An exploration of foundation phase teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching literacy in a multi-graded classroom in rural context.
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Date
2012
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Abstract
Rural schools in South Africa often face numerous challenges that are largely aggravated by low
numbers of learners, low numbers of teachers and a shortage of teaching and learning resources,
to mention a few. Hence, the provision of one teacher per grade is perceived as a luxury in many
rural schools. Consequently, such challenges have led to many rural schools being affected by
multi-grade teaching. Multi-grade classes have more than one grade in one classroom, usually
those grades that are close to each other. For instance, Grade R and Grade One learners will be
taught in one class by the same teacher. This research study therefore focused on teachers’
pedagogical content knowledge for teaching literacy in a multi-grade foundation phase class. The
teaching of reading in isiZulu Home Language was singled out as the literacy component to be
investigated.
Teachers at the foundation phase need to have a distinctive body of knowledge as they have to be
able to blend content in literacy and the appropriate methods of teaching each literacy
component. They need to understand how to organize each component of the content and how to
deliver it accurately to learners through appropriate methodologies. Moreover, it is imperative to
understand that it is a complex process for teachers to intersect content knowledge and
pedagogical knowledge. The process becomes even more complex for teachers who teach in a
multi-grade class. Reading as a literacy component was put under a particular lens as teaching
and assessing this literacy component in a multi-grade context is highly challenging.
This was an exploratory case study that was embedded in a qualitative research methodology. A
primary school from Ndwedwe Circuit in the KwaZulu-Natal province was purposively sampled.
Empirical data for this study were collected from this rural school because it was practising
multi-grade teaching in all phases. To collect the data, teachers teaching multi-grade classes were
interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Observations were also done during the teaching
process and relevant documents were analysed. The documents that were interrogated included
daily, weekly and monthly work plans, class timetables, and the school’s calendar. The findings
suggested that teachers relied on traditional methods of teaching as the context was complex and
beyond their professional capabilities. This study was therefore aimed at contributing to the
discourse of how teachers in rural contexts can be trained on multi-grade teaching in order to
provide them with appropriate pedagogical knowledge and skills that will empower them to
support teaching and learning across grades.
Description
Thesis (M. Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.
Keywords
Literacy--Study and teaching (Preschool)., Education, Preschool--KwaZulu-Natal., Combination of grades--KwaZulu-Natal., Rural schools--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Education.