Using open educational resources to design an online academic research writing course: a project report

The DETA Conference of August 2011 and the workshops on the use of open educational resources (OER) were the catalyst for a project that aimed to design and build a multidisciplinary online course in academic research writing, using OER for undergraduate and postgraduate students at a Nigerian university as a resource for research reports, assignments, dissertations, and theses. The project provided an opportunity for collaboration among lecturers and IT specialists, thereby raising awareness about the benefi ts of using OER and broadening the user base for these resources. Some of the challenges encountered include the lack of adequate access to the internet, possible lack of commitment to the project by some participants due to pressures of their workload, unrealistic timelines, and lack of familiarity with OER. The paper concludes with refl ections on the reasons for these challenges and suggests recommendations for scholars planning similar projects.Proceedings of the 5th biennial International Conference on Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA) held at the University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya, 30 July - 1 August 2013

Derived Knowledge and Lived Experiences of Teachers Working in Resource-Constrained Multilingual Classrooms

Due to global migration, multilingual classrooms are currently a common feature not just in postcolonial contexts but also in developed economies. The perceived challenges created by multiple languages in single classrooms have been well documented, and all stakeholders have to be involved in finding strategies to overcome these challenges and change perceptions. Using a case study design and sociocultural theory as lens, this study explored the perspectives and experiences of teachers with teaching and learning in resourceconstrained multilingual classrooms. The participants were teachers (N=67; female n=51; male n=16) from nine schools in Gauteng Province of South Africa. The findings suggest that the participants were divided in their perceptions and experiences of multilingual classrooms. While some viewed multilingualism as a constraint to effective teaching and learning; others wanted more to be done to accommodate learners. It is evident that teachers prioritise the necessity for pre-service teacher education that focus on teaching pedagogy appropriate for the multilingual context they work in every day. In addition, the teachers emphasised a range of support strategies they currently use. It is argued that structured variations of the teachers' strategies be developed and distance education employed for the professional development of in-service teachers working in multilingual contexts

The importance of continuous teacher development through distance education for teachers using additional language for learning, teaching and assessment

This paper is based on a study conducted to determine the infl uence of a curriculum-based dynamic assessment (CDA) procedure on the performance and effect on additional language (AL) learners in mainstream education. Eight learners in Grade 8 selected from two schools in Lagos, Nigeria, participated in a process of debriefi ng and mediation during three continuous assessment cycles and the endof- term examination in two subjects, Business Studies and Integrated Science. The study was an attempt to employ CDA as a means of reducing the inequity in the assessment of learners using a language in which they lack profi ciency. Although the results suggest a generally positive infl uence of CDA to varying degrees, the participants’ low level of AL acquisition was almost crippling to the entire study. Code switching had to be used extensively during mediation and debriefi ng, questioning the actual AL teaching and learning process. The severity of the barriers constituted a serious limitation to optimum learning. The results suggest that the AL teaching and learning process could be fundamentally fl awed, as it appeared that some of the teachers, as models of language, were themselves failing the learners. The question of the adequacy of teacher training and continuous professional development for teachers was deemed a strong factor in both the participating schools. The results of this study indicate a profound need to expand teacher education and in-service training through distance education in order to increase the number of truly qualifi ed teachers, particularly in rural areas.Proceedings of the 4th biennial International Conference on Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA) held at the Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique, 3-5 August 2011

Improving learners’ comprehension skills in the early years through group discussion

This article reports on the utilization of group discussion by teachers to improve the comprehension skills of learners in their multilingual classes. The study aimed to examine solutions to low comprehension skills among learners whose language of instruction differed from their home languages. The participants were teachers (n = 12) and learners (n = 134) from four purposively sampled primary schools. Data generation included non-participatory observations of comprehension lessons, interviews with teachers, and analyses of teachers’ lesson plans and learners’ workbooks. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that some teachers employed peer tutoring and group work. Others utilized a quiz-bowl approach in comprehension lessons, which limited learners’ independent thinking in discussions. However, further analysis indicated that group discussions could be an asset if the teachers were trained to model and scaffold the art of asking questions. Future research should examine the longitudinal influence of the structured use of group discussions.The National Research Foundation of South Africa.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gecd202022-07-11hj2022Educational Psycholog

Investigating dynamic assessment as a means of addressing the assessment dilemma of additional language learners

Using static forms of assessment with learners who have an additional language (AL) as the language of learning and assessment (LoLTA), especially those that have been identified and labelled low achievers, could do more harm than good. Many people neglect to take account of the complexity involved in learning a second language and often wonder why learners who have an AL as the LoLTA take so long to acquire it at the level of cognitive academic language proficiency. This study investigated the use of dynamic assessment (DA) as a method of assessing learners who have an AL as the LoLTA in mainstream education, focusing on Lagos, Nigeria, in the empirical research. The study looked at ways in which DA could contribute to a solution for the assessment of AL learners, specifically how DA influenced the assessment and performance of AL learners. The study, in addition, sought to establish how static assessment and DA affect the attitude of AL learners towards assessment and their own performance. Finally, the study explored avenues through which DA could be used without it becoming an undue advantage for AL learners. The research was a qualitative study within the interpretive paradigm that sought to understand the subjective experiences of AL learners with assessment. Within a multiple case study, it resembled action research. Eight participants from two schools in UBE 8 (Grade 8) took part in the study, which involved observation of the participants during continuous assessment (CA) cycles, with debriefing and language-related mediation of assessment skills thereafter, in the subjects Business Studies (BS) and Integrated Science (IS). The data collection covered four phases: three CA cycles and the examination of the first school term. Subsequent to Phase I, mediational assessment papers, a glossary and spelling list were used. The findings suggest that DA had a positive influence on the AL participants’ performance and affect during assessment, although to varying degrees. Individual learning potential and context appeared to play a crucial part. Once the participants’ individual challenges were apparent, mediation could be directed at providing appropriate strategies to bridge the gaps. Due to the severity of the AL challenge, some participants seemed to require focused learning support in the AL, as well as mediated assessment sustained over a longer period. DA seemed to effectively provide guidance and feedback to the participants and improved their attitude towards assessment as well as the emotions experienced during assessment.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009.Educational Psychologyunrestricte

Teachers’ Practices for Supporting Students with Learning Difficulties in Linguistically Diverse Primary Classes

Cultural and linguistic diversity is a common feature across sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is not an exception. With high levels of linguistic diversity in this context and language constituting a barrier to learning, it important to understand the instructional communicative strategies used by teachers to support students with specific learning disabilities in mainstream classrooms. The study was conducted using a survey design and semi-structured interviews to collect data on the teachers’ awareness, preparation and strategies used with diverse students. The participants were 47 primary school teachers in Pretoria, South Africa. The data was analysed to identify the effective strategies used by the teachers. The findings revealed that the teachers employed cooperative learning, grouping and explicit vocabulary instruction as strategies with the students. Although the majority of the teachers indicated that they felt competent to support the students’ needs in terms of curriculum and standards, cultural differences and socio-emotional development, they still believe that more focused teacher professional development programmes, support from other professional and additional resources were required for better student achievement

Academic and institutional readiness towards e-Learning to inform policy and practice in an evolving post-school education sector

Prior to the occurrence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, some African higher education institutions had already adopted a hybridmode for all their programmes, including distance education. Policies and strategies were put in place to improve the practices, skills and competencies of staff and students. However, the closure of education institutions globally due to the pandemic resulted in the rethinking of current education practices and highlighted the inherent inequalities in the system. This baseline qualitative study, underpinned by the Affordance theory, explores the appropriateness of education responses that were utilised and interrogates the readiness of educators for e-Learning during the pandemic. The participants were purposively selected educators (n=11) from distance and contact African institutions. The study sought to contribute to the reconceptualisation of policies and strategies for distance education provision using e-Learning approaches, which have now become a mainstream reality for the post-school education and training (PSET) sector. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to the rich data. The findings identified the successes and shortcomings of facilitating e-Learning at a distance during the pandemic. Some participants felt ill-prepared for the extent of work required to be well equipped to use this approach. In many cases, it was felt that support strategies could have been better structured. Further analysis highlighted possible restructuring that should occur to meet the needs of educators in the twenty-first century and to survive any future pandemics through greater use of e-Learning. Evidence-based recommendations for policies are discussed

Storyboards as a qualitative method of exploring learners' experience with the use of a multilingual support strategy

Globally, learners in multilingual classrooms experience challenges, especially when the language of instruction is not their first language (L1). This results in language barriers to learning when monolingual language-education policies prevail in multilingual contexts. Translanguaging as a pedagogy has gained momentum and accepts the use of multiple languages to co-exist in multilingual classrooms. Over the last decade, accepting the use of multiple languages in multilingual classrooms and including learners’ L1 to enhance learning and provide support have been gaining momentum. This article reports on utilising storyboards to explore learners’ perspectives and emotions in a study that uses translanguaging as an intervention with Grades 5 and 6 learners in two schools in a South African township. The storyboard technique is a creative qualitative method to understand the subjective experiences of how children experience L1 in multilingual classes by expressing their emotions and feelings on individual personal storyboard paper. Translanguaging practices were introduced in the two schools to understand how it affects the teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms. We describe how the storyboards depicted positive emotions and views towards translanguaging by gaining a deeper understanding of how multilingual practices make learning a holistic experience for the learners involved. We provide information on the context of translanguaging and the methods implemented to include L1 and describe how the use of storyboards as data gathering tools positively portrayed the learners’ learning experiences. We propose that the use of storyboards as a creative qualitative method of expressing childrens views and emotions in multilingual classes enriched the themes elicited.The National Research Foundation (NRF) South Africa.http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ijqam2022Educational Psycholog

Pedagogical Multicultural Communities in Teacher Preparation

The study Pedagogical Multicultural Communities in Teacher Preparation analyses the beliefs held by teachers regarding the teaching of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.   The results will show that linguistic diversity can be managed by means of inclusive practices and that this is related with the beliefs held by teachers about cultural diversity and language teaching. Classrooms in New York City and South Africa are characterized by a wide variety of cultural and linguistic differences, providing teachers with educational challenges.  This study evaluated teachers’ perspectives on this framework using surveys, interviews and videos with purposefully selected teachers from a mixture of schools in Pretoria and New York City. The results of the study will reflect the important roles that language and culture play in a global society of understanding diversity much needed to support learning in linguistically diverse schools. Participants highlight the challenges that teachers in schools face in diverse linguistic classrooms and how multiculturalism can be used to enhance such classroom

Experiences of assessment and ‘affect’ in the teaching and learning of English second language learners in Nigeria

In classroom situations teachers speak of learners’ motivation or lack thereof and its relationship with achievement. The present study explored the influence of affect (attitudes, motivation and emotions) on the assessment and performance of English second language learners who lack proficiency in the language of teaching and learning in mainstream classrooms in Nigeria. The methods used included observation of test taking behaviours, post-test debriefing and mediation. The findings revealed how learners’ perceptions of the language of learning and assessment practices shaped their attitudes towards learning and in extreme cases schooling as whole. However, some of the participants lacked motivation; appeared apathetic and there were indications of an emotional block against academic learning. The study is informative in terms of how these English second language learners react to the challenges posed by lack of proficiency in the language of teaching, learning and assessment and the practices of their teachers in the classroom. There is need for intervention to prevent affect from further compounding the challenges of learning in an additional language.http://www.krepublishers.com02-Journals/IJES/IJES-00-0-000-000-2009-Web/IJES-00-0-000-000-2009-1-Cover.htmam2016Education Management and Policy Studie