Background: Low teacher morale remains a concern in South African education. The principal's leadership attributes are critical in influencing teacher morale. Servant leadership attributes could contribute to raising teacher morale in the contemporary era. Aim: This study explored whether servant leadership can be used as a strategy to improve…

In this paper, we present the findings of a qualitative study conducted in 2018 in five schools (three primary and two secondary schools) in a rural community in the south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (SA). It adopted a case study methodology and explored principals' understandings and practices of servant leadership (SL), which is…

When a black 2nd-year student educator gets chased away from a school whilst doing his teaching practice for hair 'not setting an appropriate example to learners', the incident elicits questions about the rights of student educators during teaching practice, as well as the extent to which universities and schools care for, support and prepare…

This qualitative study investigates the service experiences of differently-abled students within the Financial Aid Department of a prominent South African University of Technology. Employing a semi-structured interview schedule aligned with the Service Quality model (SERVQUAL), five dimensions--tangibles, assurance, empathy, reliability, and…

While supportive relationships are important for probably everyone and while research indicates that supportive relationships contribute towards improved care-leaving outcomes for young people who grew up in care, there is no research that shows their contribution year by year over the first several years out of care. The aim of this study is to…

In this article we report on an investigation into developing people and serving the community at faith-based schools through a servant leadership theory lens. Relevant literature was reviewed, and data were collected from school leaders by means of individual semi-structured interviews. Twelve participants were purposively selected from schools…

This article reports on and discusses the experience of a contrapuntal approach to teaching poetry, explored during 2016 and 2017 in a series of introductory poetry lectures in the English 1 course at the University of Johannesburg. Drawing together two poems--Warsan Shire's "Home" and W. H. Auden's "Refugee Blues"--in a week…

The teaching of documentary film faces particular ethical and practical challenges in intercultural environments when working with marginalized groups. The author of the paper was one of the acting teachers for an intercultural group of film students making documentaries on sex workers in rural South African communities in 2015. The paper explores…

Enhancing sustainability in primary schools is apposite because primary schools are the building blocks in any education system. In its examination, the study provides insights on the role of primary school principals in promoting sustainable education through inspiring teachers. Teacher motivation is a very critical focus research area,…

The paper reflects whether it is too much to ask for a 'compassionate' university. It is an opinion piece as a response about how to make a shift against narratives that oppress, and how to respond positively to the 'compelling need for compassionate academic leadership in our universities' (Waddington, 2018, p.87). The authors draw on writers…

This explanatory and descriptive quantitative study explored teachers' classroom practices using the Circle of Courage as a guideline with the aim of providing some guidelines that could further improve resilience and prevent challenging behaviour in the classroom. The Circle of Courage provides a framework for understanding behaviour and…

This article argues for the inclusion of Empathetic-Reflective-Dialogical Restorying as a teaching-learning strategy for Religion Education. This strategy, employed in three small-scale research projects in a South African Higher Education Institution, addresses decolonisation of the Religion Education curriculum in the following ways: changing…

This paper reflects on the teaching of science fiction texts to first-year engineering students at the University of the Witwatersrand as part of a Critical Thinking course that uses literature as a vehicle through which to develop competence in critical literacy and communication. This course aims to equip engineering students, as future…

This qualitative exploratory case study addresses constructs of educational inequity on a global scale through an iterative analysis of the cultural experiences of 61 educators from South Africa and the United States. The project provided an online and in-person network for educators to discuss cross-cultural challenges, educational system assets,…

Being a family carer can be rewarding but can also lead to mental and physical exhaustion as well as feelings of social exclusion and isolation. Research has shown that the use of the Internet and online forums can provide an immediate place to find information and reassurance and that forum use can be an empathetic place to share experiences and…