Sipho Mkhize

University of KwaZulu Natal , South Africa

Abstract Title:Implementing innovative teaching and learning approaches at KwaZulu Natal Nursing College: A Conceptual Framework

Biography: Dr. Sipho Mkhize is an Academic Leader, Teaching and Learning for the School of Nursing and Public Health, and a co-ordinator for Postgraduate Diplomas in Nursing and Midwifery. He is a senior lecturer for postgraduate studies in Management and Leadership and supervisor for Masters and PhD students. He is the reviewer of manuscripts for DHET-accredited peer reviews national and international and is also a member of the editorial board for DHET-accredited peer-review journals. He has authored and co-authored published articles in reputed journals with 68 citations, h- index; 5, and i10-index;2.

Research Interest: The traditional approach to teaching and learning in higher education is becoming increasingly outdated in the twenty-first century. Innovative approaches to teaching and learning are necessary to prepare students for success in their future careers. In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, educators face the challenge of keeping up with their students' changing needs and expectations, especially with the rise of social network platforms. This paper aimed to develop a conceptual framework to facilitate the implementation of innovative teaching and learning approaches at KwaZulu Natal College. A gap was identified, highlighting the need for a conceptual framework that facilitates the successful implementation of innovative teaching and learning approaches at the nursing college. The aim is to ensure that lecturers fully embrace the benefits of innovative teaching and learning approaches, thereby improving the teaching system. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research design with a phenomenological approach was adopted. Five phases were followed to develop a conceptual framework. Twelve individual interviews and two focus group interviews were conducted to collect data. Thematic data analysis was applied to extract and identify significant themes. This conceptual framework will address ambivalence in embracing innovative teaching and learning approaches in the classroom. The proposed conceptual framework is designed to enable the lecturers to facilitate the implementation of innovative teaching and learning approaches in the classroom setting. Keywords: innovative teaching and learning approaches, conceptual framework, implementation, lecturers, students