Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Within the context of development, skills development is one of the central
components in the drive to bring about the reconstruction, development and
transformation of the South African society. Investment in people is a key
strategy in our economic renewal. With estimations of a third of the South
African population not having effective basic skills, education is not merely
limited to reading and writing, but developing human capacity to playa more
active role individually, within communities and within the larger South Africa.
Literacy and numeracy are seen as fundamental skills, and without these skills,
other skills may not be learned or acquired. Illiteracy rates within rural areas in
South Africa are unacceptably high and people deemed "illiterate" within these
areas are at risk in that provision of literacy programmes is not readily available.
Within this context, a literacy programme was implemented at a farm school
outside Durbanville (situated in the Western Cape). The Fundani literacy
programme was implemented over a period of 16 months. The participants
comprised of farm workers (most of whom were parents of children attending the
Attie van Wyk Primary School).
Literacy is also said to empower people. Programme evaluation was chosen as
research design. The findings of the research are discussed to place it within the
context of the research questions, namely whether the intervention (the Fundani
literacy programme) would change/influence the literacy ability and
empowerment status of the participants.
The participants' empowerment status was measured with a standardised
questionnaire using a pre-test, post-test and post-past-test design. The
participants were also evaluated at the end of the literacy programme as to their
literacy and numeracy gains.
The research took place in three phases. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used during the research. The first phase consisted of a pre-test
on empowerment (this was done by means of a standardised questionnaire
during semi-structured interviews). The second phase involved exposure to the
Fundani literacy programme, followed by a formal test to measure literacy and
numeracy gains as well as a post-test measuring changes in empowerment
status. Finally a post-post-test was applied to measure changes in
empowerment status three months after the programme had been completed.
Although only four participants out of 13 completed the Fundani literacy
programme, statistical analysis showed statistically significant improvements in
empowerment from pre-test to post-test of the total group. The four participants
that completed the programme also showed literacy and numeracy gains.
The findings of the study suggest that although there is a high drop-out rate in
adult literacy programmes, the longer participants participate in a literacy
programme, the greater the improvement in their empowerment status will be. It
also became evident throughout the research that women find it difficult to attend
literacy programmes as common constraints (such as domestic duties and male
resistance) are not easily overcome. As this research used a very small sample
size, future studies need to be conducted over longer periods of time, using a
much bigger sample. Such programmes/interventions also need to be more
functional, which could lead to a greater sense of motivation and empowerment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne die konteks van ontwikkeling is vaardigheidsontwikkeling 'n kritieke
dryfveer in die transformasie van Suid-Afrika. Die ontwikkeling van menslike
hulpbronne is een van die strategieë om die ekonomie te versterk.
Met sowat 'n derde van die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking wat nie oor basiese
vaardighede beskik nie, is opvoeding nie beperk tot lees en skryf nie, maar
omvat die ontwikkeling van die mens in sy geheel om 'n meer aktiewe rol binne
homself, die gemeenskap, en Suid-Afrika te speel.
Lees-, skryf- en rekenvaardighede is fundamentele vaardighede waarsonder
ander tegniese vaardighede nie maklik aangeleer kan word nie. Ongeletterdheidsvlakke
in Suid-Afrika, en veral in die landelike gedeeltes van Suid-Afrika, is
baie hoog. 'n Verdere punt van kommer is die onbeskikbaarheid en aanbieding
van geletterdheidsprogramme binne die landelike gebiede van Suid-Afrika. Dit is
binne hierdie konteks dat 'n geletterdheidsprogram vir plaaswerkers by 'n
plaasskool buite Durbanville (in die Wes-Kaap) aangebied is.
Die Fundani geletterdheidsprogram is by die Attie van Wyk primêre skool
geïmplementeer. Die Fundani program is oor 'n periode van 16 maande gevolg.
Die teikengroep was ouers van leerders (van wie die meeste plaaswerkers is)
van die Attie van Wyk primêre skool. Die doel van die geletterdheidsprogram
was nie net om lees- en skryfvaardighede aan te leer nie, maar om die
deelnemers te bemagtig om meer beheer oor hul lewens toe te pas. Programevaluering
is gebruik as navorsingsontwerp. Die twee navorsingsvrae verwys na
die aard van intervensie en is daarop gemik om te bepaal of die Fundani
geletterdheidsprogram wel 'n effek op die geletterdheid sowel as
bemagtigingsvlakke van die deelnemers gehad het.
Die deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus is gemeet met 'n gestandardiseerde
vraelys terwyl 'n voor-en-na toets en 'n verdere toets (post-past-toets) ontwerp gevolg is. Die deelnemers is ook aan die einde geëvalueer ten opsigte van
verbetering in hul lees-, skryf- en rekenvaardighede.
Die navorsing is in drie fases geïmplementeer. Kwalitatiewe asook kwantitatiewe
metodes is gebruik om data in te win. Die eerste fase het uit 'n voor-toets
bestaan wat die deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus gemeet het. Dit is met 'n
gestandardiseerde vraelys tydens semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gemeet.
Gedurende die tweede fase is deelnemers aan die Fundani
geletterdheidsprogram blootgestel. Aan die einde van die program is die
deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus weer gemeet deur 'n na-toets om verandering
in bemagtiging te meet. 'n Formele geletterdheidstoets is ook gedurende fase
twee geskryf om verandering in lees-, skryf- en rekenvaardighede waar te neem.
Fase drie het uit 'n verdere toets bestaan om die deelnemers se
bemagtigingstatus drie maande ná die Fundani geletterdheidsprogram te meet.
Alhoewel slegs vier uit die 13 deelnemers die Fundani geletterdheidsprogram
voltooi het, was daar wel statisties betekenisvolle verbeteringe van die voor-toets
na die na-toets. Die vier deelnemers wat wel die Fundani geletterheidsprogram
voltooi het, het aan die einde van die program getoon dat hulle baat gevind het
by die program ten opsigte van hullees-, skryf- en rekenvaardige verwerkings.
Die navorsing se bevindinge dui daarop dat hoe langer deelnemers aan sulke
geletterdheidsprogramme blootgestel word, hoe groter sal die verbetering in
hulle bemagtigingstatus wees. Vroue vind dit moeilik om sulke programme te
voltooi as gevolg van familie- en gesinsverpligtinge asook vanweë teenkanting
van mans binne die gemeenskap.
Alhoewel die navorsing van 'n baie klein steekproef gebruik gemaak het, word
daar voorgestel dat soortgelyke studies van dieselfde aard oor langer tye met 'n
groter steekproef geëvalueer word. Die aard van sulke tipe
programme/intervensies behoort meer funksioneel te wees om deelnemers
verder te motiveer en te bemagtig.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50507 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Fourie, Stefan Steyn |
| Contributors | Kapp, C. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | vi, 138 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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