Miemsie G. Steyn

Institutional factors that affect black South African students' perceptions of early childhood teacher education

Black students account for over 72% of enrolments in higher education, but only a small percentage of them choose Early Childhood Education (ECE) as a field of study and complete the qualification. The purpose of this study was to examine, from the perspective of black ECE students, why so few of them enrol in this particular programme at a historically white university. Through a qualitative, case study approach the reasons for the low enrolment and completion rates were investigated. Participants mentioned that recruitment for this programme, particularly in rural areas should be improved. They also pointed out the higher prestige of other career options, the linguistic challenges they face, the cost of university education and early teacher education in particular, as well as access to transport and resources as barriers to recruitment and retention. Their recommendations for higher enrolment rates included the use of black students to recruit in rural and in township areas, increased funding for bursaries, and more culturally sensitive pedagogies in early childhood teacher education. Keywords : barriers to learning, early childhood, Early Childhood Education, enrolment, minority groups, perceptions, recruitment, teacher education

Teachers’ experiences of technology-based teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase

ABSTRACT This paper presents one aspect of a larger scale doctoral study, namely the teachers’ experiences of technology-based teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. Technology is a huge driver of change and South African education has to change regularly to meet the requirements set out by the Department of Education, including the development of learning outcomes for the 21st century. This study therefore explored teachers’ experiences of technology-based teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. Qualitative case study research methods such as photo voice, semi-structured interviews and field notes were conducted within two cases of technology-rich schools and examined through the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge framework. Data yielded results that correlated with the theoretical framework namely: technological knowledge; pedagogical knowledge; and content knowledge, as well elements such as technological tools, 21st century skills and technology-based teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. Finally, the significance of this study was that the data gathered proved worthwhile in producing a framework in order to understand Foundation Phase teachers in context as well as provide a robust contribution to the way in which technology-based teaching and learning occurs.

Drawing sadness: what are young children telling us?

ABSTRACT This article reports on the emotional factors that contribute to children’s sadness. As teachers are the most appropriate caregivers to detect problems and to address the impact of these challenges, 30 teachers asked 224 children (N=224) to draw and describe their experiences of sadness. From these drawings, two distinctive themes emerged, namely violence mostly relating to bullying, and experiences of loss. This article provides empirically derived insights which are important in the understanding of young children’s emotional and social needs within the broader society and have implications for teacher training curricula at higher education institutions. Student teachers need to be made aware of the factors that impact on the child’s emotional well-being. Teachers should also be equipped to support and deal with these adversities in a school situation. Future research studies relating to children’s experiences of violence and loss should be conducted in more diverse contexts where ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds should be considered.

Black students’ perspectives on learning assets at a former white university

In view of the challenge which higher education constitutes for most black South African students, this study focuses on study elements and aspects which black students regard as helpful and supportive. Our research question was: What do black students view as assets in their studies at tertiary institutions, specifically at the University of Pretoria? In their model of student development, Chickering and Reisser (1993) identified seven vectors which represent the main aspects of student development, as well as seven institutional influences on student development. We used this model to investigate how the learning assets which our participants identified could provide distinct guidelines for the provision of institutional support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A qualitative approach was followed where the ‘photo voice’ method (Olivier et al., 2009), combined with focus group discussions and narratives, was used to collect the data. Three themes emerged from our data. Students viewed their own study inspiration, the encouragement from within the university and from families and community, as well as a sense of physical security, as their main learning assets.

Yoruba culture and the resilience of HIV-positive adolescent girls in Nigeria.

Abstract Although there is a growing body of research exploring the influence of culture on the resilience of African youth, few studies have examined how culture constrains or enables resilience among HIV-positive adolescent girls from the perspective of the young women themselves. This paper reports on the findings from a qualitative study of five purposively selected girls living with HIV in Ibadan, Nigeria. By analysing data drawn mainly from interviews and observations, we explored how cultural influences promote or limit resilience in participants. Social-ecological resilience theory was used to document and interpret the findings. While some cultural values and perceptions enable resilience, others constrain participants’ resilience trajectories. However, the girls were able to navigate through these constraints using their cultural identities and coping strategies, such as future dreams, emotional and physical resources linked to spirituality and networks of friends and families. Findings have implications for policymakers, researchers and programmers in strengthening the health and resilience of young people in the face of HIV.

Towards a matrix for the advancement of black working class students in South Africa's historically privileged universities

As a result of educational reform, historically privileged white universities are experiencing an influx of black students, whose ‘underpreparedness’ is evidenced in low throughput rates. My research question is: How should black students’ views on key factors in their learning be incorporated in a historically privileged South African university’s student support measures? Utilizing the model on student development by Chickering and Reisser (1993) which propose seven vectors that represent the main aspects of student development, the empirical data contributed towards the development of a matrix for the advancement of black working class (BWC) students in South Africa’s historically privileged universities.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) in South Africa: Black Student Teachers’ Views on Push and Pull Forces in their Training

Although the Black student population in South Africa now amounts to 72% of student enrolments in higher education, the same trend is not experienced in early childhood education (ECE). Research suggests that cultural and linguistic differences between home communities and university settings as well as meeting the academic demands of an institution that is unfamiliar with students’ home languages and cultures can be overwhelming. Using the Force Field Model of Professional Development as a theoretical lens, the experiences of Black students are explored at a previous White university. Findings from focus group interviews indicate that financial restraints, unfamiliar teaching practices and language barriers are amongst the factors that are experienced as barriers and could serve as reasons for the low enrolment in ECE.