Wits School of Education (ETDs)

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How are the relationships between South African universities and development understood?
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Molebatsi, Palesa Malehlohonolo
Many development scholars argue that universities can and should address societal problems of poverty, inequality and unemployment. There is international literature that argues, in particular, two things: firstly, that certain economies thrive because they are knowledge driven; and secondly, that universities play a central role in preparing workers for the labour market. That same literature also goes on to argue that under-developed countries should emulate these economies, because this is a good way of achieving development. Thus, an increasing number of researchers and policy-makers in South Africa are interested in how universities do today, and can in the future, contribute to development. Empirical studies have been conducted analysing the relationship between South African universities and development. Yet, the evidence that exists, while useful, remains superficial. Specifically, it gives partial or incomplete analyses of the dynamics underlying the relationships between universities in South Africa, and development. The purpose of this study is to build an understanding of those dynamics. I develop an extended analytic framework with three ideal types (The Abstract University, the Entrepreneurial University and the Developmental University) and analyse two data sets, with the main finding that South African universities do not make significant entrepreneurial or developmental contributions to development. Simultaneously, they are expected to perform more welfare activities as part of their functions. I argue that a Welfare ideal-type university is emerging in South Africa which seems to undermine the essential core of the university: the development and acquisition of knowledge. A floundering can be observed with respect to the purpose, the norms and the form of the university in South Africa, with the result that the role of universities is increasingly loosely defined. This analysis illuminates a specific aspect of the relationship between universities and development in South Africa, namely that it is a two-way one: different approaches to development nationally and within universities lead to changes in the nature of the university, which in turn affects development. In the case of South Africa, where emphasis is placed on welfare activities, the question arises whether universities will continue to be universities in the future
Online learning instructional design facilitating participation, engagement, and interaction at a Higher Educational Institution in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022-07) Monyau, Thabiso Rantoana Ivan; Ndlovu, Nokulunga Sithabile
Online learning is now a practical alternative to traditional methods of instruction for access to education. This mode of instructional delivery comes with adaptations in both teaching and learning, and it demands stable access to digital resources and technological skills. Universities in developing countries like South Africa are still striving to adopt and adapt to new ways of providing education due to lack of capacity and shortage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure. This study aimed to investigate what informs the online learning instructional design of two online courses offered in a South African university to facilitate students’ and facilitators’ Participation, engagement, and Interaction (PEI). The inductive approach was used to collect and analyse data for this study that adopted case-study research strategy. Facilitator interviews, document analyses, and questionnaires issued to students were used as research instruments. The findings suggested that, the way in which the instruction is designed for online learning determines students’ and facilitators’ PEI, and students’ and facilitators’ PEI impact directly on the learning outcomes. Students’ and facilitators’ PEI also redirect learning to social activity of knowledge construction. On this basis, learning communities, collaboration and discussion play a pivotal role in facilitating students’ and facilitators’ PEI for online courses. Feedback and reflection were found as excellent ways to facilitate students’ and facilitators’ PEI that encourage the sharing of knowledge.” However, learner isolation remains a challenge, especially with large online classes and students that lack technological background.
A social realist perspective of academic advising in a South African higher education context: a study of practices and practitioners
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) De Klerk, Danie
The South African higher education sector has numerous challenges to contend with. Students' prospects of success are often vulnerable to uneven secondary schooling, structural and material constraints, massification of the sector, and a range of other factors. In this thesis, I argue that academic advising has the potential to help find responsive and sustainable solutions to address these challenges. Academic advising is well established in the global north. In contrast, it remains an emerging field of practice in South Africa, with a dearth of literature about how advising is developed and practiced within the country’s unique higher education context. This thesis aims to contribute to the limited knowledge base about advising as a practice and the work of academic advisors as practitioners in South Africa. The study provides a social realist perspective of the emergence of advising within a South African higher education context. It draws on Margaret Archer’s work on structure, culture, and agency, the morphogenetic approach, and the notion of stratified layers of social reality to analyse data, make inferences, and draw conclusions. This is a qualitative study that adopts a mixed methods approach. The research paradigm is phenomenological, while phenomenographic principles are used selectively to advance the objectives of the study. The data that informs the study consists of a quantitative baseline dataset and qualitative data collected through semi structured interviews with 15 academic advisors working at the University of the Witwatersrand. As this is a PhD by publication, the thesis consists of four interconnected papers (i.e., chapters), bookended by introduction and conclusion chapters. The first paper provides insights about advising as gleaned from the baseline data, while the second draws on the same data to highlight the impact of students’ structural and material constraints on the work of academic advisors. Papers three and four use interview data to glean academic advisor insights about advising prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The thesis concludes by highlighting the transformative potential of academic advising for South African higher education yet cautions that a major shift in the way advising is perceived and practiced is required for its potential to be realized.
Professional learning communities for inclusive pedagogy: what teacher talk in professional communities reveals about teacher professional identity and agency
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Kimani, Anne Wacango Muguro
In-service teacher learning for inclusive pedagogy seeks to address the perceived lack of capacity for teaching in inclusive classrooms in South Africa. Research suggests that teachers feel underprepared for this task, and that the prevalent delivery models for this learning, workshops, and short courses, have done little to enable sustained inclusive practices. This study took a new direction, arguing that simply acquiring knowledge and skills for inclusive teaching misses the need to focus on teacher professional identity and agency. The professional and institutional change required for teachers to be pedagogically responsive to a range of learners, demands that professional learning address teachers’ immediate realities, be a long term, school-based professional learning programme. A three-year study in a full-service school in Johannesburg, South Africa, investigated teacher talk within professional learning communities (PLCs). PLCs are situated in practice and can promote and sustain teachers’ learning over an extended period. Wenger’s (1998) theory of learning as social practice and Sfard and Prusak’s (2005) theory of identity as narrative provided analytical insights into identity and agency in the PLCs. The subject focus of the PLCs was inclusive pedagogy, and the analysis was based on the Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action (IPAA) (Florian & Spratt, 2013). Using a Critical interpretivism perspective, teacher talk in the PLCs and individual teacher interviews were analysed. Analysis of teacher talk in relation to the IPAA revealed two themes of talk: Inclusive Talk and Difference Talk. “Difference Talk” showed that the enactment of inclusion cannot be rigidly defined and demarcated in advance in every situation or in every instance or be abstracted from time and place. A nuanced interpretation of difference may help researchers avoid the binary distinctions about inclusive education and inclusive pedagogy and deficit interpretations about teachers’ practices. The findings show that even though teachers talked about enacting inclusive pedagogy they did not consider themselves inclusive educators. They implied that since they had not had ‘special education training’ they could not consider themselves as inclusive educators despite saying that they had taught in an inclusive manner. Participation in the PLCs enabled teachers to negotiate meaning and create a coherent community. A coherent community allowed teachers to challenge their perspectives about teaching inclusively and to share their experiences. This study contributes a conceptual understanding of the interplay between teachers’ professional identity and the sociocultural contexts of PLCs, and how teacher talk can mediate teacher learning for inclusive pedagogy. The findings could be of interest to teacher educators in designing professional learning communities for inclusive pedagogy
Investigating the psycho-social challenges of Implementing Inclusive Education among Learning Support Teachers at Metropole East Education District, Western Cape
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Khoboko, Nkepeng Esther; Charamba, Erasmos; Aloka, Peter
The Implementation of inclusive education in schools is yet to reach expected levels in South African schools. Previous research has focused on teachers but very scanty research has been done among learning support teachers. This study examined psychological and social challenges of implementing inclusive education among South African learning support teachers. The following research questions were addressed in this study: (a) What are the psychological challenges of implementing inclusive education among learning support teachers? (b) What are the social challenges of implementing inclusive education among learning support teachers? (c) What kind of support do learning support teachers require to successfully implement inclusive education? The study adopted a qualitative approach and a multiple case study of five primary schools in the Metropole East Education District, Western Cape, was conducted. Through semi-structured interviews, data from ten participants was gathered. The five criteria of credibility, dependability, confirmability, transferability and authenticity were used to assure the trustworthiness of qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study found that learning support teachers are psychologically and socially challenged when they have to implement inclusive education. The learning support teachers did get some support from the district officials but this was not sufficient to make them fully implement inclusive education in schools. Teachers expressed their deep concern about the lack of parental involvement, as it makes the SIAS policy referral process challenging. Moreover, teachers expressed that they were stressed out and burned out as a result of a variety of events that made their job to be stressful. The study concludes that the learning support teachers’ psychosocial challenges when implementing inclusive education remains a major concern for teachers in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Although the education department has implemented a number of strategies to help manage the psychosocial challenges of teachers, these methods mostly focus on the learners, leaving teachers with ongoing social and mental health issues. The study recommends that social workers, psychologists, and therapists should be stationed in schools, or alternatively, ordinary mainstream schools should be transformed into full-service schools.
Exploration of calculation strategies in doubling and halving with grade 3 learners
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Mtsweni, Thobile; Asvat, Zaheera Jina
A crisis reported is that the majority of learners do not achieve development in number sense. Unit counting is the preferred method of counting, and consequently, fluency and conceptual understanding of numbers are lost. This study addresses the need for early intervention that focuses on the progression of learners towards the use of more efficient strategies. Specifically, the study aimed to explore doubling and halving strategies with Grade 3 learners through an intervention to develop learners’ calculation strategies using the adapted pre-test, intervention, and post-test from the Mental Starter Assessment Project (MSAP). The sample included 24 Grade 3 learners, which comprised a control group and an intervention group. The study employed Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, which focuses on how learners process new knowledge. Findings indicate that before the intervention, the learners in the control and intervention groups relied on counting strategies to solve doubling and halving problems, and the alternative strategies that were used were not clear. The intervention group was exposed to the various doubling and halving representations of the strategy. However, the findings show that the intervention group performed only slightly better in the strategic calculating and strategic thinking categories than the control group. These findings indicate that a shift in learning can happen, albeit slower than expected. Further research is needed across contexts and learners to indicate ways in which the intervention could be improved.
Understanding Anxiety, and its Implications for Teaching and Learning: A Perspective on Freud and Others
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Ally, Adila; Aloka, Peter
This dissertation is conceptual in nature rather than empirically-oriented and explores an understanding of learning and motivational theory in an attempt to study various formulations of the concept of anxiety, dating back to those presented by the foundational figure of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. It is noted that Freud did not develop a single theory of anxiety- but at least three and arguably as many as eight over the lifetime of his career. Such hesitancy and uncertainty is not interpreted by this dissertation as indecision, rather it is read as uncertainty being a core element in the meta-modelling of anxiety itself. Refracted through Lacan -- who performs a reinterpretation of Freud in a way that produces a unique formulation of the concept that seems to invert Freud's own definition -- and through J. B. Watson, this dissertation develops a novel concept of anxiety as being mimetic in nature, relying Girard's concept of mimetic desire for this purpose. Moscovici's social representation theory, Latour's inter-objectivity, Bandura's triadic structure of observational learning, Foot's studies on Double-Effect problems, the Rashōmon Effect in the narrativisation of data and Seligman's learned helplessness are also used in developing the novel concept of mimetic anxiety. Thus after recognising four variants of anxiety -- a unified Freudian "object-loss" anxiety, Lacanian "overabundance" anxiety, Watsonian "commodity" anxiety and the novel concept of "mimetic anxiety" -- this dissertation proceeds to gauge interaction between these and the learning theories of Pavlov, Skinner, Piaget, Vygotsky and Gagné, and the motivational theories of expectancy value, achievement goal, and self-determination theory. In observing a case study of the flipped classroom model of teaching, Gagné and expectancy value seem to predict the emergence of Watsonian anxiety, the only variant of the four which allows for extinction of anxiety. However, the flipped classroom model, expectancy value motivation and Gagné's methodology together continue to address deeper challenges developed by mimetic anxiety and the synetic (not synthetic) demand placed on Girardian interdividual subjects by technology. Further use of the flipped classroom study is made to explore Freud's throwaway comment that economics might explain the concept of anxiety-as-signal, whereupon Hayek is found to introduce the concept of price-as-signal. This synchronicity forms the basis for considering Freud as necessarily heterogeneous and yielding of increased depth if paired with outside disciplines. In conclusion, the Flynn Effect is suggested as a significant driver of Freudian recession into insularity and from digitally mediated interaction, insinuating advocacy for the flipped classroom model.
The role of TPACK in enhancing students' knowledge of the design process: A case study of Grade 9 Technology Educators
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Modise, Refilwe; Dewa, Alton
The department of basic education is making efforts to transform educator pedagogy by introducing the use of digital technology in South African classrooms. Thus, the utilisation of digital tools in the technology classroom is likely to improve the students‟ comprehension of the design process. Educators need a well-developed Technological pedagogical content knowledge to meaningfully integrate Technology in their classrooms. The core purpose of this research is to investigate the role of the TPACK body of knowledge in enhancing grade 9 student understanding of the design process to improve learner achievement and to allow learners to design models that are fit-for-purpose and usable beyond the classroom. This is a qualitative research study aimed at capturing rich-data to answer the main research questions of the study. The TPACK framework was used in this study to determine the role of TPACK in enhancing the knowledge of students when they learn the design process. The data collection method used was interviews, where five grade 9 educators were purposively sampled from Sedibeng east to establish the role of TPACK in the Technology classroom. The study is underpinned by constructivism and social constructivism learning theory that follows a learner centred approach to teaching the design process. The finding of the study reveal that educators are interested in using digital tools in their classroom, however they are constrained by the lack of technological support, limited access to digital tools and the lack of Technological pedagogical content knowledge. The findings further reveal that educators are attempting the integration of technology in the classroom but they do not appropriately articulate the affordances of digital tools that will enhance the learners understanding of the design process. To answer the research question, the role TPACK cannot be meaningfully measured as the educators showed a lack of Technological pedagogical content knowledge. According to the educators‟ point of view, students became interested in the lesson when they used digital tools therefore, if they can be trained in using digital tools, they will be able to enhance the understanding of students in the design process. This would allow learners to design and make models that fit-for-purpose and come up with solutions that show a deeper understanding of the problem they had to investigate. The finding further shows that if the TPACK can be used meaningfully, it will play an important role in learning of the design process. In future Pre-service and in-service educators must be equipped with TPACK body of knowledge and more digital tools must be available in the Technology classroom for the learners to meet the learning outcomes of the design process.
IsiZulu High School Learners’ Attitudes Towards Learning IsiZulu Folktales: A Case Study of a High School in Soweto
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Simelane, Nomkhosi Swelihle; Ntombela, Sipho Albert
The Department of Basic Education leaves it to indigenous language teachers to decide on the genre they prefer to teach between novels and folklore, consisting of traditional poetry, idioms, proverbs, riddles, and folktales. However, there is no study that has been conducted to investigate isiZulu learners’ attitudes towards learning isiZulu folktales. Consequently, this study serves to fill a gap in extant literature. Its purpose was to investigate isiZulu high school learners’ attitudes towards learning isiZulu folktales in School X. Two research tools (a questionnaire and structured interviews) were used to collect data and the Thematic Content Analysis was used to analyse it. The results of the study were the following: (1) Most isiZulu high school learners in school x have a positive attitude towards learning isiZulu folktales; (2) isiZulu learners’ attitudes towards learning isiZulu folktales were influenced either positively or negatively by the contents of folktales, environments and the teachers’ attitudes; (3) the learners’ viewpoints were that teachers need to change their teaching methods and negative attitude towards isiZulu folktales. However, more studies need to be conducted to find out how isiZulu teachers teach isiZulu folktales in different grades, and how student teachers are prepared by the South African universities to teach isiZulu folktales.
The Effects of Mathematical Modelling and its Application in Algebraic Functions on Grade 11 Learners’ Performance
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Ngubane, Sibongiseni; Ekol, George
To explore the effects of mathematical modelling on Grade 11 learners’ academic performance in algebraic functions, teachers’ self-efficacy and their overall perceptions, is the purpose of this research study. For the achievement of this goal, the research study followed a mixed method for both collecting and analyzing data. However, a pre-test and a post-test, interviews, and a questionnaire were used to collect data. The study content was limited to mathematical modelling in algebraic functions, learners doing pure mathematics in Grade 11, and mathematics teachers in the FET phase only. Eighty-seven (87) Grade 11 learners doing mathematics from one (1) selected school under the ILembe district in KwaZulu Natal participated in the research study, where 44 (51%) formed an experimental group and the other 43 (49%) learners formed a control group. Findings revealed that the experimental group taught through modelling with a guided discovery approach outperformed the control group that was taught through a direct instruction approach to learning. Hence, the difference between the modelling and direct instruction teaching approaches is statistically significant. Six (6) learners from the experimental group were purposively sampled to participate in the semi-structured interviews for the researcher's purposes of exploring learners’ perceptions about mathematical modelling. Learners reported that modelling could improve their level of cognition. Thirty-three (33) mathematics teachers in the FET phase from fourteen (14) high schools in KwaZulu Natal participated in the study by completing a questionnaire about modelling. Findings revealed that teachers have positive attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions about modelling in mathematics education even though there are no teachers’ professional development workshops provided to encourage them based on modelling. This study recommended that the department of education put more efforts into supporting and motivating teachers to implement modelling in mathematics classrooms, provide teachers with professional development workshops based on modelling, design and distribute teaching and learning support documents to all schools providing mathematics, and do follow-up to check the progress in teachers’ developments.
Investigating the ways in which educational credentials influence employers’ hiring decisions
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Sekokope, Abram Sello; Shalem, Yael; Allais, Stephanie Matseleng
There is a strong link between formal education and results on the labor market, like employment and earning potential, according to a wealth of research. Academic credentials are frequently seen as a doorway into mainstream economic engagement on a global scale, which justifies corporate and public investment in higher education. What is not always evident are the interpretations that companies give to educational credentials in particular settings, such as hiring decisions, and what these meanings reveal about the recruiting criteria of employers for potential employees. The purpose of this study was to comprehend the significance that employers place on qualifications and how this significance affects the hiring processes. In order to do this, the study looked at the hiring of engineers at two different occupational levels at four South African State-Owned Companies. To ascertain the meanings that employers attach to qualifications when screening CVs for engineering positions, a descriptive phenomenological technique was taken into consideration and enhanced with the use of hypothetical CVs. Three theoretical viewpoints were used as the foundation for this study in order to comprehend employer opinions of what qualifications actually mean. They were the credentialism theory, the screening and signalling theories, and the human capital theory. According to the study, ownership of a qualification gave an individual a competitive edge in the labor market and was viewed as a main selection criterion from all three theoretical viewpoints. Main findings: The selection criteria for the two engineering positions at the two distinct levels were compared in this study. First, the results imply that the recruiting standards for a Junior Manager Mechanical Engineering post and an Electrical Engineering Technician, a lesser entry-level role, differ significantly. I discovered that the primary distinction between the two was the importance of qualifications in the hiring process for lower entry-level positions. The findings indicate that at this level, employers view qualifications as the main criterion for choosing the best applicant for the position because they believe they provide a sufficient indication of the knowledge and skills needed to perform the work. According to the statistics, individuals with the most relevant credentials and those who earned high marks in their degrees and certifications were seen as having a greater understanding of the subject matter of their credentials and were therefore given preference during the hiring process. This result appears to support the human capital theory's assertion that qualifications represent knowledge and abilities because it substantially aligns with its underlying premises. Secondly, I found that, when it came to the management role, candidates' qualifications were not taken into account in isolation but rather coupled with additional credentials, such as prior work experience. In reality, I discovered that in this area, job experience was valued equally to or even more than qualifications when hiring at management levels. For instance, it seemed that companies would prefer to go with someone with work experience in some situations, such as when the minimal qualification criteria was not entirely completed. Although the focus of my study was on qualifications, some of the companies made a strong case for the value of prior job experience, sometimes at the price of qualifications. While this does not go against the principle of human capital, it does imply that job experience may be viewed as a more valuable indicator of applicable human capital than qualifications for management roles. Finally, I discovered that job experience was essential for the development of soft skills like problem solving, teamwork, communication, and leadership, among others. According to the statistics, these talents can be developed over time with the proper amount of work experience, mentoring, and coaching. Fourth, I discovered that the relationship between work experience and qualifications was complex and complementary, and that worker productivity was not a function of qualifications alone. According to study findings, companies would enrol recent graduates in WIL programs largely to supplement their education with relevant work experience, which would help them grow and maximize their productivity. Finally, I discovered that employers believed all schools were regulated and followed the same national standards of teaching and learning, thus they did not consider institutional reputation when choosing qualified applicants. This also resonates more with the human capital idea rather than the credentialism theory, which provides a social closure perspective, and assumes that the more prestigious universities are associated with better quality graduates. My interpretation of the aforementioned five key findings leads me to believe that employers primarily view qualifications as stand-ins for the actual knowledge and abilities needed to do the job. However, even when they were not just relying on qualifications, they still looked for qualities like job experience and soft skills, which are all referred to in literature as examples of human capital. These results strongly imply that the human capital theory is more important in explaining and influencing hiring decisions for engineering candidates. Human capital theory appears to have replaced qualifications as the predominate mechanism for explaining employment choices in the engineering sector, despite a few modest hints that qualifications served as a sort of screening function. In a discipline like engineering, where the body of knowledge is very closely correlated to the job that needs to be done, this makes sense.
Investigating In-service Teachers’ Beliefs and Self-efficacy about Mathematical Modelling Using a Structural Model of Professional Competence for Teaching Mathematical Modelling
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Khoza, Siyabonga Jabulane; Ekol, George
In this study, I investigate in-service teachers’ beliefs and self-efficacy about teaching mathematical modelling. I further understood teachers’ perceptions about teaching modelling in the Grades 10 - 12 CAPS mathematics curriculum. The purpose of the study was to reveal teachers’ beliefs and SEF to support the development of teachers' modelling competency. The study was underpinned by a structural model of professional competence for teaching mathematical modelling among in-service teachers. A structured questionnaire with a 5 Likert scale was used to collect data on the ISTs' beliefs, SEF, and prior knowledge about teaching modelling in the Grade 10 – 12 CAPS curriculum. Further semi-structured interview sessions were secured with three participants to further confirm quantitative data. Thus, a ‘Sequential explanatory research design from a mixed method research design’ was used to report the collected data. From the questionnaire obtained results, three major themes were formulated from the research questions and used to analyse, present, and discuss the data, which were ISTs’ beliefs about mathematical modelling, ISTs’ self-efficacy about mathematical modelling, and ISTs’ prior knowledge about modelling. From the qualitative data, four themes stood out from the data during the transcription process, namely, teachers are more product-driven than process, learners should take the lead during mathematical modelling, the curriculum timeframe limits learners from exploring modelling, and the limitation of mathematics content in the curriculum. What was revealed from the data is that teachers do believe in the existence of modelling in the mathematics curriculum. Teachers showed being constructivists in the classroom when teaching mathematics in general, including modelling. Their prior experiences with teaching modelling showed that it has contributed to their belief in teaching and learning modelling. Though teachers' beliefs and prior knowledge in this study showed to be developed and acquired respectively, to sufficiently show competencies of teaching modelling in the classroom. However, their SEF to diagnose learners' abilities during their modelling processes showed to be limited. Meaning, teachers did not show confidence in their abilities to diagnose learners' abilities when modelling, and it was not confirmed if they can identify learners' abilities when solving mathematical tasks in general. I believe in South African modelling can be taught and learnt in the classroom if it is sufficiently catered for in the curriculum and if teachers get the necessary support in teaching modelling. The value of the study is an important contribution to teachers' mathematical modelling competency.
Teacher pedagogies for literacy acquisition amongst EFAL learners in Grade 3 in two schools in the Western Cape
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Dooms, Anastasia Chloe; Martin, Cameron
The issue of literacy and language development is still a pressing concern within South African education. Many South African learners that are required to attend school and learn in their first/second additional language (FAL) as opposed to their home language (HL) are disadvantaged and comparatively excluded compared to their peers that learn in their HL. In the foundation phase, literacy acquisition is seen as a building block to education and therefore teachers need to ensure that learners have acquired adequate oral vocabulary and phonological awareness in English to enable a strong literacy foundation for their transition from their HL to English (EFAL). This study analysed the pedagogical practices used by four Grade 3 educators from two non-English schools in the Western Cape during their EFAL lessons. The research intended to identify the pedagogical approaches used by these educators to assist learners in learning and adequately acquiring their FAL to the level of proficiency needed for English as the language of instruction from Grade 4 onwards. A qualitative approach was used and incorporated the use of two EFAL lesson observations (per educator), lesson plan analyses, and semi-structured interviews. The main findings were analysed through the lens of Pedagogical Link-Making (PLM) (Scott et al., 2011). PLM as an evaluation tool was used to guide and thereafter analyse the observations and the post-observation interviews. This was used to establish the effective pedagogies used by Grade 3 educators to establish meaning amongst their learners. The findings gave insight into promising pedagogical actions that should be incorporated into teaching and learning EFAL to facilitate meaning making amongst learners and ensure adequate language and literacy acquisition. The inclusive education field will benefit from further research being conducted into PLM, with particular interest in language and literacy development. This may aid the field of education to find new ways for educators to adapt their pedagogical practices to foster inclusion within their classroom and hinder the exclusionary practices faced by EFAL learners due to learning barriers imposed by language.
The representation of father and son relationships in African fairy tales
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Nkosi, Hlengiwe; Nkealah, Naomi
This research project examines the representation of father and son relationships in African fairy tales. The purpose of this research is firstly to analyse how father and son relationships are portrayed in African fairy tales. The second purpose of this research is to determine the types of father and son relationships portrayed in the African fairy tales and how those relationships expand, challenge or support the existing knowledge about what it means to be a father and a man. I used ten fairy tales to conduct this study. Three of the fairy tales are from Ethiopia, one fairy tale is from Kenya, four are from South Africa, one from Zimbabwe, and one from Ghana. I analysed the data for this study using a thematic content analysis method. My findings were that there are five types of father and son relationships: dysfunctional father and son relationships, detached father and son relationships, distanced father and son relationships, absent father and son relationships, and positive father and son relationships. There are five factors that determined the father and son relationships; these factors are hard work, wisdom and knowledge, obedience and disobedience, communication, and reckless behaviour. The types of father and son relationships portrayed in the African fairy tales affirm, contest and extend existing knowledge on fatherhood and masculinity in different ways.
Applying critical literacy theory to examine English Further Education and Training short story textbooks
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Sekgobela, Adolph; Nkealah, Naomi
Textbook authors have worked hard over the years to produce quality work. However, it has been a challenge in South African basic education to use these textbooks to train learners to be critical thinkers, which means that learners struggle to cope when they reach higher education. Basic education assesses basic knowledge, without learners themselves being challenged to engage creatively with content and interpret it through a critical lens. This study researched on three short story textbooks, namely Fabulous, Short Story Anthology and Changes using the qualitative method. These are short story textbooks used in public schools in South Africa, as part of English First Additional Language subject content. Purposive sampling was used to make selection of short stories. Within each book, the Department of Basic Education prescribed eight stories for learning. This study selected two of the eight prescribed stories from each book, making six short stories selected for the research. These stories were analysed with their activities against critical literacy theory. It was found that short story activities, especially those studied in Grade 11 and 12, do not assist learners to develop skills such as problem-solving, creative writing, and critical literacy, and that the Grade 10 stories do in some instances promote critical literacy skills development. On the whole, it was found that all short stories limit learners from being creative beings who are able to rewrite, rethink and reconstruct the world around them.
The Development and Validation of a Theoretical Construct Describing Content Knowledge for Teaching Science: A Case Study with Organic Chemistry
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Ndlovu, Bongani Prince; Mavhunga, Elizabeth
The distinction between academic disciplines and school subjects has not found enough attention in teacher education research. Thus, a question about the nature of content knowledge suitable for pre-service teacher education and as a base for PCK development in science was raised. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize and validate a theoretical construct that describes a version of content knowledge appropriate for training secondary school science teachers. This construct was termed Teacher-related Science Content Knowledge (TerSCK). The study followed the traditional two-step process of developing a theoretical construct. The first phase entailed the conceptualization of the envisaged theoretical construct through a systematic literature review. This was followed by the second phase which empirically proved the validity of the conceptualization as a theoretical construct TerSCK. The validation of the conceptualization was located in the methodology class of the 3rd year pre-service science teachers (PSTs), who majored in physical sciences. As such, the study employed a mixed-method research design with a whole class sample of 35 PSTs. The PSTs were exposed to a TerSCK-based intervention to explore various shifts in the quality of their content knowledge for teaching Organic Chemistry. The findings from the systematic review presented TerSCK as a unique construct located between the academic discipline content and the school science content knowledge. The construct is described through three dimensions that describe the relationship between academic discipline and school subjects. These relational dimensions are the “logical, epistemological and social dimensions”. Translating the relational dimensions into the curriculum through Schwab’s three faces yielded five curriculum elements of TerSCK. These are (i) Fundamentals of the discipline on the topic, (ii) Interconnections between the concepts that make up the fundamental concepts, (iii) Tensions emerging from the process of filtering the discipline fundamentals into the school curriculum scope, (iv) Scientific and other modes of inquiry from other disciplines, and (v) Cultivating social agency. Findings emerging from the empirical study presented the TerSCK construct as valid based on the acceptable calculated fit statistics values at 0.5 to 1.5 and -2.0 to +2.0 for MNSQ and ZSTD, respectively. The empirical findings further indicated that participant PSTs experienced a significant improvement in the quality of TerSCK after the intervention. Implications for initial teacher education have been drawn and the recommendations include large-scale research on the nature of TerSCK in organic chemistry and other chemistry curriculum topics.
Investigating the Emotional Dimension of Subject Advisers’ Work with Teachers
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Nwachukwu, Chioma; Steinberg, Carola
This doctoral thesis investigates the emotional dimension of subject advisers’ work with teachers. The emotional aspect of subject advisers’ work is relatively under-researched. So, this study aims to find out how subject advisers in two differently performing Gauteng districts think and feel about their work with teachers. A conceptual framework was developed using Nussbaum’s (2003) understanding that emotions are always directed at an “object”, Turner’s (2014) understandings that emotions are a valued resource and are unequally distributed, and Frijda’s (1986) understanding that emotions are relevance signalling mechanisms. The conceptual framework also draws on Hochschild (1979; 1983), Zembylas (2002; 2006) and Steinberg (2008; 2014) to operationalize the concepts of emotional rules and emotional labour. The conceptual framework comprises of three concepts: emotions, emotional rules and emotional labour, utilized as a conceptual and analytical lens for analysing subject advisers’ work. The conceptual framework opens opportunities for further research into subject advisers’ emotions. Using a basic interpretive qualitative approach, the study focuses on nine subject advisers’ experiences of their work with teachers. Individual interviews and document reviews provided most of the data for this study. Key findings that arise from this study are that the subject advisers are frustrated at the inability to mediate their monitoring and support roles, which generates tensions that complicate the interaction between subject advisers and teachers. Additionally, the disempowering emotions of subject advisers is caused by lack of influence. Even so, the subject adviser-teacher relationship is complicated by competing power dynamics. However, subject advisers are committed to their jobs despite the challenges they encounter. Their emotional labour shows that subject advisers struggle to escape the negative impressions teachers have about them, while aiming to better support teachers. Their emotional rules show how they strive to fulfil their personal moral mandate of improving the education system. The key insight gained is that subject advisers’ relationship with teachers can be improved, if both teachers and subject advisers commit themselves to an open trusting relationship through proper teacher support. Real cooperation between teachers and subject advisers is possible if the work subject advisers do with teachers is premised on knowledge sharing, rather than on monitoring for compliance.
A social realist perspective of academic advising in a South African higher education context: A study of practices and practitioners
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) De Klerk, Danie; Dison, Laura
The South African higher education sector has numerous challenges to contend with. Students' prospects of success are often vulnerable to uneven secondary schooling, structural and material constraints, massification of the sector, and a range of other factors. In this thesis, I argue that academic advising has the potential to help find responsive and sustainable solutions to address these challenges. Academic advising is well established in the global north. In contrast, it remains an emerging field of practice in South Africa, with a dearth of literature about how advising is developed and practiced within the country’s unique higher education context. This thesis aims to contribute to the limited knowledge base about advising as a practice and the work of academic advisors as practitioners in South Africa. The study provides a social realist perspective of the emergence of advising within a South African higher education context. It draws on Margaret Archer’s work on structure, culture, and agency, the morphogenetic approach, and the notion of stratified layers of social reality to analyse data, make inferences, and draw conclusions. This is a qualitative study that adopts a mixed methods approach. The research paradigm is phenomenological, while phenomenographic principles are used selectively to advance the objectives of the study. The data that informs the study consists of a quantitative baseline dataset and qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 academic advisors working at the University of the Witwatersrand. As this is a PhD by publication, the thesis consists of four interconnected papers (i.e., chapters), bookended by introduction and conclusion chapters. The first paper provides insights about advising as gleaned from the baseline data, while the second draws on the same data to highlight the impact of students’ structural and material constraints on the work of academic advisors. Papers three and four use interview data to glean academic advisor insights about advising prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The thesis concludes by highlighting the transformative potential of academic advising for South African higher education yet cautions that a major shift in the way advising is perceived and practiced is required for its potential to be realised.
Identities and Language Learners: A Case Study of English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Satardien, Sameer; Fouche, Illse; Mendelowitz, Belinda
This study has been conducted in order to ascertain the ways in which learning English may impact the identities of Saudi Arabian learners. Few studies have concentrated on identity in English language learning by Arabic-speaking students and learners living in an Arabic-speaking country. The study addressed this gap by considering how Arabic-speaking native learners learning English view and construct their identities. It employed Norton‟s (2000, 2013) sociocultural view of identity as fluid and evolving over time. The study also used Taylor‟s (2010) quadripolar model of selves. The research is based on a qualitative case study approach. The data were gathered via two online interviews and two narrative texts from three male participants and two narrative writing texts from two female participants. Data triangulation was ensured to attain trustworthiness. The data provided interesting results, showing that my participants presented shifting and bicultural identities. Furthermore, the study showed how some of my participants fell into Taylor‟s (2010) model and shifted between selves. It indicated that my participants‟ identities were not static, but instead evolved based on the situations they found themselves in. The study also revealed my participants‟ positive and negative experiences when learning English; and how they stayed motivated owing to their high level of investment and agency in learning English. The limitations of the study were the short time period for data collection as well as the constraints of the Covid-19 lock-down. I also had to conduct all interviews on Zoom and correspond with my participants via WhatsApp. In addition, owing to restrictions placed by the participants‟ school, I could not conduct any video interviews, or record the interviews. The chief recommendation derived from the study is that teachers should foster an inclusive learning environment in which students feel free to express their identities and interests. In addition, gender dynamics in a classroom should be considered, as should the dimension of affect in language learning in a Saudi Arabian context. This area of research would benefit from further research exploring and ascertaining whether online affinity groups could be included in curricula in a Saudi Arabian English-learning context.
Teachers’ Understanding, Adoption, and Implementation of the Montessori Method in Selected Montessori Schools in Gauteng, South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Gorgieva, Ruzhica; Bagus, Rashad; Aloka, Peter
This research study explored how Montessori teachers understand, adopt, and implement the Montessori Method in a South African context. To these ends the study examined the teachers’ understanding of the Montessori Method and their role in the Method, how they implement the Method in their practice, and the psycho-social factors which influenced them to adopt alternative practices. A framework of five authentic Montessori principles were outlined which served as a lens to examine and determine the teachers’ subjective understanding, adoption, and implementation of these five principles of the Montessori Method. The study adopted an interpretative paradigm and a qualitative multiple-case approach was utilised. This involved the use of data collection methods as semi-structured interviews and observations of 14 pre-primary Montessori teachers, from six private Montessori schools in Gauteng, South Africa. The findings revealed that the teachers have a comprehensive understanding of the Montessori Method and their understanding of their role in the Method did not differ from Montessori’s role descriptions. However, it was found that despite their comprehensive understanding of the Method, the teachers adopted practices which were not congruent with the Montessori Method. The reasons for the adoption of these noncongruent practices included their disagreement with Montessori’s ideas, beliefs, financial constraints, parental demands, and quite importantly, the children’s disruptive behaviour. It is recommended that Montessori schools should provide parents with clear indication about their adherence to Maria Montessori’s practices, and should reveal whether the employed teachers are trained in the Montessori Method. Further recommendations include parental education about the nature of the authentic Montessori Method, to assist them in making the correct decision regarding their children’s education.

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