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"College teachers Africa Case studies."
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Developing science, mathematics, and ICT education in Sub-Saharan Africa : patterns and promising practices
'Developing Science, Mathematics and ICT in Secondary Education' is based on country studies from ten Sub-Saharan African countries: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, and a literature review. It reveals a number of huge challenges in science, mathematics and ICT (SMICT) education in sub-Saharan Africa: poorly-resourced schools; large classes; a curriculum hardly relevant to the daily lives of students; a lack of qualified teachers; and inadequate teacher education programs. Through examining country case studies, this paper discusses the lessons for improvement of SMICT in secondary education in Africa.
eBook
Collaborative design as a form of professional development
Increasingly, teacher involvement in collaborative design of curriculum is viewed as a form of professional development. However, the research base for this stance is limited. While it is assumed that the activities teachers undertake during collaborative design of curricular materials can be beneficial for teacher learning, only a few studies involving such efforts exist. Additionally many lack specific theoretical frameworks for robust investigation of teacher learning by design. The situative perspective articulated by Greeno et al. (1998) and third-generation activity theory as developed by Engeström (1987) constitute useful conceptual frameworks to describe and investigate teacher learning by collaborative design. In this contribution, three key features derived from these two theories, situatedness, agency and the cyclical nature of learning and change, are used to describe three cases of collaborative design in three different settings. Grounded on this theoretical basis and a synthesis of the three case descriptions, we propose an empirically and theoretically informed agenda for studying teacher learning by collaborative design.
Journal Article
Rethinking China's Soft Power: “Pragmatic Enticement” of Confucius Institutes in Ethiopia
This article examines China's most controversial soft power export – the Confucius Institute initiative – through the case study of its promotion and implementation in Ethiopia. As one of China's closest partners in Africa, Ethiopia presents a path-breaking case for examining the potential and the limitations of Confucius Institutes. In contrast to the existing literature that depicts Confucius Institutes largely as contested and limited initiatives, this article shows that Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms have thus far been relatively successful in Ethiopia. Specifically, China's fusion of practical or tangible benefits with language and cultural promotion – what I describe as “pragmatic enticement” – invokes support from key participants in this project, including university administrators, students and Chinese teachers. In the long term, however, even in the highly favourable context of Ethiopia, the sustainability of Confucius Institutes is questionable, as there are apparent gaps between the rising expectations of Ethiopian administrators and students, and the limited resources on the ground.
Journal Article
Teacher educators’ experiences of the shift to remote teaching and learning due to COVID-19
BackgroundThe measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020 meant that many higher education institutions (HEIs) had to shift rapidly to remote teaching and learning (RTL). Given the unique demands of teacher education programmes, the question of the extent to which RTL and similar modes of teaching and learning are suited to the preparation of primary school teachers to teach in South African schools is an important one.AimThe aim of the study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of teacher educators (TEs) towards this rapid shift to RTL.SettingThe study took place in one department in a faculty of education in an urban South African university.MethodsThis study took the form of a qualitative case study. Data was gathered by means semistructured individual interviews and focus group discussions.ResultsFirstly, it was found that mixed responses to the change to RTL at the outset gave way to a general consensus about the long-term value of blended learning. Secondly, it was found that the change to RTL had a positive effect on TEs’ teaching, given increased familiarity with, and integration of, technology, as well as the accompanying revisions to both pedagogy and curricula. Thirdly, the data showed that TEs perceived RTL as limiting because of two main factors, namely students’ lack of information and communication technology (ICT) resources and because, in their estimation, teacher education uniquely requires contact teaching. Finally, it was found that the change to RTL created additional psychological stressors for both students and staff.ConclusionBased on this study’s findings, the authors advocate for more recognition and support for the emotional work performed by TEs during times of transition. They also argue that TEs should be given more responsibility in moulding blended teaching and learning practices according to their experiences of the successes and challenges of RTL.
Journal Article
Foundation phase pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching life skills during teaching practice
Background In South Africa socio-economic problems such as poor health conditions, juvenile delinquency, high rates of school dropout and teenage pregnancy are increasing. Therefore, it is vital to prepare foundation phase (FP) pre-service teachers to fortify children with basic life skills (LS) that will help them to cope with real-world challenges and demands. Aim The study is aimed to explore the experiences of pre-service FPLS teachers during their teaching practice. Setting This qualitative case study was conducted in the FP department of a teacher-training institution at a South African university. Methods Twenty final-year pre-service teachers were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews and reflective writing exercises. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and the classification of the emerging themes was informed by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. Results The findings revealed pre-service teachers' experience of support from mentors, a struggle with implementation of FP curriculum, realities of classroom interaction, inefficient language of interaction for the FP classroom, and a lack of awareness of the importance of LS as a subject. Conclusion The study argues that to improve the pedagogy of future LS teachers, a review and reform of the LS teacher-training curriculum are necessary. This curriculum needs to provide more extensive micro-teaching that promotes teachers' general proficiency in the home languages of their learners and equips them with effective teaching strategies. The implementation of the LS curriculum needs to be regularly evaluated to ensure that these skills are imparted to young learners for their individual benefit and for the benefit of society.
Journal Article
Examining Emergency Remote Teaching Using the Community of Inquiry Framework: Lecturer Experiences in a Kenyan University
The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced many universities worldwide to switch from face-to-face classes to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) to allow students to continue learning. Using the Community of Inquiry framework, this study aimed to examine a group of lecturers’ experiences of ERT at a university in Kenya. The study was conducted using a qualitative case study design within an interpretive paradigm. Ten lecturers were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that these lecturers had established teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence to enhance students’ learning experiences during the time they engaged in ERT. The Community of Inquiry was found to be a useful framework by the researchers for lecturers to use in order to rethink, organize, and guide ERT at the university, which was the site of the study. This study has practical implications for course designers, researchers, and students at universities and other educational institutions concerning curriculum re-design using a CoI as a framework.
Journal Article
Justice-oriented tourism education
In an era calling for bold advocacy for radical transformations toward sustainability, Global North universities’ tourism curricula often overlook indigenous knowledge of the Global South, perpetuating unsustainable practices and exacerbating educational inequities. This study addresses the following question: How does justice-oriented tourism education integrate Global South perspectives to reform northern curricula for sustainability? Using a qualitative approach, the researcher conducted an ethnographic study with 7 indigenous individuals across the Global South and 12 Northern educators to assess impacts. The findings reveal that incorporating Global South perspectives, such as indigenous tourism models, enhances students’ cultural awareness and prepares them for sustainable tourism careers, although institutional resistance creates obstacles. This paper aims to advocate for justice-oriented curriculum reforms that empower Global South students, contributing to decolonial pedagogy and sustainable tourism education for inclusive and equitable global mobility.
Journal Article
Perception of Medical and Nursing Students Plus Clinical Instructors Towards Objective Structured Clinical Examination: A Case Study of Five Health Training Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is the gold standard for assessing clinical competencies. However, resource constraints and logistical challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) hinder its effectiveness. This study investigated the perceptions and experiences of medical and nursing students and clinical instructors toward OSCE in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was utilized involving 686 undergraduate health care students and 46 clinical instructors from Busitema University (Uganda), Mzuzu University (Malawi), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), and University of Zambia (Zambia). Quantitative responses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25, with comparisons between medical and nursing student responses made using chi-square test. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed.
A total of 686 students and 42 clinical instructors participated in the study. Majority of students 57.6% (n = 395, P-value < 0.001) and 71.8% (n = 33) instructors recognized OSCE as a comprehensive tool for assessing clinical skills and knowledge, respectively. Among students, 80.8% (n = 554, P-value = 0.031), 66.6% (n = 457, P-value = 0.001), 66.6% (n = 456, P-value = 0.020) and 61.4% (n = 421, P-value = 0.001) cited anxiety, station timing, examiners' behavior and content load as factors influencing performance. Of the clinical instructors 58.7% (n = 27) noted that it takes longer time to prepare scenarios, however 71.8% (n = 33) highlighted its objectivity. Students praised OSCE's objectivity but criticized insufficient time on some stations and organizational issues. Facilitators cited objectivity and competence assessment but noted resource insufficiencies and student stress. Suggestions for improvement included mock OSCEs, training of clinical instructors, mixed method assessment and feedback to improve performance.
In conclusion, while OSCE demonstrates significant strengths in promoting fairness in assessing clinical competencies, addressing logistical challenges, examiner variability, student anxiety, and timely feedback is crucial.
Journal Article
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.
Journal Article