{"title":"The use of assistive technology to minimise educational learning barriers for learners with cerebral palsy","authors":"Soené Botha, M. Mihai","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a02","url":null,"abstract":"Cerebral palsy (CP) poses unique challenges in education because of motor impairments and communication difficulties. Assistive technology (AT) offers innovative solutions to address these barriers and create inclusive learning environments. In this article, we examine the use of assistive technology in minimising learning barriers for learners with cerebral palsy. We conducted semi-structured interviews with educators teaching at a CP school and learners who have been diagnosed with CP and observed lessons. The findings illustrated that learners with CP experience many barriers to learning, but with the use of AT by learners and educators, these barriers can be minimised. Recommendations include more training for learners and educators in the use of AT and a more supportive environment. More research is needed on the training programs needed to educate learners and educators on AT and how educators can use AT to bring about transformation in their lessons.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139606554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing the quality of the integrated tutor model for student support in Open Distance Learning","authors":"Cynthia H. S. Ntuli, M. Gumbo","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a07","url":null,"abstract":"The demand for university education has put pressure on institutions of higher learning to provide access and quality student support because increased access to higher education should not compromise the quality of student support services. Tutorial support in Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) is one of the support services used by institutions to ensure increasing academic access, participation, and success. The Senate Teaching and Learning Committee (STLC) of the University of South Africa (Unisa) appointed a committee in 2012 to develop the Integrated Tutor Model (ITM) to enhance academic activities. We established that there is a need to inquire into the quality of the ITM on tutor support services. We developed this qualitative exploratory study from the first author's PhD study that assessed the quality of tutorial support services that Unisa offers through the ITM. The ITM model integrates face-to-face (F2F) and online tutor systems in Unisa. We purposively selected students who participated in the F2F tutorials of the first and second semesters in 2022 to participate in this study. We collected data through individual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). We learned that the students hold positive views about the quality of tutorials in terms of time management and the quality of recordings on Microsoft Teams, the competency of the tutors offering the modules, and the communication that they receive from the tutors. There were, however, challenges that the students faced such as load-shedding, network-related problems, and personal issues. The tutors mitigated these challenges by sending the students the recordings of the sessions. The study shares knowledge about the tutors' skills and creativity in the use of the ITM to provide quality support of student learning in an ODL higher institutional environment.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"44 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Including learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Voices of mainstream teachers","authors":"Sharon Pienaar, L. Dreyer","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a01","url":null,"abstract":"The global shift toward inclusive education is in pursuit of creating a more equal and just society. This has lead schools worldwide to experience an increase in the number of learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering the general classroom. At the first level of contact, teachers play an important role in the implementation of inclusive education; it is therefore crucial to acknowledge their experiences. Their voices need to be heard since their experiences can contribute to doing justice to the existing policies on inclusive education. In search of teachers' subjective experiences, we framed this interpretive qualitative phenomenological research study in a social constructivist paradigm. Participants were purposefully selected from an international school in Cape Town, South Africa. We collected data through an online open-ended questionnaire, followed by an in-person focus group discussion at the school. The findings indicated that while teachers are in favour of inclusion, they experience many challenges that result in a policy-implementation gap.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"43 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Achieving socio-cultural student engagement through curriculum responsiveness","authors":"Lee-Anne Lesley Harker","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a09","url":null,"abstract":"With democracy came political pressure to promote both academic access and success in higher education in South Africa. However, increased formal access has not necessarily provided meaningful access to previously disadvantaged learners, and this has resulted in high attrition and dropout rates. In response to this, I propose that life-world knowledge can enable meaningful engagement through the pedagogical incorporation of real-world experiences. Therefore, my aim in this study was to determine how curriculum responsiveness could be addressed in pedagogic practices to achieve epistemological access. I used the concept of autonomy to show empirically whether content can be related to a student's socio-cultural context to bring about curriculum responsiveness resulting in better student engagement. Thus, the epistemological stance of this research is qualitative in my drawing on data collected from curriculum documentation for a selected business subject at a University of Technology as the case study, to serve as a guiding principle for considering the appropriate pathways for enabling epistemological access.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"72 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139606437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Students' and lecturers' perceptions of computerised adaptive testing as the future of assessing students","authors":"Shamola Pramjeeth, Proya Ramgovind","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a06","url":null,"abstract":"The Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for the increased adoption and acceptance of technology in teaching and learning, forcing higher education institutions (HEIs) to re-look at their assessment strategy as learning, development, and engagement move more fluidly into the online arena. A total of 623 lecturers and students in private HEIs in South Africa shared their views on adopting computerised adaptive testing (CAT) prior to its implementation at their HEI in their respective modules, and their perceptions of such a testing methodology. Our study found that lecturers and students were comfortable engaging in online learning, with a large percentage being the most comfortable with assessing and completing exams, tests, and activities online. Positive perceptions of adopting CAT as an assessment tool for their qualifications were expressed, with the majority recommending their HEI to implement CAT.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"21 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing pedagogy for teaching visual arts in the South African Foundation Phase classroom: A collaborative endeavor","authors":"Mari de Kock, E. Marais, Carolina S. Botha","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a04","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, we report on the pedagogy of a cohort of South African Foundation Phase teachers in the praxis of visual arts. We used participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) as paradigm and methodology and data was generated collaboratively through arts-based strategies such as photovoice, visual journaling, and reflexive group conversations. We analysed the data using an inductive analysis approach. The data indicated a set of extrinsic and intrinsic barriers experienced by the participants in the praxis and pedagogy of visual arts in a South African context. We provide recommendations for Foundation Phase teachers, school management teams, and governmental Departments of Education. This study contributes to the field of arts education by highlighting the plight of generalist teachers having to teach visual arts without sufficient training or support. We create opportunities for arts educators to contribute to the experiences of these teachers.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"29 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139609109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using vignettes to understand the social-emotional experiences of three-year-olds in diverse language contexts","authors":"Wietske Boon, Irma Eloff","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a03","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, we report on the educational experiences of young Afrikaans mother tongue South African children who are exposed to multilingual learning environments during their preschool years. We carried out phenomenological research using a vignette research design that provided observational, co-experiential data of the lived experiences of three-year-old boys as they engaged with formal and informal learning. We controlled vignette data that had been collected through observations, written teacher validation, and face-to-face interviews against existing literature to provide in-depth insights into the participants' different experiences of and within their learning environments. Findings indicate specific areas in which young children may need additional support in multilingual learning environments, in terms of 1) social-emotional security experienced in the learning environment, 2) intentional development of empathy for peers, 3) independence and initiative taking in informal settings, and 4) interactive communication. Although we focused on a South African context, these findings may inform future interventions to support children in multilingual language environments in their early years.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139606618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Online entrepreneurship teaching and learning approaches: A South African conceptual perspective","authors":"Samuel John Chiromo, R. Khosa, Vivence Kalitanyi","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a08","url":null,"abstract":"In this conceptual paper, we review literature on entrepreneurship education with the aim of determining viable approaches for teaching entrepreneurship using online platforms. We discuss existing studies on constructivism as a theoretical framework and examine how entrepreneurship education can be offered through online teaching, as well as the effectiveness and the design of online teaching for entrepreneurship education. We used a conceptual analysis methodology and also conducted a library search to examine previous pertinent literature on online entrepreneurship education. Our findings indicate that online entrepreneurship education should be grounded in constructivism as a learning theory. Additionally, during online entrepreneurship learning, lecturers should introduce and explain new concepts by using students' prior knowledge and should assign practical and experiential tasks. Our findings also show that online activities should allow students to interpret and assimilate new knowledge, and that online entrepreneurship modules should incorporate learning by doing and experiential learning. Lecturers should also provide feedback as part of online entrepreneurship learning and, at the end of such learning, lecturers should assign online questions that provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning and knowledge.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"12 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kadis Kadis, Ali Imron, Mustiningsih Mustiningsih, R. Sumarsono
{"title":"Trends and insights on multiple intelligences in Islamic schools: A bibliometric analysis","authors":"Kadis Kadis, Ali Imron, Mustiningsih Mustiningsih, R. Sumarsono","doi":"10.17159/2520-9868/i93a05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i93a05","url":null,"abstract":"In this comprehensive study, we explore the intersection between Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory and Islamic educational systems, employing bibliometric tools like Descriptive analysis and Author Network Visualization to reveal the intricate contours of academic collaboration and research in this domain. An increasing trend in publications and cross-cultural collaborations, particularly involving the United States, Indonesia, and Turkey, underscores the global relevance of integrating modern psychological theories like MI with Islamic education. Through citation and keyword analysis, we highlight a significant divergence between research on Islamic schools and MI, as well as an emerging interest in applying MI in religious educational contexts. Furthermore, our research identified a seriously alarming gap in the academic literature at this intersection, emphasizing the need for future exploration. In synthesizing the findings, we conclude that the fusion of MI with Islamic pedagogy offers a robust approach to holistic learning in recognizing individual intelligence domains and fostering growth. The integration of these two fields promises to redefine education by melding traditional religious teachings with contemporary insights, creating a pathway for enhanced student understanding, progressive policy formulation, and innovative pedagogical strategies.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"35 30","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139607750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding the Work of Professional Learning Communities for English Language Learner Teachers: Possibilities and Limitations From Two Urban High Schools","authors":"Aliza Fones","doi":"10.1177/00220574231225446","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574231225446","url":null,"abstract":"The collaboration and learning of high school English language learner (ELL) teachers is an overlooked aspect of policy and research regarding the opportunities and outcomes of emergent bilingual (EB) students. In order to better understand the work of ELL teachers, this study examined their participation in an important setting: the professional learning community (PLC), a space with potential for promoting more equitable student outcomes. Analysis of ELL teachers’ participation in PLCs at two urban high schools, and the topics addressed in PLC meetings, provides implications for teacher and student learning, and reinforces the significance of ELL teacher expertise.","PeriodicalId":502722,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Education","volume":"123 39","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139613680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}