Browsing by Author "Manik, Sadhana."

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A critical analysis of the relationship between literacy and disadvantage: a case study of grade 11 literacy practices in a township school.
(2016) Haricharan, Dhanwanthie.; Manik, Sadhana.
South Africa is currently in an educational crisis as evidenced by the performance of learners in a myriad of high stakes tests that they are exposed to. It has been established that this state of crisis is strongly correlated with the literacy levels of learners. The performance on the aforementioned tests are aligned with those who hail from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, performing overwhelmingly worse than those who do not. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between literacy and disadvantage. The objectives of the study were to interrogate the literacy practices in school and to identify the ways in which disadvantage manifested itself within these literacy practices. In order to investigate these critical issues, a case study was conducted. One grade 11 class located in a township school formed the case of study. Data was gathered using classroom observations, post observation interviews, focus group interviews with the learners and with the teachers, a semi-structured interview with the principal and a questionnaire for the learners. Reading, writing, speaking and practical literacy practices were observed in the classroom. It was found that there was the general lack of a culture of reading amongst the learners and so the learners’ level of reading was below grade level. Writing was emphasized in class or given as homework with much of the writing centering on note-taking. Learners had to work in an environment where there was a chronic lack of resources (such as textbooks) which impacted on their literacy practices. The teaching and learning environment in which the literacies were embedded was characterized by a lack of suitable reading and writing instruction (in all of their subjects), feedback and practical science literacy. There were however, instances where teachers successfully and practically demonstrated particular tasks. The interactions in the classroom were dominated by the teacher-talk. There was language fluidity in these interactions as teachers used multilingual resources such as code-switching and transliteration to facilitate learning. Teachers also employed innovative teaching strategies. Further analysis of the data showed that disadvantage manifested in literacy practices in both obvious (such as lack of resources) and subtle ways (such as attitudes and social behaviours). The ways in which disadvantage manifested in the literacy practices also differed amongst the different literacy practices. An ecological theory for literacy development was used in order to understand the extent to which literacy development is context dependent and thus more susceptible to influence from situational factors of disadvantage such as poverty, ideology, pedagogy etc. This perspective revealed a nuanced relationship between literacy and disadvantage and concluded that literacy is the product of the individual and his/her environment (which comprises the micro, meso, exo and macro systems)
Food insecurity in South Western Zimbabwe: the vulnerability of primary school children in Matobo District.
(2019) Ndiweni, Nkululeko Joshua.; Manik, Sadhana.
While the capacity and resources in the world are sufficient to ensure adequate and nutritious food for everyone (Ignowski, 2012; Sharma et al., 2016), worldwide household food insecurity has risen amongst the low income population who are significantly more vulnerable to the health and environmental risks posed by climate change and socio-economic factors. This has triggered nutrition problems and health challenges amongst children due to increased hunger. There is a plethora of studies on food insecurity in rural and urban areas in general in Zimbabwe but less work has focused on children’s vulnerability to food insecurity. The purpose of this study was to explore children’s vulnerability to food insecurity in primary schools of south western Zimbabwe, a drought prone area, through the lens of their teachers and parents. A case study of six primary schools was sampled in the Matobo district. Twelve school administrators and eighteen teachers were interviewed and there were six focus group discussions with parents of vulnerable children. The framework for this study is based on Amartya Sen’s (1981) ‘entitlement approach’ that food insecurity is a result of people not having enough command over food. The study revealed that there were social and physical effects of food insecurity that negatively affect children and their learning. Learners are vulnerable to food insecurity as a result of social, economic and environmental conditions. Although supplementary feeding programmes have been implemented to curb the effects of food insecurity, the strategy is less effective due to a shortage of resources to provide nutritious diets to the learners and it is only learners in lower grades who access food. Some schools are yet to implement supplementary feeding programmes that address the nutrient needs of the learners, albeit some schools have managed to source donors that are supplying nutritious foods for all their learners. Most participants recommended a nutrient rich feeding programme that caters for the whole school and the involvement of various stakeholders in order to access enough resources to address learners’ vulnerability to food insecurity amongst in primary schools in Matobo district.
Geographic information systems (GIS) diffusion in high schools.
(2023) Hlatywayo, Johane.; Manik, Sadhana.
Geographical information systems (GIS), the phenomenon for this study, was introduced as a section in the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) for school Geography in 2006 in South Africa. It also appears in the latest Curriculum addition, namely the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), for Geography. It is taught in the further education and training (FET) phase of high school (Grades 10, 11 and 12) as a critical part of map work, which is assessed in Paper 2 of the geography examinations for these grades. An acknowledgement of the high failure rate of matric learners (grade 12) in the high stakes examination in Geography is testimony to the challenges that teachers and learners face. However, few studies have explored GIS diffusion locally, through the lens of teachers: their beliefs and views, the way it is taught and why, given that it is a practical component of the curriculum dependent on school resources, such as access to electricity, computers, GIS software and teachers’ innovativeness. Hence, there was a need to understand how GIS is taught and to identify the challenges which teachers face when they teach this section of the curriculum. The aim of the study was thus to explore GIS diffusion through the teaching of GIS in high schools in the Frances Baard district of the Northern Cape province of South Africa, a context where there is a dearth of research on GIS teaching in Geography. Key objectives of this study included an exploration of the pedagogical approaches used by geography teachers when they teach GIS and the reasons why they choose these approaches. The study also sought to examine teachers ’attitudes towards the inclusion of GIS in Geography in the FET phase and their views about teaching it. The study fell within the pragmatist paradigm, and a sequential explanatory mixed methods and multiple-case study design research design was adopted. Questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations were used to generate data. Purposive convenience sampling was utilised to select the most accessible participants. In total, 60 geography teachers participated in this research. The study used Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovation theory and the technology acceptance model (TAM) as frameworks. The data from the interviews and classroom observations were analysed thematically using framework analysis, whilst the data from the questionnaires were analysed quantitively using SPSS, and the application of the Fisher’s test and ANOVA. The study integrated the findings and drew inferences using both qualitative and quantitative data. Teachers were found to have positive attitudes about the inclusion of GIS in the curriculum and they displayed an appreciation of its importance in society. However, the study found that the use of GIS in the classroom is constrained by several technical and non-technical challenges. It was revealed that seasoned teachers (who have been in the teaching profession for a long time) do not easily accept curriculum changes and need in-service training to enhance their knowledge and confidence in new content, such as GIS when it’s introduced into the curriculum. Further, the research noted that the majority of teachers used teacher-centred pedagogical approaches when teaching GIS, utilising mainly the textbook. It was a significant finding that the teachers lacked GIS training, and that they had inadequate GIS content knowledge. Furthermore, teachers 'integration of GIS in their geography lessons, was impaired by infrastructure challenges in the school with electricity and internet connectivity. The study makes theoretical contributions to the diffusion of innovation, as well as technology acceptance models from a GIS lens, in addition to Geography teaching in South Africa. Many teachers resorted to thus ‘teaching about GIS’ rather than ‘teaching through GIS’. As a result, ‘perfunctory GIS teaching’ was evident in the mechanical, minimal effort, unenthusiastic manner of teaching. Many teachers were ‘curriculum cramming’ - they hurtled through the GIS section of the CAPS and failed to integrate it with other Geography topics in the curriculum due to the curriculum and assessment demands for GIS. Whilst there is value in teacher-centred pedagogical approaches to teaching some aspects of GIS, the current curriculum is constructivist and teachers’ weak GIS content knowledge base contributed to influencing the pedagogical approaches which they opted to use when teaching GIS. The study advances an ecosystems model to understand and respond to the GIS teaching challenges facing Geography teachers in the Frances Baard district of the Northern Cape. Thus, the study recommends that it is critical for teachers to receive GIS support such as GIS training on compliance to CAPS and to build sufficient content and pedagogical content knowledge to be confident in teaching this section. The research also recommends that, in order to bridge the gap in GIS knowledge, a seeding model of GIS can be pursued in the province. Alternatively, the GIS lessons can be skype/zoom taught if there is a lack of access to electricity so that schools can learn simultaneously. These models can help reduce the failure rate in the GIS section of the matric exit examination and it can assist to promote the subject of geography, especially for those learners who are intent on pursuing GIS linked careers. Other insights gained from the data suggest that the pedagogical approaches used, the knowledge of GIS by teachers, and their attitudes towards GIS can be improved if other stakeholders (apart from the Department of Education and their district offices), such as the Environmental Systems Research Institute South Africa, universities and local municipalities that have access to GIS expertise and resources help to set up collaborative project endeavours to provide GIS expertise, to workshop teachers and to tutor learners in the GIS seeding of schools.
The impact of the national professional diploma in education in educators' lives.
(2009) Zuma, Zwelabantu Jabulani.; Ramrathan, Prevanand.; Manik, Sadhana.
Within the restructuring agenda of post apartheid South Africa was the national educational agenda which included the upgrading and re-skilling of teachers. One of the programmes identified and developed nationally was National professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) to upgrade the teaching qualifications of under- qualified educators and later un-qualified educators. Within this programme, re-skilling of these educators was also targeted to assist the Department of Education to implement its new school curriculum. Many cohorts have graduated from this programme since the inception of the NPDE in 2002. It is now the time to ask the question “Did the NPDE make any impact in the lives of educators?” The study seeks to offer an understanding of an understanding of the programme within the rural context by asking the following questions: 1. Is the NPDE making any difference in the rural areas- what do graduates and schools in these contexts have to say? In this study, a tracer study of graduates in the Singane area (name created for this study) will be presented to teachers’ (NPDE graduates) experiences of the programme and its benefit to their personal and professional development? 2. Is the NPDE meeting the challenges of the systemic intervention- a curriculum analysis? This study also explores how both the curriculum design and context addressed the needs of the teachers in rural context like Singane. Through a curriculum analysis of the NPDE, the design and delivery are put under scrutiny to explore the relationship between the NPDE’s intentions and what actually.
Integrating indigenous knowledge into the teaching of weather and climate in the geography curriculum in secondary schools: the case of Manicaland in Zimbabwe.
(2020) Risiro, Joshua.; Manik, Sadhana.
The aim of this study was to explore integrating Indigenous Knowledge (IK) into the teaching of weather and climate in Geography in secondary schools in Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. The study was motivated by the need to enhance and promote the integration of IK into the teaching of Geography in Zimbabwe. Available literature has shown that very little has occurred to integrate IK in the teaching of Geography in Zimbabwe. Most of the available literature has focused on the nature and importance of IK without explicitly focusing on the application of IK in teaching. This study therefore focused on the views of teachers and community elders regarding decolonisation of the curriculum and integrating IK in the teaching of weather and climate in Geography. The study further explored how IK can feature in the teaching of weather and climate in Geography. Finally, the study examined the challenges that might be faced in the process of integrating IK in the teaching of Geography. The interpretive paradigm guided the study. A Qualitative research method that made use of interviews and focus group discussions was used to collect data from the participants. The population sample included interviews with fourteen (14) community elders and sixteen (16) education practitioners. In addition, seven (7) focus group discussions with community elders and another seven (7) with educators were facilitated. Purposive sampling was adopted to select the participants of the study. The study revealed that integrating IK into the Geoography syllabus was strongly mooted as a way of decolonizing the curriculum. The community elders were of the view that the integration of IK in the teaching of Geography was a way of restoring Zimbabwean national heritage which had been lost due to foreign influences stemming from colonisation. The elders believed that, the teaching of Geography was supposed to incorporate African unhu/ubuntu values and experiences among the learners that build a total person. Teachers believed that integrating IK in Geography would enhance the use indigenous pedagogical practices resulting in a better understanding of geographical concepts. It was revealed that the teachers could use various pathways of integrating IK in the teaching of Geography. Both the community elders and teachers believed that local language/dialect usage, indigenous methods of weather forecasting and the role of spirituality should be integrated in the teaching of Geography and this would provide a much-needed authentic education in the Geography curriculum. Thus, indigenising the Geography curriculum can also be heralded as cultural and linguistic pluralism in the syllabus which is currently absent. However, disappointingly, many Geography teachers held negative beliefs of indigenous practices and they did not believe that IK held equal status with western Science. They provided simplistic ideas such as cultural songs in the lesson introduction as a way of integratiing IK into lessons on weather and climate. Several challenges to the integration of IK in the teaching of weather and climate in Geography were suggested by the participants and these included religious factors, government policies, modernisation, a lack of resources and assessment. The study advances a process model for the integration of IK in the Geography curriculum in Zimbabwe. It was observed that there was a need for future studies to research the use of indigenous knowledge and practices in classroom teaching to grow the literature in this field.
International Phd students’ first-year experiences: the case of students at the university of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN).
(2022) Oyewo, Adetola Elizabeth.; Manik, Sadhana.
This study contributes to the literature on internationalization of higher education by adding to scholarship on students' destination choice on studying abroad and their expe1iences in host count1ies. South-south migration of students is an under researched field when compared to South-nmth migration. This study, couched in transnationalism, examined the reasons for international PhD students from com1tries in Afiica exiting their home count1y to study at the University of KwaZuluNatal (UKZN) in South Africa and their first-yeai· PhD expe1iences at UK.ZN. The study is unde1pinned by push-pull theories (Ravenstein, 1885; Lee, 1966; Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002) and the social capital themy of Bourdieu (1986). The study was qualitative using interviews and focus group discussions as date generation tools. Sixteen international PhD students from Africa, studying at UKZN were selected through convenience sampling. The findings indicate that international PhD students exit their home com1tiy because of several push factors, which collectively spur them to leaving their home cmmtiy to study at UKZN. International student migration to UKZN results in a brain gain for UKZN and a brain drain to the home com1tiy. The study advances theoretical insights into the push factors from other Afiican cmmt1ies, which were numerous; however the financial pull factors comprising fee remission and oppmtunities to tutor/ lecture at UKZN in SA ove1whelmingly propelled the mobility of international students from countries in Africa to UKZN in SA. The findings illmninate both positive and negative experiences about students' first-year PhD study at UKZN. The study fom1d that the students were accessing an array of social capitals at the host institution and within South Afiica. Positive experiences included academic tutoring/ lecniring and reseai·ch training towards completion of the PhD with initiatives such as the UKZN boot camps, workshops and the coho1t model. These expe1iences developed the hmnan capital of international students. Discursive positionality influenced students' expe1iences: the inability to speak isiZulu, Afrophobia, exclusion, and perceptions of 'being an outsider/foreigner. These created significant acculturative stresses for international students during the first year PhD. The study extends on the theo1ies of Mazzarol and Soutar and Lee. It makes a fiuther theoretical contiibution by providing a framework on the push-pull factors influencing international PhD students to study at UK.ZN and advances a framework on the provision of service quality. Several recommendations are provided to stI·engthen service delive1y for African international snidents to enhance the PhD students' experiences in their first year.
Migrant teachers' experiences of teaching in primary schools in Johannesburg.
(2014) Anganoo, Lucille-Dawn.; Manik, Sadhana.
This study examined the reasons why migrant teachers were teaching in primary schools in Johannesburg and it also explored what were migrant teachers’ experiences of teaching in primary schools in Johannesburg. The data draws from a qualitative study using interviews and a focus group discussion. The findings indicate that the majority of the teachers migrating into Johannesburg are of Zimbabwean descent and seasoned teachers. The pull factors for this move included a desire for political, economic and educational advancements. Half of the sample migrated as tied ‘movers’, following their spouses to Johannesburg. Many migrant teachers have had mostly negative experiences. Inefficiencies by the Department of Home Affairs; temporary contracts causing instability; ill-disciplined learners; xenophobic attitudes and subject discrimination were key experiences of the migrant teachers in Johannesburg primary schools.
The nature of assessment tasks in secondary Business Studies textbooks in Eswatini, Lesotho and Botswana.
(2022) Dlamini, Zodwa Treasure.; Manik, Sadhana.
This research study focused on assessment tasks in junior secondary Business Studies textbooks in three Southern African countries: Eswatini, Lesotho and Botswana (ELB), thus addressing a gap in the scholarship on Business Studies textbook analysis. Business Studies is part of a new curriculum introduced in these countries and entrepreneurship, a significant thematic focus. The study analyzed the nature of assessment tasks against a background of problem-solving and critical thinking skills development for secondary school learners. This study analyzed two chapters in each of the three Business Studies textbooks from the three mentioned countries. Textbook content analysis was thus at the core of the study where the assessment tasks in the Business Studies textbooks were analysed. Two key themes of Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership were selected for analysis as the selected countries indicated high levels of unemployment and their new curricula showed a commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and business ownership amongst learners in the hope of building the economy. Whilst the study used a mixed-method approach, it leaned more towards a qualitative approach as the analysis involved an interpretation of the complexity of the assessment tasks in the Business Studies textbooks Literature related to textbook assessment tasks were reviewed for a general conceptual, theoretical and methodological foundation for the exploration. The study used a conceptual framework adapted from Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and Umalusi and then further developed a Multi-Dimensional Framework (MDF) for this study to analyse the cognitive demand in the assessment study's findings highlight several gaps in postcolonial education in the two sections providing theoretical insights into the aim of Business Studies as a subject in order to ensure the sustainability of an entrepreneurial spirit in learners. Textbook quality was at risk in these two chapters for several reasons. The chapters demonstrated extensive short answer tasks that test lower order thinking skills (LOTS) facilitating superficial learning. Therefore, there is dissonance between the objective of including specific chapters in the textbooks (such as entrepreneurship and business ownership, which are innovations to the curriculum linked to neoliberalism) and the nature of the assessments and the kind of learner that would be developed in these chapters. The few essay type tasks in the textbooks, promote deep learning by assessing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) like problem-solving and critical thinking skills which enhance the development of entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, tasks in the textbooks were sequenced in a manner that enhance continuity and progression of learning. Also, some essay tasks were authentic as they do simulate the real world situation but authentic assessment tasks did not dominate the two sections in all three textbooks. The research concludes with a framework called ‘Integrated Assessment Framework’ (IAF) to guide future analysis of end of chapter tasks. It is recommended that these chapters (Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership) be reviewed by the relevant education authorities and refined to foster greater critical thinking and problem-solving skills, to promote authentic, fit for purpose, context-driven deep learning which can serve as a germination bed for entrepreneurial activity and business ownership.
Primary schools’ efforts to raise learners’ performance in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe = Imizamo yezikole zamazinga aphansi yokuphakamisa ukusebenza kwabafundi eKwekwe, eZimbabwe.
(2023) Ndlovu, Octavia.; Manik, Sadhana.
The aim of the study was to explore primary school’s efforts to raise learners’ academic performance in Kwekwe district, Zimbabwe. It centred on the efforts by teachers in three primary schools to raise their learners’ academic performance against the backdrop of results-based management (RBM) and a new curriculum (introduced progressively since 2017). The results based management approach in education sector seeks to improve service delivery and produce credible learner academic performance results. These efforts were found to be spearheaded by individual teachers in consultation with school management and they became the unit of analysis. Expectancy theory of Motivation, Factor theory of Motivators and Performance Improvement theory were theories providing a framework to understand teachers’ efforts. Curriculum Change Management theory informed teachers’ behaviour in curriculum implementation. An interpretive research paradigm using a qualitative approach was employed. A multi-case study was undertaken, using semi- structured interviews, observations and document reviews. Thematic content analysis was used. The findings revealed novel ideas like holiday camps, extra morning lessons and project-based learning as strategies for improving learners’ academic performance. There were also mixed feelings about RBM and a lack of ownership by teachers of the new curriculum. There was a deeply embedded results orientation to lessons as prescribed by the dictates of RBM, which led to maladaptive teaching which promoted purely instrumental rather than intrinsic educational values. The study established 5 pathways for academic performance improvement in schools. A framework of redress is proposed based on 4 avenues of justice for the schools: recognitional, procedural, distributive and compensatory. Iqoqa. Inhloso yocwaningo wukuhlola imizamo yesikole samabanga aphansi ukukhuphula ukusebenza kwabafundi ezifundweni esifundeni iKwekwe eZimbambwe. Ucwaningo belugxile emizamweni yothisha ezikoleni ezintathu zamabanga aphansi ukukhuphula ukusebenza kwabafundi ezifundweni zabo ngokuqhathaniswa kwemiphumela yakamuva egxile ekuphatheni (RBM) nasohlelweni olusha lwezifundo (olwethulwe ngokuqhubekayo kwebanga ngalinye kusukela ngowezi-2017). Le mizamo kwatholakala ukuthi iholwa wuthisha ngamunye ekuxhumaneni nabaphathi besikole bese kanjalo-ke baba yimbumba yokuhlaziya. Indlela yokuphatha egxile emiphumeleni yomkhakha kwezemfundo ifuna ukwenza ngcono ukulethwa kwesidingo nokukhiqiza imiphumela eyethembekile yokusebenza komfundi ezifundweni eZimbambwe. Injulalwazi/theory i-Expectancy of Motivation, iFactor theory of Motivation nePerfomance Improvement theory kube yizinjulalwazi ezibalulekile ezihlinzeke uhlaka ukuqonda ngemizamo eyenziwa ngothisha ukukhuphula ukusebenza kwabafundi ezifundweni. Ithiyori Curriculm Change Management/Ithiyori Yokuphathwa Kokuguqulwa Kwekharikhulamu yamenyezelwa nguFullan (2006 ecashunwe kuJalagat, 2016) inolwazi ngokuziphatha kothisha ekuqalisweni kwekharikhulamu entsha. Indlela yocwaningo ibihumusha futhi kwaqoshwa indlela yekhwalithethivu. Udaba okucwaningwe ngalo lwenziwa, kusetshenziswa lamathuluzi alandelayo: inhlolomibono ehlelwe ingxenye, ukuzibonela mathupha nokubukeza imibhalo. Ukuhlaziya okuqukethwe kwengqikithi kwasetshenziselwa ukuhlaziya imininingo. Okutholiwe ngamasu okwenza ngcono ukusebenza kwabafundi ezifundweni kudalule ukuthi imicabango emisha njengekhefu lokuhlukanisa, izifundo ezengeziwe zasekuseni nemiklamo egxile ekufundeni kodwa abanye othisha babethatha isikhathi esifanele sokwenza okuhambisana nekharikhulamu nezinye izifundo ezengeziwe zekharikhulamu ukufundisa izifundo ezihlolwayo. Okutholiwe kuveza imizwa eyehlukene ngeRBM futhi nokwentuleka kobunikazi ngothisha kohlelo olusha lwekharikhulamu kwakukhona imiphumela eshuthekwe ngokujulile ezifundweni ezigunyaziwe ngokwemiyalo yeRBM, eholela ekufundiseni okunganele/maladaptive teaching okuqhakambisa ngokucacile okuwusizo kunobugugu bangaphakathi bemfundo. Ukugxila kothisha futhi nezikole, bekungukuqhakambisa ‘ukufunda ekuhloleni’ futhi “nokufundela ukuhlola’ ngenxa yezilinganiso zesikole futhi nezinzuzo zemali zothisha abanamakilasi asebenzayo ezifundweni. Kube khona futhi ukusala kwesimo esabekwa obala saholela ezinselelweni ezikhethekile kothisha ngalokho-ke ubulungiswa besimo sesikole bubalulekile. Ucwaningo luqhamuke nezindlela ezi-5 zokwenza ngcono ukusebenza kwezemfundo ezikoleni ngokuqhathanisa nokwasemuva kweRBM nehlelo olusha lwemfundo. Uhlaka lokulungiswa kweRBM nohlelo olusha lwezemfundo luyahlongozwa ngokugxila ezindleleni ezi-4 zobulungiswa ezikoleni; eyokuqaphelekayo, eyenqubo, eyokusabalalisa neyokunxephezela. Ucwaningo luhlinzeka iziphakamiso maqondana namaqhinga okusebenza komfundi ezifundweni, iRBM, nokuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu entsha.
The role of environmental education in climate change mitigation and adaptation: the case of Gwanda rural district, Zimbabwe.
(2021) Sibanda, Arorisoe.; Manik, Sadhana.
The purpose of this research was centred on the role of Environmental Education (EE) in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The study sought to explore the successes and challenges of EE efforts in climate change mitigation and adaptation among the communities of Gwanda rural district in Zimbabwe. An interpretive qualitative case study research approach was used to explore EE efforts in the rural drought-prone area in Zimbabwe. The participants comprised farmers whose livelihoods are dependent on natural resources and government support officials such as the Agriculture and Extension Services Department (AGTRITEX) and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) officials). Data generation tools included semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. A sample of 38 research participants from two wards of Gwanda rural district were used, and there were 19 research participants per ward. The Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (SRL) Framework and the Nested model of sustainability guided the study. The findings indicate a myriad of EE efforts by the government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that require local innovations in their implementation. The research indicated that there are numerous climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies being implemented in the Gwanda rural district. Some of these strategies are ineffective, whilst some are successful. There were inconsistencies and a lack of coordination in some climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies which are being implemented. The research indicated cultural resistance by some farmers who are not implementing mitigation and adaptation strategies that have proved to be successful in the district due to traditional beliefs and practices. Therefore, there is a need to embark on EE programmes to address issues that hinder the adoption of successful climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. All cultural beliefs and practices that hinder the implementation of successful climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies should be addressed through the engagement of traditional leaders. The study revealed that for EE programmes to be effective, they have to focus on harnessing local expertise that is collaborative efforts between extension agents and communities to craft EE programmes for local use. The research also indicated that a 'one size fits all’ approach will not lead to successful implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies because there are situated vulnerabilities. COVID-19 has also worsened situated vulnerabilities in Gwanda rural district mainly due to recurring national lockdowns which inhibit the local communities’ access to treated seeds from local towns. Also, the retrenchment of workers has worsened the vulnerabilities of communities because a loss of income negatively affects capital assets which compromises generative resilience. Thus, the study advocates for the use of indigenous seeds that avoid inconveniences during national lockdowns because communities will be using locally available seeds which are well adapted to the local conditions. Two models were developed in this study towards this end, to illustrate the roles of EE in enhancing generative resilience and reducing situated vulnerability in Gwanda. The models developed are EE for Rural Sustainable Livelihoods (EERSL) and the Box Model for Rural Sustainable Livelihoods (BMRSL). The models were developed focussing on different levels of intervention: the micro, meso, and macro levels whilst extrapolating concepts of SRLF and the Nested model of sustainability. They illustrate that the key determinants of sustainable livelihoods in the context of Gwanda, are EE and financial funding. As a result, the study found that EE and capital assets are critical in reducing the vulnerability of communities in drought-prone areas. They also enhance resilience, environmental stewardship and promote sustainable livelihoods. The study suggests exploring African solutions to African problems and the harnessing of indigenous knowledge systems in developing local solutions to local problems. The data from the study can be utilised in EE programmes to boost the resilience of rural communities, which are vulnerable to climate change in Gwanda rural district, Zimbabwe.
The social capital influences of land reform beneficiaries and communal farmers on satellite schools in Zimbabwe.
(2016) Tarisayi, Kudzayi Savious.; Manik, Sadhana.
The aim of present study was to establish the social capital influences of the land reform beneficiaries and communal farmers on satellite schools in Zimbabwe. The study was motivated by the allocation of land through the Fast Track Land Reform Programme in areas previously without social services leading to the birth of satellite schools. The literature reviewed in this study revealed that land reform in Zimbabwe has mainly been explored using the political, human rights, livelihoods, and agricultural productivity perspectives while neglecting the social capital perspective. Thus, this study was guided by the social capital theories as espoused by Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam to unpack the influences of land reform beneficiaries and communal farmers in Zimbabwe on satellite schools. This study’s research design adopted a multiple case study approach. The study utilised two communities, one composed of land reform beneficiaries and another made up of communal farmers. The triangulated data were collected through semistructured interviews and focus group discussions held at satellite schools in the Masvingo district. The purposively selected participants consisted of twelve farmers, four village heads and two satellite school heads making a total sample of eighteen participants. The study revealed that the social capital of both Tiro land reform beneficiaries and Sambo communal farmers influence satellite schools through voluntary resource mobilization and voluntary information sharing. However, the study revealed that there were disparities in the social capital influences of land reform beneficiaries at Tiro and communal farmers at Sambo. The study further revealed that the land reform beneficiaries at Tiro engaged more with satellite schools as compared to communal farmers at Sambo due to differences in the proximity of their homesteads, social networks, nhimbe (work party), homage and indebtedness to the government, shared meaning and goals, social norms and their resource base. Future researchers should pursue the implications of social capital on well-established schools in Zimbabwe.
South African primary school migrant teachers’ school-based experiences in the Arab Gulf countries.
(2020) Anganoo, Lucille-Dawn.; Manik, Sadhana.
This study explored the reasons for South African teachers from primary schools migrating to teach in the Arab Gulf. It also examined what were migrant teachers’ initial school-based experiences in the Arab Gulf countries and after six months including why they have these particular experiences. Theories of international migration (neoclassical, dual labour, new economics and social networks) relevant to the migration of the highly skilled and theories on migrant teachers’ experiences (Huberman, 1989; Day & Kington, 2008; Bailey & Mulder, 2017; Miller, 2019) and acculturation (Bense, 2016), informed the study. The data was generated from a qualitative ethnographic case study using interviews, focus group discussions and diary entries. The majority of the teachers in the sample migrated to primary and secondary schools in Abu Dhabi due to feelings of ‘relative deprivation’ as a result of economic reasons and the enormous perks offered by recruitment agencies in this destination. Their profiles revealed that they were also predominantly seasoned teachers of Indian descent. The pull factors influencing their decisions were greater than the push factors and these included the high salary earned abroad, better professional development opportunities, living in an Islamic country and easy travel to other destinations from the Arab Gulf. A key finding of the present study, was that of unencumbered movers in the sample: seasoned female migrant teachers who were single, with no children. Common migrant teachers’ experiences included having an abundance of resources that assisted in curriculum delivery, perceived ill-disciplined learners and a lack of parental involvement in public schools in Abu Dhabi, the language barrier inhibiting teaching and learning and xenophobia. Migrant teachers showed initiative in quickly learning how to customize their lessons according to each learner’s ability so that learners were able to pass their assessments. The findings revealed that those migrant teachers who integrated within a year, were attached to the Gulf society and chose to remain and some had returned for a second contract in the Gulf, whereas those migrant teachers who endured unpleasant experiences such as racial and professional discrimination, felt excluded and marginalised, and harboured thoughts of returning to South Africa. The professional identities of migrant teachers were clearly not fixed but altered through acculturation in the host country.
Teacher migration: a case study of South African teachers migrating to Abu Dhabi.
(2018) Vester, Tatum Marshay.; Manik, Sadhana.
The global migration of teachers has been raised as an area of growing concern, particularly as developing countries struggle to retain teachers. South Africa (S.A.) is no exception, as previous migration studies show an exodus of teachers, thus neglecting to address the exit of teachers may have detrimental consequences for the development of South Africa, warranting further research into the migration of South African teachers (Manik, 2005). In response to this call, this sub-study explored migrant teachers’ reasons for leaving South Africa and the reasons why they were choosing to migrate specifically to Abu Dhabi. Categorised as qualitative research, this study was underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm as it was useful in understanding how South African teachers constructed their decision-making to exit S.A. and migrate to Abu Dhabi. A Case study methodology was used which placed the migrant teachers as the unit of analysis within the study. Data was elicited through five semi-structured interviews with teachers. Additionally, online documentary analysis gathered data on the strategies used by international teacher recruitment agencies to attract South African teachers to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Additionally, a reflexive field note journal was maintained to enhance the validity of this study. The findings revealed that teachers felt forced to exit South Africa due to low salaries, a high crime rate, religious intolerance and race-based policies, which denied teachers and their families’ access to opportunities. Additional push factors revolved around teachers’ working conditions as they were frustrated with the large class sizes and high workloads, a lack of career progress, an ineffective curriculum, a lack of student discipline and poor school leadership and management. Furthermore, personal relationships, that is, strained marriages and friendships played an underlying role in the decision to migrate, including teachers’ need for personal development. Spousal influence was not a reason for migration from S.A. but it emerged as an important consideration, especially in terms of the degree to which the nature of hierarchical structures within the family influenced the decision-making of migrant teachers. Teachers were attracted to Abu Dhabi due to high salaries linked to the achievement of financial goals, a low crime rate, religious acceptance and perceived non-race based policies that provided access to opportunities. Additionally, the receiving country’s level of economic and social development also influenced teachers’ decisions and it was established that recruitment agencies played a role in steering South African teachers specifically towards Abu Dhabi as a teaching destination.
"There was no real quality of life over there without family": the case of South African return-migrant teachers and the status of their return.
(2019) Anganoo, Dianne-Estelle.; Manik, Sadhana.
The overall purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the demographic and professional profile of South African return-migrant teachers, explore the reasons for their return and examine the status of their return. It also examined their migratory experiences pre and post-return which held importance in their decision on whether or not to engage in remigration in the future. Thirty return-migrant teachers (teachers from both primary and secondary schools) of different teaching specialisations across South Africa participated in the study. A combination of research tools were used to draw thick data, such as questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. A major trend found in the study was that the majority of the South African return-migrant teachers returned to the teaching profession upon their re-entrance. The study also found that personal reasons for return, mainly related to family, outweighed professional reasons such as better working conditions. However, South Africa is at risk of losing the same teachers again, who emigrated previously and who have now returned. Majority of the South African return-migrant teachers indicated that remigration was still a possibility. Poor infrastructure, unsafe public transportation, alarmingly high crime stats and political instability in South Africa were some of the driving forces behind their intention to re-migrate.
Trials, tribulations and triumphs of transnational teachers : teacher migration between South Africa and United Kingdom.
(2005) Manik, Sadhana.; Maharaj, Bridgemohan.; Sookrajh, Reshma.
The aim of this study was to analyse teacher migration between South Africa (SA) and the United Kingdom (UK). An understanding of teacher migration and migration patterns is of vital importance especially to SA. As a developing country, SA is losing valuable assets, namely professionals (teachers, doctors, nurses) to developed countries. There is a return stream as evident in a cohort of teacher migrants returning to SA. However, increased mobility is a direct occurrence of the forces of globalisation, and neither the loss of professionals (brain drain) nor the brain gain is unique to SA. Nevertheless, the need to understand migrant teachers' decision-making is salient: firstly, as a step in creating avenues for discourse on addressing the flight of 'home-grown' professionals and attracting ex-patriots back to their home country. Secondly, in furthering an understanding of global labour migration, and finally in developing and expanding on existing migration theories in a globalised world. This study was multi-layered. It investigated two distinct cohorts of teachers: ninety experienced teachers (part of the teaching fraternity) and thirty novice teachers (student teachers in their final year of study at Edgewood College of Education in SA). Within the category of experienced teachers, three separate divisions of teachers were identified for examination, namely premigrants (teachers about to embark on their first migration), post-migrants (SA teachers already teaching in the UK) and return-migrants (teachers who had returned to SA after a period of teaching in the UK). Various theories influenced the study: economic theories of migration, identity theories in education and Marxist labour theory. Within this theoretical framing the influence of globalisation as a process in facilitating cross border mobility was emphasized. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the study. Teachers' voices were favoured in the study as an expression of the complexity of their thinking, attitudes, behaviour and hence, identities. The study commenced by examining the reasons for novice and experienced teachers exiting the SA teaching fraternity, to work in schools in London in the UK. Then it explored the latter teachers' experiences in those schools and society with a view to revealing their integration into new socio-cultural and political milieus, and highlighting their transnational identities. Finally, experienced teachers' reasons for returning to SA were probed. In tracing teachers' trajectory from pre-migration (before migration) to post-migration (in the host country) to return migration (back to the home country), the study attempted to analyse patterns of transnational migration in a globalised context. The study identified the emergence of a new breed of teachers: transnational teacher-travellers. These are teachers who traverse a country's national boundaries at will. They are at ease trading their services in a global market, all in the pursuit of attaining a kaleidoscope of goals simultaneously. SA teachers were generally leaving their home country for multiple reasons of finance, travel opportunities and career progression. None of these reasons were mutually exclusive of each other. Migrant teachers' experiences in the UK were extensive, from professional growth to salary satisfaction and travel. However, teacher stress from incidents of reduced classroom discipline and loneliness stemming from family separation impacted on migrant teachers abroad, and contributed to return migration. An evaluation of the data on migrant teachers' motivations, experiences and goals led to the development of a model to understand the transnational migration patterns of teachers traversing from developing to developed countries. The model is sculptured from Demuth's (2000) three phases of migration: pre-migration, post-migration and return-migration. A basic tenet of the suggested model is that teacher migration is a non-linear process. It is initiated and sustained by complex, concurrent push or pull factors in the home country and pull or push factors in the host country. Further, teacher migration is propelled and perpetuated by the influences of globalisation and socio-cultural networks between countries.
Undergraduate geography students' experiences of their assessments.
(2015) Zondi, Thabile Aretha.; Manik, Sadhana.
The aim of this research study was to explore undergraduate students’ experiences of their assessments and the reasons for them having such assessment experiences. This study was motivated by two research questions: firstly, what are the undergraduate Geography students’ experiences of assessments. Secondly, what are the reasons for them having such assessment experiences. Qualitative research methods: questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used in the process of data generation in order to answer the two research questions. Geography 3rd and 4th year students that have either completed two Geography modules in a higher education institution made up the research sample. Students’ experiences of their assessments related to the concepts of assessment fairness, appropriateness, interest and challenge. Students’ experiences of fairness in their assessments consisted of their experiences related to time allocation for the assessment method, the geographical content available in the coursepack, a scope for assessments and the need for feedback. The findings from this study indicate that students value feedback and feed forward in assessment. In addition to this, the impact of disciplinary and English language acquisition in assessment was a key assessment experience... The study concludes by arguing that if assessments are fair and appropriate, students exhibit positive experiences of assessment, however, if assessments are unfair and inappropriate then negative assessment experiences are exhibited by students.
Where to from IQMS : teachers' experience after evaluation.
(2009) Ngobese, Muziwenhlanhla Michael.; Ramrathan, Prevanand.; Manik, Sadhana.
This study primarily looked at teachers¡¦ experiences of the IQMS evaluation and its impact on their professional development. IQMS has been actively introduced at the school system for the past five years. The purpose of this study is two fold. Firstly, this study wants to explore the outcomes of IQMS within the school context with a specific focus on outcomes relates to teachers. Secondly, this study wants to document the experience of schools¡¦ trip through the IQMS process from the perspectives of teachers and the school managers. A survey methodology was used to produce the data together with the analysis thereof. Some of the key findings from this study reveal that: Teachers with lower teaching qualifications and teaching experiences perceived IQMS to be beneficial to them, while teachers with higher qualifications and longer teaching experiences were suspicious of the IQMS process. Younger teachers tend to have more positive feelings towards IQMS while older teachers tend to have negative feelings towards IQMS. On the other hand middle aged teachers tend to have mixed feelings towards IQMS. The IQMS evaluation report had a positive impact on teachers in general, in terms of them identifying a need to develop themselves. Some of the key recommendations in relation to this study are: The Department of Education should ensure that sufficient workshops and trainings are properly planned and provision is made for in service training of teachers. Quality education can only be possible if the Department of Education ensures that all schools are well resourced.