The influence of educational policies, internal and external determinants on the education systems of the BRICS plus member states

• Project leader: Prof Deon Vos
• Sub-project leader: Prof Louw de Beer
• Research Question: How does language policy influence the education systems of South Africa and China?
• Overall aim and research objectives: 

To determine what the influence is of the language policy of the education systems of South Africa and China.

• Research objectives:

•           To determine what challenges does a language policy bring to an education system.

•           To determine what are the similarities and differences in the education systems of South Africa and China regarding language as an external determinant of the education system.

•           To determine what are some of the best practices identified regarding the implementation of the language policy in the South African and Chinese education systems.

Gender inequalities and higher education in times of crisis

• Project leader: Prof Shan Simmonds
• Sub-project leader: Dr Sarah Barnard (Loughborough University, United Kingdom)
• Research Question: What forms of crises have women academics experienced?
• Overall aim and research objectives: 
  • To explore the forms of crises women academics have experienced.
  • To explore the ways in which the crises experienced by women academics play out in or directly affect by higher education.
  • To explore the extent to which the crises experienced by women academics influences existing gender inequalities in higher education.

Book chapters in Empowering 21st-century skilled teachers: A holistic approach

• Project leader: Dr Elize Küng
• Sub-project leader: Prof Erika Serfontein, Prof Magda Kloppers, Mr Eddie Kok, Mr Nicolaas van Deventer, Ms Yolanda Fourie, Ms Mathai Monyakane
• Research Question:
  • Chapter 1: Not applicable as this chapter introduces the rest of the chapters and focuses on contextualising and positioning all chapters in the book.
  • Chapter 2: How may an ethics of care assist in addressing contemporary 21st century South African education concerns
  • Chapter 3: What legal principles should guide the professional conduct of 21^st century beginner teachers to ensure they remain within the confines of the law?
  • Chapter 4: How may self-directed learning foster a teaching practice that enhance learner life-long learning for professional environments?
  • Chapter 8: How can social media be used to reshape Sesotho teaching and learning?
• Overall aim and research objectives: Book chapters as output for inclusion in the approved book

Combating trafficking through early childhood prevention: Key stakeholders’ attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of trafficking in persons, online child sexual exploitation and abuse in South Africa

• Project leader: Dr Anja Visser
• Sub-project leader: Ms Stephanie Elise Jones (A21, United States of America), Ms Katie Modrau (A21: South African Country Manager, South Africa)
• Research Question: What are the initial knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of key stakeholders in the early childhood environment regarding TIP and OCSEA, and how do these shift following intervention via professional training in A21's ECPP?
  • Phase 1:
    • What are early childhood educators', key stakeholders’, and parents’ general knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of TIP and OCSEA?
    • How do early childhood educators', key stakeholders’, and parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions on TIP, and OCSEA  change after receiving professional training on A21’s ECPP?
  • Phase 2:
    • What are early childhood educators', key stakeholders’, and parents’ perceived needs for early childhood prevention education regarding TIP and OCSEA?
    • How do early childhood educators and key stakeholders experience the effectiveness of A21’s ECPP  in raising awareness about TIP and OCSEA?
• Overall aim and research objectives: To explore the initial knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of key stakeholders in the early childhood environment regarding TIP and OCSEA, and to describe how these shifts following intervention via professional training in A21's ECPP.
  • Phase 1:
    • To statistically describe early childhood educators’, key stakeholders’, and parents’ general knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of TIP and OCSEA.
    • To statistically describe how early childhood educators' and key stakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions on TIP, child online exploitation and abuse change after receiving professional training on A21’s ECPP.
  • Phase 2:
    • To discuss early childhood educators’, key stakeholders’, and parents’ perceived needs for early childhood prevention education regarding TIP and OCSEA.
    • To discuss how early childhood educators and key stakeholders experience the effectiveness of A21’s ECPP  in raising awareness about TIP and OCSEA.

Rethinking Higher Education: a post qualitative study of AI’s role in curriculum, pedagogy, and research

• Project leader: Dr Anja Visser
• Research Question: How can the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education reconfigure traditional approaches to curriculum, pedagogy, and research, while addressing ethical and sustainability implications?
• Overall aim and research objectives:
  •  Main aim: To explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform traditional approaches to curriculum, pedagogy, and research in higher education, with a focus on ethical and sustainability considerations.
  • Objectives:
    • To explore how AI intra-acts with curriculum
    • To consider AI’s potential to reconfigure pedagogical assemblages
    • To explore the ethical and responsible engagements of AI in higher education

Inclusion of livelihood skills in the curriculum of the Faculty of Humanities to reduce graduate unemployment in South Africa

• Project leader: Dr. Dominion Iwe Agunowei
• Sub-project leader: Dr. Celestin Mayombe
• Research Question: To ascertain the prospects of the inclusion of livelihood skills in the curriculum of programmes in the faculty of Humanities in South Africa to reduce graduates’ unemployment.
• Overall aim and research objectives: 
  • To examine the prospects of the inclusion of livelihood skills in the curriculum of programmes in the Faculty of Humanities to reduce graduates’ unemployment in South Africa.
  • To examine the lecturers’ perceptions on the approaches to including livelihood skills in the curriculum of programmes in the Faculty of Humanities in South Africa.
  • To analyse the institutional factors that can allow the inclusion of livelihood skills in the curriculum of the Faculty of Humanities of North-West University.
  • To examine the lecturers’ views on the challenges or barriers to including livelihood skills in the curriculum of programmes in the Faculty of Humanities of North-West University.
  • To examine whether the provision of livelihood skills can be effective in helping humanity students to start and grow their micro-enterprises as individuals or in groups.

Functionaries’ 'duty to act': Ensuring teachers' right to safety from violence in public schools

• Project leader: Dr Nicholus Tumelo Mollo
• Sub-project leader: Legal perspective. Governance and Democracy subarea members
• Research Question:
  • How does South African education law regulate the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools?
  • What are the achievements regarding the implementation of education law that regulates the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools?
  • What challenges are experienced regarding the implementation of education law that regulates the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools?
• Overall aim and research objectives: 
  • To identify and discuss various South African laws that regulate the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools and to investigate how these laws are applied in practice.
  • The objectives of this study are:
  • To determine how the South African education law regulate the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools.
  • (b) To identify the achievements regarding the implementation of education law that regulates the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools.
  • To identify challenges that are experienced regarding the implementation of education law that regulates the duty to act to protect teachers’ right to safety from violence in public schools.

Citizenship Education and Human Rights in Diverse School Environments

• Project leader: Dr JB. Khumalo
• Sub-project leader: Prof. C.C. Wolhuter
• Research Question:

• o What are the ethical and civic-pedagogical challenges of the current increase in diversity around the world (see Van der Walt & Wolhuter, 2021), and particularly in South Africa, and how should educators deal with this phenomenon?
• o To what extent have schools become safe spaces for diversity to unfold in, and for the right to quality education for all?
• How do schools, affected by increased diversity and with the assignment to give positive recognition to diversity, experience challenges regarding Citizenship Education around the world, and particularly in South Africa, and how should educators deal with this phenomenon?
• What is the impact of diverse social and cultural backgrounds on the curriculum and educational policies with regard to civic education in schools? After a literature study and documentary analysis as first step in the project, questionnaires will be compiled with items which will examine this particular aspect or issue.
• How do stakeholders perceive their role in promoting social and cultural diversity, and the right to quality education for all involved in their schools?
• What are the challenges and opportunities in promoting Citizenship Education, diversity and the right to quality education for all?
• How do schools address the challenges regarding citizenship and Citizenship Education that they encounter, and how do they create more opportunities for this subject, for the broad field of citizenship education, including issues regarding diversity and the right to quality education for all?
  • Van der Walt, J.L. & Wolhuter, C.C. 2021. Global Citizenship Education in a Space of “Flow”. Prospects (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09581-

• The aim:
  • o To investigate the state and outcomes and challenges of citizenship education as a broad scholarly field, and Citizenship Education as a school subject around the world, and especially in South African schools, particularly as experienced by learners, teachers and principals.

• Research objectives:
  • Explore the extent to which schools have become safe spaces for diversity and the right to quality education for all.
  • Assess the impact of diverse social and cultural backgrounds on the curriculum and educational policies in schools.
  • Understand how stakeholders perceive their respective roles in promoting social and cultural diversity and the right to quality education for all in their schools.
  • Identify the challenges and opportunities schools experience in promoting citizenship education as a theoretical concept, diversity and the right to quality education for all
  • Examine strategies the schools employ in addressing the challenges they encounter and the opportunities they create for citizenship education as a broad theoretical concept, diversity and the right to quality education for all.

Complexities, Opportunities and Limitations: Towards Supporting Higher Education Students’ Well-Being

• Project leader: Dr Nyarayi Chinyama
• Sub-project leader: Dr C Twine
• Research Question: What are the complexities, opportunities, and imitations towards supporting higher education students’ well-being?
• Overall aim and research objectives: The major aim is to explore the complexities, opportunities, and imitations towards supporting higher education students’ well-being. Ultimately, the research aims to provide recommendations on how universities can better support students' well-being affected by COVID-19.
  • To establish how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the well-being of higher education students.
  • To explore the specific challenges higher education students faced during the pandemic.
  • To explain how the identified challenges vary in terms of demographics.
  • To examine how universities may support the well-being of students after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To discover the opportunities that support higher education students’ well-being.
  • To detect the limitations that prevent effective support to higher education students’ well-being.
  • To provide recommendations to support higher education students’ well-being.

Complexities, Opportunities and Limitations: Towards Supporting Higher Education Students’ Well-Being

• Project leader: Dr Nyarayi Chinyama
• Sub-project leader: Dr C Twine
• Research Question: What are the complexities, opportunities, and imitations towards supporting higher education students’ well-being?
• Overall aim and research objectives: The major aim is to explore the complexities, opportunities, and imitations towards supporting higher education students’ well-being. Ultimately, the research aims to provide recommendations on how universities can better support students' well-being affected by COVID-19.
  • To establish how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the well-being of higher education students.
  • To explore the specific challenges higher education students faced during the pandemic.
  • To explain how the identified challenges vary in terms of demographics.
  • To examine how universities may support the well-being of students after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To discover the opportunities that support higher education students’ well-being.
  • To detect the limitations that prevent effective support to higher education students’ well-being.
  • To provide recommendations to support higher education students’ well-being.

Navigating Uncertainty: Exploring Parental Stress and anxiety among homeschooling families in response to Bela Bill

• Project leader: Dr Tolulope Olayiwola- Adedoja
• Sub-project leader: Dr Shantha Naidoo
• Researchers: Prof C. C Wolhuter, Prof M.A Nthontho, Mr Eddie Kok, Dr. Pieter Swarts, Dr. Selaelo Maifala, Dr Appolonia Masunungure, Dr Omphile Madiba
• Research Questions
  • What are the understandings and motivations driving South African parents to choose homeschooling for their children?
  • How do homeschooling parents in South Africa perceive and respond to the proposed changes in educational governance under the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill?
  • What are the underlying reasons influencing homeschooling parents' perceptions and responses to the BELA Bill in South Africa?
  • Which factors support the feasibility and effectiveness of homeschooling among South African families?
  • What barriers hinder the adoption and success of homeschooling among South African families?
• Overall aim and research objectives: 
  • To investigate the factors contributing to stress experienced by homeschooling parents in response to the BELA Bill in South Africa.
  • To analyze the phenomenon of homeschooling through a global lens, conducting both a literature review and an international comparative study.
  • To identify the factors contributing to anxiety among homeschooling parents in response to the BELA Bill in South Africa.
  • To understand the scope of stress and anxiety experienced by homeschooling parents due to the BELA Bill in South Africa.
  • To evaluate the coping strategies employed by homeschooling parents in response to the BELA Bill in South Africa.
  • To examine the role of support systems in moderating the stress and anxiety levels of homeschooling parents affected by the BELA Bill in South Africa.

A framework for developing Environmental Justice Competencies in preservice Teacher Education curricula through an Education for Sustainable Development lens: A case study of the “Environmental Management for Sustainability” (EDTM 312) module.

Project leader: Dr Anette Hay and Ms Zama Simamane

Research Question: What are the key environmental justice competencies that need to be integrated in the EDTM 312 module in order to develop an environmental justice framework in Teacher Education curricula of the Potchefstroom campus of North-West University?

Overall aim and research objectives: 

• Conceptualise the key environmental justice competences that need to be developed in Teacher Education curricula by lectures teaching EDTM 312 at North-West University. 
• Analyse the EDTM 312 curriculum in order to identify themes that offer opportunities for integrating environmental justice competencies.
• Design a learning activity which uses systems thinking sustainability competency with an environmental justice lens to analyse key environmental problems.
• Determine the extent to which preservice teachers’ participation in the environmental justice-oriented learning activity contribute to the acquisition of sustainability and environmental justice competencies.

Indoctrination of learners in South African public schools.

• Project leader: Prof M Smit
• Research Question: What is the nature and extent of indoctrination of learners at public schools in South Africa?
• Overall aim and research objectives: 
  • The primary objective of this research project is:
    • To determine the nature and extent of indoctrination of learners in public schools.
  • The sub-objectives of research are to determine:
    • To what extent does the curriculum content in history, life orientation, life science, and reflect ideological biases.
    • How teaching practices in these subjects contribute to the indoctrination of learners.
    • What are the perceptions, opinions and lived experiences of educators regarding the presence of ideological content in their education.
    • What are the perceptions, opinions and lived experiences of learners regarding the presence of ideological content in their education.