaved practice. The chapter posits interleaved practice as an effective learning strategy that entails the integration of diverse topics or problem types within a singular study session, thereby enhancing retention and mastery. Furthermore, it underscores emerging trends that may influence the future of interleaved practice in 21st-century classrooms, including the utilisation of digital technology for the seamless integration of topics, gamification to increase student engagement, and personalised approaches to address individual learning needs. As educational practices evolve, interleaved practice emerges as a potent tool for optimising learning outcomes in contemporary educational settings
Chapter 14: Spaced practice in classrooms
Get PDFChapter 14, titled "Spaced Practice in Classrooms", also known as distributed practice, is an effective learning strategy that involves spreading out study sessions over time rather than cramming information in a single sitting. Psychological research has shown that students who engage in spaced practice tend to remember and retain information for the long term more effectively than those who cram. The chapter outlines the strategy and implementation of spaced practice in the classroom. Some of the key benefits associated with spaced practice include strong retrieval strength, reduced forgetfulness, enhanced learning efficiency, and improved long-term retention. The chapter also discusses some challenges associated with spaced practice, such as the potential for procrastination, lack of immediate gratification, and time constraints. Spaced learning tools are increasingly accessible to learners worldwide, featuring multilingual support and culturally relevant content
Towards a Quality Assurance Framework for Online Assessments for Business Education Subjects in the FET Phase
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a shift to online assessments for educational institutions worldwide and exacerbated challenges related to assessment implementation and processes. In South Africa, the quality of online assessments in schools remains a central concern, partly due to the lack of consensus on the criteria that establish such quality. The objective of this study is to establish a framework to create transparency and consistency when summative online assessments are applied in the FET band (Grades 10 to 12). The methodology employed consists of a preliminary meta-study of research related to online (summative) assessment, with a focus on quality assurance over a five-year period from 2018 to 2023, using one search engine.The main findings suggest that four dimensions are required to ensure quality assurance for online assessments: a policy dimension, which represents specific regulatory or statutory bodies to ensure quality assurance processes; presage factors, which are mainly concerned with infrastructure; the people involved (examination bodies, teachers, learners, and school management teams); and the processes applied to ensure continuous collection of information and monitoring of the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment process. The value of the proposed framework lies in the implementation of online assessments that are learner-centred, authentic, trustworthy, and reliable. Moreover, it supports quality assurance in the review and evaluation of online assessment procedures