A research dissertation presented to the Faculty of Humanities (School of Education)
In Partial fulfilment
of the requirement for the degree
Masters of Education by Research
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Date of Submission: 29 April 2016 / This study is part of a larger research project titled Conditions of teaching and
learning that facilitate and/or constrain learning English in rural high schools. The
focus of the research project explores the conditions of teaching and learning
English, and the contextual factors that facilitate and/or constrains learners’
motivation and participation in learning, in five rural high schools in Bushbuckridge
area. The current study focused on how grade 10 and 11 First Additional English
rural teachers’ conceptualise learning and teaching in Acornhoek schools, part of
Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province. Given the focus of the study the literature
review detailed issues with development of rural education, teachers’ conceptions of
learning, teachers’ conceptions of teaching, English as a First Additional language
(EFAL) in South Africa and the spectrum of current pedagogical practices. The
literature review highlighted significant gaps that are important for the this study such
as a lack of research in Africa and South Africa focusing on teachers’ conceptions of
learning and teaching, particularly in rural schools. Furthermore the corpus of
research conducted on conceptions focused on tertiary students’ conceptions of
learning, there is limited research in schools, with teachers and learners, especially
teachers’ pedagogical practices in relation to the conceptions. In addition the
development of rural education and research in South Africa continue to be underdevelopment,
with most research perceiving rurality as a deficit paradigm.
Thus in order to address the literature gaps mentioned above the study engaged
with six grade 10 and 11 rural teachers from Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province.
The sampling strategy was purposive, as only grades 10 and 11 EFAL teachers
were the selected to participate in the study. In order to address the research
questions and sub research questions, a qualitative research approach was used as
it focuses on understanding socially and historically constructed meanings about
experienced phenomena. Through the use of phenomenological methodology
teachers’ meanings and beliefs about learning and teaching were interrogated and
problematized. In order to interrogate and problematize teachers’ conceptions of
learning and teaching two data collection methods were used namely: semistructured
individual face-to-face interviews and non-participatory observations.
The semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to address the
following research questions:
1. What are grade 10 and 11 English First Additional Language teachers’
conceptions of learning and teaching?
2. What shapes teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching?
The following research question was addressed by use the non-participatory
observations:
3. How do teachers’ conceptions influence teaching approaches, if at all, during
English poetry and short story lessons?
In order to answer the above questions critical discourse analysis was used, to
engage with participants’ responses from their individual face-to-face interviews.
Critical discourse analysis assisted with ensuring in depth engagement with
participants’ narrations, without taking any words for granted because meaning might
be hidden in the selection of words. Thus critical discourse analysis enabled the
critical identification of particular words used by the participants in order to gain
insight to the underlying influences that shape rural teachers’ conceptions of learning
and teaching in poetry and short stories lessons. As a result this involved an intense
data analysis process, which incorporated the non-participatory classroom
observations as well as the conceptual frameworks discussed from Bernstein,
Alexander, and Scott and Mortimer.
Some of the major findings suggest that teachers’ conceptions of learning and
teaching are complex and complicated particularly if contextual issues are
considered, as possible influential factors that shape teachers’ conceptions. The
findings indicated that rural teachers’ conceptions of learning should be understood
from early school learning to current teaching profession. The dominant conceptions
of learning from early school and current teaching profession suggest memorisation,
mimicking, and acquisition of information and little conceptions shows learning for
transformation and change as a person. Various factors were identified to influences
the conceptions such as policy, lack of resources and overcrowded classrooms. In
addition, findings on teachers’ conceptions of teaching explicated the dynamics
teachers face between ideas they hold about teaching and how they teach. The
study indicated that some teachers mentioned ‘banking’ model of teaching that
suggested teacher centred conception of teaching, which linked with some of the
conceptions of learning. Most conceptions were about spoon-feeding, telling/giving
learners information, and coordinating learning which link with conceptions of
learning that promote surface learning.
Other conceptions promoted transformation, unlocking minds, and life-learning, to
show that teaching is not only about giving information but also ensure that the
information changes the way learners make sense of the social issues in relation to
the world. It was noted that teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching seemed
to have influenced how teachers teach poetry and short stories lessons, because
irrespective of conceptualising teaching and learning in transformational and
enlightenment but teachers used a unidirectional teaching approach. This teaching
approach that all teachers used suggest ‘normality’ with using this way of teaching
poetry and short stories, especially if the nature of poetry and short stories are taken
into consideration. Without critiquing teachers’ pedagogical approaches, of concern
is that all observed teachers, irrespective of different schools, used similar teaching
approach which was shaped by curriculum policy expectations, teachers’
perceptions of learners, and the nature of the socio-cultural and economical context.
Owing to some of the complexities mentioned above, further research on teachers’
conceptions of learning and teaching, particularly in rural schools is needed,
because embedded in teachers’ conceptions lies their lived experiences and ideas
about learning and teaching in rural school. Therefore if effective interventions are to
be considered partnering with teachers and/or learners in rural schools to
understand their conceptions, need to be seriously taken into account. The purpose
is not to research with teachers rather than for teachers to enhance existing
knowledge in partnership, rather imposing knowledge. / MT2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/22679 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Mafunganyika, Annie Tiny |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (xiv, 138, ivi leaves), application/pdf, application/pdf |
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