Research Articles (Educational Psychology)
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Item COVID-19 revealed South Africa's need to circularise its economy(AOSIS Publishing, 2025) Babane Vusiwana CWhen the first coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) case was diagnosed in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, no one would have predicted its rapid global transmission pace. As physicians, epidemiologists and policy makers were frantically investigating the pathogen’s natural reservoir, it rampantly spread to all continents. Beginning with a few cases identified in Wuhan (Li, Liu & Ge 2020), by mid-June 2023, ‘there were 767,984,989 confirmed cases of COVID-19’ globally (World Health Organization [WHO] 2023, p. 1). This exponential increase in global infections from 2019 to 2020 as well as morbidity and mortality rates impelled the WHO to declare COVID-19 a global health emergency of international concern in early 2020 (Sohrabi et al. 2020). By the time, this WHO declaration was lifted in May 2023, COVID-19 had claimed the lives of 6,943,390 people worldwide (WHO 2023) of which 256,542 were Africans (Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention 2023). These high mortality statistics at a global level were because of the initial lack of safe, effective vaccines and later, their delayed roll out post-development because of regulatory and policy approval bottlenecks. There are, however, continental and country-level variations that explain delayed vaccine roll out and, in some cases, outright limited access. A case in point is South Africa, which I use as a reference point in this chapter to argue that thousands of lives and livelihoods were lost because of a complex combination of factors that include profiteering by big pharmaceuticalItem Envisaged learning environments for learners with visual impairments in Lesotho rural schools using asset-based approaches(Literasi Indonesia, 2024) Khanare Fumane; Ramatea MamochanaPrevious literature has highlighted the persistent global challenge of providing quality education in conducive settings for learners with visual impairments (LVIs), particularly in rural schools. This study aims to explore viable resources that can be leveraged to create an enabling learning environment for LVIs within rural primary school contexts. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study engaged 12 teachers from rural mainstream primary schools in Lesotho. Data were gathered through focus group discussions with a purposively selected sample of teachers and analyzed thematically. The findings underscored the perception among participants that rural schools possess a range of assets, both visible and concealed, that effectively cater to the special educational needs of LVIs. However, a notable limitation surfaced regarding the teachers' knowledge about utilizing these existing resources optimally. Consequently, this highlighted a crucial need for enhanced collaboration, involvement of relevant stakeholders, and augmentation of academic resources. The effective utilization of these assets emerges as a pivotal factor requiring improved management to cultivate a more conducive learning environment for LVIs in the future.Item Feasibility of introducing digital music skills into South African primary school curriculum(OpenJournals Publishing AOSIS (Pty) Ltd, 2024) Yende, Sakhiseni JosephBACKGROUND: As the global landscape of education evolves with digital advancements, the feasibility of integrating digital music skills into primary school curricula has become a subject of exploration, South Africa is no exception AIM: This study aims to conduct a content analysis of the existing scholarly writings to assess the feasibility of infusing digital music skills into the curriculum of South African primary schools SETTING: The research is conducted using content analysis, the inclusion of different South African public-school contexts allows for a comprehensive examination of the feasibility of digital music skills integration across varied environments METHODS: The study uses a rigorous qualitative content analysis methodology, drawing on historical documents, archival materials and scholarly discourse RESULTS: The study reveals nuanced insights into the cultural emphasis on music, historical disparities influencing resource distribution, the role of positive social interactions, challenges in curriculum alignment and the imperative for teacher professional development in the context of digital music skills integration CONCLUSION: Findings underscore the importance of a balanced and culturally sensitive approach to curriculum development, highlighting the need for tailored strategies that address historical inequalities and promote collaborative efforts CONTRIBUTION: This article enhances music education by integrating digital technologies, offering virtual practice spaces, collaborative platforms and interactive opportunities. The incorporation of real-time feedback, specialised courses and immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality not only boosts skill development but also readies students for contemporary music careersItem Primary school learners with characteristics of dyslexia: auto-ethnographic approach to the effectiveness of the screening, identification, assessment, and support policy in South Africa(Frontiers in Education, 2024) Kgatse, Karabo Moses; Khanare, Fumane; Adewuyi, Habeeb OmoponleThe implementation of the Screening Identification Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy has been ongoing for almost a decade to provide care and support to all learners, including those with neurodevelopmental challenges such as dyslexia. Despite these efforts, many primary school learners continue to experience barriers to learning associated with dyslexia. This phenomenon is of great concern in rural communities where dyslexia is generally ignored and misunderstood. On the other hand, there is a lack of research investigating the effectiveness of the SIAS policy in supporting learners with dyslexia. Existing studies often focus on dyslexia and the SIAS policy in isolation. The ‘qualitative research’ approach was adopted. Autoethnography was employed as the study’s design, positioned within the interpretivism paradigm to investigate the effectiveness of the SIAS policy in supporting learners with dyslexia characteristics in Tlokweng village. The sample consists of (5) participants and Critical reflection and auto-interviewing methods were used to generate data, which was thematically analysed. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory was used to understand the interaction between learners, their environment, and the SIAS policy.