Browsing by Author "Sheik, Ayub."

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An analysis of boys’ and teachers’ experiences in a Grade 6 writing programme, using a positioning perspective.
(2019) Mather, Nazarana.; Rule, Peter Neville.; Sheik, Ayub.
Existing research shows that in South Africa there are reasons for concern regarding the achievements of a large proportion of Grade 6 learners in language learning. The impact of this poor language achievement affects their success rates across learning areas and in higher grades. It has also been found that historically, Grade 6 boys have achieved, and continue to achieve, lower results than their female peers in national language assessments. However, boys’ language learning in the Intermediate Phase in South African schools is surprisingly under-researched, particularly their writing skills development. This study contributes to understanding Grade 6 boys’ writing development by providing descriptions of two English Home Language classroom contexts, in two different schools, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study aimed to 1. analyse the strategies, perceptions, challenges and experiences of two Grade 6 teachers’ and their male learners’ teaching and learning of writing in English Home Language; 2. provide a holistic account of the development of the boys’ writing skills, presented in terms of the process genre approach to writing, theories of teacher knowledge and positioning theory; 3. determine the role that formative assessment plays during the stages of the writing cycle; and 4. draw from the findings suggestions for further study and improved classroom practice. To this end, in each school, a cycle of the Grade 6 writing programme, as prescribed by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) (DBE, 2011a), was analysed. The experiences, perceptions and challenges of the two participating teachers and their male learners were analysed using exploratory and comparative case study approaches. This interpretative, qualitative, theory-seeking case study was bounded by time (2015), space (Grade 6 classrooms in two mainstream schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) and theme (how boys and their teachers experience and perceive the learning and teaching of writing and their positions and challenges during these writing lessons). Data were gathered from classroom observations, teacher interviews, activity-based questionnaires and the boys’ written submissions with their teachers’ feedback. Classroom and interview data were analysed from the perspective of positioning theory and the process genre approach to writing, and document analysis was conducted on learners’ written submissions. Although these teachers had similar schooling backgrounds and training and followed the same policy statement (the CAPS), it was found that their scaffolding approaches within the stages of the writing cycle differed significantly. This thesis argues that there are significant links among three key elements: teacher knowledge, teachers’ and learners’ positioning in the writing process, and the quality of the final written product.
Assessing students' perceptions of conversational isiZulu as a compulsory module in a South African university.
(2014) Anyanwu, Chinekpebi Ngozi.; Sheik, Ayub.
This thesis is an empirical study conducted to gauge students’ perceptions of conversational isiZulu module in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Since 2014, conversational IsiZulu has become mandatory for all undergraduate students. Driven by the bilingual policy initiatives of UKZN, a total of 1 287 students have registered for conversational isiZulu as a mandatory requirement for completing an undergraduate degree. This study is an investigation in which interviews, observation and policy documents were used to gather data from students who are taking the module for the first time. Using a qualitative case study, this study investigates the learning of Conversational IsiZulu, paying attention to the classroom social context and the meanings and experiences of participants. The sample consists of 10 students from the school of Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Respondents were purposively selected from non-native speakers of isiZulu from the student population of 1 287 who have enrolled in the module in the School of Education of UKZN. The results of the research suggests that students responded positively to learning an additional language, despite challenges experienced in the mastery of content and vocabulary amongst other aspects. This study therefore concludes that the UKZN Language Policy of eventual bilingual education is successful within the School of Education of UKZN in its initial stages of implementation.
An exploration of lesbian and gay students experiences at a technical and vocational education and training in Harry Gwala district in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
(2022) Zincume, Alfred Khayalethu.; Sheik, Ayub.
The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences of lesbian and gay students at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College in a rural town of Kwa- Zulu Natal. The aim of the study is to understand how lesbian and gay students define being gay, how they are being treated and how they navigate in those spaces of discomfort within and beyond the college. The study looks at the treatment of students at the TVET College in Uzimkhulu, a rural town, in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This is a qualitative study and narrative inquiry design was also used for the study. Nine participants were sampled for the study through snowball sampling, six girls and three boys, who identified themselves as lesbians and gays. Semi-structured, focus group and visual methodology interviews were used as a tool for data generation. During the interviews the participants were asked questions about their experiences within and outside the college. Data were sorted and classified according to categories and themes. The study found that the participants understood what it means to be gay. The study also revealed that the majority of participants experienced difficulties when they come out to their parents, friends and community members. Some of the lesbian and gay students hide their sexual orientation because they avoid to be kicked out from their families. The study also reported that conservative nature of communities and social relations in the rural area pose an added difficult to gay and lesbian student. Patriarchy is more dominant and the community is under control of chiefs and this type of community has a strong anti-gay views and the conception that homosexuality is un-African. The study also revealed that there is an interpersonal conflict among gay groups because there are those members within the group who like to dominate like “butch”. Church also frowns upon homosexuals because church believers believe that it is contrary to the teachings of the Bible. College can help to create a welcoming environment for students and if all stakeholders involved play their role. College should establish non-discriminatory policy that protects discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity expression. Community members and parents should give support to all people who identified themselves as lesbians and gays and staff should support students in their academic exploration of LGBT issues.
An exploration of reading strategies implemented by teachers teaching isiZulu home language in grade 1.
(2013) Cofu, Duduzile Patricia.; Sheik, Ayub.
This study explores the strategies implemented by grade one isiZulu Home Language (HL) teachers when teaching reading. One of the fundamental skills of education for learners involves the development of reading in the early stages of schooling. The CAPS document was recently introduced in order to help introduce teachers to a variety of explicit strategies in the teaching and assessment of reading. However, practitioner experience and research indicate that most teachers find it difficult to implement the strategies suggested for a variety of reasons. The study adopted the qualitative approach based on an interpretive approach. The objective of choosing the qualitative method for data collection was to get deeper insight into how teachers teach reading to learners. The strategies employed to gather data with efficiency and minimum bias involved the adoption of the semi-structured interview. This research used the semi-structured interviews with three grade one teachers in the Pinetown district as respondents. Research findings indicate that teachers have significant difficulties in implementing the reading strategies to achieve the levels of competencies as required by the CAPS document. The respondents in this research found that they were significantly challenged when it came to implementing the recommended CAPS strategies to learners. It was also observed that there are distinct gaps in the teaching of reading to learners in the foundation phase. Moreover, teachers struggled with the interpretation of the reading methods as laid out in the policy framework. In order to address these problems it is recommended that teachers in the schools be trained thoroughly on how to implement strategies recommended by the Department of Education as stipulated in the CAPS document. The respondents realized that they needed extensive knowledge and specialised skills which were not offered during the training. All the three teachers taught the different aspects of the language in isolation, and not in the integrated approach as espoused in the CAPS. The findings also suggest that support from school management in mentoring is required to assist teachers to implement the strategies with efficiency and understanding.
Exploring literacy practices : a case study of a peri-urban primary school in the Pinetown District ; KwaZulu-Natal.
(2015) Ramdan, Shamitha.; Sheik, Ayub.
This research project specifically focused on understanding the literacy practices of three grade three educators in a peri-urban school, who are entrusted with the task of promoting and mediating literacy acquisition and development among the learners. In order to supplement the data from the educators, this study also investigated learner’s performance in literacy as well as various other aspects of the literacy environment which influenced the performance of the learners in literacy development. The selected research site was one peri-urban primary school in the Pinetown District, Phoenix Region in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This research has attempted to answer questions relevant to learners’ attitudes and experiences in the development of reading and writing practices, how educators develop reading and writing competencies at the school, what their reasons were for choosing certain approaches, how Government literacy policies were implemented in practice in the classroom and what assistance the educators received for developing literacy effectively. Within a case study approach, a mixed methods research design was used because data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods in an interpretative paradigm. The findings revealed that while educators made use of a number of teaching methods and approaches to teach literacy in their classrooms, a socio-cultural approach to literacy was lacking. The results of this study call for a broadening of the definition of literacy, to one that acknowledges the socio-cultural background of all the learners in their care, to develop a literacy disposition that will prepare individuals adequately for a competitive and changing world. The results were also presented to highlight the gravity of other problems that educators had encountered in the sample school and in general in literacy teaching and implementation. Hopefully this project will serve as a catalyst for the sample school to review policies, amend curriculum changes and debate appropriate methods and approaches to promote effective literacy teaching and the actual implementation of reading and writing skills across the curriculum, while taking into account some of the suggestions offered in this study.
Exploring strategies of teaching poetry to English Second Language (ESL) learners in grade 12.
(2020) Hlabisa, Mlungisi Vusumuzi.; Sheik, Ayub.
This study is an exploration of strategies that are of utility to ESL teachers to teach poetry in a South African context. It advocates a learner-centered approach to teaching and learning and closely aligns with the Department of Education’s curriculum requirements. Given the paucity of poetic strategies available to teachers in rural, ESL contexts as evidenced in such studies as Lim and Omar (2007), El-Hindi (2008), Panavelil (2011), Juhlin (2018) amongst others, this study seeks to explore and provide enabling, unorthodox and innovative strategies that teachers can use to teach poetry in their ESL classrooms given the resource poverty typical to this demographic. Maake (2017) points out that there is a decline in the teaching of poetry in the ESL classrooms in South Africa, even though the CAPS document (2011) clearly states that poetry should be taught like any other literary genre in the FET phase. The decline may be attributed to a number of factors, some of which are insufficient resources, negative attitudes towards poetry, overcrowded classes, language barriers, and inadequately trained teachers. This desktop study is consequently a review of methods the ESL teacher may have recourse to, given the contextual dynamics manifest in the South African ESL classroom. Practical Criticism informs the approach used in this study. The rationale for this choice is that ESL teachers consciously or unconsciously use some of the tenets of practical criticism in their classroom. This study therefore seeks to build upon this to add increased analytical rigor and expand the capacity for critical analysis. This study uses desktop methodologies to advance its thesis. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, online peer reviewed articles, e-books and personal reflection are mostly utilized to inform this study. This study is embedded in the critical paradigm, acknowledges its own subjectivity and seeks to empower people. This study also uses Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural learning, the central thesis of which is that knowledge is socially constructed. The theory is relevant in this study because it helps the teacher understand how learners acquire knowledge in an ESL context. The teacher understands his/her role as a facilitator of knowledge and not as the sole source of information. The sociocultural theory of learning insists on a learner-centered approach to teaching and learning. It also promotes the contextualization of knowledge to the learners’ understanding of their own world. This theory introduces the idea of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) as a range between what learners can do (the known) and what they can do with the assistance of a teacher (the unknown). Poetry in the ESL class is perceived as a necessary ordeal for examination purposes. This study contends that the intrinsic joy and the discovery of new knowledge as well as the aesthetic appreciation of poetry is what ESL teaching and learning of poetry should be foregrounding. The portrayal of poetry as an elitist genre has taken away left our learners with negative attitudes and experiences of poetry. Therefore, this study, by advocating different strategies of teaching poetry, seeks to reimagine poetry and rekindle interest in learners. One of the key findings of this research is the use of cognitive reading strategies as the tools to teach poetry in ESL classes. Brumfit (1980) argues that reading is a very complex activity as it is composed of “perceptual, linguistic and cognitive abilities”. Cognitive reading entails reading for understanding, an in-depth reading of the text which seeks to uncover the true meaning/s of the text. Using the words in the text, the reader is able to infer effectively with sufficient evidence to validate his or her argument. The key findings of this study are cognitive reading strategies: pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies, paraphrasing, close reading, discussing the vocabulary used in poetry, and multimodality. These strategies provide an in-depth analysis of a poem and encourage a learner-centered approach to teaching and learning. Furthermore, they are compatible with Practical Criticism as a lens to poetry analysis because of their focus on the text. Understanding the congruence between these strategies and the sociocultural theory of learning, teachers can have effective poetry lessons.
Exploring teachers’ instructional practices in literacy in English in Grade One: a case study of two urban primary schools in the Shiselweni Region of Swaziland.
(2018) Dlamini, Patience Samkelisiwe.; Sheik, Ayub.
Exploring teachers’ instructional practices in literacy in English in Grade One: a case study of two urban primary schools in the Shiselweni Region of Swaziland This research study sought to explore teachers’ instructional practices in literacy in English in Grade One. The main focus of the study was to establish what instructional practices teachers used in their literacy lessons in classrooms, why they used those instructional practices, and how they experienced the teaching of literacy in English in Grade One. The study was based on the premise that literacy was a social practice that was essential for life-long learning, therefore mastering sound literacy practices at the foundation phase was critical for learning and social wellbeing. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory was used as a lens to understand teachers’ instructional practices in teaching Grade One literacy in their English classes. This research was a case study of two urban primary schools in the Shiselweni region of Swaziland, and it followed a qualitative approach. Three teachers from two urban schools were purposively sampled and were main participants in the study. The study utilised semistructured interviews, classroom observations, focus group discussions with teachers who had experience of teaching literacy in English in Grade One, and documents analysis for data collection. Data were analysed thematically using content analysis. The findings of the study showed that teachers’ instructional practices reflected their lack of pedagogical knowledge for teaching literacy in English in the foundation phase. The study also found that the challenges teachers experienced in the schools were mainly their rationale for the instructional practices; lack of pedagogical knowledge; lack of appropriate teaching materials for foundation phase learners; lack of early childhood education and lack of support for learners at home, and cultural and linguistic diversity of the learners. The study further showed that teacher resilience is important for teachers to thrive under trying school conditions; developing a positive attitude towards literacy teaching enabled teachers to develop strategies to improve literacy teaching and learning. The study recommends that government pay more attention to improving foundation phase education by posting qualified foundation phase teachers, and also to provide appropriate teaching-learning materials for effective literacy instruction.
Gender attitudes towards feminist literature : lecturers' and students' engagement with feminist literary texts at a university in Zimbabwe.
(2016) Chindedza, Winnet.; Sheik, Ayub.
The study reports on a qualitative study of the views of university lecturers and students on the feminist literary texts they engaged with at a selected university in Zimbabwe. Through the lenses of the feminist and critical paradigms, the thesis examined how university lecturers and students react to feminist ideologies that are observable in the feminist literary texts they engaged with vis-à-vis their patriarchal orientation. Their reactions to feminist ideologies were viewed from the reader response theory perspective. From a liberal feminist perspective, the study suggests the need to add more feminist literary texts in the selected university’s undergraduate English curriculum. The study utilised informal conversations, semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis as methods of gathering data. The study found that lecturers’ and students’ views towards feminist literary texts were influenced by several factors which are: patriarchy and socialisation, consciousness, religion, generational cohorts and education. The study recommends that lecturers take into consideration the addition of more feminist literary texts in the university undergraduate English curriculum because these feminist literary texts address important gender issues that are topical in this generation of feminism.
Gender stereotyping in children's literature : an analysis of Anne Fine's Bill New Frock (2010) with grade 4 learners.
(2013) Munthree, Pralini.; Sheik, Ayub.
This purpose of this study is to determine the effect, if any, that gender stereotyping in children’s literature, has on learners’. The study looks at the analysis of a novel by Anne Fine entitled “Bill’s New Frock” (2010) in a grade 4 classroom. The study uses a mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative data to yield results. The study takes on a 3 stage structure i.e. pre-test (questionnaires) to determine existing gender stereotypes, during- test (reading of the novel) and post-test (focus group interviews). The results of the study found that learners’ have a pre-constructed understanding of gender stereotypes influenced by the society, community and population they originate. This is embedded into their conscious as a norm. However exposure to “Bill’s New Frock” (2010) challenged these gender understandings and not only sensitised learners’ to gender equality but also facilitated a change in their gender construct.
An investigation into Saudi Arabian final-year student teachers’ preparedness to teach English as a foreign language.
(2022) Elshamy, Ahmed Abdelkader Mohammed.; Sheik, Ayub.
This study aimed to investigate final-year English major Saudi student teachers’ perceptions of preparedness as well as their actual preparedness to teach English as a Foreign Language after their graduation. Previous work did not address student teachers’ perceptions of preparedness to teach after graduation. An interpretive qualitatively dominant approach was used to explore the student teachers’ preparedness to teach English. A case study design was employed using four data generating strategies: a predominantly qualitative questionnaire; the Cambridge Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT); focus group discussions; and interviews with four teacher participants. The questionnaire and the group discussions revealed that most year-four student teachers perceived themselves as being prepared to begin teaching after graduation. Also, most student teachers ascribed their preparedness to start teaching to their teachers who helped them form their positive perceptions of preparedness to teach. Other student teachers attributed their perceptions of preparedness to teach English to the courses they studied during the four-year programme. In addition, most year-four student teachers were found to be unprepared linguistically (as per what they wrote in the questionnaire and what they said in the group discussions) to start teaching English. Student teachers’ teaching ability was assessed via the TKT which proved that most of the student teachers fall into Band 2 (as per the established Band Descriptors) which means that their teaching knowledge is satisfactory. Besides, student teachers were found to be unprepared pedagogically because most of what they studied in their English language programme only related to the English language, its literature, and Arabic and English translation courses, not to teaching methods courses. The interviews revealed that student teachers were not fully prepared to teach English as a Foreign Language. Although some of the student teachers were perceived to be prepared linguistically, most of them were perceived to be unprepared pedagogically to begin teaching. Most of the interviewees stated that the English language programme had not adequately prepared student teachers to start teaching because its focus was on language and translation, not on teaching. Almost all interviewees suggested a training programme through which student teachers can be trained on how to teach and practice teaching. The interviewees' suggestions for student teachers ranged from doing a certificate or a diploma like Cambridge CELTA and DELTA or their equivalents and volunteering for a semester or two to observe and shadow other experienced teachers in their classes.
Language assessment : an exploration of whether critical language testing influences the testing of language in the FET phase of a selected high school.
(2013) Mahomet, Robin Peter.; Sheik, Ayub.
Language teachers have multiple responsibilities in that they teach a subject which fits into the framework of the school curriculum as well as being the medium through which the majority of that school curriculum is taught. Literacy is also a requirement for the citizenry of the country to function effectively in our society. A further responsibility which is not always perceived is that language has power in that it is often the medium through which social, political and economic discourse occurs. Critical theory contends that competing ideologies seek to make their discourses dominant and in this way have control over relations of power in society. Consequently, language education is the means by which we can educate young people about these ‘discourses of domination’. The focus of this study is teachers and the language assessments which they produce. Are these language assessments simple testing devices intended to gauge learners recall and understanding of the content of the text or can they go deeper than that? Can teachers engage with their learners on a Critical level to understand where texts come from and who created them and what was their purpose in creating them? These questions are in line with Critical literacy, so as to understand power relations in society and to mitigate against the domination of a particular ideology. To merely analyse assessments would be insufficient thus this study goes further to try to understand how teachers’ personal paradigms impact on the assessments which they produce. The purpose here is to gain some understanding of whether or not teachers want to and are able to educate learners about more than just the content of the texts which are taught in the language classroom. This is achieved through the analysis of language assessments and then by semi-structured interviews with the producers of these assessments. The data achieved from this mixed method research is analysed through the lens of Critical Language Testing with the intention of trying to determine if the assessments produced, come from individuals who are concerned with social justice and equality; individuals who are aware of social, political and economic discourses in society among other. The study also sought to determine if these are reflexive individuals who are also ethical in their approach to language teaching and assessment. The thesis attempts to achieve these aims whilst always maintaining a self critical view point. This is done by engaging with the premises which underpin this research and trying to understand the motivations for this research. By attempting to deconstruct my own personal bias and ideological underpinnings the hope is to achieve a study which fairly represents how teachers assess language in the classroom.
Language policy and practice at a secondary school in Manzini: the case of teaching and learning in Form 4.
(2020) Dludlu, Siphiwe Monicah.; Sheik, Ayub.
The thesis explored language policy and practice at a secondary school in the Manzini region of eSwatini. Studies have shown that language policy is a key determining factor for learner-academic performance, yet no study has endeavoured to look into the experiences of teachers and learners in using the language policy currently operant in education in eSwatini. The majority of learners in the eSwatini EGCSE exit examination fail to pass English yet language testing constitutes a high-stake examination that impacts the future of learners. The purpose of the study was to document teachers and learners’ perceptions of the language policy currently operant in the country. It was a qualitative case study grounded on the interpretive paradigm which utilised document analysis, observation and one-on-one interviews to collect data. The study was informed by Cobarrubias’ four language planning ideologies and the micro language planning framework. There were six teachers who were purposively sampled and ten learners selected using systematic random sampling. Data was thematically analysed using content analysis. Interview data revealed that teachers and learners have positive sentiments towards the eSwatini language policy. Moreover, teachers and learners were equally divided on the issue of language and academic performance, with some arguing that English competency does affect learner-performance whilst others believed this did not. The researcher also established that teachers and learners codeswitched between English and siSwati for clarity during teaching and learning. It was therefore concluded that codeswitching is a useful and essential instructional tool for effective teaching and learning to take place. The study then recommended a teaching and learning model for effective pedagogic purposes. IQOQA LOCWANINGO Lolucwaningo lolu lubukeze izindaba zolimi nokusetjenziswa kwalo ezikoleni eziphakemeyo esigodini saKwa-Manzini ezweni laseSwazini. Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi ulimi okufundiswa ngalo ludlala inzima enkulu kakhulu ukuze kuthi umfundi aphase ekufundeni kwakhe isikole kodwa nomakunjalo, alukho ucwaningo olwenziweyo kulelizwe laseSwazini olubuyekeza indima yolimi ekufundeni kwabafundi nokuthi bona abantwana nothisha babo banemibono ethini ngendaba yolimi lokufundisa ezikoleni. Kubonakele ukuba abafundi abaningi ababhala uhlolo lwe – EGCSE bayasifeyila isifundo seSingisi kanti lesi sifundo ngusona simcoka kwedlula zonke ezinye abazibhalayo, Futhi ngusona esikhombayo ukuthi ikusasa lomfundi lichakazile na noma cha. Inhloso yalolucwaningo lolu bewukubuyekeza imibono yo-thisha nabafundi mayelana nolimi lokufundisa olusetjenziswayo esikoleni sinye saseSwazini. Lolucwaningo lu – qualitative, lusebenzise i-interpretive paradigm kuthola umumvo wothisha nabafundi kanti lubuye lwasebenzisa ukucwaninga amabhuku, ukugoloza kanye nokukhulumisana nothisha nabafundi ngamunye ngamunye. Lolucwaningo luthathelwe emibhalweni ka- Cobarrubias (1983) ohlazulula imibhalo emine ulimi olungasetjenziswa ngalo kanye ne Micro language planning framework. Kusetjenziswe abothisha abayisithupha, nabafundi abayishumi abakhethwe ngenhloso kusetjenziswa ukusampula okungahleliwe. Abakukhulumileyo okuvelile kwimininingo kubuyekezwe ngokusebenzisa ukuhlaziya kokuqukethwe kanti okubonakeleyo wukuthi othisha nabafundi abakhulunyisiwe bayibona inguleyo ekahle kakhulu inqubomgomo yezemfundo yaseSwatini. Ngakulokunye, othisha nabafundi abavumelani ngokupheleleyo ukuthi ulimi umfundi afundiswa ngalo lunendima enkulu kabi ukuze umfundi aphase noma afeyile ezifundweni zakhe. Kubonakele futhi ukuthi kuningi ukushintja amakhodi kusetjenziswa iSingisi nesiSwati nabafundisa othisha. Lokhu kubonakalisa ukuthi ukusebenzisa ulimi lwendabuko kanye neSingisi uma kufundiswa kumcokwa kakhulu kuyabanceda nabafundi kuthi benze kahle ezifundweni zabo. Yingakho lolucwaningo luveza isifanekiso nesilinganiso sokufundisa esingasetjenziswa othisha nabafundi uma befunda ukuze benze kahle ezifundweni zabo.
Narrating the nation: conceptualization of post-colonial female self and identity by selected Kenyan women writers.
(2023) Kaburia, Tabitha Esther.; Sheik, Ayub.
This research study sought to explore the development of the female self and national identity in selected Kenyan women’s writings. The study examined the interrogation of the numerous female identities that are the concern of postcolonial Kenya. It focused on patriarchy, gender, ethnicity, and violence as forces that interfere with women's sense of selfhood, belonging to, and claiming the nation. The investigation conducted was qualitative. The methodology employed involved a meticulous examination and scrutiny of the texts of Wangari Maathai's Unbowed: A Memoir (2006), Grace Ogot's Days of My Life (2012), Marjorie Oludhe's Coming to Birth (1986), Muthoni Likimani's Fighting Without Ceasing (2005), and Passbook Number F.47927 (1998). The close reading examined the explicit significance of textual materials and their structural characteristics to determine how they achieve coherence. The study employed gynocriticism, feminist theory, and postcolonial literary discourses to examine the evolution of female selfhood and national identity within patriarchal and contemporary societies. Analysis also involved the female autobiographical voice within the context of postcolonial Kenya, which serves as a means of articulating individual agency through language. The results of this study demonstrated how patriarchy affects the female elf, and women writers aim to empower women through self-consciousness. The autobiographical voice enables the woman to explore her identity and define herself, and it reveals not only the interests of those who produce autobiographies but also the concerns of those who read them. The study also found that there is an essential nexus between the female self, politics, activism, women in the public realm, and women's rights. Another finding was that the autobiographical voice is the central cohesive device in the narratives, and it echoes all other voices in society and women have a sense of collective identity, which sometimes becomes a source of strength and transformation. The conclusions drawn were that the social position of women is a concern for Kenyan women authors. The story, the characters, and the point of view influence the concept of women's empowerment. In a culture that confines and restricts women, the capacity for women to direct their own lives is essential.
Teaching experiences of language educators in selected grade ten multilingual classrooms.
(2013) Hlatshwayo, Zandile Virginia.; Sheik, Ayub.
This study explores teaching experiences of language educators in multilingual classrooms in urban schools. Urban school populations have drastically changed since 1994. There has been gravitation towards former model C schools. Although classroom contexts in urban schools had become linguistically diverse, educators' linguistic profiles have remained largely unchanged. Teachers are expected to teach in a vastly different context from the one in which they were schooled and practised to teach. Teaching language in a fluid linguistic ecology is therefore a crucial issue. The study explores languages in contact at classroom level. Multilingual classrooms have important and varying implications for language teaching and learning. The South African language-in-education policy advocates for the promotion of additive multilingualism. Teachers are regarded as the best people to cater for the specific needs of their learners. The study examines the realities of multilingual classrooms told from language teachers' perspectives. The study is a qualitative study premised on an interpretive paradigm. The researcher endeavours to understand the subjective world of human experience. Language teachers' experiences will be constructed by language teachers themselves. The study explores cognition and conceptualisation by language educators as they experience evolving linguistic landscapes in their schools. It attempts to get insight into multiple realities of multilingual classrooms through the eyes of the participants. Data was collected through narratives written by grade ten language educators in the Empangeni district. Unstructured one-to-one interviews were used for triangulation purposes. Research findings show that language educators are facing challenges when teaching multilingual learners. They are also conscious of classroom dynamics but do nothing about them. They find themselves in a paradoxical situation as they teach English alongside other languages. They are not empowered to promote multilingualism and they do not get professional support from the department of Education. As a result they have not devised teaching strategies to address multilingual learners' specific needs. Learners' repertoires are not recognised. A monolingual approach is still used in multilingual classes. The researcher recommends that in-service programmes be designed for language educators. They also need to be conscientised about multilingual education. The Department of Education should work hand in glove with the whole school community for meaningful language education to take place. Proper guidelines on multilingual education should be added to language curriculum documents for teachers.
Text to context: an interpretation of suicide in selected plays of Soyinka, Rotimi and Ogunyemi.
(2017) Ikyoive, Tertsea Joseph.; Sheik, Ayub.
The study engages in a critical interpretation of the phenomenon of suicide and how it is represented in selected plays of three Nigerian authors. The purpose is to understand the discursive nature of suicide in Nigerian dramatic literature with particular focus on; Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s horseman (1975), Ola Rotimi’s Kurunmi (1971) and Wale Ogunyemi’s The Vow (1985). The study also looks at how the act of suicide is interpreted in the selected plays and foregrounds Yoruba cultural understanding against western hegemonic thought. Its central thesis is that ritual and culture significantly influence suicide in traditional African society and Yoruba society in particular. This study uses textual analysis as its methodology to probe the historical, cultural and social context of the selected plays. The approach is descriptive and interrogative as it illuminates the circumstances that surround the suicides of the protagonist characters in the selected plays as well as how the plays mediate the reality of suicide as perceived in Yoruba tradition in opposition to western epistemology. The study uses Marxist literary theory to probe the effects of social structure and how economic relations impact the acts of suicide in the plays. In addition, the study suggests that the suicides as manifest in the plays are not mainly an escape from shame but serve as a necessary and pragmatic step consonant with the Yoruba belief system and mythical tradition. Finally, the study explores yet another caveat, the abuse of the Yoruba mythical tradition for personal gain. It concludes by determining that the failure of traditional elites to manipulate culture and tradition for their political interests leads them to frustration, and subsequently motivates suicide as a form of escapism.
Wopko Jensma : a monograph, the interface between poety and schizophrenia.
(2002) Sheik, Ayub.; Van Wyk, Johan.; Wade, Jean-Philippe.
This thesis is a monograph of South African poet and artist, Wopko Jensma. Jensma's published anthologies, Sing/or Our Execution (1973), Where White is the Colour, Where Black is the Number (1974) and Have You Seen My Clippings (1977) together with the relatively unknown and unpublished, Blood and More Blood deal with issues of identity relating to race and class within the context of apartheid South Africa in the nineteen seventies. These four anthologies represent a poetics of resistance conceived as an antidote to personal and social suffering as a result of the racist oppression of blacks in South Africa. Jensma's experimental poetry harnesses the signatures of jazz lyrics, concrete poetry, the avantgarde as well as African dance forms in bizarre cameos of underclass misery and racial oppression. In lieu of metrical regularity and rhyme the aesthetic experience is simulated by asemantic qualities of speech, sound and rhythmic undulations in a poetry characterised by what Samuel Beckett has called "the withdrawal of semantic crutches" (Schwab 1994:6). Jensma's schizoid discourse manifests itself as an asocial dialect with highly personal idioms, approximate phrases and substitutes which make his language extremely difficult to follow at times. Jensma's diction of private idiomatic language, mixing of dialects, the use of syncopation, ellipsis and experimental topography have no doubt contributed to the cryptic and arcane aberrations associated with schizophrenia. This schizoid versification is a paradoxical wish to protect the core of oneself from communication whilst simultaneously expressing the need to be discovered and acknowledged. This private idiomatic language reveal ordinary people driven into interior psychological spaces, as well as psychotic and surreal extremes in order to survive an overwhelming and implosive reality. Jensma's textual strategies deconstruct modernist assumptions about rationality, domination and meaning as a tyranny of power. The socially constructed self is exposed as a subject disempowered and alienated by ideologies which demand acquiescence and which offer false assurances in return. Likewise, the schizoid scrambling of the signifier is an attempt to repel the subjection implicit in rationalist discourse and to encourage an awareness of the world ideologically sanctioned by its dominant discourses. This study begins with a detailed biography of Jensma. The next chapter establishes the theoretical assumptions which inform the interface between Jensma's poetry and schizophrenia. Jensma's poetry is then systematically appraised in terms of themes, form and subjectivity. The last chapter is a study of the intertextual relations which provide insight into the context and milieii in which Jensma wrote and which permit a reading of Jensma's poetry as a discursive space in which different literary histories co-exist and respond to one another. The thesis concludes with an evaluation of Jensma's poetry as a pathological yet incisive response to the reductive politics of racial essence, cultural crisis and the vagaries of consumer culture.