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School of Education

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    A critical exploration of student integration and attrition of Black African undergraduate students from selected South African universities = Ukuhlola okubalulekile kwendlela abafundi abahlangana ngayo kanye nokuncipha kwabafundi abangakathweshwa iziqu abansundu emanyuvesi athile aseNingizimu Afrika.
    (2023) Cele, Siyanda Mluleki Kenneth.; Gaillard, Gaillard.
    Access to South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has significantly increased; however, success and graduation rates continue to decrease, especially amongst Black African students. Moreover, Black African youths entering university do so against the backdrop of extreme inequalities characterising their schooling backgrounds, class and economic resources. Such inequalities have had a large impact on these students’ decision to drop out of university. Literature relating to Black African students’ experiences of integration and attrition at South African universities is sorely missing. In addition to this, the institutions of higher learning are struggling to find a proper remedy to mitigate student dropout. Hence, it is this gap that the present study sought to fill by developing a new model that can be used by universities to retain Black African students in South Africa’s HEIs. The present study adopted the qualitative approach and the critical paradigm. Secondary data was obtained from a larger study of education and emancipation, documenting the university experiences of students from eight diverse universities in South Africa. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 66 Black African students. In the present study, data were thematically analysed. The theoretical framework that informed data analysis is Tinto’s Student Integration Model (SIM). The interviews that were conducted with the participants produced rich and thick data indicating that the success of Black African students in South African universities is impeded by such factors as language, poor economic background, unsupportive family background, racial discrimination, gender stereotypes, and discrimination. Most participants mentioned that the medium of instruction used at universities, such as English and Afrikaans hindered their success. The findings suggest that high school education inadequately prepares Black African students for university. Furthermore, financial challenges, gender discrimination, homophobia and racism were found to be significant obstacles hindering most participants from studying at university. Informed by these findings as well as the review of extent literature, this thesis proposes a model that will assist universities to minimise dropout rates amongst Black African students. This model obligates institutions of higher learning to put students’ backgrounds at the forefront in every decision that they undertake to maximise the social and academic integration of students and consequently decrease attrition. Iqoqa. Lenyuke kakhulu inani labafundi abamukelwa ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika, kumaSouth African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); noma kunjalo, inani labafundi abaphothulayo nabaphumelelayo liyaqhubeka lincipha, ikakhulukazi kubafundi bebala elimnyama bomdabu base-Afrika. Ngaphezu kwalokho, intsha emnyama yase-Afrika engena enyuvesi ikwenza lokhu naphezu kwezinselelo zokungalingani okukhulu okubonakala ohlotsheni lwezikole ephuma kuzo, izinsizakalo ezitholakala emaklasini nezimo zomnotho. Ukungalingani okunjalo kube nomthelela omkhulu esinqumweni sabafundi sokushiya enyuvesi. Izincwadi ezikhuluma ngendlela abafundi abansundu abaye bazihlanganisa ngayo nabanye kanye nendlela abambalwa ngayo emanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrika, azitholakali. Ngaphezu kwalokhu, izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zilwela ukuthola ikhambi elifanele lokunciphisa inani labafundi abashiya phansi izifundo zaseNyuvesi. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuvala leli gebe ngokusungula indlela entsha engasetshenziswa amanyuvesi ukugcina abafundi abansundu base-Afrika ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme, ama-HEIs. Lolu ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela eyikhwalithethivu kanye nepharadaymu eyicritical. Imininingo yokwengeza yatholwa ocwaningweni olukhulu lwezemfundo nenkululeko, olubhala ngezindaba ezithinta abafundi basemanyuvesi abavela emanyuvesi ayisishiyagalombili ahlukahlukene eNingizimu Afrika. Imininingo yaqoqwa lapho kuxoxwa kabanzi nabafundi abangama-66 abansundu base-Afrika. Ocwaningweni lwamanje, imininingo yahlaziywa ngokwezindikimba. Ukuhlaziywa kwemininingo kwenziwa kulandelwa uhlaka lwethiyori kaTinto iStudent Intergration Model (SIM). Izingxoxo ezenziwa nababambiqhaza zakhiqize imininingo eminingi nephusile eveza ukuthi impumelelo yabafundi abansundu base-Afrika emanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrika ikhinyabezwa yizinto ezinjengolimi, isizinda esingesihle sezomnotho, ukuvela emndenini ongasekeli, ukubandlululwa ngokohlanga, imibono yokucwasa ngokobulili nokucwaswa. Iningi lababambiqhaza lasho ukuthi ulimi lokufundisa olusetshenziswa emanyuvesi, njengesiNgisi nesiBhunu luyayikhinyabeza impumelelo yabo. Okutholakele kukhomba ukuthi imfundo etholakala ezikoleni zamabanga aphakeme ayibahlomisi ngokwanele abafundi abansundu base-Afrika ukuba bakwazi ukulungela inyuvesi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kutholakale ukuthi izinselelo zezezimali, ubandlululo ngokobulili, inzondo yabobulili obufanayo kanye nokucwaswa kuyizithiyo ezinkulu ezivimbela iningi lababambiqhaza ukuba bafunde enyuvesi. Ngenxa yalokhu okutholakale kulezi zingxoxo nasezincwadini ezihloliwe lapho kwenziwa lolu cwaningo, le thisisi iphakamisa imodeli ezosiza amanyuvesi ukuba anciphise izinga lokuyeka phakathi izifundo kwabafundi abansundu base-Afrika. Le modeli ibophezela izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ukuba zibeke izizinda zabafundi phambili kuzo zonke izinqumo ezizenzayo ukuze kwandiswe amathuba okubandakanywa kwabafundi ngokwezenhlalo nezemfundo nokuba kuncishiswe inani labashiya izifundo zabo bengakaziphothuli.
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    The geographies of spaces for inclusive education: narratives of teachers in three primary schools in Eswatini = Umumo wemihlaba yezindawo zemfundo ehlanganisayo: ukulandisa kothisha ezikoleni ezintathu eSwazini.
    (2023) Nxumalo, Ceb'sile Phangisile; D’amant, Antoinette
    Despite the global shift towards inclusive education, there are still basic tensions, contradictions, and gaps between the design of legislation and the implementation of inclusive, education's objectives in daily school operations. It is uncertain whether Eswatini will continue this tendency of embracing the rhetoric of inclusivity without any real change. Implementing inclusive education policies and transforming schools to make them inclusive is a dynamic and complex process that, not only entails redefining teaching practise, but also necessitates that teachers develop a different sense of themselves as professionals and as individuals, taking into consideration the context in which they work and the power dynamics at play. This study explores the lived experiences of six teachers from three primary schools in urban, semi-urban, and rural Eswatini, as they engage in inclusive education. It also examines how these teachers negotiate and move through the diverse and complex geographies of inclusive education spaces in their schools, while contending with tensions and discrepancies between "real" - action or what is - and the "ideal" - what might be. To understand the daily experiences of teachers in the context of the power-laden spatiality of inclusive education, the use of authentic narratives as a fundamental approach of inquiry focused on listening to and hearing directly from the teachers. By utilizing spatial analysis, we can better understand the forces that shape teachers' perceptions of inclusive education. This research is informed by the idea that teachers are active social constructivists working for the change of classrooms and schools in light of inclusive education and the relationships between space and social practice. Thus, using social constructionism as a theoretical framework, my research enabled me to identify the quality of teachers' experiences with inclusive education, as well as the ways in which power embedded in school geographies mediates the construction of teachers' identities and the narratives that teachers construct to account for their lived experiences. The constructionist framework helps to make sense of the complicated social, historical, and cultural contexts that impact teachers' experiences as they evolve into practitioners who are inclusive. The results of this study show that while teachers face many difficulties, conflicts, contradictions, and complexities; they also have positive and inspirational experiences as they transform to become inclusive practitioners. There is hope for the future of inclusive education because some teachers are starting to re-evaluate how traditional education can address exclusionary practices and take their role as change agents seriously to foster more inclusive and equitable education in classrooms and schools. Others who have not yet personally started to engage with inclusive education at a deep level, are merely presenting a thin veneer of inclusion to satisfy the demands of inclusive education policy expectations. The realization that historically and traditionally dominant unequal relations of power disempower, demoralize, and discourage teachers from challenging existing and institutional structures and practice, embracing transition, and renegotiating their individual and professional identity as teachers for greater inclusive and equitable education; is becoming more and more apparent. This research helped me to understand the diversity within and between individual teachers' classrooms and schools, the multiple realities that have an impact on multiple and intersecting teacher identity construction, and the consequent need to avoid one-dimensional and linear assessments and interpretations of teachers in transition. Iqoqa: Naphezu kwenguquko yomhlaba wonke ebheke emfundweni ebandakanyayo, kusenezinkolelo zokwamukela inkulumo-ze yokuhlanganisa ngaphandle koshintsho lwangempela. Akunasiqiniseko sokuthi iSwatini izoqhubeka yini nalo mkhuba. Ukuqalisa ukusebenzisa izinqubomgomo zemfundo ebandakanyayo kanye nokuguqula izikole ukuze zibandakanye wonke umuntu kuyinqubo eguquguqukayo neyinkimbinkimbi edinga ukuthi othisha bacabange kabusha indima yabo njengochwepheshe kanye nabantu ngabanye, kucatshangelwa umongo wabo namandla okuguquguqukayo. Lolu cwaningo luhlola okuhlangenwe nakho okuphilayo kothisha abayisithupha abavela ezikoleni ezintathu zamabanga aphansi ezisemadolobheni, ezindaweni eziseduze kwamadolobha, nezisemaphandleni Eswatini, njengoba bezibandakanya nemfundo ebandakanya bonke abantu. Iphinde ihlole ukuthi labo thisha baxoxisana kanjani ngezindawo ezihlukene neziyinkimbinkimbi zezikhala zemfundo ebandakanya bonke abafundi ezikoleni zabo, kuyilapho bebhekene nokungezwani nokushayisana phakathi "kokwangempela" - isenzo noma okuyikho - kanye "nokukahle" – okungaba yikho. Kusetshenziswa ukwakhiwa komphakathi njengohlaka lwethiyori, ucwaningo lwembula ikhwalithi yokuhlangenwe nakho kwemfundo ebandakanya bonke othisha kanye nokuthi amandla agxiliswe ezindaweni zezikole axhumanisa kanjani ubunikazi bothisha kanye nezindaba ezixoxwayo mayelana nempilo yabo yokuphila. Ithiyori ye-constructionist isiza ukwenza umqondo wezici eziningi zezenhlalo, zomlando, namasiko ezilolonga ukwenza kwabo okubandakanyayo. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi uma sebengaba ongoti ababandakanyayo, othisha babhekana nezinselelo eziningi, izingxabano, ukungahambisani, nobunkimbinkimbi kodwa futhi babe nolwazi oluhle nolukhuthazayo. Ukufakwa kungase kube khona ngenxa yokuthi abanye othisha bacabanga kabusha ukuthi imfundo evamile ingabhekana kanjani nokuziphatha okungabandakanyi abantu abathile futhi basebenzise isikhundla sabo njengamanxusa oshintsho ukuze bakhuthaze imfundo ebandakanya wonke umuntu nelinganayo emakilasini nasezikoleni. Abanye abangazange ngempela bazibandakanye nemfundo ebandakanyayo banikeza nje ukufakwa okuncane ukuze bahlangabezane nokulindelwe ngumthetho. Ukubona ukuthi ngokomlando nangokwesiko elibusa ubudlelwano obungalingani bamandla buqeda amandla, futhi budikibalisa othisha ekuphonseleni inselelo izinhlaka ezikhona kanye nezinqubo, ukwamukela uguquko, nokuxoxisana kabusha ngobuwena nobungcweti babo njengothisha ukuze bathole imfundo ebandakanyayo nelinganayo kiya kuba sobala kakhulu. Lolu cwaningo lusize umuntu ukuthi aqonde ukwehlukahlukana kwangaphakathi naphakathi kwamakilasi othisha nezikole, amaqiniso amaningi athinta ukwakhiwa kobunikazi bothisha abahlukahlukene, kanye nesidingo sokugwema ukuhlola okunohlangothi olulodwa nokulandelanayo nokutolikwa kothisha abashintshayo.