Teaching literature in to English second language learners in Botswana primary schools: exploring in-service education and training teachers’ classroom practices
Sanoto, Deborah Vimbwandu (2017-03)
Thesis (DEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2017
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Primary school level is where the love for reading and understanding of literature starts, and for the teachers to succeed in the teaching of reading and literature they need to display certain habits and practices in their English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. This study was conducted to determine the reading experiences, habits and literature teaching practices of in-service teacher trainees in primary schools in Botswana. The literature depicts reading extensively and developing a passion for reading as indispensable conditions for the successful teaching of literature. The study further explored the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of in-service teacher trainees, in order to gain insight into the curriculum for Colleges of Primary Education (English language/ Literature studies), and its impact on the teaching of reading and literature to ESL pupils.
This study utilized a qualitative approach and case study research design, including questionnaires, interviews, documentary data and lesson observations to answer the following overarching question: What role (if any) does literature play in the studies and classrooms of in-service English language teacher trainees? Data were collected by means of a questionnaire, interviews, lesson plan analyses and classroom observations. Analysis involved coding and classifying data, by identifying themes and patterns in the data. The findings indicate that the source of knowledge base, in this context, the Colleges of Education curriculum, did not lay a foundation for a solid knowledge base. This is with regard to in-service teacher trainees’ PCK, which taught literature without students reading the literary texts. This anomaly denied the trainees an opportunity to apply critical thinking in analysis of texts, and by extension they failed to see the significance of fostering critical thinking and an appreciation of reading in their ESL pupils. The data further reveal that the teachers are frustrated by a lack of resources for leisure reading in the schools, which adversely affects not only their efforts to inculcate a culture of reading, but also a positive attitude towards reading and teaching of literature at primary school level. The study concludes that an appreciation for literature starts very early on in the teaching of literacy, whether literacy is developed in Setswana or in English. The study points out that in teaching literature to primary school pupils, teachers in addition to the requisite PCK must also exhibit certain reading habits and practices of their life-world in their classrooms.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die liefde vir lees en waardering vir letterkunde begin in die laerskool. Indien onderwysers leesonderrig en begrip van letterkunde suksesvol wil onderrig, moet hulle sekere leesgewoontes en –praktyke in hulle Engels Tweedetaal klasse volhou. Hierdie studie is onderneem in Botswana met laerskoolonderwysers wat besig was met ŉ voortgesette opleidingsprogram. Die doel was om die leeservarings, -gewoontes en die onderrig van letterkunde van hierdie onderwysers te ondersoek. Die literatuur toon aan dat uitgebreide leesprogramme en die ontwikkeling van ŉ liefde vir lees ŉ onontbeerlike voorwaarde is vir die suksesvolle onderrig van letterkunde. Die studie het ook Shulman se Pedagogical Content Knowledge (vakinhoudskennis vir onderrig) gebruik as ŉ lens om hierdie onderwysers se kennis te toets in die lig van die kurrikulum wat gevolg word by Kolleges vir Laerskoolonderwys (Engels taal- en letterkunde studies) om die invloed daarvan op die onderrig van lees en letterkunde aan Engels tweedetaal leerlinge te bepaal.
Die studie het gemengde metodes gebruik binne die navorsingsontwerp van ŉ gevallestudie deur vraelyste, onderhoude, analises van lesplanne en klaskamer waarnemings deur te voer in ŉ poging om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: Watter rol, indien enige, speel letterkunde in die studies en klaskamers van Engels, tweedetaal laerskoolonderwysers wat besig is met ŉ voortgesette opleidingsprogram? Die data is geanaliseer deur middel van kodering en identifisering van temas en kategorieë. Die bevindinge wys duidelik dat die beginpunt van hierdie onderwysers se inhoudskennis, in die geval die Kolleges van Onderwys kurrikulum, nie ŉ goeie basis lê vir die ontwikkeling van Pedagogical Content Knowledge nie, omdat letterkunde onderrig is sonder dat studente-onderwysers hoegenaamd die letterkunde tekste gelees het. Hierdie situasie het verhoed dat studente-onderwysers die geleentheid benut het om kritiese denke toe te pas in die analise van tekste en as gevolg daarvan, kon hulle ook nie die belangrikheid van hierdie vaardighede in hulle eie Engels tweedetaal leerders se ontwikkeling sien nie. Die data toon dat onderwysers gefrustreerd is met ŉ gebrek aan hulpbronne in die vorm van ontspanningsliteratuur in die skole. Hierdie toedrag van sake lei daartoe dat hulle pogings om ŉ leeskultuur te vestig gekortwiek word en dat leerders dus nie ŉ positiewe instelling teenoor letterkunde en lees op laerskoolvlak ontwikkel nie. Die studie kom tot die slotsom dat die waardering vir letterkunde baie vroeg begin wanneer geletterdheid onderrig word, ongeag of dit in Setswana of in Engels plaasvind. Die suksesvolle onderrig van letterkunde op laerskool is afhanklik daarvan dat onderwysers die nodige Pedagogical Content Knowledge ontwikkel saam met gesonde leesgewoontes en -praktyke in hulle lewens en klaskamers.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/101080