IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i2p1420-d1032809.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Preparedness and Response to COVID-19 Disruptions and Learning Challenges for Students with Disabilities in South Africa: A Systematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • Sibonokuhle Ndlovu

    (Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg P.O. Box 524, South Africa)

Abstract

The present study utilised the systematic review method to report on the learning challenges faced by students with disabilities as a result of inadequate preparedness for COVID-19 and the response to the pandemic in the context of institutions of higher education in South Africa. The studies reviewed indicated that, although there were variations between institutions, South African higher education institutions were inadequately prepared for COVID-19 and, as a result, the response to the pandemic involved emergency remote teaching. For students with disabilities, it was revealed that the limited support and the changes to the way learning was taking place in institutions posed challenges during the pandemic. Limited access to content knowledge was an issue even before COVID-19, and this was exacerbated during the pandemic. Conclusions reached showed that there were challenges imposed by the pandemic in addition to those that existed before, which were only exacerbated and magnified by COVID-19. Practical ways are suggested in which anticipative and transformative resilience could be utilised by all stakeholders in institutions of higher education, to pre-prepare for pandemics. Ways of applying a universal design for learning in the “new normal” to enhance learning for all students, including those with disabilities, also contributed in a practical way to the conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Sibonokuhle Ndlovu, 2023. "Preparedness and Response to COVID-19 Disruptions and Learning Challenges for Students with Disabilities in South Africa: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:1420-:d:1032809
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/2/1420/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/2/1420/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Soria, Krista M & Horgos, Bonnie & Chirikov, Igor & Jones-White, Daniel, 2020. "The Experiences of Undergraduate Students with Physical, Learning, Neurodevelopmental, and Cognitive Disabilities During the Pandemic," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt8gd1v4mt, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    2. Cedric B. Mpungose, 2020. "Emergent transition from face-to-face to online learning in a South African University in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Nokukhanya N Jili & Chuks I Ede & Mfundo Mandla Masuku, 2021. "Emergency Remote Teaching in Higher Education During Covid-19: Challenges and Opportunities," International Journal of Higher Education, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(5), pages 1-1, October.
    4. Soria, Krista M. & Horgos, Bonnie & Chirikov, Igor & Jones-White, Daniel, 2020. "The Experiences of Undergraduate Students with Physical, Learning, Neurodevelopmental, and Cognitive Disabilities During the Pandemic," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt7xh5c78h, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    5. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    6. Alessandro Liberati & Douglas G Altman & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Cynthia Mulrow & Peter C Gøtzsche & John P A Ioannidis & Mike Clarke & P J Devereaux & Jos Kleijnen & David Moher, 2009. "The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-28, July.
    7. Chux Gervase Iwu & Obianuju E. Okeke-Uzodike & Emem Anwana & Charmaine Helena Iwu & Emmanuel Ekale Esambe, 2022. "Experiences of Academics Working from Home during COVID-19: A Qualitative View from Selected South African Universities," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alessandro Concari & Gerjo Kok & Pim Martens, 2020. "A Systematic Literature Review of Concepts and Factors Related to Pro-Environmental Consumer Behaviour in Relation to Waste Management Through an Interdisciplinary Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-50, May.
    2. Giuseppe La Torre & Remigio Bova & Rosario Andrea Cocchiara & Cristina Sestili & Anna Tagliaferri & Simona Maggiacomo & Camilla Foschi & William Zomparelli & Maria Vittoria Manai & David Shaholli & Va, 2023. "What Are the Determinants of the Quality of Systematic Reviews in the International Journals of Occupational Medicine? A Methodological Study Review of Published Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-12, January.
    3. Irdina Farzana Ahmad Shazli & Noor Hidayah Che Lah & Mashitoh Hashim & Ramlah Mailok & Aslina Saad & Suraya Hamid, 2023. "A Comprehensive Study of Students’ Challenges and Perceptions of Emergency Remote Education During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    4. Frank Peinemann & Ulrich Grouven & Nicolaus Kröger & Carmen Bartel & Max H Pittler & Stefan Lange, 2011. "First-Line Matched Related Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Compared to Immunosuppressive Therapy in Acquired Severe Aplastic Anemia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(4), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Jonathan Kingsley & Aisling Bailey & Nooshin Torabi & Pauline Zardo & Suzanne Mavoa & Tonia Gray & Danielle Tracey & Philip Pettitt & Nicholas Zajac & Emily Foenander, 2019. "A Systematic Review Protocol Investigating Community Gardening Impact Measures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-12, September.
    6. S. Rajsic & H. Gothe & H. H. Borba & G. Sroczynski & J. Vujicic & T. Toell & Uwe Siebert, 2019. "Economic burden of stroke: a systematic review on post-stroke care," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(1), pages 107-134, February.
    7. Abbas Mardani & Dalia Streimikiene & Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Fausto Cavallaro & Mehrbakhsh Nilashi & Ahmad Jusoh & Habib Zare, 2017. "Application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to Solve Environmental Sustainability Problems: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-65, October.
    8. Luísa Bandeira Lopes & João Albernaz Neves & João Botelho & Vanessa Machado & José João Mendes, 2021. "Regenerative Endodontic Procedures: An Umbrella Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-17, January.
    9. Gaspar, Rui & Yan, Zheng & Domingos, Samuel, 2019. "Extreme natural and man-made events and human adaptive responses mediated by information and communication technologies' use: A systematic literature review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 125-135.
    10. Nicholas A. Kirk & Nicholas A. Cradock-Henry, 2022. "Land Management Change as Adaptation to Climate and Other Stressors: A Systematic Review of Decision Contexts Using Values-Rules-Knowledge," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, May.
    11. Timothy Noblet & John Marriott & Emma Graham-Clarke & Debra Shirley & Alison Rushton, 2018. "Clinical and cost-effectiveness of non-medical prescribing: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, March.
    12. Abbas Mardani & Mehrbakhsh Nilashi & Jurgita Antucheviciene & Madjid Tavana & Romualdas Bausys & Othman Ibrahim, 2017. "Recent Fuzzy Generalisations of Rough Sets Theory: A Systematic Review and Methodological Critique of the Literature," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2017, pages 1-33, October.
    13. Wen-Hsiu Yeh & Ya-Ju Ju & Yu-Ting Liu & Ting-Yi Wang, 2022. "Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Neurofeedback Training of Theta Activity on Working Memory and Episodic Memory in Healthy Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-14, September.
    14. Gourzoulidis, George & Kourlaba, Georgia & Stafylas, Panagiotis & Giamouzis, Gregory & Parissis, John & Maniadakis, Nikolaos, 2017. "Association between copayment, medication adherence and outcomes in the management of patients with diabetes and heart failure," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(4), pages 363-377.
    15. Cristina Chifor & Iulia D. Arion & Vlad I. Isarie & Felix H. Arion, 2022. "A Systematic Literature Review on European Food Quality Schemes in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Snyder, Hannah, 2019. "Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 333-339.
    17. Pineros-Leano, María & Parchment, Tyrone M. & Calvo, Rocío, 2023. "Family interventions to improve mental, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes among Latinx youth: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    18. Teresa Loda & Rebecca Erschens & Hannah Loenneker & Katharina E Keifenheim & Christoph Nikendei & Florian Junne & Stephan Zipfel & Anne Herrmann-Werner, 2019. "Cognitive and social congruence in peer-assisted learning – A scoping review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, September.
    19. Emma N Bermingham & David G Thomas & Nicholas J Cave & Penelope J Morris & Richard F Butterwick & Alexander J German, 2014. "Energy Requirements of Adult Dogs: A Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-23, October.
    20. Diego Tlapa & Ignacio Franco-Alucano & Jorge Limon-Romero & Yolanda Baez-Lopez & Guilherme Tortorella, 2022. "Lean, Six Sigma, and Simulation: Evidence from Healthcare Interventions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-25, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:1420-:d:1032809. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.