Developing Relationships for Community-Based Research at Rhodes University: Values, Principles and Challenges
- Hornby, Diana, Maistry, Savathrie M
- Authors: Hornby, Diana , Maistry, Savathrie M
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433524 , vital:72981 , ISBN 978-3-030-86401-9 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86402-6_6
- Description: Post-apartheid education policy in South Africa mandates that universities should become more responsive to the socio-economic development of the country, positioning community engagement as a core function of higher education. Community engagement in all its forms, and particularly in the form of community-based research, should develop the social responsibility of both students and the institution by providing opportunities for partnering in community-based projects to promote the social good, thus narrowing the gap between universities and communities. The Community Engagement Division at Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, supported by the highest level of management of the institution, was fully aware that removal of the ‘ivory tower’ image was a herculean task. Thus, they developed a set of values and principles to guide the establishment of community partnerships with the community the university serves. This chapter explains these values and principles, using the Reviving Schools community engagement initiative as an example. It discusses some of the challenges experienced and how they were overcome to build research relationships and a sense of ‘community’ between Rhodes University and its external partners in Makhanda.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Hornby, Diana , Maistry, Savathrie M
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433524 , vital:72981 , ISBN 978-3-030-86401-9 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86402-6_6
- Description: Post-apartheid education policy in South Africa mandates that universities should become more responsive to the socio-economic development of the country, positioning community engagement as a core function of higher education. Community engagement in all its forms, and particularly in the form of community-based research, should develop the social responsibility of both students and the institution by providing opportunities for partnering in community-based projects to promote the social good, thus narrowing the gap between universities and communities. The Community Engagement Division at Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, supported by the highest level of management of the institution, was fully aware that removal of the ‘ivory tower’ image was a herculean task. Thus, they developed a set of values and principles to guide the establishment of community partnerships with the community the university serves. This chapter explains these values and principles, using the Reviving Schools community engagement initiative as an example. It discusses some of the challenges experienced and how they were overcome to build research relationships and a sense of ‘community’ between Rhodes University and its external partners in Makhanda.
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An Examination of the Nexus between Environmental Knowledge and Environmental Learning Processes
- Chitsiga, Christina, Schudel, Ingrid J
- Authors: Chitsiga, Christina , Schudel, Ingrid J
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435086 , vital:73129 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: Previous chapters in this book have discussed the complexity of environmental content (see Schudel and Lotz-Sisitka, Chapter 2; Isaacs and Olvitt, Chapter 4) and Chapter 8 (Schudel) has highlighted the significance and key elements of active and critical approaches to learning. The primary purpose of this chapter is to draw these two approaches together; that is, to explore the nexus of environmental content and environmental learning processes.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Chitsiga, Christina , Schudel, Ingrid J
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435086 , vital:73129 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: Previous chapters in this book have discussed the complexity of environmental content (see Schudel and Lotz-Sisitka, Chapter 2; Isaacs and Olvitt, Chapter 4) and Chapter 8 (Schudel) has highlighted the significance and key elements of active and critical approaches to learning. The primary purpose of this chapter is to draw these two approaches together; that is, to explore the nexus of environmental content and environmental learning processes.
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Investigating the Nature of Biodiversity Knowledge in Natural Sciences Curriculum and Textbooks
- Mmekwa, Makwena, Schudel, Ingrid J
- Authors: Mmekwa, Makwena , Schudel, Ingrid J
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435060 , vital:73127 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: In 1992, the international Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) emphasised biodiversity as a measure for sustainabil-ity and recognised communication, education and public awareness as important for the successful implementation of the Convention’s aims (CBD 1992). In 2002, the United Na-tions Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) included biodiversity as one of its key priorities (Unesco 2005). Later, Unesco’s (2014) Global Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development highlighted biodiver-sity as ‘critical content’, to be included in national curricula for holistic and transformational education. In 2015, the United Nations included a concern for biodiversity in the Sustainable Development Goals, making a commitment that: We recog-nise that social and economic development depends on the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources. We are therefore determined to conserve and sustainably use oceans and seas, freshwater resources, as well as for-ests, mountains and dry lands and to protect biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. (United Nations 2015: 13).
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- Authors: Mmekwa, Makwena , Schudel, Ingrid J
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435060 , vital:73127 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: In 1992, the international Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) emphasised biodiversity as a measure for sustainabil-ity and recognised communication, education and public awareness as important for the successful implementation of the Convention’s aims (CBD 1992). In 2002, the United Na-tions Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) included biodiversity as one of its key priorities (Unesco 2005). Later, Unesco’s (2014) Global Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development highlighted biodiver-sity as ‘critical content’, to be included in national curricula for holistic and transformational education. In 2015, the United Nations included a concern for biodiversity in the Sustainable Development Goals, making a commitment that: We recog-nise that social and economic development depends on the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources. We are therefore determined to conserve and sustainably use oceans and seas, freshwater resources, as well as for-ests, mountains and dry lands and to protect biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. (United Nations 2015: 13).
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Review of a Course-supported Design Research Intervention Process for the Inclusion of Education for Sustainable Development in School Subject Disciplines
- O’Donoghue, R, Misser, Shanu, Snow-Macleod, Janet
- Authors: O’Donoghue, R , Misser, Shanu , Snow-Macleod, Janet
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435180 , vital:73136 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: The study was informed by an expansion of the ‘design research’ reported by McKenny and Reeves (2012) and it developed as a collaborative design process similar to that described by Voogt, Laferriere, Breuleux, Itow, Hickey and McKenny (2015). Voogt et al. approached design research as a successive and developing process of formative work by participants working together to design and assess a learning programme. In our case the design work was undertaken within a course-supported process of ESD design innovation among participating teachers and subject advisors.
- Full Text:
- Authors: O’Donoghue, R , Misser, Shanu , Snow-Macleod, Janet
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435180 , vital:73136 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: The study was informed by an expansion of the ‘design research’ reported by McKenny and Reeves (2012) and it developed as a collaborative design process similar to that described by Voogt, Laferriere, Breuleux, Itow, Hickey and McKenny (2015). Voogt et al. approached design research as a successive and developing process of formative work by participants working together to design and assess a learning programme. In our case the design work was undertaken within a course-supported process of ESD design innovation among participating teachers and subject advisors.
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Teacher Professional Development in Environment and Sustainability Education
- Songqwaru, Zintle, Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Authors: Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435248 , vital:73142 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: No education policy, no matter how well designed, can succeed without a teacher (Sanyal 2013). Additionally, a change in policy alone is not sufficient to improve an education system (Livingstone 2012), no matter how well meaning. The quality of teachers’ professional practices determines to some extent the quality of teaching and learning in the schooling sector. Teacher quality, and not only teacher supply, is important for learning; hence, teacher professional development should be a priority in all education and development strategies (Unesco 2015a).
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- Authors: Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435248 , vital:73142 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: No education policy, no matter how well designed, can succeed without a teacher (Sanyal 2013). Additionally, a change in policy alone is not sufficient to improve an education system (Livingstone 2012), no matter how well meaning. The quality of teachers’ professional practices determines to some extent the quality of teaching and learning in the schooling sector. Teacher quality, and not only teacher supply, is important for learning; hence, teacher professional development should be a priority in all education and development strategies (Unesco 2015a).
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Changing curriculum and teaching practice A practical theory for academic staff development
- Clarence, Sherran, van Heerden, Martina
- Authors: Clarence, Sherran , van Heerden, Martina
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445770 , vital:74428 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-9/changing-curriculum-teaching-practice-sherran-clarence-martina-van-heerden
- Description: An underdeveloped aspect of academic staff development research in higher education is using theory to help academic lecturers to understand and inform their practices, so as to better enable student development and learning. This chapter illustrates how a theorized way of talking about teaching and learning, specifically using the LCT dimension of Semantics, both semantic waves and the semantic plane, may create exciting and productive conversations with academic lecturers. Using two ‘vignettes’ drawn from English Studies and Political Studies, the chapter illustrates how teaching practice and curriculum design can be enhanced by using LCT in academic staff development work, and by extension in curriculum design, teaching and assessment practice.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Clarence, Sherran , van Heerden, Martina
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445770 , vital:74428 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-9/changing-curriculum-teaching-practice-sherran-clarence-martina-van-heerden
- Description: An underdeveloped aspect of academic staff development research in higher education is using theory to help academic lecturers to understand and inform their practices, so as to better enable student development and learning. This chapter illustrates how a theorized way of talking about teaching and learning, specifically using the LCT dimension of Semantics, both semantic waves and the semantic plane, may create exciting and productive conversations with academic lecturers. Using two ‘vignettes’ drawn from English Studies and Political Studies, the chapter illustrates how teaching practice and curriculum design can be enhanced by using LCT in academic staff development work, and by extension in curriculum design, teaching and assessment practice.
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The role of assessment in preparing academic developers for professional practice
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445865 , vital:74438 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-15/role-assessment-preparing-academic-developers-professional-practice-lynn-quinn
- Description: Academic developers are tasked with supporting institutions in times of change. Essential for preparing academic developers for professional practice is enabling them to engage with and integrate existing knowledge with new knowledge, and apply their understandings to new contexts. Focusing on the summative assessment processes and products of a course specifically for academic developers, this chapter shows how cumulative knowledge-building can be achieved in both course design and pedagogy. Drawing on LCT concepts of ‘semantic gravity’ and ‘semantic density’, two high-achieving portfolios were analysed. The analysis indicates that movements between knowledge that is relatively abstract, decontextualized and complex to knowledge that is relatively concrete, context-dependent and simpler, represents a key characteristic of cumulative learning for professional practice courses. The chapter demonstrates how LCT can reveal the tacit ‘rules’ for success in the course, as well as how pedagogic strategies can be designed to achieve the desired outcome.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445865 , vital:74438 , ISBN 9781003028215 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028215-15/role-assessment-preparing-academic-developers-professional-practice-lynn-quinn
- Description: Academic developers are tasked with supporting institutions in times of change. Essential for preparing academic developers for professional practice is enabling them to engage with and integrate existing knowledge with new knowledge, and apply their understandings to new contexts. Focusing on the summative assessment processes and products of a course specifically for academic developers, this chapter shows how cumulative knowledge-building can be achieved in both course design and pedagogy. Drawing on LCT concepts of ‘semantic gravity’ and ‘semantic density’, two high-achieving portfolios were analysed. The analysis indicates that movements between knowledge that is relatively abstract, decontextualized and complex to knowledge that is relatively concrete, context-dependent and simpler, represents a key characteristic of cumulative learning for professional practice courses. The chapter demonstrates how LCT can reveal the tacit ‘rules’ for success in the course, as well as how pedagogic strategies can be designed to achieve the desired outcome.
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Mining: A laminated, dialectic methodology for identifying not-yet-obvious green skills demand
- Authors: Rosenberg, Eureta
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436077 , vital:73225 , ISBN 9780429279362 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429279362-13/synthesis-elaboration-critical-realist-methodology-green-skills-research-eureta-rosenberg
- Description: This chapter shares insights about green skills demand research in South Africa, based on a 2015 study in coal mining. One purpose of that study was to develop methodology for green skills demand determination, and the chapter shares selected features of the multi-layered and multi-method research process used, including an extended contextual driver analysis and a value chain analysis. Some findings about what green skills are needed in coal mining are shared to contextualise and illustrate methodological insights. This chapter highlights the fact that whether or not a skill is scarce can be contested, and demonstrates how a laminated methodology can guide credible conclusions in such cases. It also introduces the value of ‘absenting absences’, a dialectic process that surfaced skills needs that are not-yet-obvious, but essential if mining is to achieve transformation towards sustainability.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Rosenberg, Eureta
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436077 , vital:73225 , ISBN 9780429279362 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429279362-13/synthesis-elaboration-critical-realist-methodology-green-skills-research-eureta-rosenberg
- Description: This chapter shares insights about green skills demand research in South Africa, based on a 2015 study in coal mining. One purpose of that study was to develop methodology for green skills demand determination, and the chapter shares selected features of the multi-layered and multi-method research process used, including an extended contextual driver analysis and a value chain analysis. Some findings about what green skills are needed in coal mining are shared to contextualise and illustrate methodological insights. This chapter highlights the fact that whether or not a skill is scarce can be contested, and demonstrates how a laminated methodology can guide credible conclusions in such cases. It also introduces the value of ‘absenting absences’, a dialectic process that surfaced skills needs that are not-yet-obvious, but essential if mining is to achieve transformation towards sustainability.
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Decolonisation as future frame for environmental and sustainability education: embracing the commons with absence and emergence
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/437466 , vital:73386 , ISBN 9789086868469 , https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-846-9_2
- Description: This chapter considers how engagement with decolonization history, theory and practice may provide an interesting future frame for Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE). The chapter provides an overview of some of the key dynam-ics of decolonization thinking that are circulating at present, and considers particularly the problematique of absence and emergence. It argues for giving attention not only to critical analysis of colonization concerns (ie identification of absence), but also to expansive, emergent theories of learning which we might mobilise in environmental and sustainability education (ESE) out of our existing forms of being in order to re-imagine new becomings that are oriented to the common good (ie pro-cesses of emergence). In situating the argument within wider discourses around education and the common good, this chapter argues that decolonisation is a project that concerns us all (not only those in the global South), given the contempo-rary realities and geopolitics of resource flows, hypercapitalism, colonization by market logic, and the privatisation of the commons.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/437466 , vital:73386 , ISBN 9789086868469 , https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-846-9_2
- Description: This chapter considers how engagement with decolonization history, theory and practice may provide an interesting future frame for Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE). The chapter provides an overview of some of the key dynam-ics of decolonization thinking that are circulating at present, and considers particularly the problematique of absence and emergence. It argues for giving attention not only to critical analysis of colonization concerns (ie identification of absence), but also to expansive, emergent theories of learning which we might mobilise in environmental and sustainability education (ESE) out of our existing forms of being in order to re-imagine new becomings that are oriented to the common good (ie pro-cesses of emergence). In situating the argument within wider discourses around education and the common good, this chapter argues that decolonisation is a project that concerns us all (not only those in the global South), given the contempo-rary realities and geopolitics of resource flows, hypercapitalism, colonization by market logic, and the privatisation of the commons.
- Full Text:
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