Research in Social Sciences and Technology
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Equipping Civil Technology Teachers with Hands-On Skills and Educational Resources for Effective Teaching of Practical Lessons
Full text linkContinuous professional development for teachers will always be prioritized, especially in cases where there are obvious and conspicuous gaps in their subject-matter expertise and when they handle practical skills exercises with inadequate planning and delivery. Hence, this study explores the effects of equipping Civil Technology teachers with hands-on skills and provision of educational resources for effective teaching of practical lessons. This study purposefully sampled nine (09) Civil Technology teachers from Ekurhuleni East, Gauteng province of South Africa. This study was hinged on Stronge’s qualities of effective teachers as its framework. This study adapted a mixed method design where closed-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were considered relevant data collection instrument and sources. A sequential explanatory design was used to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal that even though teachers get continuous hands-on skills training from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) annually, the trainings are often too generic and do not adequately boost teachers with confidence to teach specific skills (i.e., construction and plumbing) to learners. As a result, Civil Technology teachers could not actualize their continuous professional development training as an element of learning to become innovative skills teachers. The survey found that while certain Ekurhuleni East schools have instructional tools, some of the teachers were not trained to use them, which made it difficult to effectively teach practical lessons in Civil Technology. Therefore, this study recommended that the Gauteng Department of Education should focus on discipline specific instructional strategies that will promote innovation in skills-based activities in Civil Technology. 
Profiling Accounting Teachers’ Readiness for Online Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Eastern Cape in South Africa: Who Was Ready?
Full text linkRegardless of the preparation of teachers, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing social distancing measures forced educational institutions worldwide to convert quickly to online teaching and learning. COVID-19 has disrupted educational processes globally. The relevance of researching COVID-19's effects on the educational system has increased to discover a logical solution to this problem. This study assumes that a unit-level analysis can provide some insight, despite the pandemic's extensive consequences. Thus, during the Covid-19 outbreak in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this study examined the preparation of accounting teachers for online learning. In a case study research design, a qualitative approach, a ten accounting teachers’ sample that was appropriate and intentional, was used. According to the survey, accounting learners are not aware of the potential applications of online learning in the classroom. The fact that schools do not promote online learning was another conclusion. The experts advise school administrators to schedule regular lectures online so that learners can learn. Redesigning classrooms is necessary to facilitate online learning. 
Black African Postgraduate Students' Authorial Voice in Scholarship
Full text linkIn this theoretical paper we explore the authorial voice of black African postgraduate students in their writing and scholarship experience. This includes investigating the undergirding factors that need to be interrogated when it comes to the student–supervisor relationship. Some (if not most) black African postgraduate students experience challenges in respect of expressing or formulating that all-important authorial voice in their studies, possibly due to a failure to convey ideas, thoughts and arguments systematically. In addition, cultural identity and academic requirements may be hindrances, making it more difficult for them to write successfully, and to engage appropriately in their postgraduate research journeys. In the process of postgraduate students unearthing their authorial voice, a qualitative approach was adopted in this desktop study. In terms of the theoretical framework, the critical pedagogy of Freire was used to examine this phenomenon. Freire’s theory underscores the fact that supervisors cannot simply see themselves imposing their views on those who are less knowledgeable about authorial voice. The findings of this work lean towards highlighting that the student, to a large degree, are to be blamed for this oversight, because without giving students any agency in the supervision journey, supervisors tend to reproduce their experience.  
The Content Analysis of the Lesson Plans Created by ChatGPT and Google Gemini
Full text linkFollowing the emergence of chatbots, especially ChatGPT, researchers have begun to examine their capabilities, credibility, and reliability in educational context. In this study, ChatGPT and Google Gemini are used as technological tools to create 7th-grade lesson plans for mathematics, science, literature, and social studies classes. Using prompts, these chatbots were asked to create lesson plans for the desired course, subject, and level. The data source of this study is the content produced by these chatbots. We analyzed 18 lesson plans to identify patterns and variations within the context of learning theories and models by using the Taguette qualitative analysis program. The results show that the lesson plans created by both chatbots are strongly resemblance to human-written educational content such as sentence structures, lesson activities, and assessments. Although the activities in all lesson plans defined teachers as facilitators and offered partially constructive lesson plans, it was found that the technology-integrated activities were very limited. The findings of this study provide a practical implication of chatbots for teachers and highlights educational considerations when integrating these tools into lessons.  
Understanding the Difference Between Autism and the Autistic Spectrum: A Focus on the South African Context
Full text linkAutism is a group of severe developmental disorders with impairments beginning before 30 months of age and characterized by a qualitative disturbance of social development and of language for communication, a stereotyped behaviour, and a lack of a broad set of interests. The expression of autism varies from one individual to the next. It is a communicative disorder and is not due to poor reception. The researchers drew their literature from reputable journal articles, book chapters from established publishers, and informal community conversations amid the researchers’ experiential intuition. Currently, South African children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) lack government support structures and rely primarily on families for assistance with education and therapy. An additional challenge is that in some South African black communities, autism is not recognized as a disorder. A study exploring differences in the nature, application, experience, and examination of social awareness and understanding of selected educators about new terminology in their environment found that local black teachers had less exposure to autism knowledge, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in their communities, and little understanding, awareness, or acceptance of this condition. This article underscores the crucial role of social service professionals, such as psychologists, registered counsellors, social workers, etc, in these communities. Their presence and active involvement provide hope in these challenging times. It recommends that they conduct psychotherapeutic education, which could involve awareness campaigns and counselling about psychotherapeutic education. Their role would be to provide support, guidance, and education to the community members, helping them to build their resilience to fight the coronavirus.  
The 4Rs Framework: Creating A Synergy to Support the Implementation of English Education for Sustainable Development in Rwanda
Full text linkRwanda started teaching English to support sustainable development and deliver the five key pillars that will help Rwandans transition from their existing way of life to the society they all desire and are happy to be a part of. As a follow-up to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development, the government ensured the standardisation and teaching of English. In order to assist the implementation of English teaching nationally, the theoretical paper explains how the 4Rs Framework—relationship-building, recognition, responsibilities, and reciprocity—combine to generate synergy among many stakeholders and cross-sectoral collaboration. The study presents literature on Rwanda's Vision 2050, education for sustainable development, and teaching using English as a medium of communication. It is founded on a critical literature review. The article discusses options for national transformation while emphasising the importance of locally rooted collaboration. The 4Rs technique is intended to foster discussion among important players about the issues and problems facing the area of education in emergencies rather than serving as a rigid theoretical framework. The study shows the connections between and tensions among the various "Rs," as well as the efficiency of the 4R dimensions in encouraging the teaching of English. The study considered ways to get beyond the approach's drawbacks and difficulties to support sustainable schooling in Rwanda. This framework encourages the creation of a synergistic educational ecosystem that equips students with the information, skills, and attitudes required to actively participate in Rwanda's path to sustainable development
Teachers’ Experiences on the Implementation of COVID-19 Protocols Amidst the Pandemic in Mmashadi Circuit of the Sekhukhune District
Full text linkThe global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic extended to the education sector in South Africa, prompting the implementation of preventative measures by the National Coronavirus Command Council. These COVID-19 protocols included the wearing of face masks or face shields, ensuring maximum ventilation, washing of hands, and school attendance routines to deal with overcrowded classrooms, among others. This study aimed to delve into the implementation of COVID-19 protocols in schools, focusing on the strategies utilised and the challenges teachers encountered. Employing a qualitative research methodology within a case study framework, the study involved eight teachers (five male and three female) from four schools in the Sekhukhune District, selected through purposive sampling. Data were elicited through semi-structured interviews to gain a thorough understanding of the phenomenon and coded for anonymity purposes. Aligned with the goal of the study, thematic data analysis was adopted for analysing the data. The findings revealed that teachers faced significant challenges in balancing their responsibilities in implementing COVID-19 protocols alongside making up for lost teaching time. However, alternative strategies were employed by teachers to mitigate this loss including the deployment of assistant teachers to support protocol and assist students with homework, additional security personnel to help guard and control unnecessary school visits, and for teachers to provide supplementary notes and embark on online learning. Recommendations include the increased deployment of support personnel, increased community involvement, training teachers to use online learning platforms, and for the Department of Basic Education to develop a guidance sheet to assist teachers in navigating the challenges of teaching during a pandemic
Utilising Tshivenḓa Scientific Language Register for Teaching Electric Circuits
Full text linkTeaching physical sciences in English as the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT) has presented numerous challenges, particularly for learners who are not proficient in the language. The South African government is increasingly considering the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction for subjects such as physical sciences, sparking debates regarding the effectiveness of indigenous languages in teaching and learning. This study aimed to explore stakeholders' perceptions regarding the use of Tshivenḓa scientific language for the concept of electricity. Utilizing qualitative interpretative case study methodology, the researcher conducted interviews with two grade 10 teachers, three parents, and two groups of grade 10 learners from selected schools to investigate their views on using Tshivenḓa scientific language register to teach physical sciences. The findings indicate that stakeholders view the adoption of scientific language registers in Tshivenḓa as a positive initiative. They believe it will provide learners who struggle to understand physical sciences when taught in English with an opportunity to learn effectively in a language they are familiar with. Therefore, the study recommends expanding the development of scientific registers in Tshivenḓa to cover other topics in physical sciences
The impact of school closures on learners’ mental health in the context of COVID-19 in the City of Cape Town
Full text linkThis paper explores the negative impact of the shutdown of contact-based learning on learners’ mental health as a result of COVID-19 and provides recommendations to promote learners’ mental health during and post COVID-19. A qualitative research method was used to guide the collection and analysis of the data. Data was collected from a sample of 20 learners from Cape Town and analysed through thematic analysis. The study findings revealed that with the shutdown of contact-based learning as one of the COVID-19 containment measures by the government learners experienced social anxiety disorder and sleeping disorder. Youth policymakers need to design interventions that promote mental health in after-school programmes implemented by qualified youth workers and social workers. Youth workers should take the courses of action in a non-formal education to promote youth mental health
Effects of Digital Story-telling on Motivation, Critical Thinking, and Academic Achievement in Secondary School English Learners
Full text linkWhile examining the findings, this study concentrated on academic success, critical thinking, and motivation. for demonstration. Secondary school students studying English are involved in digital story-telling research. A quasi-experimental approach was employed in the research with 48 11th grade students who took pretests and posttests. Teaching as DST in the experimental group and teaching as teaching in the control group were the two degrees of CT-integrated instruction that were used. Gather both quantitative and qualitative information, such as responses to academic questions and the outcomes of tests of English language and cognitive skills. Through the addition of unique cultural narratives with a Palestine focus, the work advances the DST tradition. This program sheds information on how learning outcomes for students are impacted by daylight saving time. Because ANCOVA yields effective and objective results, it was utilized in the data analysis process.