Exploring Constitutive Meanings of Educational Transformation in South Africa

Over the last decade South Africa has undergone a unique process of transformation – a process which has still not been completed. In this paper I explore the concept of transformation within the context of higher education. I attempt to analyse the concept philosophically with the aim of showing how it can manifest in higher education. I construct four possible constitutive meanings of educational transformation (equity and redress, critical inquiry, communicative praxis, and citizenship) and attempt to demonstrate how each may contribute to transformation.     

Exploring equity and quality education in South Africa using multilevel models

Educational reform in South Africa envisions schooling where all students, irrespective of their background characteristics, have the opportunity to succeed. To achieve this vision, the South African education system needs to function in such a way that students’ success does not depend on their backgrounds; that is, if school processes and policies in South Africa were inclusive and supportive of the learning of all students then we would expect high-quality schools to compensate for socio-economic disadvantage such that the achievement gap associated with the socio-economic status (SES) would be minimised. The main objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between school quality and socio-economic disadvantage. Our analysis, employing multilevel statistical models, indicates that:

1. schools do make a difference over and above the socio-economic backgrounds of learners they enrol;

2. learners are most successful in schools where they and their parents are actively engaged in the learning processes;

3. schools with these characteristics tend to compensate for learners’ socio-economic disadvantage;

4. learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are less successful in schools; and

5. the impact of SES on learners’ achievement levels is particularly prominent in high-achieving schools.

These findings call for the need to rethink the current schooling processes and policies to include structures that allow schools to provide opportunities to engage learners and their parents in the schooling processes with the objective of compensating for learners’ socio-economic disadvantage. We argue that this objective can be achieved through a capability framework where inclusion, democratic participation and child centredness serve as the major principles of the provision of quality education for all.     

Grasping the dynamic complexity of team learning: An integrative model for effective team learning in organisations

In this article we present an integrative model of team learning. Literature shows that effective team learning requires the establishment of a dialogical space amongst team members, in which communicative behaviours such as ‘sharing’, ‘co-construction’ and ‘constructive conflict’ are balanced. However, finding this balance is not enough. Important questions such as ‘communicating about what?’, ‘communicating with whom?’ and ‘communicating for what?’ remain crucial. Five other process variables ‘team reflexivity’, ‘team activity’, ‘boundary crossing’, ‘storage’ and ‘retrieval’ are identified. Besides the core process variables, our model organises the most important inputs, catalyst emergent states and outputs of team learning.     

Exploring the use of Technology textbooks in medium- and well-resourced school contexts in South Africa

Abstract

This study explored how Technology teachers in medium- and well-resourced schools use commercially prepared textbooks in their classrooms. A qualitative-interpretive design was used with a purposively selected sample of four schools from a city in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were analysed according to the conceptual framework of didactical transposition, focusing on textbook content, activities, context and teaching strategies. It was found that teachers in well-resourced schools adapt textbooks by adding content, thus expecting a higher standard from textbook content, and preferring learners to work individually, while teachers in medium-resourced schools follow textbooks without adapting them, therefore accepting the standard set by the textbooks. It is recommended that teachers in both contexts be assisted by specialists to interpret the curriculum so as to be sure how they are expected to use textbooks to improve their classroom practices.     

Phonological processing,speech perception,and reading disability: An integrative review

Relations between phonological processing and speech perception skills in reading-disabled children and adults are considered. Following Wagner and Torgesen (1987), phonological processing is comprised of at least three distinct though interrelated abilities--phonemic awareness, phonological recoding in lexical access, and short-term verbal memory skills. Speech perception skills may also represent two domains, speech perception and short-term memory. Studies of speech perception and word reading are critiqued. The interactions of speech perception, phonological processing skills, and word-reading abilities with development are considered in a preliminary model of reading. Although studies of phonological processing and speech perception in poor readers have thus far developed separately, experimenters in these isolated domains could benefit from the research findings in each and the unique paradigms each uses to investigate deficits in poor readers.     

The designability paradox: rethinking authenticity and situatedness in educational video games

Educational technology research and development - Video games’ capacity to facilitate complex and interactive modes of engagement has led to their portrayal as particularly effective means...     

An educational way ahead for South Africa?

The vast (and increasing) majority of the South African population are non-white, and suffer many disadvantages. Solutions for these must be sought by political, economic, and social transformations which the present regime will not allow. However, internal economic pressures (especially the shortage of skilled and intermediate personnel necessary for the modernisation and enlargement of present enterprises) show the need for a much larger and better educated non-white work-force. In certain sectors of industry in some parts of the country, non-white South Africans are extending their education and moving into apprenticeship or other training opportunities, especially where white intermediate specialists are moving out.Less opposition is sometimes shown to the advancement of non-white personnel than previously, partly because industries and commerce welcome them, and partly because whites who in earlier times would have resented non-white competition are aspiring to other educational and social futures. However, the possibilities of acquiring intermediate education and training remain very difficult for non-whites (especially the black population) because of discrimination, very unequal provision and erratic distribution, and the poor supply of black teachers.Much provision for the South African non-white population will probably have to be of a supplementary character. To that extent, the South African need for hasty reorientation both in technological and in general education becomeseducationally comparable to the need felt in well-schooled industrial countries for post-compulsory readjustments between schooling and industry, and for second-chance opportunities. Prospects for implementation in South Africa are considered against the long tradition of segregation and the division of administrative responsibilities in the educational system. South African problems are also considered for their wider relevance for the use of post-compulsory education in circumstances of rapid change, especially where educational provision has to be re-engaged for different social and economic needs.

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Zusammenfassung Die überwältigende (und noch ständig wachsende) Mehrheit der südafrikanischen Bevölkerung ist farbig und leidet unter vielen Nachteilen. Für diese müssen Lösungen gesucht werden durch politische, wirtschaftliche und soziale Umwandlungen, die das gegenwärtige Regime nicht zulässt. Interne wirtschaftliche Erfordernisse (insbesondere der Bedarf an Facharbeitern und mittlerem Personal für die Modernisierung und Ausdehnung bestehender Unternehmen) zeigen die Notwendigkeit einer viel umfangreicheren und besser ausgebildeten farbigen Arbeiterschaft auf. In gewissen Industriesektoren in einigen Teilen des Landes verlängern Farbige ihre Ausbildung, indem sie Lehrlings- oder andere Ausbildungsmöglichkeiten wahrnehmen, vor allem auf den Gebieten, von denen weisse mittlere Fachleute abwandern.Dem Fortschritt farbigen Personals wird vielfach weniger Widerstand entgegengesetzt, als bisher der Fall war, teils weil Industrie und Handel mittlere Arbeitskräfte brauchen, teils weil die Weissen, die sich früher gegen eine farbige Konkurrenz gewandt hätten, jetzt einen anderen Bildungs- und Sozialstandard anstreben. Immerhin bleiben die Möglichkeiten für Farbige (besonders die Schwarzen) infolge von Diskriminierung, sehr ungleichem Ausbildungsangebot und ungleichmässiger Verteilung sowie dem Mangel an schwarzen Lehrern stark beschränkt.Ein grosser Teil des Ausbildungsangebots für die farbige Bevölkerung Süd-Afrikas wird wahrscheinlich ergänzender Natur sein müssen. Insofern ist die Notwendigkeit für schnelle Umorientierung sowohl der technischen als auch der allgemeinen Bildung in Süd-Afrika vergleichbar mit der Bildungssituation in Industrieländern, die gut mit Schulen ausgestattet sind, in denen sich aber für die Zeit nach dem Schulpflichtalter ein Bedarf nach Neuausrichtung des Verhältnisses zwischen Schule und Industrie sowie nach zweiten Chancen spürbar bemerkbar macht. Die Aussichten für die Durchführung entsprechender Änderungen in Süd-Afrika werden gegen die lange Tradition von Segregation und administrativer Verantwortungsteilung im Bildungswesen abgewogen. Ferner werden die Probleme Süd-Afrikas auf ihre weitgehendere Relevanz für Nach-Schul-Ausbildung unter Verhältnissen schnellen Wandels hin untersucht, vor allem dort, wo das Bildungsangebot für verschiedene soziale und wirtschaftliche Notwendigkeiten in Anspruch genommen werden muss.

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Résumé La grande majorité (croissante) de la population sud-africaine est constituée de non-blancs et souffre de nombreux désavantages. Les solutions doivent être recherchées par des transformations sociales, économiques et politiques que le régime actuel ne permet pas. Toutefois, les pressions économiques intérieures (plus particulièrement la pénurie de personnel qualifié et intermédiaire pour la modernisation et l'agrandissement des entreprises actuelles) montre la nécessité d'une force de travail non-blanche plus importante et mieux éduquée. Dans certains secteurs de l'industrie, et dans certaines parties du pays, les sud-africains non-blancs sont en train de développer leur éducation et entrent en apprentissage, ou profitent d'autres opportunités de formation, là surtout où les spécialistes intermédiaires blancs s'en vont.La promotion du personnel non-blanc suscite parfois une opposition moindre que par le passé, en partie du fait que les industries et le commerce leur font bon accueil, mais aussi parce que les blancs qui, auparavant, auraient pris ombrage de la compétition des non-blancs, aspirent maintenant à un avenir social et éducatif différent. Toutefois les possibilités d'acquérir une éducation et une formation intermédiaires pour restent minimes les non-blancs (surtout pour la population noire) à cause de la discrimination, des prestations éducationnelles très inégales, de la distribution irrégulière, et du nombre restreint d'enseignants noirs.La plus grande partie des prestations éducationnelles concernant la population sud-africaine non-blanche devra probablement revêtir un caractère complémentaire. A ce point, le besoin ressenti par l'Afrique du Sud d'une réorientation urgente, tant dans le domaine technologique que dans celui de l'éducation générale, est comparable, sur le plan de l'éducation, au besoin que les pays industriels bien scolarisés, ressentent d'une adaptation post-obligatoire entre l'établissement scolaire et l'industrie, et d'opportunités d'une seconde chance. Les perspectives d'une mise en oeuvre de ces réformes en Afrique du Sud sont traitées, en tenant compte de la longue tradition de ségrégation, et de la division des responsabilités administratives dans le système de l'éducation. Les problèmes sud-africains méritent aussi d'être examinés parce que bien appropriés à d'autre situations où des changements rapides font sentir la nécessité de recourir à l'enseignement post-obligatoire, spécialement là où les prestations éducationnelles doivent être ré-engagées pour répondre à des besoins sociaux et économiques différents.

     

Uncertainty and engagement with learning games

Uncertainty may be an important component of the motivation provided by learning games, especially when associated with gaming rather than learning. Three studies are reported that explore the influence of gaming uncertainty on engagement with computer-based learning games. In the first study, children (10–11 years) played a simple maths quiz. Participants chose their preferred reward for a correct answer prior to seeing each question. They could either receive a single point or toss an animated coin to receive 2 points for heads or none for tails. A preference for the uncertain option was revealed and this increased during the quiz. The second study explored the discourse around learning when pairs of participants (13–14 years) competed against the computer in a science quiz. Progress depended on the acquisition of facts but also on the outcomes of throwing dice. Discourse was characterised by a close intermingling of learning and gaming talk without salient problematic constructions regarding fairness when losing points due to gaming uncertainty. A final experiment explored whether, in this type of game, the uncertainty provided by the gaming component could influence players’ affective response to the learning component. Electrodermal activity (EDA) of 16 adults was measured while they played the quiz with and without the element of chance provided by the dice. Results showed EDA when answering questions was increased by inclusion of gaming uncertainty. Findings are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of combining gaming uncertainty with learning and directions for further research in this area are outlined.     

Intrinsic integration in learning games and virtual instruction

This paper responds to a 2016 systematic literature review of the research on learning games by Ke (Educ Technol Res Dev 64(2):219–244, 2016). The review paper unpacked the idea of intrinsic integration in learning games, analyzing important emergent themes. The key ideas and the value of this review are discussed in the context of the recent shift to virtual instruction. The limitations, impact, and future implications are also described, with the perspective of this response focused on education theory. Intrinsic integration is an important consideration when designers create the next generation of digital games, and as researchers try to untangle the affordances of different educational games for student learning.

     

Passion play: Will Wright and games for science learning

Researchers and instructional designers are exploring the possibilities of using video games to support STEM education in the U.S., not only because they are a popular media form among youth, but also because well-designed games often leverage the best features of inquiry learning. Those interested in using games in an educational capacity may benefit from an examination of the work of video game designer Will Wright. Wright designs through a constructivist lens and his open-ended, sandbox games (SimCity, The Sims, Spore) present wide ??possibility spaces?? that allow players to exercise their critical thinking and problem solving skills. His games invoke a delight in discovery that inspire creative acts and interest-driven learning both during and outside of the game. Finally, he reminds us that failure-based learning is a viable strategy for building expertise and understanding.     

Exploring relationships between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension amongst English second language readers in South Africa

Most analyses of oral reading fluency (ORF) are based on L1 reading, and the norms that have been developed in English are based on first language reading data. This is problematic for developing countries where many children are learning in English as a second language. The aim of the present study is to model the relationship between English reading fluency and comprehension among rural English-second-language learners (ESL) in South Africa. We use data collected in 2013 by the National Education and Evaluation Development Unit in South Africa. This survey tested 4697 Grade 5 students from 214 schools across rural areas in South Africa. A sub-sample—1772 students—were selected for an ORF test. For these students there exist data on both reading comprehension and reading fluency. Although a number of studies have analyzed the relationship between fluency and comprehension, none have been conducted on a large-scale for ESL learners in a developing country such as South Africa. The present research contributes to the literature by analysing the size, significance and uniformity of this relationship for ESL learners in South Africa. Preliminary findings indicate a threshold at 70 words-read-correct-per-minute which is lower than the typically used threshold of 90 words-read-correct-per-minute of English first language readers.     

Education and skills for development in South Africa: Reflections on the accelerated and shared growth initiative for South Africa

In July 2005, President Mbeki announced the launch of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), a new development strategy designed to help the South African state meet the ANC's 2004 election pledges, namely:

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halve unemployment;