Black African students are increasingly choosing the United States as their preferred destination, and many choose to study at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate reasons that may influence their identification and commitment to those PWIs. We interviewed 20 sub-Saharan Africans at two…

The study explored the experiences of adolescent learners regarding drug abuse in previously disadvantaged townships in South Africa. A phenomenological research paradigm was employed, and an inductive research approach was implemented. The study followed a qualitative research design focusing on interviews and document analysis as data collection…

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to capture experiences of spiritual identity development in a purposive sample of South African adolescents, using semi-structured interviews and reflective writing exercises. Participants confirmed the prominence of religiosity and spirituality, as intertwined concepts central to their sense of…

Academics are the core of a university and their performance impacts the quality of student learning and university experience thereby influencing the contribution that higher education institutions are able to make to society. This study compared the impact of organisational support and external reputation on the affective commitment and…

The Youth Global Awareness Programme (YGAP) is a 2-week residential 'popular education' programme for young, diverse, international, labour movement activists, run by the International Federation of Workers Education Associations in Cape Town, South Africa. In this mixed method study (N = 47), we draw on the Social Identity Approach to Education…

The contexts in which people immerse themselves, as well as the people they interact with, contribute immensely to people's understanding of self. As a person grows, lives and operates in different contexts with different people, he/she develops a self-concept or a particular understanding of oneself. This understanding constitutes an identity…

The article is an attempt to explore through the lens of my identification as a foreigner, a number of different themes around work in comparative education, particularly aspects of the question of method, and some reflections on the relationship with education and international development. The discussion begins with some reflection on internal…

When students choose their university, this is determined by academic entry requirements, acceptance into a programme, sufficient funding and tips from their family and friends. They are also targeted by universities' marketing departments. In the context of higher education, the concept of "institutional culture" comprises a…

Mathematics clubs are becoming increasingly researched in South Africa, yet what might constitute a curriculum for such clubs has not been discussed. We present and analyse a curriculum design for clubs that we set up and worked with over three years. The goals of the clubs were to foster strong mathematical proficiency, identities and agency…

Incorporating socially just concepts into classrooms means students' needs are considered and pedagogic activities recognise everyone and make sure that student voices are heard, acknowledged and affirmed. Art has historically provided alternative ways of making sense of our worlds, commenting on them, questioning practices and structures, and…

Unmarried student mothers face challenges related to childcare, the continuation of education, and stigmatisation, which can affect their psychological health and academic work. A focus group and nine individual interviews with 10 unmarried student mothers at a South African university who had experienced an unintended pregnancy explored their…

South African public higher education has been dogged by student protests since 2015. Many of these disruptions raise pertinent issues for the sector, as well as bring about valued awareness and change. Critical scholars have remarked that in every social or political movement, something of pronounced importance is being said -- usually emerging…

The aim of this article is to discuss the dynamics of gang involvement by considering the social reproduction perspective and resistance theory literature and by examining general perceptions of learners and adults who regularly experience gang violence. In a study utilising quantitative and qualitative design, a questionnaire was administered to…

This article provides a theoretical contemplation on how reciprocation of an assimilationist, liberationist and/or transgressive approach by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and/or questioning (LGBTIQ+) individuals on university campuses may encourage transformation initiatives in South African universities. The author ascribes…

This instructional article demonstrates the parallels between the way art is used as forms of celebration and protest in several different cultures. The author provides thought-provoking questions to pose to students, encouraging them to research unfamiliar cultures and draw connections between multi-cultural art and the art the students create.