The nature of prose narrative in Northern Sotho: from orality to literacy

The basic aim of this study is to investigate the nature of the narrative, concerning itself with the structures inherent in a system of signs which reveals the communicative function of literature. The general aim is to interpret the meaning of the narrative against the cultural background. The study makes a synthesis of formalist and structuralist points of view on the relations between story and discourse. A comparison of the oral and written narratives reveals that the discourse of the latter displays more artistry than that of the former. An examjnation of the problems of theme selection and development in the Northern Sotho prose narrative, from the point of view of African literature, is made. This reveals that the South African censorship laws have caused the emergence of sophisticated writers with a highly developed artistic way of portraying the South African situation sensitively by making it speak for itself. The study also examines some aspects of character in the narrative, analyzing the actions of characters in the story rather than psychological essences about them, and showing how these characters help the reader to understand the narrator's moral vision of the world. A comparison of the narrative techniques in the oral and the written narrative shows that in the former, the narrator is limited by tradition to the actions and the events that can be seen or heard, while the narrator in the latter can even describe what his characters are thinking or feeling. The study finally examines the relationship between symbolism and culture in the Northern Sotho narrative to reveal the general African philosophy in which -life is perceived as a perpetual journey undertaken by the hero from the natural to the non-natural world, whence he returns to the original world after experiencing moral lassitude and frustration. In the conclusion it is observed that both the oral and the written narratives deal with the intricacies of life as series of patterns and developments. The functional nature of the traditional African aesthetics reflected in the narratives prescribes the study of their meaning against the African cultural background.African LanguagesD. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages

Making the grade (The 3Rs project)

Classroom assessment is a critical component of the learning and teaching process and crucial to providing teachers with relevant information to better understand what their learners know and can do. However, the ability of teachers to effectively conduct high-quality classroom assessment is a matter of concern. MATTHEWS MAKGAMATHA and MASEABATA MOLEFE report on a study which determined how assessment was understood and applied in primary schools.

Classroom assessment resources for improving learning

Paper presented at the National Policy Dialogue Forum: Improving the Quality of Education in South Africa: The Literacy and Numeracy Challenges, Lakeview Airport Lodge, 9-11 Decembe

District development support programme (DDSP): 2003 grade 3 learner assessment results

Commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID

2003 Grade 3 learner assessment results

Report for the District Development Support Programme (DDSP) and funded by the United Agency for International Development (USAID

Development and implementation of an effective assessment system

Paper presented at the Research Indaba of the National Department of Basic Education, 20 Septembe

Automated diagnostic feedback to learners, teachers, parents and education managers from large-scale school-achievement assessment

Paper presented at the HSRC Research Conference, Birchwood Conference Centre, Benoni, 27-28 Septembe

Multiple technologies in rural contexts: lessons from school environments in Eastern Cape province

Commissioned by the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reflection and Learning (MERL) Research Project, MarchThis report presents the key findings, and recommendations of the MERL Working Group for the Tech4RED following rigorous fieldwork between 2013 and 2015 and intense engagement with relevant stakeholders. Specifically, this report focuses on the issues which need to be considered when (a) introducing context-appropriate multiple interventions in rural contexts; (b) assessing the impact of technology and developing evidence-based strategies for technology integration that contributes to teaching and learning gains. Also provided in this report are specific recommendations for further research and replication of the initiative in similar contexts