An investigation of Grade 11 teachers’ experiences of teaching English First Additional Language (EFAL) literature: a decolonial perspective.

Abstract

This study explored the teaching experiences of six English First Additional Language (EFAL) teachers teaching literature to Grade 11 learners at two semi-rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A decolonial conceptual framework was used as the lens to understand participants’ experiences. A qualitative research approach guided by the transformative paradigm as well as a narrative enquiry research methodology were used. Data was generated using individual interviews, focus group interviews and classroom observations. Content analysis was used to generate themes. The study discovered that although the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in South Africa has identified decolonisation of the curriculum as a major goal, study participants said they have never heard about it in their capacity as educators. There is no decolonisation of the curriculum training available to teachers. The study also discovered that teacher education in South African universities needs to increase both the pedagogical and subject expertise of instructors in EFAL literature. Participants also mentioned that apartheid was a major focus in the English First Additional Language (EFAL) literature curriculum. The study discovered that by not teaching African learners about indigenous knowledge, African learners are differentiated. Additionally, the best ways, according to the teachers, to teach EFAL literature are through expressive pedagogical approaches. The contextual elements that offered a persistent impediment to understanding EFAL literature included overcrowding. The results of this study will assist in raising curriculum developers' understanding of the importance of EFAL literature in achieving a decolonised literature.