Prospects of Implementing the Flipped Classroom Blended Learning Model among Lecturers in African Universities

The flipped classroom is an emergent digital pedagogy credited with virtuous and student-centric characteristics of increased learning. The purpose of this study was to discuss the implementation of the Flipped Classroom Blended Learning Model among lecturers in African Universities. The study employed a qualitative literature review, after reviewing 15 articles drawn from EBSCO host, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Findings reflected that: The flipped classroom model is virtuously unique, student-centric, facilitative, and interactive, employs active learning, and faces daunting implementation challenges in Afrocentric settings.  The paper calls for more training among lecturers in Afrocentric settings to raise lecturers' state of professional development. &nbsp

An Analysis of Staff Perceptions on Translanguaging in Teaching and Learning at One South African University

Translanguaging is increasingly recognized as an essential strategy to improve epistemic access in multilingual societies, including many developing societies. This view is especially spurred by scholarly results that have confirmed that all languages are essential resources for learning beyond the language of teaching and learning. Therefore, this study focused on the perceptions of academics at a South African University on translanguaging, as they are crucial in successfully implementing these strategies to improve learning. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, using semi-structured questionnaires to gather academic data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data, while the qualitative data was analysed thematically. The results show that most staff had positive perceptions of translanguaging and conceded that it positively affected student learning. However, a few noted that using other languages was an impediment since students do not understand all languages. The study recommends that universities provide academics with language learning opportunities, ensure that academics understand the official university language policies, and provide training on translanguaging to ensure that academics know translanguaging strategies that can be adopted in university learning spaces.   &nbsp

Enhancing School Administration in Rural South African Schools: Challenges and Opportunities-Using the Scooping Review Method

This scoping review investigates the deployment and operational challenges of the South African School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS) within rural secondary schools in the iLembe District. Aiming to understand the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in educational administration, this review analyses existing literature from 2008 to 2024 to map the effectiveness and obstacles encountered by SA-SAMS. Rural schools often need help adopting technological innovations due to inadequate ICT infrastructure, limited access to technology, and a deficit in training and support for educators and administrators. The review highlights that while SA-SAMS is designed to enhance administrative efficiency and improve data management, its implementation needs to be improved by these systemic issues, complicating its potential benefits. Furthermore, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the review identifies a need for targeted interventions, including enhanced training programmes, better ICT resource allocation, and infrastructure development. Overcoming these challenges could improve educational outcomes by enabling more efficient school management practices. This review contributes to the broader discourse on educational technology integration in rural settings, providing a foundation for policy recommendations and future research to optimise the use of SA-SAMS in improving school administration

Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching Education for Sustainable Development in the Technology Education Curriculum

This study investigates pedagogical strategies to teach sustainable development within the Technology curriculum in South African secondary schools, with an emphasis on the Senior Phase. Despite the global acknowledgment of sustainable development as a critical topic, its practical application in the South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is limited. This study seeks to fill this gap by studying the pedagogical tactics used by Technology teachers to build sustainability skills. Eight technology teachers from the Ehlanzeni region in Mpumalanga Province were carefully chosen to participate. Data was collected through observations and interviews, and analysed using content analysis. The findings show that while teachers are aware of sustainable development concepts, converting this understanding into successful classroom implementation presents substantial hurdles. The study identifies teacher collaboration as the primary instrument for incorporating sustainable development principles into the technology curriculum; nevertheless, practical implementation was challenging. This study responds to the requirement of integrating sustainable development into all South African disciplines, notably the Technology curriculum It emphasises the importance of specific interventions to bridge the gap between policy intent and classroom practice.  &nbsp

Podcasts or Vodcasts? Exploring First-Year Students’ Preferences for Enhancing Academic Writing Skills

First-year students in a distance learning institution face academic writing challenges arising from inadequate writing skills developed in high school, the need to adapt to new writing standards, and limited language proficiency. These challenges could potentially lead to higher dropout’ rates, increased failures, and delayed qualification completion. Specific writing challenges include producing suitable academic content, adhering to academic writing conventions, using one’s own voice, citation and referencing, and style. To aid these students, podcasts and vodcasts were introduced for a student body of approximately 30,000. Transactional Distance Theory and Community of Inquiry framework underpinned the study. In addition, the study collected data using online open-ended evaluation questions and focus group discussions. Vodcasts gained preference due to their visual-auditory approach, aligning with tech-savvy students’ preferences. Vodcasts effectively improve academic writing by demonstrating concepts visually. Vodcasts reduced transactional distance between students and lecturers, encouraging collaborative learning and reducing the isolation factor. While podcasts were less preferred, they enhanced listening skills and sparked interest in the subject matter. Based on the findings, the study proposed guidelines for impactful vodcast creation, showing vodcasts’ effectiveness in addressing distance learning writing issues, enhancing engagement, collaboration, and understanding

Investigating Teachers’ Integration of Technology in Automotive: A Case in Technical Schools

The study aimed to examine how teachers in technical schools in automotive classrooms integrate technology, employing a case study research approach. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model coined by Mishra & Koehler (2006) was used to underpin the study as a framework. It emerges as a useful construct for researchers working to understand technology integration in learning and teaching. We collected data by conducting face-to-face interviews with automotive teachers and making observations during the study period. Interviews were thematically analysed through verbatim quotes, and observations were analysed descriptively. Existing literature provides various factors that contribute to the difficulties of teaching and learning automotive. The aim and purpose of this study were to examine and explore automotive teachers’ knowledge in terms of how they integrate technology in automotive. The participants who were regarded as knowledgeable and experienced in automotive were selected using a convenient sampling method. The study made use of a case study approach. The data collected was thematically analysed and presented using categories such as teachers with experience showing enhanced technology integration, teachers engaging in active learning, teachers showing positive attitudes towards the integration of technology, and teachers believing in blending classroom and workshop teaching styles. The teachers emphasised access to the workshops, machinery, and knowing how to use them. The findings suggest that innovative strategies, including but not limited to being proactive, improvising, and seeking assistance, can be used to integrate technologies. The study reveals that the teachers attempted to use various innovative strategies for integrating educational technologies into their instructional methods. Teachers were in pursuit of integrating content, pedagogy, and technological knowledge for successful teaching. Automotive teachers need to be TPACK specialists to successfully integrate pedagogy, content, and technology into their teaching to maximise the process of knowledge construction. The study suggests that technical schools offering automotive courses, the Department of Education, and other key stakeholders should implement innovative strategies to facilitate the complete integration of technology. Furthermore, it recommends that teachers receive continuous training in using innovative technology. The study recommends that technical schools offering automotive, the Department of Education, and other key stakeholders implement innovative strategies to help in the complete integration of technology. Furthermore, it recommends that there should be continuous training in the use of innovative technology for teachers.&nbsp

Analysing Relationally Entangled Sustainable Learning Environments for Employability of Accounting Teacher Education Graduates in Unequal Post COVID - 19 Contexts

South Africa is still burdened by its history of colonisation and apartheid, manifesting through a high burden of disease due to rampant poverty, which is a function of unprecedentedly low rates of employment, estimated to be around 37 % among the 18- to 34-year-old Black African youth. The intersectionality of inequalities regarding race, rural versus urban divide, gender binaries, and socio-economic status, among others, seems to be a significant determinant of such. To remedy the problem, attempts have been made to increase the levels of education among the youth. Unfortunately, even the Black African graduates also seem to swell the ranks of the unemployed. In this paper, through qualitative approaches of participatory action research, we exemplify how transforming the Accounting Teacher Education Programme (ATEP), guided by equally multi-perspectival and multilayered lenses of relationality and entanglement learned from COVID-19’s experiences, enabled the study to promote holistic approaches towards achieving positive developmental outcomes and increased possibilities of employment

Lives and Livelihoods: How Socioeconomic Realities Shape Community Participation in Managing the Tanguar Haor Wetlands in Bangladesh

This study delves into how local communities engage in the management of Tanguar Haor, a vital wetland in northeastern Bangladesh designated as an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) and a Ramsar site. The study looks at relationships between important socioeconomic factors like income, education, age, gender, and local participation in wetland governance using household-level data from twelve villages. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative household survey data with qualitative interviews and focus group discussions to capture both statistical trends and community perceptions regarding participation in wetland governance. Roles in decision-making, project implementation, evaluation, and benefit-sharing procedures are among them. In contrast to their mainland counterparts in the Sunamganj district, the Tanguar Haor region, which has been inhabited for generations, is home to communities primarily impoverished and socioeconomically marginalized. The degree of meaningful participation is nonetheless unequal and frequently limited by structural inequities, despite the government's efforts to promote a co-management model incorporating governmental actors and local communities. The study finds that while the most underprivileged groups continue to be under-represented, those with greater socioeconomic status are substantially more involved in wetland management. These results emphasise how crucial it is to address socioeconomic inequality in order to promote inclusive and sustainable wetland governance. The study contributes to the broader discourse on environmental justice, local stewardship, and the role of equity in natural resource management

Exploration of the Experiences of Lesotho Sleep in Domestic Workers in a Semi-Urban Settlement in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa

This study, conducted through a combination of interviews, surveys, and direct observations, examines the exploitation of sleep-in domestic workers from Lesotho who work in South African households. Based on data collected from 15 participants, the research brings to light the difficult living conditions these workers face, including a lack of privacy and inadequate working environments. The study identifies several key issues, such as the absence of written contracts, leaving workers susceptible to exploitation, unpaid overtime, and widespread non-compliance with minimum wage laws. The research shows that domestic workers encounter major obstacles in getting necessary healthcare and support services, which worsens their already unstable situation. The study also emphasizes the lack of chances for training and skills improvement, which hampers the workers' ability to enhance their lives and find better job opportunities. Many of these domestic workers are the main providers for their families and single parents, making the importance of fair pay and good working conditions even more crucial. The study highlights the significance of fair pay and good working conditions, stressing the urgent need for these rights and immediate policy interventions to be upheld. The research aims to bring attention to the systemic exploitation faced by this vulnerable group and advocate for essential reforms to protect their rights and improve their living and working conditions. Overall, the study emphasizes the pressing need for policy interventions and support mechanisms to empower domestic workers and enhance their quality of life in South Africa

A Pedagogical Approach Towards Ameliorating the Global Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic Through Forest Restoration and Environmental Sustainability

This study investigated a pedagogical approach towards ameliorating the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through forest restoration and environmental sustainability. This research is considered apt and timely as it underscores the urgent need for forest restoration and environmental sustainability solutions in our fragile ecosystems amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its associated challenges, such as forest degradation and the complexities of forest conservation. The study was conducted using a systematic review of the COVID-19 pandemic and its imminent challenges towards achieving forest restoration and environmental sustainability, drawing insights from renowned international academic journals, electronic publications, Google Scholar, and other academic websites. Pedagogically, integrating these findings into rural education curricula can significantly enhance students' understanding of environmental issues and the importance of sustainability. By incorporating concepts of forest conservation and environmental sustainability into classroom teachings, educators can foster a sense of environmental stewardship among students. Specifically, in rural education, equipping students with knowledge about sustainable practices and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic empowers them to engage in local conservation efforts and advocate for sustainable development within their communities. This approach not only prepares students to address environmental challenges but also promotes holistic development and improved quality of life in rural areas. Suggested strategies for curbing the adverse effects of COVID-19 include reforestation, preservation of wildlife habitats, and controlling human population growth and urbanization. This study provides recommendations on forest conservation and environmental sustainability to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp