Research Articles (Humanities Education)

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Internal displacement and education : overcoming barriers for learners in Kenya’s northern Rift Valley
Adhola, Caroline; Ajulu-Okungu, Anne (University of the Free State, 2025-05-31)
Many countries face the problem of refugees and internal displacement. Internal displacement is not new to Kenya and is a recurring problem that impacts displaced children’s education. One factor affecting displacement is banditry, stemming from community fights over resources. This paper uses theoretical and conceptual arguments to explore the causes and effects of internal displacement on learning, focusing on banditry and how they can be mitigated. Fraser’s social justice theory has been used to frame this discussion. Three questions guided this inquiry: What causes internal displacement in the Northern Rift Valley of Kenya? What challenges do internally displaced learners in Northern Rift Valley face? What strategies can be used to mitigate the challenges internally displaced learners face? The paper argues for a social justice framework to address and alleviate internally displaced persons’ challenges in the North Rift Valley of Kenya.
Ek skyn (heilig) : die invloed van godsdiens as sosiokulturele verwagting by die vorming van die juffrou-identiteit
Van der Westhuizen, Mické; Woest, Yolandi (Litnet, 2025-02-27)
AFRIKAANS : In hierdie artikel ondersoek ons, as navorsers, die unieke uitdagings wat Afrikanervroue, veral onderwyseresse, in die gesig staar in die koersbepaling van hul identiteit en sosiale strukture. Histories, word Afrikanervroue onderwerp aan maatskaplike norme en verwagtinge wat gewortel is in ras, godsdiens en nasionalisme. Ten spyte van vordering in die bemagtiging van vroue sedert 1994, ervaar vroue steeds meer beperkings as hulle manlike eweknieë, insluitend ’n groter rol in gesinsverpligtinge en minder geleenthede om vir topvlakbestuurposisies te kwalifiseer. Geslagsnorme beïnvloed die emosionele welstand van Afrikanervroue aansienlik, aangesien hulle steeds dikwels werk geweier word weens konserwatiewe sienings oor hul rol in die samelewing. Die navorsers se fokus in hierdie artikel is op die invloed van godsdiens as ’n sosiokulturele verwagting by die samestelling van die identiteit van ’n Afrikanervrou. Ons het die interpretatiewe epistemologiese paradigma en outo-etnografie as ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gebruik. Maatskaplike norme en verwagtinge beïnvloed die ervarings van Afrikanervroue diepgaande, en die hantering van hierdie uitdagings is noodsaaklik om vroue se regte en geleenthede te bevorder. Voorts, verken die navorsers die geskiedenis en vorming van Afrikaneridentiteit, wat gewortel is in die Nederlandse koloniale geskiedenis, en deur ervarings en stryd gevorm is. Die identiteit van Afrikanervroue het in reaksie op patriargale en konserwatiewe kulturele norme ontwikkel. Godsdiens het ’n sentrale rol in die vorming van die persepsie van vroue se rolle in die Afrikanersamelewing gespeel. Onderwyseresse in Suid-Afrika staar unieke uitdagings in die gesig wat deur die land se geskiedenis beïnvloed is. Hulle ervaar dikwels ’n “dubbele las” van verwagtinge, wat poog om persoonlike en professionele verantwoordelikhede te balanseer. Salarisverskille en swak vergoeding beïnvloed ook hul professionele identiteite en beroepskeuses. Die navorsers sluit die artikel af deur sistemiese kwessies van geslagsgebaseerde diskriminasie aan te spreek en ons beveel aan dat balansering van persoonlike en professionele verantwoordelikhede deurslaggewend is vir die ondersteuning van onderwyseresse in Suid-Afrika.
South African geography educators' contributions to geography education : a perspective from the 35th International Geographical Congress, Dublin City University, Ireland, August 2024
Wilmot, Di; Van der Merwe, Clinton David (University of Pretoria, 2025-03-04)
A key responsibility of academic scholarship is to contribute to and further develop the field of enquiry. This paper offers a critical qualitative reflection on how South African Geography Education (GE) scholars are contributing to and advancing the field of enquiry from the perspective of the International Geographical Congress (IGC). This event, held every four years, is the largest gathering of geography scholars and researchers in some 43 commissions, one of which is GE, in the world. The two-part analysis provides an overview of who is producing knowledge and where it is being produced in the Global North and Global South. This is followed by a thematic analysis of the abstracts of the South African papers. The findings affirm the scholarly contribution our scholars are making to the field individually and in collaboration with colleagues and postgraduate students. Secondly, the findings reveal an unevenness in terms of who is contributing, and it highlights constraining factors impeding participation. The paper concludes by making some tentative propositions on a future research agenda that may help to advance the field and how constraining factors may be addressed so that we cultivate a stronger, more inclusive, Global South voice in the field.
Provision of support structures for beginner teachers at schools : an induction programme approach
Ndabankulu, Amanda; Mukuna, Kananga Robert (Global Association of Educational and Research in Psychology, 2025-11-30)
This study explored providing support structures for beginner teachers at schools during the induction programme in the Thabo Mofutsanyane district schools. Entering the teaching profession is a challenge for many beginner teachers. Studies in the South African and international contexts have shown that beginner teachers often experience a lack of support from their colleagues or inadequate mentorship when they enter the teaching profession, which can lead to frustration and even resignation. One aspect that might help beginner teachers overcome this challenge is through the support structures offered through induction programs. Induction programmes are designed to prepare beginner teachers when they enter the workplace. Many such induction programmes in South Africa and internationally have not guided new teachers' objectives in their new positions. A research gap reveals that novice teachers often lack support when they enter the profession. Using an induction programme, this study explored how support structures can be provided to beginner teachers participating in an induction programme. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory informs this study and employs a qualitative research approach, generating data through semi-structured interviews. The telephonic interviews were conducted in two different phases. The first (T1) occurred in January 2021, and the second (T2) took place in August 2021. This study interviewed fourteen participants drawn from fourteen secondary schools across the Bethlehem and QwaQwa areas within the Thabo-Mofutsanyane district. The research findings indicated a positive effect of offering support to beginner teachers in their first years of teaching, as this reduced their anxiety levels and made them feel well-informed and prepared. Therefore, this study provides conclusive evidence that supports the notion that structures for beginner teachers through induction programmes positively impact their preparation to acquire professional skills and contribute to learner development.
Life orientation as a posthumanist interspace : reclaiming human-centric higher education in a post-neoliberal South African landscape
De Jager, Sarina; Jarvis, Janet (University of the Western Cape, 2025)
This article advances a humanistic vision for higher education by reimagining Life Orientation (LO) - a South African school subject often dismissed as marginal - as a vital knowledge interspace within universities. Situated within the context of teacher education, the article critiques the dehumanising effects of neoliberalism and colonial epistemologies, and advocates for a curriculum that foregrounds relationality, ethics, and holistic learning. Drawing on posthumanist, decolonial, and nomadic theory, particularly Braidotti's work, the paper conceptualises LO as a transdisciplinary site that supports boundary-crossing and inclusive pedagogies. Through ecological metaphors and examples of courageous scholarly collaboration, the article shows how LO can foster interconnectedness, emotional intelligence, and critical consciousness. It proposes a model for recognising LO as a formal interspace in higher education - capable of addressing social fragmentation and supporting global citizenship. By aligning with the values of the Fifth Industrial Revolution and the Sustainable Development Goals, LO is positioned as essential to a more compassionate and just educational future.
Redefining the speaking construct for ELF oral assessment : conversation analysis and framework development in a Japanese university context
Goli, Alexis; Maluleke-Dube, Nkhensani (Springer, 2026-04-14)
BACKGROUND : English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has become the primary medium of international communication, yet language assessment practices continue to privilege native-speaker norms that misalign with multilingual communication realities. This study addresses the critical need to redefine oral assessment frameworks for ELF contexts, particularly in Japanese universities where English increasingly serves as a cross linguistic tool among diverse multilingual speakers rather than as an endpoint modeled on native-speaker competence. METHODS : Using a two-phase qualitative design, this study analyzed seven naturally occurring dialogues (10,030 words, ~ 2.35 h) from the English as a Lingua Franca in Japan (ELFJ) Corpus involving Japanese and non-Japanese English speakers. Conversation Analysis and Interactional Sociolinguistics were employed to identify successful ELF communication strategies. Document analysis of Cambridge English assessment frameworks was conducted to examine how existing competency descriptors could be reconceptualized for ELF-aligned (context-valid) assessment contexts. RESULTS : Nine distinct ELF communication strategies emerged as essential for successful multilingual interaction: negotiation of meaning, self-initiated communication strategies, simplification, repair, lexical innovation, code-switching, accommodation, turn-taking management, and collaborative construction. Analysis of existing assessment frameworks revealed three critical inadequacies: native-speaker norm orientation, limited recognition of strategic communication, and absence of multilingual resource recognition. Based on these findings, a reconceptualized framework with four ELF-informed criteria is proposed for future validation: Intelligibility and Clarity, Strategic Communication, Interactional Effectiveness, and Multilingual Resourcefulness. CONCLUSIONS : This study suggests that ELF-aligned (context-valid) oral assessment requires fundamental reconceptualization beyond superficial modifications to existing frameworks. The proposed ELF-informed assessment criteria prioritize communicative effectiveness and strategic flexibility over adherence to native-speaker norms, potentially offering a more valid and equitable approach to evaluating multilingual speakers’ English proficiency pending empirical validation. These findings have significant implications for language testing policy and practice in increasingly multilingual educational contexts across Asia and globally.
Using the Mantlwane game as a culturally responsive pedagogical tool for teaching Sepedi in Foundation Phase classrooms
Makgabo, Mmamoyahabo Constance; Letageng, Itumeleng Phasoane (NISC (Pty) Ltd and Informa UK Limited (trading as Taylor & Francis Group), 2026)
The Mantlwane game, a traditional African play activity rooted in African oral traditions, holds immense potential as a culturally responsive pedagogical tool for enhancing African language teaching. The purpose of this study is to explore how Mantlwane, which is characterised by role-playing and storytelling, can be effectively integrated into the classroom to enhance language learning and cultural appreciation. Also, it investigates the pedagogical value of Mantlwane in fostering linguistic competence, cultural appreciation, and learner engagement. Grounded in the framework of culturally responsive pedagogy, the study adopts a qualitative approach, including semi-structured interviews with African language educators. The findings reveal that Mantlwane fosters a deep connection to African heritage, facilitates vocabulary development and enhances learners’ communicative skills through collaborative and experiential learning while connecting them to indigenous knowledge systems and cultural narratives. Through storytelling, role-playing and interaction, the game bridges the gap between formal education and the learners’ lived experiences. The article recommends and provides practical strategies for incorporating Mantlwane into African language curricula, offering educators innovative approaches to decolonise, revitalise and enrich language education.
Educating through intercultural exchanges : South African and Greek students interconnect through art
Steyn, Raita (University of the Free State, 2025-06)
This article explores the role of art education by engaging university students from different continents and worldviews to express their national or provincial consciousness within a universal, humanist framework. Educationally, it challenges two fundamentally opposed pedagogical approaches to developing collective historical memory – namely, the Greek national consciousness shaped by 19th-century European nation-state ideologies and the contemporary South African context, rooted in post-apartheid multiculturalism since 1994. The research focuses on two historically different viewpoints, interwoven under one unifying concept: ‘Humanity through Art’. In light of the challenges and restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines strategies for sustaining educational continuity during crises, whether health-related, environmental, or geopolitical (e.g., Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Palestine). The pandemic is presented as a paradigm of human endurance and creativity in response to existential threats, highlighting local and global educational strategies. A qualitative, interpretive approach underpins this study, drawing on students’ visual creations and reflections as sources of insight into their socio-political consciousness. Focusing on two case studies, Banners for liberty and Horrors of war, hopes for peace, the article analyses how students created banners and artworks as symbols of collective protest and unity, moving beyond a single socio-national identity and resisting foreign dominance. In Banners for liberty, students reflected on historical struggles for freedom and justice, reinterpreting them through a humanist perspective relevant to contemporary issues. Although initially prepared for in-person collaboration, students from both continents adapted to online learning, shifting their creative processes into virtual spaces. The second case study, Horrors of war, hopes for peace (inspired by Picasso’s Guernica and ongoing global conflicts), centres on trauma, war, and the universal longing for peace. Educationally, it highlights the power of intercultural dialogue to rise above linguistic, geographic, and socio-cultural barriers. The shared outcomes of these international projects, such as equitable access to education, curricular adaptation, emotional resilience, and continuity, are especially relevant in supporting learning during war and displacement.
Why certain narratives do not belong in the classroom : difficult and dangerous history in South Sudan
Skaras, Merethe; Bentrovato, Denise (Taylor and Francis, 2025-09-23)
There is a scholarly consensus that addressing past conflicts within education is an essential ingredient in justice and reconciliation processes. In newly independent South Sudan, an unstable political context ravaged by protracted civil war, it is debatable whether and how difficult history could or should be addressed. Against the backdrop of introducing the country’s first history textbooks, this article explores students’ perspectives on recent and ongoing conflicts in South Sudan at the time of their publication. Drawing on student essays and theories of difficult history, our analysis examines the nature of difficult histories circulating among young people. It uncovers the multiple perspectives deriving from unofficial histories that may be at teachers’ disposal in the classroom, centering on those that relate to internal divisions and mutual victimization in the past and the present. We argue that these sensitive topics have the potential to challenge the official history of ‘unity in resistance,’ dominating both textbooks and classroom teaching. In uncovering difficult and often dangerous history, we contribute to a theorization of why such narratives do not belong in the classroom in a politically fragile environment.
Teachers’ troubled interactions with prescribed school history and its national imaginaries : the case of post-Mugabe Zimbabwe
Bentrovato, Denise; Moyo, Nathan (Routledge, 2026)
Drawing on the under-researched case of post-Mugabe Zimbabwe, this article explores the intricacies of teachers’ engagement with official curricula and their inherent national imaginaries within prescriptive and constrictive political environments. The article investigates history teachers’ interpretation and enactment of curriculum reform and textbook revision in historically marginalised regions of Zimbabwe, centring representations of the country’s contentious anti-colonial struggle. Our findings illuminate educators’ sense of moral and professional injury in the face of conflict between the values of academic history they acquire through teacher education and their classroom practices, favouring a nationalist collective memory approach, compelled by the spectre of potential sanctions and by high-stakes centralised examinations that act as technologies of control. We conclude by drawing attention to the implications of policy constraints for teachers’ wellbeing and for societal vulnerability to the abuse of history, and by calling for further investigation into the feasibility of implementing critical historical inquiry in classrooms where systemic barriers prevail. Ultimately, we warn against unrealistic assumptions about normative, one-size-fits-all approaches to history education that fail to take into account realities on the ground and point out the need for the field to search for effective strategies in support of teachers working in constrictive contexts.
Jackals with muddy whiskers : re-centering decolonized memory in South Africa through performativity and text
Levin, Adam; Byrne, Deirdre; Genis, Gerhard; Gennrich, Toni (Taylor & Francis Group, 2025)
This article discusses dialogues between South African poets and ourselves. The poets describe their roles as purveyors of memory, bringing experiences with nature into the present, providing universal interconnectedness. Our title is a proverb meaning “the jackal that survives is the one with muddy whiskers”. To survive, a jackal must know the world deeply, utilizing deep listening and respectful engagement. The poets describe poetry as a multimodal act, grounded in their geospatial locations. They weave memories of their communities and cultures into multimedia works, integrating diverse art forms. They decolonize the study of memory by subverting the centering of Northern epistemologies and re-centering their experience as distinctively (South) African. Writing as “implicated subjects” who have benefited from systems of privilege, we are part of a community of poets. We engage with the poets through found poetry as we trace connections between the poets and their work towards healing.
'A jigsaw puzzle which Britain finds difficult to solve' : Britain, Bophuthatswana and the Sun City Eight
Feather, Daniel J. (Oxford University Press, 2025-07)
In January 1984, seven British and one US national were jailed in the ‘independent’ Bantustan of Bophuthatswana for their roles in a complex fraud at a Sun City casino. This article demonstrates how the Bophuthatswana ‘government’ tried to use the detainees as pawns in their efforts to gain recognition of the territory’s independence, and the difficulties this created for British policymakers. While the Bophuthatswana authorities initially allowed British and US officials to visit the detainees, they soon became obstructive and demanded that permission be sought from their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As neither the UK nor the USA recognized Bophuthatswana’s independence, such formal contact was ruled out. However, as this article will demonstrate, a well-orchestrated campaign by the families of the detainees put pressure on the British government, which ultimately made concessions to Bophuthatswana regarding the visa process its ministers had to undertake prior to visiting the UK to allow contact with the prisoners. This article will also demonstrate the degree of sympathy that certain sections of the British elite had for Bophuthatswana’s quest for international recognition. Indeed, the deal regarding the visa restrictions and access to the detainees was arranged through Sir Peter Emery, a Conservative member of the British parliament and chairperson of Shenley Trust, a firm hired by the Bophuthatswana government to facilitate its gold sales.
Ukuhlaziywa kobuthakathaka namandla abalingiswa besilisa enovelini kaJC Buthelezi ethi Impi Yabomdabu Isethunjini
Zwane, Celani Lucky (Routledge, 2025)
ZULU : Okugxilwe kukho kuleli phepha locwaningo okungakaze kucwaningwe abacwaningi okumayelana nokuhlaziywa kobuthakathaka namandla abalingiswa besilisa okutholakala enovelini kaJC Buthelezi ethi Impi Yabomdabu Isethunjini. Ubuthakathaka namandla babalingiswa besilisa kuvezwe ngokusobala kule noveli. Inhloso enkulu yaleli phepha locwaningo ukukhombisa ukuthi uButhelezi ubethula kanjani ubuthakathaka namandla abalingiswa besilisa kule noveli yakhe. Iveze ubuthakathaka namandla abo ngemuva kwesikhathi sobandlululo kwazise igxile ezimweni ezenzakalayo ngemuva kwesikhathi sobandlululo. Ukuziphatha kwabalingiswa besilisa abakubonisa kubalingani babo besifazane nabazali nezenzo zabalingiswa besifazane mayelana nentuthuko yabalingani babo besilisa kubhekiwe. Kusetshenziswe indlela yekhwalithethivu kuleli phepha locwaningo ngoba umcwaningi usebenzise izincwadi, amathisisi namajeneli ukuthola ulwazi. Izinjulalwazi umcwaningi abone ukuthi zihambisana nocwaningo ireader-oriented theory (injulalwazi egxile kubafundi) ebuye ibizwe ngokuthi ireader-response criticism noma ireception theory. Zontathu lezi zinjulalwazi ziyahambisana nokucwaningwa kuleli phepha locwaningo kwazise zigxile ekuziphatheni komuntu nasekubhekeni okufanelwe ukwenziwa ngumuntu nokungafanele. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveza ukuthi enovelini kaJC Buthelezi ethi Impi Yabomdabu Isethunjini kukhona lapho kutholakala khona ubuthakathaka babalingiswa besilisa lapho bengakhulumi ngendlela efanele noma bengenzi izinto ngendlela eyamukelekile. Imiphumela yocwaningo ibuye ithole ukuthi enovelini ka kaJC Buthelezi ethi Impi Yabomdabu Isethunjini kukhona lapho kutholakala khona ukuba namandla kwabalingiswa besilisa lapho bengakhuluma khona izinto ezifanele (bemela iqiniso) noma benza izinto ngendlela eyamukelekile. ENGLISH : The focus of this research article is that most researchers are not aware of the weaknesses and strengths of the male characters that are depicted in JC Buthelezi’s novel. The weaknesses and strengths of the male characters show their true characteristics in the novel. The main intention of this article is to show how Buthelezi presents the weaknesses and strengths of the male characters in his novel. It exposes their weaknesses and strengths after the apartheid period. Male behaviour demonstrated to their female partners and parents as well as the actions of the female characters about the developments of their male partners has been looked at. A qualitative method was used in this article using books, theses and journals. The theories that the researcher found to be relevant to the study are reader-oriented theory, also known as reader-response criticism or reception theory. All these three theories are good for this article as they focus on human behavior. The results show that there is a weakness of the male characters when they do not speak properly or do things in an acceptable manner, and that there is strength of the male characters when they speak in the right manner (representing the truth), or do things in an acceptable way.
Creating multilingual spaces through arts-based methods in foundation phase classrooms
Aung, Shine (Frontiers Media, 2025-10-16)
This article considers how the use of multiple languages and the incorporation of arts-based methods in the Foundation Phase (Grades 1 to 3) classroom led to the creation of a third space, which is characterised by openness and creativity. A third space is transformative in nature, as it facilitates the process of cultural exchange among traditions that creates new identities, values, and practices. By facilitating ‘new’ learning, parents, teachers, and learners share their cultural artefacts, co-construct knowledge, and connect home and school literacies. The study took on an interventionist approach which incorporated the theories of third space, arts-based enquiry and multimodality to create a space that incorporated innovative pedagogies. The findings indicate that by allowing learners to create meaning through multilingualism, multimodalities and arts-based methods improved their language skills. Participating learners’ understanding of reading passages improved when they were allowed to express their cognition through a combination of drawings, multilingual discussions and writing, as opposed to answering in writing only. In the South African context, many people are able to speak more than two languages. Therefore, both multilingualism and arts-based methods can be used to create innovative pedagogical practices in the classroom to enhance literacy development.
Exploring the pedagogical value of game design for landscape architects
Bartelse, Gabrielle; Steyn, Raita (Wichmann Verlag, 2025)
This study forms part of the ongoing project entitled THEATRUM conducted by Gabrielle Bartelse, which explores the pedagogical value of game design in landscape architecture, emphasising the role of virtual landscapes as educational tools. By applying game design principles such as narrative, immersion and flow, the paper investigates how Open-World Video Games (OWVG) can support landscape architects in developing design and research skills. Furthermore, in the framework of the THEATRUM project’s aims, Mór Grommers (2022) proposes in his Bachelor Thesis six core functions of landscapes namely creating atmosphere, storytelling, providing consistency, integrating with objectives and puzzles, offering topographic guidance, and implementing gating mechanisms. Grommers’s original research establishes a strong foundation for further interdisciplinary studies. Employing a mixed-methods approach, combining literature review, theoretical synthesis, and empirical data from a survey of 204 gamers, the study examines how the above mentioned functions align with the motivations of different player types, such as Killers, Achievers, Socialisers, and Explorers, as defined by Bartle’s taxonomy. Findings reveal that detailed landscapes, freedom of exploration, and narrative elements are critical for promoting immersion. These insights offer valuable guidance for integrating game design principles into landscape architecture education, mainly through innovative technologies such as VR and AR. The study also highlights the importance of collaboration between game designers and landscape architects to create virtual environments that are experimental, functional, and visually compelling. Such environments can serve as platforms for creative exploration, participatory design, and experiential learning, giving landscape architecture students giving landscape architecture students a deeper understanding of the dynamic interactions between humans and landscapes.
Cultivating special education teacher well-being : nurturing connection in professional learning communities
Matjeni, Madira; De Jager, Sarina (AOSIS, 2025-08)
BACKGROUND : Special education teachers, especially those working with learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), often face significant stress and burnout, affecting their well-being. This study explores teacher well-being in special education, motivated by personal experiences as a novice teacher in a special educational needs school. OBJECTIVES : The study aimed to provide special education teachers with an opportunity to collaboratively examine and address well-being challenges and opportunities within a professional learning community, focusing on belonging, competence, and autonomy in Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) settings. Utilising a phenomenological research design, the study involved eight teachers working with learners with ASD. METHOD : Data collection methods included observations, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions to comprehensively explore their lived experiences. The findings highlighted the profound impact of challenging experiences on teacher well-being and the lack of sufficient support structures. Participants emphasised the critical role of social support in enhancing teacher well-being. RESULTS : Participants defined well-being as emotional, physical, and holistic, including social and family aspects. While working with learners with ASD was meaningful, it also caused significant stress due to their complex needs. Daily challenges shaped teachers’ professional identity and competence. Connections with colleagues were valued, but a lack of institutional support and a restrictive school culture hindered well-being. When given autonomy, participants creatively co-developed well-being interventions, though support from management was essential for implementation. CONCLUSION : This research highlights the essential role of fostering a sense of belonging and connection within professional learning communities for special education teachers. It calls for increased accountability in developing well-being support structures and comprehensive training programmes tailored to the needs of novice educators in special education. By nurturing connections, fostering competence, and ensuring autonomy, the well-being of special education teachers, particularly those working with learners on the autism spectrum, can be significantly improved. Contribution: This study contributes to enhancing well-being support structures and training programmes for special education professionals.
Unravelling second-order concepts in South African history textbooks
Bharath, Pranitha (Department of Humanities Education, the Faculty of Education, the University of Pretoria, 2024-07)
This paper explores the progression of second-order concepts in seven purposively sampled South African CAPS-compliant history textbooks. History knowledge encompasses both the substantive and procedural knowledge types, with second-order concepts forming an integral component of the latter. Textbook writers and educators use this knowledge in their domains without a predetermined trajectory. These concepts are not mere skills but fundamental notions guiding historical practice. Their meaningful integration into learning materials forms a necessary toolkit for historical inquiry. Drawing from a broader PhD study, a Bernsteinian (1990) framework and the ‘big six’ concepts articulated by Seixas and Peck (2004) are used to analyse the content of seven chapters, one per book, telling the story of the history of South Africa across grades three to nine in the foundation, intermediate, and senior phases of the South African school curriculum. A continuum was populated, articulating the strengths of the second-order concepts ranging from a powerful presence to those weakly incorporated. The findings indicate a sporadic presence of the six concepts—historical significance, continuity and change, cause and consequence, historical perspectives, and the moral dimension across the textbooks. There is a more inclusive focus in the senior grades and less so in lower grades. The concepts also lack continuous and cumulative development. If these ‘structural’ historical concepts provide the basis for historical thinking, it is unclear how they advance through the grades with increasing levels of complexity. The methodology of history is thus not a universal or one-size-fits-all endeavour but an iterative process inculcating concepts that are nuanced and inherently abstract
Re-writing his-story : exploring the censorship of history through school textbooks and public artefacts
Bharath, Pranitha; Human, Deléne (Department of Humanities Education, the Faculty of Education, the University of Pretoria, 2024-12)
This article, titled Re-writing His-Story: Exploring the censorship of History through school textbooks and public artefacts, explores how ideological and political differences of those in power can censor history, affecting how future generations engage with the past. As new regimes ascend, they promote a distinctive cultural narrative that could alter or omit longstanding historical narratives. Textbooks and historic monuments are cultural artefacts created at a specific time, in a space, and a particular context. In South Africa, for example (as in many other countries), historic monuments and public statues have been (re)moved, and selectively replaced by alternative heroes. Likewise, post-apartheid textbooks have been rewritten to include cultural diversity. Our principal concern is the restricted access to key symbols of the past as future generations lose crucial historical facts and a sense of identity as different histories are propagated. Located in the interpretive paradigm, the study utilises a desktop review incorporating critical discourse analysis to understand how meaning is conveyed about textbooks and public artefacts in print media and online platforms. Using a wide range of case studies as its empirical base, the findings indicate that textbook content is censored due to the influence of socio-political, cultural, and religious reasons. Similarly, monuments, statues, and other public artefacts perceived as outdated or representing controversial histories are often targeted for removal.
Translanguaging in the classroom : a strategy for English first additional language learning
Machimana, Petronella Nondumiso Nompilo; Genis, Gerhard (Taylor and Francis, 2024-11-21)
This article explores learners’ experiences of using translanguaging as a strategy for learning English as a First Additional Language by examining the opportunities and barriers associated with it. We followed a qualitative research design and conducted six focus group discussions with 44 multilingual learners who participated in after-school peer-tutoring programmes. These learners came from township schools in Gauteng province, South Africa. An inductive thematic approach was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicate that translanguaging acts as a tool for meaning-making and identity construction, thereby affirming learners’ linguistic fluidity. However, mismatches between teachers’ and learners’ home languages and monolingual school practices were identified as barriers to translanguaging. We argue that failure to include indigenous languages in educational systems is an act of curricular inequality that causes alienation as learners struggle to find their voice in a monolingual learning environment. The promotion of indigenous languages is a vehicle for inclusion of all learners in the school system as multilingualism facilitates greater opportunity for these learners to have their voices heard. We maintain that the valorisation and acknowledgement of all languages as legitimate sources of knowledge could have far-reaching benefits for education and could enhance nation building.
Amazwi amasha : new approaches to sustainable poetry teaching and learning
Genis, Gerhard; Byrne, Deirdre (University of Johannesburg, 2024-08)
At many South African schools poetry is considered tobe a “problem genre”, with both teachers and learners viewing it as “difficult” and as a genre that lowers schools’ pass rates in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) (Matric) examination. For this reason, schools tend to shy away from prescribing poetry at the Further Education and Training (FET) level (that is, in Grades 10-12). This article argues that the poems that are prescribed for English First Additional Language (EFAL) classes are difficult for learners to relate to because of having been written in contexts that are temporally and geographically distant from the learners’ life-worlds. In addition, many learners may not understand the particular variety of English that is used in canonical poetry. A new teaching anthology, entitled Amazwi Amasha (New Voices), containing South African post-1994 poetry, is in the process of being compiled to address the problem of learners’ alienation from their prescribed poems. This anthology forms the topic of this article. The theory and methodology underpinning the selection of poems and the design of learning activities to accompany each poem are described, along with the selection of themes that are relevant to young South Africans. The argument concludes that a more multimodal, interactive approach to teaching and learning poetry can help tap into the resources of this capacious and fascinating genre.

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