The study examined the literacy practices, general resources, and technological tools being used by parents to promote literacy at home. The primary purpose was to determine if differences existed in the literacy practices used by parents of preschool children with and without disabilities. The study also sought to determine if the age and education of parents had any effect upon the literacy practices utilized by parents.The population for the study consisted of 384 parents from six counties in Indiana. Each participant had a child between the ages of 3- to 6-years old who attended a preschool program. Over half of the participants had a child with disabilities. Preschool administrators who were selected for the study distributed the data-collection instrument, Parent's Views on Literacy Survey, which was developed by the researcher. The survey instrument consisted of demographic questions that addressed the study's independent variables and 20 questions that were designed to act as the study's dependent variables. The questions pertained to the types of literacy activities being provided in the home.A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed and a significant difference between parents of preschool children with disabilities and parents of preschool children without disabilities was determined. Parents of preschool children without disabilities used significantly more general literacy practices and literacy activities using technology. There was a significant difference in the types of activities and in the quantity of activities provided. It was also determined that the differences were not due to the factors of age or education of the parents. The second part of the questionnaire directed questions specifically to parents of preschool children with disabilities. The type of disability of the child, the types of assistive technology (AT), and the frequency in which AT was utilized to promote literacy activities were identified. A simple cross tabulation between the types of disabilities and the categories of AT revealed that there were also differences among the categories of AT used and disability types.Three open-ended questions were used to determine additional information about parents' literacy practices. The data collected was stratified and analyzed for emergent themes. Parents of typically developing children reported the need for more technological tools and resources while parents of preschool children with disabilities reported that more information on specific skill development was needed. Furthermore, parents of preschool children with disabilities expressed the belief that the greatest barrier for their child in developing literacy skills related to factors that were associated with the disability. It was also determined that parents of children with disabilities underutilized assistive technology devices for facilitating literacy skills.This research further supports the differences in the literacy practices among parents. Parents of preschool children without disabilities use general literacy practices and technological literacy practices with greater frequency than do the parents of preschool children with disabilities. / Department of Special Education

This dissertation is a report on a study to investigate the design and development of a digital information literacy program (DILP) for an academic library. The study is concerned with the exploration of the generic profile of the South African student at higher education institutions. The criteria for a digital information literacy program were also established. Based on the criteria and the profile of the students, the digital information literacy program was designed and developed. The research objectives were to * determine a generic profile of the South African student (as a member of Generation Y). * determine the criteria for an information literacy programme (ILP). * determine the criteria that a digital information literacy program should comply with (based on the criteria for a ILP). * design a digital information literacy program by documenting the elements and principles of design, navigation features, site architecture, etcetera. * develop a digital information literacy program by documenting the specific learning objectives and content and creating the Web based program. The study comprises a qualitative research approach and is concerned with the qualities and the characteristics of a phenomenon for better understanding and explanation. A critical analysis of reported research and literature forms the foundation of the study. The design and development of a digital information literacy program were based on the guidelines for Web based instruction in academic libraries. The results of the research enabled the researcher to design and develop the digital information literacy program, by integrating the following: * Characteristics of Generation Y * The criteria for a digital information literacy program * Factors important for designing in a Web environment, namely interactivity, site architecture, navigation features, principles of design, elements of design, incorporating media and learner levels * Authoring, technical aspects and the evaluating and testing of the prototype. The digital information literacy program is designed to provide academic libraries at higher education institutions with a product - a Web published CD - that they can use as is, or adapt according to their specific needs or circumstances, in order to support their students' digital information literacy skills. / Information Science / M.Tech.Information Technology

This study involved an issues-based approach to curriculum contextualisation in the context of the Eco-Schools programme in Kenya. It adopted a two-phase design using interpretivist and socially critical research orientations. In this study, research is represented as a process which is socially constructed within a particular theoretical, contextual, social and historical context by unfolding the thesis to illuminate how the phases are closely woven into each other. The first phase used the survey method for a contextual review of existing approaches and views relating to environmental education in the formal education sector. The survey aimed to develop a deeper understanding of environmental education as currently practiced in Kenya and to unravel the complexities surrounding it. It involved about two hundred and six primary school teachers and a critical review of a set of resource materials used in Kenyan Primary Schools. It revealed that some aspects of environmental education practice and the prevailing technocratic view of curriculum in Kenyan primary schools potentially limit possibilities for issues-based approaches to curriculum contextualisation. The action research process in four case study schools in Nyanza province of Kenya represent an attempt to address issues in context through socially critical environmental education. Participant observations, workshops and document analysis revealed that, contextualised conceptions of the terms ‘environment’ and ‘environmental education’ that resulted from a process of deliberation of meaning by teachers in relation to their contexts and practices served to set perspective for the action research process. Further, the planning phase which involved environmental auditing to identify issues of concern, prioritization of actions, issues to address, and action planning to guide implementation was critical in setting the agenda of the action research process in each of the case study schools. Integration and infusion of local issues of concern into curriculum planning further enriched processes of curriculum contextualisation, making them relevant to local contexts by addressing real issues through appropriate pedagogical approaches in auditing, investigation and research, communicating and interpreting results, reflecting on investigations and taking action. The action research process further enhanced cooperation and partnership between the case study schools and surrounding communities with mutual benefits. The research report demonstrates that despite the limitations posed by the technocratic orientation of the Kenyan curriculum, it is possible to address real environmental issues, risks and associated sustainable development challenges in context through issues-based approaches to curriculum contextualisation in the context of the Eco-Schools programme.

This thesis reports on a collaborative action research case study into the teaching of visual literacy to Grade 10 learners in a rural high school in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Visual literacy is one of the critical aspects that have been incorporated in the teaching of English First Additional Language as required by the National Curriculum Statement (Grade 10-12), which has been implemented in Grade 10 as from 2006. With the aim of improving learners’ performance in visual literacy I designed a visual literacy unit that consisted of lesson plans running over 7 periods in 10 school days. In implementing the unit the learners were first grouped and then exposed to visual grammar and visual texts and then they critically viewed such texts and designed their own. Data was collected daily in the form of individual learner journals, researcher’s journal/diary, and copies were kept of activities done by learners (individually or in groups). Also, two teachers were invited as non-participant observers to each visit a lesson. Learner focus groups were conducted and critical friends were interviewed, tape recorded and transcribed. A camera was used to take still photographs to show learner activities in groups and during group presentations. The data revealed that visual literacy could be taught meaningfully in a rural high school as the learners could identify, cut, paste and discuss elements of visual language and they finally designed their own advertisements in groups. In the analysis of data the following factors emerged as hindrances for successful teaching of visual literacy in a rural high school: lack of resources; learners’ lack of a foundation in visual literacy from Grades 7-9; and problems revolving around time management and pacing. As action research comes in spirals, this research represented the first one and the researcher found the study an eye opener and a foundation to build on in the second spiral (that is not part of this research).

This study is an exploration of contextual environmental learning through integrated life skills and literacy in a Foundation Phase classroom. It attempts to document, explore and clarify some of the challenges of situated environmental learning in a Foundation Phase classroom through an integrated program of life skills learning and literacy acquisition. The research draws on a rich but often overlooked cultural historical context of embodied intergenerational healthy living practices in a rural Eastern Cape context to construct a learning platform for a more carefully situated and potentially relevant education. The integrated life skills and literacy acquisition program thus unfolded as a contextual process of situated learning within a developing blend of listening, writing and reading to learn in a Grade 3 program of additive bilingualism. The data generated in the study and represented in Chapter 4 suggests curriculum contextualisation in an integrated Foundation Phase program can contribute to environmental learning with enhanced relevance and literacy skills. The evidence from working with learner knowledge and experience in a community context appears to be a key to meaningful curriculum contextualization in an integrated Foundation Phase programme producing enhanced literacy and relevance. It was noted that engaging elders (gogos) enabled the process of opening up local knowledge to link with learner experience and school knowledge to foster relevance, appeared to contribute to more meaningful learning across other learning areas. There is evidence that acquiring literacy skills is a lengthy process that is supported by learner interest and the relevance of what they are learning especially when it is acknowledged by the teacher and the community. The findings of an exploratory study such as this cannot be conclusive beyond the experience that I had of working with learners who were engaged in learning as well as acquiring literacy skills literacy skills. My personal enthusiasm and work with the Gogos and with a community focus were key factors that strengthened environmental learning across school, home and community. The experience has convinced me that this is the way we must work to enhance relevance and literacy in our Foundation Phase teaching.

The purpose of this study was to investigate ICT literacy in adult education and training within a public adult learning centre. A literature study was conducted to identify a theoretical framework for a comparative study of different national ICT policies. A qualitative research design was used to conduct an empirical investigation through the use of data collection instruments such as focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and non-participant observation. Data analysis was conducted, during which various themes emerged, which led to the findings and conclusions regarding the study. Recommendations were made with regard to improving the ICT literacy level in adult education and training. Limitations of the study were described and recommendations for future research were made. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

M.Ed. / In a country which has just acquired its democracy, education for all citizens is of primary concern. The illiteracy rate in South Africa is high, especially in the rural areas of the country. During this time when South Africa finds itself in a period of transition and of prioritizing items on its agenda, education in general and in particular education of those who had little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. While the government has targeted illiteracy as a major issue, other issues such as gender make the illiteracy situation even more complex, especially in the rural areas where the traditional tenets of the communities are still observed. The aim of this study is to explore the role gender plays in the involvement of adult learners in literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programmes in other similar rural areas of South Africa. In order to achieve this aim, an interpretive design is applied and qualitative methods of data—collection are utilized. A literature study which consists of the exploration of the field of Adult Basic Education and gender in global education, with special reference to South African rural areas in particular, forms the theoretical background of the empirical research. Empirical data was obtained through observations and interviews and processed and analyzed by unitizing, categorizing and patterning, resulting in the findings of the research. Lastly, findings of this investigation are discussed in the light of relevant theory. The following are the main research findings: Gender does play a role in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga. There are learning needs that are specific to females but no particular needs specific to males. However, some needs are not gender—related and are common to both females and males. The main implications of the findings are: Adult literacy classes should be conducted during the evening, in order to accommodate workers, mostly men. There is a need for teacher training of both female and male literacy teachers. Some of the gender—related reasons for non—involvement of adult learners, particularly those that pertain to the dominance of males, would be difficult to address as they are deeply rooted in culture. In order to address the needs of male and female adult learners, a holistic approach should be applied. A holistic approach entails: not only teaching literacy but addressing other needs of the learners; not only addressing the expressed needs of learners (male and female), but also addressing the needs that they are not aware that they have.

Purpose and research questions- This research was based on students enrolled on courses at Rhodes University's Centre for Social Development, an Institute delivering Early Childhood Development courses in the Grahamstown area. Having provided the students with access to a career path and its courses, it was imperative to assist the students to develop a standard of academic literacy comparable to that of in-service education students, in the Intermediate and Senior Phases. This study was influenced by Gee's (2004) definition of literacy as 'mastery over a discourse'. Gee (1990) termed discourse as the socially accepted way of thinking, believing and being. The study therefore investigated the enablers which assisted students to produce academic texts. This was achieved by finding out how the students and the course facilitators construct academic literacy; in other words what their discourses were regarding academic literacy. In order to ascertain this information, the students and the course facilitators were asked what reading and writing the students had done prior to enrolling on the course, what they had brought to the course, what the students and the course facilitators thought comprised a successful academic assignment, and how the students were supported in their academic literacy during the course. Data was gathered through interviews with both students and course facilitators, analysis of course assignments, and assessment reports written by the course facilitators. This data was analysed, looking for discourses on similarities and contradictions. Critical Discourse analysis was used to investigate the discourses that the course facilitators and students were using. Findings: It was evident from the data that the autonomous view of literacy was predominantly used. The course facilitators and, to a limited extent, the students, saw literacy as a set of technical skills that needed to be mastered. The students and course facilitators did not take into account that literacy is a social practice, and that literacy occurs within a particular social context and cultural context. The course facilitators tended to hold a deficit discourse related to the perception of inferior education under Bantu Education, which was seen as an inhibiting factor to academic literacy and academic success. The discourse of second language was also an issue that both the course facilitators and the students noted which prevented students' academic literacy. Christie's (1985) Received Tradition of Literacy, which focused on the forms and functions of literacy, was a discourse that both the students and the course facilitators ascribed to. Conclusions and recommendations: The course facilitators' and students' discourses were very similar, both being embedded within the autonomous and deficit models of literacy. It is recommended that course facilitators become cognisant with the models of academic literacy and that they become aware of the various discourses evident on the course and articulate these discourses for themselves. Furthermore they should assist the students by clearly articulating and unpacking the course requirements regarding academic literary.

This thesis reports on research into micro-interactions within the reading literacy event Reading on the Mat in three Grade One classrooms. This event is the core of literacy learning in Foundation Phase classrooms in formerly ‘white’, government-funded primary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and takes place daily for every child. It is literacy practice resembling Group Guided Reading. The research focused on teachers’ identity-forming decisions, actions and discourses as a way of examining micro-interactions within the literacy event. Hymes’s work on the ethnography of communication provided categories for the investigation. Using an ethnographic approach, I entered the sites of the study as a participant observer. There I focused on the central literacy event, in which a group of children and the teacher sit in close proximity. I made field notes, video recordings and audio recordings in three sets of visits spanning the full school year. These were supplemented by teacher interviews, consideration of reports and assessments, and an analysis of the text types used on the Mat, for example, graded readers, flash cards and phonics primers. Beginning with Hymes’ S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. mnemonic, cycles of analysis using multiple instruments foregrounded the data. The central finding of this research is that in Reading on the Mat children are offered identities through strong normative work and embedded practices. Teachers promote positive identities for children as successful readers and create positive affect for reading activities. This positive positioning work is however undercut by three factors: first, the fact that activities on the Mat focus on decoding text fragments rather than interrogating whole texts. The resultant identity offered to children is one of code breakers alone. A finding subsidiary to this, but important for pedagogic practice, is that teachers’ choice of text types is the most powerful determinant of children’s code breaker identity. A second factor that undercuts children’s identity as successful readers is that, although they are active, they have little agency. This derives from the strong assessment focus of teachers on the Mat and their questioning practices. A third factor which undercuts the positive identity children are offered in this literacy event is that, by focusing primarily on decoding fragmented text and on assessment opportunities, teachers avoid engaging with issues of differentiation and disregard cultural and linguistic differences. Teachers’ choices, therefore, while creating a positive climate in the classroom and developing emergent readers who are effective decoders, construct children as limited literate subjects. The same choices enable teachers to ignore learner diversity. / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

The aims of this project hope to trace the factors affecting teachers' use of technology, with a concentration on Internet usage, and offer steps in helping teachers move toward integrating the Internet into their curriculum.