Browsing by Author "Madondo, Siphiwe Bafana."

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Exploring children’s popular culture as a resource for English creative writing in an isiZulu-speaking Grade 6 class: a teacher’s self-study.
(2021) Madondo, Siphiwe Bafana.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.
I am an isiZulu-speaking teacher in a primary school in a semi-rural area, serving an isiZulu-speaking community. The school uses English as a medium of instruction, and it is taught as a First Additional Language. My study aimed to explore children’s popular culture as a resource for teaching and learning English creative writing in my Grade 6 class. A sociocultural theoretical perspective helped me understand teaching and learning as culturally and socially constructed. My methodological approach was self-study of practice. I was the primary research participant, and the other participants were the learners in my class. I worked closely with three critical friends (fellow teachers and doctoral students). My first research question was, What can I learn about children’s popular culture and creative writing from my childhood memories? In response, I recalled my past experiences of children’s popular culture to learn from them as a resource for teaching creative writing. I also explored my own past experiences relevant to the teaching and learning of creative writing. I recalled and narrated my fun experiences as well as memorable educative experiences using self-study methods, i.e., memory drawing and artefact retrieval. My second question was, What can I learn through exploring children’s popular culture as a resource for teaching and learning English creative writing in an IsiZulu-speaking Grade 6 Class? In response to this question, I conducted English, Social Science and Technology lessons that integrated children’s popular culture content as a resource for teaching and learning creative writing. I provided a detailed description of what transpired during the teaching and learning with examples of classwork produced by learners. I employed collage and poetry as arts-based methods to analyse and reflect deeply in searching for meaningful answers. This study enabled me to learn from my learners as they taught me about what was in their hearts. I experienced how popular culture content and forms can elicit creative writing and keep children motivated and inspired. Self-study encouraged and empowered me to improve the way I teach. Furthermore, this study has recognised the significance of children’s perspectives and expertise and considered them as valued partners in educational research and practice.
Nurturing learners' flair for written communication : a teacher's self study.
(2014) Madondo, Siphiwe Bafana.; Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane.
The focus of my self-study research was on the development of a flair for English written communication among my isiZulu-speaking grade six learners. The aim of conducting this study was to improve my teaching practice to enhance learners’ English written communication. My methodological approach was self-study of educational practice. I used two main self-study methods to generate data for my study: memory-work self-study and developmental portfolio self-study. I used the memory-work self-study method to recall lived experiences that were relevant to developing a flair for communication in my own life history. I used memory drawing, artefact retrieval and personal narrative writing to generate memory stories about these communicative experiences. I composed interpretive poems to explore implications of my memory stories for teaching and learning of written communication. I used the developmental portfolio self-study method to keep evidence of my practice in teaching written communication, including: my teachers’ file; lesson plans; my reflective journal; and grade 6 learners’ written work, together with their journal entries. I identified six issues from my memory stories and interpretive poems that have influenced my learning and teaching of written communication. These are: (a) parental involvement; (b) emotions and relationships; (c) cultural practices; (d) changing technology; (e) creative expression; and (f) writing as a process. I took into consideration the extent to which I had been paying attention to these six issues in my teaching and the implications they might have for my future teaching practice, particularly in relation to written communication. Using a self-study approach motivated and empowered me to make some changes personally and to improve the way I teach. I came to understand that the development of flair for written communication demands support from all significant stakeholders in learners’ education. Another important lesson that I drew from this study is that creativity should form an integral part of the teaching and learning process of written communication. My key learning is that written communication can be nurtured by dedicated teachers who wish to see their learners succeed in all spheres of life. As a teacher, I should offer a welcoming and encouraging classroom environment. I should present learners with opportunities that allow for creative exploration of ideas, accommodating mistakes and mutual respect for both parties involved in the teaching and learning of written communication.