scholarly journals Managing the Covid-19 pandemic in South African Schools: turning challenge into opportunity

2021 ◽  
pp. 008124632110583
Author(s):  
Jacobus Gideon Maree
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
The South ◽  
The Public ◽  
Tertiary Teaching ◽  
South African School ◽  
Learning Platforms

This article reports on challenges faced today by the South African schooling system due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the emphasis on the public school system. Its aim is to show the extent and nature of these challenges and how they exacerbate existing challenges and impact the quality of post-matric study and tertiary education. A number of specific challenges are focused on such as large class sizes, physical distancing requirements, and the use of online and digital learning platforms to facilitate education, and how this style of teaching and training is not practical for most of the South African school population. The discrepancy between the real situation in schools and the applicability of Covid-19 protocols is also examined. In addition, I discuss the problems posed by the schooling time that has been lost, the effect of curriculum trimming, and the long-term price post-Grade 12 study and tertiary teaching and learning may have to pay. Finally, looking through a positive, future-oriented lens, I endeavour to place the overall situation in South African education in perspective.

scholarly journals Intelligent Modelling of Learning Patterns in Tertiary Education Setting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Tuyishimire ◽  
Wadzanai Mabuto ◽  
Paul Gatabazi ◽  
Sylvie Bayisingize
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Development ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Learning Patterns ◽  
Learning Platforms

We are in the era where various processes need to be online. However, data from digital learning platforms are still underutilised in higher education, yet, they contain student learning patterns, whose awareness would contribute to educational development. This limits development of adaptive teaching and learning mechanisms. In this paper, a model for data exploitation to dynamically study students progress is proposed. Variables to determine current students progress are defined and are used to group students into different clusters. K-means clustering is performed on real data consisting of students from a South African tertiary institution. Cluster migration is analysed and the corresponding learning patterns are revealed.

The South African Cash-In-Transit Heist Enterprise: Managing its Wellspring and Concatenation

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 198-224
Author(s):  
Mahlogonolo Stephina Thobane
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
The South ◽  
The Public ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Career Criminals ◽  
Risk Reduction Strategies ◽  
Master Of Arts ◽  
In Transit ◽  
Method Approach

AbstractSouth African cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies appear to be in a state of flux. According to the Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, the incidence of these crimes has steadily decreased due to rapid response by the police in arresting more than 200 suspects between June and November 2018. Given the rhizomatic, eclectic nature of this crime type – and possible mechanical linkages and/or linear causality within the genesis of the crime – it is debatable whether arrests and incarceration offer a long-term solution. CIT robbers interviewed for this study reported that they were career criminals, less likely to be rehabilitated and that incarceration was only an interruption to their career. These findings were backed by life-course theories. This article contends that if the South African Criminal Justice System wants to curb CIT robberies, an investigation into proactive methods for combating the crime should be developed and risk reduction strategies crafted. After investigating possible causes of CIT robberies, this research made recommendations based on holistic measures involving the public, family, and various government and non-governmental departments. The research was conducted for a Master of Arts degree in Criminology. A mixed-method approach was followed and 40 incarcerated offenders who committed robbery with aggravating circumstances participated in the study.

scholarly journals Blended learning and team teaching: Adapting pedagogy in response to the changing digital tertiary environment

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renee Crawford ◽  
Louise Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Team Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Pedagogical Change ◽  
Tertiary Teaching ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
Pre Service Teacher Education ◽  
Pre Service Teacher

Increased accessibility of advanced technology, the targeted use of online learning platforms, student flexible learning expectations and the pressures of faculty budget constraints and priorities have called into question the effectiveness of traditional tertiary teaching and learning models. The tertiary education context must evolve at a pace consistent with the growing expectations and requirements of an innovative society. A teacher-led research project was devised to navigate through some of the complexities and implications associated with necessary pedagogical change in response to the transitioning digital tertiary environment. The development and implementation of blended learning and team teaching strategies were introduced into the pedagogy of a tertiary pre-service teacher education methods class. This paper reports on three sequential years of findings, which will explore student understandings of blended learning and team teaching and the overall impact they had on their learning in this context.

scholarly journals Human evolution in the South African school curriculum

2019 ◽  
Vol 115 (7/8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarisa Sutherland ◽  
Ericka N. L'Abbé
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
The South ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
South Africans ◽  
South African School ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

A decade after the introduction of the topic into the South African public school curriculum, the theory of evolution by natural selection is poorly understood among those who teach it, and that flawed understanding is transferred to those attempting to learn it. The curricula, support material and textbooks designed to underpin teaching and learning of evolution are often inaccurate. Deeply held religious views in the country, especially Christianity, remain a stumbling block towards understanding and accepting evolution. The lack of scientific literacy allows for the continuation of Social Darwinism and racial stereotypes and deprives the victims of those ills of the knowledge and mechanisms of thought to counter these ideas. This review explores the relatively sparse but nevertheless well-conducted research into evolution education in South Africa. We conclude that an understanding of human evolution is essential to the country’s growing democracy because it provides a framework within which South Africans can understand and appreciate the diversity and heterogeneous nature of our society.

Book review: Jansen, J. 2017. As by Fire: The End of the South African University. Cape Town: Tafelberg.

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Jared McDonald
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
The South ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Vice Chancellor ◽  
The University

Dr Jared McDonald, of the Department of History at the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, reviews As by fire: the end of the South African university, written by former UFS vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen.    How to cite this book review: MCDONALD, Jared. Book review: Jansen, J. 2017. As by Fire: The End of the South African University. Cape Town: Tafelberg.. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South, [S.l.], v. 1, n. 1, p. 117-119, Sep. 2017. Available at: <http://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=18>. Date accessed: 12 Sep. 2017.   This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Morphology and long-term landscape evolution of the South African plateau in South Namibia

CATENA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 47-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Mvondo Owono ◽  
Marie-Joseph Ntamak-Nida ◽  
Olivier Dauteuil ◽  
François Guillocheau ◽  
Bernard Njom
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Landscape Evolution ◽  
The South

scholarly journals The Representation of Religion in Religion Education: Notes from the South African Periphery

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulkader Tayob
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
The South ◽  
Policy Document ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Representation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pluralistic Approach ◽  
Religion In Public Life

Scholars of Religion Education (RE) have promoted a non-confessional approach to the teaching of religions that explores and examines the religious history of humankind, with due attention paid to its complexity and plurality. In this promotion, the public representation of religion and its impact on RE has not received sufficient attention. An often hegemonic representation of religion constitutes an important part of religion in public life. Moreover, this article argues that this representation is a phenomenon shared by secular, secularizing, and deeply religious societies. It shows that a Western understanding of secularization has guided dominant RE visions and practices, informed by a particular mode of representation. As an illustration of how education in and representation of religion merges in RE, the article analyses the South African policy document for religion education. While the policy promotes RE as an educational practice, it also makes room for a representation of religion. This article urges that various forms of the representation of religion should be more carefully examined in other contexts, particularly by those who want to promote a non-confessional and pluralistic approach to RE.

scholarly journals APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT TO MEASURE THE PERFORMANCE IN EDUCATION – VALUE FOR MONEY

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-57
Author(s):  
Jana Štrangfeldová ◽  
Štefan Hronec ◽  
Jana Hroncová Vicianová ◽  
Nikola Štefanišinová
Keyword(s):  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Comprehensive Measurement

Education is a key area, the results of which play an important role in the development of each society. The role of education focused on the inclusion of children into school groups, to prepare students to enter the labour market or continue their studies in the context of tertiary education is a sufficient argument to enable beginning to look for answers and possible solutions to the difficult question of the quality of schools. Constant pressure from the public forces them to monitor and improve the provision of public services, and continually enhance their own performance in order to achieve long-term existential security. These facts consequently require a comprehensive measurement of their performance. This opens up opportunities for applying the concept of Value For Money based on the principles of New Public Management. The purpose of the scientific study is to show the potential uses of Value for Money on the example of education. The suggestion of methodology of VFM to measure the performance in education presented in this study shows possibilities to measure, evaluate, monitor and achieve necessary and especially relevant information about the situation of education and subsequent decision-making not only for public forces, but also, it can be the suitable tool for public grammar schools themselves. The article is co-financed by the project VEGA 1/0651/17.

scholarly journals Whistleblowing: Impediments to effective implementation within the South African public sector

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirmala Dorasamy ◽  
Soma Pillay
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
The South ◽  
The Public ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
The Cost

This purpose of this article is to explore impediments to effective whistleblowing as a strategy for promoting anti-corruption practices within the South African public sector. Corruption, which violates the public service code of conduct; deters foreign investment, increases the cost of public service delivery, undermines the fight against poverty and unnecessarily burdens the criminal justice system. The article addresses the question on whether legislation on whistleblowing is adequate to encourage whistleblowing in the public sector. A review of literature determines that the effective implementation of whistleblowing legislation is largely dependent on addressing the challenges identified in the article. The quantitative research method was employed in the study to ascertain the views of employees in the public sector on whistleblowing. Empirical findings confirm the hypothesis that the protection of whistleblowers through legislation is inadequate to encourage whistleblowing. The article provides a conceptual framework for the effective achievement of the intended outcomes of whistleblowing in the public sector.

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