Papers by Subethra Pather
Key indicators informing students’ perceptions of online learning and academic performance during the COVID- 19 pandemic
The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning, May 30, 2023
The purpose of this paper is to examine students' perceptions of their online learning ex... more The purpose of this paper is to examine students' perceptions of their online learning experience during the first wave of COVID-19. The paper highlights the actions taken by the institution in transitioning to online learning and key indicators which influenced students' perceived online learning and academic performance during the pandemic. The study was conducted at a university and reports on quantitative and qualitative data collected from an online survey of 3257 students. Tinto and Pusser's (2006) model of institutional actions was used as a framework to guide the study. The study's findings forced the university to re-look at student support through new lenses. The findings from the data provided the basis for the institution to re-invent three academic policies to include a more holistic approach to learning, teaching, and student success. The policies developed were: Flexible Learning and Teaching Provision (FLTP), Assessment, and Curriculum Transformation and Renewal, which placed the student at the centre of university actions.
Critical studies in teaching and learning, 2024
The move from the traditional academic conference format to a loosely defined format of unconfere... more The move from the traditional academic conference format to a loosely defined format of unconference can be contentious and spark a robust debate on the conceptual disruption of conferencing. As part of HELTASA's strategic plan of restructuring and re-imagining its vision and purpose, it initiated a new way of conferencing; participant-driven and participantfocused. Through self-reflective written narratives, this paper explores three academic development practitioners' experiences in planning and reflecting on the HELTASA's (un)conference. We share our accounts of (un)conference as a conceptual disruption to the traditional conference format, concepts, and ways of doing and being. Qualitative data were collected from the three written narratives through a collective descriptive autoethnography research design and methodology. The insights collected are applied to the Conceptual Disruption Framework which proposes a tripartite framework for conceptual disruption, which distinguishes conceptual disruptions occurring at three levels (individual concepts, clusters of concepts, conceptual schemes), taking on two forms (conceptual gaps, conceptual conflicts), and leading to three distinct levels of severity (mild, moderate, severe). Using this framework, we describe our personal thoughts and perspectives in engaging with the novel approach of (un)conferencing. We probe into the potential of collaborative reflection to gain deeper insights and understanding of our shift from a traditional academic conference to a HELTASA (un)conference. We explore the discomfort, displacement, and learnings of the intentional disruption of our conceptual understanding of (un)conference practices. This paper highlights our shifting mindsets as we reflect and interrogate our thoughts and perspectives on the conceptual framing of (un)conferencing. The analysis of the data reveals that the engagement in the conceptual disruption of (un)conferencing together with the engagement with the concept planning and event provided the environment and atmosphere where the team appreciated brainstorming conceptual understandings, self-reflecting, and exploring different perspectives. This study provides empirical evidence of strength in collaboration, the building of conceptual disruption as a community of practice and possibility of (un)conferencing being a shape-shifter A collaborative reflective perspective on conceptual disruption 63 in higher education. At an interpersonal level, the process allowed us to self-interrogate the conceptual disruption, unpacking our thoughts and shaping our own thinking. The paper asserts that shifting mindsets from conference to (un)conference, involves conceptual disruption which is a messy process and requires a level of trust, openness, adaptability amongst all members of the organising team.
Hope in Times of Trouble: An Academic Development Perspective of Learning and Teaching During a Crisis
ECE Official Conference Proceedings
Understanding first-year experience in the SA higher education context: A conceptual framework
Understanding first-year experience in the South African higher education context: A conceptual framework
Proceedings of The Focus Conference (TFC 2022), 2023
Student voices have the potential to increase student engagement; encourage collaboration and par... more Student voices have the potential to increase student engagement; encourage collaboration and partnerships among students, academics and student support units. This paper focuses on students as mentors, mentees and transition officers who engage with each other as partners within an institution-wide First Year Transition Programme (FYTP). The FYTP is a peer partnership intervention that is founded on the idea that students connect with other students who can identify and understand their particular experiences in adjusting to university life. This model is a collaborative peer-mentoring partnership that provides a dual layer of support that is offered to first year mentees in the transition programme. The transition programme plays an important role in creating a sense of connectedness, partnerships and self-agency that could support students in their first year. This paper highlights the partnership of the First Year Transition Officers (FYTOs) and first year mentors in supporting mentees towards a successful virtual first year university transition. Qualitative data was collected and analysed from the FYTOs and mentors' reports and a world café activity during the pandemic. The study highlights the challenges and successes of the partnership during the Covid-19 pandemic. The paper draws on Leach and Zepke's conceptual organiser on student engagement to analyse the data within a broader social context on student experience. It provided us with actionable focus on how challenges could be addressed and partnerships strengthened.
What social innovation and development can do for a university
Partnership for first-year students in innovative programme
An Assessment of Student Resource Readiness for Online Learning During Covid 19: A South African Case Study
ICERI2020 Proceedings, 2020
On the 23 March 2020 the President of South Africa announced measures to address the Covid-19 pan... more On the 23 March 2020 the President of South Africa announced measures to address the Covid-19 pandemic, which included a three week lockdown period. The initial announcement took all sectors of society by surprise including the Higher Education Sector. Many universities scurried to re-organise the delivery model of the academic project to a fully electronic mediated one. One of the foremost challenges that confronted the average South African university in its plight to transform the modus operandi of programme delivery was that of the resource readiness of the average South African university student. Such an understanding was necessary not only to inform the design of novel electronic modes of teaching and learning, but also to ensure that University administrators and academics do not take for granted the resource disparities that exists among the student population. Various sources of data indicate that the digital divide is a reality in South Africa, especially outside the metropolitan areas and in most far flung small rural towns. As such this paper reports on a survey of students from a selected university. The main objective of the survey was to determine the resource readiness of students to engage with online learning while off-campus, during and beyond the period of lockdown. We present data which describes the state of device ownership, proximity to a broadband network, type of internet access, preference of device of learning, studying conditions at place of residence, and student confidence to engage in online learning. The survey results provide a basis on which recommendations are made as to how the disparities in the South African society in respect of Universal Service and Access to telecommunications and that of affordability could be mitigated to ensure that effective learning continues to take place during the "new normal" in higher education. These recommendations are of value to telecommunication policy makers in the average developing country as well as to academic planners in Universities in such countries.
Social and academic integration of first-year at-risk students in a mathematics intervention programme
This paper explores the social and academic integration of first-year at-risk students in a mathe... more This paper explores the social and academic integration of first-year at-risk students in a mathematics intervention programme (MIP). The aim was to determine the effect of the intervention programme on the influence of social and academic integration and mathematics performance. Tinto’s integration model [5], [18] was employed as an analytical lens to understand the phenomenon. The study specifically uses Tinto’s concepts of academic and social integration to investigate the influence on performance in the MIP. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed by making use of the qualitative approach. The findings reveal that the first-year at-risk students in the MIP experience a high level of academic and social integration due to the following: the classroom environment created; the collaborative teaching and learning techniques used; and the homogenous nature of the students in the MIP. Not only did the at-risk students’ mathematics results improve but there was also a positive shift in the students’ motivation and attitude to learning mathematics. The conclusion is that carefully planned interventions in the first year of study can enhance students’ academic and social integration which may result in academic success and increased retention rates.
This study investigated teaching and learning strategies, used by peer tutors in a Bachelor of Or... more This study investigated teaching and learning strategies, used by peer tutors in a Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) tutorial class, to enhance active and engaged learning. This study was conducted on tutorial classes that were linked to a BOH high impact module which many students found challenging. Peer tutors who are senior students in the Faculty of Dentistry led the tutorial classes. Tutorial classes refer to small group teaching which allow for one-on-one interaction and increased student engagement with a peer tutor. This study focused specifically on the tutors’ unconscious use of semantic waves as a teaching and learning technique to unpack difficult BOH concepts. Semantic waves refer to building knowledge through the construction of recurring up and down movements in the semantic gravity (context-dependent) and the semantic density (condensation of meaning) of knowledge. The construction of knowledge moves from abstract to the concrete and vice-versa. This qualitative study ma...
Reading & Writing, 2016
The varying literacy standards that undergraduate students represent are a reflection of their in... more The varying literacy standards that undergraduate students represent are a reflection of their interim grasp of academic literacy (Paxton 2007). The aim of this study is to analyse a small group of undergraduate first-year students’ depiction of their interim grasp of academic writing and to reflect on how lecturers use formative feedback to respond to specific issues regarding students’ academic transitions within their discipline. Using an emancipatory methodology, this study was designed as a participatory action research. Qualitative data from focus group interviews with lecturers and photovoice presentations by first-year dental technology students were used to explore how students demonstrated their interim grasp of academic essay writing in a Health Science department at a university of technology. However, this article, which is part of a broader study, analyses a small class of first-year students’ depiction of their interim grasp of essay writing and reflects on how their ...
South African Journal of Childhood Education, 2016
This study explored foundation phase first year student teachers’ perceptions about mathematics. ... more This study explored foundation phase first year student teachers’ perceptions about mathematics. The focus on their attitudes towards mathematics in two roles – (1) as learners of mathematics, based on their prior experiences at school and (2) as aspirant teachers of mathematics for children in the early grades. Data sources were students’ drawings/collages as well as written interpretations and elaborations of the drawings/collages. The findings indicated that participants had generally negative attitudes towards the learning of mathematics. Factors such as the transition from primary to high school, teacher qualities and mathematics-related anxiety contributed to the shaping of their attitudes. It was encouraging to note that over half the participants expressed positive attitudes in their roles as future teachers, with all expressing the desire to provide better mathematics experiences to their future learners.
Promoting Student Retention and Engagement Through Student Partnerships in a First Year Transition Program: A University Case Study
ICERI Proceedings
This paper examines one specific question: How students as partners have contributed to the First... more This paper examines one specific question: How students as partners have contributed to the First Year Transition Program (FYTP), student engagement and retention. The partnership with senior students as First Year Transition Officers (FYTOs), First-Year Mentors (FYMs), and staff in the academic space at the selected university created a shared responsibility to first year student retention goals. This paper describes the new First Year Transition Program (FYTP) piloted in 2019 at the selected university. It further describes how the student partnership enhanced first-year student engagement, transition and retention. An interpretivist approach was used to collect qualitative data from the First Year Transition Officers (FYTOs) who are postgraduate students located in each of the seven faculties. Literature on students as partners framed and guided the institution's first year transition program. This paper includes examples of how the more personalised and interactive approach of the FYTP enhanced peer engagement and active participation in academic support. The program also empowered the FYTOs as it improved their self-efficacy and confidence which resulted in the student leaders (FYTOs) taking ownership of the transition program that elevated it to enhance first year transition. The findings of this study indicate that a carefully designed and intentional use of students as partners in the FYTP can achieve successful results. The study demonstrates that the sharing nature of the reciprocal partnership with student leaders and academics, and the peer-to-peer supportive relationships increased feelings of acceptance, trust and mutual respect that contributed to the students' sense of connectedness and engagement to the university.
First-Year Undergraduate Students’ Unmet University Expectations and Experience Could Influence Academic Performance: A South African University Case Study
ICERI Proceedings
This study investigated the gap between first year students' prior university expectation... more This study investigated the gap between first year students' prior university expectations with their actual university experience, at one institution in the Western Cape. The focus of this study was twofold: firstly, to identify the intensity of the gap between incoming students' university expectations with their actual experience; and secondly, to investigate if the first-year students' unmet university expectations have an influence on their academic performance. Quantitative data was collected in two phases, the first phase collected information from a Pre-Entry Expectation survey conducted with first-year students' prior to the start of the academic year. The second phase of data was collection from a First-Year Experience survey administered towards the end of the academic year. A total of 187 first-year students that completed both surveys were the participants in the study. Paired T-test and regression analysis was used to analyse the gap between the students' university expectation and experience. Tinto's student integration model together with Lizzio's five sense of success model guided the research process. The finding from this study reveal that first-year students entering university have unrealistic expectations with regard to the following four dimensions investigated: students' resourcefulness, purposefulness, connectedness and capabilities. The study found that the students' university expectation scores were higher than their actual university experience scores. In addition, the findings reveal that there was a positive correlation between students' capabilities scores and their academic performance. Finally, the study posits that addressing first year students university expectations as early as possible could positively influence academic performance and retention.
DHET funded project, Education and Emancipation: A critical, interventionoriented investigation o... more DHET funded project, Education and Emancipation: A critical, interventionoriented investigation of obstacles and opportunities within the highereducation-and-training sector in South Africa, Centre for Critical Research on Race and Identity (CCRRI) at University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN)
Understanding Academics’ Adaptation to Learning and Teaching During a Crisis
This paper explores the reflections of two academic developers' experiences as they suppo... more This paper explores the reflections of two academic developers' experiences as they supported university academic staff with the transition to remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identify the three T-zones: the zone of trauma, transition and transformation experienced by academic staff during the time of the COVID-19 crises. These zones lead to academics going through phases of learning, unlearning and relearning, as they adapted to emergency remote teaching. Although higher education has experienced much disruption over the past few years, the arrival of COVID-19 has created unprecedented panic in the sector. The methodological framework for this paper is reflective practice. As academic developers, we reflect on our engagement with academic teaching staff and their experiences of the learning processes through displacement and isolation. As we engaged with academic staff within our portfolio as academic developers, we soon saw a pattern emerging in the way academics began to engage with the new normal. The challenges of rapidly changing their behaviour, skills, knowledge and ways of doing in the face-to-face delivery of lectures, and engagement with students over many years, created a barrier in their initial response to moving to emergency remote teaching. The zones highlight the learning, unlearning and relearning processes and adaptation experiences of the academics as they try to move teaching and learning online. We argue that during a time of crises lies opportunities to innovate and create new ways of being and doing. Academics adaptation during a time of crisis brought into focus the need to address inequalities with regard to access of resources and learning environment. In the South African context, this pandemic highlighted the remnants of an unequal past, as the struggle to ensure access takes centre stage once again. The pandemic also heightened academics' need to teach with care and compassion, which strangely created a sense of connectedness that was not observable during face-to-face teaching.
Journal of Student Affairs in Africa
The widening of access into higher education institutions in South Africa has rapidly transformed... more The widening of access into higher education institutions in South Africa has rapidly transformed the student population to become more diverse. Students vary in age, race, culture, backgrounds, educational experiences, academic potential and university expectations. Widening university access with the commensurate need for success requires intervention mechanisms to ensure university management addresses student challenges, especially at first-year undergraduate level. Access and success cannot be achieved without understanding students' university expectations and experiences, as these are critical factors that are integrated with retention and success. This paper examines the gap between students' expectation and experience and argues that the intensity of such a gap can negatively impact the goal of achieving access and success amongst students from diverse backgrounds. The study utilised a pre-and post-survey to collect quantitative data from 95 first-year teacher education students at a university of technology in South Africa. The results indicate that there is a significant gap between students' expectations and their actual university experience with regard to the following indicators: social engagement, academic engagement and seeking academic support. It is posited that such a mismatch between students' university expectations and experience can result in students feeling disconnected to the institution, which could lead to academic failure and high drop-out rates. This study recommends that an intentionally planned first-year experience programme is required to entrench a more inclusive and sustainable first-year experience for 'all students' which could close the gap between students' expectation and experience and access and success.
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
This study was prompted by concerns around mathematics teaching and learning in the South African... more This study was prompted by concerns around mathematics teaching and learning in the South African education system. Contributory factors to this situation are the lack of competent mathematics teachers in the classroom and mathematics at-risk students entering teacher education programmes. This paper reports on how a mathematics intervention programme (MIP) assisted in shaping at-risk student teachers' perceptions of their learning and teaching of mathematics. Activity Theory (AT) is used as a theoretical lens for examining these students' perceptions. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews with 12 students and their written and graphical reflections of their experiences in the MIP. The results confirm that the students' perceptions of their learning and teaching of mathematics had changed. Furthermore the study provides evidence that strategically planned interventions to deal with historically imbalances can and do work. The study concludes that the MIP had a positive effect on the students with regard to improving their attitudes and level of confidence in learning and teaching mathematics.
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Papers by Subethra Pather