Framing a future-ready Radiography Curriculum – A scoping review

Framing a future-ready Radiography Curriculum – A scoping review

Henra Muller & Annabel Fossey

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 2 2026 Article 13 pp.197 – 215
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267213 Published online 10th March 2026.

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ABSTRACT

Radiography education is faced with increasing clinical, technological, and regulatory demands; therefore, this scoping review synthesises evidence to identify essential categories and themes for modernising radiography education. The education focuses on adapting to new clinical practices and integrating innovative teaching modalities to prepare graduates for future healthcare environments. A qualitative scoping review was conducted via searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. A generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool supported dual-reviewer screening and full-text analysis. Data on curriculum elements were extracted and synthesised inductively, resulting in a framework of six core domains. The synthesis produced a framework of six interdependent domains: pedagogical innovation, technological integration, curriculum content and structure, clinical education and practice, professionalism and ethics, and strategic alignment. A key finding is the interconnected nature of the domains: Technological integration requires pedagogical innovation, and AI-driven healthcare demands renewed ethical focus. The framework that was identified offers an evidence-based structure for developing technically competent, adaptable, and ethically prepared radiographers. This study provides a unified, evidence-informed framework for radiography curriculum renewal. Key recommendations advocate for a shift in curriculum design, centring on the integration of technology, the adoption of adaptable modular programmes, and the embedding of ‘ethics by design’ principles. The study advances curricular theory by emphasising integration over additive skills and identifies critical research gaps, particularly, context-specific implementation in Africa and longitudinal studies on graduate outcomes.

Keywords: Future-ready radiography curriculum, Radiography curriculum framework, Pedagogical innovation, Technological integration, Curriculum design

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AUTHOR(S)

Henra Muller is a senior lecturer in Radiography at the Central University of Technology, Free State. A doctoral graduate of the University of the Free State, her career began in clinical practice, where she gained extensive experience in diagnostic imaging. Her research focuses on computed tomography (CT) image quality parameters for 3D printing. Her interests also include evolving the radiography curriculum to integrate advanced technology and evidence-based practice, as well as postgraduate supervision. She has published and presented her work internationally and currently collaborates on research with the University of Leeds, Nelson Mandela University, and Lund University.

Annabel Fossey holds a DSc from the University of Pretoria (UP), where she lectured on genetics while completing her postgraduate degrees. She pursued tree breeding research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the CSIR before becoming a Research Professor in Biotechnology at the Central University of Technology in 2010. Since retiring in 2017, she has mentored postgraduate students full-time. A prolific scholar, she has published numerous books, including on forensic genetics and research methodology, and supervised over 60 master’s and doctoral students. Notable honours include being a 1985 People to People delegate and, in 1996, the first South African fellow of the United Nations in mutation research. She continues this work through Graduate Mastery, guiding doctoral candidates.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Muller, Henra, and Annabel Fossey. “Framing a Future-Ready Radiography Curriculum – A Scoping Review,” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.2 (2026): 197 – 215. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267213