There is a paucity of research on the efficacy of online asynchronous discussion forums in fostering critical thinking, social justice awareness and empathy in pre-service teachers. This study adopted a case study design rooted in the social constructivist/interpretive paradigm. South African university pre-service teachers comprised the study’s sample. To examine how online discussions about Global Citizenship Education (GCE) affected the critical thinking and social justice awareness of a group of pre-service teachers ( n = 31), a questionnaire based on Andreotti’s (2006) Soft vs Critical GCE framework was used. To further understand how their involvement in online discussions on global issues influenced their sense of social justice awareness, empathy and critical thinking, certain pre-service teachers’ ( n = 9) reflective essays were used. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers’ responses were more consistent with the soft GCE approach. The Soft vs Critical GCE framework was useful for identifying which aspects of online interactions require a more critical understanding of GCE. The findings showed that pre-service teachers who participated in the online GCE conversations had increased social justice awareness, critical thinking skills and empathy.

(2020). Philosophy of education in a new key: Cultivating a living philosophy of education to overcome coloniality and violence in African Universities. Educational Philosophy and Theory. Ahead of Print.

In South Africa, the economic, social, and political institutions designed to provide for the basic needs and fundamental rights of all citizens in society are failing to address the escalating socioeconomic problems for large segments of the population. Studies suggest that the provision of entrepreneurship education strengthens the entrepreneurial capacity of students to launch new ventures, which has economic implications in society (Mars, Slaughter, & Rhoades, 2008). Although much progress has been made, the authors argue that social entrepreneurship (SE) is not adequately taught in South African schools, and that this could be partially addressed by introducing SE education into the curriculum for preservice educators. In this regard, teaching and learning activities should be directed towards enhancing preservice teachers' sense of SE theory, and practical knowledge to inculcate an awareness of how SE can help deal with social injustices. Using a distinct case study that explicates teaching and learning through the use of film and online discussion groups, the authors show how spaces can be created to facilitate deliberative pedagogical engagement. The authors conclude that SE education offers valuable opportunities for dialogical (deliberative) pedagogical engagement, and should be considered as a constitutive element of higher education.

Purpose: This study aims to examine how lecturers at a South African university navigated teaching and learning in the current educational landscape obscured by the global pandemic. The authors examine how lecturers employed a community of inquiry (CoI) in their online classrooms within the context of emergency remote teaching (ERT). The study further aims to ascertain students’ feedback concerning current ERT practices at the university toward cultivating a CoI. Doing this would offer more appropriate interventions and support for lecturers and students from, within and for an African context. If not, instructors might risk reproducing and perpetuating the same outdated pedagogies before the pandemic.Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method research design informed by a pragmatist paradigm was used. Primary data were collected from 40 lecturers at the university through online questionnaires of which 10 lecturers responded to e-mail interviews. The original CoI survey was distributed among 150 students in the Faculty of Education at the university.Findings: The findings revealed that, despite the rushed and trial nature of the use of ERT, there were instances of a CoI among students. The findings further revealed that the majority of the lecturers were not adequately prepared for ERT as a result of limited experience with asynchronous and synchronous online teaching. There was evidence of an absence of a strong active teaching presence that was found to have negatively influenced the development of social and cognitive presences during ERT.Research limitations/implications: Only a single faculty at one university was selected in this single case.Practical implications: The results of the study have significant implications for faculties and academic staff who are currently teaching online in response to the teaching challenges paused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings will assist lecturers in developing appropriate pedagogical intervention strategies to enhance strong and active teaching and social presences necessary for cultivating the cognitive presences among students during ERT.Originality/value: This is one of the first empirical studies to explore the influence of ERT on the cognitive, social and teaching presences at a university in an African context. The findings and conclusion of the study are novel as they relate to the development of appropriate pedagogical practices and intervention strategies suitable for ERT in response to the current education crisis.

The fourth industrial revolution reconsidered: On advancing cosmopolitan education