Sarah Murray

Seeing is natural, but viewing is not: teaching visual literacy in a rural classroom

This paper reports on a collaborative action research case study into Grade 10 teaching and learning of visual literacy in a rural high school into the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Visual literacy is a new aspect that has been incorporated in English First Additional Language National Curriculum Statement (Grade 10-12), which has been implemented in Grade 10 from 2006. With the aim of gaining knowledge and improving performance in visual literacy, I designed a unit of lessons, which exposed learners to visual grammar and visual texts and I collected data around the implementation of the lesson unit as evidenced by journal writing, interviews and non-participant observation. The data revealed that visual literacy could be taught meaningfully in a rural high school as the learners could identify, cut, paste and critically discuss elements of visual language and they finally designed their own advertisements in groups. However, the following factors emerged as hindrances to the successful teaching of visual l...

Mathematical literacy examination items and student errors : an analysis of English Second Language students' responses

Mathematical literacy is a real-world practical attribute yet students write a high-stakes examination in order to pass the subject Mathematical Literacy in the National Certificates (Vocational) (NC(V)). In these examinations, all sources of information are contextualised in language. It can be effortful for English second language students to decode text. The deliberate processing that is required saturates working memory and prevents these students from optimally engaging in problem solving. In this study, 15 items from an NC(V) Level 4 Mathematical Literacy examination are selected, as well as 15 student responses to each of these questions. From these responses, those which are incorrect are analysed to determine whether the error is due to insufficient mathematical literacy or a lack of English language proficiency. These results are used as an indication as to whether the examination is fair and valid for this group of students.

The role of indigenous knowledge in computer education in Africa

The integration of indigenous knowledge/languages in formal education is a contentious issue in post-colonial Africa. For historical and economic reasons, these are devalued in the formal education system. We argue that appropriate use of indigenous knowledge/languages can empower African students academically even in typically “Western” disciplines, such as Computer Science. We discuss the potential role of indigenous languages/knowledge in ICT education and then describe an intervention, supporting students from marginalised communities, at a South African University.

Exploring the Possibilities of Using an Outcomes-based Approach in English Teacher Education

The new school curriculum in South Africa, ‘Curriculum 2005’, is outcomes-based. The writer of this paper considers how to prepare her students to teach in an outcomes-based curriculum. She describes how she has used genre theory as a means to understanding outcomes-based education, and reports on the way in which genre theory has informed the Higher Diploma in Education curriculum at Rhodes University. Emphasis is placed on the centrality of assessment in outcomes-based education, and the ways in which genre theory can deepen understanding of assessment procedures.

Researching language teaching: Understanding practice through situated classroom research

In this article we argue that second language acquisition (SLA) research and theory have a significant role to play in teacher education, especially at the masters level. The danger of overly practical approaches is that they cannot challenge current practice in ways that are both critical and rigorous. However, to engage critically with practice, SLA research must be situated in its institutional, social and cultural settings. We argue that situated research into classroom interaction provides second language teachers with opportunities to theorize and improve practice.