- Title
- Analysing writing competence of learners in selected secondary schools in Zimbabwe
- Creator
- Dube, Precious https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9715-4609
- Subject
- English language -- Composition and exercises
- Subject
- English language -- Rhetoric
- Date
- 2021-01
- Type
- Doctoral theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21246
- Identifier
- vital:47436
- Description
- Writing has been identified as one of the most essential skills that learners require for their personal development and academic success because the world has become so text-oriented. However, learning to master writing skills is a problem that learners face in Zimbabwean secondary schools. Subsequently, the purpose of this study was to analyse the writing competence of learners in selected secondary schools in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. Using some aspects of the product-process approach and the cognitive process theory of writing, the study intended to assess the level of writing competence of learners in selected schools in Zimbabwe. The study followed a qualitative approach and adopted a case study research design. A purposive selected sample for the interviews consisted of 40 learners and 8 teachers. Another set of data were collected through document analysis. Both sets of data were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that the secondary school learners in Zimbabwe had challenges related to contextualising the topic, coherence and cohesion. The results further revealed that the language of instruction had an effect on the writing competence of learners and primary school background influenced competence later in secondary schools. The results also showed that although competent and not-so-competent learners shared some similar writing strategies, most of the strategies they used when writing were different. It was also noted that most secondary school teachers did not teach writing skills and most of their teaching methods were teacher centred and therefore unlikely to promote competence in learners. The researcher recommended professional training courses and workshops for teachers, which would help them to teach learners to become competent in writing and in incorporation of ICT in the learning of English Language in secondary schools. It was further recommended that learners should be trained and encouraged to develop a culture of reading, as this is likely to effectively promote their writing skills.
- Description
- Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (343 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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UFH Department of English & Comparative Studies
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | PRECIOUS DUBE THESIS.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |