Research in Social Sciences and Technology
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Factors Influencing Intention and Behaviour of Agricultural Extension Staff Concerting Post-Covid-19 Digital Technical Guidance: A Study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Full text linkAgriculture extension staffs are encouraged to attempt more efficient methods to enhance their competency through digital webinars or technical guidance, in Bahasa Bimbingan Teknis (Bimtek) programs. The research aims to explore factors influencing the intention and behavior of agricultural extension staff towards the Technical guidance online Ministry of Agriculture in Special Region Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This research included the Behavior Intention (BI) and Use Behavior (UB) models with significant construct. The research used the quantitative method and analyzed PLS-SEM. One hundred eighty extension staffs participated, chiefly 34-42 years old. All of the indicators passed the outer model assessment. The analysis results conclude that significant effects are Attitude to BI, Control Behavior to BI, Perceived Usefulness to BI, and Behavior Intention to UB. The perception of extension staffs about Technical guidance online can enhance their performance to continue using it in obtaining agricultural technology information, extension materials, information on agricultural policies, and the latest agricultural development programs. The insignificant constructs are Subjective Norm, Motivation, and Perceived Ease to Use. The validated research model explains 61% of the variance (R2 = 0.61) in Attitude, Perceived Usefulness, and Control Behaviour towards Behavior Intention (BI). Moreover, BI explains 8.9% of the variance (R2 = 0.089) in UB of Technical guidance online. This research found that BI and UB have Q2 values of 0.538 and 0.077. The practical implication could be applied as preliminary development planning studies to enhance the efficiency of Technical guidance online as Bank Data.  
Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement: Voices of Role-Players in Secondary Schools in Mpumalanga, South Africa
Full text linkParents are broadly acknowledged to be essential partners in the schooling process of their children, with parental involvement being linked to positive impact on academic achievement. Regrettably, poor parental involvement remains significate and an unfortunate challenge in South African schools, as well as a contributing factor to high failure rates in schools. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between parental involvement and the academic achievements of learners in secondary schools in the Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, using Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence as a theoretical lens. A qualitative research design underpinned by the interpretive paradigm was employed, using a sample of two secondary schools with a purposive sample of principals, teachers and parents. Data for the study was obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted with the principals and through focus group discussions conducted with teachers and parents, respectively. The data was gathered through thematic analysis approach. The findings obtained reveal that parental involvement improves discipline and learner achievement. However, various factors hindered parent involvement, such as the lack of confidence in providing assistance to children with homework, conflicts in home–school scheduling, ineffective communication, and reluctance to attend parent meetings and to serve on governance structures. The study recommends that both teachers and parents should establish good home–school relationships, teacher training for parent involvement should be organised, with schools developing a parent involvement programme, so that a viable collaborative partnership can be established between school and home. 
Exploring Accounting Teachers’ Effective Implementation of Assessment for Learning in the Classroom
Full text linkIn this empirical paper, we discuss the factors impacting Accounting teachers’ effective implementation of assessment for learning (AfL) in the classroom and the action on the possible solutions in dealing with the impeding factors. AfL is considered a critical requirement for Accounting teachers and, if implemented effectively, improves the quality of learning. However, factors such as deficient subject and pedagogical content knowledge, inadequate assessment literacy and a lack of effective feedback have a significant impact on the effective implementation of AfL. Critical pedagogy framed the study theoretically and interrogated the factors impacting Accounting teachers in implementing AfL in the classroom and created an environment wherein teachers may share best practices relating to the administration of tasks. The qualitative research approach was utilised as a methodology, and Participatory Action Research was used as a research design. Thematic analysis was used to classify, analyse and interpret the data to get in-depth knowledge from the participants, who had to be in possession of a professional teaching qualification in Accounting and actively taught the subject in school for the past five years. The study findings indicate a need to develop and support teachers in implementing AfL to provide opportunities to identify learning gaps and devise scaffolding strategies to assist learners. Accounting teachers were equipped with the knowledge and skills to construct quality AfL tasks to assist the learners in acquiring the necessary expertise, skills and values in the subject
Sustainable Lessons Learnt from the Attitudes of Language Instructors toward Computer-Assisted Language Teaching
Full text linkTechnology has significantly influenced the educational field, including language teaching. However, some language instructors hold negative attitudes toward technology, particularly computer-assisted language teaching (CALT), which may affect the advancement of language teaching. This study examines the attitudes of language instructors toward CALT in some South African public universities and identifies sustainable lessons that could promote the use of CALT. The study employed a quantitative research approach using content analysis and surveys to comprehensively investigate language instructors’ attitudes toward CALT. Surveys provided the required information about the attitudes of language instructors toward CALT, and content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and identify sustainable lessons from the attitudes of the language instructors toward CALT. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the survey results. The analysis revealed that some language instructors have negative attitudes toward CALT, suggesting that institutions require a fundamental approach to advance the use of CALT. Sustainable lessons learned from the attitudes of language instructors toward CALT are identified, and recommendations are made about how to implement effective CALT on a personal and institutional basis. This study highlights the importance of a positive attitude toward CALT and developing a fundamental approach to using CALT in language teaching. The sustainable lessons learned from this study could inform and advance language teaching practices that employ CALT, inform future research, and promote effective language teaching practices that use CALT
Eradicating a Culture of Public Mistrust in TVET College Education in South Africa: A Manifesto for the Sector’s Sustainability Ahead of 4IR
Full text linkThe consumption of technical and vocational education and training has increased exponentially over the past two decades. In terms of inclusion, it is without a doubt that today’s TVET sector is a far cry from what it was before the democratic government took over the baton from the apartheid government. TVET has become a refuge to many hopefuls from the historically disadvantaged sectors of society who, due to a range of apparent reasons, would ordinarily not have managed to partake in tertiary education. To many South African youth, TVET presents an avenue for the acquisition of a skill that will give them a fighting chance at escaping the harsh recurrence of poverty, economic inactivity and resource deprivation they are subjected to almost on a daily basis. However, beneath this silver lining lies a growing public disgruntlement over the TVET system’s ability to steadfastly deliver quality education and transform the lives of students, by instilling in them agency for self-regulated and collaborative innovation that will turn them into formidable and assertive role players in the knowledge societies, come the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). To understand the crux of public mistrust in TVET college education in South Africa, an extensive body of literature was reviewed. The findings of the paper point to strategic factors (which in the main are attributed to a lack of effective leadership and managerial skills) and contextual factors that occur at a campus level, as major causes of public mistrust in TVET education. The paper concludes by tabling a manifesto for changing the status quo ahead of the advent of 4IR
An Investigation on Factors Affecting the Teaching of Practical Assessment Tasks in the Senior Phase Technology Classrooms
Full text linkThis paper investigated factors affecting the teaching of practical assessment tasks in the Senior Phase Technology classroom at Ehlanzeni District in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study follows the case study design. Three teachers were purposively sampled from three different schools based on their experience in teaching Technology in the Senior Phase. This paper is grounded on the Cognitive Apprenticeship theory. Qualitative data were collected using interviews. The data was analysed thematically. The emerging themes from the study were teachers’ knowledge and skills, resources and class size as contributing factors affecting the execution of practical assessment tasks in the Senior Phase Technology classroom. The study findings have adverse effects on learners’ achievements in practical assessment tasks, especially in design process skills.  
Strategic Devises to Enhance Accounting Cash Journals Content Knowledge of Economic and Management Sciences Teachers
Full text linkThis paper investigated the strategic devices that can be used to enhance the accounting cash journals content knowledge (ACJCK) of Grade 9 economic and management sciences (EMS) teachers. The study was qualitative, with three participants selected from one rural school in the Thabo-Mofutsanyane education district. The interviews were used to gather information regarding the strategic devices that can be used to enhance the ACJCK of EMS teachers. The data were then analysed using thematic analysis. Finally, the study revealed the following findings: create professional learning communities to enhance cash journals content knowledge and ensuring collaborative lesson planning and preparation of cash journals. The findings suggest that collaborative team teaching must be used to accommodate novice teachers, and continuous training workshops and cluster workshops should also be used to increase teachers’ level of understanding to address the inherent cash journal content knowledge misconceptions.  
Experiences of the Geography Subject Advisors in the Implementation of Geographic Information Systems in KwaZulu-Natal Province
Full text linkThis paper explored the experiences of geography subject advisors (GSAs) in the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in South African schools. This was done to determine how they assist in the implementation of GIS. National senior certificate diagnostic reports for matric results indicate every year that learners are performing poorly in the GIS section of geography subject. The current literature shows that there is a lack of pedagogical content knowledge in geography teachers in the teaching and learning of GIS. Several scholars have written about learners and educators in the implementation of GIS in schools, but there is a lack of literature on GSAs’ experiences in the implementation of GIS in schools. This paper is underpinned by instructional leadership theory, which argues for leadership to focus their efforts on implementing of practices that positively impact students’ learning. Qualitative research approach, and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data to answer the research questions. Two GSAs from two selected districts were purposively chosen to participate in this study. The findings showed that GSAs organise workshops for educators. However, certain educators do not attend workshops and other workshops which are planned, do not materialise. GSAs rely on geography educators that are knowledgeable about GIS to assist in workshops by teaching others. GIS teaching in schools was aledged to be focused on a theoretical aspect without integrating the practical part. The study proposes that the DBE in collaboration with higher education institutions, should provide GIS teacher training opportunities for teachers.  
WhatsApp Messenger as a Supplementary Tool for School Curriculum Knowledge Transfer and Acquisition During COVID-19 Stricter Lockdown: Educators’ Perceptions
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic was unarguably one of the most disastrous events whose detriment to the normalcy of the education and training sectors will never be forgotten. To salvage the academic year, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) encouraged historically disadvantaged schools to explore rotational learning supplemented by mobile learning (with WhatsApp Messenger as schools’ most preferred application). However, in face of the concerns that were raised by the media, educational commentators, student bodies and teacher unions about the lack of public schools’ readiness for mobile learning, this social constructivist oriented qualitative study (which drew on 12 educators’ diverse and convergent views) adopted a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a lens to investigate educators’ perceptions of WhatsApp messenger as a supplementary mode of curriculum knowledge transfer and acquisition during COVID 19 stricter lockdown at three historically disadvantaged schools in South Africa. Participants generally deposited positive feedback regarding the benefit of using it WhatsApp messenger to engender curriculum knowledge transfer and acquisition. They however explicitly also detailed a few negative aspects of this pursuit, primarily on how for socio-economic related reasons, the process was not completely inclusive as some learners could not partake in it. Also, educators admitted that while going beyond the call of duty was necessary during the pandemic, WhatsApp mediated teaching consumed most of their leisure time. According to them, this was compounded by poor internet connectivity due to the country’s power crisis, which in some instances adversely affected the productivity of WhatsApp messenger mediated curriculum knowledge transfer and acquisition processes during COVID-19 stricter lockdown
Examining Demographics and Perceived ‘Sense of Community’ of Social Media-Based Professional Learning Communities
Full text linkSocial media has undoubtedly shifted the landscape of educator professional development in the 21st century. The establishment and development of identifiable professional learning communities (PLCs) like the #SSChat social studies community on Twitter enables educators to connect and collaborate with other professionals across the globe from their own mobile device. The purpose of this study was to determine the demographic features of the #SSChat members. Moreover, we sought to determine if there were any significant differences in #SSChat member’s perceived ‘Sense of Community’ (SOC) based on those demographics. No statistically significant findings were discovered. Still, the demographic data provide good discussions.