South African Journal of Higher Education

Investigating English Education Quality: Teacher Factors in Cape Coast Senior High Schools.

A. Adobaw-Bnasah — 2025-07-04

This study focused on teacher-related factors influencing the quality of English language education in senior high schools in Ghana's Cape Coast Metropolis. It employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews and lesson observations. The research, guided by Input Evaluation Theory, gathered data from headmasters/mistresses and final-year students through a questionnaire to ensure unbiased responses. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with English teachers, and their lessons were observed. The findings revealed shortcomings in the quality of English education, with many English teachers lacking specialized training and showing deficiencies in content and pedagogical knowledge. The study recommends implementing professional development programs to equip teachers with essential skills and knowledge for effective instruction. English teachers are encouraged to create supportive, interactive learning environments that promote positive attitudes and enhance language learning experiences. These measures aim to address the identified challenges and ultimately improve the quality of English language education in senior high schools.

The slowly turning wheels on Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) finally stopped

C. M. August-Mowers — 2025-07-04

It was déjà vu in South Africa for scholars, particularly in language education, when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act and the Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) this year. The announcement came at a favourable time, as the world prepared for UNESCO’s celebration of International Mother Tongue Language Day on 21 February 2025. Advocacy for multilingualism has been a topic of interest for many years, and the slow wheels have turned in response to the call of MTbBE. However, the readiness of the South African Education system to accommodate MTbBE remains an unsolved puzzle. This article underscores the role of MTbBE in multilingual contexts, highlighting linguistic diversity as a fundamental human right. The study adopted a qualitative research method through a literature review by evaluating existing language ideologies and language practices that challenged the unfinished project of decolonial education in South Africa. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of language ideologies and policy lag that condition multilingualism and its implementation in MTbBE. At the same time, it proposes practical strategies such as translanguaging to respond to multilingual needs.

Higher institutions of learning have responded well to the MTbBE call. As such, the University of Cape Town (UCT) launched their newly approved multilingual policy on 27 February, and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) is actively reviewing its language policy. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) announced the Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) rollout on 7 April 2025. One can expect that all other institutions of learning would answer the call as it aims to address the salient and underlying language issues of the inherent past. I contend that language should be recognised as a fundamental human right. I, therefore, posit that it is a collective responsibility to uphold this right as a social justice imperative. Belonging to cultural and linguistic communities is affirmed in the Bill of Rights, including equality and human dignity. The UBUNTU philosophy is thus central to this paper as its characteristics align with my vision to encourage education practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive.

Queer-Trans-Straight alliances: disrupting cisheteronormativity on University Campuses in the Western Cape Province, SA

P.Z.J. Bimha — 2025-07-04

The Western Cape province is home to four universities ‒ all of which host queer-trans-straight alliances committed to promoting education and advocacy to tackle the marginalisation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, and asexual (LGBTIQ+) students. These alliances include Stellenbosch University’s QueerUS Society, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Rainbow Society, the University of Western Cape’s (UWC) LoudEnuf Society, and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Queer Unicorns. This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the research literature, reports, and media documenting the efforts of these four queer-trans-straight alliances in the Western Cape to highlight their pivotal role in promoting institutional policy reforms and raising social awareness and change initiatives. Using Livermon’s concept of queer labour, this article spotlights the efforts undertaken by queer-trans-straight alliances and argues that they play a pivotal role in destabilising the representation of cisheteronormative cultures and ideologies promoting visibility and inclusion for LGBTIQ+ communities in higher education. The article concludes by exploring how queer labour facilitates queer-trans-straight alliances, social awareness, and change processes in higher education.

Online assessments for accounting: Exploring students’ experiences and perceptions

S. M. Brink — 2025-07-04

South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)-accredited universities aim to prepare students to pass the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) and there is mention that SAICA’s ITC might change to an online assessment in the future. This study investigated the possibility of introducing online accounting assessments at SAICA accredited residential universities by exploring students’ experiences of online assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this qualitative study, a large South African residential university was selected as a single case. Fifteen accounting students were interviewed, and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. The participants were not in favour of any form of online assessment for accounting, including online take-home assessments and online assessments written on campus in a venue equipped with reliable power supply and stable Internet connectivity under the supervision of invigilators. This study identified various issues and challenges based on accounting students’ experiences of online assessments during the pandemic and identified opportunities to reduce stress in an online assessment and to facilitate a more effective transition to online assessments. An understanding of the issues, challenges, and opportunities found by this study is useful for SAICA-accredited universities in the context of future online assessment development.

The Clinical supervision experiences of nursing students: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Nursing Professionalism

G. Donough — 2025-07-04

Background: Clinical supervision is essential to nursing students’ transformation into skilled professional nurses in the healthcare field. Effective communication, emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, collaboration, and conflict resolution are some of the skills that professionals need to demonstrate as part of professionalism. The key environment for student nurses’ growth and development into competent professionals is the clinical learning environment, where they receive their training and gain practical experience.

Aim: This study aims to explore nursing students' clinical supervision experiences.

Setting: At a nursing school in South Africa.

Methods: Employing a qualitative descriptive design and obtaining ethical clearance, the study utilised focus group interviews guided by a semi-structured interview guide. A purposive sampling strategy was employed, resulting in 36 participants, with nine students per focus group, representing various educational levels over four years. Content analysis was applied for data interpretation.

Results: The exploration of nursing students' clinical supervision experiences revealed a central theme of professionalism. The study identified good aspects, including the demonstration of knowledge and positive reinforcement; bad aspects such as poor time management; and ugly aspects like unskilled and incompetent supervisors and abusive behaviour.

Conclusion: Professionalism is a fundamental aspect of nursing education, significantly influencing student nurses' training, particularly in the clinical learning environment. As students observe and emulate professional behaviours, the role of professionalism becomes crucial during expert guidance and professional assessments, facilitating their journey towards competency and proficiency.

Contribution: This study enhances our understanding of how professionalism impacts student nurses' development and learning outcomes in both clinical and theoretical teaching components. It contributes valuable insights to the evidence base of nursing education in practice.

“We are trying to teach them life things”: Insights from a university-schools collaborative engagement project to enhance STEM teaching capacities at secondary schools

B. Du Plooy — 2025-07-04

The state of school education in South Africa, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, is commonly acknowledged as a great concern, to the extent that it has been called a national crisis (Grayson, 2009:7). This causes a long-term pipeline problem, or “articulation gap” (Case, Marshall & Grayson. 2013:1), in the tertiary education sector and in STEM-related job markets. There are consistently declining numbers of learners who choose subjects like Mathematics and Physical Sciences at school, which removes them from the pool of learners who could potentially qualify in these fields at post-school and tertiary level and who are therefore also lost to STEM careers. This article reports on a small multistakeholder university engagement project conducted between 2015 and 2020 at nine schools in one province of SA by the Engineering Faculty of a local university. A variety of STEM-related interventions aimed to upgrade facilities and equipment, supply resources necessary for the training of learners in the sciences and technologies and raise awareness of engineering careers among learners and teachers. This qualitative post-implementation research project used interviews to gather information regarding the perceptions of project collaborators (school educators, principals and university staff) about the university’s interventions to enhance STEM teaching at participating secondary schools. The findings were collated into ten themes that speak of benefits for learners and educators, improvements for schools and the university’s role regarding social responsibility. The knowledge gained through these interventions can be extended to and applied by other STEM training sectors and programmes, both public and private.

Exploring the nature of communities of inquiry in undergraduate accounting education: a systematic literature review

J. P. Fouché — 2025-07-04

Online learning has become an integral part of higher education, and while its adoption was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it will continue to be an important mode of learning in higher education. However, research indicates that accounting students are experiencing the online learning component as a significantly bigger challenge than the face-to-face learning component. Providing a responsive online accounting learning environment requires an effective framework to assist with the design of the teaching and learning environment, facilitating optimal online learning. This article reports on a systematic literature review to determine the nature of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework within the context of online undergraduate accounting education. Utilising scholarly databases (Scopus, Web of Science, African Journals and EbscoHost), a literature search was conducted for the period 2012–2022, resulting in the identification of 35 articles for full-text review. The results of this review highlighted that all three presences of the CoI (social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence) were present. Most of the articles reported on group cohesion and affective/personal connections within social presence, and instructional design within teaching presence. Sub-themes such as triggering events within cognitive presence and direct instruction within teaching presence received the least coverage in the sampled articles. The insufficient inclusion of certain sub-themes in the presences indicated the need for further application to create a responsive online learning environment in accounting education.

Training second language tertiary students as translators in a multilingual South Africa: translation from English into Afrikaans

J.J.E. Kaltwasser — 2025-07-04

Due to South Africa’s diverse speech community, and the needs of Afrikaans speakers, translation from English into Afrikaans has become relevant in making documents accessible. This study explored translation training of University of Technology (UoT) second year students who enrolled for a course in Language Practice engaged in translating. The study attempted to shed light on translation challenges experienced by Afrikaans second language translators translating from English into Afrikaans to bridge the knowledge gap on perceptions and challenges faced. Translation theories such as Skopos theory, and Communicative equivalence were used as theoretical lenses. A qualitative research approach was employed engaging students and lecturers in focus group interviews. It was revealed that students lacked the needed vocabulary, general knowledge, grammatical skills as well as application of translation strategies. A need for training in machine translation to improve the quality of translations surfaced from the research.

Can MS Excel help Finance students to Excel? A study in student work readiness

E. Kirsten — 2025-07-04

Microsoft Excel is vital in the finance sector, and preparing students for the professional arena involves honing their spreadsheet skills. A study investigated the efficacy of a finance-centric Microsoft Excel workshop as an intervention to enhance students' skills and readiness for work. Pre- and post-intervention tests assessed students' perceptions and abilities. The results revealed a significant improvement across basic, intermediate, and advanced Excel skills, positively impacting students' self-perceptions. The majority recognized Excel as a critical job market skill. The study recommends integrating Excel assignments into finance modules to elevate skills and enhance finance knowledge retention, promoting self-directed learning.

Opportunities and challenges of generative artificial intelligence supporting research in African classrooms

F. S. Modiba — 2025-07-04

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools have sparked debates in the education sector prompting researchers to explore their desirability and potential in education. This paper acknowledges generative AI’s potential to support the delivery of teaching, learning and research in the higher education emphasising its ability to improve student writing quality as well as academic productivity, success rate, and independence. However, responsible use of these AI tools to support research is also crucial. Furthermore, the challenges associate with AI tool use, especially accessibility and usage in the African context, are recognised. For instance, ethical challenges relating to (mis)use of AI because no or inadequate policy regulations have been implemented. In addition, there are technical and structural challenges relating to connectivity, power outages, device access and technical know-how. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with using AI tools to support research in African Higher Education classrooms. For the study, a qualitative systematic literature review was applied to two articles using thematic analysis from a final selection of 29 articles. Findings indicated that generative AI tools could enhance student writing skills and increase productivity. Additionally, they could lead to research autonomy, improved writing proficiency, quality, and academic throughput. Shortcomings included AI misuse, knowledge deficiencies, and infrastructural challenges preventing AI access. Additionally, inadequate regulations relating to using generative AI tools for learning and teaching were a further challenge. It is essential to address the ethical concerns, invest in skills development and promote equitable digital access, especially in Africa, where this is limited. In addition, the capability approach revealed how the digital divide limited the adoption of generative AI tools in Africa.

The significance of employing competitive intelligence at selected South African higher education institutions.

R. J. Mogale — 2025-07-04

For many years, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are experiencing changes in information and communication technology (ICT). Their role as intermediaries is being transformed from intermediaries to enablers due to the changes in information sources, management practices, and institutional cultures (Abolarinwa and Yaya 2015). This research sought to investigate the significance of employing Competitive Intelligence (CI) at selected South African higher education institutions. A survey design was used as a quantitative research method, and data was obtained using structured questionnaires. The results show that employing Competitive Intelligence (CI) can contribute significantly to the effective functioning of HEIs. The study contends that this can only be accomplished by identifying future opportunities and threats of CI while generating potential solutions.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

V. Msila — 2025-07-04

Plagued by many challenges, the historically disadvantaged schools in South Africa need special attention from initial teacher education programmes at higher education institutions. Recent scientific reports demonstrate that South African learners in primary schools struggle in reading, writing and numeracy. However, along with these challenges, the introduction of digital tools in schools has put more pressure on teachers in all schools. Several educators have been found unprepared for the modern technologies. This case study focused on Work Integrated Learning (WIL) of student teachers at a Gauteng university and how they could be prepared to teach using technology in poorly resourced schools. Eight participants were final year student teachers who shared their experiences from which the study sought recommendations on how teachers could learn to teach in future schools that faced challenges such as poverty of the families and inadequacy of technological resources. The results show that WIL can be a great success in preparing novice teachers to be able to teach in schools that face a myriad of similar challenges. The major findings reveal that WIL is critical in ensuring that relevant initial teacher education prepares teachers who will be able to close the achievement gaps in in disadvantaged schools. Furthermore, teachers who have undergone an effective WIL focusing on poor schools are likely to empower other teachers who will support learner resilience as they improve learner achievement.

The role of leadership and values in creating a positive organisational culture

F. van der Walt — 2025-07-04

South African Higher Education institutions have historically faced significant challenges which hindered the establishment of a genuinely inclusive and conducive organisational culture. This study aimed to explore the organisational culture of a university of technology and consider the role of institutional leadership and organisational values in shaping a positive organisational culture within the university. This study utilised a case study design and a document analysis was conducted. The document analysis revealed sub-themes related to leadership, such as high leadership turnover, lack of information sharing, male-dominant leadership, lack of alignment between leadership structures, and student leadership. In terms of values, it became evident that values and culture are not aligned, employees lack knowledge of values, are not living organisational values, values are absent in Human Resources systems, and concerns were raised regarding student values. The study contributed to organisational culture literature in the Higher Education domain which is currently lacking.

Do academics find it easy to use e-learing tools

S. Vilakazi — 2025-07-04

To improve the level of instruction and learning, e-learning has the potential to increase knowledge and skills. According to research, most e-learning systems demonstrate a poor understanding of pedagogy and fundamental flaws in their methods of delivering information. This research seeks to identify a pedagogical viewpoint when designing e-learning solutions. In a higher education environment, technology can encourage active participation in the learning process, which is often challenging to manage in traditional lecturing. Technology allows students to pace their learning by providing unlimited access to content. This study explores academics’ perceptions, opinions, and readiness for the acquisition, adoption and implementation of e-learning to support teaching and learning at Orbit TVET College. The primary goals of the study were to examine the e-learning strategies employedExamine the interventions implemented for effective teaching and learning at Orbit TVET College, as well as the various forms of e-learning the College may employ. The study adopted a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews to investigate the e-learning methods employed at the College; this included identifying the effectiveness of the methods used, the challenges that the academics are facing and also the support they get from the management of the college. The purposive sampling method was used to develop a sample of the research under discussion. This method selected sample members based on their knowledge and expertise regarding a research subject. The sample frame for this research included 12 respondents from Orbit TVET College in the North West Province, concentrating only on the following groups, three groups consisted of four lecturers in the three campuses of Orbit TVET College, in Brits (64 lecturers), Mankwe (77 lecturers) and Rustenburg (91 lecturers). The interviews were the principal instruments for data collection. The qualitative data gathered were transcribed using Atlas.ti and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the academics at Orbit TVET College know about e-learning and the training conducted but e-learning is not effectively used. The system is there but not effective. In order to successfully educate and learn, the academics at Orbit TVET College need to use a variety of instructional e-learning techniques, which is the focus of this study. In order to successfully educate and learn, the academics at Orbit TVET College need to use a variety of instructional e-learning techniques, which is the focus of the study. The primary goals of the study were to examine the e-learning strategies employed, examine the interventions put in place for effective teaching and learning at Orbit TVET college, and also explore the many types of e-learning that the College might employ. The study recommend that it should be mandatory that the academics use the system and further training be provided to all the lecturers working at Orbit TVET.

Students perceptions of Covid-19-related change to the assessment model in the postgraduate diploma (Accounting Science)

R. Wessels — 2025-07-04

With the advent of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (Covid-19), several higher education institutions worldwide amended their modes of teaching and learning and the administering of assessments. This research was aimed at determining students’ perception of the changes in the assessment model from a sit-down assessment to an online assignment due to Covid-19, with specific reference to the Postgraduate Diploma (Accounting Science). It also aimed to gain insight into the self-reflection procedures that students employed with the different assessments. The study employed a quantitative approach using a survey and quantitative content analysis of the answers to the open-ended questions. Data was collected by sending out a questionnaire to three different population groups, covering both the 2020 and the 2021 class groups. The findings from the questionnaires revealed that both assessment types held advantages, as traditional assessments prepare students for future assessments, whereas assignments prove most advantageous in fostering critical thinking skills and relieving time pressure. The assignment developed certain competencies and skills not otherwise developed, and a combination of both assessments is preferable going forward.

Partnership Between Universities in Japan and South Africa

T. Maki — 2025-06-18

Cross-border partnerships are increasingly important for higher education in the twenty-first century (Oleksiyenko & Yang 2015, Sanders & Wong 2021:214). While virtually all universities in the world, in their pursuit of internationalisation, strive to enter into partnerships with universities abroad, there is no synthesis of literature on the many case studies on such partnerships or the various models of international partnership to guide such activities. The purpose of this chapter is to fill this lacuna and to serve as a frame for the chapters and discussions in the rest of the volume.
The chapter commences with a survey of the contextual background: the essential international dimension of universities, the enhanced imperative for internationalisation in the contemporary era in history, and how international partnerships between universities are put into service of this need. The research method is then explained, followed by the rationales for forging international partnerships between universities. Steps and decisions in forging such partnerships are then outlined. Subsequently, modes or models of partnerships are surveyed. In the final sections, the benefits and challenges of forging international partnerships are highlighted, and lessons learned are enumerated. From this, suggestions for the path forward, regarding such partnerships in general, and between Japanese and South African universities in particular, are made.