The use of digital technologies is a fundamental part of being a university student. Hence, there is a growing interest in equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in a world that is full of technology and constantly changing. Moreover, the need to provide university students with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing, technologically advanced society is also growing. It has become more common for students to learn mathematics using digital technologies and conventional techniques as a result of recent advancements in both the world and technology. To ensure the future of mathematics students and society for sustainability, technology, and education should collaborate. The study investigated how students felt about using digital technology to teach mathematics. This study employed a case study design and was qualitative in nature. The technology Acceptance Model was employed as the theoretical framework which explains how to encourage users to accept and utilise new digital technologies. Twenty second-year mathematics students who were specifically chosen to be information-rich participants made up the study's participant pool. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that students had a positive attitude towards embracing digital tools to learn mathematics. However, they encountered some difficulties as they were learning mathematics using digital tools.

Empirical evidence has shown that children’s mathematics achievement in South African has been on the low trend. However, no study has explored the practitioners’ application of conceptions of mathematical knowledge in enhancing learners’ achievement in mathematics. The study examined how practitioners apply mathematical knowledge to enhance early learning of mathematics. In this study, a qualitative research methodology was employed. The study also looked into how teachers in rural early childhood development (ECD) centers use their ideas of mathematical knowledge to foster young children’s early mathematics learning in these environments. The researchers’ investigation into the mathematical expertise held by practitioners and how they apply it in ECD contexts was made possible by mathematical knowledge for teachers theoretical framework, which served as the study’s foundation. In order to help interpret the facts, the study was also set within an interpretivist paradigm. Five practitioners were chosen using a purposive sampling technique from the five ECD centers used for the study. The data were gathered using semi-structured interview questions and observation schedules. The gathered data were examined using a thematic analysis, which resulted in the formation of themes and sub-themes. The study’s findings showed that because the five ECD centers consistently used conventional methods to teach early mathematics to the children who attended the centers, the practitioners in those centers were deficient in their application of conceptions of mathematical knowledge to enhance early learning of mathematics. The need for equipping practitioners with the knowledge and abilities to teach mathematics (subject and pedagogy) in early childhood is strengthened by this study.

The aim of this study resonated with the pursuit of achieving enhanced engagement in teaching and learning that informs critical thinking, and knowledge retention among students. Despite the growing trend of technological integration in teaching and learning, however, there exists a lack of empirical evidence and comprehensive studies that investigate the effectiveness of gaming in promoting educational objectives within rural institution of higher learning in South Africa. To investigate this gap, a systematic review method was employed, which provides a comprehensive and logical analysis of existing literature on the significance of gaming in teaching and learning within rural institutions of higher education. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used in the study to enhance the rigor and transparency of the research process, by providing a solid foundation for synthesizing and interpreting existing literature relevant to the study. The systematic review findings revealed that the significance of gamification in teaching and learning in rural higher education lies in its ability to overcome accessibility challenges, provide personalized learning experiences, address motivation and retention issues, and enhance digital literacy. It was recommended that by incorporating gamified approaches, rural higher educational institutions can create a more inclusive, engaging, and effective learning environment for students within the rural institutions of higher learning in South Africa.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into mathematics education signifies a pivotal transformation in pedagogical practices, presenting remarkable opportunities and formidable challenges for educators, policymakers, and learners. This conceptual paper employed a theory synthesis approach to critically analyse the implications of AI adoption in mathematics education, concentrating on three fundamental dimensions: stakeholder roles, implementation pathways, and future trajectories. The investigation explored the potential of AI tools, including platforms like ChatGPT, to mitigate barriers in academic writing and enhance inclusivity in scholarly communication while assessing AI’s broader pedagogical implications for mathematics instruction. The findings indicated that effective AI integration necessitates a balanced framework that harmonises technological infrastructure with pedagogical innovation, all while prioritising educational equity. The paper contributes to the existing literature by offering a structured framework for stakeholder engagement, actionable implementation strategies, and a forward-looking research agenda that underscores the necessity for longitudinal studies, cross-cultural comparative analyses, and adaptive assessment models. Furthermore, it advocates for a synergistic approach that combines traditional methodologies with AI-enhanced techniques, positing that the future of mathematics education hinges on this thoughtful integration. This work aims to foster inclusive and dynamic learning ecosystems in mathematics education by providing theoretical insights and practical guidance, equipping educational institutions, policymakers, and practitioners with the tools necessary to navigate this evolving landscape. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence in Education, Mathematics Education, Stakeholder Analysis, Educational Technology Integration, Pedagogical Innovation.

Online learning offers excellent chances for both students and teachers because it is flexible, affordable, and convenient in terms of time and space. This paper examined the perspectives of lectures on online teaching and learning mathematics in higher education after COVID-19. This paper adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework. The theory was used in the study to understand the lecturers’ viewpoints on how they embrace the use of technology in their teaching of mathematics. This was a qualitative study that used a case study as a design. The study’s participants were ten (10) mathematics lecturers at the Mathematics Department in one rural university in the Eastern Cape Province purposefully selected as information-rich participants. Data was collected using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews which were analysed through thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that lecturers saw the importance of teaching mathematics using technology to close the resource gap as universities steadily shift to 21st-century learning environments. At the same time, lecturers in rural universities are impacted by the challenges they face, which include a lack of technology skills, teaching practical work online, classroom control during online teaching, shortage of resources such as poor internet connections and electricity load shedding in the country which had strained the smooth running of online mathematics classes especially while teaching mathematics online. Based on the findings the study recommended that lecturers should be provided with technology professional development in mathematics, strengthening of internet access points, and methods for monitoring and controlling mathematics classes. Keywords: Higher Education, Learning, Mathematics, Online, Teaching.

The study explored the influence of research mentoring on research publications output during COVID-19 in a selected Higher Education Institution (HEI) of the Eastern Cape Province as the incessant poor publications from the dissertations and theses of postgraduates upon completion of their studies prompted the researchers to want to understand the nature of the mentorship experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was situated within an interpretivist paradigm which aided in the interpretation of the facts and adopted a case study design within a qualitative research approach. The participants for the study comprised eight research supervisors, and eight master’s and doctoral students purposefully selected as information-rich participants. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data. Data collected were analysed thematically. Findings of the study revealed that there was a dearth of research mentoring by research supervisors that adversely affected research publication output in the rural HEI, especially during the COVID-19 era. Additionally, supervisors struggled with online supervision, which strained the relationship between supervisors and their students. Furthermore, the study revealed that both supervisors and students lacked skills and knowledge of paper writing. The study recommends that there should be a call for student mentoring and development in research seminars, article writing seminars, and writing for publication workshops to develop and promote academic success in higher education institutions. It is anticipated that a strengthened system of mentoring and development, which is cognizant of COVID-19, will help novice writers comprehend articles published through the holistic guidance of their mentors rather than mentors leaving them to sink or swim. Keywords: COVID-19, Higher education institutions, Mentoring, Postgraduate students, Research output