The onomastic possibility of renaming the Sepedi and Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho) language names to restore peace, dignity and solidarity

The study embraced the onomastic possibility of renaming the Sepedi and Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho) language names that have caused and are still causing onomastic confusion to the first language (L1) speakers of the language under scrutiny, and also to the speakers of other languages. The study was conducted in 2019 at five selected South African universities – University of Johannesburg, University of South Africa, University of Limpopo, University of Venda and Tshwane University of Technology – which offered the language under investigation as an L1 module. In addition, language experts (practitioners) at the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) and its sub-structures and the National Department of Arts and Culture, including Limpopo and Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, were also involved in the study. Quota sampling was used to select all the 267 participants in the study. The study found that both Sepedi and Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho) language names are rejected by onomastic principles of naming an official language. An overwhelming majority of the participants opined that this language should be renamed, with the anticipation that the new name will bring peace, unity and solidarity to the L1 speakers of Sepedi.

The significance of tasks in second language learning: The case of Africa University in Zimbabwe

Purpose: This study utilised the case study approach for an in-depth understanding of the practices of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Africa University (AU), Zimbabwe. The study aimed to provide a description of unique and typical ESL experiences in a particular African context. Research Methodology: The study investigated 60 participants who were prospective undergraduate students enrolled in the ESL programme and were separated into two groups. Each group consisted of 30 participants who received task-based instruction hinged on reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Result: An analysis of the learners' performance revealed that tasks facilitate the learning of ESL by exposing learners to different problem-solving scenarios that required higher-order cognitive skills. Limitations: This study was based on the ESL classroom at AU, which enrols students from African countries. A similar study could be conducted with students from more diverse backgrounds to establish if the results of this study could be corroborated or refuted. Similar studies could also be conducted in other second language contexts where English is not the target language. Contribution: The results of this study are important for the discipline of ESL as they support existing knowledge that tasks allow learners to communicate using the correct grammatical structures in a given relevant context.

Indicators for the Measurement of Teachers’ Professional Identity across Asia and Africa: A Delphi Study

The comprehensiveness of teacher professional identity (TPI) studies conducted by African and Asian researchers highlights the importance of valid TPI indicators across Africa and Asia. Questionnaire TPI indicators are important to obtain valid direct comparisons between teachers in Africa and Asia. The process of developing a questionnaire served as an avenue for researchers from Asian and African regions to learn about TPI pointers from each other. This study used the Delphi technique to achieve consensus on valid TPI indicators across African and Asian regions. Fourteen researchers from the Asia-Africa University Dialogue Network for Educational Development (AAD) were selected using purposive sampling. TPI in this study is defined as a multifaceted concept comprising contextual and personal factors that differ across national borders. The indicators in the questionnaire represented personal, social and institutional factors perceived by teachers and outlined in the literature. In the Delphi study process, the researchers used three rounds to validate the initial 40-item TPI questionnaire. Subsequent analysis of the results indicated high importance and consensus among experts. Owing to its standardized procedure, the TPI questionnaire makes it possible to collect and compare the TPI dimensions from the different socio-economic contexts in which teachers work in Africa and Asia. The findings of this study guide African and Asian researchers on the common understanding of TPI characteristics prevalent across African and Asian regions. Research protocols for fostering quality research toward addressing challenges faced by the teacher education sector in African and Asian countries is also implied.

In-Service Teachers’ Perception of Continuing Education Programmes in Two African Universities

The study compared the in-service teachers’ perception of continuing education programmes from two universities in Africa; University of Zululand, South Africa (UZ), and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria, (AAU). The study covers the impact, effectiveness and efficiency of UZ and AAU on in-service teachers’ of continuing education programmes. The target population and sample for the study were the current teachers of continuing education programmes of these universities. The instrument tagged ‘Questionnaire for Perceptions of Continuing Education Programmes by in-service Teachers’ (QPCEPIT) was designed and used for data collection. The descriptive survey research design of ex-post facto was adopted for the study. 150 questionnaires were randomly used for pilot study, carried out at Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria, whilst 500 questionnaires each were administered at both UZ and AAU of which 365 and 321 responses were valid and analysed respectively. Four research questions were carefully formulated to ascertain the perceptions of continuing education programmes by in-service teachers in the selected universities. Inferential statistics was used to draw conclusions and test the research questions for the study. The results of the comparative study revealed that the conclusiveness of the learning environment, the nature and quality of student support services provided, the quality and learners’ perception of course modules or materials, accommodation problems and venue of the programme were the major predictors for motivation of in-service teachers of the programme. Based on the findings of the study recommendations were made on how the programme will have impact on the in-service teachers and how the universities that are running the programme will be effectively and efficiently manage the programme for the acceleration and advancement of socio-economic growth in South Africa, Nigeria, and the world at large.

The School Leadership Is a Key to Break the Higher Education Iron Triangle through Borderless Distance Education: The Case of UNISA in Addis Ababa Ethiopia

This paper examines the role of cross-border distance education institutions in providing access to quality postgraduate education in Ethiopia, using the South Africa University (UNISA) as a case study. It draws on the appropriate school leadership for the development of distance education, and it further explores the potential of a distance education program delivery system in an Ethiopian context. In addition, the study explores the policy gap between conventional and distance education in relation to international postgraduate distance education. Two instruments were used to gather relevant data, namely: interviews and document analysis. Theoretical framework developed through three key elements: access, cost and quality were used as tools of analysis.