Browsing by Author "Ntsobi, Mfanelo, Patrick"
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Item A Systematic Review of the Potential for Promotion of Southern Epistemologies in Educational Research: Ubuntu Philosophy as a Research Paradigm, a Conceptual Model(2023-01-02) Costa, King; Ntsobi, Mfanelo, PatrickINTRODUCTION: The fast changing global trends, practices and ideologies have a potential to dissipate cultural identities of historically colonized nations, in favor for adoption of popularized perspectives. This problem is becoming more and more evident in South Africa due to urbanization and impact of globalization. However, this becomes a constant barrier in knowledge creation, development and management due to the fact that southern epistemologies remain pacified and under-utilized in scholarship and educational research. One such pacified epistemology in both social and educational research is Ubuntu. RESEARCH AIMS: The aim of this study is to determine the suitable application of Ubuntu philosophy in educational research. This will be achieved by answering a theoretical question: How can Ubuntu be adopted as a paradigm for research inquiries within a southern epistemological context? METHODS: The philosophy of Ubuntu is located within a subjective realist ontology. Applying non-intrusive research measures, a Scoping Review method was used to postulate evidence for adoption and application of Ubuntu philosophy as a research paradigm. Using a search engine comprising a number of social sciences databases (AnthroSource, ASSIA, Wilson Web and CSA), articles were appraised using the Systematic Review research protocols and analyzed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. The final activity for data analysis culminated into thematic analysis, using COSTA QDA technique. RESULTS: This study played a crucial role in magnifying the pacified voices of cultural epistemological contexts and existential realities. While the concept of Ubuntu is well researched across different disciplines, there was paucity of research on its adoption as a research paradigm and research design. The study found out that there were seminal works of established researchers on decoloniality and Afrocentrism, requesting consideration of Ubuntu as a research method. Thus, this scoping review found evidence that Ubuntu can and should be used as a research method in African contexts within social, economic and management sciences, as well as health and politics. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that institutions of higher learning should start teaching Ubuntu Action Research as a method of inquiry in their undergraduate and postgraduate research programmes. Consultants are also encouraged to investigate this research design approach for business and policy research.Item Change Management as a requirement in introducing ICT in curriculum delivery – The Gauteng Experience(2021-09-27) Ntsobi, Mfanelo, Patrick; Costa, KingItem Epistemiology of the South - “Navigating and Traversing the Proverbial Avalanche Post Phd in the 21st Century – A Narrartive Reflection”(2022-07-26) Ntsobi, Mfanelo, PatrickKnowledge can be transmitted, facilitated, developed, and produced in a variety of ways through education. As a matter of fact, universities, in particular, are defined in terms of knowledge generation. We shouldn't be surprised, then, that discussions about decolonizing (Western) education have expanded to encompass provincializing (Western) epistemology, given the close ties between education and educational institutions and epistemology. This presents a danger as epistemological pathways inform thinking partners and behavioural dynamics of societies. Deconstructive debate that seeks to discuss educational decoloniality from the Global South cannot articulate that with exclusion of southern epistemological position towards reality with the lens of its inhabitants. This is what confronts the post-doctoral scholar of the Global Centre for Academic Research and South Valley University, as independent entities within the Global South. This narrative reflection provides a baseline for a cogent discourse in favour of deconstruction of southern epistemological trajectory in education and social perspectives.Item Pedagogical integration of technology as an enhancement to teaching and learning in Gauteng public schools(2022-07-26) Ntsobi, Mfanelo, PatrickThe study explores how Information Communication Technology (ICT) can be integrated in the daily school activities of Gauteng public schools from views of educators, Heads of Departments (HODs) and subject advisors. The aim of the study was to explore the degree of the ICT integration within Gauteng public schools, the challenges impeding the optimum utilisation of ICT towards curriculum delivery and enabling conditions for ICT rollout in education transformation. Therefore, the study's objectives were to determine the degree to which individual qualities impact the educator’s preparedness in the usage of ICT for teaching, to ascertain the magnitude to which preceding ICT skills and computer training affects educator’s preparedness within their teaching environment; hence determine the degree to which ICT infrastructure affects the educators’ preparedness to integrate ICT technology during teaching. Using stratified random sampling method, two hundred and ten (210) educators were extracted from the identified population. The purposive sampling technique was applied to sample twelve (12) HODs and five (5) senior officials from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). Both educators and HODs were selected from public schools in three Gauteng regions namely: Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. A triangulation technique was employed using a survey (questionnaires and semi-structured interviews) as data collection instruments to collect data from respondents. The collected data was then scrutinised in-line with the predefined conceptual framework. The independent variables of the study were factors influencing educators’ readiness to use ICT in public schools. The dependent variable of the study was educators’ preparedness to use ICT. An analytical tool, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), was used to analyse quantitative data. This allowed the study to generate descriptive statistics from the collected data. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews was analysed using content analysis resulting in a systematic and replicable procedure of identifying themes by compressing many words of text into fewer categories. The main result of the study is that ICT training affects educators’ preparedness to use ICT resources for curriculum delivery. Training deepens educators’ ICT knowledge and prepares them to apply learned skills. The acquired set of knowledge and skills in turn give the educators more confidence in the classroom and competence in teaching the subject content. A major recommendation of the study is the need to have regular refresher courses in ICT as the findings revealed that not all educators have good computer skills. Further, there is a need to improve the pace of the rollout of the of ICT infrastructure as lack of it negatively affects educators’ preparedness. Above all, the study recommends that a multi-sectoral implementation model for ICT integration should be adopted by the Gauteng Department of Education. This can improve the integration and adoption of technology for teaching and learning in selected Gauteng public schools. The other element to consider is introducing change management early in the rollout so that educators can adapt to the changing work environment.Item Privatisation of Prisons and Prison Services in South Africa(2022-08-11) Ntsobi, Mfanelo, PatrickThis study explored options for the provision of efficient prison services in South Africa. The researcher compared public and private prisons with respect to costs, quality, accountability and impact on jobs. The study also drew lessons from the international experience on prison privatisation. The primary objective of the study was to develop practical options for privatisation of prison and prison services in South Africa. The study includes a literature review as well as an assessment and selection of theoretical frameworks. The researcher relied on reports and legislation(s) with respect to prison privatisation. A case study was developed on three countries where prison privatisation had gained momentum (USA, Australia and UK). In Africa, at the research report focused on Lesotho, Malawi and Botswana, focusing on the extent of overcrowding and prison privatisation in these respective countries. The study found that, the legislation regulating private prisons favours private contractors and needs to be revisited. It also emerged that the privatisation of prisons and prison services has become an international trend, spreading to other continents such as Africa, Asia and South America. The study also found that the project on private prisons was rushed and not properly piloted in South Africa, however, it also came out that private prisons could coexist alongside private prisons. The general claim that private prisons are cheaper than public prisons could not be proved, especially in relation to South Africa. The main finding in relation to costs was that, private prisons have at least helped to come up with a formula to establish how much it really costs to keep a person in prison. Finally, the study concluded that the topic on prison privatisation needs further exploration and that; there is a need for renewed partnerships between private and public prisons that would be mutually beneficial.Item Students’ experiences in relation to the use of online learning and collaborative technologies during COVID-19 outbreak in South African Universities(2022-07-26) Ntsobi, Mfanelo, Patrick; Singh, Praveen, PaulStudent’s experiences on the use of online collaborative technology continues to attract attention of researchers in education and social sciences. Of particular interest is the reliance on technological and digital platforms, using web-based strategies during the outbreak of COVID-19 in institutions of learning. This study used an unlinked, anonymous survey to explicate experiences of students on the use of online technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Consenting participants constituted a study population that was made up of first year accounting students in a public university in South Africa, drawing a sample of 190 from a population of 371. Using a theory of connectivism, the study found that students were eager and confident that collaborative technology could lead them to pass their examinations even if face-to-face intervention was missing. Collaborative technology consisting of tools such as WhatsApp, Blackboard and Zoom made it easy for them to relate with instructors and faculty who were making efforts to deliver content in a simplified manner. The study further concluded that efforts have to be made to study the benefits of collaborative technology both to learners and faculty at institutions of higher learning.Item The exigency of ICT Resources on Teaching and Learning in South African Primary Schools(2022-08-11) Ntsobi, Mfanelo, PatrickThe effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the teaching and learning fraterinity has globally necessitated its integration in the classroom. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the quest for Integration in individual school contexts remains an uphill task in-spite of ICT integration being a policy prerogative in a number of countries. This survey has the sole objective of unpacking how the teaching and learning process has been affected due to lack of ICT resources. By use of a simple questionnaire, the researcher made use of semi-structured interviews in order to solicit data from educators in selected South African primary schools. The interviews were transcribed manually and coded. The data analysis process was conducted by use of a thematic mode of analysis. The findindings thereof demonstrated that, due to many reasons, many schools do not make use of ICT tools in teaching and learning, as expected, and, in most cases, they do not maximise of the use of the existing resources, thus affecting the teaching and learningn processes. The reasearcher recommends that the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) seriously takes into consideration individual school contexts when allocating ICT resources in order to try and mitigate the challenges. Stepping up the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that are currently at play will help identify contextual challenges and the provision of assistance where necessary. Security issues also call for schools to team up with local communities to try and fight the theft and vandalization of IT resources. All these measures are meant to facilitate the preservation and use of ICT resources in the classroom for the betterment of the learning process.Item The role and potential of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in early childhood education in South Africa: A theoretical perspective(2021-09-28) Costa, King; Ntsobi, Mfanelo, Patrick; Nyamkure, Blondel