Exploring grade 10 isizulu home language teachers’ strategies when teaching isizulu novels in the Pinetown District
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Date
2019
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
This study explored the practices and strategies of secondary school teachers when teaching and analysing novels in rural schools. The study specifically probed the practices and strategies of Grade 10 isiZulu Home Language teachers who work in disadvantaged, rural areas. Many studies have shown that there is a link between the learners’ ability to read and academic performance. This study was an attempt to understand how educators teach and analyse isiZulu novels in disadvantaged secondary schools in the Pinetown District.
The study was a qualitative study, which was located within the interpretive paradigm. Participants were purposefully selected from the five schools. Five Grade 10 isiZulu Home Language teachers were involved in the study. This study was a case study of five high schools in a rural area called Inchanga, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Class observations, individual face-to-face semi- structured interviews and document analysis were used as data collection methods.
In this study the findings revealed that teaching novels was still a challenge and teachers had a limited understanding of what it entails. Two strategies appeared to be dominant in the teachers’ teaching strategies, which revealed the educators’ lack of understanding of the complexities inherent in the teaching of novels. It was also discovered that context played a crucial role in the teaching of novels in these schools as most of the schools lacked set works and textbooks suitable to the learners’ background.
The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) should provide appropriate or relevant teaching and learning resources to schools. The availability of set works and textbooks will develop learners’ reading and writing abilities. In addition, a review of post provisioning norms for teachers is also necessary as this presently impacts negatively on the schools situated in the rural areas, where teachers have to be redeployed to other schools. This is problematic as their redeployment tends to leave schools without suitably qualified teachers. This is very important, especially in high schools where educators require specialisation in the subjects they teach.
It is hoped that the suggestions of the findings of this research should be beneficial to principals, teachers, non-governmental organisations involved in educator training, developers of curriculum, writers and all those who have an interest in education.
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, Faculty of Education, at the University of Zululand, 2019.
Keywords
Home language teachers, IsiZulu novels