Social Science Education

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A critical exploration of student integration and attrition of Black African undergraduate students from selected South African universities.
(2023) Cele, Siyanda Mluleki Kenneth.; Gaillard, Gaillard.
Access to South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has significantly increased; however, success and graduation rates continue to decrease, especially amongst Black African students. Moreover, Black African youths entering university do so against the backdrop of extreme inequalities characterising their schooling backgrounds, class and economic resources. Such inequalities have had a large impact on these students’ decision to drop out of university. Literature relating to Black African students’ experiences of integration and attrition at South African universities is sorely missing. In addition to this, the institutions of higher learning are struggling to find a proper remedy to mitigate student dropout. Hence, it is this gap that the present study sought to fill by developing a new model that can be used by universities to retain Black African students in South Africa’s HEIs. The present study adopted the qualitative approach and the critical paradigm. Secondary data was obtained from a larger study of education and emancipation, documenting the university experiences of students from eight diverse universities in South Africa. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 66 Black African students. In the present study, data were thematically analysed. The theoretical framework that informed data analysis is Tinto’s Student Integration Model (SIM). The interviews that were conducted with the participants produced rich and thick data indicating that the success of Black African students in South African universities is impeded by such factors as language, poor economic background, unsupportive family background, racial discrimination, gender stereotypes, and discrimination. Most participants mentioned that the medium of instruction used at universities, such as English and Afrikaans hindered their success. The findings suggest that high school education inadequately prepares Black African students for university. Furthermore, financial challenges, gender discrimination, homophobia and racism were found to be significant obstacles hindering most participants from studying at university. Informed by these findings as well as the review of extent literature, this thesis proposes a model that will assist universities to minimise dropout rates amongst Black African students. This model obligates institutions of higher learning to put students’ backgrounds at the forefront in every decision that they undertake to maximise the social and academic integration of students and consequently decrease attrition.
A decolonial critique of discourses of western colonialism in South African, Namibian and Zimbabwean school history textbooks.
(2023) Iyer, Leevina Morgan.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
European influence in Africa has portrayed the continent through the perspective of Europeans while the African perspective has been neglected. The undeniable continuation of the hegemonic epistemic turmoil due to western colonialism in the Africa, is a perpetual challenge. One of the key sources of knowledge in the educational setting is History textbooks. Taking into account the multifaceted and complex angles through which historiographies of western colonialism are presented in these textbooks, the purpose of this study was to explore the prevailing colonial discourses in South African, Namibian and Zimbabwean school History textbooks through a decolonial critique. The theories of decoloniality and postcoloniality informed the theoretical underpinning of this study, resulting in a lens that acknowledged the remnants of western colonial influence in the existing post-colonial structures of Africa, but also challenged these oppressive Eurocentric hegemonies. Decoloniality and postcoloniality, both advocate that the generations of epistemic violence should be disrupted, thus making space for increased African agency. Summarily, using Fairclough’s (1995) version of CDA methodology, the analysis of the sample school History textbooks revealed five key discourses. These included the discourses of forces of western colonialism, conflict-fomentation, economic exploitation, environmental degradation, and anti-colonialism. In keeping with the idea that knowledge production, undeniably, continues to be influenced by the structures of western colonialism, it was not unexpected that the content in the sample school History textbooks varied, especially in terms of the prevailing historiographies. The understanding from this study was that school History textbooks are not completely decolonial. Rather, the sample textbooks illustrated discourses of western colonialism in Africa from a place of hybridity, which the theory of postcoloniality defines as a fusion of African identity and cultural influence from western countries. Given the political history of each of the sample countries, their political ideologies were reflected in the school History textbooks through the historiographies presented. Considering the incongruity of historiographies in the sample school History textbooks, I have developed the ‘Decolonial model of African epistemology’ - a framework that could ideally be used as an educational tool to promote African indigenous knowledge, especially in school History textbooks by deconstructing existing historiographies,
An exploration of commerce education students' experiences of learning using virtual collage.
(2023) Ezeagba , Obum Prince.; Ramdhani , Jugathambal.
This is qualitative research is an Exploration of Commerce Education Students experiences of learning using virtual collage. Students in EMS 4 Module were grouped for an assessment which required them to submit a virtual collage. This study analysed 17 group submissions which included both a virtual collage and a reflection. This study involves the generating of information that is both rich and deep and is mostly used in qualitative research methods; this information is then represented from the perspective of the participant. Purposive sampling was applied in the selection of the virtual collage used in this research study. Additionally, reflections of students were used to enrich the data. The study considered that this would reflect and draw on the type of experience the students had in making these collages so that the data collected could provide thick descriptions of how had learning occurred in these rural contexts as compared to the university context. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used to analyze the data from the collages collected.The findings categorized under the themes of topicalisation, connotation, and presupposition. The findings show that the post reflections helped the students improve their corporation in learning how to create a collage. It also show that innovative teaching methods can deepen conceptual knowledge among students. The study recommends a change in the style of teaching to incorporate innovative teaching methods to motivate students to learn and perform better and enhances their understanding of the topic and improvement in their overall performance.
Analysing the dominant discourses on the Holocaust in Grade 9 South African history textbooks.
(2012) Koekemoer, Michelle.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
Abstract available in PDF version.
An analysis of the representation of citizenship education in contemporary grade six South African social sciences textbooks.
(2017) Atanga, Belmondo Achiri.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
This thesis comprises a case study of four grade six South African Social Sciences textbooks, published in the post-apartheid era. The study focuses on how they represent citizenship education. It examines citizenship education as a highly important concept, used in many nations with different aims. An important resource in education, textbooks have been used as a channel through which learners are educated regarding citizenship. This dissertation answered a main research question on how citizenship education has been represented in the selected textbooks. Based on an interpretivist paradigm and approached from a qualitative perspective, I generated data from four contemporary Social Sciences textbooks, compliant with the Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS), that are utilised at the grade six level. Semiotic analysis was used as a method of Discourse Analysis (DA) to analyse the data. The findings revealed that citizenship education is taken very seriously in the textbooks, which cover virtually all aspects of the political, social and economic rights and responsibilities of citizens as a means of creating an identity for South African citizens.
An analysis of the visual images of women in grade 12 South African history textbooks.
(2014) Nene, Ntombikayise Promise.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
This dissertation has contributed to the debate of the depiction of women in visual images in selected Grade 12 history textbooks. This dissertation was triggered by what I read in the South African Constitution and the History curriculum statement about promoting gender equity in schools as well as the fair treatment of women and in all spheres of life. I was, in the light of this, curious in finding out how women as historical characters are portrayed in visual images in history textbooks. Since I am an educator, living in contemporary South Africa I took an initiative in analysing the depiction of visual images of women in selected South African history textbooks for grade 12.The analysis part was completed by employing textual analysis as it assisted in analysing both the content and the visual components of the textbooks. The research questions of this study manifested and produced rich data that has revealed how history textbooks through the visual portrayal of women reinforced gender stereotypes and inequalities. The findings showed that severe gender inequality existed in the visual images in the selected history textbooks which is in contradiction to both the Constitution of South Africa and the curriculum. My study has revealed that women are silenced in history textbooks by the manner they are portrayed in, the roles they are showed in and by the number of images that I have counted in the chapters. This dissertation has concluded that the portrayal of women in visual images in history textbooks is still a barrier in promoting gender equity in South African schools. By adopting feminism theory I have understood how and why images of women in history textbooks are used the way they are and that this is greatly related to patriarchy.
Being queer in South African township secondary schools: experiences of queerphobic violence and creating opportunities for change.
(2022) Mkhize, Nkonzo Emmanual.; Moletsane, Relebohile.
Despite the fact that the rights of South African queer persons are enshrined in the Constitution, queer youth continue to experience marginalization and queerphobic violence in communities and schools. The aim of this study was to investigate how, despite the protective constitutional context, queer African youth experience, respond to and resist queerphobic violence in and around their township secondary schools. The main research question addressed by the study was How do queer African youth experience, respond to and resist negative experiences in township secondary schools? The study is located within the constructivist paradigm to understand the world in which the participants live and learn, and the critical paradigm to critically examine and challenge the unequal social norms that informs their marginalization and violence they experience. Linked to these paradigms, the study adopted a qualitative methodology, and in particular, participatory visual methodology (PVM) as an approach to addressing the research question. Working with 10 queer African youth, the study generated data through participatory visual methods, drawing and cellphilms-making, during a series of workshops. In addition, using the visual artefacts (drawings) they generated, I held one-on-one interviews with each participant. The emerging data was analysed using thematic analysis and John Fiske’s three layers of analysis of visual texts. These layers include the primary texts (drawings and cellphilms), the secondary text (what the participant had to say about what they have made), and the audience text which involves what the audience (including other participants in the workshops and others outside the workshop) says about the primary text. To address the main research question, the study posed three critical questions. In response to the first critical question, What does it mean to be a queer African youth in a township secondary school?, the findings suggest that the schools are configured around unequal gender and heteropatriarchal norms. In these spaces, for these participants, queerphobic violence, including name-calling, bullying, physical and sexual assaults, was part of every aspect of schooling, with little support from teachers, who were often perpetrators. In response to the second critical research question, How do they respond and resist their negative experiences from peers and teachers?, the findings suggest that despite the heterosexist school contexts, the participants drew on their agency to develop friendships, love, and a sense of belonging. The participants’ resistance and agency involved avoiding certain spaces (such as toilets), but also knowingly going into queerphobic areas to disrupt and subvert the unequal gender norms that informed interactions in and around the school. In response to the third research question, What changes do queer African youth want to see in their township secondary school?, the study found that, informed by their experiences of queerphobic violence, the changes the participants wanted to see in the schools included changing school policy, improving teacher preparation for teachers to address queerphobic violence and queer issues, and changing the curriculum to include queer content and affirm queer youth in schools. These findings have implications for interventions aimed at addressing the safety of queer learners in these schools and communities. Based on these findings, interventions might include changes to school policy (particularly the Code of Conduct), working with communities and parents to identify and develop strategies aimed at making schools safe, improving school and classroom practice, and teacher education and professional development to ensure that curricula for training include the needs and issues of queer learners.
Black African parents and school history: a narrative inquiry.
(2019) Langa, Mauricio Paulo.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
This study set to explore narratives on how Black African parents experienced school history in the apartheid era and how these experiences informed the parents’ views of school history in post-apartheid South Africa. Literature on schooling during apartheid shows that most Black Africans’ experiences were characterised by difficulty. It also shows how school history was abused as a tool to promote the apartheid ideology. However, Black Africans’ experiences of school history are under-researched. This motivated the need to explore narratives of Black Africans, especially if one considers the fact that these Africans are now parents whose views may inform their children’s decisions on studying school history. This study was guided by two research questions: What are the narratives of Black African parents as they relate to school history in both apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa; and How do their narratives explain why their children do or do not do school history? The Narrative Inquiry methodology was employed to make sense of the lived experiences of the participants (Black African parents). The study was situated within the critical paradigm, which tallies with Critical Race Theory, which is the theoretical framework. The sample comprised ten participants, who were purposively chosen middle class Black African parents. The data was generated through semi-structured interviews enhanced by photo elicitation and was analysed through open-coding. The first level of analysis generated narratives which both diverged and converged. The findings from the second level of analysis showed that the participants had negative experiences of education in general and school history in particular during the apartheid era. As a result of these negative experiences, Black African parents admit to not wanting their children to study history, despite the acknowledgement that the post-apartheid school history curriculum has improved. This shows that the parents project their negative experiences of school history onto their children. This is not helped by the finding that while the apartheid government’s conception of school history deterred the participants from promoting history, the post-apartheid government has inadvertently continued to solidify the parents’ anti-history resolve because of the promotion of sciences over humanities. This phenomenon is theorised as Perpetual Stagnation a model that explains how Black African parents’ narratives in relation to school history have remained largely negative regardless of change in time and circumstances. Therefore, the study concludes that Black African parents viewed apartheid as monstrous and evil as well as oppressive system. Also, school history education under apartheid was viewed by participants as meaningless and memory discipline thus leading the participants to dislike the subject. Furthermore, the study showed that in post-apartheid South Africa Black African parents have much expectations for their children while at the same time admitting that school history curriculum has changed for the better since apartheid. In nutshell, the study concludes that while apartheid policies made the school history unlikable to participants, the post-apartheid policies of prioritising mathematics and science has equally made school history unlikable. This stagnation shows how some things have changed in post-apartheid era, while some have remained the same.
Cataloguing practices from creation to use: A study of Cape Town Metropolitan Public Libraries in Western Cape Province, South Africa
(2019) Monyela, Madireng Jane.; Mutula, Stephen M.
Cataloguing is the process of creating metadata representing information sources such as books, sound recordings, digital video disks (DVDs), journals and other materials found in a library or group of libraries. This process requires the use of standardised cataloguing tools to achieve the bibliographic description, authority control, subject analysis and assignment of classification notation to generate a library catalogue. The well-generated library catalogue serves as an index of a collection of information sources found in libraries that enables the library users to discover which information sources are available and where they are in the library. Such a catalogue should provide information such as the creators’ names, titles, subject terms, standard number, publication area, physical description and notes that describe those information sources to facilitate easy information retrieval. This study sought to investigate cataloguing practices from creation to use in Cape Town Metropolitan public libraries in South Africa with the aim of deepening the understanding of the importance of cataloguing standards in creating bibliographic data for the libraries. The study also sought to address the following research questions: “What skills do the cataloguers of Cape Town Metropolitan libraries possess?”, “To what extent do cataloguers in Cape Town Metropolitan public libraries adhere to international standards when creating records in the online catalogue?”, “How are the cataloguing records created on the system by cataloguers in the Cape Town Metropolitan used within and across the public libraries?”, “How are the new Resource Description and Access (RDA) standards applied in public libraries in the Cape Town Metropolitan to ensure they accommodate entities and attributes as described by the international cataloguing standards?”, “What records quality control measures are used in computerised cataloguing by public libraries in the Cape Town Metropolitan?”, “How effective is the computerised cataloguing system of Cape Town Metropolitan public libraries?”, “What are the challenges experienced by public libraries in the Cape Town Metropolitan in computerised cataloguing?” The study was underpinned by a combination of the IFLA’s Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD) and Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data (FRSAD). The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm associated with the mixed methods (MMR) approach where the ii qualitative aspects were dominant. The study adopted a case study design and data were collected using focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews, questionnaires, and document review methods. The population of the study comprised cataloguers, senior librarians, librarians and library assistants of 10 libraries in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan. Reliability and validity of the instruments were ascertained through a pilot study. The data collected were presented and analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative data were analysed thematically, presented in narrative description, while the quantitative data were coded and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and presented in tables, graphs and charts, where applicable. The findings of the study revealed that although the cataloguers were experienced in their work, some catalogue records did not fully adhere to the cataloguing rules. Furthermore, there were no continuous development programmes in place to update the cataloguers’ knowledge and cope with dynamic changes in the cataloguing fields. In addition, the findings revealed that some catalogue records did not have adequate information descriptions to facilitate effective retrieval of information. The study also found that a peer review mechanism was used to facilitate quality control; the system used for cataloguing did not have all MARC tags and cataloguers experienced some challenges with the use of the cataloguing standards and assigning subject headings for non-roman sources. From the findings of the study, it was concluded that cataloguers did not adhere to international cataloguing standards when creating the catalogue records. A number of recommendations were therefore proffered among them that Cape Town Metropolitan Libraries (CCTML) should consider to improve their catalogue quality control measures. Moreover, cataloguers need adequate skills to enable them to implement and sustain the computerised system for cataloguing and retrieval. The CCTML need policies that provide the guidelines in the application of cataloguing rules and standards. The cataloguing department should consider planning for a re-cataloguing project to modify the records that did not have enough descriptions on the system Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) to improve retrieval.
A comparative investigation into the representation of Russia in apartheid and post-apartheid history textbooks.
(2016) Halsall, Tarryn Chanel.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
South Africa’s relationship with Russia has been determined by the significant shifts in the political ideologies within South Africa. It is this changing relationship that will be examined in order to identify the representation of Russia within Apartheid and post-Apartheid era history textbooks and how the changing relationship affected the representation of Russia in each textbook of each era. This study, analysed three Apartheid era and three post-Apartheid era textbooks. My study seeks to understand the representation of Russia within era different textbooks which is underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm and is further supported by the method of qualitative content analysis. Various findings emerged from the comparative analysis of the sampled Apartheid era and post-Apartheid era textbooks. The three Apartheid era textbooks displayed a contrasting image which mirrored the different stages of Apartheid. Book A1 (1974) and Book A2 (1987) both represent Russia in a similar fashion as they perpetuate the same anti-Tsarist, anti-Communist and pro-West narrative throughout. Book A1 (1974) was written when South Africa was entrenched in Apartheid as well as anti-Communist motions (as was the rest of the world) and Book A2 (1987) was written during the death throes of Apartheid and petty Apartheid. Both books perpetuate the similar discourse perhaps as a way to perpetuate the ideals maintained by the Apartheid regime. In contrast, Book A3 (1989), which was written at the end of the Apartheid era as well as at the fall of the Berlin Wall which marked the end of European Communism, offers a less critical representation of Communist Russia perhaps, in order to accommodate the changing world and ideological perspectives. All three post-Apartheid era textbooks are written in an era where the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) share a strong bond and thus the perception of Communism has altered. All three post-Apartheid textbooks continue the perpetuation of the anti-Tsarist discourse but there was no anti-Communist discourse evident as well as a less significant pro-West discourse. Despite these differences, all six textbooks portrayed the identical main characters within the Russian chapter highlighting, to a certain extent, the continued Big Men discourse and the unchanging nature portrayed of Russian history within history textbooks.
Conceptualising historical literacy in Zimbabwe : a textbook analysis.
(2009) Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
While debates rage over the relevance and worth of school history, history has been one of the five compulsory subjects up to Ordinary Level in Zimbabwe. However, far away from the corridors of power, it is essential that research be conducted on what school history is for and what represents that which the learner of school history acquires through at least eleven years of school history studies in Zimbabwe. Using the concept of historical literacy as its framework, this study is an analysis of three Ordinary Level history textbooks in Zimbabwe to explore how historical literacy manifests itself in Zimbabwean school history textbooks. In a context of increased government concern over what and how school history should be taught, the study explains how the textbooks that were produced more than ten years ago can still be turned into resources for the propagation of patriotic history, which emerged in the last decade. While conceptualisations of historical literacy continue, I argue for multiple historical literacies, that is, historical literacy which actually takes different forms in different times, spaces and contexts. Thus, what is represented as historical literacy in Zimbabwean history textbooks is not necessarily what historical literacy is elsewhere. This research is a qualitative textual analysis which was conducted in an interpretivist paradigm. I employed historical discourse analysis, question analysis and visual analysis as the analysis methods. The analysis was conducted through an instrument created from the benchmarks of the conceptual framework. The study concluded that despite attempt to push for an activitybased curriculum, historical knowledge, especially the nationalist narrative, is still the dominant benchmark of historical literacy in Zimbabwean textbooks. As a result, the current textbooks can be used, not only for a state sanitised version of historical literacy, but also a version of political literacy.
The construction of violent femininities at a university campus in KwaZulu-Natal: students’ understandings of and exposure to gender violence.
(2022) Naidu, Charnell Ruby.; Anderson, Bronwyn Mardia.
This study explored university students’ understandings [and perceptions] of as well as exposure to female gender violence at a university in KwaZulu-Natal. Using qualitative research, the study is located within the interpretivist paradigm. The rationale for this study is based on the under researched phenomenon of university female students’ violence in all its forms. The study used purposive sampling and engaged in individual semi-structured open-ended interviews to generate data, with fifty-one purposively selected participants. Inductive and thematic analysis was used. The study used an eclectic theoretical approach which includes Judith Halberstam’s Theory of Female Masculinity, Raewyn Connell’s Theory of Gender Power and Michel Foucault’s Post Structural Theory so as to provide a comprehensive and nuanced insight into this complex phenomenon. The main findings showed that students understood gender violence with both males and female students as perpetrators, but with females disproportionately the victims. The students’ perceptions of female students’ use of gender violence and the forms it took according to the data were variegated in that their perceptions were both similar and differed in many instances. The forms of violence they mentioned ranged from physical, sexual, verbal, emotional as well as the use of social media platforms to derogate and humiliate individuals. The findings also reveal that female students were perpetrators of violence against other males and females, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and homophobic violence. Their engagement in violence challenged the stereotypical feminine status of docility. The findings further reveal that female students engage in gender violence for a multiplicity of reasons that may or may not be provoked. The study also found that alcohol and drug use was rife on campus and this exacerbated female gender violence. Evidently, the females being referred to and the males who witnessed or experienced female perpetrated violence showed the subversion of power from male domination and female passivity. These findings provide evidence that female student violence at university is prevalent and this has implications for future research in this field as well as implications for policy and practices at Higher Education Institutions. These finding have implications for a more holistic and inclusive approach in terms of tackling gender violence at Higher Education Institutions (HEI).
Constructions of orphanhood and schooling in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
(2024) Masuku , Mzikayifani Bizzah.; Morojele , Pholoho.; Motsa, Ncamsile Daphne.
The thesis comprises five manuscripts whose objectives are to explore the real-life schooling experiences of orphaned children (both boys and girls) in rural schools of Eswatini, interrogate the effects of orphanhood on the children’s emotions, find out how the children navigate their complex environment as well as establish how their schooling has been enabled. The first manuscript focuses on the real-life schooling experiences of orphaned children in three rural schools of Eswatini; the second on the emotional geographies of orphaned children in the same context; the third on how orphaned children navigate their schooling environment; the fourth on how orphaned boys experience schooling in the same context; and finally, how the schooling of orphaned children in Eswatini schools has been enhanced. The main purpose was to draw conclusions on how best orphaned children in rural schools of Eswatini can be helped to experience schooling positively. The study utilised social constructionism, attachment trauma theory, new sociology of childhood, gender schema theory and the rights-based theory for understanding the constructions of orphanhood in schooling contexts. A qualitative narrative enquiry approach was used as its methodology. Twenty-four orphaned children from three rural high schools in Eswatini were purposively sampled. The children comprised 12 double-orphans (boys and girls) and 12 single orphans (boys and girls) in Grade 9 (Form 2) and Grade 11 (Form 4) aged between 13-17 years. A participatory research method called photovoice was used together with individual and focus group interviews. The findings show that orphaned children’s schooling experiences were rooted in sorrow and despair due to their educational environment being hostile. This has made it difficult for the children to experience schooling in a positive way. The study discovered that the children have developed emotional stress. The findings also show that the schooling experiences of orphaned children are gendered, with boys being subjected to more neglect owing to Eswatini cultural norms that regard them as resistant to every difficulty thus able to absorb any pressure. It was revealed that government and other stakeholders have tried to alleviate the plight faced by orphaned children in Eswatini schools by paying for their tuition and providing food; but all these efforts have so far failed to yield maximum results to adequately address the schooling challenges.
Cyberbullying: teenage girls’ online experiences of, and challenges to sexual harassment.
(2021) Lakhan, Omeshree.; Bhana, Deevia
The emergence of the internet has allowed for new modes of self-expression, whilst also providing new platforms for abusive social dynamics. There is a dearth of support in the response of schools, parents, and advisors to the experience of sexual harassment of young girls online. Cyber security practices, specifically the monitoring and support of online behaviour in academic policy can address the problem of sexual harassment and cyberbullying. Due to the rapidly changing nature of online landscapes, research connecting sexual harassment and cyber spaces remains minimal. Given the everchanging development of online spaces and dynamics, both governments and academic researchers have lagged in providing either sufficient study or governmental policy in the interest of protecting young people from online abuse. This study examines teenage girls’ online experiences of cyberbullying and sexual harassment and aims to understand how girls confront and challenge these issues. The dissertation adopts a multi-theoretical approach focusing on gender relational theory, femininities, theory of performativity, and feminist new materialism. Data was collected and collated through qualitative research methods in the purposive sampling of South African girls aged 13-18 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. This research was executed in Victoria High School through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, vignettes, and photo elicitations. While the results highlighted the pervasive experience of sexual harassment online, unexpectedly, the participants revealed their complicity in this harassment by actively engaging in harmful online practices. In response, this dissertation recommends that key stakeholders listen to the voices of young girls and work in synergy to offer support from abusive online behaviours. As attitudes about sex remain taboo in homes and schools, it is the role of these advisors to make comfortable spaces for discourse about sexual harassment. Furthermore, policy makers need to sanction greater penalties to prevent the recurrence of cybercrimes and protect young girls in these spaces.
Discourses of entrepreneurship in contemporary commerce textbooks in secondary schools in selected Southern African Development Community (SADC) Countries.
(2020) Hutchinson, Maud Victoria.; Maistry, Suriamurthee Moonsamy.
Strong emphasis has been placed on entrepreneurship in recent times as scholars and policy makers, including those in the field of education, regard it as a remedy for the social and economic challenges facing societies. Various programmes and courses promoting entrepreneurship can thus be found in the official school curriculum in many countries and numerous textbooks, specifically commerce textbooks are dedicated to the study of this phenomenon. In many classrooms, textbooks are a popular resource for the dissemination of ‘factual’ knowledge, such as entrepreneurship education to students. However, a number of studies have reported that the seemingly objective knowledge in textbooks that has been thoroughly screened by educational officials and approved for classroom use is not neutral but loaded with various ideologies and other one-sided incomplete knowledge. Against this background, this study adopted a qualitative critical research approach and applied the tenets of Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) to critically analyse entrepreneurship discourses in contemporary commerce textbooks in selected Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. MDA encompasses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Visual Semiotics Analysis (VSA). The CDA and VSA methods drew on the frameworks of Fairclough (1989; 2001), Huckin (1997), Machin and Mayr (2012) and Nene (2014) to uncover the construction of entrepreneurship in the selected commerce textbooks. The findings of the study indicate that, despite regular revision, the analysed textbooks present an ideological rather than a factual perspective of entrepreneurship. The main ideological formations identified were the ease of business formation; personal enrichment; foregrounding of males as exemplary entrepreneurs, leaders and managers; stereotyping of gender roles; women on the lowest rung of the entrepreneurship hierarchy; economic growth; job creation; solution to poverty; improved standard of living and effortless globalisation. This resulted in selective entrepreneurship knowledge being presented to students in textbooks, with little attention paid to the realities of this phenomenon. Moreover, the ideologies that emerged promoted neoliberal and capitalistic values and were gender biased and gender insensitive. Students are thus presented with a one-sided version of entrepreneurship. This can be attributed to the assumptions in entrepreneurship scholarship and the neoliberal capitalistic ideology that is entrenched in societies and educational institutions around the globe, as well as the fact that entrepreneurship is not gender neutral. Finally, textbooks are biased political and ideological tools. The implications of these findings are that the different stakeholders involved in the production of textbooks should scrutinise them on a regular basis and improve them by including the reality of entrepreneurship, such as business failure, hardship and the many taken-for-granted assumptions and ideologies underlying entrepreneurship scholarship. The quality of textbooks and whether they are suitable resources to impart entrepreneurship knowledge should also be taken into consideration. This would help to enhance learning and also convey only factual and up-to-date knowledge to students in classrooms.
Does food in History matter? exploring 4th year History education students’ views on the space for food in the South African History curriculum.
(2022) Mhlanga, Nomkhosi Mightgirl.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
The purpose of this study is to understand the historical significance of food as a topic in school history, according to History Education students. The history curriculum is a contested space for content that is relevant to learners, and this has manifested itself recently in South Africa, with students calling for the revision of the curriculum as part of the quest for decolonisation of education. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on which content deserves to be included in the history curriculum. Acknowledging the role that food has played in the unfolding of history, this study was guided by historical significance as a conceptual framework for understanding History Education students’ views on the space for food as a topic in the South African history curriculum. The study is qualitative in nature and is situated in the interpretivist paradigm. Open-ended interviews were held with a sample of eight 4th year History Education students. The findings from the data revealed that the participants advocate for the overt inclusion of food history in the South African History curriculum, either as part of the metanarrative or as a separate topic. They justify the historical significance of food for its influence on economy, politics, migration, social cohesion, identity, and as a nutrient. The conclusion is that the History Education students use their understanding of historical significance to argue that food is central to the narrative of humanity and should therefore overtly feature as a first-order concept in the school history curriculum.
Examining learners’ perceptions of formative assessment in tourism as a subject.
(2020) Ngiba, Siza.; Dube-Xaba, Zanele Heavy-Girl Winnie.
This study focuses on the learners’ perspectives of formative assessment in Tourism as a subject in South African secondary school. This study, therefore, includes the voices of the learners in the Tourism classroom which has been missing and unheard. This study examines learner’s perception and uses of formative assessment to enhance learning within their Tourism class by using the constructivist theory as it lens to guide the study. The study followed the qualitative approach and adopted the interpretive paradigm in conducting a case study research in one secondary school in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The semi structured interviews and focus group discussion were used to generate data from eight Grade 11 learners. The findings in this study revealed that learners perceive formative assessment in Tourism through its nature and purpose of formative assessment. The findings further revealed that learners use formative assessment for various reasons such as summative benefits; to monitor their ability and progress; use feedback from formative assessment; and that the learners use of formative assessment as a means to learn in different ways. The study concludes that the learners in Tourism are benefiting from formative assessment and that it has a great potential to enhance their learning.
The experiences of Rwandan secondary schools' history teachers in teaching the genocide against the Tutsi and its related controversial issues.
(2017) Buhigiro, Jean Leonard.; Wassermann, Johannes Michiel.
After the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, a moratorium was placed on the teaching of history in Rwandan secondary schools. This was done because the subject was considered as one of the causes of the Genocide. When reintroduced the subject contained content related to the Genocide. This study was motivated by the idea of understanding the experiences of Rwandan secondary schools’ history teachers on teaching the Genocide against the Tutsi and its related controversial issues. This study adopted a qualitative approach with a sample of seven history teachers from across Rwanda. A range of research methods, including drawings, photo-elicitation, semi-structured interviews and self-interviews, were used for gathering the data for this thesis. It was found that the commencement of teaching the Genocide was a daunting task which inspired fear and anxiety. This was due to the fact that the Genocide is a recent event and the wounds are still fresh in the minds of both teachers and learners who were affected in one way or another by the event. Due to the sensitivity of the topic the participating teachers, as stipulated by the curriculum, hardly used the participatory approach. Equally, parents feared talking to learners about certain topics related to the Genocide. The overarching reasoning being to prevent hatred ideas, that could contradict the official version of the history of the Genocide, from finding its way into classrooms. Consequently, teachers were more inclined to use teacher centred methods and comply with the curricula and official version of the history of the Genocide. This was done so as to educate patriots capable of preventing genocide, and promote unity and harmonious living. Moreover, the prevalence of teacher centred methods led the teacher to avoid the actual Genocide by focusing on topics such as the pre- and post-colonial histories of Rwanda. In the teaching process, a range of issues including the content, the curriculum, the collaboration with parents and the teaching methods have been identified as controversial. Issues such as, for example, the double genocide theory and the naming of the Genocide were considered as controversial. Additionally, certain vi resources such as films proved to be inappropriate because they traumatised learners. Consequently learners’ emotions also hindered the achievement of the stated aims as most of the teachers lacked the ability to deal with such situations. Evidence from teachers’ experiences indicated that most controversial issues were actually raised by the learners. In the analysis process, the theoretical framework on teaching controversial issues by Stradling (1984) and other scholars did not totally fit the Rwandan context. Some specific positions, such as playing devil’s advocate and risk-taking, were avoided for not propagating Genocide denial or divisive ideas. Instead alongside indoctrination and stated commitment, compliance for self-care emerged as the best explanation for why the history teachers taught the Genocide and its related controversial issues the way they did.
Experiences of the teaching and learning of history in a context of rurality: a case study of a South African rural high school.
(2020) Mqadi, Ntombiyoxolo.; Maposa, Marshall Tamuka.
The teaching and learning of History continues to gain momentum in post-apartheid South Africa and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has even proposed a decision to make History compulsory in South African schools. Within such a context, it is of paramount importance to take into consideration the reality that teaching and learning is not uniform. In fact, most teaching and learning policies are not created with the schools in rural areas in mind. Hence this dissertation presents an exploration of how teaching and learning of History is experienced by teachers and learners in a rural context. It foregrounds the voices of the participants of the teaching and learning process in the rural areas to counter the dominance of the perspectives of the people in urban areas and those in managerial positions at school and government levels. This study is a phenomenological case study in which focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews were used as data generation methods. The participants were three History teachers and seventeen History learners who were conveniently selected from one of the schools in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal. The findings suggest that rurality influences the teaching of learning in both positive and negative ways. The negative factors are predominant, and they demonstrate that either the policies must change to suit History teaching and learning in rural areas as well, or the History teachers and learners must improve their additivity in order to teach according to the expectations of History education. Despite the predominance of negative experiences, the ingenuity of both History teachers and learners in the context of rurality however creates some positivity in History teaching and learning. The study concludes that not all hope is lost for school History in the rural areas and, in fact, a lot can be learnt from rural History teachers and learners.
An exploration of adolescents' problems and ways of coping in a South African context.
(2005) Gillespie, Cecilia Veronica.; Hough, Angela Mary.
Many areas of development converge as adolescents confront their major task of establishing an adult identity. However this is a complex task complicated by the difficulties experienced in the South African context. Concerns about health and well-being, coupled with research findings that emphasized adolescents' reluctance to seek help, prompted a review of adolescents needs. The present study explored the problems experienced and the coping styles used by a sample of adolescents living in the South African context. Participants' self-esteem was examined in relation to styles of coping that were employed. Data was gathered from questionnaires distributed to adolescents from three schools in the locality of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, including one rural school and two urban schools. The final sample consisted of 362 subjects. The data were analysed using frequencies, factor analyses, Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analyses. The results of the study showed that adolescents experienced problems which included difficulties related to school achievement and maintaining standards; money problems; interpersonal problems regarding relationships with parents and family, friends and partners; intrapersonal problems, dealing with personal problems, depression and not wanting to live; and future related concerns, involving qualifications, careers, and employment. Three coping style described strategies employed by adolescents to manage their concerns: Internal coping, Active coping, and Withdrawal or an Avoidant style of coping. Of the three styles participants used an internal style of coping most frequently overall. However, all styles of coping were used interchangeably in order to solve problems of different types. Coping styles were found to be specific to particular problem domains. Analysis of self-esteem was carried out for participants from one urban school only, as the scale did not meet the criteria for reliability for the remaining two schools. Associations between self esteem and coping styles showed that a negative relationship existed between an avoidant coping strategy and self-esteem, and a positive relationship existed between self-esteem and an active coping style. Findings also showed the greater the degree of avoidance in problem solving the lower the expected level of self-esteem. This study presents findings that show evidence of adolescents' difficulties and stresses, and an emergent need for assistance at a time of change and transformation in South Africa. Where better to address these needs than in the educational environment within the framework of Guidance and Counselling. The results of this study may inform and render assistance in constructing an appropriate Life Orientation and Guidance curriculum for all schools, that will address current needs of adolescents as they confront the chief task of adolescence, that is the formation of an adult identity, a South African identity.

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