South African Journal of Higher Education

The lived experiences of academics in transitioning to remote online teaching and learning: A South African university case study

O. Arek-Bawa — 2026-03-31

For traditional contact universities, the transition to remote online education brought a sense of panic and uncertainty concerning how Teaching and Learning (T&L) would be implemented and its implications for the quality of their qualifications. Despite opposition to full remote teaching and assessment and the ensuing challenges, academics and management at a university in South Africa developed coping mechanisms to navigate the transition. This article adopts a qualitative research approach to understand academics’ lived experiences in an abrupt transition to remote online teaching and learning. It adopted an interpretive paradigm that allows the expression of lived experiences. To that end, six Focus Group (FG) interviews were conducted via the Zoom platform in compliance with the COVID-19 restrictions. The study was undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the key findings are that certain of the students reported not having access/limited access to data and laptops, poor networks, and living spaces that were not conducive to learning. Poor internet connectivity meant some students missed valuable lecture periods, as they could not access online learning resources, and sometimes missed assessments. Some staff found the transition overwhelming and described it as a “bomb” as this came with additional administrative responsibilities.

Free higher education in South Africa: The funding issue

E. de Jager — 2026-04-01

In 2015, students have been protesting and demanding free higher education in South Africa (Cloete 2015). It was described as the most intense and violent student protests in a century of higher education (Jansen and Walters 2019). Students were raising their concerns regarding the inequalities in access to higher education, mainly due to the persistent increase in tuition fees which affected the majority of students adversely as they are from less privileged households (Oyekaba 2016). High tuition fees serve as a barrier of entry for many students into the higher education system and achieving a tertiary qualification causes the loss of opportunity to a higher quality of life (Statistics South Africa 2015).

It was evident that these demands were urgent as government intervention was needed to find a sustainable solution (Timeslive 2017). After these protests, known as #FeesMust Fall, the president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, established the Heher Commission of Inquiry to determine the feasibility of higher education together with the viability of the government to finance free higher tuition (Timeslive 2017). The measurements to be put in place would need to resolve the vicious cycle of poverty and unemployment (Timeslive 2017). President Zuma stated that the levels of income inequality in the country is entranced and can be resolved if higher education is accessible to the youth (TimesLive 2017b).

The aim of the South African government is to promote an effective and efficient university education system and to support higher education institutes financially (National Treasury 2016). However, government subsidy to the higher education sector has been declining the past few years (Buku 2018). Thus, uncertainty exists regarding whether funding for free higher education is sustainable by the South African government (Lepule 2018). It is noted in a study by Mckay, Naidoo and Simpson (2018) that South Africa’s demand for funding far exceeds the supply and it was also found that the entire process of providing funding is complex.

In light of this background, the purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of what the perceptions are of economic students regarding the funding of free higher education. Another aim is to explore alternative solutions rather than just demanding free higher education as the solution to gain equal access to higher education.

ICT as a mediation tool for inclusivity in higher education: Critical reflections from Malawi

B. de Souza — 2026-03-31

Recently, there has been increased popularity in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at all levels of education globally and in southern Africa. This situation results from improved access to technologies and the transformative agency possible in the use of ICT in education. In Malawi, the use of ICT in education is more prominent in higher education settings than in the lower levels of education because of the issue of accessibility and proficiency. Even so, the larger discourse on ICT use in higher education pertains to the ‘typical’ student. There is less focus on how ICT can mediate inclusive learning for students with disabilities. Research that has attempted to study the use of ICT among higher education students with disabilities in Malawi focuses on the convenience the ICT brings to such students. Globally, studies agree that ICT presents practical opportunities for implementing inclusive education at all levels of education. These opportunities are largely missed in the current Malawian education setting. From our experiences, we attribute this situation to the lack of connection between ICT and inclusivity. Therefore, this article conceptualises the use of ICT in higher education for inclusivity from a learning instead of convenience perspective. Through our critical reflections as educators in Malawian higher education institutions, we employ Vygotsky’s theoretical framework of mediation and mediating tools to argue that ICT (mediating tool) can facilitate inclusive learning for higher education students with disabilities if used in a manner that influences the subject (students with disabilities) to engage with the object (learning process).

The entrepreneurial orientation of academia for the future of South African higher education institutions

P. Fouche — 2026-03-31

Research on the entrepreneurial orientation of academia in South African higher education institutions (HEIs) is limited. This article explores how entrepreneurial orientation can be embedded within academia to cultivate an enterprising culture, addressing existing deficiencies in current academic practices and preparing both HEIs and graduates for the job market. Adopting a qualitative, interpretivist approach, the study employed a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, involving the systematic collection, appraisal and integration of secondary data sourced from journal articles focusing on the entrepreneurial orientation of academia in higher education. The findings identified several challenges to embedding entrepreneurial orientation in academia, including limited funding, institutional bureaucracies and insufficient industry-academia collaboration. These challenges were counterbalanced by clear benefits, such as greater adaptability, improved employability of students and contributions to economic growth. The findings suggest that incorporating new educational strategies and strengthening industry partnerships could lead to more relevant and adaptable academic programmes while encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit among students and faculty. Policy recommendations include the introduction of clear incentives for HEIs to engage in entrepreneurial activities, the development of policies to strengthen industry-academia partnerships, and the integration of entrepreneurial thinking into curricula. Future research should incorporate primary data collection methods, including in-depth interviews with HEI stakeholders and case studies within South African universities, to validate and expand on these findings.

Exploring trends in pre-service teachers’ additive reasoning: A quasi-longitudinal analysis of three-year cohorts

S. Hansa — 2026-03-31

The study reported in this article examines the trends in pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) additive reasoning performance through a quasi-longitudinal analysis of three-year cohorts involving 498 PSTs. The findings indicate consistent improvement in additive reasoning performance across the cohorts. However, while PSTs excelled in simple missing addend tasks, they often struggled with tasks involving a deeper understanding of equivalence (such as equivalence tasks with two unknowns), as well as tasks requiring reasoning about structuring the numbers involved for efficient calculation and compensating for adding more or less than was intended. While these findings underscore the potential of targeted teaching interventions to shift PSTs performance across a variety of additive tasks, they also point to the need for more emphasis to be placed on developing PSTs reasoning about number structure and equivalence beyond simple missing addend problems. More generally, the findings highlight the need for continual assessment and tailored design instruction to address specific challenges in PSTs’ mathematical competencies in additive reasoning.

Students' lived experiences of formulating a research project

J. Joorst — 2026-03-31

Stellenbosch University aims to be a leading research-focused institution in Africa and a globally recognised hub for inclusivity and innovation by 2040. The university emphasises high-quality academic offerings, including Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (TLA) practices. This study focuses on Bachelor of Education Honours (B.Ed. Hons) students' experiences with an Introduction to Research Methods module, specifically on the formulation of research projects. This focus is important for research because the quality of students’ preparation and development at honours level influences these students’ throughput rates and overall preparedness for master’s and PhD studies. The data from semi-structured interviews revealed that despite different supervision approaches across two universities, students have similar challenges, but agentic capacities no less. The findings of the study offer insights for module redesign and postgraduate student success.

Cultural and linguistic diversity in a selected South African higher education institution: International postgraduate students' experiences

T. J, Kanyopa — 2026-03-31

This study explored the intricate dynamic of culture and language diversity within a selected South African higher education institution (HEI), focusing mainly on the experiences of international postgraduate students. The study was framed under the invitational education theory of practice to investigate how the selected HEI creates a safe, inviting, and enabling learning environment for its international postgraduate students. The study was qualitative and interpretivist in nature and employed in-depth semi-structured interviews and storytelling to generate data. Furthermore, thematic data analysis was employed. The paper is distilled from the experiences of 10 international postgraduate students, two each from Cameroon, Lesotho, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, who were selected through the snowball sampling method. The findings indicate that many international postgraduate students experience psychological challenges and struggle with adjustment in the line of cultural and linguistic diversity existing in HEIs in South Africa. The study insists that South African HEIs should employ the traditional integrative learning technique with their international students since it is a useful pathway to help them achieve their academic goals.

The dual role of student-athletes: Academic advising factors that predict contentment with academic services among university soccer players in South Africa

K.K. Kgomo — 2026-03-31

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing soccer players’ satisfaction with academic services in six universities in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research design. A sample of 177 soccer players from six universities in the Gauteng Province of South Africa participated in the study. The results showed that female soccer players reported significantly higher values for satisfaction with academic support programmes (M = 3.78, SD = 0.91; t(175) = -2.55, p = 0.01) and advising staff (M = 3.82, SD = 0.94; t(175) = -1.66, p = 0.05) than their male counterparts. The study further revealed that overall satisfaction with academic services was strongly correlated with tutoring (r = 0.55, p < 0.01), academic support programmes (r = 0.55, p < 0.01), advising staff (r = 0.60, p < 0.01) and advising facilities (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). These findings have practical implications for universities in their efforts to help student-athletes strike a balance between their academic goals and athletic careers.

Staff perspective of factors influencing masters and PhD stuent enrolment: A case of public universities in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

S. Konyana — 2026-03-31

The dynamic higher education landscape and government recognition of universities' role in contributing towards a skilled workforce and socioeconomic development increased the demand for masters and doctorate enrolment at universities. There are however various factors that have resulted in a shortfall in enrolments at the postgraduate level. This study therefore aims to explore the environmental factors influencing the enrolment numbers of masters and doctorate students at public universities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The study used a purposive non-probability sampling procedure to select and interview four research managers and two marketing personnel using an in-depth semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse views and discover patterns for theme development. The findings indicate that student background, institutional environment, and political, social and economic factors have an impact on masters and doctorate enrolments at universities. Interestingly, student needs, expectations, and service preferences were highlighted as some of the factors that influence enrolment at the postgraduate level. In light of the findings, it appears that universities will not be able to contribute significantly towards the developmental agenda of the country through high-quality research and skills development. It is recommended that a formal environmental scanning framework is established to help universities formulate effective responses to any external environmental threats and institutional weaknesses

Improving biostatistical support in a resource-constrained academic health sciences institution through 360-degree feedback

E. Libhaber — 2026-03-31

A comprehensive biostatistical support service was established in a resource-constrained health sciences institution in sub-Saharan Africa in order to enhance its research.

A 360-degree feedback survey was used to evaluate the perceptions of consultees and consultants on one-on-one biostatistics consultations in this constrained setting.

Self-administered, online surveys with closed and open-ended questions were distributed to health sciences students and academic staff. A separate questionnaire was compiled for the biostatistics consultants. Responses were received from 361 consultees and 23 consultants following one-on-one biostatistical consultations. Consultations had positively assisted with understanding the direction of the research (64.3%). Both consultees and consultants concurred on the views expressed of the expectations, perspectives and weaknesses of the consultations. The level of statistical knowledge and technical skills of the biostatisticians was commended. Consultants mentioned difficulties in understanding the medical terminology of the consultees and the problem of explaining complex statistical concepts to the consultees. Recommendations from this 360-degree survey emphasizes the need to capacitate junior consultants in consultancy skills and in a basic biomedical subject, as expansion of biostatistics support in resource-constrained environments around the globe is not always possible.

Adoption and implementation of infrastructure as a service (IAAS) model within South African Universities

M. Moeti — 2026-03-31

This article aims to investigate how university infrastructure management perceives the difficulties in implementing infrastructure as a service in South African universities. Understanding the benefits that infrastructure as a service can provide in comparison to the on-premises model now used by most South African Universities is a particular focus. The identified criteria were validated using theme analysis and interviews. Trust, security, and attitude were found to be three new, crucial issues for implementing infrastructure as a service (IaaS). The results of this article reveal that IaaS provides a competitive advantage in terms of scalability, pay-as-you-go flexibility, accessibility, and immediate service provision on demand. To better understand how the contextual aspects of emerge themes, and how they relate to the ideas required for the adoption of infrastructure as a service on the surrounding South African universities, this article presents a comprehensive infrastructure as a service adoption model (IaaSF).

Equitable education: Virtual modes of instructional delivery

M. Motheogane — 2026-03-31

Higher education institutions have been confronted with an epidemic-driven shift to virtual teaching and online learning, and this poses a challenge to sustaining equality in education. Consequently, higher education institutions must be innovative and develop a contingent delivery mode of instruction to ensure pedagogical efficacy to transform teaching and learning and make education more accessible to all students. Given the realities of the exponential growth of students wanting to further their education, the pedagogical efficacy of digital modalities is not enough if the complex, wicked problem of digital equity is not addressed. Thus, there is a need for new ecologies of learning to enable higher education institutions to move beyond the brick-and-mortar. Through educational equity and the community of inquiry lens, we explored the different modes of instructional delivery, such as blended, hybrid, and online learning, with the aim of generating insightful and meaningful data on the various modes of instructional delivery. This article aims to present an understanding of the epidemic-driven shift to virtual teaching and online learning and demonstrate the value of implementing virtual teaching and online learning in an unequal and resource-constrained society to contribute towards digital inclusion and equitable access. An intra-method mixing approach was adopted. Thematic analysis was used to examine the descriptive responses to the open-ended questions, and simple descriptive statistics was used to analyse the numerical data of the close-ended question. Our findings identified elements of teaching presence, learner presence, social presence, cognitive presence, material equity, digital equity, and digital capital as contributing factors to the choice of the different modes (blended, hybrid, and online learning) of instructional delivery in an unequal society.

Barriers preventing best practice of work integrated learning in South African colleges

N. Nduna — 2026-03-31

Globally, work integrated learning (WIL) is viewed as a pedagogy and cornerstone of the higher education curriculum. However, the South African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges produce unemployable graduates, although they include WIL in institutional strategic directions. This article presents the barriers of the TVET sector to best practice in five stages of WIL: 1) preparation of students for workplace learning. 2) placement of students, 3) monitoring of students’ workplace learning, 4) assessment of students’ workplace learning, and 5) building and maintenance of WIL partnerships. Qualitative research approaches were used to collect data during group meetings and workshops, using reflections and discussions with the college staff. The findings reveal that the implementation of best WIL practices in South Africa is significantly hindered by challenges related to institutional leadership, funding, and policy coherence. The article suggests an integrated WIL implementation framework for TVET colleges, employers, and educators.

Using a Digital Studio as an alternative to engaging communication design students: Implications for a post-COVID-19 pandemic lockdown era

O. A. Ojo — 2026-03-31

This article describes the intervention that facilitated students completing their curriculum under strict and partially strict lockdown rules without access to a traditional “wet” studio and physical laboratory space. The primary researcher introduced the students to a “digital mock-up-making” process in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop programs. The e-learning technique allowed 29 second-year students at a university of technology to create their 2D design in Adobe Illustrator and 3D design in Photoshop. This process replaced a traditional physical cut-and-paste process within the “wet” and “dry” laboratory and studio spaces. The researchers followed a qualitative ethnography research design to determine the success of the “digital mock-up making” process as an alternative to physical studio and laboratory work. This research method requires deep reflection and self-assessment about “what” and “how” the learning occurred. The harvested qualitative reflective data were analysed using a content analysis approach. The findings showed that students gained new digital-based skills and overcame their concerns about not learning during the lockdown period and the likelihood of losing an entire academic year. Furthermore, online-based assessment of the design works orchestrated a paperless advantage compared to the physical studio process. However, the connection with conventional art materials and some technical knowledge dwindled during the period. This article concludes that lack of physical tools and access to physical studios were not barriers to students' accomplishments. This study recommends that digital mock-up making remain part of the facilitation methods of studio-based modules because it fosters student-centred learning and enables learning to continue during a period of disruption. Digital mock-up making can mitigate disruptions caused by natural disasters and prolonged student impasses.

Peer support interventions in the time of crisis: Peer-based adaptation strategies of undergraduate students during COVID-19 pandemic at a Rural University in South Africa

R. Tshifhumulo — 2026-03-31

One of the most significant elements that help students address difficult academic situations is Peer Support Interventions (PSIs). During the COVID-19 pandemic, various PSIs emerged from university students in universities around the world, to deal with the difficulties associated with blended learning. While such interventions represent valuable collaborative approaches for enhancing effectiveness and students' learning capacities in traditional settings, an analysis of their values in blended learning contexts, particularly in rural-based higher education contexts, remains limited within education and COVID-19 literature. This qualitative study examines peer support interventions to alleviate challenges encountered during blended learning among undergraduate students at a rural-based University of Venda in South Africa. Drawing on the firsthand experiences of thirty undergraduate students, the results show how various forms of peer connections act as forms of mitigating the challenges of e-learning during the pandemic. In alignment with the Transactional Distance Theory (TDT), the study illustrates the role of PSIs in supporting students and reducing transactional distance in online learning environments. The findings shed light on five central peer support interventions: formation of study groups with friends and peers, interactions with experienced students, participation in peer discussions, and emotional support services for students. Based on these findings, it is recommended that both the State and institutions of higher learning pay more attention to how peer-learning and student-led interventions can foster positive pedagogical outcomes when traditional teaching-and-learning models are impossible. Interventions should consider how students help themselves rather than always focusing on top-down intervention plans that do not seriously consider or take students' agency, abilities, creativity, and resilience.

Examining the teaching, assessment and research activities of the South African economics departments

D. Yu — 2026-03-31

This study examined the staff profile, as well as teaching, assessment and research activities of 17 Economics Departments in recent years by consulting information from various sources. The results showed there has been an improvement in the staff qualifications such as a higher proportion of staff with a Doctorate degree and a higher number of departments with at least one staff getting the National Research Foundation rating. As far as the courses offered are concerned, at undergraduate level, along with Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, other commonly offered modules included Econometrics, Mathematical Economics, Development Economics, Labour Economics, Public Economics and International Economics. At Honours level, only five departments offered the Research Methods module, whereas Development Economics, Mathematical Economics, Public Economics, Monetary Economics and Labour Economics were offered by many departments. Furthermore, the results of the primary survey questionnaire on first-year Economics teaching and assessment practices showed that pre-recorded videos were used to complement face-to-face contact, while many departments had tutorials as one of the continuous assessment tasks. Lastly, upon examining five departments with 5-year (2016-2020) accredited journal article publications information available, it was found that collaboration amongst staff and/or with students represented the biggest proportion of these publications.