A Self-Study of Integrating Visual Historical Sources in History Teacher Education: Enhancing Employability and Leadership in Pre-Service Teachers

A Self-Study of Integrating Visual Historical Sources in History Teacher Education: Enhancing Employability and Leadership in Pre-Service Teachers

Zoleka Mkhabela & Hennades T. Tabe

Issue: Vol.7 No.1 2026 Article 7 pp. 82 – 95
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2026717| Published online 25th February 2026
© 2026 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 self-study investigates how visual historical sources can enrich pedagogical practice in a History methodology module within a South African teacher education context. Guided by social constructivism and inquiry-based learning, the study explores how paintings, political posters, and archival photographs support the development of visual literacy, critical thinking, ethical awareness, leadership, and employability skills among pre-service teachers. Using a qualitative reflective design, data were generated through reflective journals, student artefacts, classroom observations, and informal feedback. Thematic analysis revealed that visual sources enabled students to construct meaning collaboratively, engage emotionally with complex historical narratives, and demonstrate agency through group-led tasks and multimodal assessments. These experiences fostered historical empathy, creative expression, and soft skills aligned with 21st-century professional demands. The study argues that structured visual pedagogy enhances both disciplinary understanding and professional formation in teacher education. It recommends the intentional integration of visual methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration to advance decolonial, inclusive, and skill-oriented History education. The findings contribute to growing scholarship on visual pedagogies and their transformative potential in teacher preparation.

Keywords: Employability, Pre-service Teachers, History Education, Historical Empathy, Teacher Education and Visual Literacy.

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Dr Zoleka Mkhabela holds a PhD in Education from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is a lecturer and researcher in Social Science Education, with experience in teacher education, curriculum development, and research supervision. Her work focuses on Geography and History education, teaching controversial issues, land reform in school curricula, decolonising pedagogy, and the integration of digital technologies in education.

Dr Hennades Tabe holds a PhD in Education Management, and He is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. With over a decade of experience in higher education, He has worked as a Lecturer, research assistant, academic writing consultant, and Teaching Practice Supervisor at institutions including North-West University (NWU) and the University of South Africa (Unisa). His academic and professional work spans secondary and higher education, with research interests in teacher education, History for education, educational access and success, and Higher Education transformation.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Mkhabela, Zoleka and Hennades T. Tabe. “A Self-Study of Integrating Visual Historical Sources in History Teacher Education: Enhancing Employability and Leadership in Pre-Service Teachers.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.1 (2026): 82 – 95. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2026717