This study sought to explore the experiences of academics with the use of e-learning to support teaching and learning at a South African university. The theory underpinning the study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study adopted a qualitative design using ten purposively selected academic staff and one IT specialist at a South African university. Semi-structured interview was used to gather the data that were used to answer the research questions. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The following themes resulted from the analysis: technical support and training for e-learning; Information Communication Technology infrastructure and internet accessibility; uptake of e-learning and the use of the Learning Management System; content development for e-learning; and evaluation of teaching effectiveness using e-learning. Based on the findings, periodic updates and training on the new changes should be made to the university’s e-learning platforms, provision of timely technical support to academics in order to sustain positive user experiences of e-learning were recommended.

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Numerous studies have established that teaching can be a stressful profession and that stress may affect career motivation and diminish effectiveness and job satisfaction of many loyal and gifted teachers. Van der Westhuisen (1991) observes that the increasing demands made on the schools and teachers have led to an alarming escalation of stress and professional burnout as career risks for those in the teaching profession. A major concern with occupational stress in the teaching profession is that prolonged experience of stress can precipitate both mental and physical ill-health (Walker & Cole, 1989:28). The widespread concern regarding occupational stress in teaching has led many researchers to focus on this area. Furthermore, there has been an increasing recognition of the link between mental and physical health and occupational stress, and indeed concern to improve the working lives of teachers (Williams & Gersch, 2004). This sought to investigate the sources of occupational stress amongst primary school teachers. The sample consisted of 168 teachers from primary schools in KwaZulu Natal province, South Africa. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The study reveals that teaching stressors which the teachers found stressful, in order of most to least stressful, were curriculum changes, work load pressures, job insecurity, poor relationship with colleagues, reward and recognition, learners discipline problems, poor rapport with management and role ambiguity. In terms of factors associated with teacher stress, the results showed that a combination of internal and external factors were associated with teacher stress. In terms of internal factors, organisational stressors and classroom stressors were associated with teacher stress. In terms of external stressors minimal general life stressors were also found to be associated with teacher stress. The areas which teachers viewed as most stressful were policy changes, timework load pressures and classroom discipline.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of online learning and self-directed learning to motivate and engage students. Therefore, this study sought to determine how online learning fostered self-directed learning at a South African university during this period. Higher education institutions worldwide had to shut down indefinitely following guidance from health experts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since education is regarded as a pillar of development for all countries, some means had to be found to keep teaching and learning going irrespective of the ongoing health crisis. Hence, online learning made it possible for university students to continue learning during the emergency university closure. This was a period of reckoning, however, as many students began experiencing challenges related to poor internet connectivity and accessing digital learning devices. Despite these challenges, the solution was to reach out to all students to ensure that they were not excluded from the learning process. The sudden transition to online learning meant that students could no longer follow a well-coordinated, structured learning schedule that was guided and supervised on campus; rather, online learning meant they had to become more independent in their learning. Independent learning encourages students to be proactive and independent, a philosophy aligned to self-directed learning (SDL). This study explored the experiences of third-year student teachers in navigating SDL through online learning platforms. The study was underpinned by self-directed learning theory and adopted a qualitative case study research design, generating data from ten student teachers using a Zoom App focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis framework. The study found that although SDL is appropriate because it promotes learning independently, the majority of student teachers encountered several challenges when adopting online learning, catching them off guard because they were not formally introduced to it.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pre-service teachers’ computer self-efficacy on their use of computers. The research used a quantitative design whose data were collected by using a structured five-point Likert scale questionnaire with responses ranging from 1(strongly agree) to 5(strongly disagree). Simple random sampling was used to select a representative sample of 400 participants from a population of 4000 pre-service teachers, of which 332 of them were successfully returned, yielding a response rate of 83%. The study employed the Technology-Acceptance Model with eight constructs, namely; demographic influence (DI), social influence (SI), basic computer skills (CS), access to computers (AC), perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), computer self-efficacy (CSE), and actual computer use (AU). Factor analysis was used to analyse the data generated from the survey, with the help of PLS-SEM, using the SmartPLS software version 3.0. The findings of the study indicated that each of the identified factors in the model had a significant effect on CSE. In essence, the identified explanatory variables explained 73.7% of the variance in CSsE. The four independent variables explained 45.4% of the variance in PU of computers and 66.5% of the variance in PEOU of computer use. The CSE model also explained 60.6% of the variance in computer use. In order to develop a strong CSE for pre-service teachers, it is recommended that higher education institutions ensure that all students have access to the necessary computers, proper connectivity, and skilled technicians.

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Computer tools Fourth industrial revolution (4IR) Information and communication technology (ICT)Technological pedagogical educational psychology content domain (TPEPCD) Technology integration models. Contribution/Originality:The primary contribution of this study is to encourage policy makers, educational planners and the South African Department of Basic Education, in particular to adopt proactive and practical measures to enhance teachers' professional repertoire in the wake of digital technologies and trends of the 4IR.Furthermore, these findings hint at the contingent global educational trends and suggest Education and e-Learning policymakers how to make decisions from an informed perspective. INTRODUCTIONUse of computer tools has made the world 'smaller' as teachers can reach out to several learners all over the world through virtual classrooms by a mere click of the computer button. Jantjies and Joy (2016) stated that the use of computer technology has become an important aspect of the teaching and learning process across the world.Effective computer usage allows learners to stay focused on given tasks as it promotes learning through multiple ways (Edutopia, 2014). Similarly, Eristi, Kurt, and Dindar (2012) emphasize that "learning, supported with activities which address more than one sensory organ" enhances learner-motivation and engagement thus leading to

The purpose of this concept study was to propose a comprehensive model for assessing student teachers’ competences in teaching practice. The study answered the following question: How can student teachers be holistically assessed for teaching practice using a comprehensive model? Teaching practice is a crucial component of initial teacher education (ITE) preparation programmes. However, while teaching practice is one of the most widely studied areas in ITE, international studies indicate fragmented trajectories in the assessment of teaching practice. In addition, very few studies in South Africa have reflected on how assessment is done for teaching practice during ITE programmes. In most of these programmes, performance-based, observation-based, or on-demand assessments are given preference at the expense of others. Against this background, this study was designed to produce a comprehensive model for assessment of teaching practice during initial teacher preparation from the available literature. Epistemologically, the study was underpinned by social constructivism and theoretically supported by an integrated curriculum approach. The study followed a narrative literature review approach, focusing on studies that explored ways in which teaching practice is assessed in ITE. From this analysis, the study provided a holistic and comprehensive model for assessing student teachers’ professional competences during teaching practice.