Nithi Muthukrishna
Biographic Data
| ID | 657058 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nithi Muthukrishna |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nithi |
| FAMILY NAME | Muthukrishna |
| SIGNATURE | MUTHUKRISHNA N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of KwaZulu-Natal |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1784-1124 |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 12 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Access to further education for a diverse group of ECD practitioners
The South African government has undertaken to expand universal access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) with a particular focus on children from socially disadvantaged communities and with disabilities. This requires training and support of ECD practitioners, such that they are equipped 399with the necessary knowledge and competencies to implement effective teaching and learning approaches at ECD level. This research explored an innovative, i…
Young children’s conceptions of morality in a South African context
The aim of the study was to explore children’s conceptions of morality, specifically the meanings children assigned to situations of morality. The participants were eight to eleven-year-old children (n = 8; female = 5, male = 3) who attended a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. The children completed vignettes depicting moral dilemmas involving the following hypothetical scenarios: scenario 1 = seeking revenge; scenario 2 = breach of a contract. Th…
The journey into motherhood and schooling
In recent years there has been growing awareness about teenage motherhood, a phenomenon constructed as an economic and social concern in South Africa. This article presents a narrative inquiry undertaken with seven teenage mothers on their experiences of schooling and motherhood at a rural secondary school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study illuminates how the young mothers are positioned by dominant social narratives, how they position th…
Teacher-instigated in-school interpersonal violence
The study examined types and prevalence of interpersonal violence in South African schools. Data on in-school interpersonal violence by the South African Council of Teachers (SACE) were analysed. The sample consisted of 1 184 teachers (rural = 32.6%, urban = 59.8%, peri-urban = 7.6%). Following logistic regression analyses, results indicated male teachers were the majority offenders. Furthermore, results showed that female teachers and learners w…
Inhliziyo ekhombisa uthando ’
In this study we explored young isiZulu children’s conceptions of spirituality. The children (n = 8; females = 5; male = 3) were nine to eleven years old and attended a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They drew pictures depicting their sense of spirituality and answered questions on vignettes or scenarios that contained a moral dilemma. The children also engaged in conversations with a picture, and wrote a letter to God. Thematic a…
Immigrant children's geographies of schooling experiences in South Africa
The aim of this research was to explore the schooling experiences of academically high-functioning immigrant learners in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The participants were six female immigrant learners (age range: 13-18 years) in Grades 8 to 11. The research tradition was narrative inquiry. Data generation involved open-ended interviews and a participatory research technique, photovoice. The findings revealed the resiliency and agency of the yo…
Education, childhood and disability in countries of the South - Re-positioning the debates
Motherhood and the disabled child in contexts of early education and care
This article presents a theoretically based narrative analysis of conversations held with six women in South Africa who position themselves as mothers of disabled children. We examine the dominant socio-cultural narratives that impact the lives of the mothers as they enact motherhood, and the counter-narratives that emerge in the process. Three key themes are discussed: struggle, resiliency and agency; motherhood and the intersections of personal…
The Geographies of the Schooling Experiences of Children Labelled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
This study sought to examine the geographies of the schooling experiences of children labelled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from a social, spatial and temporal perspective. Three children (male: 3; mean age: 12.6 years), and their mothers participated in the study conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The participants were interviewed individually using semi-structured interviews. Participatory research te…
Experiencing Violence in Schools
This study explored learner experiences of school violence at a secondary school in Lesotho. Fifteen (15) learners participated in the study. Data were collected through individual and focus group interviews and document analysis. The study found that learners were exposed to complex patterns of violence and these were experienced in multiple forms, for example, sexual violence, corporal punishment, sexual harassment, bullying, physical violence.…
Structural Violence Effects on the Educational Life Chances of Children from Low Income Families in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
The aim of the study was to explore the structural conditions and social formations that mediate access to quality education amongst low income children in KwaZulu-Natal. Structural violence can lead to injustices to children such as the experience of hunger, disease, poverty and poor quality of education. A total of 117 students (male = 59; female = 58; age range 8 to 18 years) were drawn from three high schools, five primary schools and a speci…
Psychological Well-Being and Health Related Quality of Life among a Group of Low-Income Women Living with HIV/Aids in South Africa
This study documented the relationships among biomedical factors, psychosocial factors, health related quality of life (HRQOL) and suicidality in respect of HIV positive women in KwaZulu-Natal. One hundred and thirty three (133) women over the age of 18 years (mean age 32.96 yrs; SD = 7.28) participated in the study. Participants completed a Suicidality Measure (SM: Sheebhan, Janavs, Amorim, Janavs, Weiller, Hergueta, Baker & Dunbar, 1998), Multi…
HIV/Aids, Education, and Childhood in the African Context
Doing Childhoods in the Context of HIV and Aids
This study investigated children's experiences and understandings of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Grade 3 children (n=31) from the province of KwaZulu-Natal aged between 8–11 years were participants in the study. Data were collected through a four-stage focus group process including activities such as diagrammatic mapping, drawing, timelines, projective techniques and ranking exercises. The findings suggest that the meanings children make about HIV and…
Layers of oppression and exclusion in the context of HIV and Aids
This paper emerges out of a larger qualitative study that aimed at mapping barriers to basic education experienced by children and adults in the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The study was undertaken in Richmond district and involved a range of centres of learning (formal and informal) including three high schools, five primary schools, two adult basic education centres, a school for the deaf, two early childhood centres and their communi…
Afrocentric and gendered constructions of psychological well-being in Nigeria
The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing psychological well-being in adults (17 men and 23 women) (mean age = 55.7; SD = 14.2) and 31 children (17 boys and 14 girls) (mean age = 12.5; SD = 3.4) drawn from five farming communities in Ogun State, Nigeria, through purposive sampling. The participants were all Yorubas, the dominant ethnic group in south-west Nigeria. Data collection methods included life histories, in-depth ind…
From 'Special Needs' to 'Quality Education for All
This paper provides insight into the unique process of education policy development in South Africa, in particular the work of the National Commission on Special Needs in Education (NCSNET) and the National Committee on Education Support Services (NCESS). The process has been characterized by a fully democratic, participatory approach ensuring maximum involvement of all stakeholders at all levels of society. In addition, the process has been prob…
Education, childhood and disability in countries of the South - Re-positioning the debates
From 'Special Needs' to 'Quality Education for All
This paper provides insight into the unique process of education policy development in South Africa, in particular the work of the National Commission on Special Needs in Education (NCSNET) and the National Committee on Education Support Services (NCESS). The process has been characterized by a fully democratic, participatory approach ensuring maximum involvement of all stakeholders at all levels of society. In addition, the process has been prob…
Immigrant children's geographies of schooling experiences in South Africa
The aim of this research was to explore the schooling experiences of academically high-functioning immigrant learners in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The participants were six female immigrant learners (age range: 13-18 years) in Grades 8 to 11. The research tradition was narrative inquiry. Data generation involved open-ended interviews and a participatory research technique, photovoice. The findings revealed the resiliency and agency of the yo…
The Geographies of the Schooling Experiences of Children Labelled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
This study sought to examine the geographies of the schooling experiences of children labelled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from a social, spatial and temporal perspective. Three children (male: 3; mean age: 12.6 years), and their mothers participated in the study conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The participants were interviewed individually using semi-structured interviews. Participatory research te…
Motherhood and the disabled child in contexts of early education and care
This article presents a theoretically based narrative analysis of conversations held with six women in South Africa who position themselves as mothers of disabled children. We examine the dominant socio-cultural narratives that impact the lives of the mothers as they enact motherhood, and the counter-narratives that emerge in the process. Three key themes are discussed: struggle, resiliency and agency; motherhood and the intersections of personal…
Layers of oppression and exclusion in the context of HIV and Aids
This paper emerges out of a larger qualitative study that aimed at mapping barriers to basic education experienced by children and adults in the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The study was undertaken in Richmond district and involved a range of centres of learning (formal and informal) including three high schools, five primary schools, two adult basic education centres, a school for the deaf, two early childhood centres and their communi…
From 'Special Needs' to 'Quality Education for All
This paper provides insight into the unique process of education policy development in South Africa, in particular the work of the National Commission on Special Needs in Education (NCSNET) and the National Committee on Education Support Services (NCESS). The process has been characterized by a fully democratic, participatory approach ensuring maximum involvement of all stakeholders at all levels of society. In addition, the process has been prob…
Afrocentric and gendered constructions of psychological well-being in Nigeria
The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing psychological well-being in adults (17 men and 23 women) (mean age = 55.7; SD = 14.2) and 31 children (17 boys and 14 girls) (mean age = 12.5; SD = 3.4) drawn from five farming communities in Ogun State, Nigeria, through purposive sampling. The participants were all Yorubas, the dominant ethnic group in south-west Nigeria. Data collection methods included life histories, in-depth ind…
Layers of oppression and exclusion in the context of HIV and Aids
This paper emerges out of a larger qualitative study that aimed at mapping barriers to basic education experienced by children and adults in the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The study was undertaken in Richmond district and involved a range of centres of learning (formal and informal) including three high schools, five primary schools, two adult basic education centres, a school for the deaf, two early childhood centres and their communi…
HIV/Aids, Education, and Childhood in the African Context
Doing Childhoods in the Context of HIV and Aids
This study investigated children's experiences and understandings of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Grade 3 children (n=31) from the province of KwaZulu-Natal aged between 8–11 years were participants in the study. Data were collected through a four-stage focus group process including activities such as diagrammatic mapping, drawing, timelines, projective techniques and ranking exercises. The findings suggest that the meanings children make about HIV and…
Psychological Well-Being and Health Related Quality of Life among a Group of Low-Income Women Living with HIV/Aids in South Africa
This study documented the relationships among biomedical factors, psychosocial factors, health related quality of life (HRQOL) and suicidality in respect of HIV positive women in KwaZulu-Natal. One hundred and thirty three (133) women over the age of 18 years (mean age 32.96 yrs; SD = 7.28) participated in the study. Participants completed a Suicidality Measure (SM: Sheebhan, Janavs, Amorim, Janavs, Weiller, Hergueta, Baker & Dunbar, 1998), Multi…
Structural Violence Effects on the Educational Life Chances of Children from Low Income Families in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
The aim of the study was to explore the structural conditions and social formations that mediate access to quality education amongst low income children in KwaZulu-Natal. Structural violence can lead to injustices to children such as the experience of hunger, disease, poverty and poor quality of education. A total of 117 students (male = 59; female = 58; age range 8 to 18 years) were drawn from three high schools, five primary schools and a speci…
Experiencing Violence in Schools
This study explored learner experiences of school violence at a secondary school in Lesotho. Fifteen (15) learners participated in the study. Data were collected through individual and focus group interviews and document analysis. The study found that learners were exposed to complex patterns of violence and these were experienced in multiple forms, for example, sexual violence, corporal punishment, sexual harassment, bullying, physical violence.…
The Geographies of the Schooling Experiences of Children Labelled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
This study sought to examine the geographies of the schooling experiences of children labelled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from a social, spatial and temporal perspective. Three children (male: 3; mean age: 12.6 years), and their mothers participated in the study conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The participants were interviewed individually using semi-structured interviews. Participatory research te…
Education, childhood and disability in countries of the South - Re-positioning the debates
Motherhood and the disabled child in contexts of early education and care
This article presents a theoretically based narrative analysis of conversations held with six women in South Africa who position themselves as mothers of disabled children. We examine the dominant socio-cultural narratives that impact the lives of the mothers as they enact motherhood, and the counter-narratives that emerge in the process. Three key themes are discussed: struggle, resiliency and agency; motherhood and the intersections of personal…
Teacher-instigated in-school interpersonal violence
The study examined types and prevalence of interpersonal violence in South African schools. Data on in-school interpersonal violence by the South African Council of Teachers (SACE) were analysed. The sample consisted of 1 184 teachers (rural = 32.6%, urban = 59.8%, peri-urban = 7.6%). Following logistic regression analyses, results indicated male teachers were the majority offenders. Furthermore, results showed that female teachers and learners w…
Inhliziyo ekhombisa uthando ’
In this study we explored young isiZulu children’s conceptions of spirituality. The children (n = 8; females = 5; male = 3) were nine to eleven years old and attended a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They drew pictures depicting their sense of spirituality and answered questions on vignettes or scenarios that contained a moral dilemma. The children also engaged in conversations with a picture, and wrote a letter to God. Thematic a…
Immigrant children's geographies of schooling experiences in South Africa
The aim of this research was to explore the schooling experiences of academically high-functioning immigrant learners in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The participants were six female immigrant learners (age range: 13-18 years) in Grades 8 to 11. The research tradition was narrative inquiry. Data generation involved open-ended interviews and a participatory research technique, photovoice. The findings revealed the resiliency and agency of the yo…
The journey into motherhood and schooling
In recent years there has been growing awareness about teenage motherhood, a phenomenon constructed as an economic and social concern in South Africa. This article presents a narrative inquiry undertaken with seven teenage mothers on their experiences of schooling and motherhood at a rural secondary school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study illuminates how the young mothers are positioned by dominant social narratives, how they position th…
Young children’s conceptions of morality in a South African context
The aim of the study was to explore children’s conceptions of morality, specifically the meanings children assigned to situations of morality. The participants were eight to eleven-year-old children (n = 8; female = 5, male = 3) who attended a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. The children completed vignettes depicting moral dilemmas involving the following hypothetical scenarios: scenario 1 = seeking revenge; scenario 2 = breach of a contract. Th…
Access to further education for a diverse group of ECD practitioners
The South African government has undertaken to expand universal access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) with a particular focus on children from socially disadvantaged communities and with disabilities. This requires training and support of ECD practitioners, such that they are equipped 399with the necessary knowledge and competencies to implement effective teaching and learning approaches at ECD level. This research explored an innovative, i…
Psychology (15 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Developmental psychology (11 works) · Children's Rights and Participation (8 works) · Political science (8 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (8 works) · Context (archaeology (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Focus group (5 works)