Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research

Exploring the impact of GeoGebra on preservice teachers’ proficiency in teaching grade 10 parabola functions

Abongile Ngwabe — 2025-07-07

This paper investigates the development of teaching proficiency among preservice teachers in Grade 10 parabola functions through the use of GeoGebra. A significant number of preservice teachers encounter challenges in effectively teaching parabola functions due to limited resources for illustrating complex mathematical relationships, which can impede both their teaching proficiency and the students' conceptual understanding. The study was conducted at a rural-based university and involved four third-year Bachelor of Education (FET & SP) preservice teachers (PSTs) who were purposively selected. These preservice teachers specialised in mathematics and instructed Grade 10 parabola functions during both microteaching sessions and their teaching practice in rural schools. Prior to their teaching experiences, the preservice teachers received training on the integration of GeoGebra into their lesson plans. Employing an interpretivist paradigm and a case study research design, the study utilised the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework along with Kilpatrick et al.'s five strands of mathematical proficiency as analytical perspectives. Data were gathered through video-recorded lesson observations and stimulus recall interviews. The findings indicate that GeoGebra significantly enhanced the preservice teachers' proficiency by supporting critical areas of mathematical understanding: conceptual understanding, fluency, strategic competence, and adaptive reasoning. The dynamic visualisations offered by GeoGebra enabled preservice teachers to engage learners more deeply, facilitating a better understanding of parabola functions. PSTs reported improved confidence in their teaching, particularly in using real-time graph manipulation to explain complex concepts.

Mathematics teaching for sustainable development: Challenges and successes

Motshidisi Masilo — 2025-07-17

Mathematics teaching for sustainable development is fraught with challenges that hinder meaningful learning and the acquisition of problem-solving skills essential for environmental, economic, and societal responsibility. Therefore, mathematics teaching requires effective skills to apply heuristic strategies for sustainable human development, enabling a learning progression from the fourth to the fifth industrial revolution. Effective instructional practices must focus on including learners’ cultural and social realities through democratic dialogue. This research draws from algo-heuristics theory, which highlights a prescription-oriented approach as opposed to process-oriented teaching methods. This qualitative phenomenological study engaged six purposively sampled mathematics teachers, teaching grades 8 to 12, in a focus group interview and classroom observations. The engagement aimed to explore the successes and challenges faced in the mathematics classroom in relation to the attainment of the Mission 2030 sustainable education goals. Findings revealed that mathematics teachers lack sustainable teaching skills, and their practices lean towards prescription-oriented and algorithmic teaching methods, which contribute to impractical and dysfunctional learning environments. Consequently, mathematics teaching does not foster learning that equips students with the sustainable abilities needed to achieve the Mission 2030 sustainable education goals. To minimise these challenges and support teachers in applying process-oriented heuristic teaching methods, teacher empowerment is necessary. In essence, mathematics teachers should be guided in the application of process-oriented teaching strategies that enable them to implement meaningful learning for sustainable development.

Reconceptualising blended learning and pedagogies for innovative classroom practices

Billey Addam — 2025-08-05

Contemporary education has undergone tremendous pedagogical shifts, culminating in an altered higher education landscape. The transition from the dominant traditional in-person mode to emergency remote online facilitation, and subsequently to adopted blended learning environments, necessitates a reconceptualisation of pedagogy for strategic and process realignment. Furthermore, the rapid transformation in education, accompanied by reforms, has raised expectations for lecturers and graduates to possess abilities that combine subject understanding with suitable instructional practices to meet the demands of the digital workforce. This study employs a conceptual analysis methodology to understand and reconceptualise blended learning and its pedagogies. By navigating the literature through the lenses of the Community of Inquiry, the study highlights the relevance of university teachers and students comprehending the concept and pedagogies in order to implement blended learning effectively. Additionally, a supportive environment must be established with frameworks that promote innovative classroom practices and inclusive learning. The study indicates that inadequate comprehension of blended learning concepts, modes, models, and pedagogies hinders the promotion of optimal learning and teaching practices in modern educational settings. It suggests that providing contemporary technological tools and resources is crucial for fostering innovative classrooms. Moreover, continual professional development is essential to respond to the rapidly emerging digital technologies for effective blended learning implementation. The study underscores the importance of understanding both the concept and pedagogies, and it provides insights into the implications for higher education institutions' rapid adoption of blended learning.

Understanding the out-of-field teaching experiences: A review of selected national contexts

Kazeem Ajasa Badaru — 2025-08-04

This literature review examines the phenomenon of out-of-field (OOF) teaching experiences across various national contexts, highlighting their prevalence, challenges, and adaptive strategies. OOF teaching, where educators are assigned subjects outside their formal qualifications, remains a systemic issue exacerbated by teacher shortages and inequitable distribution. The study is grounded in a social constructivist framework and employs a narrative literature review to investigate the experiences of OOF teaching across diverse national contexts. The review aims to identify the challenging experiences of OOF educators and propose strategies to mitigate the impacts of this phenomenon. A systematic search of secondary data was conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, yielding over 50 sources. Through defined inclusion criteria and Boolean search terms, 14 relevant articles were selected for in-depth review. The findings were analysed using thematic analysis to uncover patterns related to teacher adaptation, support mechanisms, and educational outcomes. A narrative review of global, African, and South African studies reveals that structured policies and targeted training programmes improve OOF teaching outcomes, while under-resourced regions face persistent challenges. The findings emphasise the need for policy interventions, enhanced teacher training, and equitable recruitment strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of OOF teaching. Future research should explore long-term implications for educators and students, focusing on sustainable solutions that support OOF teachers across diverse educational settings.

AI adoption in African higher education: A systematic review of benefits and ethical implications

Abdul Feroz Maluleke — 2025-08-13

The accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within African higher education presents both challenges and benefits. Numerous studies indicate that integrating AI into higher education can facilitate educational accessibility, enrich teaching and learning, bolster skills development, and streamline administrative tasks, thereby reducing costs. This study employed the PRISMA methodology to select 113 articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, spanning the years 2020 to 2024. Thematic content analysis revealed four primary benefits of AI adoption: enhanced teaching and learning, improved administrative efficiency, strategic digital transformation, and expanded access and inclusion. Conversely, the study identified four core ethical challenges: risks to academic integrity through the misuse of generative AI, data privacy concerns, the digital divide and infrastructural inequality, and institutional unpreparedness, including policy and capacity gaps. These findings emphasise the dual imperative of harnessing AI’s potential while mitigating associated risks. To support responsible AI integration, the study recommends that African higher education institutions establish context-specific AI governance frameworks, invest in equitable digital infrastructure, embed AI competencies across academic curricula, and provide targeted training for faculty and students. Moreover, fostering intra-African research collaboration and policy dialogue is critical for building contextually relevant, ethical, and inclusive AI adoption pathways. This study contributes to the growing literature on AI in African higher education and offers actionable insights for policymakers, institutional leaders, and scholars committed to advancing digitally responsive and ethically grounded education systems across the continent.

Learning analytics in computer programming education: A bibliometric scoping review

Kelibone Eva Mamabolo — 2025-08-17

There are often high failure rates and student attrition in programming education due to challenges with syntax, debugging, and abstract concepts. Traditional teaching approaches have struggled to meet the diverse learning needs of students. This paper presents a scoping review incorporating bibliometric analysis that examines Learning Analytics (LA) research in programming education within Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. The study identifies thematic trends, research gaps, and instructional implications. A bibliometric scoping review was conducted on documents published from 2014 to 2023, retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. After screening, 1,208 documents were analysed. The review reveals a growing focus on data mining, predictive modelling, and student-centred learning. Most research outputs emerge from Europe and North America, while Africa shows a growing contribution. However, programming-specific applications such as debugging and formative feedback remain underexplored. The study highlights the limited integration of learning theories in LA applications. It also suggests that aligning LA with frameworks like cognitive load theory can foster personalised learning, enhance engagement, and support skill acquisition. These findings provide evidence-based insights to guide instructional innovation, research collaboration, and the development of adaptive programming education systems.

Queering gender: Exploring parental perceptions of gender diversity in high schools

John Chaka — 2025-08-23

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of parents of high school learners regarding gender to determine their understanding of gender diversity. Globally, emerging research suggests that parents of school-attending learners are developing a positive attitude toward gender diversity. South African high schools have embraced gender diversity since the era of democracy. However, parents' voices have not been fully explored regarding their perceptions of gender issues and inclusion at the high school level. The study utilised Ubuntu, the African philosophy that emphasises interconnectedness and compassion, and queer theory, which challenges binary constructs of gender, as theoretical frameworks. An interpretive design was adopted, and nine parents were snowball sampled from a rural location in the Free State province of South Africa. This qualitative study used thematic analysis to analyse data from focus group interviews, drawings as visual participatory methodologies, and captions for the drawings. The findings of this study indicate that the majority of parents associate gender with sexual orientation or sexual organs, as well as gender roles. However, the findings also show that there is an emerging understanding among parents that gender is a social construct and not something synonymous with sex. This study attempted to fill the gap in the scant literature about parents voicing their perceptions of what gender is. Therefore, mixed methods studies are also encouraged to explore the perceptions of parents involving a larger number of participants.

GenAI in private higher education: Student insights by gender, study level, and delivery mode

Shamola Pramjeeth — 2025-08-25

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools gain importance in higher education, understanding how different student groups engage with these technologies is essential for equitable integration. This study investigates the perceived differences in awareness, use, and benefits of GenAI and reference management tools across gender, level of study (undergraduate vs. postgraduate), and mode of delivery (contact, part-time, distance) in five private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in South Africa. Following a quantitative research approach, a total of 1,866 students participated in a structured, Likert-scale questionnaire distributed via MS Forms. Based on Pearson’s chi-square test and the chi-square goodness-of-fit test, significant differences emerged across genders, modes of delivery, and study levels. Female students were more likely to use GenAI for paraphrasing and grammar support, while male students engaged more with tools for coding, image generation, and mathematics. Postgraduate and part-time students reported higher perceived benefits, particularly in terms of efficiency and academic support, while distance students consistently reported lower perceived value and confidence in usage. The results support the need for targeted AI literacy interventions, particularly for female students and those in distance learning, as well as training that aligns with specific fields and tasks. These differences highlight the urgent need for targeted AI literacy initiatives and pedagogical interventions that address structural inequities in private higher education settings.

Inspirational messages to next-generation principals on enacting transformative ethical leadership in schools

Sipiwe Mudadigwa — 2025-08-31

Ethical leadership is increasingly vital in today’s complex world, advancing credibility, trust, reputation, and workplace morale. Yet, it remains uncertain, with no definitive rules guiding principals’ enactment. This paper explores challenges and opportunities for next-generation principals, offering transformative insights to inspire them as agents of ethical leadership in schools, equipping them with innovative ideas to navigate contemporary uncertainties and uphold morally acceptable conduct in educational leadership. Although we approached five schools, seven staff members from three schools agreed to participate in this study. Having employed ethical leadership theory and through thematic analysis, this paper obtained participants’ understanding of ethical leadership, perceptions about transformative ethical leadership (TEL), and inspirational messages for next-generation principals on enacting transformative ethical leadership in schools. The findings, derived from the participants’ messages, indicated that next-generation principals should engage in constant moral learning, apply ethical leadership as a moral influence, and that ethical leaders must be loyal individuals dedicated to ensuring care and justice in schools. The paper recommends that consideration of these messages can assist next-generation principals in appreciating the beauty of ethical leadership in schools. The implications of these inspirational messages suggest that next-generation principals should regularly keep reflective journals regarding their ethical practices, conduct ethics dialogues with other principals, and ensure that school policies are regularly revised and implemented thoroughly. Furthermore, the implication of this study for the literature is that more research should be conducted to explore TEL and its implications for the enactment of ethical leadership in schools.

Instructional leadership experiences of departmental heads in five public primary schools in Gauteng province, South Africa

Patience Nelisiwe Kubheka — 2025-08-31

Departmental heads are increasingly recognised as pivotal instructional leaders within schools, serving as a bridge between senior management and classroom practice. Despite this recognition, the existing literature predominantly focuses on principals, often neglecting the leadership roles of departmental heads, particularly in South African public primary schools. This under-representation creates a gap in understanding how these middle leaders interpret and enact instructional leadership within complex and under-resourced educational environments. This study aimed to explore the instructional leadership experiences of departmental heads in five public primary schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach, underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, was adopted, employing a generic qualitative design. Ten departmental heads were purposively selected, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the findings. Results revealed varied understandings of instructional leadership, shaped by personal orientations, school culture, and leadership structures. Departmental heads actively engaged in curriculum planning, classroom monitoring, and mentoring but faced challenges due to curriculum changes, limited autonomy, administrative overload, and a lack of formal leadership training. These challenges created a disparity between policy expectations and practical realities. Participants highlighted the necessity for structured leadership capacity development, peer support, and access to digital tools. The study concludes that departmental heads are crucial to instructional improvement, yet they remain under-supported and overburdened.