In light of the devastating effects of COVID-19 on early childhood care and education (ECCE), with this study we aimed at illuminating the self-efficacy and well-being of ECCE teacher educators, from the perspective of 9 participants in 7 higher education institutions (HEIs) across 5 South African provinces. The study, conducted by 2 ECCE teacher…

Guided by Bronfenbrenner's (1994) ecological systems theory Bronfenbrenner (Int Encycl Educ,3(2):37-43) , this study highlights the interplay between learner psycho-social challenges and teacher emotional fatigue, which affect classroom dynamics, and the critical role of systemic support--the role of school social workers (SSWs)--in South Africa.…

Globally, mainstream teachers have been experiencing intense challenges of behavioural difficulties by learners in schools. For decades, scholars have intensified the relational impact of behaviour with regard to academic progression. However, there is limited knowledge on the experiences and coping strategies of teachers regarding these…

The aim of the study reported on here was to examine workplace bullying among teachers in South African schools. The research was framed by the Job Demands-Resources Model which was utilised to determine the extent of demands and resources that teachers experience and the implications thereof for creating an environment that fosters bullying and…

This study seeks to explore the career trajectories of Black South African female academics at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Their lived experiences continue to include the political vicissitudes of race and gender. Global scholarship on the challenges experienced by Black women in academia is palpable; the South African landscape is…

Teachers face increased workplace challenges in South Africa. Through a process of intervention research, this study aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a work-based support programme for teachers. Maslow's hierarchy of needs was adopted as the theoretical framework informing both programme design and evaluation. Teachers (n = 10) were…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible use of internships to support educators with the increase in their administrative, professional workload. Design/methodology/approach: This research utilised a mixed method approach. Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered. Pragmatism was the research paradigm. Two structured…

If work-family role conflict is not managed properly it could have debilitating consequences for educators regarding the quality of their work and family lives. The aims of the current study were twofold, namely, to determine the nature and the extent of role conflict being experienced by primary school educators teaching in three regions of North…

Background: Over the past few decades, higher education institutions worldwide have experienced substantial changes, including: massification, internationalisation and increasing demands for exceptional instructional quality and research quantity in environments that have also seen heightened competition for students, faculty and resources.…

The aim of this study was to validate the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) for use in a South African context. The process of scale validation also sheds significant light on this culturally diverse group of participants' levels of psychological wellbeing and physical health, and its association with the level of stress that teachers reported. Using…

The COVID-19 outbreak stimulated an outbreak of online learning in many institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Educational institutions went beyond fighting the COVID-19 through social distancing norms to tackling Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) with the adoption of online learning as the new modality for instruction. Online learning has…

Teachers working in under-resourced contexts struggle to provide psychosocial support to learners. In this article, we focus on 10 teacher participants' reflections of how a transformative action research process enhanced their collective capacity for initiating sustainable learner support. A linked participatory action learning and action…

In times of crisis, people look up to their leaders and expect that they would minimise the impact of the crisis at hand. Leaders in such situations must grasp and address the crisis while maintaining a sense of normality. In this research, we drew on data from a literature search to answer the following question: What can be learnt from studies…

Teaching large classes poses many challenges to lecturers where massification is a reality in higher education. There are implications for both teaching and effective learning in this context. The need for accountability to learners in education provision served as motivation for a study of large classes in the largest faculty of one university…

Working in challenging contexts can impact negatively on a teacher's sense of purpose and efficacy. This article explores the potential of group Life Design (LD), a narrative constructivist career counselling process, for supporting ten South African school teachers working at an under-resourced school with understanding their career aspirations…