International Journal of Education, Arts and Social Issues in Africa (6 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• The conversion of polytechnics into technical universities: impact on academic performance  
  by Benjamin Apam, Isidoro P. David, Dalisay S. Maligalig, Consorcia E. Reaño, Maria Ana T. Quimbo 
  Abstract: Educational reforms encompass any planned change in the way a school system function. Since independence in 1957, Ghana has witnessed a number of educational reforms, the recent major reform being the conversion of polytechnics into technical universities. To evaluate the policy decision to reform the polytechnic system, this paper examined the impact of the conversion on students' academic performance in both categories, employing a combination of propensity score matching and group-centred analysis of variance. Primary data was obtained using a survey instrument and secondary obtained from the respective examination offices of the selected schools. The results showed an improvement on academic performance and the conversion had achieved one of its aims to improving academic performance. On the flip side, factors that also contributed to the choice of a higher educational institution included proximity, change of location, gender and articulating interest in either a polytechnic or technical university.
  Keywords: polytechnic conversion; educational reforms; propensity score matching; group-centred analysis; higher educational institution.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEASA.2025.10071406
   
  
• The impact of single-mother households on school attendance in Tanzania: a gender-based analysis  
  by Enock Mwakalila 
  Abstract: This study examines how single parenting influences children's school attendance compared to dual parenting in Tanzania. Using data from the 2021-2022 Household Budget Survey, a representative sample of 8,637 households on Tanzania's Mainland was analysed. The study employed logit regression for estimation. Results reveal that girls raised by single mothers are 42.1% more likely to attend school than those raised by both parents. In contrast, single-father parenting shows no significant impact on school attendance for boys or girls. The study recommends that policymakers and educators consider the unique effects of different family structures on children's access to education and develop strategies to improve schooling outcomes for all Tanzanian children.
  Keywords: single-parenting; school attendance; Tanzania; logit regression; education policy; family dynamics; gender analysis.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEASA.2025.10071407
   
  
• The orientation and practical path of digital resources development in higher education from 'digitalisation' to 'intelligentisation'  
  by Dengli Feng 
  Abstract: The rapid development and wide application of the new generation of information technology provide new opportunities and challenges for the transformation and upgrading of digital resources in higher education. This paper discusses the real representations of digital resources of higher education in China, such as unbalanced supply-side structure, mismatched matching between supply and demand, poor stickiness of resource users, room for improvement, imperfect mutual recognition of credits, blocking shared circulation, and low intelligence level. This paper puts forward the inevitable direction of the development of digital resources in higher education from 'single mode' to 'multi-mode', from 'standardisation' to 'precision', from 'mechanisation' to 'flexibility' and from 'discretisation' to 'ecology'. In order to realise these changes, the study puts forward six specific practical paths: refining the top-level design and promoting the supply reform; consolidate the new education infrastructure and building a solid hardware support system.
  Keywords: new generation information technology; intelligent educational resources; digital educational resources; higher education.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEASA.2026.10080386
   
  
• Educational access and coping strategies among conflict-displaced Sudanese families in Cairo, Egypt  
  by Randa H. Gindeel, Faiza Hussein Abdalla Osman 
  Abstract: This study examines educational access among conflict-displaced Sudanese families in Nasr City, Cairo, using a mixed-methods approach combining survey data (n = 75) and 5 semi-structured interviews. It analyses socio-economic characteristics, enrolment patterns, barriers to access, and coping strategies. Findings indicate that, despite relatively high parental education levels, families face significant financial, administrative, and institutional constraints that limit children's access to schooling. Reduced enrolment is observed following displacement, particularly among larger households. Parents respond through adaptive strategies, including enrolment in Sudanese community schools, relocation, and transitions between Egyptian and international education systems. Drawing on the capability approach, the study highlights the gap between formal educational rights and actual educational opportunities, emphasising how structural constraints shape access and participation.
  Keywords: conflict-displacement; Sudanese families; education access; capability approach; educational coping strategies; Egypt.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEASA.2026.10078766
   
  
• Decolonising psychological assessment in African contexts: practitioner perspectives and emerging culturally responsive approaches  
  by Abraham Maposa 
  Abstract: Psychological assessment practices in many African contexts continue to rely heavily on Western-developed tools that often inadequately reflect indigenous cultural realities, communal worldviews, and local expressions of psychological distress. This study explored practitioner perspectives on the decolonisation of psychological assessment and examined emerging culturally responsive approaches within African contexts. An exploratory qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interviews with practising psychologists. Data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-stage thematic analysis framework. Findings revealed that practitioners viewed many Western-based assessment tools as culturally incongruent, particularly in their limited recognition of communal, spiritual, and relational dimensions of mental health. Participants highlighted the value of indigenous knowledge systems, storytelling, oral traditions, and community-based participatory approaches in developing culturally relevant assessment practices. However, institutional resistance, policy gaps, limited practitioner training, stigma, and inadequate financial and human resources were identified as major barriers to the decolonisation of psychological assessment. The study concludes that culturally responsive and contextually grounded assessment approaches are essential for promoting equitable and effective mental health services in African contexts.
  Keywords: decolonisation; psychological assessment; indigenous knowledge systems; culturally responsive assessment; African psychology.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEASA.2026.10079775
   
  
• An oversight of educationists appointment: out-of-field teaching challenges in correctional services facilities, South Africa  
  by F.C. Sithubi 
  Abstract: Despite the great demand for educationists in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), the appointment and retention of qualified educationists remains a serious challenge in South Africa (RSA). The purpose of this article was to presents the findings of the qualitative research on investigating the out-of-field teaching challenges that were encountered in the DCS. This study employed qualitative study and used the snowball sampling strategy to select the participants. All participants were former educationists (teachers) in the DCS. The findings revealed that there were insufficient number of educationists in the DCS, as such, many of them were assigned to teach subjects that they were not qualified (majored with) for. It was then, therefore recommended that DCS should avoid the use of inmates and unqualified officials as assistant teachers because it compromises the rehabilitation programmes standard.
  Keywords: oversight; challenges; appointment; educationists; correctional services; facilities; out of field; qualified; unqualified; underqualified.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEASA.2026.10080118