Empowerment of Rural Zulu Women through Popular Adult Education in South Africa: A Case Study of the National Association for Women\u27s Empowerment (NAWE) Program in KwaZulu-Natal

This paper reports the study on grassroots Zulu women in the NAWE program. The purpose was to investigate whether the women were empowered. The research question was: Are the women empowered, if so, in what ways and how do they define empowerment? Methods of data collection included interviews, participant observation, and document analysis

From theory to practice: Beginner teachers’ experiences of the rigour of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programme

This article focuses on how recent graduates perceive the rigour of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) initial teacher education (ITE) programme. The article is based on qualitative data collected from a purposely selected sample of 19 beginner teachers who graduated from two higher education institutions that offer PGCE programmes in the Western Cape. Data were primarily collected by means of open-ended semi-structured interviews and triangulated through document analysis. Results revealed how beginner teachers’ conceptions of rigour of the ITE programme differ considerably from those advocated by experts on teacher education. The authors of this paper recommend that if rigour in teacher education programmes is to be understood, voices of student teachers and other stakeholders (e.g. teachers, school principals, communities, policy makers) should be included in the design and development of teacher-education curricula. Inclusion of these voices might constructively complement existing conceptions of rigour and influence ITE curriculum policy for the benefit of all stakeholders. Nonetheless, it should be borne in mind that some of these conceptions of rigour might not be informed by theoretical underpinnings and can therefore not supersede those of the experts.IBS

Indigenous knowledge systems and early literacy development: An analysis of isiXhosa and isiZulu traditional children’s folktales and songs

This paper provides an analysis of IsiXhosa and IsiZulu folktales and traditional children’s songs in order to highlight the relationship between Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and early literacy development in young children. Through the lens of the cognitive and socio-cultural theories, it explores the kind of knowledge embedded in the IsiXhosa and IsiZulu folktales and traditional children’s songs, and the value and relevance of such knowledge in supporting early literacy development. It argues that oral literacy in indigenous languages has always existed, but became dormant and invisible as a result of assimilation and acculturation into the Western norms. The paper concludes with an acknowledgement that folktales and traditional children’s songs are a rich and perennial reservoir through which young learners can acquire not only literacy skills, but also cognitive, linguistic and social skills that can help them to become active citizens in the world and the workplace.IBS

Views from below: students' perceptions of teaching practice evaluations and stakeholder roles

Interest in teaching practice as an essential component of teacher education is growing. In spite of this, there is a dearth of research investigating students’ perceptions of teaching practice evaluations from them as beneficiaries. This qualitative study examines students’ perceptions of teaching practice evaluations administered by means of observations and criteria-based forms from a systems theory approach, with a view to establishing how effectively all aspects of support, structure and teaching practice evaluation interact and contribute to the development of new teachers. The sample was drawn from one of three campuses that offer the teacher education programme. Data was gathered from 12 focus groups of 57 students using in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews. Results revealed that, although students generally found teaching practice evaluations meaningful, several systemic factors mitigated against their growth and development. Recommendations included strengthening partnerships between schools and university and among all stakeholders; development of a teaching practice theoretical framework and alignment of teaching practice in the campuses that offer the teacher education programme, and developing teaching practice frameworks and structures that could offer students meaningful learning experiences while they are in the schools

Teachers’ conceptions of standards in South African basic education and training: A case study

XV Comparative Education World Congress WCCE

Faculty Perspectives on Vocational Training in South Africa Lessons and Innovations from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Book ChapterThe Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is one of four Universities of Technology established by the South African government in 2005 with a focus on vocational training. This book presents faculty experiences of CPUT’s innovative, work-integrated learning and teaching model, as well as findings from practice-based research being done in the institution. The purpose of this volume is to be a resource for other institutions in South Africa that wish to try similar strategies, as well as a to trigger a community of practice with vocationally oriented institutions outside of South Africa

Factors that pose threats to accountability in the external moderation of formative and summative assessment

Conference proceedingsThe concept of quality is a buzzword in the discourse on higher education. Several mechanisms are used to manage quality in higher education, including internal and external moderation of assessments. Although research has been conducted on other quality management measures in South Africa and elsewhere, literature suggests that nationally and internationally there is dearth of research on external moderation of formative and summative assessments. Most of the information on moderation is contained in policy documents that are mostly prescriptive. In this qualitative paper, Il university lecturers who served as external moderators for other higher education institutions were interviewed on what they regarded as factors posing threats to accountability in external moderation of assessments. They identified a number offactors, including unclear assessment guidelines and criteria, lack of systematic organisation of moderation materials and user-unfriendly moderation policies as some of the threats. The paper ends with the conclusion that if threats to accountability are minimised, external moderation could be an invaluable tool for improving quality in formative and summative assessments in higher education. Therefore, universities should put structures in place for this process to be administered efficientl

Dealing with supervisors’ critical feedback: Reflections of master’s and doctoral students at a selected higher education institution

SAERA Conferenc

Exploring the views of educators and students on privileged knowledge domains in a teacher education programme: a case study

The reported case study solicited the views of teacher educators and students on the teacher knowledge taught and the way it was imparted in a teacher education programme that offered commercial subjects at the Bachelor of Education degree level. The objective was to establish the extent to which the knowledge domains were interconnected or whether some were prioritised. Data was collected from twenty students and seven educators using semistructured interviews, and analysed using deductive qualitative analysis method. The Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications policy framework was used as a source of codes and the five domains of the framework were used as a priori codes under which analysed data was placed. The findings confirmed that some knowledge domains were prioritised. A disjuncture was discerned between teacher knowledge and practical experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The study concludes with a discussion which has implications for teacher education programmes