Cultivating critical pedagogy using educational technologies in Life Sciences classrooms

This article explores the use of educational technologies in Grades 10 to 12 Life Sciences classrooms at a local high school in the Western Cape. The application of educational technologies in science classrooms has the potential to engender critical teaching and learning, and to contribute to professional development. By reflecting on my own professional development as a science teacher, I show that the use of educational technologies cultivates moments of critical pedagogy which link strongly with reflective teaching, critical thinking and transformative learning. Educational technologies can enhance reflective teaching whereby teachers can take theories and expertise in their practice seriously, organise their classrooms to facilitate critical learning, and address broader institutional and social issues

Philosophy of education in a new key: Cultivating a living philosophy of education to overcome coloniality and violence in African Universities

In this conversational article, we consider cultivating decoloniality in university education by drawing upon Jacques Ranci ere’s (2010) notion of a living philosophy. Ranci ere’s (2010) living philosophy holds the possibility of both a medium and a space for a re-thinking and a re-contemplation of what life is in relation to what it might be. Through engaging and sharing real human experiences from and within African societies and universities, we (re)imagine decoloniality as a fiction brought to life through a living philosophy of education. In this regard, we proffer eight points of departure and reflection

A wake-up call: Equity, inequality and Covid-19 emergency remote teaching and learning

Produced from experiences at the outset of the intense times when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions began in March 2020, this collaborative paper offers the collective reflections and analysis of a group of teaching and learning and Higher Education (HE) scholars from a diverse 15 of the 26 South African public universities. In the form of a theorised narrative insistent on foregrounding personal voices, it presents a snapshot of the pandemic addressing the following question: what does the ‘pivot online’to Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL), forced into urgent existence by the Covid-19 pandemic, mean for equity considerations in teaching and learning in HE? Drawing on the work of Therborn (2009: 20–32; 2012: 579–589; 2013; 2020) the reflections consider the forms of inequality-vital, resource and existential-exposed in higher education. Drawing on the work of Tronto (1993; 2015; White and Tronto 2004) the paper shows the networks of care which were formed as a counter to the systemic failures of the sector at the onset of the pandemic

On the democratisation of science education through Facebook : implications for autonomy, equality and teacher education in universities

CITATION: Waghid, F. 2015. On the democratisation of science education through Facebook : implications for autonomy, equality and teacher education in universities. South African Journal of Higher Education, 29(2):298–314, doi:10.20853/29-2-482.The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajheIn this article I offer a defence for using educational technology to democratise classroom practices in relation to science education and teacher education at universities. My contention is that educational technology, more specifically using Facebook, can engender pedagogical action among learners and educators that resonates with democratic practices. In other words, using educational technology in science and teacher education can enhance learner autonomy and equality, so that critical, self-reflexive thinking and disruptive thought and action, respectively, can be cultivated through technology-assisted education.http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/view/482Publisher's versio

Towards the democratisation of senior phase school science through the applicatin of educational technology

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation I report on an action research study in relation to the democratisation of science education in a Grade 10 life sciences classroom at a local high school through the application of educational technology, more specifically social network media such as Facebook. I argue that action research for social justice with the support of educational technology can contribute towards cultivating critical teaching and learning in the science classroom, thus contributing to the democratisation of science education in schools. In the main, this study shows that educational technology can contribute to the democratisation of science education in classrooms in relation to teaching contentious issues in the current life sciences school curriculum on three levels: firstly, learners and educators can experience enhanced levels of participation, collaboration and deliberation through Facebook; secondly, learners can construct personal learning contexts as a testament to the sense of autonomy they have (and can acquire) in learning about life sciences, particularly as they endeavour to nurture their critical and problem-solving skills, construct and apply life sciences knowledge, and integrate understandings of life sciences into the context of societal change; and thirdly, learners and educators can cultivate equal partnerships in the sense that equality refers to their insistence to „rupture‟ and „disrupt‟ pedagogical activities in the life sciences classroom. Finally, this study also reveals that critical teaching and learning in the life sciences classroom cannot be oblivious to poststructuralist thought on learning to think and act rhizomatically as opposed to hierarchically and linearly, and that exercising one‟s individual autonomy through a claim to intellectual equality can simply be pedagogical ingredients that can further enhance democratic science education in schools.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif doen ek verslag oor ‟n aksienavorsingstudie in verband met die demokratisering van wetenskaponderwys in ‟n Graad 10 lewenswetenskappe- klaskamer in ‟n plaaslike skool deur die toepassing van onderwystegnologie, meer spesifiek sosiale netwerkmedia soos Facebook. Ek argumenteer dat aksienavorsing vir sosiale geregtigheid met die ondersteuning van onderwystegnologie kan bydra tot die kultivering van kritiese onderrig en leer in die wetenskapklaskamer, wat dus bydra tot die demokratisering van wetenskaponderwys in skole. Hierdie studie bewys hoofsaaklik dat onderwystegnologie op drie vlakke kan bydra tot die demokratisering van wetenskaponderwys in klaskamers met verwysing na omstrede vraagstukke in die huidige lewenswetenskappe-skoolkurrikulum: eerstens kan leerders en opvoeders hoë vlakke van deelname, samewerking en beraadslaging deur Facebook ervaar; tweedens kan leerders persoonlike leerkontekste konstrueer as bevestiging van hulle sin van outonomiteit wat hulle bekom (en kan aanleer) deur leer oor die lewenswetenskappe, veral soos hulle poog om kritiese en probleemoplossingsvaardighede uit te bou, wetenskapskennis te konstrueer en toe te pas, en betekenisse van lewenswetenskappe in die konteks van sosiale verandering kan integreer; en derdens kan leerders en opvoeders gelyke verhoudings kweek in soverre gelykheid verwys na hulle aandrang daarop om pedagogiese aktiwiteite in die lewenswetenskappe-klaskamer te „verbreek‟ en te „ontwrig‟. Ten slotte wys hierdie studie dat kritiese onderrig en leer in die lewenswetenskappe-klaskamer nie onbewus kan wees van poststrukturalistiese denke oor die aanleer van risomatiese eerder as hiërargiese en liniêre denke en optrede nie, en dat die uitleef van individuele outonomie deur aanspraak te maak op intellektuele gelykheid die pedagogiese inspuiting kan wees wat benodig word om demokratiese wetenskaponderwys verder in skole te bevorder

Rupturing African philosophy on teaching and learning : ubuntu justice and education

This book examines African philosophy of education and the enactment of ubuntu justice through a massive open online course on Teaching for Change. The authors argue that such pedagogic encounters have the potential to stimulate just and democratic human relations: encounters that are critical, deliberate, reflective and compassionate could enable just and democratic human relations to flourish, thus inducing decolonisation and decoloniality. Exploring arguments for imaginative and tolerant pedagogic encounters that could help cultivate an African university where educators and students can engender morally and politically responsible pedagogical actions, the authors offer pathways for thinking more imaginatively about higher education in a globalised African context. This work will be of value for researchers and students of philosophy of education, higher education and democratic citizenship education

Kweek van kritiese pedagogiek deur onderwys-tegnologie in Lewenswetenskap-klaskamers

CITATION: Waghid, F. 2011. Cultivating critical pedagogy using educational technologies in life sciences classrooms. Acta Academica, 43(1):234-262.The original publication is available at http://journals.ufs.ac.zaThis article explores the use of educational technologies in Grades 10 to 12 Life Sciences classrooms at a local high school in the Western Cape. The application of educational technologies in science classrooms has the potential to engender critical teaching and learning, and to contribute to professional development. By reflecting on my own professional development as a science teacher, I show that the use of educational technologies cultivates moments of critical pedagogy which link strongly with reflective teaching, critical thinking and transformative learning. Educational technologies can enhance reflective teaching whereby teachers can take theories and expertise in their practice seriously, organise their classrooms to facilitate critical learning, and address broader institutional and social issues.http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/1306Publisher's versio

Technology and professional development towards critical teaching and learning : a narrative account

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the use of educational technologies in grades 10 to 12 life sciences classrooms at a local high school. I argue that the application of educational technologies in science classrooms has the potential to engender critical teaching and learning, and to contribute to professional development. By reflecting on my own professional development as a science teacher over the past three years (2008-2010), I show that the use of educational technologies cultivates moments of critical pedagogy that link strongly with reflective teaching, critical thinking and transformative learning. Drawing on two intertwined narratives, I show how educational technologies can enhance reflective teaching whereby, firstly, teachers can take seriously theories and expertise in their practices; secondly, organise their classrooms so as to facilitate critical learning; and, thirdly, take up broader institutional and social issues. In addition, I show that the use of educational technologies opens up pedagogical spaces for critical thinking and transformative learning – that is, whereby learners learn creatively, actively, engagingly and reflecting on their own practices.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die gebruik van onderwystegnologie in grade 10 tot 12 lewenswetenskapklaskamers by ʼn plaaslike hoërskool. Ek argumenteer dat die toepassing van onderwystegnologie in wetenskapklaskamers die potensiaal het om kritiese onderrig en leer teweeg te bring, en ʼn bydrae tot professionele ontwikkeling te maak. Deur te reflekteer op my eie professionele ontwikkeling as ʼn wetenskaponderwyser oor die afgelope drie jaar (2008-2010), dui ek aan hoedat die gebruik van onderwystegnologie krities pedagogiese oomblikke kultiveer wat sterk aanklank vind by reflektiewe onderrig, kritiese denke en transformatiewe leer. Met betrekking tot twee narratiewe dui ek aan hoedat onderwystegnologie reflektiewe onderrig kan bevorder deurdat, eerstens, onderwysers teorieë en kundighede in hulle gebruike ernstig opneem; tweedens, klaskamers organiseer om kritiese leer te fasiliteer; en derdens, breër institusionele en sosiale kwessies aanspreek. Daarenbowe dui ek aan hoedat onderwystegnologie ook pedagogiese ruimtes vir kritiese denke en transformatiewe leer bied – dit is, waarby leerders kreatief, aktief en betrokke is, en op hulle eie praktyke reflekteer

Islamic education and educational technology

This encyclopaedia is a dynamic reference and study place for students, teachers, researchers and professionals in the field of education, philosophy and social sciences, offering both short and long entries on topics of theoretical and practical interest in educational theory and philosophy by authoritative world scholars representing the full ambit of education as a rapidly expanding global field of knowledge and expertise. This is an encyclopaedia that is truly global and while focused mainly on the Western tradition is also respectful and representative of other knowledge traditions. It professes to understand the globalization of knowledge. It is unique in the sense that it is based on theoretical orientations and approaches to the main concepts and theories in education, drawing on the range of disciplines in the social sciences. The encyclopaedia privileges the "theory of practice", recognizing that education as a discipline and activity is mainly a set of professional practices that inherently involves questions of power and expertise for the transmission, socialization and critical debate of competing norms and values

On the Democratisation of Science Education through Facebook: Implications for Autonomy, Equality and Teacher Education in Universities

In this article I offer a defence for using educational technology to democratise classroom practices in relation to science education and teacher education at universities. My contention is that educational technology, more specifically using Facebook, can engender pedagogical action amongst learners and educators that resonates with democratic practices. In other words, using educational technology in science and teacher education can enhance learner autonomy and equality, so that critical, self-reflexive thinking and disruptive thought and action respectively can be cultivated through technology-assisted education. Keywords: Education, democracy, autonomy, equality and technolog