This paper presents the results of a systematic review of literature, reported in research journals, on the experiences of higher educational institutions regarding teaching, learning, and assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Different studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted within the South African context, but there has…

The study's main aim is to explore the preparedness of a sampled group of South African pre-service teachers at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to teach adequately in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4iR) classroom. The study employed a case study research design to ascertain the level of preparedness of pre-service teachers (n = 22) to use…

Following a global trend, higher education (HE) in Africa has also become a complex enterprise, potentially demanding specific expertise in higher education research. However, despite this, there is a dearth of analysis into the state of research on African HE. This paper seeks to fill this gap by mapping and analysing African HE research. We…

The purpose of the study reported on here was to investigate the role of partnerships in helping in-service teachers overcome the difficulties associated with performing practical work prescribed in the Life Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), an educational policy intended to transform the South African school curriculum…

The perceived dichotomy between public or private benefits to higher education remains of growing interest in higher education research and policy. In this paper, I borrow from the African philosophy of "Ubuntu" as a conceptual lens to interrogate this binary within the South African context using the 'black tax' phenomenon. Gleaning…

Purpose: This study attempts to determine a set of characteristics for each educational component in the competence-based agricultural education system. Design: This study reviewed 95 articles published in four relevant scientific journals to determine the characteristics of a competence-based higher agricultural education system. These…

The increased use of digital technology in higher education requires university students to be digitally proficient. The main objective of this study is to examine the extent to which university students' proficiency in various digital competences could be helpful towards their learning performance. This study adopted DigComp 2.2 to design a data…

Objective: Because of COVID-19, higher education changed as institutions went remote and students' mental health was challenged. Rural universities were disproportionately affected because of limited Internet access. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological need satisfaction/frustration and mental health among rural college…

Purpose: South African Black graduates experience a transition challenge between the higher education context and the labor market system. The study focuses on rural Black students' perceived work readiness and assessment of labor market access in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: Focus groups and unstructured individual interviews were…

Community engagement (CE) has been identified as an important pillar alongside teaching and research in higher education. Despite this it has emerged slowly within the South African landscape due to a lack of understanding regarding engagement. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this study sought to explore how academics (N=14), at a University of…

The role of higher education to produce qualified graduates with high competence for competitive and borderless job markets has become solemnly complicated in the current globalized world. In parallel, the persistent paradox of what constitutes the quality of education has provoked intellectual debates in diverse educational settings -- causing…

This report forms part of an international project, led by UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), on higher education's role in supporting "flexible learning pathways." Flexible learning pathways (FLPs) in higher education provide routes to the acquisition of knowledge and skills at different life stages, to…

Despite numerous supports for undergraduates, low success rate has been a growing concern in the South African university system. Guided by Moore's [1993. "Theory of Transactional Distance." In "Theoretical Principles of Distance Education," edited by Keegan, 22-38. London: Routledge.] transactional distance theory, this…

This edition of "WICHE Insights" discusses the most recent results of WICHE's annual survey, "Tuition and Fees in the West," as well as the recent trends in state appropriations and state financial aid. Overall, the most recent data highlights a positive trend in state higher education finance as most states reported minimal…

To understand increases in student share of net tuition for state colleges and universities, resulting from state financial decreases in support for higher education, a quantitative, longitudinal, multi-level analysis of data from all 50 states in the USA from 1992 to 2013 was examined. Five hypotheses related to (1) growth in student share of net…