Exploring the Potential of Oral History Project (OHP) in enhancing Meta-cognitive Abilities in a History Classroom
Mohau Soldaat 
& Fezeka Gxwayibeni
Issue: Vol.6 No.8 Article 12 pp. 1441 – 1452
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256812 | Published online 11th July, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The Oral History Project (OHP) is prescribed in the South African History curriculum of Grades 10 and 11 for Term two. Understanding the concept of metacognition through the OHP of the Grade 11 class carries the potential of illuminating the nuanced experiences of both History teachers explaining and learners in doing the project. There is a limited understanding of the concept of metacognition within history education. The purpose of this paper was to explore the potential of OHP’s ability to enhance metacognition. This was approached in two phases, viz. (I) understanding how History teachers hand out and guide learners in the process of doing the project, and (ii) understanding how learners grasp the instruction of doing the project. Methodologically, the case study was employed as a research design wherein 29 Grade 11 learners from a rural school were sampled in Mankweng Circuit, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The participating school was purposefully sampled as it offers History in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. Jean Piaget’s cognitive development theory was adopted as a lens to guide this paper. Firstly, the paper recommends that the use of codeswitching should be encouraged in order to enhance the learners’ linguistic proficiency when receiving instruction. Secondly, teachers need continuous training to prepare and train learners to perform the OHP. Lastly, there is a need for learners to be in intense moderation or supervision while doing the project. This paper adds value to the advancement or the growing scholarship of metacognition in history education and decolonising knowledge.
Keywords: Oral History Project, Metacognition, History Teachers, History Learners, History Curriculum History Classroom
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Mohau Soldaat, is working as a Lecturer for History Education at University of Limpopo, Department of Social Sciences and Economic Management Education. His recent publication includes; (1) Twenty-Five Battalion, The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Changing the Decorum in the South African Parliament, 2014 to 2018 Volume 6 issue 1, 2025. (2) Julius Malema from Masupatsela to the Formation of the Economic Freedom Fighters EFF Historical Narrative, 2024, by African Historical Review. (3) In 2023, he co-authored a Book Chapter with Professor Chitja Twala, titled, Lesotho migrant workers in the Orange Free State farms, from the late 19th century to the 1940s, in book: The Road to Democracy in South Africa, Volume 8, Part 2 (pp.201-224). His research focuses on “children” against apartheid, Student politics, and contemporary history, Oral Histories, Migrant and Borderlands Discourses, Metacognition in History teaching.
Ms Fezeka C Gxwayibeni is a lecturer in History Education at the University of Limpopo, Department of Social Sciences and Economics Management Education (DSSEEME). Currently, a PhD candidate with the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is currently working with three high schools offering mentorship to history teachers who are still novice.
Soldaat, Mohau, and Fezeka Gxwayibeni. “Exploring the Potential of Oral History Project (OHP) in enhancing Meta-cognitive Abilities in a History Classrooms,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no.8 (2025): 1441 – 1452. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256812
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
