Explore the evidence.
Understand the reach.

This paper investigated interaction and discourse during teacher classroom practices in the Senior Phase Natural Sciences in some rural schools positioned in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The research method employed was a qualitative interpretative multiple case study design. Two schools were selected, and one Natural Science teacher from each school participated in this study. Classroom observations and interviews were used to collect data from Senior phase Natural Sciences teachers. Natural sciences teachers were interviewed in their schools and observed during classroom practice. The findings of the study show that the type of discourse observed from Natural Sciences teachers was authoritative discourse and the pattern of discourse employed was Initiation Response Evaluation. Teacher questioning was used to develop the lesson and evaluate learner understanding. Teachers used an interactive-authoritative communicative approach during their lesson presentations. The consequences of the approaches the teachers use limit the opportunities for learners to interact amongst themselves and the subject content. It is recommended that besides focusing on subject matter knowledge during continuous development programs, there is a need to focus on interactions and discourse. Furthermore, there is a need to conduct further studies on a large scale so that a suitable intervention program can be designed for in-service teachers.

The paper seeks to illustrate the propinquity between mobile phone technology and the profitability of immigrant entrepreneurs’ businesses and whether there is a positive effect. The outcome should ascertain if mobile technology could be propounded as a credible source of competitive advantage. The paper uses a qualitative approach, using content analysis as the research design tool. Data analysis was done through the conceptual content analysis approach. Various online databases such as EBSCOhost, Google scholar, JSTOR, and Science Direct were accessed for literature. Different terms (keywords) such as; “Mobile phone technology”, “mobile marketing”, and “mobile payment” were searched. The data collected through a systematic literature review were compiled, analysed, and generated conclusions. This paper deduces that immigrant entrepreneurs stand to gain a competitive edge by using mobile phone technology, thereby improving business performance. Future researchers need to expand the scope of their study to other sectors and industries globally. The paper exhibits the significance of apps and websites as mobile technology tools that can positively impact business performance. This paper outlines how mobile technology is now an essential catalyst in the performance of various business sectors. Results are essential to app and website developers, entrepreneurs and the business society.

Substance abuse is one of the most pervasive problems facing our nation, especially in the townships. Curbing this problem requires an integrated approach in which community stakeholders and society work together to improve safety by tackling the fundamental causes of criminality through mobilising state and non-state capacities and resources at all levels. This study seeks to assess the strategies and successes of community initiatives and circumstances that bestow on the path towards helping to fulfill the community’s aim to prevent and combat drug abuse. This study made use of a sample of 90 respondents 18 years and older who responded to the survey. A purposive sample of 10 staff members from the community-based organisations participated in oral interviews, while a simple random sample of 80 community members responded to questionnaires. Furthermore, secondary data sources were consulted to back up the claims that emerged from this study. While the study evaluated community strategies and documented some of the successes, including the rehabilitation of drug addicts, it also highlighted the lack of capacity of community organisations to make meaningful contributions in this regard. In particular, the lack of cooperation/collaboration and trust between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the community stakeholders is a cause for concern that may hinder any efforts to combat drug abuse. This study, therefore, highlights strategies that require a collective effort from government stakeholders.

This paper was aimed at clarifying the significance of instructional methodologies used by senior-phase teachers to integrate environmental education. The researcher’s empirical evidence evoked interest in this paper; the researcher noted that senior-phase teachers would barely integrate environmental education and if they did, they would only rely on an outdoor teaching method. This observation piqued the paper's attention. A qualitative interpretive multiple case study method was used. This paper was conducted in three senior phase schools in the Nkangala district in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Three teachers who taught natural science, technology, and life orientation subjects were sampled purposefully. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and pre- and post-lesson observations, and a typology approach was used to analyze data. The main research findings were that these teachers had confusion about which instructional methodologies to use when integrating environmental education. Furthermore, this paper revealed that the use of instructional methodologies such as narrative, lecture, project, jigsaw, textbook, and student team accomplishment division methods hampered environmental education integration inadequately. Nonetheless, instructional methodologies such as the interactive method, the outdoor learning method, the question-and-answer method, and the discussion method allowed some of these teachers to integrate environmental education effectively. Therefore, to ensure that there is an education for sustainable development and that teaching and learning are responsive to the Sustainable Development Goals. It is recommended that the curriculum implementers and teachers establish ongoing environmental education programs consistent with South Africa’s Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement to enable adequate integration of environmental education through various instructional methodologies.

This study examined the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the much sought-after regional economic integration using Southern Africa as a case study. The eruption of COVID-19 stifled world economic activities and unleashed economic uncertainties.  First, the disease forced countries into imposing restrictions that included total closure of businesses and borders and travel bans that resulted in reduced economic activity among countries. Second, Africa was expected to suffer economic reverse of between -2% to -5% in 2020 due to a sharp decline in output growth. This has had adverse implications on trade and financial markets across the region and scuppers the ambitions for regional economic integration. Using a desktop approach the study critiqued and analysed the literature on regional integration and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prospects for enhanced regional economic integration. The findings revealed that COVID-19 plunged the prospects of regional economic integration into disarray. Owing to imposed restrictions business slumped, trade declined, poverty deepened and vulnerability of populations increased cumulatively negating the quest for regional integration. The study concludes that to manage the aftermath of COVID-19, regional economic coordination should be encouraged. 

The paper seeks to illustrate the propinquity between mobile phone technology and the profitability of immigrant entrepreneurs’ businesses and whether there is a positive effect. The outcome should ascertain if mobile technology could be propounded as a credible source of competitive advantage. The paper uses a qualitative approach, using content analysis as the research design tool. Data analysis was done through the conceptual content analysis approach. Various online databases such as EBSCOhost, Google scholar, JSTOR, and Science Direct were accessed for literature. Different terms (keywords) such as; “Mobile phone technology”, “mobile marketing”, and “mobile payment” were searched. The data collected through a systematic literature review were compiled, analysed, and generated conclusions. This paper deduces that immigrant entrepreneurs stand to gain a competitive edge by using mobile phone technology, thereby improving business performance. Future researchers need to expand the scope of their study to other sectors and industries globally. The paper exhibits the significance of apps and websites as mobile technology tools that can positively impact business performance. This paper outlines how mobile technology is now an essential catalyst in the performance of various business sectors. Results are essential to app and website developers, entrepreneurs and the business society.

The teaching of life sciences within the Islamic culture was observed in this investigation by instructors at the Association of Muslim Schools in the KZN region. The following question served as the basis for the investigation: Do Islamic schools teach life sciences from an Islamic perspective? The Association of Muslim Schools gave its approval after receiving ethical scrutiny. A questionnaire, interviews, and observations were used to gather data. The analysis of the data was conducted using an inductive methodology. The philosophy of Islam and its approaches to teaching the required Life Sciences curriculum served as the study's conceptual foundation. The results show that there is a problem with integrating religious knowledge into science teaching in Muslim ethos schools in South Africa. The Professional Teaching Model was an initiative to close the gap caused by educational dualism.

As qualitative research, this article aims to critically engage on the level of scholarship by modern scholars for pursuing knowledge development in South African public administration. The article also concludes that the purpose of peer review is to evaluate and improve the text and that if scholars perceive their purpose in review as to criticise and not to critique the scientific work for areas of improvement, they expose their weaknesses and biases, which does not contribute to knowledge development and improvement in the scholarship debates.

Leadership effectiveness is critical for organisational success. An assessment of the factors which promote leadership effectiveness is therefore warranted. The study sought to investigate the attributes of effective leaders within the retail industry and reveal how they influence the perceptions of subordinates of the level of leadership in the sector. A self-administered questionnaire was hand-delivered to a sample of managers employed by retailing firms in the greater Tshwane area. The researchers analysed survey data from 104 respondents, using exploratory factor analysis to tease out the factors representing the attributes of effective leaders relative to the level of leadership. The findings suggest that subordinates believed the level of leadership among retail managers to be average. The results of the multiple-factor analysis revealed four categories of attributes, namely skilful, inspiring, compassionate and persistent. The correlation analysis between the level of leadership and attributes of leadership/management team revealed the level of leadership to be significantly and positively related to skilful, inspiring and persistent. Our discussion highlights the importance of understanding the qualities that make an effective leader. The study furthers the results of the inquiry into leadership and suggests avenues for future research on enhancing leadership effectiveness among retail managers.

This study investigated the impact of parental financial socialisation on financial attitude of young black African adults in rural and low-income area in South Africa through quantitative research approach, survey design and self-administered questionnaire. Data was collected from young black African adults in Fetakgomo Tubatse and Intsika Yethu local municipalities, low-income and rural areas in South Africa. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the relationship between parental financial behaviour, parental financial monitoring, parental financial discussion, parental financial communication, and parental financial teaching with financial attitude. The results showed that parental financial communication and parental financial teaching had a significant positive relationship with financial attitude. While parental financial behaviour, parental financial monitoring and parental financial discussion had no significant positive relationship with financial attitude. Therefore, the overall results indicated that parental financial socialisation has no impact on financial attitude of young black African adults in rural and low-income area in South Africa. This study provided recommendations to parents, young black African adults, financial educators, financial services institutions, financial counsellors and the government.