Conceptualisations and pedagogical practices of academic literacy in Namibian higher education
- Authors: Julius, Lukas Homateni
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Information literacy -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Namibia , Academic writing -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Qualitative research -- Methodology , Academic language -- Namibia , Information literacy -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177293 , vital:42807 , 10.21504/10962/177293
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate academic literacy development lecturers’ conceptualisations of academic literacy and resultant pedagogical practices in academic development courses at three different Higher Education Institutional types in Namibia. The research sites were a Traditional University, a University of Technology and a Comprehensive University. The focus was to understand the extent to which the academics’ conceptions of academic literacy and the resultant pedagogical practices in the academic development courses at these three Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) facilitate epistemological access into students’ chosen fields of study. Bernstein’s Pedagogical theory (1990), Genre theory (1996) and Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (1978) were used as the study’s theoretical lenses and analytical framework. An interpretative paradigm and a qualitative case study design were employed as the research approach. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and documentary evidence were used to generate data. Research findings revealed a common (mis)conception of the nature of academic literacy, the resultant inadequate learning support offered to students in the selected academic literacy development courses, and a clear divorcing of academic literacy interventions from the students’ ‘home’ or mainstream disciplines at the three HEIs. The participants understood academic literacy from an autonomous position as a set of generic skills which could be taught outside of mainstream classes. Moreover, findings revealed that this understanding impacted on the design and assessments of all the academic literacy courses across the three universities under study. The study calls for a context sensitive model through which academic literacy acquisition can be scaffolded to meet the discipline-specific epistemological needs of the students. , Elalakano lyehokololoningomwa lyomapekapeko ndika olyo okukonakona ehumithokomeho lyomikalo dhokulesha nokushanga meilongngo lyopombada (oAcademic Literaci) maaputudhilongi, okukonakona omafatululo giisimanintsa moAcademic Literaci osho wo okutala iizemo yomikalo dhayooloka dhokulonga noku ilonga iilongwa yayooloka miiputudhilo yelongo lyopombada moNamibia. Omapekapeko ngaka oga li ga ningilwa miiputudhilo yomaukwatya ta ga landula; Oshiputudhiilo shopamudhigululwakalo, Oshiputudhilo shopaunongononi, nOshiputudilo shomailongo gaandjakana. Oshintsa shopokati shomapekapeko ngaka osho okuuva ko ondodo yowino osho wo euveko lyoAcademic Literaci maaputudhilongi nonkene euveko nontseyo ndjika tayi longithwa oku eta oshizemo tashi humitha komeho euveko lyopombanda lyaalongwa yomailongo geewino dhayooloka miiputudhilo itatu yelongo lyopombanda; shino otashi kwathele aalongwa yamone ontseyo ndjoka tayi ya kwathele meilongo lyawo. Omapekapeko ngano oga longitha omadhiladhiloukithi (eetheori) ga Bernstein’s Pedagogical theori (1990), Genre theori (1996) na Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics theori (1978), mokufatulula nokundjandjukununa iizemo yomapekapeko. Omodela yokukonakona iizemo yongushu tayi ziilile maakonakonwa, oya tala ekonakono ndika onga oshintsa shopokati, oyo ya longithwa, opo ku monike uuyelele wothaathaa. Omikalo dha longifwa mokukonakona noku gongela uuyelele momapekapeko ngano ongaashi, eenkundathana dhayaali, omatalelo geetundi oshoyo omakonakono giinyanyangidhwa tayi kwandjangele nepekapeko ndika. Iizedjemo yepekapeko ndika otayi ulike kutya opena engwangwano montseyo nenge mefatululo lyuukwatya woAcademic Literaci, shoka sha eta enkundipalo meyambidhidho hali pewa aalongwa miilongwa yeewino dhayooloka. Shika otashi ulike kutya kapena etsokumwe pokati keenkambadhala tadhi ningwa kaapudhilongi dhokulonga oAcademic Litraci miilongwa ya yooloka mbyoka tayi ilongelwa kaalongwa miiputudhilo itatu yopombada. iizemmo yepekapeko olyo tuu mdika oya ulike wo kutya aalongwa mboka yaza komailongo ga yooloka oha yi ilongo nuudhigu opo ya pondole ondondo yomadhiladhilo gopombanda meilongo lyuukumwe. Mokukonakona euveko lyoAcademic Literaci, epekapeko ndika olya ndhindhilike kutya aakuthimbinga oyena euveko lyankundipala lyoterma ‘Academic Literaci,’ ano ya nyengwa okukwatakanitha oohedi dhopetameko ndhoka dhina oku ilongwa meikalekelo - ano pondje yiilongwa ikwao. Oshikwao, iizemo oya ulike kutya euveko ndika otali nwetha mo etungepo lyoAcademic Literaci onga oshilongwa, osho wo omakonakono gasho miiputudilo yombombanda itatu yakwatelwa momapekapeko. Hugunina, epekapeko ndika otali ulike/gandja oshiholelwa shomodela ndjoka oAcademic literacy tai vulu okulongwa opo yi kwatelemo eilongo lyiikwatelela kiilongwa osho yo komaitaalo nokeempumbwe dhaalongwa miiputudhilo yopombabda. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL), 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Teaching writing to Grade 5 English language learners in two Grahamstown East schools, South Africa : a case study
- Authors: Julius, Lukas Homateni
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching (Primary) -- South Africa -- Grahamstown English language -- Written English English language -- Composition and exercises -- Study and teaching (Primary) English language -- Ability testing Teacher effectiveness -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Teachers -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Written communication Second language acquisition
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1971 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011989
- Description: The majority of learners in South Africa are not native speakers of English, yet English is the dominant language of learning and teaching (LoLT). South African teachers, therefore, have the challenge of ensuring that their learners' literacy skills in English are adequately developed so as to facilitate learning in other curricular areas. This study investigated the way in which two Grade 5 teachers employed at different primary schools in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa taught writing to their English first additional language (EFAL) learners. English is the LoLT at both schools. A qualitative interpretive approach was used to identify factors that shape the ways these teachers handle the teaching of writing. The theoretical framework was informed by Borg's model of teacher cognition (2003) Shulman's conception of teacher knowledge (1987). Data collection methods consisted of interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. In-depth interviews, comprising two semi-structured interviews, two post-lesson informal conversational interviews and one stimulated recall interview were conducted with each teacher. Five of each teacher's writing lessons were observed and audio and video recorded. Samples of learners' written work were also collected. Analysis of the data reveals that the two teachers' beliefs, their experiences as learners themselves and subsequently as teachers, impacted on their pedagogy, as did other contextual factors (including the support they received from subject advisors, time management, and the number and range of learners in their classrooms). It was found that both teachers focused primarily on ensuring that their learners completed their written work so that it could be marked and graded in response to demands from their superiors, rather than on engaging deeply with the processes of writing (brainstorming, drafting, revising etc). Not only does this run counter to the writing pedagogy recommended in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), but it also denies learners the scaffolding needed to help them develop the self-regulation skills needed to become independent writers. These findings demonstrate the need for assisting teachers to shift away from focusing only on learners' performance (testing and grading) towards a stronger emphasis on the process of writing. This would require that teachers develop a deeper understanding of the process/genre approaches to teaching writing advocated by CAPS.
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- Date Issued: 2014