Investigating the mainstreaming of inclusive education in Teacher Education Practice for Pedagogical Proficiency through Education for Sustainable Development Change Projects in Southern Africa
- Authors: Souza, Ben
- Date: 2025-04-03
- Subjects: Inclusive education South Africa , Education for sustainable development , Teachers Training of South Africa , Teacher effectiveness , Critical realism , Social learning , Bioecological model
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480106 , vital:78397 , DOI 10.21504/10962/480106
- Description: Globally, there are policy and practice efforts to mainstream inclusive education in different sub-fields of education. Part of the efforts have focused on investigating and finding practical mechanisms for the mainstreaming process in teacher education. Anecdotally, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), with its focus on transformative education, collaborative learning, the community of practice and the whole institution approach, has the potential to mainstream inclusive education in teacher education practices if grounded in sociocultural realities rather than mere ideological framing. This situation is related to the need for more transformative capabilities for teacher educators to prepare teachers for inclusive pedagogical proficiency. However, in a southern African context, the outlook of the potential of pedagogical proficiency from the nexus of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education is disjointed. As such, this study focused on investigating the mainstreaming of inclusive education in teacher education practice for pedagogical proficiency through ESD Change Projects in Southern Africa, examining cases from Malawi, Tanzania and Eswatini. The study intended to gain an understanding of inclusive education and ESD in these countries, identify areas for strengthening inclusive education in teacher education practice, collaborate with teacher educators to develop strategies for mainstreaming inclusive education, and generate indicators for monitoring and evaluating inclusive education in teacher education contexts. The study used Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development and Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning as theoretical and analytical frameworks. The study also employed Roy Bhaskar’s critical realism philosophy as an underlabourer or a meta-theoretical framework. The study further adapted the Vygotsky-informed Engestrom’s expansive learning as a methodological torch. Together, these frameworks were used to analyse selected Change Projects within Sustainability Starts with Teachers (SST) programme, which focused on ESD capacity building in teacher educators from 11 southern African countries. In this regard, the research utilised a qualitative nested case study design. A formative interventionist research approach supported the cases in Malawi, Tanzania and Eswatini, with the study selecting SST Change Projects dealing with inclusive education through an initial scoping questionnaire. Data were generated through 12 in-depth interviews, nine workshops (involving 24 participants), document reviews, observations and reflective journals. Thematic ii analysis, employing a critical realist approach with abductive and retroductive reasoning, guided the reflexive presentation and discussion of research findings. The research findings revealed a common understanding of inclusive education as providing equal educational opportunities, ESD as supporting sustainable development, and teacher education as skill development. The research findings also highlighted the influence of teacher educators’ biopsychosocial characteristics on their perceptions of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education. Areas requiring improvement in teacher education systems included resources, attitude change, financing, cooperation, collaboration and leadership. Strategies for mainstreaming inclusive education in teacher education practice for pedagogical proficiency included curriculum implementation, policy shift, contextualisation and interactive systems. Monitoring and evaluation in all three cases focused on teaching practice, assessment, feedback tools, forums and curriculum implementation, but the absence of specific indicators for monitoring and evaluation was evident. These findings suggest multi-layered and complex implications for policy formulation, implementation practices and future research. Therefore, this thesis argues that, in a southern Africa context, the potential of pedagogical proficiency from the nexus of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education involves considering biopsychosocial characteristics to facilitate the capabilities of teacher educators. This situation necessitates utilising inclusivity mechanisms in pre-service teacher training grounded in biosocial and psychocultural realities of the region’s educational challenges. Consequently, this thesis proffers the Sustainable Inclusive Pedagogical Proficiency Process (SIP3) model as a framework to actualise the nexus of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education, and bring into focus its pedagogical proficiency potential which eventually helps with the mainstreaming process in teacher education practice via ESD. The study reported in this thesis contributes to international theory and practice development for inclusivity and ESD in teacher education practice, provides indicators for monitoring inclusive quality education in teacher education practice, and introduces a contextual dynamics model for comparative education research. The thesis is structured in eight chapters, introducing the study context, addressing literature gaps, presenting the theoretical framework, detailing research design, exploring specific cases in Malawi, Tanzania and Eswatini, discussing the research findings and its implications, and concluding with recommendations for change and future research. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2025
- Full Text:
- Authors: Souza, Ben
- Date: 2025-04-03
- Subjects: Inclusive education South Africa , Education for sustainable development , Teachers Training of South Africa , Teacher effectiveness , Critical realism , Social learning , Bioecological model
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480106 , vital:78397 , DOI 10.21504/10962/480106
- Description: Globally, there are policy and practice efforts to mainstream inclusive education in different sub-fields of education. Part of the efforts have focused on investigating and finding practical mechanisms for the mainstreaming process in teacher education. Anecdotally, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), with its focus on transformative education, collaborative learning, the community of practice and the whole institution approach, has the potential to mainstream inclusive education in teacher education practices if grounded in sociocultural realities rather than mere ideological framing. This situation is related to the need for more transformative capabilities for teacher educators to prepare teachers for inclusive pedagogical proficiency. However, in a southern African context, the outlook of the potential of pedagogical proficiency from the nexus of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education is disjointed. As such, this study focused on investigating the mainstreaming of inclusive education in teacher education practice for pedagogical proficiency through ESD Change Projects in Southern Africa, examining cases from Malawi, Tanzania and Eswatini. The study intended to gain an understanding of inclusive education and ESD in these countries, identify areas for strengthening inclusive education in teacher education practice, collaborate with teacher educators to develop strategies for mainstreaming inclusive education, and generate indicators for monitoring and evaluating inclusive education in teacher education contexts. The study used Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development and Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning as theoretical and analytical frameworks. The study also employed Roy Bhaskar’s critical realism philosophy as an underlabourer or a meta-theoretical framework. The study further adapted the Vygotsky-informed Engestrom’s expansive learning as a methodological torch. Together, these frameworks were used to analyse selected Change Projects within Sustainability Starts with Teachers (SST) programme, which focused on ESD capacity building in teacher educators from 11 southern African countries. In this regard, the research utilised a qualitative nested case study design. A formative interventionist research approach supported the cases in Malawi, Tanzania and Eswatini, with the study selecting SST Change Projects dealing with inclusive education through an initial scoping questionnaire. Data were generated through 12 in-depth interviews, nine workshops (involving 24 participants), document reviews, observations and reflective journals. Thematic ii analysis, employing a critical realist approach with abductive and retroductive reasoning, guided the reflexive presentation and discussion of research findings. The research findings revealed a common understanding of inclusive education as providing equal educational opportunities, ESD as supporting sustainable development, and teacher education as skill development. The research findings also highlighted the influence of teacher educators’ biopsychosocial characteristics on their perceptions of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education. Areas requiring improvement in teacher education systems included resources, attitude change, financing, cooperation, collaboration and leadership. Strategies for mainstreaming inclusive education in teacher education practice for pedagogical proficiency included curriculum implementation, policy shift, contextualisation and interactive systems. Monitoring and evaluation in all three cases focused on teaching practice, assessment, feedback tools, forums and curriculum implementation, but the absence of specific indicators for monitoring and evaluation was evident. These findings suggest multi-layered and complex implications for policy formulation, implementation practices and future research. Therefore, this thesis argues that, in a southern Africa context, the potential of pedagogical proficiency from the nexus of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education involves considering biopsychosocial characteristics to facilitate the capabilities of teacher educators. This situation necessitates utilising inclusivity mechanisms in pre-service teacher training grounded in biosocial and psychocultural realities of the region’s educational challenges. Consequently, this thesis proffers the Sustainable Inclusive Pedagogical Proficiency Process (SIP3) model as a framework to actualise the nexus of inclusive education, ESD and teacher education, and bring into focus its pedagogical proficiency potential which eventually helps with the mainstreaming process in teacher education practice via ESD. The study reported in this thesis contributes to international theory and practice development for inclusivity and ESD in teacher education practice, provides indicators for monitoring inclusive quality education in teacher education practice, and introduces a contextual dynamics model for comparative education research. The thesis is structured in eight chapters, introducing the study context, addressing literature gaps, presenting the theoretical framework, detailing research design, exploring specific cases in Malawi, Tanzania and Eswatini, discussing the research findings and its implications, and concluding with recommendations for change and future research. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2025
- Full Text:
Scholar-activist transdisciplinary research praxis for blue justice in South Africa: perspectives from the South African Coastal Justice Network scholar-activist archive
- Authors: Pereira-Kaplan, Taryn Leigh
- Date: 2025-04-03
- Subjects: Student movements South Africa , Environmental justice , Ocean governance , Blue justice , Small-scale fisheries South Africa , Interdisciplinary research
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480095 , vital:78396 , DOI 10.21504/10962/480095
- Description: This PhD thesis is an applied study on the research praxis of transdisciplinary (TD) scholar-activists contributing to social movements for environmental justice on the coasts and in the oceans (‘blue justice’). I wrote this thesis from my position as the coordinator of the Coastal Justice Network (CJN), which is a component of the Global Challenge Research Fund One Ocean Hub’s TD ocean governance programme. The CJN is a grouping of South African TD scholar-activists working collaboratively in processes of knowledge co-production with small-scale fishers (SSFs) and other coastal communities. These SSFs are leading resistances to blue injustice from the margins of ocean governance. Within a solidarity and environmental justice orientation to TD ocean research, CJN researchers and SSFs have responded together to a wide range of blue justice issues between 2020 and 2024 and, in doing so, have co-generated an activist archive. This thesis draws on the activist archive to surface core practices and priorities for research that contribute to movements for blue justice. The study was developed as a PhD portfolio through five papers, with an introduction and conclusion. The main aim of this study was to explore dimensions of scholar-activist TD research praxis and associated contributions to advancing blue justice in transformative ocean governance. In doing this, it sought to address some of the gaps in blue justice TD research, most notably the need for a deeper understanding of how to centre the voices and contributions of those most affected by environmental justice concerns. It also addresses the role of scholar-activist researchers practised as a form of political solidarity and reflexive co-engagement. The main research question is: How can scholar-activist transdisciplinary research praxis contribute to advancing blue justice in transformative ocean governance in South Africa? Methodologically, the study uses a form of activist ethnography, which is a scholar-activist methodology that includes an explicit political commitment to engagement and to generating knowledge for activism purposes. Methods within activist ethnographic research include participant and self-observation, critically reflexive “thick” descriptions of context and practice, interviews and conversations, direct political actions with activist partners and facilitation of mutual learning. At the centre of this work is the co-constructed scholar-activist archive, which offers a record of four years of such TD scholar-activist praxis. This thesis and the papers presented as part of the thesis all draw on the co-produced scholar-activist archive constructed out of the social movement work of the SSFs in collaboration with CJN researcher’s TD scholar-activist research praxis over four years, representing the type of activist ethnography referred to above. Compiling and organising the archive was one important level of analytical/synthesis work I undertook. I also drew on the archive to make visible key facets of blue justice work and reflected on this, making up three different levels of analytical work with the archive: 1) Constructing and organising the archive, 2) Selection of key foci in the archive, and 3) Meta-reflections. Through this approach, I address the main research question via four sub-questions, each the focus of a paper in this PhD by publication. Why is there a need to advance scholar-activist TD practice in transformative ocean governance research? This question is addressed in Paper 1 (Chapter 2 of this thesis). How can scholar-activists in blue justice support just and inclusive views of ocean governance? This question is addressed in Paper 2 (Chapter 3 of the thesis). What methods in blue justice research enable plural knowledges and perspectives for co-engagement? This question is addressed in Paper 3 (Chapter 4 of the thesis). How is blue justice resistance expressed and acknowledged as a key feature of inclusive ocean governance? This question is addressed in Paper 4 (Chapter 5 of the thesis). What emerges as key lessons for scholar-activist TD researchers in blue justice? This question is addressed in Paper 5 (Chapter 6 of the thesis) and in the meta-reflection in Chapter 7. The thesis as a whole offers: 1. Identification of a core practice, centred on “transformative space making” for care- ful, responsive and reflexive solidarity networks – ‘net-work’ – that allows community-based activists and social movements to leverage the kinds of research support they need when they need it. 2. Insight into participatory ocean governance and socially just ocean protection, practised through an ‘agonistic’ and counter-hegemonic knowledge co-production emergent from this form of TD scholar-activism. 3. Methods and guidance for these practices, with specific emphasis on agonistically plural and inclusive methods of blue resistance. 4. Insights into the positionality and ethical tensions of TD scholar-activist researchers. The study offers an empirical case of how a CJN, through TD scholar-activist praxis, can contribute to blue resistance and blue justice. The reflective chapter (Chapter 7) shows that this type of TD scholar-activist praxis is not without challenges and limitations; through a reflexive review of these, the study offers direction for further research. It also points to the roles of scholar-activists working in solidarity with SSFs in pursuit of blue justice. Overall, the thesis offers an orientation for TD researchers interested in aligning their research praxis with social movements working in counter-hegemonic ways for environmental justice. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2025
- Full Text:
- Authors: Pereira-Kaplan, Taryn Leigh
- Date: 2025-04-03
- Subjects: Student movements South Africa , Environmental justice , Ocean governance , Blue justice , Small-scale fisheries South Africa , Interdisciplinary research
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480095 , vital:78396 , DOI 10.21504/10962/480095
- Description: This PhD thesis is an applied study on the research praxis of transdisciplinary (TD) scholar-activists contributing to social movements for environmental justice on the coasts and in the oceans (‘blue justice’). I wrote this thesis from my position as the coordinator of the Coastal Justice Network (CJN), which is a component of the Global Challenge Research Fund One Ocean Hub’s TD ocean governance programme. The CJN is a grouping of South African TD scholar-activists working collaboratively in processes of knowledge co-production with small-scale fishers (SSFs) and other coastal communities. These SSFs are leading resistances to blue injustice from the margins of ocean governance. Within a solidarity and environmental justice orientation to TD ocean research, CJN researchers and SSFs have responded together to a wide range of blue justice issues between 2020 and 2024 and, in doing so, have co-generated an activist archive. This thesis draws on the activist archive to surface core practices and priorities for research that contribute to movements for blue justice. The study was developed as a PhD portfolio through five papers, with an introduction and conclusion. The main aim of this study was to explore dimensions of scholar-activist TD research praxis and associated contributions to advancing blue justice in transformative ocean governance. In doing this, it sought to address some of the gaps in blue justice TD research, most notably the need for a deeper understanding of how to centre the voices and contributions of those most affected by environmental justice concerns. It also addresses the role of scholar-activist researchers practised as a form of political solidarity and reflexive co-engagement. The main research question is: How can scholar-activist transdisciplinary research praxis contribute to advancing blue justice in transformative ocean governance in South Africa? Methodologically, the study uses a form of activist ethnography, which is a scholar-activist methodology that includes an explicit political commitment to engagement and to generating knowledge for activism purposes. Methods within activist ethnographic research include participant and self-observation, critically reflexive “thick” descriptions of context and practice, interviews and conversations, direct political actions with activist partners and facilitation of mutual learning. At the centre of this work is the co-constructed scholar-activist archive, which offers a record of four years of such TD scholar-activist praxis. This thesis and the papers presented as part of the thesis all draw on the co-produced scholar-activist archive constructed out of the social movement work of the SSFs in collaboration with CJN researcher’s TD scholar-activist research praxis over four years, representing the type of activist ethnography referred to above. Compiling and organising the archive was one important level of analytical/synthesis work I undertook. I also drew on the archive to make visible key facets of blue justice work and reflected on this, making up three different levels of analytical work with the archive: 1) Constructing and organising the archive, 2) Selection of key foci in the archive, and 3) Meta-reflections. Through this approach, I address the main research question via four sub-questions, each the focus of a paper in this PhD by publication. Why is there a need to advance scholar-activist TD practice in transformative ocean governance research? This question is addressed in Paper 1 (Chapter 2 of this thesis). How can scholar-activists in blue justice support just and inclusive views of ocean governance? This question is addressed in Paper 2 (Chapter 3 of the thesis). What methods in blue justice research enable plural knowledges and perspectives for co-engagement? This question is addressed in Paper 3 (Chapter 4 of the thesis). How is blue justice resistance expressed and acknowledged as a key feature of inclusive ocean governance? This question is addressed in Paper 4 (Chapter 5 of the thesis). What emerges as key lessons for scholar-activist TD researchers in blue justice? This question is addressed in Paper 5 (Chapter 6 of the thesis) and in the meta-reflection in Chapter 7. The thesis as a whole offers: 1. Identification of a core practice, centred on “transformative space making” for care- ful, responsive and reflexive solidarity networks – ‘net-work’ – that allows community-based activists and social movements to leverage the kinds of research support they need when they need it. 2. Insight into participatory ocean governance and socially just ocean protection, practised through an ‘agonistic’ and counter-hegemonic knowledge co-production emergent from this form of TD scholar-activism. 3. Methods and guidance for these practices, with specific emphasis on agonistically plural and inclusive methods of blue resistance. 4. Insights into the positionality and ethical tensions of TD scholar-activist researchers. The study offers an empirical case of how a CJN, through TD scholar-activist praxis, can contribute to blue resistance and blue justice. The reflective chapter (Chapter 7) shows that this type of TD scholar-activist praxis is not without challenges and limitations; through a reflexive review of these, the study offers direction for further research. It also points to the roles of scholar-activists working in solidarity with SSFs in pursuit of blue justice. Overall, the thesis offers an orientation for TD researchers interested in aligning their research praxis with social movements working in counter-hegemonic ways for environmental justice. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2025
- Full Text:
Realist evaluation cases of the uptake and use of citizen science tools for water quality management: Vaal-Triangle public primary schools teachers and Mpophomeni enviro-champs
- Authors: Madiba, Morakane Stephinah
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Realist evaluation , Citizen science , Water quality management South Africa Vaal Triangle , Social learning , Voluntarism , Ubuntu (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466406 , vital:76725 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466406
- Description: This study employs a theory-based approach to evaluate citizen science (CS) interventions in two distinct cases: the Mpophomeni enviro-champs and the Vaal-Triangle primary school teachers. These interventions were designed to foster social learning, enhance education or participants' understanding of water quality impacts, and promote community or public participation for improved water management. GroundTruth, a multidisciplinary consulting company with expertise in water resources and environmental engineering, collaborated as partners in these CS projects. Utilizing qualitative realist evaluation theory, the study delves into the intricate context-mechanismoutcome (CMO) configurations for each case, seeking depth insight into the outcomes of these citizen science initiatives. Data collection involved interviews, document analysis, and participant observations to construct a comprehensive understanding of the interventions' impact. In the case of the Vaal-Triangle primary school teachers, the CS intervention yielded positive results, significantly influencing teaching practices and instilling shared values for sustainable water quality management in both classrooms and the surrounding communities. However, the study revealed the need for continued evaluation and comprehensive dialogue among stakeholders, including teachers, school governing bodies, local municipalities, the Department of Basic Education, and the broader community to ensure the effectiveness, sustainability, and transformative potential of these interventions. In contrast, the Mpophomeni enviro-champs experienced a different set of outcomes. The CS intervention catalyzed numerous opportunities for the volunteers, forging a collaborative relationship between citizens and the government. Despite their socio-ecological vulnerability, these volunteers exhibited remarkable resilience and willingness to contribute, calling for formalization mechanisms such as remuneration and skill recognition to sustain and enhance their participation. This study provides insights into citizen science interventions, foregrounding volunteerism as a means of fostering fair and inclusive participation. It emphasizes the significance of combining social and classroom learning in achieving sustainable water quality management objectives. Furthermore, the research highlights the pivotal role of informed citizenship, which necessitates an understanding not only of environmental activism but also of effective political engagement to influence decision-making processes effectively. By challenging historical barriers and revealing new perspectives, this study offers a reflective thinking tool to advance transformative policy development in South Africa and beyond, promoting informed and responsible public participation in water quality management and fostering the sustainability of precious water resources. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Authors: Madiba, Morakane Stephinah
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Realist evaluation , Citizen science , Water quality management South Africa Vaal Triangle , Social learning , Voluntarism , Ubuntu (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466406 , vital:76725 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466406
- Description: This study employs a theory-based approach to evaluate citizen science (CS) interventions in two distinct cases: the Mpophomeni enviro-champs and the Vaal-Triangle primary school teachers. These interventions were designed to foster social learning, enhance education or participants' understanding of water quality impacts, and promote community or public participation for improved water management. GroundTruth, a multidisciplinary consulting company with expertise in water resources and environmental engineering, collaborated as partners in these CS projects. Utilizing qualitative realist evaluation theory, the study delves into the intricate context-mechanismoutcome (CMO) configurations for each case, seeking depth insight into the outcomes of these citizen science initiatives. Data collection involved interviews, document analysis, and participant observations to construct a comprehensive understanding of the interventions' impact. In the case of the Vaal-Triangle primary school teachers, the CS intervention yielded positive results, significantly influencing teaching practices and instilling shared values for sustainable water quality management in both classrooms and the surrounding communities. However, the study revealed the need for continued evaluation and comprehensive dialogue among stakeholders, including teachers, school governing bodies, local municipalities, the Department of Basic Education, and the broader community to ensure the effectiveness, sustainability, and transformative potential of these interventions. In contrast, the Mpophomeni enviro-champs experienced a different set of outcomes. The CS intervention catalyzed numerous opportunities for the volunteers, forging a collaborative relationship between citizens and the government. Despite their socio-ecological vulnerability, these volunteers exhibited remarkable resilience and willingness to contribute, calling for formalization mechanisms such as remuneration and skill recognition to sustain and enhance their participation. This study provides insights into citizen science interventions, foregrounding volunteerism as a means of fostering fair and inclusive participation. It emphasizes the significance of combining social and classroom learning in achieving sustainable water quality management objectives. Furthermore, the research highlights the pivotal role of informed citizenship, which necessitates an understanding not only of environmental activism but also of effective political engagement to influence decision-making processes effectively. By challenging historical barriers and revealing new perspectives, this study offers a reflective thinking tool to advance transformative policy development in South Africa and beyond, promoting informed and responsible public participation in water quality management and fostering the sustainability of precious water resources. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
The assessment of abandoned cultivated lands: a case study of Lower Tsitsana and Hlankomo villages in the Tsitsa River catchment, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Dakie, Regina Nokufa
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Agricultural land , Grasslands South Africa Eastern Cape , Abandoned land , Social ecology , Aerial photography
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/464787 , vital:76545
- Description: Globally, agriculture is an essential part of people’s livelihoods, contributing to rural economies and food security. However, cultivated land abandonment, the intentional or unintentional cessation of agricultural activities for takeover by other land uses, is becoming increasingly common. Although widely studied, the outcomes of cultivated land abandonment are highly context-dependent and varied. Understanding this phenomenon would thus benefit from placed-based social-ecological case study perspectives, particularly in more understudied contexts. This study represents such a perspective, taking a social-ecological approach to understand how land abandonment has emerged and what its consequences are for the desired future outcomes in the Hlankomo and Lower Tsitsana villages in the Tsitsa River catchment. Drawing on McGinnis & Ostrom’s (2009) framework, I framed cultivated land abandonment in my study area as a “focal action situation” informed by the interaction of natural resource systems, governance systems, actors, and resource units. To better understand the current state of the natural resource system and important ecological (resource) units (grass), I used two measures of ecological condition: a rapid assessment test that provided a broad, if superficial, understanding of degradation and land condition, and a veld condition assessment that provided an understanding of grassland composition and quality in abandoned fields. I also used aerial photographs to assess the extent of changes in abandoned cultivation in the catchment. To understand actors, governance systems, how they interacted with natural resource systems and units for land abandonment to emerge, and what implications these interactions may have for the future of these lands, I used semi-structured interviews. The Rapid Assessment Test tool showed that the abandoned cultivated fields were dominated by grasses (58.3%), while shrubs (11%) and succulents (11%) were the least prevalent. The veld assessment identified sixteen grass species in both villages, with Aristida junciformis (23%) and Eragrostis plana (22.2 %) being the most dominant. The grazing statuses of the grasses showed that there were more Increaser II species, followed by Increaser III, Exotic, Increaser I and Decreaser species, respectively. There were more grass species with low grazing and average grazing values than grass species with high grazing values. The Rapid Assessment tool and the Veld assessment showed that the fields were dominated by poor grass species that grow on degraded lands. The results thus showed that the abandoned cultivated lands are degraded and in poor condition, as they are covered mainly by poor grass species that are dominant in over-utilised and overgrazed areas. The aerial photographs showed a decline in cultivated lands from 1966 to 2015, with a significant decline between 1966 and 2003. The land under cultivation between 1966 and 2003 decreased by 95 %, resulting in an annual decline of 2.56 %. The land under cultivation from 2003 and 2015 decreased by 60 %, resulting in a decline of 4 % per year. Local people corroborated the increase in cultivated land abandonment in the interviews, and this is why I attempt to understand why abandoned cultivated land happened (how the resource system and governance systems/actors interacted to shape cultivated land abandonment). As in other South African rural contexts, reasons people gave for land cultivation abandonment revealed the strongly intertwined nature of ecological and social systems, including no fence, livestock eating crops, no cattle, lack of labour, migration, lack of resources (money and equipment), parents passing on, expensive fertilizers, rainfall variability, dependency on grants, lack of interest and laziness. People had different views about the future of the abandoned cultivated lands, suggesting building homes, recreational parks, poultry farms, and recultivating and livestock protection camps, while others indicated that they didn’t care what happens to the abandoned fields. Many people still value abandoned lands and would prefer for the land to be recultivated, but they are held back by factors beyond their control, such as no fencing and a lack of governmental support in the form of fertilisers and machinery for ploughing. Additionally, our ecological results suggest that, due to the degraded states of these lands, significant rehabilitation would be required to realize these desired outcomes. Overall, this study shows the social-ecological complexity that drives cultivated land abandonment in the Tsitsa River catchment, providing a context-specific understanding of the drivers and consequences of abandoned cultivated land, future options more specific to these villages, and the broader Tsitsa catchment. At the same time, my study also corroborates similar studies in rural African and other global South contexts, thus supporting generalizable knowledge that can be used in the development of agrarian, social and environmental policies in these regions. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2024
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dakie, Regina Nokufa
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Agricultural land , Grasslands South Africa Eastern Cape , Abandoned land , Social ecology , Aerial photography
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/464787 , vital:76545
- Description: Globally, agriculture is an essential part of people’s livelihoods, contributing to rural economies and food security. However, cultivated land abandonment, the intentional or unintentional cessation of agricultural activities for takeover by other land uses, is becoming increasingly common. Although widely studied, the outcomes of cultivated land abandonment are highly context-dependent and varied. Understanding this phenomenon would thus benefit from placed-based social-ecological case study perspectives, particularly in more understudied contexts. This study represents such a perspective, taking a social-ecological approach to understand how land abandonment has emerged and what its consequences are for the desired future outcomes in the Hlankomo and Lower Tsitsana villages in the Tsitsa River catchment. Drawing on McGinnis & Ostrom’s (2009) framework, I framed cultivated land abandonment in my study area as a “focal action situation” informed by the interaction of natural resource systems, governance systems, actors, and resource units. To better understand the current state of the natural resource system and important ecological (resource) units (grass), I used two measures of ecological condition: a rapid assessment test that provided a broad, if superficial, understanding of degradation and land condition, and a veld condition assessment that provided an understanding of grassland composition and quality in abandoned fields. I also used aerial photographs to assess the extent of changes in abandoned cultivation in the catchment. To understand actors, governance systems, how they interacted with natural resource systems and units for land abandonment to emerge, and what implications these interactions may have for the future of these lands, I used semi-structured interviews. The Rapid Assessment Test tool showed that the abandoned cultivated fields were dominated by grasses (58.3%), while shrubs (11%) and succulents (11%) were the least prevalent. The veld assessment identified sixteen grass species in both villages, with Aristida junciformis (23%) and Eragrostis plana (22.2 %) being the most dominant. The grazing statuses of the grasses showed that there were more Increaser II species, followed by Increaser III, Exotic, Increaser I and Decreaser species, respectively. There were more grass species with low grazing and average grazing values than grass species with high grazing values. The Rapid Assessment tool and the Veld assessment showed that the fields were dominated by poor grass species that grow on degraded lands. The results thus showed that the abandoned cultivated lands are degraded and in poor condition, as they are covered mainly by poor grass species that are dominant in over-utilised and overgrazed areas. The aerial photographs showed a decline in cultivated lands from 1966 to 2015, with a significant decline between 1966 and 2003. The land under cultivation between 1966 and 2003 decreased by 95 %, resulting in an annual decline of 2.56 %. The land under cultivation from 2003 and 2015 decreased by 60 %, resulting in a decline of 4 % per year. Local people corroborated the increase in cultivated land abandonment in the interviews, and this is why I attempt to understand why abandoned cultivated land happened (how the resource system and governance systems/actors interacted to shape cultivated land abandonment). As in other South African rural contexts, reasons people gave for land cultivation abandonment revealed the strongly intertwined nature of ecological and social systems, including no fence, livestock eating crops, no cattle, lack of labour, migration, lack of resources (money and equipment), parents passing on, expensive fertilizers, rainfall variability, dependency on grants, lack of interest and laziness. People had different views about the future of the abandoned cultivated lands, suggesting building homes, recreational parks, poultry farms, and recultivating and livestock protection camps, while others indicated that they didn’t care what happens to the abandoned fields. Many people still value abandoned lands and would prefer for the land to be recultivated, but they are held back by factors beyond their control, such as no fencing and a lack of governmental support in the form of fertilisers and machinery for ploughing. Additionally, our ecological results suggest that, due to the degraded states of these lands, significant rehabilitation would be required to realize these desired outcomes. Overall, this study shows the social-ecological complexity that drives cultivated land abandonment in the Tsitsa River catchment, providing a context-specific understanding of the drivers and consequences of abandoned cultivated land, future options more specific to these villages, and the broader Tsitsa catchment. At the same time, my study also corroborates similar studies in rural African and other global South contexts, thus supporting generalizable knowledge that can be used in the development of agrarian, social and environmental policies in these regions. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2024
- Full Text:
The ontological reality of spirit and its ways of knowing as a form of embodied intangible cultural heritage: a case of the oGobela teaching approaches and techniques within Ubungoma practice
- Authors: Jacobs, Venetia Rose
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Spiritual teacher , Cultural property South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Learning , Teaching , Traditional knowledge
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463570 , vital:76421
- Description: This study uses an ethnographic lens to explore the lived experiences, learning processes and experiential knowledge of oGobela (spiritual teachers). The study explores oGobela teaching approaches, techniques, and ways of knowing in Ubungoma1 practice which is known as Ukuthwasa2, which is understood as a modality or expression of Isintu. Furthermore, Isintu is defined as Indigenous knowledge systems and ancestral wisdom traditions which include Indigenous expressions of African peoples’ interactions with the cosmos, nature, earth and knowledge systems. The study reveals how esoteric knowledge (knowledge from ancestors and divinities) is translated into attainable knowledge in the form of healing techniques. This study aims to dismantle a largely European pedagogy when it pertains to the understanding of religious practices. An ethnographic lens layered with a decolonial intent worked together as a counter-hegemonic practice in the recentralisation of marginal voices, in this case, the voices of Izangoma narrating their lived experiences. Izangoma refer to people who have graduated as healers from initiation school. The theoretical framework used to guide the study was the sociocultural theory and decolonial theory. The decolonial theory was useful in my study to re-examine imperial histories through the harmful lens of colonialism. Sociocultural theory is geared towards looking at how learners actually learn as opposed to the way learners are expected to learn. This Vygotskian school of thought believes that human development is not isolated from historical, cultural and social contexts. My methodology made use of the case study, narrative analysis and criticalethnographic approaches involving semi-structured interviews with approximately seven Izangoma. This included radical embodied participation and reflexive journalling. I also drew on emerging studies on Indigenous knowledge systems such as the “anthropology of dreaming” (Tedlock, 1987, p. 1) and the “institution of drumming and dreaming in Ngoma” (Janzen, 1991, p. 291) to reflect on my experience as an initiate (Gogo Ukukhanya KweMhlaba) and my observations of my Gobela and other oGobela learning processes. The study draws a sample pool of both Izangoma and oGobela, to provide a holistic view of the role of oGobela from a teacher and learner perspective. It is important to note that not everyone who is a Sangoma is a Gobela. Becoming a Gobela is an additional calling based on specific instructions from your ancestors. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Authors: Jacobs, Venetia Rose
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Spiritual teacher , Cultural property South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Learning , Teaching , Traditional knowledge
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463570 , vital:76421
- Description: This study uses an ethnographic lens to explore the lived experiences, learning processes and experiential knowledge of oGobela (spiritual teachers). The study explores oGobela teaching approaches, techniques, and ways of knowing in Ubungoma1 practice which is known as Ukuthwasa2, which is understood as a modality or expression of Isintu. Furthermore, Isintu is defined as Indigenous knowledge systems and ancestral wisdom traditions which include Indigenous expressions of African peoples’ interactions with the cosmos, nature, earth and knowledge systems. The study reveals how esoteric knowledge (knowledge from ancestors and divinities) is translated into attainable knowledge in the form of healing techniques. This study aims to dismantle a largely European pedagogy when it pertains to the understanding of religious practices. An ethnographic lens layered with a decolonial intent worked together as a counter-hegemonic practice in the recentralisation of marginal voices, in this case, the voices of Izangoma narrating their lived experiences. Izangoma refer to people who have graduated as healers from initiation school. The theoretical framework used to guide the study was the sociocultural theory and decolonial theory. The decolonial theory was useful in my study to re-examine imperial histories through the harmful lens of colonialism. Sociocultural theory is geared towards looking at how learners actually learn as opposed to the way learners are expected to learn. This Vygotskian school of thought believes that human development is not isolated from historical, cultural and social contexts. My methodology made use of the case study, narrative analysis and criticalethnographic approaches involving semi-structured interviews with approximately seven Izangoma. This included radical embodied participation and reflexive journalling. I also drew on emerging studies on Indigenous knowledge systems such as the “anthropology of dreaming” (Tedlock, 1987, p. 1) and the “institution of drumming and dreaming in Ngoma” (Janzen, 1991, p. 291) to reflect on my experience as an initiate (Gogo Ukukhanya KweMhlaba) and my observations of my Gobela and other oGobela learning processes. The study draws a sample pool of both Izangoma and oGobela, to provide a holistic view of the role of oGobela from a teacher and learner perspective. It is important to note that not everyone who is a Sangoma is a Gobela. Becoming a Gobela is an additional calling based on specific instructions from your ancestors. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
Exploring expansive learning and co-management in the uMzimvumbu catchment
- Authors: Kuse, Mzukisi
- Date: 2024-04-05
- Subjects: Expansive learning , Natural resources Co-management , Water security South Africa Mzimvubu River Watershed , Cultural-historical activity theory , Learning Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436547 , vital:73281 , DOI 10.21504/10962/436547
- Description: South Africa is a water-stressed country which is currently confronting numerous water challenges which include security of supply, degradation of ecological infrastructure, poor landscape governance and resource pollution. These are compounded by built infrastructure, which is ageing, an increasing population and the impact of climate change. South Africa’s water issues are influenced by a myriad of factors such as weather patterns, governance issues, historical apartheid policies, structural integrity of ecological and built infrastructure, and general provision of services. The most vulnerable members of society usually positioned in low-income communities are the ones who mostly bear the brunt of these harsh conditions. To address water insecurities and challenges, South Africa has defined several Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), which are important for water security in South Africa. The Living Catchments Project (LCP) is a collaborative project, situated in four catchments in South Africa, with the aim to strengthen the enabling environment for the governance of water in South Africa’s strategic water resource areas. The central focus of the LCP is on co-learning and co-creation through communities of practice in order to enable, collaborate, and amplify the practice of transformative social learning and improve the policy advice practice and engagement with the water sector to contribute to the Water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap. This study is positioned in the LCP, which is also a case study for transformative innovation policy and Just Transitioning in South Africa. The aim of this study was to address the need for more substantive understanding of learning in co-management, and the evaluation of such learning, which was identified as a gap in the scientific literature, and which was confirmed through policy review. The study set out to explore expansive learning and co-management in the uMzimvubu catchment, which is one of the SWSAs in South Africa and forms part of the LCP, which in turn is part of the Transformation Innovation Policy Consortium’s cases of Just Transitioning. Cultural History Activity Theory (CHAT) was the foundational theory of this research, with a particular focus on 3rd generation activity analysis (Engeström, 1987), and formative intervention methodology, in which I was positioned as a formative interventionist researcher. I used individual interviews, focus group interviews, field observations, and Change Laboratory methods to identify activity systems, the shared object of activity, and to engage multi-voiced participants in resolution of contradictions to expand their learning. The study also identified indicators of learning relevant to co-management in a LCPs context. Monitoring of learning occurred in two different phases; before the expansive learning process (A-view), and after the expansive learning process (B-view). The Value Creation Framework tool adapted from Wenger et al. (2011) was used to identify indicators of learning. This study shows that the object of co-management of water resources in a catchment can be enhanced through learning platforms and processes that are collaborative and expansive. One of the study’s contributions to new knowledge lies in relation to the expansive learning process and how it expanded the learning around co-management in a Living Catchments Project context. A second contribution of the study shows that the expansive learning process embarked on qualitatively changed the nature of the indicators of learning in the catchment. A better set of indicators was attained following the expansive learning process, which are more aligned with the nature of transformative social learning. The study’s contributions can be summarised as offering insights into learning processes for co-management, as well as evaluation of these learning processes. Although the contributions emerging from this study may be at niche level innovation in the framing of Just Transitions, they have a potential to inform other catchments, where multi-actors are working together on co-management of water resources to secure water provision, as was the case for the uMzimvubu catchment communities who participated in this study. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kuse, Mzukisi
- Date: 2024-04-05
- Subjects: Expansive learning , Natural resources Co-management , Water security South Africa Mzimvubu River Watershed , Cultural-historical activity theory , Learning Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436547 , vital:73281 , DOI 10.21504/10962/436547
- Description: South Africa is a water-stressed country which is currently confronting numerous water challenges which include security of supply, degradation of ecological infrastructure, poor landscape governance and resource pollution. These are compounded by built infrastructure, which is ageing, an increasing population and the impact of climate change. South Africa’s water issues are influenced by a myriad of factors such as weather patterns, governance issues, historical apartheid policies, structural integrity of ecological and built infrastructure, and general provision of services. The most vulnerable members of society usually positioned in low-income communities are the ones who mostly bear the brunt of these harsh conditions. To address water insecurities and challenges, South Africa has defined several Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), which are important for water security in South Africa. The Living Catchments Project (LCP) is a collaborative project, situated in four catchments in South Africa, with the aim to strengthen the enabling environment for the governance of water in South Africa’s strategic water resource areas. The central focus of the LCP is on co-learning and co-creation through communities of practice in order to enable, collaborate, and amplify the practice of transformative social learning and improve the policy advice practice and engagement with the water sector to contribute to the Water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap. This study is positioned in the LCP, which is also a case study for transformative innovation policy and Just Transitioning in South Africa. The aim of this study was to address the need for more substantive understanding of learning in co-management, and the evaluation of such learning, which was identified as a gap in the scientific literature, and which was confirmed through policy review. The study set out to explore expansive learning and co-management in the uMzimvubu catchment, which is one of the SWSAs in South Africa and forms part of the LCP, which in turn is part of the Transformation Innovation Policy Consortium’s cases of Just Transitioning. Cultural History Activity Theory (CHAT) was the foundational theory of this research, with a particular focus on 3rd generation activity analysis (Engeström, 1987), and formative intervention methodology, in which I was positioned as a formative interventionist researcher. I used individual interviews, focus group interviews, field observations, and Change Laboratory methods to identify activity systems, the shared object of activity, and to engage multi-voiced participants in resolution of contradictions to expand their learning. The study also identified indicators of learning relevant to co-management in a LCPs context. Monitoring of learning occurred in two different phases; before the expansive learning process (A-view), and after the expansive learning process (B-view). The Value Creation Framework tool adapted from Wenger et al. (2011) was used to identify indicators of learning. This study shows that the object of co-management of water resources in a catchment can be enhanced through learning platforms and processes that are collaborative and expansive. One of the study’s contributions to new knowledge lies in relation to the expansive learning process and how it expanded the learning around co-management in a Living Catchments Project context. A second contribution of the study shows that the expansive learning process embarked on qualitatively changed the nature of the indicators of learning in the catchment. A better set of indicators was attained following the expansive learning process, which are more aligned with the nature of transformative social learning. The study’s contributions can be summarised as offering insights into learning processes for co-management, as well as evaluation of these learning processes. Although the contributions emerging from this study may be at niche level innovation in the framing of Just Transitions, they have a potential to inform other catchments, where multi-actors are working together on co-management of water resources to secure water provision, as was the case for the uMzimvubu catchment communities who participated in this study. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
Investigating occupation as frame for planning and developing agricultural extension VET skills for climate resilience: cross-case analysis of Alice, South Africa, and Gulu, Uganda
- Authors: Muhangi, Sidney
- Date: 2024-04-05
- Subjects: Agricultural extension work South Africa Alice , Agricultural extension work Uganda Gulu , Agricultural extension workers , Climate resilience , Skills development , Climatic changes
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436559 , vital:73282 , DOI 10.21504/10962/436559
- Description: In sub-Saharan Africa and most of the Global South, climate change is challenging work and livelihoods for smallholder farmers who depend on rainfed farming, demanding climate resilience. Smallholder agriculture in Africa remains a mainstay for most economies and livelihoods, including South Africa and Uganda. My firsthand experience in Uganda as a subsistence farmer revealed the vitality of extension services to farmers. Participating in VETAfrica 4.0, a VET skill planning project, sparked my interest in examining the adequacy of 'Occupation' as a skills planning tool for addressing contemporary climate change challenges faced by extension officers and farmers, with implications for skills development. This research sought to answer the question: What is the theoretical and practical history and current constitution of the agricultural extension officer occupation as a mediating unit of intervention for VET skills planning, and is it adequate for climate resilience? The study addressed five objectives. First, the study undertook a historical review of occupation as a mediating unit of intervention for skills planning. Secondly, the study examined current descriptions of the extension occupation as used for skills planning in Africa. Thirdly, in order to better understand the operationalisation of this skills planning instrument, the study examined aspects of skills development, specifically how VET preparation for extension work was taking place in response to the need for climate resilience through a curriculum review and the experiences and related work activities of extension services actors. The study also reviewed agricultural extension and VET policy, and labour market data for its responsiveness to climate resilience. In response to the findings of Objectives 1-4, a fifth objective was developed to offer expanded possibilities for a mediating unit of intervention for skills planning and development relevant to climate resilience in agricultural extension, as this appeared to be needed. To develop the study, I drew on the Social Ecosystems Model (SEM) for skills, which raises the issue of mediation in skills development. I also drew on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to help theorise the mediation in the SEM for skills, where different activity systems (policy, training and extension, farming) were present. This framework allowed me to probe how these activity systems were mediating climate-resilient skills development with/for extension services (or not). Empirical data was produced through secondary and primary data, generated in two case study contexts using a cross-case design. Documentary analysis involved analysing policy documents, study curricula and historical literature to develop an understanding of historical sociology of occupation as a skills planning mediating unit and insight into contemporary understanding of how occupational frameworks are structured and deployed. Analysis was undertaken in two stages; firstly, through in-depth cases of occupation as mediating unit of intervention for skills planning, and aspects of skills development as influenced by this as influenced by this mediating unit (Chapter 5 and 6). This offered a first layer of analysis and insights into temporality, verticalities, mediation and horizontalities in the SEM for skills in each case. Secondly, abduction was undertaken to build models of the SEM for skills as found in each of the two countries using the SEM and CHAT analytical tools (Chapter 7), showing the need for skills planning tools that are more closely related to and relevant to the contexts of skills development. Findings revealed insights into the SEM for skills related to ecological time, notably a mismatch between the cultural-historical time of occupational skills planning and development, and the temporal demands for climate resilience. Historical analysis the deep rootedness of occupations and occupational structures in colonial histories and traditions, going back as far as the medieval era, with current occupations still bearing features of ancient occupational guild practices and hence not adequately responsive to climate change, affecting the SEM for skills in both cases and producing contradictions. Analysis further revealed that contemporary agricultural extension in Africa is decentralised and pluralistic, with few extension-related policies employed underdeveloped. Labour market in both South Africa and Uganda are not adequately orientated to climate resilience and fail to include climate resilience expertise, despite a need for this amongst farmers and by policy, revealing contradictions between various policy activity systems, which are not adequately facilitating. Empirical findings from study sites revealed that VET preparation for extension work lacks responsiveness to climate resilience within the skills ecosystem. Consequently, extension officers lack expertise in climate resilience, which is an increasing demand expressed by farmers and other horizontal activity systems in the SEM for skills. Through a more complex understanding of the extension officer occupation and its development in skills ecosystem in Africa, the study proposes a broader mediating unit of intervention for skills planning than that of ‘occupation’ only. The mediating unit of intervention put forward for skills planning is a workstream mapping approach for climate resilient extension training in VET. This planning approach has implications for skills development viewed as work, learning and living involving more than one activity system in the skills development landscape, thus also broadening the approach to VET. The study concludes with recommendations to further test this approach. Finally, it makes recommendations that can inform: 1) curriculum innovation, 2) extension practice, 3) policy, and 4) research. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Authors: Muhangi, Sidney
- Date: 2024-04-05
- Subjects: Agricultural extension work South Africa Alice , Agricultural extension work Uganda Gulu , Agricultural extension workers , Climate resilience , Skills development , Climatic changes
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436559 , vital:73282 , DOI 10.21504/10962/436559
- Description: In sub-Saharan Africa and most of the Global South, climate change is challenging work and livelihoods for smallholder farmers who depend on rainfed farming, demanding climate resilience. Smallholder agriculture in Africa remains a mainstay for most economies and livelihoods, including South Africa and Uganda. My firsthand experience in Uganda as a subsistence farmer revealed the vitality of extension services to farmers. Participating in VETAfrica 4.0, a VET skill planning project, sparked my interest in examining the adequacy of 'Occupation' as a skills planning tool for addressing contemporary climate change challenges faced by extension officers and farmers, with implications for skills development. This research sought to answer the question: What is the theoretical and practical history and current constitution of the agricultural extension officer occupation as a mediating unit of intervention for VET skills planning, and is it adequate for climate resilience? The study addressed five objectives. First, the study undertook a historical review of occupation as a mediating unit of intervention for skills planning. Secondly, the study examined current descriptions of the extension occupation as used for skills planning in Africa. Thirdly, in order to better understand the operationalisation of this skills planning instrument, the study examined aspects of skills development, specifically how VET preparation for extension work was taking place in response to the need for climate resilience through a curriculum review and the experiences and related work activities of extension services actors. The study also reviewed agricultural extension and VET policy, and labour market data for its responsiveness to climate resilience. In response to the findings of Objectives 1-4, a fifth objective was developed to offer expanded possibilities for a mediating unit of intervention for skills planning and development relevant to climate resilience in agricultural extension, as this appeared to be needed. To develop the study, I drew on the Social Ecosystems Model (SEM) for skills, which raises the issue of mediation in skills development. I also drew on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to help theorise the mediation in the SEM for skills, where different activity systems (policy, training and extension, farming) were present. This framework allowed me to probe how these activity systems were mediating climate-resilient skills development with/for extension services (or not). Empirical data was produced through secondary and primary data, generated in two case study contexts using a cross-case design. Documentary analysis involved analysing policy documents, study curricula and historical literature to develop an understanding of historical sociology of occupation as a skills planning mediating unit and insight into contemporary understanding of how occupational frameworks are structured and deployed. Analysis was undertaken in two stages; firstly, through in-depth cases of occupation as mediating unit of intervention for skills planning, and aspects of skills development as influenced by this as influenced by this mediating unit (Chapter 5 and 6). This offered a first layer of analysis and insights into temporality, verticalities, mediation and horizontalities in the SEM for skills in each case. Secondly, abduction was undertaken to build models of the SEM for skills as found in each of the two countries using the SEM and CHAT analytical tools (Chapter 7), showing the need for skills planning tools that are more closely related to and relevant to the contexts of skills development. Findings revealed insights into the SEM for skills related to ecological time, notably a mismatch between the cultural-historical time of occupational skills planning and development, and the temporal demands for climate resilience. Historical analysis the deep rootedness of occupations and occupational structures in colonial histories and traditions, going back as far as the medieval era, with current occupations still bearing features of ancient occupational guild practices and hence not adequately responsive to climate change, affecting the SEM for skills in both cases and producing contradictions. Analysis further revealed that contemporary agricultural extension in Africa is decentralised and pluralistic, with few extension-related policies employed underdeveloped. Labour market in both South Africa and Uganda are not adequately orientated to climate resilience and fail to include climate resilience expertise, despite a need for this amongst farmers and by policy, revealing contradictions between various policy activity systems, which are not adequately facilitating. Empirical findings from study sites revealed that VET preparation for extension work lacks responsiveness to climate resilience within the skills ecosystem. Consequently, extension officers lack expertise in climate resilience, which is an increasing demand expressed by farmers and other horizontal activity systems in the SEM for skills. Through a more complex understanding of the extension officer occupation and its development in skills ecosystem in Africa, the study proposes a broader mediating unit of intervention for skills planning than that of ‘occupation’ only. The mediating unit of intervention put forward for skills planning is a workstream mapping approach for climate resilient extension training in VET. This planning approach has implications for skills development viewed as work, learning and living involving more than one activity system in the skills development landscape, thus also broadening the approach to VET. The study concludes with recommendations to further test this approach. Finally, it makes recommendations that can inform: 1) curriculum innovation, 2) extension practice, 3) policy, and 4) research. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
The potential of social learning to upscale the Community Based Water Quality Management (CBWQM) process: A case study of the Mpophomeni and Baynespruit Enviro Champs project
- Authors: Sithole, Nkosingithandile
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Community of practice , Social learning , Water quality management South Africa Pietermaritzburg Citizen participation , Citizen science , Water quality South Africa Pietermaritzburg
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402966 , vital:69910
- Description: Water is an essential component of human survival, with a wide variety of uses such as washing, cooking, drinking and growing food. Covering approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface, water is necessary for all human survival, and is a source of life for plants and animals. Only 0.036% of freshwater can be accessed and utilised by humans, which is not enough to support the rapidly growing population and economic development. This water is further exhausted by pollution caused by sewage leaks, littering, agricultural runoff and industry discharge which deteriorate water quality significantly. To exacerbate these water issues, the major issue of water accessibility is not directly linked to quantity but has been primarily attributed to poor water governance, at a global and local level (in South Africa). Poorly maintained water infrastructure and inadequate cooperative governance have resulted in the establishment of many Community Based Water Quality Management (CBWQM) projects in South Africa, to respond to water quality monitoring and management challenges. The aim of this study was firstly, to investigate how social learning was occurring within two CBWQM Communities of Practice (CoPs) located in KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, namely, the Baynespruit and the Mpophomeni Enviro Champs project (Case Study 1 and 2 respectively), and the potential of social learning to upscale CBWQM. Additionally, it sought to identify the type of support required for the scaling of social learning outcomes in CBWQM communities of practice, along two potential scaling pathways that were identified in a national study on scaling of CBWQM: Scaling Pathway 1(Policy engagement and support) and Scaling Pathway 2 (Capacity building). The research was undertaken as a qualitative case study approach, with data collected through semi-structured interviews, document, and questionnaire analysis to investigate social learning within the two selected case studies. The data was coded and indexed using a thematic analysis technique and an analytical framework as a tool to investigate how social learning was occurring in both case studies and explore the potential required to upscale it. The study found that there is an existing gap between policy and practice with regard to CBWQM support by government structures. Despite South African water policy advocating for public participation in water resource management, there has been limited support from government to support and resource CBWQM projects over a long period of time. To upscale the practice of CBWQM, the study found that capacity building and learning needs to be improved and better supported practically through models such as the 5Ts of learning, and through supporting CBWQM participants’ learning journey to establish learning pathways for them. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Authors: Sithole, Nkosingithandile
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Community of practice , Social learning , Water quality management South Africa Pietermaritzburg Citizen participation , Citizen science , Water quality South Africa Pietermaritzburg
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402966 , vital:69910
- Description: Water is an essential component of human survival, with a wide variety of uses such as washing, cooking, drinking and growing food. Covering approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface, water is necessary for all human survival, and is a source of life for plants and animals. Only 0.036% of freshwater can be accessed and utilised by humans, which is not enough to support the rapidly growing population and economic development. This water is further exhausted by pollution caused by sewage leaks, littering, agricultural runoff and industry discharge which deteriorate water quality significantly. To exacerbate these water issues, the major issue of water accessibility is not directly linked to quantity but has been primarily attributed to poor water governance, at a global and local level (in South Africa). Poorly maintained water infrastructure and inadequate cooperative governance have resulted in the establishment of many Community Based Water Quality Management (CBWQM) projects in South Africa, to respond to water quality monitoring and management challenges. The aim of this study was firstly, to investigate how social learning was occurring within two CBWQM Communities of Practice (CoPs) located in KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, namely, the Baynespruit and the Mpophomeni Enviro Champs project (Case Study 1 and 2 respectively), and the potential of social learning to upscale CBWQM. Additionally, it sought to identify the type of support required for the scaling of social learning outcomes in CBWQM communities of practice, along two potential scaling pathways that were identified in a national study on scaling of CBWQM: Scaling Pathway 1(Policy engagement and support) and Scaling Pathway 2 (Capacity building). The research was undertaken as a qualitative case study approach, with data collected through semi-structured interviews, document, and questionnaire analysis to investigate social learning within the two selected case studies. The data was coded and indexed using a thematic analysis technique and an analytical framework as a tool to investigate how social learning was occurring in both case studies and explore the potential required to upscale it. The study found that there is an existing gap between policy and practice with regard to CBWQM support by government structures. Despite South African water policy advocating for public participation in water resource management, there has been limited support from government to support and resource CBWQM projects over a long period of time. To upscale the practice of CBWQM, the study found that capacity building and learning needs to be improved and better supported practically through models such as the 5Ts of learning, and through supporting CBWQM participants’ learning journey to establish learning pathways for them. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
With dreams in our hands: Towards transgressive knowledge-making cultures
- Authors: Knowles, Corinne Ruth
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: African feminism , Pedagogy , Political sociology , Knowledge, Theory of Political aspects , Transformative learning
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402955 , vital:69909 , DOI 10.21504/10962/402955
- Description: Knowledge-making in universities is not neutral and takes different forms. This thesis critically examines the politics of knowledge to propose and present a transgressive schema for knowledge-making that is co-created with students. It emerges from teaching and learning encounters in the Humanities Extended Studies (ES) Programme at Rhodes University, where for the past decade we have experimented with different ways of knowledge-making that run counter to conventional pedagogic practices. We set up a project for the thesis that allowed us to work with knowledge in ways that are Afrocentric, and that hold and nurture our dreams. The theory and methodology of the project are explained in the first academic paper for this PhD by publication. The project and its derivatives use an African Feminist framing, and centre the ontoepistemologies of African young people who find themselves alienated and marginalised by a western bias in university curricula. Former ES student volunteers came up with topics, responded to them, reviewed each other’s work, and co-wrote two academic papers that demonstrate a praxis of African Feminist research and pedagogic principles. Two further projects practise the principles that emerge from the primary project, and together they have tested knowledge-making cultures that inspire critical thinking and creative humanity. These are explained in two further academic papers. One is co-written with the copresenter of an online inter-continental short course for PhD students on African Feminist Research Methodology. The other is single authored, and introduces the third project, a Political and International Studies third-year course on African Feminist theory. The schema for knowledge-making uses the hand, which holds our dream, as a descriptive metaphor. Each of the five fingers of the hand represents an aspect of how we have collaborated on the projects and in lecture rooms, and what this has taught us about how to nurture and inspire the dreams of young African people through transgressive knowledgemaking cultures. The five aspects – framing, activating, seeing, creating, imagining – are mutually constitutive elements of knowledge-making that are introduced throughout the thesis, and explained in careful detail in the conclusion as a synthesis of the collaborations. , Siphethe amaphupha ezandleni zethu: ukwenza iinckubeko zolwazi ezigxile ekuphazamiseni isiqhelo Isishwankathelo Ukwenziwa kolwazi kwiiunivesithi asiyonto engathathi cala kwaye yenzeka ngeendlelangeendlela. Le thisisi iphonononga ipolitiki yolwazi ngenjongo yokucebisa nokuvelisa iindlela zokwenziwa kolwazi ezigxile ekuphazamiseni kwesiqhelo, ndlela leyo eyenziwa ngentsebenziswano nabafundi. Le Ndlela yokuphazamisa isiqhelo ivela kwindlela zokufunda nokufundisa kwinkqubo yeExtended Studies kwiUnivesithi iRhodes, apho kwiminyaka elishumi edlulileyo besisebenzisa amalinge ohlukileyo okwenza ulwazi ohlukileyo kwindlela zokufunda eziqhelekileyo. Siqulunqe inkqubo yale thisisi evumele ukuba sisebenze nolwazi ngendlela ekhokhelelisa ubuAfrika phambile, nkqubo leyo eyondla nebamba amaphupha ethu. Inkcazo-bungcali neendlela zokwenza uphando lwalo msebenzi zicacisiwe kwiphepha lokuqala lethisisi yePhD ezakupapashwa. Lo msebenzi neminye imisebenzi efana nawo isebenzisa iAfrikan Feminism ngenjongo yokubeka ngokusesikweni ndlela le ingxile kwindlela yokufundisa neengcambu zayo ezizinze eAfrika, kwaye ikhokhelisa imfundo yabantu abatsha abazifumana besenziwe amakheswa nabahlelelekileyo kunyenjwa kwasentshona kwizifundo zaseunivesithi. Abafundi ababefunda kwiES baze nezihloko, yangabo abaziphendulayo, bahlola imisebenzi yoogxa babo, kwaye bancedisa ekubhaleni amaphepha amabini abonakalisa indlela yokuphanda kusetyenziswa iziseko zokufunda zeAfrikan Feminism. Eminye imisebenzi isebenzise iziseko eziphuma kulo msebenzi wokuqala, kwaye yomibini le misebenzi iphonononga iinkcubeko zokwenza ulwazi ezikhuthaza ukuzikisa ukucinga nobuntu obunobuchule. Oku kucaciswa nzulu kumaphepha amabini. Omnye ubhalwe nomfundi kunye nombhali obefundisa kwikhosi emfutshane ebikwi-intanethi ephakathi kwamazwekazi eyenzelwe abafundi be- PhD kwiAfrican Feminist Research Methodology. Omnye umsebenzi ubhalwe ngumntu omnye, nothi wazise umsebenzi wesithathu, ikhosi yonyaka wesithathu yePolitical and International Studies yenkcazo-bungcali iAfrican Feminism. Icebo lokwenza ulwazi lisebenzisa isandla esibambe amaphupha ethu, njengesafobe esinika inkcazelo. Umnwe ngamnye umele indlela esisebenzisene ngayo kule misebenzi nakumagumbi okufundela, kunye nesikufundileyo ngokukhulisa nokukhuthaza amaphupha wabantu abasebatsha baseAfrika ngokusebenzisa imisebenzi egxile kwiinkcubeko zolwazi eziphazamisa ukwenziwa kolwazi ngendlela eqhelekileyo. Imiba emihlanu- ukwenza isakhelo, ukuqalisa, ukubona, ukudala, ukusebenzisa imifanekiso ntelekelelo- iyingqokelela yenxalenye yokwenza ulwazi ngendlela enentsebenziswano kwaye ezi ziseko zaziswa banzi kwithisisi, kwaye zicaciswe gabalala kwisishwankathelo njengengqokelela yentsebenziswano kulo msebenzi. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Authors: Knowles, Corinne Ruth
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: African feminism , Pedagogy , Political sociology , Knowledge, Theory of Political aspects , Transformative learning
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402955 , vital:69909 , DOI 10.21504/10962/402955
- Description: Knowledge-making in universities is not neutral and takes different forms. This thesis critically examines the politics of knowledge to propose and present a transgressive schema for knowledge-making that is co-created with students. It emerges from teaching and learning encounters in the Humanities Extended Studies (ES) Programme at Rhodes University, where for the past decade we have experimented with different ways of knowledge-making that run counter to conventional pedagogic practices. We set up a project for the thesis that allowed us to work with knowledge in ways that are Afrocentric, and that hold and nurture our dreams. The theory and methodology of the project are explained in the first academic paper for this PhD by publication. The project and its derivatives use an African Feminist framing, and centre the ontoepistemologies of African young people who find themselves alienated and marginalised by a western bias in university curricula. Former ES student volunteers came up with topics, responded to them, reviewed each other’s work, and co-wrote two academic papers that demonstrate a praxis of African Feminist research and pedagogic principles. Two further projects practise the principles that emerge from the primary project, and together they have tested knowledge-making cultures that inspire critical thinking and creative humanity. These are explained in two further academic papers. One is co-written with the copresenter of an online inter-continental short course for PhD students on African Feminist Research Methodology. The other is single authored, and introduces the third project, a Political and International Studies third-year course on African Feminist theory. The schema for knowledge-making uses the hand, which holds our dream, as a descriptive metaphor. Each of the five fingers of the hand represents an aspect of how we have collaborated on the projects and in lecture rooms, and what this has taught us about how to nurture and inspire the dreams of young African people through transgressive knowledgemaking cultures. The five aspects – framing, activating, seeing, creating, imagining – are mutually constitutive elements of knowledge-making that are introduced throughout the thesis, and explained in careful detail in the conclusion as a synthesis of the collaborations. , Siphethe amaphupha ezandleni zethu: ukwenza iinckubeko zolwazi ezigxile ekuphazamiseni isiqhelo Isishwankathelo Ukwenziwa kolwazi kwiiunivesithi asiyonto engathathi cala kwaye yenzeka ngeendlelangeendlela. Le thisisi iphonononga ipolitiki yolwazi ngenjongo yokucebisa nokuvelisa iindlela zokwenziwa kolwazi ezigxile ekuphazamiseni kwesiqhelo, ndlela leyo eyenziwa ngentsebenziswano nabafundi. Le Ndlela yokuphazamisa isiqhelo ivela kwindlela zokufunda nokufundisa kwinkqubo yeExtended Studies kwiUnivesithi iRhodes, apho kwiminyaka elishumi edlulileyo besisebenzisa amalinge ohlukileyo okwenza ulwazi ohlukileyo kwindlela zokufunda eziqhelekileyo. Siqulunqe inkqubo yale thisisi evumele ukuba sisebenze nolwazi ngendlela ekhokhelelisa ubuAfrika phambile, nkqubo leyo eyondla nebamba amaphupha ethu. Inkcazo-bungcali neendlela zokwenza uphando lwalo msebenzi zicacisiwe kwiphepha lokuqala lethisisi yePhD ezakupapashwa. Lo msebenzi neminye imisebenzi efana nawo isebenzisa iAfrikan Feminism ngenjongo yokubeka ngokusesikweni ndlela le ingxile kwindlela yokufundisa neengcambu zayo ezizinze eAfrika, kwaye ikhokhelisa imfundo yabantu abatsha abazifumana besenziwe amakheswa nabahlelelekileyo kunyenjwa kwasentshona kwizifundo zaseunivesithi. Abafundi ababefunda kwiES baze nezihloko, yangabo abaziphendulayo, bahlola imisebenzi yoogxa babo, kwaye bancedisa ekubhaleni amaphepha amabini abonakalisa indlela yokuphanda kusetyenziswa iziseko zokufunda zeAfrikan Feminism. Eminye imisebenzi isebenzise iziseko eziphuma kulo msebenzi wokuqala, kwaye yomibini le misebenzi iphonononga iinkcubeko zokwenza ulwazi ezikhuthaza ukuzikisa ukucinga nobuntu obunobuchule. Oku kucaciswa nzulu kumaphepha amabini. Omnye ubhalwe nomfundi kunye nombhali obefundisa kwikhosi emfutshane ebikwi-intanethi ephakathi kwamazwekazi eyenzelwe abafundi be- PhD kwiAfrican Feminist Research Methodology. Omnye umsebenzi ubhalwe ngumntu omnye, nothi wazise umsebenzi wesithathu, ikhosi yonyaka wesithathu yePolitical and International Studies yenkcazo-bungcali iAfrican Feminism. Icebo lokwenza ulwazi lisebenzisa isandla esibambe amaphupha ethu, njengesafobe esinika inkcazelo. Umnwe ngamnye umele indlela esisebenzisene ngayo kule misebenzi nakumagumbi okufundela, kunye nesikufundileyo ngokukhulisa nokukhuthaza amaphupha wabantu abasebatsha baseAfrika ngokusebenzisa imisebenzi egxile kwiinkcubeko zolwazi eziphazamisa ukwenziwa kolwazi ngendlela eqhelekileyo. Imiba emihlanu- ukwenza isakhelo, ukuqalisa, ukubona, ukudala, ukusebenzisa imifanekiso ntelekelelo- iyingqokelela yenxalenye yokwenza ulwazi ngendlela enentsebenziswano kwaye ezi ziseko zaziswa banzi kwithisisi, kwaye zicaciswe gabalala kwisishwankathelo njengengqokelela yentsebenziswano kulo msebenzi. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
A Pedagogy of Love: reflections on 25 years of informal vocational education and training practices in the commercial fishing industry in South Africa
- Authors: Ferguson, Robin Anne
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Vocational education South Africa , Fisheries Vocational guidance South Africa , Practice theory , Transformative learning , Technical and Vocational Education and Training
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366189 , vital:65841 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366189
- Description: This thesis is a reflection of informal vocational education and training (IVET) practices conducted by the Researcher in the commercial fishing industry between 1995-2021. Fourteen interventions took place during this time which involved several hundred sea-going employees who are disadvantaged by low levels of literacies and low/no Internet Computer Technology connectivity. The Production Programme was chosen as the focus of study and draws upon the influence of the other thirteen programmes. The purpose of the Production Programme was to teach technical fish processing skills to the production management teams and factory hands who work in the factories on board the vessels. The programme ran for five years and evolved through three distinct generations. At the heart of this work lies the question: ‘What made these programmes successful?’ This is an intra-programmatic study and seeks to identify the pedagogical practices which promoted or confounded the efficacy of the Production Programme; and based upon this understanding how such programmes could be improved, transferred, and taken to scale. These questions are both descriptive and explorative in nature. IVET is regarded as training which takes place outside of the formal South African National Qualifications Framework. This work is relevant because approximately 80% of sea-going staff neither finish school, nor get the opportunity of Post School Education and Training by going to a university, a technical institution, or a community college. This statistic is reflected in the general population (Department of Higher Education and Training [DHET], 2022). There is a fine line between being employed and unemployed for people working at this level in the formal economy which makes this project relevant to youth or persons who are ‘not in employment, education or training’ too. This means that for most South African adults IVET presents a significant opportunity for post-school education. Therefore, it is important to answer the questions raised above to rapidly improve inclusion of the majority of South Africans into meaningful education which improves livelihoods. The Theory of Practice Architectures (TPA), from the collection of social-material practice theories, is the conceptual framework for this thesis. The smallest unit of analysis of TPA are practices which may be ‘sayings/thinkings’, ‘doings’, or ‘relatings’. These practices bundle together into practice arrangements and form practice architectures. The reason that TPA was chosen was that practices were the only data available as we (learners, managers, facilitators, and me) knew what we had said/thought or done, and we were aware of the relationships between us over the years as the fourteen interventions played out. Under conventional research circumstances data would be collected in real time, however in this project, most of the data is historical. In addition to the fundamental building blocks of TPA, the theory is embedded in a Theory of Education. There have also been contemporary enhancements to the TPA which were significant to this study, for example, the Ecologies of Practices, a Trellis of Practices which Support Professional Learning, Middle Leadership, Travelling Practices, and moves towards transformative or transgressive education using the TPA in IVET. This is empirical, qualitative research and an ethnographic case study was chosen as the research design which is a methodology particularly suited to answering both descriptive and explorative questions. Nine methods for data collection were used, namely an historical reflective narrative; two focused-group interviews; three individual interviews; four Whatsapp videos; one WhatsApp voice note; two mobisodes; ten questionnaires; 29 documents; and 16 photographs. Because this data was collected under Covid-19 pandemic conditions, two conceptions were employed to guide the generation of data under these uncertain and constrained conditions. These were firstly, the ‘methodology of chance’ which allowed for a ‘methodological agility’; and secondly, the idea of ‘information power’ which is helpful in deciding on how much data is enough. In order to be explicit concerning a key research activity, the approach and method used to review the literature is explicated. Key practices were identified in the data set and described; and then the data was analysed using heuristics provided by TPA theorists. Seven Tables of Invention were used to synthesise the data arising from these practices. An eighth Table of Invention was used to synthesise all the practices and practice arrangements characterised; and to indicate how these evolved over time and space. The data description and analysis is supported by eight Analytic Memos, a comprehensive Data Code Table and a hyperlink to a data repository which provides access to oral and video material. The findings distinguished five key practices and practice arrangements which were: Practices of the Creation of Courseware; Practices of Teaching and Learning; Practices of Assessment; Practices of Love; Practices of Management. The thesis title is reflective of the impact which love has upon the pedagogical process of IVET. Based upon the analysis and synthesis of the corpus of data, practices which either promoted or confounded the Production Programme became visible; it is these insights which inform future improvements to similar programmes. Emanating from these findings, two overarching practice architectures (PA) were identified which restrained the Production Programme in the same manner that the banks of a river restrain a river, and yet simultaneously, are changed by the river over time. These are the PA of Methodology and Methods and the PA of Maturing Ecologies of Practices. The inferences drawn from the data were achieved through the use of deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning. My claim to new knowledge is a lamination of a practical contribution on one side of the coin, and a theoretical contribution on the other side of the coin. The PA of Methodology and Methods provides a practical mechanism to create, deliver and assess IVET. This is done by explicating the three practice architectures which constitute the overarching PA of Methodology and Methods which are, the PA of Informality; the PA of Range, and the PA of Relationality. An IVET programme constitutes Ecologies of Practices. The theoretical conception of the overarching PA of Maturing Ecologies of Practices provides a conceptual tool which enables the transferring and scaling of IVET programmes. It does this by providing theoretical indicators to establish the ‘state’ of an IVET programme as it matures over time from a pioneer state to a settler state. An IVET educator can then work towards creating a PA which is conducive for a mature ecologies of practices to form; and the programme can then be transferred and/or taken to scale, if this is desirable in the particular context. The power of my claim to new knowledge does not lie on one side or the other of the coin, but in the lamination of the practical and theoretical contributions put to use in the service of IVET. This thesis concludes with a number of theoretical and practical recommendations which are loosely grouped according to ‘sayings/thinkings’, ‘doings’ and ‘relatings’ in deference to the value of TPA to this thesis. An urgency is conveyed in these recommendations as there is an immediate need to improve the livelihoods of ordinary South Africans. One of the ways of doing this is through informal ‘education for living well’ which contributes to a ‘world worth living in’. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ferguson, Robin Anne
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Vocational education South Africa , Fisheries Vocational guidance South Africa , Practice theory , Transformative learning , Technical and Vocational Education and Training
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366189 , vital:65841 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366189
- Description: This thesis is a reflection of informal vocational education and training (IVET) practices conducted by the Researcher in the commercial fishing industry between 1995-2021. Fourteen interventions took place during this time which involved several hundred sea-going employees who are disadvantaged by low levels of literacies and low/no Internet Computer Technology connectivity. The Production Programme was chosen as the focus of study and draws upon the influence of the other thirteen programmes. The purpose of the Production Programme was to teach technical fish processing skills to the production management teams and factory hands who work in the factories on board the vessels. The programme ran for five years and evolved through three distinct generations. At the heart of this work lies the question: ‘What made these programmes successful?’ This is an intra-programmatic study and seeks to identify the pedagogical practices which promoted or confounded the efficacy of the Production Programme; and based upon this understanding how such programmes could be improved, transferred, and taken to scale. These questions are both descriptive and explorative in nature. IVET is regarded as training which takes place outside of the formal South African National Qualifications Framework. This work is relevant because approximately 80% of sea-going staff neither finish school, nor get the opportunity of Post School Education and Training by going to a university, a technical institution, or a community college. This statistic is reflected in the general population (Department of Higher Education and Training [DHET], 2022). There is a fine line between being employed and unemployed for people working at this level in the formal economy which makes this project relevant to youth or persons who are ‘not in employment, education or training’ too. This means that for most South African adults IVET presents a significant opportunity for post-school education. Therefore, it is important to answer the questions raised above to rapidly improve inclusion of the majority of South Africans into meaningful education which improves livelihoods. The Theory of Practice Architectures (TPA), from the collection of social-material practice theories, is the conceptual framework for this thesis. The smallest unit of analysis of TPA are practices which may be ‘sayings/thinkings’, ‘doings’, or ‘relatings’. These practices bundle together into practice arrangements and form practice architectures. The reason that TPA was chosen was that practices were the only data available as we (learners, managers, facilitators, and me) knew what we had said/thought or done, and we were aware of the relationships between us over the years as the fourteen interventions played out. Under conventional research circumstances data would be collected in real time, however in this project, most of the data is historical. In addition to the fundamental building blocks of TPA, the theory is embedded in a Theory of Education. There have also been contemporary enhancements to the TPA which were significant to this study, for example, the Ecologies of Practices, a Trellis of Practices which Support Professional Learning, Middle Leadership, Travelling Practices, and moves towards transformative or transgressive education using the TPA in IVET. This is empirical, qualitative research and an ethnographic case study was chosen as the research design which is a methodology particularly suited to answering both descriptive and explorative questions. Nine methods for data collection were used, namely an historical reflective narrative; two focused-group interviews; three individual interviews; four Whatsapp videos; one WhatsApp voice note; two mobisodes; ten questionnaires; 29 documents; and 16 photographs. Because this data was collected under Covid-19 pandemic conditions, two conceptions were employed to guide the generation of data under these uncertain and constrained conditions. These were firstly, the ‘methodology of chance’ which allowed for a ‘methodological agility’; and secondly, the idea of ‘information power’ which is helpful in deciding on how much data is enough. In order to be explicit concerning a key research activity, the approach and method used to review the literature is explicated. Key practices were identified in the data set and described; and then the data was analysed using heuristics provided by TPA theorists. Seven Tables of Invention were used to synthesise the data arising from these practices. An eighth Table of Invention was used to synthesise all the practices and practice arrangements characterised; and to indicate how these evolved over time and space. The data description and analysis is supported by eight Analytic Memos, a comprehensive Data Code Table and a hyperlink to a data repository which provides access to oral and video material. The findings distinguished five key practices and practice arrangements which were: Practices of the Creation of Courseware; Practices of Teaching and Learning; Practices of Assessment; Practices of Love; Practices of Management. The thesis title is reflective of the impact which love has upon the pedagogical process of IVET. Based upon the analysis and synthesis of the corpus of data, practices which either promoted or confounded the Production Programme became visible; it is these insights which inform future improvements to similar programmes. Emanating from these findings, two overarching practice architectures (PA) were identified which restrained the Production Programme in the same manner that the banks of a river restrain a river, and yet simultaneously, are changed by the river over time. These are the PA of Methodology and Methods and the PA of Maturing Ecologies of Practices. The inferences drawn from the data were achieved through the use of deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning. My claim to new knowledge is a lamination of a practical contribution on one side of the coin, and a theoretical contribution on the other side of the coin. The PA of Methodology and Methods provides a practical mechanism to create, deliver and assess IVET. This is done by explicating the three practice architectures which constitute the overarching PA of Methodology and Methods which are, the PA of Informality; the PA of Range, and the PA of Relationality. An IVET programme constitutes Ecologies of Practices. The theoretical conception of the overarching PA of Maturing Ecologies of Practices provides a conceptual tool which enables the transferring and scaling of IVET programmes. It does this by providing theoretical indicators to establish the ‘state’ of an IVET programme as it matures over time from a pioneer state to a settler state. An IVET educator can then work towards creating a PA which is conducive for a mature ecologies of practices to form; and the programme can then be transferred and/or taken to scale, if this is desirable in the particular context. The power of my claim to new knowledge does not lie on one side or the other of the coin, but in the lamination of the practical and theoretical contributions put to use in the service of IVET. This thesis concludes with a number of theoretical and practical recommendations which are loosely grouped according to ‘sayings/thinkings’, ‘doings’ and ‘relatings’ in deference to the value of TPA to this thesis. An urgency is conveyed in these recommendations as there is an immediate need to improve the livelihoods of ordinary South Africans. One of the ways of doing this is through informal ‘education for living well’ which contributes to a ‘world worth living in’. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
Exploring aspects of Community of Inquiry (CoI) in Afrophilia learning processes for transformative education using an Afrophilic ‘Philosophy for Children’ approach: a case of Sebakwe resettlement primary schools in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe
- Authors: Bhurekeni, John
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Culturally relevant pedagogy Zimbabwe , Curriculum change Zimbabwe , Philosophy Study and teaching (Elementary) Zimbabwe , Critical thinking , Decolonization Zimbabwe , Technology Political aspects , Representation (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366178 , vital:65840 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366178
- Description: This study focused on investigating and developing an Afrophilic orientation to a sociocultural approach to philosophy for children. The main aim was to foster a critical and generative approach to considering the heritage-based curriculum foundations of Zimbabwean primary schools, focusing on Sebakwe resettlement primary schools (the case study area). Afrophilia foundations in the study are regarded as “the discourses that are the medium of philosophical reflexion” (Rettova, 2004, p. 4) in each African society. As articulated in the study, such discourses include African proverbs, poems, stories, music, and folktales which are useful in the initiation of philosophical engagements with children in a community of inquiry approach. A community of inquiry is a framework that reflects a collaborative-dialogical approach to teaching and learning. Curriculum reviews in postcolonial Zimbabwe have revealed an unconscious misalignment of the Zimbabwean education system's philosophical underpinnings because it has continued to align itself with imperial British colonial philosophy, which contradicts the country's developmental needs (Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training [CIET], 1999, Zimbabwe Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education [MoPSE], 2014). The philosophical misalignment is an extension of the colonial history of Zimbabwe showing that vestiges of colonial rule still shape the education sector. This leaves the education system focusing mainly on abstracted concepts with continued marginalisation of local cultures, discourses, and knowledge. Consequently, it leaves Zimbabwe together with other postcolonial education systems with the task of dealing with the phenomenon of colonial continuity. One implication of these colonial continuities, is learner disinterest in learning, which affects the educational process negatively, affecting the learning of critical reflexive thinking, an issue which I have observed in the Sebakwe resettlement schools involved in this study where I have been teaching for 15 years. To address, this, the study sought to answer the following questions: What historical and contemporary barriers are affecting the promotion of a culture of learning in Zimbabwean resettlement primary schools, particularly as they relate to learners' underdevelopment of critical reflexive thinking skills? In addition, How can the Philosophy for Children Afrophilia curriculum intervention promote a culture of learning in Sebakwe resettlement primary schools that is oriented toward the development of critical reflexive thinking skills in children? In approaching the research questions, I applied postcolonial and decolonisation theory, sociocultural learning theory and curriculum theory aimed at transformative change, that is oriented towards achieving a more contextually oriented approach to teaching and learning, and a paradigm of ‘learning as connection’ (Lotz-Sisitka & Lupele, 2017; Shumba, 2017). This has been identified as a ‘missing’ discourse in mainstream educational quality discourses in southern Africa (Lotz-Sisitka & Lupele, 2017). Furthermore, to create space for curriculum development using multi-actor groups in a community of inquiry, I used decolonial research methodologies in the data generation process. The study is constituted as an interventionist case study, and I applied a four-stage process comprising document analysis, workshops, participant observations involving children between 8-11 years, and reflective interviews with parents, educators and children as instruments for data gathering. I also used process-based analytical tools developed in Philosophy of Children research to analyse the processes of critical reflexive thinking development that emerged from the Philosophy for Children pedagogy involving ten lessons which I facilitated, and videorecorded. Moreover, I used postcolonial and decolonial discourse analysis to provide the broader analytical insights that informed the interpretations of the lesson analysis data from the perspective of the research problem that I address across the research project. This PhD is produced as a PhD by publication, which involves publishing of papers, and orientation to, and interpretation of the papers. The main findings of this study are reported in articles that I prepared for publication, three of which have already been published (see Appendices A1, A4 and A5), and four which have been submitted for publication (A2, A3, A6, A7) with some already at an advanced stage of finalisation via review. The conceptual paper (A1) that served as the foundation for the publication journey revealed that, in addition to the weight of cultural technologies of domination, the curriculum is shaped by the paradox of a superficial interpretation of unhu/ubuntu educational philosophy. As a result, the curriculum becomes disconnected from the learners' real-world experiences. The second paper (A2), which focuses on why Zimbabwe needs the Philosophy for Children approach with a sociocultural medley, unveils Zimbabwe's complex decolonial curriculum reforms and their many contradictions and paradoxes. However, it also emerged that the approach used in this study empowers teachers, is relevant to the emerging constellation of practices in the Sebakwe resettlement, and influences power sharing beyond teacher-child relationships. The third paper (A3), based on children’s philosophy for children practice, defends the study’s decision to bring children’s heritage and cultural lens to bear on curriculum and pedagogical praxis. In essence, the article explores a synergy between philosophy for children and the Zimbabwean heritage-based educational curriculum, serving to enrich both. The fourth paper (A4) makes the case that philosophy for children could be a viable pedagogy for transformative education, and it provides evidence-based implementation of a context-based philosophy for children. According to this paper, the approach is effective in strengthening strong community relationships, instilling pride in local heritage, and advancing curriculum transformation. The fifth paper (A5) focusses on the approach's implications for teachers' roles, practices, and competencies. Six dimensions of teacher roles, practices, and competences surfaced, including the role of the teacher as a decoloniser and pedagogical innovator, among others. The sixth paper (A6), influenced by the previous papers' findings, focused on decolonisation and improving learning opportunities for children in the Sebakwe area using the philosophy for children approach. This paper's data depicts a ‘third space’ in which learners consolidate their cultural capital and curriculum content into their own meaning construction. The implication is that schools become neutral sites that improve learners' interdependence and inclusivity while also taking contextual realities into account. The findings of the seventh and final paper (A7) presented in this write-up advance the idea that a Philosophy for Children approach with a sociocultural medley influences an ethics of care by demonstrating how Afrophilia experiences influence a new path to wildlife conservation and sustainability. The study highlights that integrating Philosophy for Children and Afrophilia foundations of knowledge into the school curriculum promotes critical reflexive thinking skills, helps to address real-life problems and adds relevance to the curriculum. The study further shows that the integration of philosophy for children in the advancement of curriculum transformation in Zimbabwe is a successful formative interventionist approach in the resettlement schools that are characterised by a critical shortage of teaching and learning resources. In essence, the research opens an understanding that curriculum transformation and decolonisation are context-based and multi-actor processes, as showcased in the experiences of parents, teachers, education inspectors, and children in this study. Furthermore, this study posits that situating curriculum decolonization and transformation within unhu/ubuntu dialectical rationality and advancing diversity in reasoning necessitates deeper engagement with heritage-based curriculum and provides teachers with appropriate agency to modify and adapt their pedagogies in alignment with the learners' life world. According to the study, this emerged as a rational possible solution to the problem of curriculum decontextualisation. Curriculum decontextualisation as highlighted in the study via the problem of colonial continuity mentioned above, appears to be further influenced by the emphasis on examination assessment scores which seem to widen the gap between the adult and child worlds, as well as the gap between contextual realities and [curriculum] examination content. Overall, the study offers an approach that can deepen an unhu/ubuntu foundation for the heritage-based curriculum reform in Zimbabwe, and strengthen the learning of children in the resettlement schools, where the case was explored. Implications for further research are elaborated, as are possible implications for policy and practice. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Authors: Bhurekeni, John
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Culturally relevant pedagogy Zimbabwe , Curriculum change Zimbabwe , Philosophy Study and teaching (Elementary) Zimbabwe , Critical thinking , Decolonization Zimbabwe , Technology Political aspects , Representation (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366178 , vital:65840 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366178
- Description: This study focused on investigating and developing an Afrophilic orientation to a sociocultural approach to philosophy for children. The main aim was to foster a critical and generative approach to considering the heritage-based curriculum foundations of Zimbabwean primary schools, focusing on Sebakwe resettlement primary schools (the case study area). Afrophilia foundations in the study are regarded as “the discourses that are the medium of philosophical reflexion” (Rettova, 2004, p. 4) in each African society. As articulated in the study, such discourses include African proverbs, poems, stories, music, and folktales which are useful in the initiation of philosophical engagements with children in a community of inquiry approach. A community of inquiry is a framework that reflects a collaborative-dialogical approach to teaching and learning. Curriculum reviews in postcolonial Zimbabwe have revealed an unconscious misalignment of the Zimbabwean education system's philosophical underpinnings because it has continued to align itself with imperial British colonial philosophy, which contradicts the country's developmental needs (Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training [CIET], 1999, Zimbabwe Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education [MoPSE], 2014). The philosophical misalignment is an extension of the colonial history of Zimbabwe showing that vestiges of colonial rule still shape the education sector. This leaves the education system focusing mainly on abstracted concepts with continued marginalisation of local cultures, discourses, and knowledge. Consequently, it leaves Zimbabwe together with other postcolonial education systems with the task of dealing with the phenomenon of colonial continuity. One implication of these colonial continuities, is learner disinterest in learning, which affects the educational process negatively, affecting the learning of critical reflexive thinking, an issue which I have observed in the Sebakwe resettlement schools involved in this study where I have been teaching for 15 years. To address, this, the study sought to answer the following questions: What historical and contemporary barriers are affecting the promotion of a culture of learning in Zimbabwean resettlement primary schools, particularly as they relate to learners' underdevelopment of critical reflexive thinking skills? In addition, How can the Philosophy for Children Afrophilia curriculum intervention promote a culture of learning in Sebakwe resettlement primary schools that is oriented toward the development of critical reflexive thinking skills in children? In approaching the research questions, I applied postcolonial and decolonisation theory, sociocultural learning theory and curriculum theory aimed at transformative change, that is oriented towards achieving a more contextually oriented approach to teaching and learning, and a paradigm of ‘learning as connection’ (Lotz-Sisitka & Lupele, 2017; Shumba, 2017). This has been identified as a ‘missing’ discourse in mainstream educational quality discourses in southern Africa (Lotz-Sisitka & Lupele, 2017). Furthermore, to create space for curriculum development using multi-actor groups in a community of inquiry, I used decolonial research methodologies in the data generation process. The study is constituted as an interventionist case study, and I applied a four-stage process comprising document analysis, workshops, participant observations involving children between 8-11 years, and reflective interviews with parents, educators and children as instruments for data gathering. I also used process-based analytical tools developed in Philosophy of Children research to analyse the processes of critical reflexive thinking development that emerged from the Philosophy for Children pedagogy involving ten lessons which I facilitated, and videorecorded. Moreover, I used postcolonial and decolonial discourse analysis to provide the broader analytical insights that informed the interpretations of the lesson analysis data from the perspective of the research problem that I address across the research project. This PhD is produced as a PhD by publication, which involves publishing of papers, and orientation to, and interpretation of the papers. The main findings of this study are reported in articles that I prepared for publication, three of which have already been published (see Appendices A1, A4 and A5), and four which have been submitted for publication (A2, A3, A6, A7) with some already at an advanced stage of finalisation via review. The conceptual paper (A1) that served as the foundation for the publication journey revealed that, in addition to the weight of cultural technologies of domination, the curriculum is shaped by the paradox of a superficial interpretation of unhu/ubuntu educational philosophy. As a result, the curriculum becomes disconnected from the learners' real-world experiences. The second paper (A2), which focuses on why Zimbabwe needs the Philosophy for Children approach with a sociocultural medley, unveils Zimbabwe's complex decolonial curriculum reforms and their many contradictions and paradoxes. However, it also emerged that the approach used in this study empowers teachers, is relevant to the emerging constellation of practices in the Sebakwe resettlement, and influences power sharing beyond teacher-child relationships. The third paper (A3), based on children’s philosophy for children practice, defends the study’s decision to bring children’s heritage and cultural lens to bear on curriculum and pedagogical praxis. In essence, the article explores a synergy between philosophy for children and the Zimbabwean heritage-based educational curriculum, serving to enrich both. The fourth paper (A4) makes the case that philosophy for children could be a viable pedagogy for transformative education, and it provides evidence-based implementation of a context-based philosophy for children. According to this paper, the approach is effective in strengthening strong community relationships, instilling pride in local heritage, and advancing curriculum transformation. The fifth paper (A5) focusses on the approach's implications for teachers' roles, practices, and competencies. Six dimensions of teacher roles, practices, and competences surfaced, including the role of the teacher as a decoloniser and pedagogical innovator, among others. The sixth paper (A6), influenced by the previous papers' findings, focused on decolonisation and improving learning opportunities for children in the Sebakwe area using the philosophy for children approach. This paper's data depicts a ‘third space’ in which learners consolidate their cultural capital and curriculum content into their own meaning construction. The implication is that schools become neutral sites that improve learners' interdependence and inclusivity while also taking contextual realities into account. The findings of the seventh and final paper (A7) presented in this write-up advance the idea that a Philosophy for Children approach with a sociocultural medley influences an ethics of care by demonstrating how Afrophilia experiences influence a new path to wildlife conservation and sustainability. The study highlights that integrating Philosophy for Children and Afrophilia foundations of knowledge into the school curriculum promotes critical reflexive thinking skills, helps to address real-life problems and adds relevance to the curriculum. The study further shows that the integration of philosophy for children in the advancement of curriculum transformation in Zimbabwe is a successful formative interventionist approach in the resettlement schools that are characterised by a critical shortage of teaching and learning resources. In essence, the research opens an understanding that curriculum transformation and decolonisation are context-based and multi-actor processes, as showcased in the experiences of parents, teachers, education inspectors, and children in this study. Furthermore, this study posits that situating curriculum decolonization and transformation within unhu/ubuntu dialectical rationality and advancing diversity in reasoning necessitates deeper engagement with heritage-based curriculum and provides teachers with appropriate agency to modify and adapt their pedagogies in alignment with the learners' life world. According to the study, this emerged as a rational possible solution to the problem of curriculum decontextualisation. Curriculum decontextualisation as highlighted in the study via the problem of colonial continuity mentioned above, appears to be further influenced by the emphasis on examination assessment scores which seem to widen the gap between the adult and child worlds, as well as the gap between contextual realities and [curriculum] examination content. Overall, the study offers an approach that can deepen an unhu/ubuntu foundation for the heritage-based curriculum reform in Zimbabwe, and strengthen the learning of children in the resettlement schools, where the case was explored. Implications for further research are elaborated, as are possible implications for policy and practice. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
Human Development, the Capability Approach and the Mediating of Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: a case study of women’s empowerment through expansive learning in the Mzimvubu Catchment of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
- Authors: Conde-Aller, Laura
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Expansive learning , Social learning , Transformative learning , Capabilities approach (Social sciences) , Women's rights South Africa Mzimvubu River Watershed , Women Economic conditions , Women Social conditions , Sustainable agriculture South Africa Mzimvubu River Watershed
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366236 , vital:65845 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366236
- Description: This study makes a contribution to the field of sustainable agricultural development and women empowerment in rural South Africa by examining the transformations derived from an expansive learning process with a women farmers group in terms of their food production capability expansion and empowerment as well as the well-being of their local catchment or landscape where their activity was situated. The study took place in the Lutengele villages along the upper reaches of the lower Mzimvubu Catchment near Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Women in southern Africa are significant contributors to household livelihoods through their household food production practices and at the same time they are also one of the primary natural resource users in rural landscapes. In this case study, historical and contemporary ethnographic and situational data revealed disjuncture between existing practice and the fulfilment of women aspirations with regard to food security and social and ecological well-being at large. As a result, central to this study were the concepts of aspirations and capabilities and the role that these played in transformative learning processes via formative intervention research (after Engeström’s concept of expansive learning). Expansive learning emerges from Vygotsky’s early work on mediation of learning through language and culture, which gave raise to Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). Whereas the Capability Approach (CA) recognises that development interventions or initiatives should focus on “expanding the freedom that deprive people from enjoying their valued beings and doings” (Sen, 1999, p. 3), in other words, what people value or have reason to value. The Capability Approach coupled with CHAT deepens the contextual understanding of the agricultural activity system in light of the engendered power dynamics associated with women having access to productive resources, their culturally expected roles and responsibilities in the institution of their households, their families and the community at large, and most importantly, aspects of gerontocracy defined by their age and status in society. In addition, drawing on the Capability Approach as a lens to view agricultural development, social transformation and empowerment, provided the tools to conceptualise participants’ aspirations, their true value and the capabilities necessary for such aspirations to be realised in a context filled with socio-cultural and political power relations and dynamics faced especially by women. The first phase of the study set out to map the context in which the participants’ small-scale food production activity was situated, their aspirations relevant to sustainable agricultural livelihoods, food security, well-being and lastly, the main factors or contradictions inhibiting participants from attaining the aspired food production goals. During the initial phase of the expansive learning cycle I was able to address the first research question: What tensions and contradictions in aspiration-practice relationships shape household food security in the context of catchment management of the women farmers’ group or river forum in the Lutengele area? Twelve contradictions were identified from the historical and contemporary socio-cultural analysis of the home-based food production practices and agricultural activity in relation to the research participants’ envisaged aspirations, which under further scrutiny were thereafter considered by the participants as critical capabilities to pursue during the collective and transformative learning process in the second phase of the study. In the second phase of the study, a series of second stimuli were introduced in the form of conceptual and material tools and tasks with the aim to move participants along the expansive learning process. This led to the unfolding of the collectively defined Capability Learning Pathways for sustainable food production or expansion of their agricultural capability in the context of sustainability of the local micro-catchment or landscape. Through the various Change Laboratory workshops and supporting mini-cycles in the last stages of the formative interventionist research, participants’ learning and development was supported in a way that not only brought individuals together to co-design relevant solutions, strategies and working groups or committees, but also catalysed and amplified transformative agency and the expansion of food production capability, sustainable land use practices and ultimately empowerment. This answered the second and most important research question: Can, and if so, how can expansive social learning processes shape conversion factors for turning available resources into functionings that enhance household food security capabilities and ecological well-being? The methodology of expansive learning and formative interventionist research design intervention, with supporting mediating tools, has proven a positive intervention in the attainment of capabilities (or functionings) in relation to the participant’s aspired livelihoods and consequently improving their well-being as well as their ability to navigate through the various gendered power dynamics, especially for the young women participating in this study. The study proposes expansive learning as a suitable critical and transformative learning theory and methodology for the mediation of collective deliberations and the pursuit of capability development as charted by the learners’ collective and individual aspirations. This is a learning process that not only pursues the learners’ attainment of material and cognitive changes but also opens up new opportunities and most importantly, the freedom to exercise their agency no matter the circumstances they find themselves in – in other words, the freedom to aspire and to be, do and become what one values as instrumentally and intrinsically critical to live a life that they have reason to value. In sum, the unfolding of the expansive learning process happened at three levels: at the value clarification level in terms of human and non-human relationships and social relationality, the institutional level and the practices level. The study recommends further research on the suitability of expansive learning and Change Laboratories as a Capability Expansion Methodology involving human development and Capability Approach practitioners, particularly those with an interest in informal learning and community-based empowering initiatives. Additionally, further studies are also suggested for examining formative interventionist research as a participatory action research approach for capability development work in education and learning research and in different study fields and contexts. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: Conde-Aller, Laura
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Expansive learning , Social learning , Transformative learning , Capabilities approach (Social sciences) , Women's rights South Africa Mzimvubu River Watershed , Women Economic conditions , Women Social conditions , Sustainable agriculture South Africa Mzimvubu River Watershed
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366236 , vital:65845 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366236
- Description: This study makes a contribution to the field of sustainable agricultural development and women empowerment in rural South Africa by examining the transformations derived from an expansive learning process with a women farmers group in terms of their food production capability expansion and empowerment as well as the well-being of their local catchment or landscape where their activity was situated. The study took place in the Lutengele villages along the upper reaches of the lower Mzimvubu Catchment near Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Women in southern Africa are significant contributors to household livelihoods through their household food production practices and at the same time they are also one of the primary natural resource users in rural landscapes. In this case study, historical and contemporary ethnographic and situational data revealed disjuncture between existing practice and the fulfilment of women aspirations with regard to food security and social and ecological well-being at large. As a result, central to this study were the concepts of aspirations and capabilities and the role that these played in transformative learning processes via formative intervention research (after Engeström’s concept of expansive learning). Expansive learning emerges from Vygotsky’s early work on mediation of learning through language and culture, which gave raise to Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). Whereas the Capability Approach (CA) recognises that development interventions or initiatives should focus on “expanding the freedom that deprive people from enjoying their valued beings and doings” (Sen, 1999, p. 3), in other words, what people value or have reason to value. The Capability Approach coupled with CHAT deepens the contextual understanding of the agricultural activity system in light of the engendered power dynamics associated with women having access to productive resources, their culturally expected roles and responsibilities in the institution of their households, their families and the community at large, and most importantly, aspects of gerontocracy defined by their age and status in society. In addition, drawing on the Capability Approach as a lens to view agricultural development, social transformation and empowerment, provided the tools to conceptualise participants’ aspirations, their true value and the capabilities necessary for such aspirations to be realised in a context filled with socio-cultural and political power relations and dynamics faced especially by women. The first phase of the study set out to map the context in which the participants’ small-scale food production activity was situated, their aspirations relevant to sustainable agricultural livelihoods, food security, well-being and lastly, the main factors or contradictions inhibiting participants from attaining the aspired food production goals. During the initial phase of the expansive learning cycle I was able to address the first research question: What tensions and contradictions in aspiration-practice relationships shape household food security in the context of catchment management of the women farmers’ group or river forum in the Lutengele area? Twelve contradictions were identified from the historical and contemporary socio-cultural analysis of the home-based food production practices and agricultural activity in relation to the research participants’ envisaged aspirations, which under further scrutiny were thereafter considered by the participants as critical capabilities to pursue during the collective and transformative learning process in the second phase of the study. In the second phase of the study, a series of second stimuli were introduced in the form of conceptual and material tools and tasks with the aim to move participants along the expansive learning process. This led to the unfolding of the collectively defined Capability Learning Pathways for sustainable food production or expansion of their agricultural capability in the context of sustainability of the local micro-catchment or landscape. Through the various Change Laboratory workshops and supporting mini-cycles in the last stages of the formative interventionist research, participants’ learning and development was supported in a way that not only brought individuals together to co-design relevant solutions, strategies and working groups or committees, but also catalysed and amplified transformative agency and the expansion of food production capability, sustainable land use practices and ultimately empowerment. This answered the second and most important research question: Can, and if so, how can expansive social learning processes shape conversion factors for turning available resources into functionings that enhance household food security capabilities and ecological well-being? The methodology of expansive learning and formative interventionist research design intervention, with supporting mediating tools, has proven a positive intervention in the attainment of capabilities (or functionings) in relation to the participant’s aspired livelihoods and consequently improving their well-being as well as their ability to navigate through the various gendered power dynamics, especially for the young women participating in this study. The study proposes expansive learning as a suitable critical and transformative learning theory and methodology for the mediation of collective deliberations and the pursuit of capability development as charted by the learners’ collective and individual aspirations. This is a learning process that not only pursues the learners’ attainment of material and cognitive changes but also opens up new opportunities and most importantly, the freedom to exercise their agency no matter the circumstances they find themselves in – in other words, the freedom to aspire and to be, do and become what one values as instrumentally and intrinsically critical to live a life that they have reason to value. In sum, the unfolding of the expansive learning process happened at three levels: at the value clarification level in terms of human and non-human relationships and social relationality, the institutional level and the practices level. The study recommends further research on the suitability of expansive learning and Change Laboratories as a Capability Expansion Methodology involving human development and Capability Approach practitioners, particularly those with an interest in informal learning and community-based empowering initiatives. Additionally, further studies are also suggested for examining formative interventionist research as a participatory action research approach for capability development work in education and learning research and in different study fields and contexts. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
Mentoring as social learning value creation in two South African environmental organisations: a social realist analysis
- Authors: Hiestermann, Michelle
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Social realism , Social learning , Mentoring , Environmental education South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366248 , vital:65846 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366248
- Description: South Africa is facing overwhelming crises of educational quality, record rates of unemployment (especially amongst youth) and environmental issues and risks, further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Environmental education research that addresses these challenges is critical to ensuring that future generations thrive in a warming climate. South Africa needs environmental leaders; we therefore need to understand and explore the possibilities of mentoring young professionals in environmental organisations in South Africa. Several initiatives have been developed to contribute to the mentoring of young professionals in South African environmental organisations. This study drew on a critical realist ontology, social realist meta-theory and domain specific theory on mentoring and evaluation to explore mentoring as a value creating proposition in two environmental organisations in South Africa that were part of the national Groen Sebenza youth employment creation programme which had a strong focus on mentoring. To strengthen conceptual analytical tools on mentoring, I undertook an immanent critique of domain specific mentoring theory to develop a more appropriate foundation for mentoring theory in the environmental sector that was not subject to the historical influence of human capital theory only (which has tended to dominate the field’s literature). I then developed in-depth understanding of mentoring in two case study contexts, namely a non-profit environmental organisation and an environmental consulting company, using qualitative research approaches that included contextual profiling, case study research and mirror data workshops. Analytically, I considered the case data drawing on the value creation evaluation framework of Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner (2014) which itself was developing as an analytical framework as the study developed. I strengthened the analytical framework with social realist interpretations drawing on Archer (1995). This offered me a way of developing an in-depth understanding of the factors which constrain or enable the value creation possibilities of mentoring, with a view to inform human capacity development initiatives that support mentoring in the environment sector. It was possible to explain the value creation possibilities of mentoring within two case study environmental organisations through considering mentoring as a social learning process of value creation and this overcame some of the shortfalls identified in other early learning theories as well as theories of mentoring. The research revealed how mentoring can provide a value creation social learning trajectory for unemployed youth. A social realist perspective explained how young professionals expanded their primary agency, through full participation in workplace communities of practice, to find their identity as corporate agents in the workplace with their mentors. In this research, Social Realist ontology, theory and methodology was able to achieve what Human Capital Theory could not and provided an account of the interplay of structure, culture and agency over time, through emergent properties and the separation of structure and agency. Thus, it was possible to avoid conflation and the limitation of theory of the present tense, with a deeper, ontologically robust explanation of mentoring as social learning and social change and a social realist orientation to human capacity development. South Africa has a history of oppression, inequality and injustice and requires social processes that are reflexive, critical, emancipatory and transformative. Therefore, this research required theory and approaches that could explain mentoring of unemployed youth, as a common good initiative for a more just and sustainable society. As shown in this study, a Social Realist approach can uncover the underlying generative mechanisms and make the implicit more explicit in research, policy and strategy, offering a robust alternative to the tenets of Human Capital Theory that have driven much mentoring research in South Africa and elsewhere to date. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: Hiestermann, Michelle
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Social realism , Social learning , Mentoring , Environmental education South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366248 , vital:65846 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366248
- Description: South Africa is facing overwhelming crises of educational quality, record rates of unemployment (especially amongst youth) and environmental issues and risks, further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Environmental education research that addresses these challenges is critical to ensuring that future generations thrive in a warming climate. South Africa needs environmental leaders; we therefore need to understand and explore the possibilities of mentoring young professionals in environmental organisations in South Africa. Several initiatives have been developed to contribute to the mentoring of young professionals in South African environmental organisations. This study drew on a critical realist ontology, social realist meta-theory and domain specific theory on mentoring and evaluation to explore mentoring as a value creating proposition in two environmental organisations in South Africa that were part of the national Groen Sebenza youth employment creation programme which had a strong focus on mentoring. To strengthen conceptual analytical tools on mentoring, I undertook an immanent critique of domain specific mentoring theory to develop a more appropriate foundation for mentoring theory in the environmental sector that was not subject to the historical influence of human capital theory only (which has tended to dominate the field’s literature). I then developed in-depth understanding of mentoring in two case study contexts, namely a non-profit environmental organisation and an environmental consulting company, using qualitative research approaches that included contextual profiling, case study research and mirror data workshops. Analytically, I considered the case data drawing on the value creation evaluation framework of Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner (2014) which itself was developing as an analytical framework as the study developed. I strengthened the analytical framework with social realist interpretations drawing on Archer (1995). This offered me a way of developing an in-depth understanding of the factors which constrain or enable the value creation possibilities of mentoring, with a view to inform human capacity development initiatives that support mentoring in the environment sector. It was possible to explain the value creation possibilities of mentoring within two case study environmental organisations through considering mentoring as a social learning process of value creation and this overcame some of the shortfalls identified in other early learning theories as well as theories of mentoring. The research revealed how mentoring can provide a value creation social learning trajectory for unemployed youth. A social realist perspective explained how young professionals expanded their primary agency, through full participation in workplace communities of practice, to find their identity as corporate agents in the workplace with their mentors. In this research, Social Realist ontology, theory and methodology was able to achieve what Human Capital Theory could not and provided an account of the interplay of structure, culture and agency over time, through emergent properties and the separation of structure and agency. Thus, it was possible to avoid conflation and the limitation of theory of the present tense, with a deeper, ontologically robust explanation of mentoring as social learning and social change and a social realist orientation to human capacity development. South Africa has a history of oppression, inequality and injustice and requires social processes that are reflexive, critical, emancipatory and transformative. Therefore, this research required theory and approaches that could explain mentoring of unemployed youth, as a common good initiative for a more just and sustainable society. As shown in this study, a Social Realist approach can uncover the underlying generative mechanisms and make the implicit more explicit in research, policy and strategy, offering a robust alternative to the tenets of Human Capital Theory that have driven much mentoring research in South Africa and elsewhere to date. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
Stakeholder engagement in social enterprise: designing a sustainable business model for the ‘Food for Us’ mobile application
- Authors: Tantsi, Idah Thato
- Date: 2022-10
- Subjects: Business planning South Africa , Sustainability South Africa , Mobile apps South Africa , Social responsibility of business South Africa , Social entrepreneurship South Africa , Food for Us (Application software)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/317141 , vital:59904
- Description: This study aimed to develop a sustainable business model that is cognisant of the fundamental principles of social enterprises that can sustain the operation of the Food for Us mobile application that links farmers with buyers in Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa. The Food for Us mobile application lacks a supporting sustainable social business model to sustain its continued operations, hence the need to develop one. In the study, data was generated qualitatively underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, in three workshops guided by the Delphi method. A stakeholder salience model was applied to identify key stakeholders and their salience. Three key stakeholders, namely users (farmers and buyers), Experts (App developers) and the consortium were identified. The study concluded that developing a sustainable social, innovative business model requires substantive consultation with multiple stakeholders in society. Every stakeholder is important and possesses varying salience, hence stakeholder mapping is an important exercise. The study further concluded that financial sustainability and social inclusion are critical social enterprise elements to consider in the process. The undertaking to enhance financial sustainability opens an understanding on the importance of income streams, the key activities, and value propositions offered by the mobile application. The need to remain socially inclusive brings forth questioning of value propositions, accessibility, user friendliness towards stakeholder diversity and needs. The study offers a solution for the Food for Us mobile application in the form of a prototype which is ready for testing, and if desired results are achieved, this can enhance the much needed continued operations of the mobile application. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: Tantsi, Idah Thato
- Date: 2022-10
- Subjects: Business planning South Africa , Sustainability South Africa , Mobile apps South Africa , Social responsibility of business South Africa , Social entrepreneurship South Africa , Food for Us (Application software)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/317141 , vital:59904
- Description: This study aimed to develop a sustainable business model that is cognisant of the fundamental principles of social enterprises that can sustain the operation of the Food for Us mobile application that links farmers with buyers in Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa. The Food for Us mobile application lacks a supporting sustainable social business model to sustain its continued operations, hence the need to develop one. In the study, data was generated qualitatively underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, in three workshops guided by the Delphi method. A stakeholder salience model was applied to identify key stakeholders and their salience. Three key stakeholders, namely users (farmers and buyers), Experts (App developers) and the consortium were identified. The study concluded that developing a sustainable social, innovative business model requires substantive consultation with multiple stakeholders in society. Every stakeholder is important and possesses varying salience, hence stakeholder mapping is an important exercise. The study further concluded that financial sustainability and social inclusion are critical social enterprise elements to consider in the process. The undertaking to enhance financial sustainability opens an understanding on the importance of income streams, the key activities, and value propositions offered by the mobile application. The need to remain socially inclusive brings forth questioning of value propositions, accessibility, user friendliness towards stakeholder diversity and needs. The study offers a solution for the Food for Us mobile application in the form of a prototype which is ready for testing, and if desired results are achieved, this can enhance the much needed continued operations of the mobile application. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
- Full Text:
The transformative potential of intersecting arts-based inquiry and environmental learning in urban South Africa: a focus on socio-ecological water pedagogies
- Authors: James, Anna Katharine
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Environmental education South Africa , Water conservation Study and teaching South Africa , Art in environmental education South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Educational sociology South Africa , Water-supply Social aspects South Africa , Critical realism , Socio-ecological education
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/290660 , vital:56772 , DOI 10.21504/10962/290660
- Description: In this study I explore and explain transformative potential in arts-based environmental learning with a focus on water pedagogy. The study took place over a period of four years, where approximately 40 school pupils between the ages of 10 and 17 years-old were engaged in participatory arts-based inquiries into water located across unequal neighbourhoods in Cape Town, South Africa. Educators, school learners, citizens and decision-makers hold different historical, cultural, political and spiritual perspectives on water. These play a role in shaping what is termed in this research the ‘hydro-social cycle’. Yet, due to dominant ideas of what counts as knowing and truth, educators in educational settings struggle to account for the complexity of water, limiting educational encounters to a partial knowing leading mostly to limited unimaginative framings of problems and solutions. My focus on transformative potential in learning is derived from a concern for how environmental education encounters and the sense-making they enable, are infused by socio-economic, political, and historical elements, specifically colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacist racism. The connections between the multiple layers of capitalist crisis and the ever-urgent environmental crisis are not adequately made in mainstream forms of water education. The research explores how arts-based pedagogy could enable a productive meeting of critical environmental education with ecological literacies. Within this positioning, transformative potential considers how educational engagements position questions about water within the social life of participants/learners and inform learning that leads to fuller and more nuanced greater knowledge. Theoretically, I work with an interrogation of critical education theory, underlaboured by critical realism which enabled me to rigorously consider how claims to knowing are shaped by their accompanying assumptions of what is real. Drawing on recent debates in critical education theory, I resist the notion of critique as ideology and engage instead in the craftsmanship of contextual and responsive inquiry practice. This has enabled me to articulate processes and relationships in water education encounters with meaningful understandings of the effects of simultaneous crises rooted in racial capitalism and environmental crisis. My methodological approach is arts-based educational research with a directive to reflect upon educational encounters in an integrated way. It includes two parts informing the facilitation and analysis of open-ended learning processes. One component was arts-based inquiry practice developed for exploring complexity, drawing on the thinking of Norris (2009, 2011) and Finley (2016, 2017). The second part holds reflective space for these encounters guided by the practice of pedagogical narration inspired by the Reggio Amelia approach, demonstrated by Pacini-Ketchabaw, Nxumalo, Kocher, Elliot and Sanchez (2014). Clarifying the intellectual work of a responsive educator-researcher, pedagogical narration brings multiple theoretical lenses into conversation with emergent dimensions of educational process. In practice, in order to transgress the dominance of colonial white supremacist knowledge frames of water, I needed to be curious, to be confounded, to expect the unexpected in the educational encounters with participants and this mirroring of practice was emulated by the participants as they followed their own questions about water in Mzansi (South Africa). In our work together we came up against assumptions we had previously not questioned as individuals. Together we explored the implications of this by, for example, questioning who is responsible for saving water. These explorations required bringing together science knowledge and everyday knowledge at multiple scales: the household, catchment, government and global. It required us to be critical of how language and images are mobilized in public communication and school curriculums; for example, representations of water are infused with history and power in a way that impacts how we know and teach about water. The transformative potential of this pedagogical space is generated through acts of creative expression which are seen as acts of absenting absence, for example exhibiting through play how water use in the household interconnects with gender and age relationships. As such, creative expression through multiple mediums or more-than-text enables a deeper understanding of water as well as openings for interdisciplinary engagement with learning about water. My research found that in bringing together the contributions of critical education and environmental education in practice, two shifts are needed: environmental educators need to view ecological literacy as inseparable from the social and political. The knowledge that is shared about water in the classroom has social and political implications. On the other hand, critical educators need to better locate justice concerns in the material and ecological world at scale. Arts-based inquiry, as a kind of scaffolding for pedagogical process, has the potential to enable these shifts by opening up fixed analytical frames. Making these shifts requires a reflective practice on the part of the educator to navigate the inherited blind spots in environmental learning and critical education, such as dualities. One way to do this is for the educator to identify absences, as articulated in the Critical Realist tradition, and consider how these absences might be absented. This differs from a simplistic process of critique in the possibilities it opens up for collaboration between different schools of thought rather than further polarisation and alienation between educators and knowledge keepers on social ecologies. These insights have relevance for many sites of environmental education practice, such as natural science lecturers, school teachers or community activists. It is knowledge-learning work emergent from and responsive to complex ecological crisis, which requires everyone to rethink and open up to new ways of being, seeing and doing around these issues. The transformative potential of this work is that the thinking and transforming at all scales can be catalysed and grounded through the arts based educational encounters with the participants. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: James, Anna Katharine
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Environmental education South Africa , Water conservation Study and teaching South Africa , Art in environmental education South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Educational sociology South Africa , Water-supply Social aspects South Africa , Critical realism , Socio-ecological education
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/290660 , vital:56772 , DOI 10.21504/10962/290660
- Description: In this study I explore and explain transformative potential in arts-based environmental learning with a focus on water pedagogy. The study took place over a period of four years, where approximately 40 school pupils between the ages of 10 and 17 years-old were engaged in participatory arts-based inquiries into water located across unequal neighbourhoods in Cape Town, South Africa. Educators, school learners, citizens and decision-makers hold different historical, cultural, political and spiritual perspectives on water. These play a role in shaping what is termed in this research the ‘hydro-social cycle’. Yet, due to dominant ideas of what counts as knowing and truth, educators in educational settings struggle to account for the complexity of water, limiting educational encounters to a partial knowing leading mostly to limited unimaginative framings of problems and solutions. My focus on transformative potential in learning is derived from a concern for how environmental education encounters and the sense-making they enable, are infused by socio-economic, political, and historical elements, specifically colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacist racism. The connections between the multiple layers of capitalist crisis and the ever-urgent environmental crisis are not adequately made in mainstream forms of water education. The research explores how arts-based pedagogy could enable a productive meeting of critical environmental education with ecological literacies. Within this positioning, transformative potential considers how educational engagements position questions about water within the social life of participants/learners and inform learning that leads to fuller and more nuanced greater knowledge. Theoretically, I work with an interrogation of critical education theory, underlaboured by critical realism which enabled me to rigorously consider how claims to knowing are shaped by their accompanying assumptions of what is real. Drawing on recent debates in critical education theory, I resist the notion of critique as ideology and engage instead in the craftsmanship of contextual and responsive inquiry practice. This has enabled me to articulate processes and relationships in water education encounters with meaningful understandings of the effects of simultaneous crises rooted in racial capitalism and environmental crisis. My methodological approach is arts-based educational research with a directive to reflect upon educational encounters in an integrated way. It includes two parts informing the facilitation and analysis of open-ended learning processes. One component was arts-based inquiry practice developed for exploring complexity, drawing on the thinking of Norris (2009, 2011) and Finley (2016, 2017). The second part holds reflective space for these encounters guided by the practice of pedagogical narration inspired by the Reggio Amelia approach, demonstrated by Pacini-Ketchabaw, Nxumalo, Kocher, Elliot and Sanchez (2014). Clarifying the intellectual work of a responsive educator-researcher, pedagogical narration brings multiple theoretical lenses into conversation with emergent dimensions of educational process. In practice, in order to transgress the dominance of colonial white supremacist knowledge frames of water, I needed to be curious, to be confounded, to expect the unexpected in the educational encounters with participants and this mirroring of practice was emulated by the participants as they followed their own questions about water in Mzansi (South Africa). In our work together we came up against assumptions we had previously not questioned as individuals. Together we explored the implications of this by, for example, questioning who is responsible for saving water. These explorations required bringing together science knowledge and everyday knowledge at multiple scales: the household, catchment, government and global. It required us to be critical of how language and images are mobilized in public communication and school curriculums; for example, representations of water are infused with history and power in a way that impacts how we know and teach about water. The transformative potential of this pedagogical space is generated through acts of creative expression which are seen as acts of absenting absence, for example exhibiting through play how water use in the household interconnects with gender and age relationships. As such, creative expression through multiple mediums or more-than-text enables a deeper understanding of water as well as openings for interdisciplinary engagement with learning about water. My research found that in bringing together the contributions of critical education and environmental education in practice, two shifts are needed: environmental educators need to view ecological literacy as inseparable from the social and political. The knowledge that is shared about water in the classroom has social and political implications. On the other hand, critical educators need to better locate justice concerns in the material and ecological world at scale. Arts-based inquiry, as a kind of scaffolding for pedagogical process, has the potential to enable these shifts by opening up fixed analytical frames. Making these shifts requires a reflective practice on the part of the educator to navigate the inherited blind spots in environmental learning and critical education, such as dualities. One way to do this is for the educator to identify absences, as articulated in the Critical Realist tradition, and consider how these absences might be absented. This differs from a simplistic process of critique in the possibilities it opens up for collaboration between different schools of thought rather than further polarisation and alienation between educators and knowledge keepers on social ecologies. These insights have relevance for many sites of environmental education practice, such as natural science lecturers, school teachers or community activists. It is knowledge-learning work emergent from and responsive to complex ecological crisis, which requires everyone to rethink and open up to new ways of being, seeing and doing around these issues. The transformative potential of this work is that the thinking and transforming at all scales can be catalysed and grounded through the arts based educational encounters with the participants. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
A case study of lessons learned through empowering and mobilizing unemployed youth into sustainable green jobs within the SANBI – Groen Sebenza partnership programme by a Host Institution in South Africa
- Authors: Fullard, Donovan
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: South African National Biodiversity Institute , Green movement South Africa , Environmental education South Africa , Communities of practice South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Biodiversity conservation Employees , Job creation South Africa , Mentoring South Africa , Groen Sebenza
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191964 , vital:45183
- Description: This research project constituted as a thesis of limited scope for a Masters in Education Degree (i.e. as 50% of the degree) focusses on a job creation programme named ‘Groen Sebenza’ [Green Work]. Groen Sebenza is an environmental education ‘incubator’ programme driven and implemented by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to unlock green jobs and bridge the gap between education and job opportunities in the biodiversity sector in South Africa. The programme is a key intervention to strengthen biodiversity human capacity development in the biodiversity sector in South Africa, seeking to contribute to transformation of the biodiversity sector, and also address issues of youth unemployment in the country. The young ‘interns’ in the programme were called ‘pioneers’ at the start of the project. This research project explores how a host institution operating as a community of practice within a landscape of practice managed to implement the Groen Sebenza programme by absorbing and appointing all their pioneers into sustainable jobs beyond the pilot project. I sought to better understand the process of supporting and empowering unemployed youth into sustainable green jobs within the Groen Sebenza partnership programme. I drew on Community of Practice (CoP) theory, and its value creation framework to develop this understanding, and I under-laboured the analysis with a social realist analysis of enabling and constraining factors. The unit of analysis of a Community of Practice was a useful focus for the study, as these mentors, managers, and administrators were all involved in supporting the empowerment and retention of the young pioneers in the host institution. To develop deeper insight into the learning and knowing, and value created in and by the Groen Sebenza CoP in the Host Institution, I also sought insight into enabling and constraining factors and how these shaped and contributed to empowerment and retention of the pioneers in sustainable green jobs. The research addressed the main question of ‘How do processes of learning, knowing and value creation contribute to empowerment and retention of unemployed youth in a successful Host Institution in the Groen Sebenza programme, and what enabled or constrained the empowerment and retention processes and outcomes?’. Three sub-questions were used in the study, which focussed on the mentoring, training and workplace experiences and how they contribute to the process of learning and knowing within the Groen Sebenza Community of Practice in the Host Institution? [Addressed in Chapter 4], the value creation elements that emerged in the implementation of the programme in support and empowerment of the pioneers in the Host institution’s Groen Sebenza CoP? [Addressed in Chapter 5], and the enabling and constraining factors that shaped and contributed to the uptake of the Pioneers into sustainable green jobs at the Host Institution within the Groen Sebenza Programme? [Addressed in Chapter 6]. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study, in which I used semi-structured interviews as a key data source, as well as document analysis, and a questionnaire. The study drew on inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference since I sought to explore an understanding of the practices and learning that occurred that contributed and led to the successful uptake of Pioneers into jobs, as well as the enabling and constraining factors. The study was interpretive at the epistemic level, and had a social realist under-labouring at the ontological level. Key findings of the study point to the development of enabling cultures of mentoring in workplaces, and the provision of a diversity of workplace learning experiences including formal training. It also points to the importance of personal emergent properties amongst mentors and pioneers that embrace a willingness to work together and build strong relationships, and to learn together. Learning in the community of practice was shown to develop identity and a sense of belonging as pioneers were given meaningful tasks to do and their training and interactions with mentors was experienced as meaningful and relevant. The contributions of the pioneers to the institutional mandate was appreciated by the mentors and therefore also well supported within an empowerment orientation. Various structural factors contributed to this enabling situation, most notably strong support from management as well as good co-operation across divisions. Constraining factors included the physical distances in the province, as well as financial and technical issues such as poor ICT communication systems. Overall, though the study showed that a strong approach to learning in communities of practice supported by empowering mentoring can lead to the integration of young pioneers into sustainable green jobs in the environmental sector. A whole institution approach to this process is, however, needed, and the organisation needs to develop a culture of social learning. As recently as September 2020 as this study was being finalised, the Presidential Employment Stimulus Plan (Office of the President, 2020) following the initial economic shocks emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, made yet another commitment to using the Groen Sebenza model to create and support sustainable job creation for young people in South Africa today in the environmental sector. This study has been developed and designed to understand those processes and enabling conditions that can support retention and empowerment of young people to take up jobs in the environmental sector today. Its recommendations may therefore be of value to those involved in seeking to support sustainable impacts in terms of retention and employment in programmes such as the Groen Sebenza, and in the Groen Sebenza programme itself as it continues to unfold as a key job creation tool for unemployed youth. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Fullard, Donovan
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: South African National Biodiversity Institute , Green movement South Africa , Environmental education South Africa , Communities of practice South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Biodiversity conservation Employees , Job creation South Africa , Mentoring South Africa , Groen Sebenza
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191964 , vital:45183
- Description: This research project constituted as a thesis of limited scope for a Masters in Education Degree (i.e. as 50% of the degree) focusses on a job creation programme named ‘Groen Sebenza’ [Green Work]. Groen Sebenza is an environmental education ‘incubator’ programme driven and implemented by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to unlock green jobs and bridge the gap between education and job opportunities in the biodiversity sector in South Africa. The programme is a key intervention to strengthen biodiversity human capacity development in the biodiversity sector in South Africa, seeking to contribute to transformation of the biodiversity sector, and also address issues of youth unemployment in the country. The young ‘interns’ in the programme were called ‘pioneers’ at the start of the project. This research project explores how a host institution operating as a community of practice within a landscape of practice managed to implement the Groen Sebenza programme by absorbing and appointing all their pioneers into sustainable jobs beyond the pilot project. I sought to better understand the process of supporting and empowering unemployed youth into sustainable green jobs within the Groen Sebenza partnership programme. I drew on Community of Practice (CoP) theory, and its value creation framework to develop this understanding, and I under-laboured the analysis with a social realist analysis of enabling and constraining factors. The unit of analysis of a Community of Practice was a useful focus for the study, as these mentors, managers, and administrators were all involved in supporting the empowerment and retention of the young pioneers in the host institution. To develop deeper insight into the learning and knowing, and value created in and by the Groen Sebenza CoP in the Host Institution, I also sought insight into enabling and constraining factors and how these shaped and contributed to empowerment and retention of the pioneers in sustainable green jobs. The research addressed the main question of ‘How do processes of learning, knowing and value creation contribute to empowerment and retention of unemployed youth in a successful Host Institution in the Groen Sebenza programme, and what enabled or constrained the empowerment and retention processes and outcomes?’. Three sub-questions were used in the study, which focussed on the mentoring, training and workplace experiences and how they contribute to the process of learning and knowing within the Groen Sebenza Community of Practice in the Host Institution? [Addressed in Chapter 4], the value creation elements that emerged in the implementation of the programme in support and empowerment of the pioneers in the Host institution’s Groen Sebenza CoP? [Addressed in Chapter 5], and the enabling and constraining factors that shaped and contributed to the uptake of the Pioneers into sustainable green jobs at the Host Institution within the Groen Sebenza Programme? [Addressed in Chapter 6]. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study, in which I used semi-structured interviews as a key data source, as well as document analysis, and a questionnaire. The study drew on inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference since I sought to explore an understanding of the practices and learning that occurred that contributed and led to the successful uptake of Pioneers into jobs, as well as the enabling and constraining factors. The study was interpretive at the epistemic level, and had a social realist under-labouring at the ontological level. Key findings of the study point to the development of enabling cultures of mentoring in workplaces, and the provision of a diversity of workplace learning experiences including formal training. It also points to the importance of personal emergent properties amongst mentors and pioneers that embrace a willingness to work together and build strong relationships, and to learn together. Learning in the community of practice was shown to develop identity and a sense of belonging as pioneers were given meaningful tasks to do and their training and interactions with mentors was experienced as meaningful and relevant. The contributions of the pioneers to the institutional mandate was appreciated by the mentors and therefore also well supported within an empowerment orientation. Various structural factors contributed to this enabling situation, most notably strong support from management as well as good co-operation across divisions. Constraining factors included the physical distances in the province, as well as financial and technical issues such as poor ICT communication systems. Overall, though the study showed that a strong approach to learning in communities of practice supported by empowering mentoring can lead to the integration of young pioneers into sustainable green jobs in the environmental sector. A whole institution approach to this process is, however, needed, and the organisation needs to develop a culture of social learning. As recently as September 2020 as this study was being finalised, the Presidential Employment Stimulus Plan (Office of the President, 2020) following the initial economic shocks emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, made yet another commitment to using the Groen Sebenza model to create and support sustainable job creation for young people in South Africa today in the environmental sector. This study has been developed and designed to understand those processes and enabling conditions that can support retention and empowerment of young people to take up jobs in the environmental sector today. Its recommendations may therefore be of value to those involved in seeking to support sustainable impacts in terms of retention and employment in programmes such as the Groen Sebenza, and in the Groen Sebenza programme itself as it continues to unfold as a key job creation tool for unemployed youth. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
Climate for changing lenses: Reconciliation through site-specific, media arts-based environmental education on the water and climate change nexus in South Africa and Canada
- Authors: Van Borek, Sarah
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Environmental education South Africa , Environmental education Canada , Climatic changes in art , Water-supply Climatic factors , Decolonization , Reconciliation South Africa , Curriculum change , Traditional ecological knowledge
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192754 , vital:45260 , 10.21504/10962/192754
- Description: This study took place in the context of a growing racialised global water crisis and increasing demands worldwide for transforming higher education at institutions of ongoing settler colonialism. It presents a conceptualisation of what education, research and activism can look like and unfolded inside a doctoral research project that expands what doctoral education can look like. Using a media arts-based praxis process, I developed a relational model of university curriculum –site-specific, media arts-based, environmental education –with potential to cultivate relations (human and nonhuman) towards reconciliation while contributing to justice at the water-climate change nexus. My aim as a settler-ally was to expand my teaching and curriculum practices, thereby also offering curriculum transformation inspiration to others. My research was rooted in my concept of reconciliation as a practice towards thriving together, where the ‘together’ was inclusive of both humans and nonhumans. The curriculum engaged students in de/re/constructing water narratives through making site-specific videos focused on local water bodies. Decolonising artistic approaches known as slow media and soundscape recording were strategically incorporated into audio/video mapping assignments where students observed water aesthetics in ways that shifted their perceptions about water and entities entangled with it. Students met with Knowledge Keepers (Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from outside the academy with existing relationships to water bodies). A photovoice methodology was used in these meetings with Knowledge Keepers to reconfigure traditional film director-subject power relations. Guest lecturers from non-traditional backgrounds contributed diverse perspectives. Ecomotricity was incorporated, whereby students were in deliberate movement in/with water bodies through canoeing together. The curriculum culminated in a public screening/education event where resulting videos, interspersed with educational games facilitated by students, surfaced emotions, knowledge co-production and new synergies amongst the event’s temporary community. Through two iterations of the curriculum, where I co-designed and taught a course called Making Waveforms, one in Vancouver, Canada and one in Cape Town, South Africa, I explored the primary research question: How can a relational site specific, media arts-based university environmental education curriculum cultivate students’ relational sensibilities and abilities oriented towards reconciliation of diverse peoples and ecosystems in South Africa and Canada? Iterating the curriculum across these two contexts allowed me to assess which aspect(s)of the curriculum may have been applicable across these and other contexts. By using mixed methods of data collection and sharing throughout the research journey, I explored the sub-questions: a) How is reconciliation understood currently by university students in South Africa and Canada? and b) How can a relational site-specific, media arts-based university environmental education curriculum and my PhD methodologies (PhD-by-publication, website, and participatory approaches to podcasting, video making, and song creation), contribute to decolonising higher education, and thereby further contribute to reconciliation of diverse peoples and ecosystems in South Africa and Canada? Integral to my praxis process, I undertook a PhD-by-publication that involved writing four academic journal articles, with each paper presenting a key stage in the process. The papers, all of which have been submitted to peer-reviewed academic journals, form part of this thesis and can be found in the Appendices. The course was originally developed around Donati’s (2011) relational sociology and Gergen’s (2009) relational education theory. Throughout my praxis process, I expanded my theoretical influences as called for by the research and teaching practice. The journey behind my first PhD paper, (Towards) Sound research practice: Podcast-building as modeling relational sensibilities at the water-climate change nexus in Cape Town, began when I officially started my doctoral studies in early 2018. The paper was co-authored with a fellow PhD scholar from Rhodes University’s Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), Anna James. It presents an experimental arts-based methodology we co-developed for doing contextual profiling by building a socially-engaged podcast series, called Day One, to explore the lived experiences of the Cape Town water crisis of 2018. It includes my initial tool of analysis for exploring how the curriculum might cultivate relational sensibilities and abilities towards reconciliation. The podcast pedagogy offered opportunities to develop some relational learning processes. The analytical tool was developed from cross-referencing reconciliation and relational educational theories. This paper also incorporated theories in relational solidarity and social movement learning. The podcast episodes included personal narratives that, in turn, revealed diverse ideologies and polarisations in the water situation. Working with the audio medium highlighted possibilities for creating and shifting affective relations. Recording and editing soundscapes of waterbodies began explorations of the agential qualities of water. These were foundational dynamics to explore in building the reconciliation curriculum. The paper is published in the International Journal of New Media, Technology, and the Arts (2019, Volume14, Issue1). My second PhD paper, A media arts-based praxis process of building towards a relational model of curriculum oriented towards reconciliation through water justice, presents my methodology for and analysis of a pilot course I co-designed and taught at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD) in Vancouver, Canada in 2018. This course served as contextual profiling around the water situation in Vancouver. The course was offered in partnership with a science-based environmental non-profit called the David Suzuki Foundation and an Indigenous-led post-secondary school called the Native Education College. The course’s public event was hosted at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. At this stage, I was introduced to Cree/Métis filmmaker, Gregory Coyes, and his Indigenous cinematic narrative approach known as Slow Media. Integrating slow media into video mapping assignments presented exciting possibilities for shifting views and valuing of water. This was the stage at which my concept of reconciliation expanded to explicitly include nonhumans. I applied my initial analytical tool to the curriculum here, which revealed the three most prominent relational sensibilities and abilities towards reconciliation cultivated by students through the course: (1) knowledge ecologies; (2) a hopeful social imaginary; and (3) embodied ways of knowing. I began to make connections between the curriculum and Mi’kmaq elder Albert Marshall’s concept of ‘Two-Eyed-Seeing’, and expanded the notion to ‘Three-Eyed-Seeing’ to include artistic approaches. Deeply inspired by Bekerman and Zembylas’s (2012) Teaching Contested Narratives, I began to see the growing importance of the narrative aspects of reconciliation education. The paper is published in the University of Pretoria’s Journal of Decolonising Disciplines (2021, Volume 1, Issue 2). My third PhD paper, Water as artist-collaborator: Posthumanism and reconciliation in relational media arts-based education, presents a 2019 iteration of the curriculum at ECUAD in Vancouver, and illustrates my shift to include posthuman theories in my analysis. This course was offered in affiliation with the David Suzuki Foundation, and in collaboration with the Native Education College. The culminating public event was hosted by the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Decentring the human in this data analysis better supported my research and curricular aims. The strong technoculture of the media arts-based curriculum fits well with many posthuman concepts. This posthuman reading of the course and data enabled me to see what changes were emerging through student-water-technology intra-actions, and how these supported relations towards reconciliation as well as water justice. Most notable of these changes was the emergence of water’s agential qualities, specifically of water as becoming collaborator in artistic/knowledge co-production, where students think with water. I argued this contributes to reconciliation by decentring the human, enabling relations in which power is more equal, and where there are greater possibilities for mutual responsibility between related entities. This is where I developed the concept of audio/video as relational texts, supporting the creating and shifting of affective relations more than the monumentalised verbal/written knowledge of traditional universities. This is also where I realised that relational work towards reconciliation would require engaging with the hidden curriculum of institutions. The paper is published in the journal Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology (2021, Volume 12, Issue 1), as part of a special issue on Posthuman Conceptions of Change in Empirical Educational Research. My fourth PhD paper, originally entitled Making waveforms: Implicit knowledge representation through video water narratives as decolonising practice towards reconciliation in South Africa’s higher education, presents an analysis of the 2019 iteration of the curriculum in South Africa. I co-designed and led a course called Making Waveforms at the University of Cape Town’s Future Water Institute (FWI) in collaboration with Rhodes University. The course was co-designed/facilitated with FWI’s Research Fellow Amber Abrams, who also co-authored this paper. The course’s public event was hosted by a non-profit organisation called the Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education. This paper explored the ways that non-verbalisable, implicit learning –understood as part of many non-Euro/Western ways of knowing– takes place in the Making Waveforms course and how this influenced water-specific climate behaviours while contributing to decolonised reconciliation practice for higher education institutions. Drawing on theories of implicit and explicit knowledge, we first showed how implicit learning primarily took place through: 1) site-specific audio/video mapping of water bodies; 2) meetings with Knowledge Keepers; and 3) an interactive public screening event. We highlighted how this non-verbalisable learning produced feelings of empathy for diverse peoples and waterways, as well as aesthetic appreciation of water, and how this can contribute to more response-able water behaviours. This, we argued, supported the valuing of implicit knowledge within a traditional educational setting, thereby pluralising knowledge, and was key to reconciliation/decolonisation in higher education. Iterating the curriculum for the South African context emphasised the importance of context-specificity of the course overall, and also of the relational work embedded in the curriculum. This paper is under review by the University of Toronto’s journal Curriculum Inquiry (CI). Following receipt of CI's internal review process, the title of the paper has since been updated to Non-verbalisable, implicit knowledge through cellphilms as decolonised reconciliation practice towards response-able water behaviours in South Africa. Through reflective analysis of my four papers, I developed a concept for an Anatomy of Decoloniz/sed Curriculum consisting of five key parts: 1) relationality; 2) multimodality; 3) narratives/counter-narratives; 4) context-specificity; and 5) unhidden curriculum. Four meta reflections have been included in this thesis, each corresponding with one of the four papers, and presented chronologically according to the stage of the praxis process with which they correspond. In these meta reflections, I applied Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle model for reflective writing, based on the premise that through experiences we can expand our understanding, and included four key stages: 1) concrete experience; 2) reflective observation; 3) abstract conceptualisation; and 4) active experimentation. For the concrete experience, I provided a thick description of my process in writing the paper, as well as aspects of the phase in my praxis process that was the focus of the paper, not included in but relevant to the paper. For the reflective observation, I identified any aspects of the experience that were new to me and which therefore presented opportunities for me to learn. For the abstract conceptualisation, I critically analysed my concrete experience and reflective observation to determine which, if any, of the five key parts of the Anatomy of Decoloniz/sed Curriculum that I outline in my introduction relate to this phase of my PhD praxis process. For the active experimentation, I made conclusions about the extent to which this phase of my PhD embraced decoloniality in practice, and built on this new understanding to make recommendations for myself and others committed to the decolonial project as part of my contribution to knowledge. These meta reflections also invite readers to follow my personal narrative of becoming-with water, meaning my transformation from being water illiterate to embracing a ‘watershed mind’ (Wong,2011). Multimodality, which I propose as a key part of an Anatomy of Decoloniz/sed Curriculum, is embedded in the representational aspects of this thesis. The courses I co-designed and taught as part of this project resulted in the creation of 20 short student films. My contextual profiling involved a podcast methodology that was ongoing throughout my study, as a model of decolonised research-communication-education-action at the water-climate change nexus. This methodology resulted in the creation of four Day One podcast episodes, co-produced with a PhD colleague, Anna James. Some of these episodes are available in all three main languages of Cape Town (Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English). I evolved the podcast methodology in a later stage of my praxis process as a form of member checking with contributors involved in various stages and aspects of the research. Once the four papers were written, I created a series of four short videos called In the Flow, with each video representing a translation of one of the four papers. I invited various contributors of the research project to either watch one or more of the In the Flow videos and/or read one or more of the academic papers, and then to respond in a Zoom call with me. The responses were then shared publicly in a series of seven Climate for Changing Lenses podcast episodes. Parts of these are included in a final song/music video called Please Don’t Blow It. A Climate for Changing Lenses website was created to host all of this multimedia content that forms part of this thesis. A link to this website is provided in the Introduction section of this thesis. My research contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the areas of relational and reconciliation pedagogy, decolonising higher education, arts-based teaching, learning and research methodologies and the water-climate change nexus. My praxis process provided a relational model of reconciliation curriculum that has been tried and tested in two international contexts: Canada and South Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Van Borek, Sarah
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Environmental education South Africa , Environmental education Canada , Climatic changes in art , Water-supply Climatic factors , Decolonization , Reconciliation South Africa , Curriculum change , Traditional ecological knowledge
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192754 , vital:45260 , 10.21504/10962/192754
- Description: This study took place in the context of a growing racialised global water crisis and increasing demands worldwide for transforming higher education at institutions of ongoing settler colonialism. It presents a conceptualisation of what education, research and activism can look like and unfolded inside a doctoral research project that expands what doctoral education can look like. Using a media arts-based praxis process, I developed a relational model of university curriculum –site-specific, media arts-based, environmental education –with potential to cultivate relations (human and nonhuman) towards reconciliation while contributing to justice at the water-climate change nexus. My aim as a settler-ally was to expand my teaching and curriculum practices, thereby also offering curriculum transformation inspiration to others. My research was rooted in my concept of reconciliation as a practice towards thriving together, where the ‘together’ was inclusive of both humans and nonhumans. The curriculum engaged students in de/re/constructing water narratives through making site-specific videos focused on local water bodies. Decolonising artistic approaches known as slow media and soundscape recording were strategically incorporated into audio/video mapping assignments where students observed water aesthetics in ways that shifted their perceptions about water and entities entangled with it. Students met with Knowledge Keepers (Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from outside the academy with existing relationships to water bodies). A photovoice methodology was used in these meetings with Knowledge Keepers to reconfigure traditional film director-subject power relations. Guest lecturers from non-traditional backgrounds contributed diverse perspectives. Ecomotricity was incorporated, whereby students were in deliberate movement in/with water bodies through canoeing together. The curriculum culminated in a public screening/education event where resulting videos, interspersed with educational games facilitated by students, surfaced emotions, knowledge co-production and new synergies amongst the event’s temporary community. Through two iterations of the curriculum, where I co-designed and taught a course called Making Waveforms, one in Vancouver, Canada and one in Cape Town, South Africa, I explored the primary research question: How can a relational site specific, media arts-based university environmental education curriculum cultivate students’ relational sensibilities and abilities oriented towards reconciliation of diverse peoples and ecosystems in South Africa and Canada? Iterating the curriculum across these two contexts allowed me to assess which aspect(s)of the curriculum may have been applicable across these and other contexts. By using mixed methods of data collection and sharing throughout the research journey, I explored the sub-questions: a) How is reconciliation understood currently by university students in South Africa and Canada? and b) How can a relational site-specific, media arts-based university environmental education curriculum and my PhD methodologies (PhD-by-publication, website, and participatory approaches to podcasting, video making, and song creation), contribute to decolonising higher education, and thereby further contribute to reconciliation of diverse peoples and ecosystems in South Africa and Canada? Integral to my praxis process, I undertook a PhD-by-publication that involved writing four academic journal articles, with each paper presenting a key stage in the process. The papers, all of which have been submitted to peer-reviewed academic journals, form part of this thesis and can be found in the Appendices. The course was originally developed around Donati’s (2011) relational sociology and Gergen’s (2009) relational education theory. Throughout my praxis process, I expanded my theoretical influences as called for by the research and teaching practice. The journey behind my first PhD paper, (Towards) Sound research practice: Podcast-building as modeling relational sensibilities at the water-climate change nexus in Cape Town, began when I officially started my doctoral studies in early 2018. The paper was co-authored with a fellow PhD scholar from Rhodes University’s Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), Anna James. It presents an experimental arts-based methodology we co-developed for doing contextual profiling by building a socially-engaged podcast series, called Day One, to explore the lived experiences of the Cape Town water crisis of 2018. It includes my initial tool of analysis for exploring how the curriculum might cultivate relational sensibilities and abilities towards reconciliation. The podcast pedagogy offered opportunities to develop some relational learning processes. The analytical tool was developed from cross-referencing reconciliation and relational educational theories. This paper also incorporated theories in relational solidarity and social movement learning. The podcast episodes included personal narratives that, in turn, revealed diverse ideologies and polarisations in the water situation. Working with the audio medium highlighted possibilities for creating and shifting affective relations. Recording and editing soundscapes of waterbodies began explorations of the agential qualities of water. These were foundational dynamics to explore in building the reconciliation curriculum. The paper is published in the International Journal of New Media, Technology, and the Arts (2019, Volume14, Issue1). My second PhD paper, A media arts-based praxis process of building towards a relational model of curriculum oriented towards reconciliation through water justice, presents my methodology for and analysis of a pilot course I co-designed and taught at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD) in Vancouver, Canada in 2018. This course served as contextual profiling around the water situation in Vancouver. The course was offered in partnership with a science-based environmental non-profit called the David Suzuki Foundation and an Indigenous-led post-secondary school called the Native Education College. The course’s public event was hosted at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. At this stage, I was introduced to Cree/Métis filmmaker, Gregory Coyes, and his Indigenous cinematic narrative approach known as Slow Media. Integrating slow media into video mapping assignments presented exciting possibilities for shifting views and valuing of water. This was the stage at which my concept of reconciliation expanded to explicitly include nonhumans. I applied my initial analytical tool to the curriculum here, which revealed the three most prominent relational sensibilities and abilities towards reconciliation cultivated by students through the course: (1) knowledge ecologies; (2) a hopeful social imaginary; and (3) embodied ways of knowing. I began to make connections between the curriculum and Mi’kmaq elder Albert Marshall’s concept of ‘Two-Eyed-Seeing’, and expanded the notion to ‘Three-Eyed-Seeing’ to include artistic approaches. Deeply inspired by Bekerman and Zembylas’s (2012) Teaching Contested Narratives, I began to see the growing importance of the narrative aspects of reconciliation education. The paper is published in the University of Pretoria’s Journal of Decolonising Disciplines (2021, Volume 1, Issue 2). My third PhD paper, Water as artist-collaborator: Posthumanism and reconciliation in relational media arts-based education, presents a 2019 iteration of the curriculum at ECUAD in Vancouver, and illustrates my shift to include posthuman theories in my analysis. This course was offered in affiliation with the David Suzuki Foundation, and in collaboration with the Native Education College. The culminating public event was hosted by the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Decentring the human in this data analysis better supported my research and curricular aims. The strong technoculture of the media arts-based curriculum fits well with many posthuman concepts. This posthuman reading of the course and data enabled me to see what changes were emerging through student-water-technology intra-actions, and how these supported relations towards reconciliation as well as water justice. Most notable of these changes was the emergence of water’s agential qualities, specifically of water as becoming collaborator in artistic/knowledge co-production, where students think with water. I argued this contributes to reconciliation by decentring the human, enabling relations in which power is more equal, and where there are greater possibilities for mutual responsibility between related entities. This is where I developed the concept of audio/video as relational texts, supporting the creating and shifting of affective relations more than the monumentalised verbal/written knowledge of traditional universities. This is also where I realised that relational work towards reconciliation would require engaging with the hidden curriculum of institutions. The paper is published in the journal Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology (2021, Volume 12, Issue 1), as part of a special issue on Posthuman Conceptions of Change in Empirical Educational Research. My fourth PhD paper, originally entitled Making waveforms: Implicit knowledge representation through video water narratives as decolonising practice towards reconciliation in South Africa’s higher education, presents an analysis of the 2019 iteration of the curriculum in South Africa. I co-designed and led a course called Making Waveforms at the University of Cape Town’s Future Water Institute (FWI) in collaboration with Rhodes University. The course was co-designed/facilitated with FWI’s Research Fellow Amber Abrams, who also co-authored this paper. The course’s public event was hosted by a non-profit organisation called the Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education. This paper explored the ways that non-verbalisable, implicit learning –understood as part of many non-Euro/Western ways of knowing– takes place in the Making Waveforms course and how this influenced water-specific climate behaviours while contributing to decolonised reconciliation practice for higher education institutions. Drawing on theories of implicit and explicit knowledge, we first showed how implicit learning primarily took place through: 1) site-specific audio/video mapping of water bodies; 2) meetings with Knowledge Keepers; and 3) an interactive public screening event. We highlighted how this non-verbalisable learning produced feelings of empathy for diverse peoples and waterways, as well as aesthetic appreciation of water, and how this can contribute to more response-able water behaviours. This, we argued, supported the valuing of implicit knowledge within a traditional educational setting, thereby pluralising knowledge, and was key to reconciliation/decolonisation in higher education. Iterating the curriculum for the South African context emphasised the importance of context-specificity of the course overall, and also of the relational work embedded in the curriculum. This paper is under review by the University of Toronto’s journal Curriculum Inquiry (CI). Following receipt of CI's internal review process, the title of the paper has since been updated to Non-verbalisable, implicit knowledge through cellphilms as decolonised reconciliation practice towards response-able water behaviours in South Africa. Through reflective analysis of my four papers, I developed a concept for an Anatomy of Decoloniz/sed Curriculum consisting of five key parts: 1) relationality; 2) multimodality; 3) narratives/counter-narratives; 4) context-specificity; and 5) unhidden curriculum. Four meta reflections have been included in this thesis, each corresponding with one of the four papers, and presented chronologically according to the stage of the praxis process with which they correspond. In these meta reflections, I applied Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle model for reflective writing, based on the premise that through experiences we can expand our understanding, and included four key stages: 1) concrete experience; 2) reflective observation; 3) abstract conceptualisation; and 4) active experimentation. For the concrete experience, I provided a thick description of my process in writing the paper, as well as aspects of the phase in my praxis process that was the focus of the paper, not included in but relevant to the paper. For the reflective observation, I identified any aspects of the experience that were new to me and which therefore presented opportunities for me to learn. For the abstract conceptualisation, I critically analysed my concrete experience and reflective observation to determine which, if any, of the five key parts of the Anatomy of Decoloniz/sed Curriculum that I outline in my introduction relate to this phase of my PhD praxis process. For the active experimentation, I made conclusions about the extent to which this phase of my PhD embraced decoloniality in practice, and built on this new understanding to make recommendations for myself and others committed to the decolonial project as part of my contribution to knowledge. These meta reflections also invite readers to follow my personal narrative of becoming-with water, meaning my transformation from being water illiterate to embracing a ‘watershed mind’ (Wong,2011). Multimodality, which I propose as a key part of an Anatomy of Decoloniz/sed Curriculum, is embedded in the representational aspects of this thesis. The courses I co-designed and taught as part of this project resulted in the creation of 20 short student films. My contextual profiling involved a podcast methodology that was ongoing throughout my study, as a model of decolonised research-communication-education-action at the water-climate change nexus. This methodology resulted in the creation of four Day One podcast episodes, co-produced with a PhD colleague, Anna James. Some of these episodes are available in all three main languages of Cape Town (Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English). I evolved the podcast methodology in a later stage of my praxis process as a form of member checking with contributors involved in various stages and aspects of the research. Once the four papers were written, I created a series of four short videos called In the Flow, with each video representing a translation of one of the four papers. I invited various contributors of the research project to either watch one or more of the In the Flow videos and/or read one or more of the academic papers, and then to respond in a Zoom call with me. The responses were then shared publicly in a series of seven Climate for Changing Lenses podcast episodes. Parts of these are included in a final song/music video called Please Don’t Blow It. A Climate for Changing Lenses website was created to host all of this multimedia content that forms part of this thesis. A link to this website is provided in the Introduction section of this thesis. My research contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the areas of relational and reconciliation pedagogy, decolonising higher education, arts-based teaching, learning and research methodologies and the water-climate change nexus. My praxis process provided a relational model of reconciliation curriculum that has been tried and tested in two international contexts: Canada and South Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
Continuing teacher professional development in the Environment Sector: A case study of Fundisa for Change continuing teacher professional development programme
- Authors: Nkhahle, Lebona Jerome
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Environmental education South Africa , Pedagogical content knowledge , Teachers In-service training South Africa , Curriculum-based assessment South Africa , Fundisa for Change , Practice Architectures
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192724 , vital:45254 , 10.21504/10962/192724
- Description: The importance of teachers being engaged in professional development initiatives is widely acknowledged in the literature and in most cases these initiatives are largely focused on addressing teachers’ lack of subject content knowledge. The problem of teachers having inadequate environmental knowledge is common in South Africa due to the fact that much of the environmental content knowledge in the curriculum is new, and environmental education itself is a new field. This is an area of interest in South Africa as a third iteration of the post-apartheid curriculum, the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) has recently been introduced into schools and many subjects have environmental learning content. Inadequate subject content knowledge influences teachers’ abilities to choose appropriate teaching and assessment methods and this might negatively affect the process of teaching and learning. Knowledgeable teachers are needed to help learners understand the current issues affecting citizens, and in particular, environmental issues, which form the focus of this study. The main research questions addressed are: 1. What are the teachers’ experiences of the Fundisa for Change continuing teacher professional development programme in relation to environment and sustainability content knowledge? 2. How does the Fundisa for Change continuing teacher professional development programme influence teachers’ practice? 3. What practices of the Fundisa for Change teacher professional development programme are characteristic of effective continuing teacher professional development initiatives? 4. How are (if at all) the practices of teacher training, teacher learning, teaching and assessment of Biodiversity content in CAPS living practices? This work was conducted as a qualitative case study and it was carried out in the provinces of Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga in South Africa. It included four teachers from the Eastern Cape and five from Mpumalanga. Seven teacher trainers also participated, two of which were based in Gauteng and the rest in the Eastern Cape. Data were generated through interviews and document analysis, and included analysis of teacher portfolios showing evidence of classroom practice. The study explored teachers’ experiences of an environmental education training programme called ‘Fundisa for Change’, which has been set up as a national partnership initiative to strengthen teachers’ environmental knowledge and teaching skills in order to address the above-mentioned problem. It focused on training teachers in the Life Sciences, particularly on new content knowledge on Biodiversity, and on teaching and assessment skills. It also looked into how the training influenced teaching practice. The study worked with practice theory, in particular Kemmis and Grootenboer’s (2008) theory of practice architectures, to look at the sayings, doings and relatings pertaining to the teaching of Biodiversity, and the enabling and constraining of this practice. The features and the teachers’ experiences of the Fundisa for Change professional development programme have been presented and explained. The study also used the ecologies of practices theory to describe the living nature of practices. The following are the key findings: • The Fundisa for Change programme improved the participating teachers’ Biodiversity content knowledge, teaching and assessment skills. • Practices of the Fundisa for Change teacher professional development programme characteristic of effective continuing teacher professional development initiatives are: duration; active involvement of teachers; providing teachers with subject content knowledge; promoting establishment of professional learning communities; coherence; follow-up; and assessment of teachers. • The conditions that affect the participating teachers’ teaching practice are: the use of language (both scientific and instructional); infrastructure (availability of computer laboratories, science laboratories, extra classrooms and libraries); teaching and learning support materials including laboratory apparatus; class size; and policies. • The Fundisa for Change programme encourages teachers to improvise and use the local environment in their teaching to try to tackle the problem of lack of funds and equipment. • Teaching Biodiversity practice is ‘living’ as it is characterised by the principles of living ecologies. Recommendations based on the findings are: • There is a need for more teacher training by Fundisa for Change and other organisations whose training activities are SACE approved to cater for more teachers. • A more structured plan of action from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is needed to assist and involve more organisations and stakeholders. • Provision of infrastructure and teaching and learning resource materials to schools by the DBE needs to be accelerated as it is legally binding. • Follow-up should be formally incorporated into Fundisa for Change programme activities. • Formation of professional learning communities is very important to help new teachers as there is no formal induction programme in South Africa. • An induction policy by the DBE needs to be formulated to help establish an induction programme for newly qualified teachers. Recommendations for further research are: • Use of lesson observation for data collection to improve results. • A larger sample could be used to expand the insights gained in this study. • Fundisa for Change practices can be studied at the level of teacher professional development practices. • Other modes of teacher professional development initiatives such as Lesson Study can be tested out to overcome the challenge of teachers not wanting to be observed. • More research can be carried out on the practices of teacher training, teacher learning, student learning and assessment, as practices associated with teaching Biodiversity. The study was important in that it gave an understanding of what makes continuing teacher professional development initiatives effective. The study also looked at teaching Biodiversity through the use of contemporary forms of a practice theory which are the theory of practice architectures and the theory of the ecologies of practices. This provided understandings into how professional development programmes are experienced in practice, and showed that though the teachers were trained and positive benefits accrued, there are factors which enable or constrain their actual teaching Biodiversity practice. The study also showed that practices are interrelated in ecologies of practices. These factors need to be considered in professional development programming. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nkhahle, Lebona Jerome
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Environmental education South Africa , Pedagogical content knowledge , Teachers In-service training South Africa , Curriculum-based assessment South Africa , Fundisa for Change , Practice Architectures
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192724 , vital:45254 , 10.21504/10962/192724
- Description: The importance of teachers being engaged in professional development initiatives is widely acknowledged in the literature and in most cases these initiatives are largely focused on addressing teachers’ lack of subject content knowledge. The problem of teachers having inadequate environmental knowledge is common in South Africa due to the fact that much of the environmental content knowledge in the curriculum is new, and environmental education itself is a new field. This is an area of interest in South Africa as a third iteration of the post-apartheid curriculum, the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) has recently been introduced into schools and many subjects have environmental learning content. Inadequate subject content knowledge influences teachers’ abilities to choose appropriate teaching and assessment methods and this might negatively affect the process of teaching and learning. Knowledgeable teachers are needed to help learners understand the current issues affecting citizens, and in particular, environmental issues, which form the focus of this study. The main research questions addressed are: 1. What are the teachers’ experiences of the Fundisa for Change continuing teacher professional development programme in relation to environment and sustainability content knowledge? 2. How does the Fundisa for Change continuing teacher professional development programme influence teachers’ practice? 3. What practices of the Fundisa for Change teacher professional development programme are characteristic of effective continuing teacher professional development initiatives? 4. How are (if at all) the practices of teacher training, teacher learning, teaching and assessment of Biodiversity content in CAPS living practices? This work was conducted as a qualitative case study and it was carried out in the provinces of Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga in South Africa. It included four teachers from the Eastern Cape and five from Mpumalanga. Seven teacher trainers also participated, two of which were based in Gauteng and the rest in the Eastern Cape. Data were generated through interviews and document analysis, and included analysis of teacher portfolios showing evidence of classroom practice. The study explored teachers’ experiences of an environmental education training programme called ‘Fundisa for Change’, which has been set up as a national partnership initiative to strengthen teachers’ environmental knowledge and teaching skills in order to address the above-mentioned problem. It focused on training teachers in the Life Sciences, particularly on new content knowledge on Biodiversity, and on teaching and assessment skills. It also looked into how the training influenced teaching practice. The study worked with practice theory, in particular Kemmis and Grootenboer’s (2008) theory of practice architectures, to look at the sayings, doings and relatings pertaining to the teaching of Biodiversity, and the enabling and constraining of this practice. The features and the teachers’ experiences of the Fundisa for Change professional development programme have been presented and explained. The study also used the ecologies of practices theory to describe the living nature of practices. The following are the key findings: • The Fundisa for Change programme improved the participating teachers’ Biodiversity content knowledge, teaching and assessment skills. • Practices of the Fundisa for Change teacher professional development programme characteristic of effective continuing teacher professional development initiatives are: duration; active involvement of teachers; providing teachers with subject content knowledge; promoting establishment of professional learning communities; coherence; follow-up; and assessment of teachers. • The conditions that affect the participating teachers’ teaching practice are: the use of language (both scientific and instructional); infrastructure (availability of computer laboratories, science laboratories, extra classrooms and libraries); teaching and learning support materials including laboratory apparatus; class size; and policies. • The Fundisa for Change programme encourages teachers to improvise and use the local environment in their teaching to try to tackle the problem of lack of funds and equipment. • Teaching Biodiversity practice is ‘living’ as it is characterised by the principles of living ecologies. Recommendations based on the findings are: • There is a need for more teacher training by Fundisa for Change and other organisations whose training activities are SACE approved to cater for more teachers. • A more structured plan of action from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is needed to assist and involve more organisations and stakeholders. • Provision of infrastructure and teaching and learning resource materials to schools by the DBE needs to be accelerated as it is legally binding. • Follow-up should be formally incorporated into Fundisa for Change programme activities. • Formation of professional learning communities is very important to help new teachers as there is no formal induction programme in South Africa. • An induction policy by the DBE needs to be formulated to help establish an induction programme for newly qualified teachers. Recommendations for further research are: • Use of lesson observation for data collection to improve results. • A larger sample could be used to expand the insights gained in this study. • Fundisa for Change practices can be studied at the level of teacher professional development practices. • Other modes of teacher professional development initiatives such as Lesson Study can be tested out to overcome the challenge of teachers not wanting to be observed. • More research can be carried out on the practices of teacher training, teacher learning, student learning and assessment, as practices associated with teaching Biodiversity. The study was important in that it gave an understanding of what makes continuing teacher professional development initiatives effective. The study also looked at teaching Biodiversity through the use of contemporary forms of a practice theory which are the theory of practice architectures and the theory of the ecologies of practices. This provided understandings into how professional development programmes are experienced in practice, and showed that though the teachers were trained and positive benefits accrued, there are factors which enable or constrain their actual teaching Biodiversity practice. The study also showed that practices are interrelated in ecologies of practices. These factors need to be considered in professional development programming. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
Exploring indiginising the university’s science curriculum through bottom-up decolonisation: Affordances and hindrances
- Authors: Mutanho, Chrispen
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Decolonization South Africa , Ethnoscience South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Pedagogical content knowledge , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Science Study and teaching South Africa , Science teachers In-service training South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191668 , vital:45146 , 10.21504/10962/191668
- Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the science curriculum is a spreading phenomenon driven by the need to bring about relevancy and equality in science education. In South Africa, for instance, the need to integrate IK in science education is part of the global effort to build a democratic state from the debris of apartheid. Henceforth, the integration of IK is backed up by both the National Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the South African Department of Basic Education’s (2011) National Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement. However, the success of this policy seems to be hindered in part by the fact that the teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum changes seem to lack the relevant pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to integrate IK in their science teaching repertoires. Such a trend is often blamed on their Eurocentric educational background. Interestingly, very little research has been done to explore ways of supporting teachers to develop the relevant conceptual tools and teaching strategies that will enable them to integrate IK in science teaching. It is against this background that an interventionist case study on how to support the Bachelor of Education Natural Sciences in-service teachers in particular to develop exemplar science lessons that integrate IK as easily accessible resources was conducted. The study is underpinned by three complementary paradigms, namely, the interpretive, the critical, and indigenous research paradigms. While the interpretive paradigm enabled me to understand and interpret descriptive data, the critical paradigm enabled me to take an emancipatory stance and challenge the micro-aggressive elements embedded in conventional research practices; within the indigenous research paradigm, Ubuntu was the relational perspective that informed the researcher-participant relationships in this study. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as an overarching theoretical framework, in conjunction with the cultural historical activity theory. Additionally, the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge provided the methodological and analytical tools. Data were gathered through questionnaires, individual face-to-face interviews, focus group interview, participatory observation, and the teachers’ reflections. This study established that if teachers are given back the agency to collaboratively resolve the contradictions that confront them in their workplaces, they can generate their own ideas on how to integrate IK in science vii teaching. The teachers in this study experienced a shift in their agency from a paralysed state of resisting the integration of IK at the beginning of the intervention to an ‘I can do it’ attitude at the end of the intervention. Thus, it could be argued that this study’s major contribution to new knowledge lies in demonstrating possible ways of supporting teachers to integrate IK as easily accessible resources in their science teaching. Additionally, the study also challenged the Eurocentric approach to ethics and offered Ubuntu as a relational perspective that can be used to complement the shortcomings of Eurocentric research paradigms. The study thus recommends that continuing professional development or professional learning communities should afford teachers the opportunity to collaboratively engage with the challenges that they face in their workplaces in order to resolve the contradictions that confront them. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mutanho, Chrispen
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Decolonization South Africa , Ethnoscience South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Pedagogical content knowledge , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Science Study and teaching South Africa , Science teachers In-service training South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191668 , vital:45146 , 10.21504/10962/191668
- Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the science curriculum is a spreading phenomenon driven by the need to bring about relevancy and equality in science education. In South Africa, for instance, the need to integrate IK in science education is part of the global effort to build a democratic state from the debris of apartheid. Henceforth, the integration of IK is backed up by both the National Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the South African Department of Basic Education’s (2011) National Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement. However, the success of this policy seems to be hindered in part by the fact that the teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum changes seem to lack the relevant pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to integrate IK in their science teaching repertoires. Such a trend is often blamed on their Eurocentric educational background. Interestingly, very little research has been done to explore ways of supporting teachers to develop the relevant conceptual tools and teaching strategies that will enable them to integrate IK in science teaching. It is against this background that an interventionist case study on how to support the Bachelor of Education Natural Sciences in-service teachers in particular to develop exemplar science lessons that integrate IK as easily accessible resources was conducted. The study is underpinned by three complementary paradigms, namely, the interpretive, the critical, and indigenous research paradigms. While the interpretive paradigm enabled me to understand and interpret descriptive data, the critical paradigm enabled me to take an emancipatory stance and challenge the micro-aggressive elements embedded in conventional research practices; within the indigenous research paradigm, Ubuntu was the relational perspective that informed the researcher-participant relationships in this study. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as an overarching theoretical framework, in conjunction with the cultural historical activity theory. Additionally, the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge provided the methodological and analytical tools. Data were gathered through questionnaires, individual face-to-face interviews, focus group interview, participatory observation, and the teachers’ reflections. This study established that if teachers are given back the agency to collaboratively resolve the contradictions that confront them in their workplaces, they can generate their own ideas on how to integrate IK in science vii teaching. The teachers in this study experienced a shift in their agency from a paralysed state of resisting the integration of IK at the beginning of the intervention to an ‘I can do it’ attitude at the end of the intervention. Thus, it could be argued that this study’s major contribution to new knowledge lies in demonstrating possible ways of supporting teachers to integrate IK as easily accessible resources in their science teaching. Additionally, the study also challenged the Eurocentric approach to ethics and offered Ubuntu as a relational perspective that can be used to complement the shortcomings of Eurocentric research paradigms. The study thus recommends that continuing professional development or professional learning communities should afford teachers the opportunity to collaboratively engage with the challenges that they face in their workplaces in order to resolve the contradictions that confront them. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
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Mediating and examining expansive learning in the context of multidimensional complexities affecting household food security activity systems in Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme in the Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mukwambo, Robson
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Active learning Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Food security Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Sustainable agriculture Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Irrigation farming Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Qualitative research , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) , Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192712 , vital:45253 , 10.21504/10962/192712
- Description: The study sought to mediate and examine expansive learning in the context of multidimensional complexities affecting household food security activity systems in Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme in Ward 8 of Chimanimani District in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe. Therefore, the main foci of the study were to investigate how multidimensional complexities have come to be the way they are (historicizing) and how they enable or constrain learning of household food production. The study utilized Cultural Historical Activity Theory and the Expansive Learning Cycle (Engeström & Sannino, 2010) to examine and mediate collective learning in response to the multidimensional complexities and also to contribute to transforming the farmers’ activity systems towards more sustainable practices to ensure household food security. The study used a qualitative research approach, utilizing an insider formative intervention approach in a case study design in which Nyanyadzi irrigation scheme was the case study. I have adopted the insider formative interventionist role as a 3rd generation farmer, born and bred in Nyanyadzi area, and my family has been involved in the Nyanyadzi irrigation scheme for three generations. I see this as synergistic with the need for deep cultural understanding in CHAT research. However, this role also provided challenges for me to maintain a rigorous approach to the research in which I also reflexively review my own role and influence in the research process. Following CHAT expansive learning methodological guidance, data was generated through fifteen (15) face to face interviews with three generations of farmers in the scheme (historical ethnographic data); four focus group discussions (contemporary ethnographic data) and eight (8) sessions in a three (3) day change laboratory workshop (expansive learning data). Double stimulation and ‘mirror’ data was used to surface and prioritise responses to contradictions in the Change Laboratory Workshops (CLW), which is a methodology developed in and for CHAT research (ibid). The data was analysed using both inductive and abductive approaches and were conducted in a three-phased process focusing firstly on the history of the object, followed by current perspectives on the object of activity and lastly on transformations emerging in the object of activity via the expansive learning process. Cultural Historical Activity Theoretical tools informed activity system analysis and analysis of the history of the object and emerging contradictions; and the expansive learning cycle (ELP) process framework associated with and emergent from CHAT was used to analyse the emergence of transformative agency and expansion of the object. Four levels of contradictions were used to describe and explain the emergent contradictions namely, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary contradictions and are presented in this sequence as catalytic opportunities for expansive learning as proposed in CHAT. In addition, the four types of discursive manifestations of contradictions namely, dilemma, conflict, critical conflict and double bind were used to describe and explain the manifestations of contradictions in this study and their role in catalysing transformative agency. The concept of linguistic cues for discursive manifestations of contradictions was adopted and employed in the preliminary data analysis phase. In addition, the transformative agency expressions and zone of proximal development (ZPD) concept was applied in and to the CLW data to examine the learning pathways and to co-develop and expand farmers’ and other stakeholders’ transformative agency and ZPD respectively. I found myself as formative insider researcher having to take on a strong role as co-engaged researcher / participant in the irrigation scheme expansive learning process. The study concluded that the farmers’ activity system is the central activity system and it interacts with other activity systems on a partially shared object “improved crop production and marketing under irrigation scheme”. Through interactions with other neighbouring activity systems, the farmers have faced multidimensional complexities that constrain their ability to fully realise their object. These multidimensional complexities manifest in three critical contradictions as a critical conflict in leadership and management crisis; a dilemma and double bind in a lack of farmer education and training; and lastly, a dilemma and double bind in poor crop marketing. These multidimensional complexities have a historical account and they have evolved in complexity over time and I argue in the thesis that, a careful cultural-historicity of the object of activity and mediation of the situated learning can help to collectively come up with solutions to these multidimensional complexities. The study further concluded that despite these multidimensional complexities in the scheme, learning has been taking place and such learning was sometimes mediated through demonstrations as “learning by doing,” “seeing is believing” and the “winners and losers” concept. Furthermore, through the CLW process the farmers and other stakeholders’ cognitive horizons were expanded by the mirror data and double stimulation processes, and the expansive learning process developed their individual and collective transformative agency pathways and expanded their collective zone of proximal development. In this study I argue that there has been little said about collective learning in irrigation schemes and given the dearth of detail on such learning, it seems that this learning is either going unnoticed or is ignored. Hence, I further argued that the multidimensional complexities in irrigation schemes are both a stimulant for learning and provide a space (object) for collective learning, as was also shown by Baloi (2016). The study also shows that the collective learning potential in these irrigation schemes can be pro-actively mediated via expansive learning formative interventions in support of improved crop production and marketing for produce developed under irrigation in irrigation schemes such as the Nyanyadzi Irrigation scheme. Lastly, being an insider formative interventionist researcher in this study, with intergenerational engagement and perspective on the history of the object and integrational engagement with the transforming object, I became part of the intergenerational transformation of the irrigation scheme’s object. The intergenerational co-construction of the history of the object, coupled with the insider formative interventionist researcher approach opened up and allowed me as a current generation agent or actor to develop an in-depth understanding of the multidimensional nature and historicity of the object. This was crucial for opening up the transformative agency pathways. It also produced a responsibility for me as an insider formative interventionist researcher to carry the summative findings of the study back into the social context to widen the engagement and mediation of the transformation needed in the community. Overall not only does the study offer an intergenerational perspective on multidimensional complexities of the object and how this can generatively be mobilised via expansive learning into emerging transformative learning agency pathways, but it also offers a new vantage point on the role of the insider formative interventionist researcher. Through this, the study offers insight into how we as third generation members of the community can be brought closer to our communities through the application of our skills, thereby also offering a new type of engaged and rigorously framed and executed research with roots in our communities. As shown in this study, not only does this expand the knowledge and experience of those we engage with, but it also expands our own knowledge and expertise in order to be more able to contribute to both the challenges of our own communities but also that of other communities and situations similar to ours, and beyond these bounded contexts. The study’s contribution is both practical, but also methodological from this vantage point, especially in an African context where there is much critique of ‘outsider research’, yet little pro-active articulation of what insider (in this case, formative intervention) research may look like. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mukwambo, Robson
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Active learning Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Food security Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Sustainable agriculture Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Irrigation farming Zimbabwe Chimanimani District , Qualitative research , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) , Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192712 , vital:45253 , 10.21504/10962/192712
- Description: The study sought to mediate and examine expansive learning in the context of multidimensional complexities affecting household food security activity systems in Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme in Ward 8 of Chimanimani District in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe. Therefore, the main foci of the study were to investigate how multidimensional complexities have come to be the way they are (historicizing) and how they enable or constrain learning of household food production. The study utilized Cultural Historical Activity Theory and the Expansive Learning Cycle (Engeström & Sannino, 2010) to examine and mediate collective learning in response to the multidimensional complexities and also to contribute to transforming the farmers’ activity systems towards more sustainable practices to ensure household food security. The study used a qualitative research approach, utilizing an insider formative intervention approach in a case study design in which Nyanyadzi irrigation scheme was the case study. I have adopted the insider formative interventionist role as a 3rd generation farmer, born and bred in Nyanyadzi area, and my family has been involved in the Nyanyadzi irrigation scheme for three generations. I see this as synergistic with the need for deep cultural understanding in CHAT research. However, this role also provided challenges for me to maintain a rigorous approach to the research in which I also reflexively review my own role and influence in the research process. Following CHAT expansive learning methodological guidance, data was generated through fifteen (15) face to face interviews with three generations of farmers in the scheme (historical ethnographic data); four focus group discussions (contemporary ethnographic data) and eight (8) sessions in a three (3) day change laboratory workshop (expansive learning data). Double stimulation and ‘mirror’ data was used to surface and prioritise responses to contradictions in the Change Laboratory Workshops (CLW), which is a methodology developed in and for CHAT research (ibid). The data was analysed using both inductive and abductive approaches and were conducted in a three-phased process focusing firstly on the history of the object, followed by current perspectives on the object of activity and lastly on transformations emerging in the object of activity via the expansive learning process. Cultural Historical Activity Theoretical tools informed activity system analysis and analysis of the history of the object and emerging contradictions; and the expansive learning cycle (ELP) process framework associated with and emergent from CHAT was used to analyse the emergence of transformative agency and expansion of the object. Four levels of contradictions were used to describe and explain the emergent contradictions namely, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary contradictions and are presented in this sequence as catalytic opportunities for expansive learning as proposed in CHAT. In addition, the four types of discursive manifestations of contradictions namely, dilemma, conflict, critical conflict and double bind were used to describe and explain the manifestations of contradictions in this study and their role in catalysing transformative agency. The concept of linguistic cues for discursive manifestations of contradictions was adopted and employed in the preliminary data analysis phase. In addition, the transformative agency expressions and zone of proximal development (ZPD) concept was applied in and to the CLW data to examine the learning pathways and to co-develop and expand farmers’ and other stakeholders’ transformative agency and ZPD respectively. I found myself as formative insider researcher having to take on a strong role as co-engaged researcher / participant in the irrigation scheme expansive learning process. The study concluded that the farmers’ activity system is the central activity system and it interacts with other activity systems on a partially shared object “improved crop production and marketing under irrigation scheme”. Through interactions with other neighbouring activity systems, the farmers have faced multidimensional complexities that constrain their ability to fully realise their object. These multidimensional complexities manifest in three critical contradictions as a critical conflict in leadership and management crisis; a dilemma and double bind in a lack of farmer education and training; and lastly, a dilemma and double bind in poor crop marketing. These multidimensional complexities have a historical account and they have evolved in complexity over time and I argue in the thesis that, a careful cultural-historicity of the object of activity and mediation of the situated learning can help to collectively come up with solutions to these multidimensional complexities. The study further concluded that despite these multidimensional complexities in the scheme, learning has been taking place and such learning was sometimes mediated through demonstrations as “learning by doing,” “seeing is believing” and the “winners and losers” concept. Furthermore, through the CLW process the farmers and other stakeholders’ cognitive horizons were expanded by the mirror data and double stimulation processes, and the expansive learning process developed their individual and collective transformative agency pathways and expanded their collective zone of proximal development. In this study I argue that there has been little said about collective learning in irrigation schemes and given the dearth of detail on such learning, it seems that this learning is either going unnoticed or is ignored. Hence, I further argued that the multidimensional complexities in irrigation schemes are both a stimulant for learning and provide a space (object) for collective learning, as was also shown by Baloi (2016). The study also shows that the collective learning potential in these irrigation schemes can be pro-actively mediated via expansive learning formative interventions in support of improved crop production and marketing for produce developed under irrigation in irrigation schemes such as the Nyanyadzi Irrigation scheme. Lastly, being an insider formative interventionist researcher in this study, with intergenerational engagement and perspective on the history of the object and integrational engagement with the transforming object, I became part of the intergenerational transformation of the irrigation scheme’s object. The intergenerational co-construction of the history of the object, coupled with the insider formative interventionist researcher approach opened up and allowed me as a current generation agent or actor to develop an in-depth understanding of the multidimensional nature and historicity of the object. This was crucial for opening up the transformative agency pathways. It also produced a responsibility for me as an insider formative interventionist researcher to carry the summative findings of the study back into the social context to widen the engagement and mediation of the transformation needed in the community. Overall not only does the study offer an intergenerational perspective on multidimensional complexities of the object and how this can generatively be mobilised via expansive learning into emerging transformative learning agency pathways, but it also offers a new vantage point on the role of the insider formative interventionist researcher. Through this, the study offers insight into how we as third generation members of the community can be brought closer to our communities through the application of our skills, thereby also offering a new type of engaged and rigorously framed and executed research with roots in our communities. As shown in this study, not only does this expand the knowledge and experience of those we engage with, but it also expands our own knowledge and expertise in order to be more able to contribute to both the challenges of our own communities but also that of other communities and situations similar to ours, and beyond these bounded contexts. The study’s contribution is both practical, but also methodological from this vantage point, especially in an African context where there is much critique of ‘outsider research’, yet little pro-active articulation of what insider (in this case, formative intervention) research may look like. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text: