Abstracts
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the impact of socio-demographic factors on the manifestation of Botho/Ubuntu philosophy in online education. We used Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory to understand how Botho influences stakeholders' attitudes and actions. We employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design and gathered data through a survey. The respondents in the study included staff, tutors, and students associated with an open university. We conveniently selected a sample of 263 respondents from the open university’s five regional campuses and headquarters. The findings indicated that age, marital status, and tenure with the university significantly influenced stakeholders' perceptions of Botho principles in online teaching and learning. This study highlights the importance of incorporating Botho/Ubuntu principles in online education to establish inclusive and supportive virtual learning environments. Educators can use these findings to foster student engagement and success. However, further research is necessary to comprehensively understand the effect of Botho/Ubuntu principles on student outcomes and explore stakeholders' perspectives on their effectiveness.
Keywords:
- botho,
- ubuntu,
- online environment,
- e-teaching and learning (e-TL),
- socio-demographic factors
Résumé
Cette étude examine l’influence des facteurs sociodémographiques sur la manifestation de la philosophie botho/ubuntu dans l’enseignement en ligne. En s’appuyant sur la théorie sociale cognitive d’Albert Bandura, les auteurs analysent comment botho/ubuntu influence les attitudes et actions des acteurs éducatifs. À partir d’une enquête menée auprès de 263 répondants (personnel, tuteurs et étudiants) dans une université ouverte, les résultats révèlent que l’âge, le statut marital et l’ancienneté influencent significativement les perceptions de botho/ubuntu dans les pratiques pédagogiques numériques. L’étude souligne l’intérêt d’intégrer cette philosophie pour mettre en place des environnements d’apprentissage virtuels inclusifs et solidaires. Les enseignants peuvent utiliser ces résultats pour promouvoir l'engagement des étudiants et leur réussite scolaire. Cependant, des recherches supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour comprendre de manière exhaustive l'effet des principes botho/ubuntu sur les résultats des étudiants et explorer le point de vue des parties prenantes sur leur efficacité.
Mots-clés :
- botho,
- ubuntu,
- environnement en ligne,
- e-enseignement et e-apprentissage,
- facteurs sociodémographiques
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Appendices
Biographical notes
Dr. Ishmael Magare is currently a lecturer and Head of the Teacher Education Department at Botswana Open University He is an experienced educator with thirty-three years in education. He holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He has published a number of articles in high-impact refereed journals.
Dr. Shikha Trivedi is currently the Head of the Early Childhood Department at Botswana Open University. She holds a PhD in Education, specialising in Childhood Development and Family Relations from Chaudhary Charan Singh Meerut University, India. With 15 years of experience in tertiary education, she is a seasoned educator who has published articles in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and presented research papers at both national and international conferences. Dr. Trivedi is also a curriculum developer, teacher trainer, and adjudicator in the field of Early Childhood Development. Her research interests include Child Advocacy and Children’s rights, Language and Literacy, EarlyChildhood Pedagogies, Family Relations, and Early Childhood Public Policy Development.
Dr. Joseph Amooti Kasozi is currently the Head of the Department of Educational Management and Leadership in the School of Education at Botswana Open University. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa; an MEd (Tertiary Didactics) plus a Post-Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education from UNISA; a Post-Graduate Diploma in Educational Management and Administration from IDM (Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland); an MSc from Reading University in the UK; and a BSc and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from Makerere University. He is widely published and has presented papers at local and international conferences, symposia, and workshops. His research interests include teacher and educator professional development, distance and adult education, quality assurance in higher education, and graduate research supervision.
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