The effect of artificial intelligence as a peer-to- peer support tool on engagement, grades and pass rates peer-to-peer

The study examines artificial intelligence’s (AI) role in peer-topeer learning and its impact on student engagement, academic performance, and pass rates. The research provided insights into how AI influences student engagement and grades through a mixed-methods approach. The research methodology adopted an interpretivist approach that includes aspects of positivism. The design employs induction using qualitative and quantitative methods. The case study operates at a longitudinal time range to study temporal performance developments. The primary data collection uses analysis of external data. The findings indicate a slight improvement in grades (3-5%), lacking statistical significance (p > 0.05) and a significant level of engagement (95%). This statistic raises questions about the relationship between increased engagement and tangible academic outcomes. Students show enhanced engagement through AI-driven personalised learning pathways and continuous feedback systems. Through predictive AI systems, institutions can immediately identify students facing performance-related challenges. AI peer-to-peer support must become accessible to every student without restricting it to only at-risk students. AI application policies in universities must follow mechanisms that allow adjustment for various student peerlearning environments. Partnership with AI developers remains crucial to integrate technology momentum with teaching targets. All AI peer-support policies need to include ethical criteria to maintain responsible deployment. The results suggest that while AI platforms can complement traditional peer support services, further research is necessary to understand their long-term effects on academic performance and retention. Bottom of For

Re-bordering education: Embracing resilience in addressing refugee students’ precarity in South African higher education amidst global crises

Research into refugee studies is vital because this group grapples with their identity in society and their experiences as they strive to overcome the challenges they encounter in higher education. This paper is based on a combination of existing literature and empirical evidence from a PhD thesis, where data was collected through unstructured interviews with refugee students that provided in-depth narratives. It focuses on how refugee experiences of improving their qualifications through universities in their host countries became a crisis due to inadequate institutional support mechanisms that replicated the harsh experiences they faced in broader society. The paper highlights that despite some dire refugee experiences, these formed an important foundation for their resilience. The paper’s key findings point to the inadequate support mechanisms for refugees in universities and how this reflects the broader societal support limitations. Instead of categorising the refugees as victims, the paper points to their experiences as essential in shaping their resilience. This paper concludes that the holistic experiences of the refugees throughout the migration trail, from planning to leave their country to their experience of the education system and broader society in the host country, ought to be viewed as an integral part of forming their resilience

Advocacy planning in South Africa and its role in contributing to sustainable development/endeavours

This commentary briefly examines the literature on legislation and policies that impacted the town and regional planning discipline in South Africa, both before and after the transition to democracy. It explores what the discipline seeks to achieve in terms of living environments for both urban and rural communities. It explains the role of advocacy planning in promoting greater public participation in policy formulation and planning systems. The commentary emphasises the role of planners in advocating for inclusive and context-sensitive planning within communities, living environments, and working environments. It emphasises that the understanding of advocacy planning from a South African context and to a certain extent practising it, empowers communities to understand the benefits of planning and policy that influence their living environments

Perceived influence of urban green infrastructure on quality of life in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

Quality of life (QoL) in urban areas is closely linked to the availability and quality of green infrastructure (GI), which provides essential ecosystem services that enhance well-being. As cities worldwide strive for environmental sustainability, urban green infrastructure (UGI) has become a key strategy for mitigating environmental degradation and improving urban liveability. While research has established the benefits of UGI in both developed and developing contexts, hardly anything is known about how residents’ perceptions of UGI quality influence their QoL, particularly in developing nations, including Nigeria. This study investigates how Lagos residents perceive the quality of existing UGI and its impact on their QoL. A survey of 1,560 residents, selected through multi-stage sampling, reveals that respondents generally view the current available UGI as insufficient relative to their expectations. Specifically, the inadequacy of well-maintained green spaces, limited leisure areas, and poorly equipped parks contribute to this negative perception. Findings from descriptive statistics and regression analysis highlight that well-equipped green spaces, urban parks, and relaxation areas are key determinants of QoL. This emphasises the need for targeted improvements in UGI to enhance urban living conditions not only in Lagos, but also in other developing cities facing similar challenges

Instructional leadership: Principals’ roles in supporting continuous professional teacher development

Principals play an integral role in enhancing the skills and professional development of their teaching staff when they provide constructive feedback to enhance the reflexive capabilities of teachers as determined by teacher education policy (MRTEQ, 2015) and can be the driving force behind their pursuit to provide quality education, as stipulated in Goal 4 of the UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNESCO, 2015). This article explores the roles of school principals as instructional leaders in supporting continuous professional teachers’ development (CPTD). The study followed a qualitative research approach, using case studies which involved two schools in the Metropole Central Education District in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers from each school. The finding suggests that CPTD plays a significant role in identifying the necessary gaps in pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and how to manage a class to mitigate disruptive behaviour successfully. The data further highlights how the two principals prioritise CPTD at their schools by being directly or indirectly involved in the CPTD sessions of the staff. The data indicated that teachers want to develop professionally and expect principals to provide them with the freedom to evaluate their performance and identify where they need to grow. To serve the needs of the teachers and continually capacitate teachers, principals and the leadership (SMT) identified appropriate CPTD programmes that will improve teaching and learning, boost intellectual confidence, and eventually enhance learner achievement

Lessons from the birth of the Afrikaner and their urbanisation

World history has been shaped by two significant powers, namely nationalism and imperialism. Nationalism reflects the desire of peoples to protect their own culture and forms of society. A people (nation) is not the sum of individuals, but the sum of families, clans and tribes. Imperialism is about a policy or ideology of expanding a nation\u27s power over foreign countries, often through military force or by gaining political and economic control over other areas. The power can also be exercised by large companies such as the Dutch East India Company (VOC) which operated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They were the first large business to do business internationally and were larger than any current company such as Google or Tesla or Apple. It was independent of the Dutch government and had a navy that once surpassed that of England. Against this background, the emergence of the Afrikaner people and the striving to live freely in their own territory can be better understood. This commentary presents the birth of a people (nation) and their journey from rural farmers to urban dwellers in the twentieth century. Despite facing significant challenges, including poverty, lack of education, struggles with different governments - as people they survived irrespective of the pressure from imperialist powers

Primary causes of the condition of public sector fixed infrastructure in South Africa

This fourth article in a series being published in this Journal on the condition of South Africa’s public sector fixed infrastructure describes what it identifies as the primary causes of this condition. The first two articles dealt with efforts to monitor the condition, and with studies of the condition and their findings. The third discussed some consequences of that condition. For this article, qualitative research methods were employed, primarily through the application of desktop research and data analysis of grey literature. The findings on the primary causes of infrastructure condition of ten sets of documents dating back to 2006 were reviewed to identify the commonly cited causes of failure (among them, skills shortages, budget constraints, weak systems, poor data, and poor governance) and to understand if there could be underlying factors common to multiple elements on this list of usual suspects. In its findings, the review suggests that factors of leadership and institutional capacity, socio-economic context, and culture underlie the commonly cited causes – that is, the commonly cited causes are profoundly shaped by these underlying factors

The Rights/Interests Distinction: New Lessons from SACCAWU v Phala (JA136/23) [2024] ZALAC 62 (27 November 2024)

This case discussion examines the significance and application of the distinction between rights disputes and interests disputes in labour law, using the recent ruling in SACCAWU v Phala (JA136/23) [2024] ZALAC 62 (27 November 2024) (Woolworths case) as a focal point. The study traces how this fundamental dichotomy has shaped labour relations development from the Industrial Court era to the current Labour Relations Act framework. It demonstrates how the Woolworths case exemplifies this distinction’s continuing utility and growing complexity. The case originated from Woolworths’ strategic shift from full-time to flexi-time employment, leading to disputed retrenchments and ultimately a Constitutional Court ruling of unfair dismissal. The subsequent Labour Appeal Court judgment mainly illuminates how modern workplace disputes often resist simple categorisation as either rights or interests disputes. The analysis reveals that while the Labour Relations Act does not explicitly codify the distinction, it effectively operationalises it through its regulatory framework and dispute-resolution mechanisms. The research concludes that this distinction remains valuable for determining appropriate dispute resolution methods but requires increasingly nuanced application in contemporary contexts. It furthermore recommends more explicit legislative guidance with a view on addressing hybrid disputes and suggests developing specialised mechanisms for cases that contain elements of both rights and interests disputes

The Importance of Ethical and Responsible AI Training in Law Schools to Avoid Career-Ending Pitfalls for Aspiring Attorneys

Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Generative AI (GAI), is transforming industries, including the legal profession. While AI enhances legal research and document automation, its unverified use presents serious ethical and professional risks, as seen in recent South African court cases. The case of Mavundla v MEC: Department of Co-Operative Government and Traditional Affairs KwaZulu-Natal and Others highlights the dangers of relying on AI-generated legal research without verification, reinforcing the duty of legal practitioners to ensure the accuracy and integrity of their work. This note argues that these ethical and professional responsibilities extend to law students as future legal practitioners and must be embedded in legal education. However, many educational institutions lack clear policies on AI use, leaving students uncertain about responsible engagement with these technologies. Rather than restricting AI use, law schools must integrate AI literacy into curricula, equipping students with the skills to critically evaluate AI-generated content and uphold ethical standards. By cultivating responsible AI engagement, legal education can ensure that future legal professionals navigate an increasingly AI-driven legal profession with competence and integrity

Internal displacement and education: Overcoming barriers for learners in Kenya’s Northern Rift Valley

Many countries face the problem of refugees and internal displacement. Internal displacement is not new to Kenya and is a recurring problem that impacts displaced children’s education. One factor affecting displacement is banditry, stemming from community fights over resources. This paper uses theoretical and conceptual arguments to explore the causes and effects of internal displacement on learning, focusing on banditry and how they can be mitigated. Fraser’s social justice theory has been used to frame this discussion. Three questions guided this inquiry: What causes internal displacement in the Northern Rift Valley of Kenya? What challenges do internally displaced learners in Northern Rift Valley face? What strategies can be used to mitigate the challenges internally displaced learners face? The paper argues for a social justice framework to address and alleviate internally displaced persons’ challenges in the North Rift Valley of Kenya