Languages and Arts Education

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7151

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 121

A case study of the rise and decline of Arabic in the further education and training phase in selected KwaZulu-Natal muslim schools.
(2023) Dawood, Shaukat; Campbell,, Bridgette.
The rise of Arabic in Kwazulu-Natal is related to the relentless efforts of disenfranchised migrant Muslims who arrived in 1860. They believed a holistic Islamic identity requires balancing Islamic traditions and Academic excellence. Thus, Arabic was included as a school subject to further augment the Muslim school approach in 1975. However, in a period of unequal and segregated Apartheid education, Arabic faced numerous challenges to survive as a school subject. Likewise, post-Apartheid desegregation and the abrogation of state-aided Muslim schools resulted in the proliferation of Muslim schools and the migration of Arabic from public and state-aided to Independent Muslim schools. Concomitantly, Muslim schools pledged at the 1996 Islamisation Conference in Cape Town to renew the early Muslim school approach and transform them into enclaves of incubating an Islamic ethos via Islamic traditions. Despite the conference endorsing Arabic as an integrative component of Islamic traditions, from around 2006, Arabic as a school subject began its decline in South African Muslim schools. This study attempts to unravel the rise and decline of Arabic in KwaZulu-Natal schools, focusing on selected Muslim schools.
Afstands-indiensopleidingsprogramme vir letterkundeonderrig in die Afrikaans t2 konteks:probleme en voorstelle.
(1997) Buthelezi, Phumelele Olivian.; Swanepoel, Eduen.
In hierdie artikel ondersoek ek in die eerste instansie die eienskappe van goeie afstands-indiensopleidingsprogramme. Daarna word die situasie, soos van toepassing op Afrikaans T2 letterkundeonderrig by die Umlazi Kollege vir Verdere Onderwys, beskryf. Ten einde probleme in die onderrigproses te indentifiseer, word een aspek, naamlik die personeelsituasie, aan die hand van vraelyste ondersoek. Vier aspekte kom in hierdie verband ter sprake: 'n persoonlike profiel van dosente, hulle kennis van metodologiese kwessies, asook van literere teorie en hulle/hul studente se leespatrone. Uit die data versamel en die analise wat daarop volg, word bepaalde aanbevelings gemaak om die situasie te verbeter. SUMMARY In this article I firstly look at the characteristics of quality distance in-service training programmes. Secondly I describe the situation pertaining to the teaching of Afrikaans L2 literature at Umlazi College for Further Education. In order to identify problems in the teaching process, one aspect, namely the situation of lecturing staff, is investigated by means of questionnaires. In this regard I focus on four aspects: a personal profile of lecturers, their knowledge of methodology, as well as literary theory and their/their students' reading patterns. Certain recommendations flow from the data gathered and the analysis thereof.
Albert Sumbo-Ncube : AmaNdebele oral historical narrative and the creation of a popular hero.
(2000) Hurst, Christopher.; Lenta, Margaret Mary.
In 1998 I conducted a series of interviews with Zimbabweans who recounted, often using English, their memories of Albert Sumbo-Ncube. From these I have selected and transcribed five interviews with ZIPRA ex-combatants in which they tell the story, as they remember and elaborate on their memories, of Sumbo's escape from Rhodesian police custody at the Victoria Falls in 1977 during the Zimbabwean liberation struggle. The interviews represent Sumbo as a hero and reveal the folk hero creation process at work. This hero figure was created by people who needed an effective figure of oppositional propaganda and who did not have access to the technology and resources of the Rhodesian government. Their narratives were communicated orally and they fused material found in the Rhodesian government-controlled newspapers with an amaNdebele oral tradition. I shall draw on Hobsbawm's (1972) notions of the social bandit and Robens's (1989) study of the folk hero creation amongst post-slavery African-Americans in order to understand the ZIPRA guerrillas' hero creation. The Sumbo folk hero creation served to promote an ideal self for the Zimbabwean guerrillas and their recruits. Sumbo's daring and his ability successfully to defy authority evoked admiration amongst the guerrillas in the 1970s, and in 1998 revives for them the idealism of the struggle. In Zimbabwe the 'hero' has become a contested category, because of the government's will to control the historical representation of the liberation struggle by promoting an official history with official categories of heroes. Working with Barber's notion of popular African arts (1987 and 1997), I argue that a folk hero can be redefined as a 'popular hero' when created by a proletariat and expressed by means of a popular art form. The interviewees use a specific form, the oral historical narrative, to preserve and transmit the Sumbo hero figure. I argue that though this oral historical narrative is less fixed in form and occasion than praise poetry, songs and genealogies, it nevertheless possesses identifiable and recurrent characteristics and I have established a number of criteria for identifying oral historical narrative as a genre. In order to avoid taking a generalised and essentialising approach to the notion of 'African culture', I have drawn on theory that is as specific as possible to the understanding of oral historical narratives within the context of siNdebele speakers in Zimbabwe. I have drawn on research published by Hofmeyr (1993) and Scheub (1975) because they focused on Nguni-speaking societies. Their research is further supported by my own research conducted in the rural area of Tsholotsho in Zimbabwe. The analysis of the oral historical narrative genre used by the interviewees demonstrates that significant formal and performance skills occur in this type of narrative which takes place within apparently informal conversations.
Amasu asetshenziswa othisha ukufundisa ukubhala ama-eseyi esiZulu ulimi lwasekhaya ebangeni leshumi.
(2024) Blose, Jason Nkosi.; Nsele, Sanele Michael.
Lolu wucwaningo oluyikhwalithethivu, elusebenzise isitayela esiyi-ethnography ngenhloso yokukhiqiza imininingo mayelana nemicabango yothisha ngokufundiswa kokubhala ama-eseyi esiZulu ebangeni leshumi. Lolu cwaningo ngaphansi kwepharadaymu i-interpretivsm, olusebenzise izindlela zokukhiqiza imininingo ezingunxantathu, izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka, ukuqaphela othisha befundisa kanye nokuhlaziya amadokhumenti. Kwaqokwa ngenhloso othisha abahlanu abafundisa isiZulu ulimi lwaseKhaya ebangeni leshumi. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela yokuqoka ngenhloso ngoba umcwaningi eholwa yisihloko kanye nezinhlosongqangi okungumgomgodla wocwaningo. Ngakho-ke, kwaqashelwa ukuthi ukuphenduleka kwemibuzongqangi kuyokwenzeka uma ucwaningo lugxila kothisha besiZulu ulimi lwaseKhaya. Ucwaningo lwalusekelwe wuhlaka lwemiqondomsuka emine; iPedagogical Content knowledge; iCognitive Academic Language Proficiency; yiCognitive kanye neSocio-Cultural. Emuva kokuqonda ukujula kanye namagebe mayelana nokufundiswa kokubhala ama-eseyi esiZulu, umcwaningi wabona lufanelekile ukusetshenziswa kohlaka lwemiqondomsuka ukuhlaziya iminxa ehlukene emibonweni yothisha besiZulu mayelana nokufundisa ukubhala ama-eseyi, nongakavami ocwaningweni lwesiZulu. Lolu cwaningo lwathola ukuthi othisha banemibono ehlukene mayelana nokufundiswa kokubhala ama-eseyi esiZulu ebangeni leshumi, futhi imibono yabo inomthelela endleleni abafundisa ngayo. Othisha baveza ukuthi ukufundisa ama-eseyi esiZulu kudinga izindlela zokufundisa ezahlukene, ezihambelana nokuthuthukiswayo kubafundi; njengendlela engumkhiqizo ethuthukisa ulwazi lohlaka kanye nemithetho yokubhala ulimi kumaeseyi. Kube nendlela eyinqubo, lapho baveza ukuthi ithuthukisa ukukwazi ukufunda ngokwenza/ ukubhala ama-eseyi, nokulapho uthisha eseka abafundi ekukhiqizeni awabo amaeseyi. Emibonweni yothisha, kwavela nokuthi ukufundiswa kwama-eseyi esiZulu kuthuthukisa ukukwazi ukuhlela amaphuzu, nemicabango ephusile, futhi kuthuthukisa iphimbo kanye nendlelakubuka kubafundi. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokwakha iziphakamiso ngocwaningo olungenziwa ngokuzayo kanye nezincomo ezibebhekiswe kothisha, abazali kanye noMnyango wezeMfundo mayelana nesidingo sokuvuselelwa kothando lokubhala kubafundi.
An auto-ethnographic study of my learning of english as a second language.
(2023) Andile, Jideani.; Bridget, Campbell.
This narrative and reflexive auto-ethnographic study was conducted to explore my learning experiences of English as a second language. The aim was to gain insight into my experiences and extract lessons from them, to understand my experiences and enhance my performance as an English teacher in the future. A reflective autobiographical story, conversations, images to trigger memory, and letter-writing were used to collect data for the study. Myself, two of my peers, my sister, and three critical friends participated in the study. Data was analysed through Critical Discourse and Thematic analysis. The study was underpinned by socio-cultural and motivation theories. Interrogating my learning experiences of English as a second language revealed that acquiring a second language is a social endeavour and requires motivation on the part of the learner. This important insight will help me to be more empathetic to English second language learners who face challenges and to explore ways of supporting them. Additionally, I will be in a better position to motivate them to learn a second language, as it can contribute to their success in the future. My findings also highlight the need for teachers to continuously develop as this will enhance their ability to embrace contemporary teaching methods as well as to integrate technology in language instruction. Armed with the outcomes of this research, I understand my journey and the role that others played in it. This insight should enable me to be an effective English teacher to my learners in the future. My findings indicate that examining and understanding my experiences has provided me the opportunity to gain insight from my experiences which I can use to be a better practitioner in the future. Findings from this study also show that auto-ethnography is one of the best methods teachers can use to reflect on their experiences in their different spaces as it places culture at the centre of learning. The socio-cultural theory helped me to broaden the scope of my study as I looked at my journey of learning English as a second language through all aspects of life such as my religious beliefs, play, and within the family. I also discovered that motivation plays a very important role in achieving success when learning a second language.
Attitudes towards the implementation of isiZulu as a subject in selected Durban high schools in 2006 and its implications for language planning and policy in South Africa.
(2008) Govindasamy, Fiona.; Geyser, Annelie.
This study examines the attitudes of learners, teachers, governing body members, principals and parents towards the implementation of isiZulu as a subject in selected Durban High Schools and its implications for language planning and policy in South Africa. The learners selected for the purposes of this study were in grade 8, 9, 10 and 11. Combinations of quantitative (interviews) and qualitative (questionnaires) research methods are used to research the topic. Questionnaires were administered to learners, teachers and parents. Interviews were used to complement data obtained from the questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with learners, teachers, governing body members, principals and parents. An important finding of this study is that the majority of learners, teachers, principals, governing body members, and principals have expressed positive attitudes towards isiZulu and view it as an important language in KwaZulu-Natal. Most isiZulu language learners, parents and teaches view isiZulu as important for their culture and identity. The majority of non-isiZulu speakers perceive isiZulu as a language for wider communication in KwaZulu-Natal. The study found that there is a need for more support from the Department of Education to be more actively involved in the promotion of isiZulu in schools. There is also a shortage of trained teachers and teaching material in isiZulu. This study also established that some governing body members have limited knowledge of language policies at their schools. Most learners, teachers, principals, governing body members and parents expressed that it would be better for learners if they started learning isiZulu from primary school instead of high school. Some schools articulated that there appear to be different standards of isiZulu expected from schools and the Department of Education. The findings led to the following recommendations which are aimed at enhancing and promoting the status of isiZulu in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa as a whole. • The Department of Education needs to be more involved in the promotion of isiZulu in KwaZulu-Natal • More educators have to be trained in the teaching of isiZulu • More educational material in isiZulu needs to be created and provided • IsiZulu needs to be invested with more intensively • The status of isiZulu in primary schools needs to be investigated • The role of governing body members needs to be evaluated • A common standard for isiZulu needs to be established
The binary opposition of right and left in Zulu society and culture.
(1991) Buthelezi, F. N. S.; Argyle, W. John.
No abstract available.
Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the foundations for learning with special reference to the literacy learning programme in disadvantaged contexts.
(2011) Gouws, Joan.; Mashiya, Joyce Nontokozo.
This study explores Foundation Phase (FP) teachers’ experiences of the implementation of the Foundations for Learning (FFL) (South Africa Government Gazette, No 30990 2008) in the Literacy Learning Programme (LLP) (2008). FFL is the new curriculum policy for FP that consists of Numeracy and Literacy Learning programmes. This policy was introduced to address the challenges teachers had with the previous curriculum policy, Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). The aim of this study is to find out how FP teachers experience the implementation of the FFL. This is a qualitative study located within the interpretive paradigm. Informants were purposively selected from two primary schools located in a rural and a township area in KwaZulu-Natal. Eight FP teachers teaching grades R-3 participated in two focus group interviews. To generate data from these informants, semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary analyses were used as instruments. Findings reveal that teachers had to make changes to their teaching approach as a result of the implementation of the FFL and they experienced feelings of being swamped by all the changes that seemed to be too much to understand. Teachers reported difficulties in understanding and accepting new processes, procedures and expectations associated with educational changes. It is clear that it is impossible to successfully implement change in an education system if serious investments are not made in the professional development of teachers (Hargreaves, 2003). Without sufficient, training, guidance and mentoring in the implementation of the FFL in the LLP, teachers feel de-motivated and anxious as they do not understand the FFL document and thus feel threatened by the way they taught in the past. Teachers fail to understand the requirements set out in the FFL document because the prescriptions are too vague. The study recommends a closer relationship with the Department of Education (DoE) for guidance, regular monitoring, mentoring, workshops and training to be conducted by the DoE. In addition, experienced and perhaps competent FP educators, lecturers and non-governmental organizations, e.g. Read Educational Trust could assist in the implementing strategies to ensure effective implementation of the FFL campaign in the LLP. The implications of the findings from this research should be useful to educators, curriculum development specialists, textbook writers and teacher trainers to gain a better understanding of the needs, understandings, challenges and opportunities teachers experience in the implementation of the FFL in the LLP.
Changing management : a case study of power relations, culture and communication in industry with reference to a company town set-up : the Canestone Sugar Mill, 1960 to 1998.
(2002) Archary, Kogielam Keerthi.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
Sugar production in Natal agricultural estates and industrial mills began in the 1800's. The Canestone Sugar Mill and Estates (now 145 years old) which is the focus of this study, is still in operation although renovations and improvements have been done over the years. Initially the owners of these sugar farms in the Natal area employed Black labourers but soon realized that this method of cheap and available labour was not entirely suitable for their needs. In the late 1850's they initiated a process of change which saw the first group of Indian nationals arrive in South Africa in 1860. This group of people came specifically to work on these sugar farms; and their descendants, some now in their 5th generation, are still employed by the Canestone Sugar Company. With time, the standards of living have altered and the conditions of work have transformed. Thus, the level of communication has been modified and possibly improved. So the assumption can be made that there has been an element of change in existence. The following is an account of how the lives of the Canestone Sugar workers have been modified over the years with specific changes that took place from the 1960s to 1998. This thesis considers the world of Canestone from the 1960's to 1998, an area where sugar manufacturing in the North coast of Natal was extremely successful. The main intention of the work is to explain how a majority workforce of illiterate people was monopolised by a handful of literate people who used literacy and the art of writing to subjugate thousands of people into accepting, non-questioning beings. Account is taken of orality and general primary oral practices that were entertained by management whenever necessary. This thesis breaks new ground as the first detailed account of the challenges of change in a new-found democracy, described in an agrarian and industrial context. It also attempts to identify the way in which managerial changes in corporate environments can take place. In this dissertation I have compiled the many stories of the workers of the Canestone Sugar Company into one story. Against a backdrop of South African history of colonialism, apartheid and its new-found democracy, the Canestone Sugar Company reflects vestiges of the old era. In attitude, perception, and behaviour there are indications of this in the company; interviewees stated that "this is a white man's paradise "where "the black man had to pay for his head" and where many felt that the company "drank their blood, left them with their bones" and where they worked "worse than animals" until "their sweat turned into blood". I shall investigate the present status of the individuals of this multicultural working community. The individuals that I interviewed share a common work culture and they experience a subservient position as a result of the power dynamics that are in place. Van den Berghe looked at Canestone with an unbiased opinion and results of his work are the starting point of my discussion. His proposals, made in the early sixties, have not reached fruition as a great sense of dissonance still exists between the workforce and the management. This dissertation looks at how the Company has changed, and what role communication has played in the process.
Characteristics, modifications and concerns: ritual initiation among KwaBhaca males.
(2000) Ngaloshe, Christina Nosabata.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
This study investigates the distinguishing characteristics and the modifications to the traditional male initiation ritual as practised in KwaBhaca in the Eastern Cape. The concerns surrounding the incidence of death and maiming from related traditions is also investigated. The study reveals that • the male initiation ritual is still highly regarded in KwaBhaca; • the male initiation ritual itself is still performed strictly traditionally in KwaBhaca; • the male initiation ritual as practised in KwaBhaca has been successfully performed with minimal negative incident attributable to the performance of traditional circumcision; • where there is incidence of a negative reaction, this is usually attributable to a prior health condition of the initiate, and in these circumstances, the initiate is referred to a medical doctor, on condition that the medical doctor is himself an initiate, and that the consultation will be conducted in a place deemed to be safe from spiritual contamination • incidences of maiming and death can be attributed to a number of causes, associated with poor practice and unacceptable conduct; • boys who do not undergo circumcision in the traditional fashion are not regarded as men and remain boys in the eyes of the community. This means that they have to forego participation in important socio-spiritual ceremonies; • there is a necessity to share the experience of the successful traditional circumcision process to avoid further misadventure, maiming and death; • it is not the mechanics of the process of traditional circumcision that endangers lives, but the poor practice of the iingcibi (traditional surgeons) and other significant role-players including the initiates; • The traditional teaching that accompanies the ritual of circumcision is as important, if not more important, than the ritual itself. The study concludes with a series of recommendations aimed at rehabilitating and supporting the continuation of this important and venerated tradition.
Classroom talk : lowered affective filters and ESL proficiency in arts and culture classrooms.
(2007) Naicker, Shalina.; Balfour, Robert John.
This case study explores the impact of a specially designed programme of communicative strategies: role-play, group-work, pair-work, and information gap activities, on English second language proficiency. The aim of this programme is to promote teacher guided, constructive learner talk in the outcomes-based education (OBE) classroom. The case study, which took place in a multilingual secondary school in Durban, focused on four groups of Grade 8 learners in 2003, and the same four groups of learners in Grade 9 in 2004. This thesis presents an account of my research in three parts and nine chapters. Part I introduces and locates the study. Part 2 presents theory and evidence to support the core arguments presented, the design of the project, and its methodology. Part 3 focuses on the research process, the findings and the implications for future policy and practice. In Chapter 1 the key issues and questions for the exploration of pedagogical strategies for verbal interaction are presented. Language pedagogy in South African schools from the onset of the apartheid era to the present is reflected on, to show that past methods have disadvantaged ESL learners. The history of language policy and practice in African education in South Africa from 1948 to 2003 is reviewed in Chapter 2. The aim is to illustrate that language policy and practice can have a positive impact by lowering the Affective Filter of ESL learners. In Chapter 3 a review of research on English second language learning is offered to support the theoretical framework. The principles of pedagogy that inform the design of the Classroom Talk Programme are the focus of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 outlines a design for a Classroom Talk Programme and interactive tasks in three Units. Chapter 6 considers possible research methodologies, the quasi-experimental research process, the study context and the sample. Part 3 presents the findings of the CT Programme organized into themes. Chapter 7 focuses on the learner and educator perceptions of lowered Affective Filters and learner confidence and proficiency and the implications for assessment for progression purposes. The third theme, which is the focus of Chapter 8, is concerned with managing pedagogy and assessment in large 'multilingual' classrooms. Finally, Chapter 9 examines the issues surrounding micro school-based language policies and practices. The CT Programme is critically reflected on in relation to its advantages and disadvantages and what has been achieved in this case study.
Compliments and caveats : an 'implicated' view of Zulu personal naming as a retaliatory function in the Emaqwabeni and Kwaluthuli areas of Kwazulu-Natal.
(2000) Gumede, Mzuyabonga Amon.; Conolly, Joan Lucy.
Abstract not available.
Concept de postcolonialité dans Aya de Yopougon de Marguerite Abouet par le biais de l’analyse d’une sélection des planches.
(2015) Ntando, Joel Bonsango.; De Meyer, Bernard Albert Marcel Sylvain.
The student’s primary motivation for engaging in this research project was to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the analysis of comics particularly those of Africa. The study focuses on Aya de Yopougon because of its success and historical richness. In the latter comic, two parallel worlds are presented: the Ivory Coast and France after 1960. Furthermore, this project will try to illustrate the relationship that may exist between postcoloniality and notions such as colony, colonization, and postcolonialism. Finally, this work will enrich our understanding of the concept of postcoloniality in societies through comic panels.
The construction of egalitarian masculinities in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2002) Rankhotha, Charles Sylvester.;
The political, historical and legal changes, which have taken place in our country since 1994, have challenged men and women to learn anew, to readjust and embrace change. Men and women have been forced to reexamine gender relationships and to embrace a new culture of 'gender equality' , which is enshrined in the Constitution. However, the idea seems to have taken some men by surprise, especially those who are comfortable in their hetero-patriarchal masculinity, which dominates and oppresses women and children. For this reason, these men have not only shown disappointment at this apparent loss of privilege, but they are also becoming confused about their masculine identity. In their attempt to try and hold on to hetero-patriarchal culture and to keep women in their 'rightful' place, they appeal for the restoration of the by-gone traditional values of ubuntu, which are largely informed by the same hetero-patriarchal culture. Above all, in their frustration and anger, these men have resorted to violence in which they abuse and rape women and children, whom they apparently blame for their loss of patriarchal masculinity. However, despite the fact that not all men are heterosexual, men as a group have been blamed for the prevailing violence and the attitudes which foster it. My research conducted for the purpose of resolving gender-based violence and finding an alternative masculinity among black men in the Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal, demonstrates that, despite their collective socialisation in the patriarchal culture of aggression, abuse and violence, some gay men tend to choose different values and forms of masculinity that depart from the 'normal ' culture , by embracing values of love, nurturing, and care for others. Unfortunately, South African communities have not always been able to appreciate gay masculinities and their contribution, but instead, they have condemned and ostracised them as un-African and traitors to ubuntu values . Thus, in my analysis of the life-histories of a group of ten black heterosexual and gay men, I highlight the positive contribution of some marginalised gay men, who are forging what I believe is a more egalitarian masculinity, characterised by qualities opposed to the aggressive, dominant and potentially violent nature of patriarchal masculinities. In brief, I argue that, in striving for gender equality and an end to violence against women and children in South Africa , heterosexual men must be challenged to focus on themselves and learn new ways of behaviour from the kind of egalitarian masculinity constructed by the group of gay men studied.
Contextualizing the use of biblically derived and metaphysical imagery in the work of Black artists from KwaZulu-Natal : c1930-2002.
(2003) Leeb-du Toit, Juliette Cecile.; Preston-Whyte, Eleanor.; Guest, William Rupert.; King, Terence Howard.
As art historians uncover the many sources and catalysts that have contributed to the emergence of black contemporary art in South Africa, one of the principal influences is that derived from the Christian mission churches and breakaway separatist groups - the African Independent Churches (AICs). Histories of African art have failed adequately to consider the art that emerged from these contexts, regarding it perhaps as too coerced and distinctive – merely religious art subject to the rigours of liturgical or proselytizing function. The purpose of this dissertation is to foreground this art and its position in the development of both pioneer and contemporary South African art and to identify the many features, both stylistic and thematic, which distinguish this work.
A critical assessment of the role and governance of Muslim community radio in South Africa : the case of Radio Al-Ansaar.
(2006) Mall, B. Ayesha.; Teer-Tomaselli, Ruth Elizabeth.
Community participation is a fundamental element of community radio. Therefore in countries where this form of radio exists, community participation is one of its most important licence criteria. It is no different in South Africa. Community radio in this country is a relatively young form of radio, just over a decade old, and is based on models in countries where community radio is a long established institution. Many of the South African community radios are faith-based stations. However, existing research on community participation in such radios are based mainly on Christian stations. The focus of this paper is on Muslim community radio. The study evaluated the extent of community participation in the ownership, management, programming and other aspects at Radio Al-Ansaar, a Muslim community radio based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. As this radio serves a Muslim constituency characterised by ideological, racial and class divisions, the study sought to find out if optimal and meaningful community participation from all sectors of the community is actualised. Furthermore, given this diversity in the Muslim community, the paper examined if Al-Ansaar, through its programmes, induces transcendence of or accentuates differences through discourse of divergent ideologies, views and beliefs among Muslims. In addition to the examination of the level of community participation in Radio Al- Ansaar, the paper assesses the economic viability of the station. It highlights the significance of advertising as an important revenue stream and assesses the prospects for financial sustainability within the context of the hegemonic influence of vested mercantile interests. The evaluation of the Al-Ansaar project took place against the stipulations of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and against the backdrop of key Islamic precepts. Furthermore, in the analysis of the various elements mentioned, cognisance was taken of the perceptions of the varied individuals associated with the station.
A critical explorative investigation into the operation of memory in human expression and artificial intelligence : a Joussean perspective.
(2000) Moodley, Nareen.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
There is a supposition that with the current progress in artificial intelligence (AI), machines that surpass the cognitive functioning of human beings is imminent. There is no doubt that singular human functions can be performed more efficiently by machines. however. the complexity of human functioning involves the simultaneous cognizance of information received through the various senses. The complexity of human functioning is best reflected in the perceptions of Marcel Jousse in The Anthropology of Geste and Rhythm (I997). Whilst proponents of AI envisage the cognitive functioning of the computer surpassing human cognitive functioning, they fail to acknowledge that human cognitive functioning extends beyond mere information processing and expression of predictable responses. The complexity of human expression is influenced by a variety of sensory environmental stimuli as well as previous experience. The fundamental 'law' of the indivisibility of the psycho-physiological complexus of the human composite identified by Jousse, indicates that human memory emanates from human interaction with the environment. The computer is incapable of interacting with the environment in the way that the human being interacts, which implies that it cannot replicate human memory. This study argues that: • The human being operates simultaneously as a psychological, physiological and biological being, which implies that human memory, is simultaneously biological, psychological and emotional. • Human memory arises out of mimism and is biologically rhythmed, and that this rhythm operates in synchrony with the universal cosmoiogicai rhythms. • Computer rhythms do not operate in synchrony with universal cosmological rhythms. which implies that the operation of its memory is very different to that of the human being. Therefore the computer will not be able to replicate human functioning.
Critiquing representation : the case of an academic literacy course in an engineering faculty in a South African university.
(2012) Bengesai, Annah Vimbai.; Mgqwashu, Emmanuel Mfanafuthi.
What does it mean to be academically literate? Responses to this question have led to an explosion of research in the field of applied linguistics, yet the diversity of definitions proposed in the literature for the concept of literacy per se indicate that it continues to defy consensus. Literacy, and specifically by extension academic literacy, must thus be recognised as a contested field, with different meanings for different people and inevitable tensions between those taking positions on or affected by its practical implications. Accepting its contested status, this study sought to explore student representations of academic literacy, academic staff representations of academic literacy and associated academic staff representations of students insofar as these touch on specific concerns of academic literacy in an engineering faculty. The purpose of this exploration was to determine how these representations permeate academic practice and inform pedagogical practice and attitudes to learning. This led to the research thesis, that dominant discourses produce certain practices which can lead to social exclusion/inclusion of students. Such a thesis, allows for an examination of institutional practices of teaching and learning. To do this, I employed a multidisciplinary approach drawn from applied linguistics, sociology and philosophy. Consequently, I drew on theories from James Paul Gee, Pierre Bourdieu, Basil Bernstein and Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger to understand the socio-cultural context where representation occurs. An understanding of these discourses and epistemologies also necessitated an approach that probed participants‘ versions of reality. Consequently, this research was premised within a Critical Realist ontology whose central tenet is the recognition of tripartite framework of reality. Within this framework, reality is comprised of the domains of the real, actual and the empirical. The domain of the empirical relates to perceptions of experiences, while the actual is concerned with events that produce these experiences. The real is the domain of generative mechanisms, which if activated, produce the events and experiences in the other domains. Data was collected to correspond to these domains, with critical focus on the analysis of underlying mechanisms which reproduce social reality. To establish how the real relates to the other domains, Fairclough‘s critical discourse analysis was adopted.
Degrees of transgression: the writing of South African Black Women Writers Miriam Tlali, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sindiwe Magona and Zoe Wicomb.
(1996) Nattrass, Andrea Joy.; Attwell, David.
This thesis examines the English autobiographical and fictional writing of four black South African women writers: Miriam Tlali, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sindiwe Magona and Zoe Wicomb. The introductory chapter provides a theoretical overview of the principle strands of feminism available to the South African feminist critic - French feminism, with its theoretical emphasis and "symptomatic" interpretation of texts; the American brand of "h'beral" feminism which tends to embody a more socio-historical, empirical approach; Materialist feminism which emphasises socio-economic conditions in the course of its analysis; and "womanism,11 an alternative to "western" feminism which .fili.ds considerable support in African and Afi:ican-Afireficm feminist 􀁩cir-Jes. These different theories are examined in order to formulate a mode of analysis to be applied to the writing of the four black South African women, an approach which draws on aspects of all these theories and takes cognisance of other factors unique to the South Afiican situation_..in ord to most productively illumina e those aspects of the writers' work chosen for discussion. Following this opening chapter the thesis goes on to explore the writing of each of the four black South African women in tum. Each chapter contains an introductory section which provides biographical background on the writer under discussion as well as some insight into that individual's perspectives and opinions, usually drawn from their interviews, speeches and critical essays. This is followed by an analysis of their writing which deals with each book in tum: Tlali's two novels and short story collection, Kuzwayo's autobiography and collection of "oral" narratives, the two "volumes" of Magona's autobiography and her short fiction anthology and, finally, Wicomb's short fiction cycle and two individually published short stories. There are several issues with which this thesis is concerned in the course of analysing the writing of these women. These include an exploration of the positioning of black women through the interaction of the discourses of race, class and gender; a focus on how the various writers reflect on or construct a sense of their own identities; an examination of the situations in which they CDmplicate and/or transgress the dominant patriarchal societal attitude􀀆, riorities and codes of behaviour wliich they are "expected" to adhere to􀁘 as well as a concentration on the writers' sense of the lives and needs of other black women in tlieir communities. Such concerns are accompanied by a pervasive interest in attempting to identify and examine the tensions, ambiguities and contradictions which emerge (insidiously or dehberately) at various moments in the texts of these writers. The chapters are organised to chart what is perceived to be a progression among the various writers, in part marked by their increasingly sophisticated and more overtly feminist treatment of themes and issues concerning the "fictional" and "rel!t identities and/or lives ofblack women within South African society.
Developing reading strategies in higher education through the use of integrated reading/writing activities : a study at a university of technology in South Africa.
(2006) Bharuthram, Sharita.; Balfour, Robert John.
Higher education in South Africa faces severe challenges due to the under preparedness of many students entering the system. Research (Perkins 1991; Pretorius 2000, 2005; Balfour 2002) has shown that many students who enter higher education do not have the required academic literacy knowledge and strategies to engage meaningfully with the relevant texts in their disciplines. A major obstacle to students’ success is their limited reading strategies. A significantly large number of students are not able to read at the appropriate grade and/or age level. Yet, reading is one of the most important academic tasks encountered by students. This thesis focuses on the use of reading strategy interventions together with integrated reading/writing activities to enhance reading comprehension. The study is located at the Durban University of Technology, using as participants the students who were registered on the first year extended Dental Technology programme in 2004. The interventions are implemented through an action research project. The piloting phase of the interventions reveals the need for an understanding of the students’ backgrounds in, amongst others, their reading and writing practices, attitudes, approaches to learning, and motivational factors. Consequently, the action research project was conducted in parallel with an ethnographic inquiry into students’ reading worlds and practices. Given that reading and writing are complementary processes whereby the enhancement of the one has a positive effect on the other, the ethnographic inquiry also explores students’ attitudes and practices towards writing. Using the ideological model (Street 1984) and, in particular, the new literacy approach to teaching and learning as a framework for the thesis, I argue that the students’ early childhood and schooling experiences of reading and writing impact on their current attitudes and practices. I further suggest that for children from disadvantaged backgrounds learning and retaining literacy is more difficult than for children from advantaged, middle class backgrounds. The ethnographic inquiry involved a series of interviews with students, as well as a questionnaire to ascertain students’ attitudes and practices towards reading and writing. In addition, a questionnaire was designed for lecturers to obtain their attitudes and practices towards reading and writing in their disciplines. A major finding of the ethnographic inquiry was that the majority of participants in the study come from a background that can be described as traditionally oral in the sense that it is one in which very little or no emphasis is placed on reading. For some participants story telling was a more common form of interaction or communication with the elders. Also, the majority of participants come from lower socio-economic backgrounds where the purchasing of reading materials is considered a luxury. In addition, for many of the English additional language students, their school environment and experiences were not adequate enough to foster the need for reading and/or any engagement in reading. Based on my research, as well as the findings of other researchers, I argue that reading strategy interventions are essential in order to raise awareness and promote the use of reading strategies so as to enhance the learning (reading) process. The review of literature on reading development and the findings from the interviews indicate that the explicit teaching of reading strategies is essential for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds (Heath 1983; Delpit 1986; Cope and Kalantzis 1993). To this end the action research component of the study was implemented through the explicit teaching of three reading strategies, namely, identifying the main idea in a paragraph, using context clues to guess the meaning of unknown words in a text, and summarization. The focus of the intervention was on the process and on raising students’ levels of metacognitive awareness. The approach is novel in two ways. First, via the process approach to reading the chosen reading strategies were initially taught independently to the students using the explicit explanation approach which involved scaffolded tasks involving explanations, modeling (using the think-aloud protocol), practice, and transfer exercises. Thereafter, using the cognitive apprenticeship approach, students were taught to use all three strategies simultaneously during reading. Second, discipline specific materials were used as reading sources during the interventions which were conducted with integrated reading/writing activities. Data was collected by means of a language proficiency pre-and post-test, a reading strategy pre-and post-test, worksheets, student reflective pieces, portfolios, and observations. An analysis of the pre-and post-test data showed that the reading strategy interventions were highly successful. Students performed better in the reading strategy post-test than in the pre-test. Furthermore, their performance was better than that of a control group of students who were registered for the first year mainstream programme and who wrote only the reading strategy post-test. A marked improvement was also noted in the language proficiency post-test. These results stress the need for the teaching of reading strategies through integrated reading and writing activities.

Browse

Browsing Languages and Arts Education by Title