EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Dec

03

2024

Young people were becoming more anxious long before social media – here’s the evidence

EDUCATION

THANKS to bestselling authors like Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge, the public has become increasingly aware of the rapid rise in mental health issues among younger people in many Western countries. Their warnings about the destructive impact of social media have had an effect, reflected not least in a wave of schools across Europe banning smartphones. While it’s good to draw attention to the rising rates of depression and anxiety, there’s a risk of becoming fixated on simplistic explanations that reduce the issue to technical variables like “screen time”. In my book, Why We Worry: A Sociological Explanation, I aim…

Nov

23

2024

By ELISE KALOKERINOS and ELLA MOECK

Waiting for exam results can be awful. Our research shows how best to manage the stress

EDUCATION

IT'S that time of year when students are waiting for school and university results that could change the course of their lives. Uncertain waiting periods are among our most emotionally challenging experiences. In fact, research shows students are more stressed while waiting for their results than after finding out they have failed. This is because dealing with an uncertain situation is more stressful than dealing with a known negative outcome. In our new research, we investigated how students can best approach this often agonising time. Our research We followed 101 university psychology students in Belgium receiving results that determined whether…

Nov

20

2024

By CATHERINE DRAPER

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial – there’s growing evidence that the next 1,000 are just as important

EDUCATION

THE first 1,000 days of a child’s life – pregnancy and the months leading to their second birthday – are a critical time. Expectant mothers need good antenatal care. The better their physical and mental health, the greater the likelihood of giving birth to a healthy baby and being able to nurture that baby through the first two years of life. There’s a large global body of evidence to show that what happens during this period has lifelong effects on a person’s health, growth and well-being. Less attention has been paid to the “next 1,000 days” when children are between…

Nov

07

2024

By RUSSELL H. KASCHULA and MBALI SUNRISE DHLAMINI

South Africa’s classrooms should have a ‘box’ of languages to help children learn: new bilingual education policy is a start

EDUCATION

LANGUAGE has always been used as a political football in South Africa. This can be traced back to the competing English and Dutch colonisers, from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, each group trying to assert linguistic as well as economic and social control. Later, language was used to divide and rule under apartheid. For instance, the racist regime created “homelands” – areas of self-determination for Black South Africans – that were linguistically bounded; all isiXhosa speakers, for example, were relegated to the same area where they were forced to live and study. Today the country has 12 official…

Nov

02

2024

By ABIODUN EGBETOKUN and ADEDAYO OLOFINYEHUN

Nigeria’s universities need to revamp their entrepreneurship courses – they’re not meeting student needs

EDUCATION

YOUTH unemployment has been a problem in Nigeria for decades. This is why policymakers are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship education as a solution. It is hoped that entrepreneurship will reduce reliance on formal jobs and create more opportunities for self-employment. The unemployment rate stood at 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, representing a third consecutive increase since the second quarter of 2023. This is close to the 2023 global unemployment rate of 5.1%. Researchers and policymakers globally view entrepreneurship education as a key solution to youth unemployment. Nigerian universities have been required since 2006 to teach at least one…

Nov

01

2024

By JAMES RANSOM

Africa’s flagship universities have a proud history – but are they serving local communities?

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITIES play a number of crucial roles in society. They educate students, research solutions to problems and serve as spaces for national debate. This is especially true for large public institutions, often referred to as flagship universities. A number were launched with great fanfare around the time of a country’s independence from colonial rule. They were tasked with driving national development by training skilled graduates to fill workforce gaps and conducting applied research to address societal challenges. Many have done well in their historic national missions. But how are they performing today when it comes to serving their local communities?…

Oct

28

2024

By MARTINA VAN HEERDEN

Giving feedback is a skill: 3 tips on how to do it well for students

EDUCATION

IT can be difficult to tell someone what you think of their work, even if you mean well and even if you think they’re doing a good job. Sometimes the person doesn’t understand what you mean or doesn’t respond the way you’d hoped. Feedback should contribute to learning, but you might sometimes wonder if it’s any use at all. South African university lecturer Martina van Heerden studied the art of giving feedback to students in higher education. Her insights and three top tips are useful for effective communication in many areas of life. Why did you decide to study feedback?…

Oct

23

2024

By KATHRYN WATT and CHRIS DESMOND

Education and gender equality: focus on girls isn’t fair and isn’t enough – global study

EDUCATION

FOR the past two decades, investing in girls’ schooling has been hailed as a cornerstone of promoting gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2016 and 2018 the World Bank Group invested US$3.2 billion in education projects benefiting adolescent girls. The logic is straightforward. Girls face significant barriers to education, among them poverty, insufficient academic support, adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, and school-related gender-based violence. Reducing these barriers can substantially improve their educational outcomes. But is this approach – investing in girls’ education – fair to boys, and enough to make a meaningful impact on girls’ lives in the long term? Having…

Oct

15

2024

By ZANE DAVIDS; LISA SEYMOUR and RAFEEQ JAFFER

Social media as a teaching tool: South African teachers talk about the new reality

EDUCATION

THE COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shift towards the use of social media platforms in teaching. The South African Department of Basic Education, for one, instructed all schools to adopt online teaching and learning to save the 2020 school year, disrupted by the pandemic and the forced closure of schools. It is getting clearer that this shift towards technology use will continue. Some researchers have noted that it has also put the focus of the learning process more on students than on teachers. Young people aged between 15 and 24 usually attend secondary school or higher education institutions and use…

Oct

13

2024

By The African Mirror

The rise of tech titans: SATNAC 2024 ignites a new era of innovation

EDUCATION

In the heart of South Africa's iconic Kruger National Park, a quiet revolution is taking place. The SATNAC 2024 Industry Solutions Challenge has just concluded, leaving in its wake a trail of groundbreaking ideas and a new generation of tech visionaries poised to reshape our world. This isn't just another student competition. It's a crucible of innovation, a platform where the brightest minds from across Southern Africa converge to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. The theme, "The AI-driven hyperconnected future; Co-creating shared value," serves as a rallying cry for these young innovators, pushing them to…