Exploration of the South African Student Activism Archives as a New History Education Resource on Teaching First-Years at University

Abstract

This chapter explored the South Africa Student Activism (SASA) archives as a new history education resource for teaching first years at university. The history of SASA is underrepresented in the South African history curriculum. This was influenced by the apartheid educational system, which neglected the preservation of the history of students' struggle to inform first-year students entering university to study history. The study used a case study design. Data were collected through interviews and analysis of documents. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with selected students, history teachers, and archivists from a selected university in South Africa. The key findings revealed that utilizing archival material and oral history enhance first-year students during the teaching and learning and development of handbook materials.