Early childhood development rises from the (tr)ash

It is a fact that many children find themselves in barren school classes and playgrounds because their parents, educators and caregivers are often unaware of the importance of providing opportunities for purposeful play in the early years.

Fortunately, researchers from the North-West University (NWU) are joining forces with…

NWU academic tackles youth unemployment

As statistics for youth unemployment in South Africa continue to rise, a North-West University (NWU) academic is at the forefront of seeking solutions to the crisis.

Dr Celestin Mayombe from the School of Professional Studies in Education recently published a research paper titled: “Needs assessment for vocational skills training for…

Experiencing the distance.

Who could have guessed that distance education would be the compass of 2020! This is not only the alley for students and lecturers alike, but it opened up new horizons with unending possibilities and ongoing potential in the world of technological communication.

Covid-19 is the new buzz word, and within days the big C became the…

Teaching and learning go online as NWU takes education to people

The Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally disrupted teaching-learning activities in South Africa and across the globe. It also challenges how we think about education and assessment, in general.

“Disruptions are opportunities to reflect on assumptions made about teaching, learning and learners,” says Prof Robert Balfour, the North-…

Against all odds: not only surviving, but thriving!

Six years after sustaining life-altering injuries in a serious cycling accident, Chanell Meijer is ready to yet again define the odds. At the start of the 2020 academic year of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark, Chanell enrolled for a master’s degree in education. 

In 2015 Chanell, an alumna of the NWU, made…

School indemnity forms – who is truly accountable?

The tragedy that befell Parktown Boys High School pupil, Enoch Mpianzi, has left the nation in disbelief. Parents all over the country are not only concerned about sending their children on school excursions, but also who will be held accountable if they sign indemnity forms.

Dr Cecile Eloff, an educational law lecturer at the North…

Game on: puzzle video games may grow critical thinking skills

The notion that playing video games is for the intellectually idle is widely held but might not be accurate. Research suggests that certain types of game play can in fact strengthen a range of cognitive, critical thinking and reasoning skills, according to Dr Byron Bunt of the North-West University’s (NWU) Faculty of Education.

These…

Optentia to host second Stats Camp South Africa

During 2019 the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Optentia research focus area made history by hosting the first-ever Stats Camp South Africa. In 2020 they will yet again step into the fore and present this internationally recognised educational event.

The four-day analysis retreat will take place during the last week of April 2020 and aims…

Sport participation at school – have we lost the plot?

In this opinion piece, Prof JP Rossouw, a research fellow and former director of the Education and Human Rights in Diversity research unit at the North-West University (NWU), examines society’s approach to sport participation in school.

In international sport columns, two Irish commentators recently did their best to discredit the…

Kit enhancing a pedagogy of play is changing the way maths is taught

As in many other countries, the South African schooling system is formal and performance driven as teachers work toward the completion of a content-driven curriculum. This is especially true for mathematics, and many teachers view mathematics as abstract facts that are disconnected from daily life.

According to Prof Marthie van der…