Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza

@ufh.ac.za

Researcher and Lecturer, Faculty of Education
University of Fort Hare

Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza


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https://researchid.co/drbonginkosimutongoza
I am a social justice researcher whose research focuses on transformation in higher education, particularly concerning decolonisation, violence and inequality in education. This commitment is evident in my extensive publication track record, which comprises peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and insightful book chapters.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - University of Fort Hare, South Africa
Master of Social Science in Development Studies - University of Fort Hare, South Africa
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Development Studies - Midlands State University, Zimbabwe

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Social Sciences, Education
11

Scopus Publications

540

Scholar Citations

12

Scholar h-index

15

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Re-Imagining Knowledge Canons in South African Education: An Inquest into Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education
    Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza, Sive Makeleni
    Intercultural Communication Education, 2026
    This paper examines Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) in South Africa as a site for epistemic transformation rather than mere linguistic reform. While policy efforts have widened access by including African languages, classroom and institutional practices often remain anchored in Eurocentric epistemologies. Drawing on decolonial theory and existing empirical studies, the paper argues that MTbBE can only fulfil its transformative promise when language reform is coupled with pedagogical shifts, curriculum design, and institutional reward systems. It shows that translanguaging and bilingual pedagogy enhance comprehension and participation, yet genuine transformation requires teachers to use African languages as reasoning and knowledge creation resources. Re-authoring curricula and restructuring institutional incentives emerge as essential for sustaining such change. The paper contributes to debates on decolonisation by reframing MTbBE as a strategy for epistemic justice that links linguistic inclusion with cognitive renewal. It concludes that when African languages are recognised as instruments of inquiry, education can move from translation to transformation, fostering an intellectual order that reflects South Africa’s multilingual and plural realities.
  • Going Nowhere Fast? A Review of Literature on Barriers to Queer Inclusion in South African Universities
    Natasha Chiswa, Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza
    Sexuality and Culture, 2025
  • Exploring the Psychosocial Outcomes of Microaggressions against Queer Communities at a Rural University in South Africa
    Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza
    International Journal of Diverse Identities, 2024
  • Drivers of Learner Aggression in Selected Schools in the Amathole District Municipality in South Africa
    Eleanor Alvira Hendricks, Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza
    Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development, 2024
    In the pursuit of an environment conducive to effective teaching and learning, schools are universally regarded as sanctuaries of nonviolence for all stakeholders. However, the South African education landscape has witnessed a distressing trend as schools have increasingly transformed into arenas of criminal activity and violence. Against this background, the present study sought to explore the drivers of learner aggression in selected schools situated in the Amathole District Municipality. The study followed a phenomenological research design that enabled the researchers to explore the lived experiences of the participants and unearth insights into learner aggression. Using a purposive sampling technique, twenty-five participants were purposively selected from five separate schools and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the overarching influence of violent communities and dysfunctional family structures and teacher favouritism, particularly directed towards academically proficient students, were drivers of aggressive behaviour. Among others, the study recommends the urgent need for teacher training programmes that focus on dealing with learner aggression. By equipping teachers with enhanced tools to discern, prevent, and effectively respond to instances of learner aggression, the education system can foster an atmosphere of safety and inclusivity.
  • Teacher Self-Efficacy and Learner Assessment: A Perspective from Literature on South African Indigenous Languages in the Foundation Phase
    Sive Makeleni, Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza, Manthekeleng Agnes Linake, Onyinyechi Glory Ndu
    Journal of Curriculum Studies Research, 2023
    Studies have shown that self-efficacy is the belief in one's ability to complete a task or achieve a goal, and that this belief can have a significant impact on teaching methods and learning outcomes. Yet, in the context of South Africa, despite the promotion of indigenous languages in Foundation Phase (FP) classrooms, learners continue to struggle on account of low teacher self-efficacy. Underpinned by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, this study used a literature review methodology to explore the self-efficacy-related challenges confronting FP teachers in assessing learners using their indigenous languages. The study also examined the strategies that can used to enhance teachers’ self-efficacy. The findings revealed that factors, such as inadequate teacher training, learner mobility, and resource constraints militate against teachers’ beliefs of their ability to equitably assess FP classrooms. The findings also revealed that possible strategies to enhance FP teachers’ self-efficacy could include making use of role-modelling, improving working conditions, and encouraging continuous professional development and training of in-service teachers, among other steps to be taken. Some of the study’s recommendations include rolling out targeted training and support programmes for FP teachers, aligning FP learner assessment instruments with the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the learners, and tailoring collaboration between schools and local communities for the benefit of the learners.
  • Pressured to perform: The negative consequences of the ‘publish or perish’ phenomenon among junior academics
    Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza
    Sotl in the South, 2023
    A growing body of work suggests that junior researchers in universities are often confronted by an unfathomable pressure to conduct research and get published in order to scale up the academic ladder. These pressures are often loaded with little to no regard for the welfare of the junior academics and no concern for the career paths to be taken. Against this background, this study explored the negative consequences associated with the pressure to publish from the unique perspective of junior academics at a rural university in South Africa. The study was underpinned by a qualitative research approach which enabled the utilisation of qualitative interviews with twelve junior academics from four faculties at the university. The findings demonstrated the often-salient bullying and abuse of junior academics that happens under the guise of mentorship from their senior colleagues. The study also revealed the cost at which the pressure to perform comes, namely the cost to mental well-being, the temptation to publish in predator journals, the rise of unethical publishing, and the sacrifice of quality research. Based on these findings, the study recommended that more considered efforts be made to secure the welfare of emerging academics and that more concerted efforts be instituted in universities to guard against the rise of academic bullying at the hands of senior academics.
  • The Unnoticed Few: Exploring the Challenges Confronting International Students and Staff at a Rural University in South Africa
    Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza, Babawande Emmanuel Olawale
    Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 2023
    Globalisation and international student and staff mobility are not new phenomena, and South African universities have been fairly successful in the recruitment of internationals – particularly from other African countries, yet the challenges associated with internationalising universities remain persistent. This study sought to examine the challenges faced by international students and staff at a rural university in South Africa. We relied on a qualitative research approach which enabled us to rely on semi-structured interviews with international students, staff, and managers from the university’s International Office. The findings revealed that while some of the opportunities for studying and working abroad are to widen one's horizons and experience new cultures, international students and staff often experience difficulties such as language barriers, culture shocks, mental health issues, and financial pressures when adapting to their new context. We recommended that there be behavioural interventions, cultural interventions, and also financial support for student and staff expatriates.
  • Language Education and Artificial Intelligence: An Exploration of Challenges Confronting Academics in Global South Universities
    Sive Makeleni, Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza, Manthekeleng Agnes Linake
    Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 2023
    While the global South universities have made significant strides in adopting digital technologies, there remain huge gaps, particularly when it comes to the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) in institutions of higher learning. As such, this study sought to explore global South academics’ reported AI-related challenges in the language education domain from published literature. To achieve this, the researchers employed a literature review methodology which entailed meticulous searches for published literature using key words. The challenges reported in literature revealed four broad challenges namely limited language options, academic dishonesty, biases and lack of accountability, and laziness among students and lecturers. Based on these findings, the study recommended that there be an urgent prioritisation of the development of AI-based language education tools that are specifically tailored to the needs and contexts of learners in the global South. The study also recommended the development of accessible and affordable AI-based language education tools, that will promote the development of digital literacy skills among educators and learners in the global South.
  • Safeguarding academic integrity in the face of emergency remote teaching and learning in developing countries
    Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza, Babawande Emmanuel Olawale
    Perspectives in Education, 2022
    With the operationalisation of lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings, education systems across the entire globe were confronted with an urgent need to reconsider alternative forms of teaching, learning and assessment. Some institutions in developing countries were especially hard-hit by the shift owing to inadequacies in training and infrastructure because unlike their more developed counterparts who had already made inroads into adopting online technologies, some institutions in the developing world had no such technologies in place. As such, the shift to online learning was rushed and somewhat a “learning on the job” experience for students and educators. While remote online teaching, learning and assessment are novel experiences for many higher education institutions, developing countries are incessantly presented with many challenges, particularly when safeguarding academic integrity. Invigilated assessments, which are often considered more secure, are not an option given the current situation, thus detecting any cheating would be significantly challenging. As a result, this study examined assessment security in the digital domain and critically evaluated the practices to safeguard academic integrity in developing countries across three Southern African universities, including associated challenges. Underpinned by the pragmatist paradigm, the study employed a mixed-methods research approach that utilised in-depth qualitative and quantitative data from university managers, lecturers and students to investigate how academic integrity is safeguarded in the advent of online learning. Our findings revealed that although the transition to online learning and assessment was abrupt, higher education institutions have generated creative strategies to secure and ensure the continuity of learning and assessment. Such strategies include administering several versions of the same examination, as well as the use of “text-matching” software to detect the originality of work done by students. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that to guarantee the authenticity of online assessment, institutions must ensure that assessment practices relate to real-world needs and the context in which students can apply acquired knowledge.
  • Building a sustainable and democratic future in rural South African higher education institutions
    Babawande Olawale, Vusi Mncube, Shepherd Ndondo, Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza
    Perspectives in Education, 2022
    While higher education is crucial for the development of ideals and skills necessary for democratic societies to take root and prosper, higher education institutions’ missions have been tested during this time of uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the instabilities and disparities in global higher education by exacerbating profound social fractures and long-standing structural imbalances. As such, the study examined how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected rural higher education institutions in building a sustainable and democratic future. It also examined students and staffs’ perspectives on how these higher education institutions responded to the Covid-19 pandemic in building a resilient, inclusive and democratic culture. Informed by an interpretivist paradigm, the study utilised a qualitative research approach and a case study design. Data were collected at two rural universities from university managers, lecturers and students using interviews. The study’s findings revealed that while the Covid-19 pandemic represents a time of survival of the fittest, which also strengthened democratic tenets and revolutionised the higher education sector, the pandemic has revealed pre-existing institutional issues and vulnerabilities in rural higher education institutions. Research findings also revealed that the pandemic has also spotlighted the poor and the most vulnerable in society as rural HEIs endeavoured to build resilience, and an inclusive and democratic culture to stay sturdy in the face of the ‘new normal’ and emerge stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the study’s findings, it was concluded that building a resilient, inclusive and democratic culture at HEIs could generate success for higher education institutions by influencing students’ career opportunities and employment readiness, amongst many others. We recommend that HEIs consider focusing more on equity and inclusion; reinforce capacities for risk management at all levels of the system; strong leadership and coordination; and enhance consultation and communication mechanisms.
  • Managing higher education institutions in the context of COVID-19 stringency: Experiences of stakeholders at a rural south african university
    Vusi Mncube, Bonginkosi Hardy Mutongoza, Emmanuel Olawale
    Perspectives in Education, 2021

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Re-imagining knowledge canons in South African education: An inquest into mother tongue-based bilingual education
    BH Mutongoza, S Makeleni
    Intercultural Communication Education 9 (1), 103482-103482 , 2026
    2026
  • Nothing but noise: Challenges impeding the transformation of higher education in South Africa
    BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research 7 (1), a06-a06 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 15
  • Reclaiming epistemologies of woundedness: Pain and the politics of knowledge in African higher education
    BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Rural and Community Studies 7 (1), a04-a04 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 8
  • Through the eyes of students and staff: The psychosocial drivers of violence in selected South African universities
    BH Mutongoza, EA Hendricks
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Management Sciences 2 (1), a05-a05 , 2025
    2025
  • Epistemic justice, institutional transformation and the pursuit of a decolonised African academe
    BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies 5 (1), a04-a04 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 8
  • Education and Social Cohesion: Toward Sustainable Learner Success in South Africa
    BH Mutongoza, EA Hendricks
    Afropolitan Publications Int'l , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 1
  • Going nowhere fast? A review of literature on barriers to queer inclusion in south African universities
    N Chiswa, BH Mutongoza
    Sexuality & Culture 29 (1), 62-73 , 2025
    2025
  • The agency of social media in mobilising South African university students to protest
    BH Mutongoza, NK Kanjiri, EA Hendricks
    Violent student protests at Higher Education Institutions in South Africa … , 2025
    2025
  • EDUCATION 5.0 IN ZIMBABWEAN HIGHER EDUCATION: OF DECOLONIAL RHETORIC AND THE POSTCOLONIAL REALITIES
    BH Mutongoza
    Educação no século XXI: Perspectivas Contemporâneas sobre Ensino … , 2025
    2025
  • School leaders' views of the consequences of protester violence on selected South African schools
    M Vuma, BH Mutongoza
    Social Sciences and Education Research Review 12 (2), 125-131 , 2025
    2025
  • Social Media and Student Protest Mobilisation in South African Universities: A Review of Literature on Motivations and Limitations
    BH Mutongoza, EA Hendricks
    Research in Social Sciences and Technology 10 (2), 205-219 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 2
  • Artificial intelligence: An empirical survey of student and staff perspectives
    BE Olawale, BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research 6 (s1), 1-14 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 5
  • Robbing the cradle: Factors promoting lecturer-on-student transactional sex relationships at a South African university
    BH Mutongoza, EA Hendricks
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies 4, 1-14 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 3
  • From Fluency to Flourishing: The Influence of English Language Proficiency on Research Student Success
    BH Mutongoza, MA Linake, S Makeleni
    The Paris Conference on Education, 429-440 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 4
  • Like an inflatable raft on rapid tides: Barriers to community-gown projects at an emerging rural university in Zimbabwe
    BH Mutongoza
    International Journal of Educational Development in Africa 9, 14 pages-14 pages , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 1
  • Drivers of learner aggression in selected schools in the Amathole district municipality in South Africa
    EA Hendricks, BH Mutongoza
    Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development 36 (1), 19 … , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 8
  • Exploring the Psychosocial Outcomes of Microaggressions against Queer Communities at a Rural University in South Africa
    BH Mutongoza
    The International Journal of Diverse Identities 24 (1), 1-18 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 4
  • Corporate Social Responsibility as a Stimulant for Community Development: Insights from Selected Communities in Uitenhage, South Africa
    BH Mutongoza
    African Journal of Humanities and Contemporary Education Research 14 (1 … , 2024
    2024
  • Chronicling lecturers' and stakeholders' experiences of the role of a rural university's sustainable community development project
    BH Mutongoza, BE Olawale, V Mncube
    Journal of Educational Studies 22 (3), 130-145 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 2
  • Teacher self-efficacy and learner assessment: A perspective from literature on South African Indigenous languages in the foundation phase
    S Makeleni, BH Mutongoza, MA Linake, OG Ndu
    Journal of Curriculum Studies Research 5 (3), 44-64 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 21

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Managing higher education institutions in the context of COVID-19 stringency: Experiences of stakeholders at a rural South African university
    V Mncube, BH Mutongoza, E Olawale
    Perspectives in Education 39 (1), 390-409 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 87
  • Language education and artificial intelligence: An exploration of challenges confronting academics in global south universities
    S Makeleni, BH Mutongoza, MA Linake
    Journal of Culture and Values in Education 6 (2), 158-171 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 79
  • COVID-19 induced psychosocial challenges in South African higher education: Experiences of staff and students at two rural universities.
    BE Olawale, BH Mutongoza, EO Adu, BI Omodan
    Research in Social Sciences and Technology 6 (3), 179-193 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 61
  • Chronicling school principals’ experiences on school management in the context of COVID-19 stringency
    BH Mutongoza, BE Olawale, B Mzilikazi
    Research in Social Sciences and Technology 6 (3), 146-162 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 45
  • Safeguarding academic integrity in the face of emergency remote teaching and learning in developing countries
    BH Mutongoza, BE Olawale
    Perspectives in Education 40 (1), 234-249 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 28
  • Reflections on decolonising of medium of instruction at South African Universities
    BH Mutongoza, C Mutanho, MA Linake, S Makeleni
    Research in Educational Policy and Management 5 (2), 95-108 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 22
  • Pressured to perform: the negative consequences of the ‘publish or perish’phenomenon among junior academics
    BH Mutongoza
    Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South 7 (2), 46-62 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 22
  • Digital transformation in higher education institutions: Issues of functionality amid the COVID-19 pandemic
    B Olawale, B Mutongoza
    Global Education Network (GEN) Conference, East London, South Africa , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 22
  • Teacher self-efficacy and learner assessment: A perspective from literature on South African Indigenous languages in the foundation phase
    S Makeleni, BH Mutongoza, MA Linake, OG Ndu
    Journal of Curriculum Studies Research 5 (3), 44-64 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 21
  • Ending Curriculum Violence and Academic Ancestral Worship: An Afrocentric Perspective on Decolonising Higher Education in Africa
    BH Mutongoza, C Mutanho, S Makeleni
    E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (EHASS) 36 (1), 25-36 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 17
  • Nothing but noise: Challenges impeding the transformation of higher education in South Africa
    BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research 7 (1), a06-a06 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 15
  • Paragons of inequality: Challenges associated with online learning at a selected rural university in South Africa
    EA Hendricks, BH Mutongoza
    The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning 18 (1), 8-21 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 15
  • Student-on-staff violence at South African universities: A qualitative study
    BH Mutongoza
    Giornale Italiano di Psicologia e Medicina del Lavoro 3 (2), 50-56 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 12
  • The unnoticed few: Exploring the challenges confronting international students and staff at a rural university in South Africa
    BH Mutongoza, BE Olawale
    Journal of Culture and Values in Education 6 (2), 107-122 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 10
  • 'Swim or sink': Student and lecturer experiences of emergency online learning at a rural university in South Africa
    BH Mutongoza
    4th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education, 47-58 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 10
  • Reclaiming epistemologies of woundedness: Pain and the politics of knowledge in African higher education
    BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Rural and Community Studies 7 (1), a04-a04 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 8
  • Epistemic justice, institutional transformation and the pursuit of a decolonised African academe
    BH Mutongoza
    Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies 5 (1), a04-a04 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 8
  • Drivers of learner aggression in selected schools in the Amathole district municipality in South Africa
    EA Hendricks, BH Mutongoza
    Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development 36 (1), 19 … , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 8
  • Building a sustainable and democratic future in rural South African higher education institutions
    BE Olawale, VS Mncube, S Ndondo, BH Mutongoza
    Perspectives in Education 40 (3), 14-28 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 7
  • The pervasiveness of student-on-student violence at South African universities
    BH Mutongoza
    International Journal of Education and Psychology in the Community 13 (1&2 … , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 6