Journal of Advocacy, Research and Education

6-17

Authors: John C.H. Hu

Research outputs towards dissemination – such as journal articles and academic conferences – may be difficult to access for marginalized youth, despite the fact that engaging youth in this access can help them equitably benefit from the existing research evidence-base while mobilizing new generations towards research utilization and application. A pilot study was conducted to assess digital media as an alternative tool for disseminating research to marginalized youth. Specifically, this article focuses on the mental health implications of communicating research to marginalized youth via digital media. Grounded in the perspectives of marginalized youth themselves, the three-phase study includes an exploratory literature review, a first round of interviews (n = 5) to refine the interview guide, and a second round of interviews with marginalized youth (n = 8) for a pilot investigation. Mental health impacts are analyzed with six emerging themes, with findings below. First, youth self-censor and can experience constant fear even in expressing support for a piece of digital media. Second, youth report intentionally seeking negative emotional experiences via digital media for personal growth and development. Third, youth can successfully receive transformational knowledge via digital media, but the inability to communicate this knowledge to peers and the powerlessness they can experience in being unable to utilize this knowledge can result in greater isolation. Lastly, the intrinsic link between digital media and creation of online communities around a common interest could be further explored towards successful research dissemination and utilization in the future.

32-42

Authors: Dumisani W Mncube, Blanche Hadebe-Ndlovu

This paper foregrounds values-based education, as linked to the inclusion of sustainable rural learning and knowledge in the form of indigenous games to decolonise school curricula. Certain curriculum challenges are unique to rural ecology and can only be addressed by experts and philosophers passionate about sustainable rural learning using ubuntu perspectives. This approach of using rural learning methodologies to teach school children is fertile ground for innovation in this study. Interpretivism, in the form of a phenomenological case study approach, was employed, using semi-structured interviews and classroom observation. Document analysis was also used to corroborate the findings. The findings reveal that indigenous games are implied in the curriculum, and teachers do their best to infuse local games in the Grade R, 1, and 2 Life Skills curricula. It was found that many indigenous games are a perfect strategy for infusing sustainable rural learning methods useful for teaching Life Skills in a decolonised approach. Teachers showed pedagogical content knowledge and skills for teaching Life Skills using indigenous games and Ubuntu philosophy. The results call for supportive in-service teacher programmes that can equip Foundation Phase teachers to improve their teaching strategies. In addition, resources should be earmarked to promote pedagogical content knowledge aligned with rural learning.