- Title
- The use of English and isiXhosa in teaching and learning Physical Sciences in four schools in King Williams Town education district of the Eastern Cape: a case study
- Creator
- Sibanda, Busani
- Date Issued
- 2013
- Date
- 2013
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- M Ed
- Identifier
- vital:16222
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019733
- Description
- The present study investigates the use of English and isiXhosa in teaching and learning Physical Sciences in four King Williams Town schools. Physical Sciences educators and Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners were interviewed to find out about their perceptions with regard to the language(s) used in the learning and teaching of the subject Physical Sciences. The same educators and learners were also observed to find out their actual language practices in class. The findings revealed that English was the preferred medium of instruction in the learning and teaching of Physical Sciences, even though the majority of learners had low proficiency in English. Both teachers and learners extensively use code-switching to bridge this language gap in order to improve the learning of content. The choice to use isiXhosa to bridge the English second language barrier was influenced by the language profile of the learners. However, even in lessons in which teachers used code-switching, the participation of learners in class discussions was very low because the delivery of the lessons was still teacher-centred. The National Department of Education assessment policy seems to limit schools toward adopting English as the LoLT even though learners in these schools were isiXhosa first language speakers. The fact that all assessment are done in English leads to school adopting English on LoLT. Schools adopted the English only policy as way of promoting learners’ learning and understanding of English, so that the learners are not disadvantaged by the English language factor when writing examinations.
- Format
- 148 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
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