Transformational Approach to Assessment Practices: AI Strategies for Honours Level Assessments

Transformational Approach to Assessment Practices: AI Strategies for Honours Level Assessments

Doniwen Pietersen & Mbusiseni Celimpilo Dube

Issue: Vol. 6 No.12 Article 44 pp. 3509 – 3518
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561244 | Published online 28th November, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore decolonised strategies for challenging hegemonic assessment practices in teacher education, which often equate academic quality with dominant English-language writing conventions. It confronts the perception that effective assessment inherently privileges specific linguistic norms, arguing instead for a social justice approach that reconceptualises evaluation to empower all students. The purpose is to propose how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be harnessed within a decolonised framework to develop inclusive assessment methods that assess for learning at the Department of Educational Foundations ‘ B.Ed. Honours programme at the University of South Africa. The methodology involved a systematic literature review across major academic databases (ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and specialised journals. Initial searches using terms related to decolonised pedagogy, inclusive assessment, and AI in education yielded approximately 100 papers. After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts for theoretical depth and conceptual relevance, 24 publications were selected for in-depth analysis based on strict criteria of relevance, rigour, and contribution to the synthesis of a decolonised AI approach. The discussion synthesises the literature to argue that AI strategies, when guided by a decolonial ethos, may provide innovative models for supporting academic writing and reframing assessment. This approach may help dismantle repressive structures by moving away from a deficit model and towards one that values diverse student voices and backgrounds. The study recommends that academics intentionally integrate prescribed AI tools into Honours-level assessments to promote learning and equity. The conclusion asserts that a decolonised approach to assessment, augmented by AI, may transform standard practices to advantage historically underrepresented students, ultimately aligning assessment with the goals of social justice and inclusive education.

Keywords: Transformation, Social Justice, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Assessment, B.Ed. Honours Students, Learning

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Doniwen Pietersen is Professor in the College of Education at the University of South Africa (Unisa), where he also serves as Co-Chair of Research in the Department of Education Foundation. He is also Editor-in-Chief Mentee of a prestigious South African Science Journal, called SAJS. He holds doctoral degrees in Philosophy and in Policy Studies in Education. His research interests lie in the philosophy of education, particularly in issues related to Freirean humanising frameworks, critical pedagogy, feminist theory, the pedagogy of care, social justice, and education policy, with a specific focus on how these disciplines inform transformative pedagogies and equity-driven policy reform. He has published a monograph and several co-edited books, and has contributed widely to accredited journals, further enriching scholarly discourse through peer review, postgraduate supervision, and participation in national and international research conferences. He is committed to ethical scholarship, inclusive knowledge production, and expanding access to academic research.

Mbusiseni Celimpilo Dube is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Foundations in the College of Education at the University of South Africa, Pretoria. He started his academic journey at the University of Zululand, moved to North-West University on AP promotion, and now works for the University of South Africa. He has made an impact on his niche area, which is student support within History Education and History of Education scholarships. He has also contributed to the scholarship of student teachers and dynamics of teaching practice, as well as trust as the cornerstone of a successful supervisor-student relationship. He has published papers in accredited journals and some book chapters as well. He has supervised and co-supervised masters and doctoral students to completion. He has presented many papers at national and international conferences. He has externally examined many dissertations and theses from national and international institutions of higher education. He has also peer-reviewed many scholarly articles and served as an external moderator for some modules in domestic higher education institutions.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Pietersen, Doniwen, and Mbusiseni Celimpilo Dube. “Transformational Approach to Assessment Practices: AI Strategies for Honours Level Assessments.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 12 (2025): 3509 – 3518, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561244.