Online Teaching Practice Assessments at an ODeL College: ‘Learning in Practice’ Perspectives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v13i1.1566

Keywords:

learning in practice, work-integrated learning, mentoring, reflection, online teaching practice assessment

Abstract

Learning in Practice (LiP) as a dimension of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) encourages student-teachers to transform their teaching approaches by implementing innovative and evidence-based strategies that respond to the ever-changing (in this context) South African educational landscape. This research is grounded in the theory of transformative learning and the practice of mentoring. Additionally, it uses the social constructivist-interpretive lens to explore student teachers' lived learning in practice experiences during teaching practice placements. This exploratory study, conducted within an open and distance learning (OdeL) context, employed a qualitative approach, utilising a single-case study design and an online virtual videoconferencing platform for data collection. To generate themes, a manual thematic analysis process was employed, guided by the established thematic analysis framework. The findings revealed that participants echoed sentiments that mentoring in practice helped them grow and become professionals. Mentors also demonstrated effective teaching skills and encouraged them to present lessons that were well-received. Furthermore, mentors were accessible and approachable, providing guidance and constructive feedback on lesson presentations. Participants were exposed to authentic learning in practice contexts. Further research could explore school mentors' views of online assessments for learning in practice.

Author Biographies

Bernadictus Plaatjies, University of South Africa

Bernadictus Plaatjies has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies at the College of Education, University of South Africa (Unisa), since 1 December 2023. He is a qualified professional teacher with over 23 years of experience in the classroom and as a Head of Department. Prof. Plaatjies is interested in literacy instruction and approaches this topic from two angles at the school level: teaching and learning in instruction and instructional leadership practices. At the university level, his research focuses on academic writing practices. He has published several manuscripts in this field and has read scientific papers at educational conferences on the topic. Currently, he is working on academic writing in higher education settings, focusing on the challenges and opportunities related to this vital issue, including the application of AI tools to improve academic writing practices. Due to his involvement in Teaching Practice evaluations of final-year Education students, he is also investigating online student-teacher educational practices in open-distance education (ODEL) Environments. He has supervised several BEdHons, Master's, and Doctoral students to the completion of their studies and is currently supervising nine Master’s and five Doctoral students at Unisa. Email: eplaatb@unisa.ac.za (https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3080-1753)

Michael van Wyk, University of South Africa (UNISA)

Micheal van Wyk is a Professor in Economics Education, and an NRF-rated researcher at the College of Education, University of South Africa (UNISA). He is a qualified professional teacher, has published articles in high-impact journals, supervised doctoral and master’s students, reviewed conference papers, published conference proceedings, edited academic books, and has been awarded external grants. He is a flipped instructional designer researcher in ODeL research. In 2013, he was awarded the Chancellor Award for Excellence in Research (UNISA) for his novel educational contributions to Economics Education in teacher education. In 2018, he was awarded the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for his groundbreaking research on the e-portfolio as an alternative assessment approach in teacher education at both the College of Education and the University of South Africa. One of his recent articles entitled, “Students’ Perceptions of the Flipped Classroom Pedagogy in an Open Distance e-Learning University” (2020), was published in Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal (SCOPUS) and voted as the best scholarly publication by the journal vetting panel and was consequently awarded the International Award for Excellence for Research (2020), Common Ground Research Network, University of Chicago, USA. In 2023, he was the awardee of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research (UNISA). Micheal serves on international journal editorial boards and vetting panels and wa recently awarded the Medal of Honor Education (2023) from the Education Association of South Africa. He is the Associate Editor for Heliyon: Education (Scopus). His research interests are digital technologies, generative artificial intelligence, digital game-based learning, flipped pedagogy, e-Portfolios, authentic assessment and economics education. Email: vwykmm@unisa.ac.za (ttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5536-1362)

Aloysius Claudian Seherrie, University of South Africa (UNISA)

Aloysius Claudian Seherrie is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, College of Education, at the University of South Africa (UNISA). He has published extensively in high-impact journals, contributed to conference proceedings, and conducted research on online and face-to-face educational practices. Before entering higher education, Dr Seherrie served as a Senior Education Specialist in the Northern Cape Department of Education, South Africa. His research in Curriculum Studies focuses on cooperative learning, self-directed learning (SDL), e-portfolios, teacher education, and the promotion of social justice in teaching and learning environments. Email: seherac@unisa.ac.za (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0029-9925)

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Published

2026-03-11

How to Cite

Plaatjies, B., van Wyk, M., & Seherrie, A. C. (2026). Online Teaching Practice Assessments at an ODeL College: ‘Learning in Practice’ Perspectives. Journal of Learning for Development, 13(1), 34–47. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v13i1.1566

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): ISSUE 1

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Bernadictus Plaatjies, Michael van Wyk, Aloysius Claudian Seherrie

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Received 2024-06-25
Accepted 2026-01-20
Published 2026-03-11