Scaffolding argumentative writing through Reading to Learn (RtL) pedagogy: a case study of three grade 11 English second language teachers in Namibia
- Authors: Matengu, Ernest Samubu
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Rose, David, 1955- , Reading (Secondary) , Persuasion (Rhetoric) Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , English language Writing Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , English language Rhetoric Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , English language Study and teaching (Secondary) Foreign speakers Case studies , Reading to Learn , Scaffolding Interaction Cycle
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191148 , vital:45065
- Description: The central aim of this study was to investigate the positive impact of Reading to Learn (RtL) pedagogy in enhancing Grade 11 learners’ argumentative writing skills. This was a case study of one school in Otjozondjupa region in Namibia. The pedagogy, RtL, was designed to address learning inequalities with marginalised communities in Australia. Coupled with challenges in literacy development in learners, current methods have not successfully addressed the teaching and learning of argumentative writing amidst learning inequalities. This study employed the six stages of Scaffolding Interaction Cycle of RtL in order to teach argumentative writing. As is evidenced in recent research, the scaffolding cycle of RtL provides equal opportunities to learners from diverse backgrounds to attain epistemological access at the same pace. RtL’s theoretical and conceptual framework is derived from Bernstein’s theory of education as pedagogic discourse (a device for maintaining inequality in society), Vygotsky’s theory of learning as a social process and Halliday’s model of language as text in social context. The two research questions for this study were: (1) What role does Reading to Learn (RtL) pedagogy play in developing Grade 11 learners’ ability to write argumentative essays? And (2) How can the implementation of RtL pedagogy through scaffolding impact on/improve learners’ literacy skills development for argumentative essay writing? This qualitative case study generated data through observation of three teachers’ lessons, a Stimulated Recall Interview (SRI) conducted with the three teachers and learners’ pre and posttest of argumentative essays. The findings of this study revealed that teachers found RtL as a comprehensive pedagogy that makes teaching and learning of argumentative writing successful through systematic scaffolding of learning. Learners’ written pre and posttest also showed a narrowing of the gap between weak and strong learners in that weak learners recorded an upward trend similar to that of strong learners in their posttest. Given the design of RtL and studies conducted globally, the findings of this study can be comparable. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Matengu, Ernest Samubu
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Rose, David, 1955- , Reading (Secondary) , Persuasion (Rhetoric) Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , English language Writing Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , English language Rhetoric Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , English language Study and teaching (Secondary) Foreign speakers Case studies , Reading to Learn , Scaffolding Interaction Cycle
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191148 , vital:45065
- Description: The central aim of this study was to investigate the positive impact of Reading to Learn (RtL) pedagogy in enhancing Grade 11 learners’ argumentative writing skills. This was a case study of one school in Otjozondjupa region in Namibia. The pedagogy, RtL, was designed to address learning inequalities with marginalised communities in Australia. Coupled with challenges in literacy development in learners, current methods have not successfully addressed the teaching and learning of argumentative writing amidst learning inequalities. This study employed the six stages of Scaffolding Interaction Cycle of RtL in order to teach argumentative writing. As is evidenced in recent research, the scaffolding cycle of RtL provides equal opportunities to learners from diverse backgrounds to attain epistemological access at the same pace. RtL’s theoretical and conceptual framework is derived from Bernstein’s theory of education as pedagogic discourse (a device for maintaining inequality in society), Vygotsky’s theory of learning as a social process and Halliday’s model of language as text in social context. The two research questions for this study were: (1) What role does Reading to Learn (RtL) pedagogy play in developing Grade 11 learners’ ability to write argumentative essays? And (2) How can the implementation of RtL pedagogy through scaffolding impact on/improve learners’ literacy skills development for argumentative essay writing? This qualitative case study generated data through observation of three teachers’ lessons, a Stimulated Recall Interview (SRI) conducted with the three teachers and learners’ pre and posttest of argumentative essays. The findings of this study revealed that teachers found RtL as a comprehensive pedagogy that makes teaching and learning of argumentative writing successful through systematic scaffolding of learning. Learners’ written pre and posttest also showed a narrowing of the gap between weak and strong learners in that weak learners recorded an upward trend similar to that of strong learners in their posttest. Given the design of RtL and studies conducted globally, the findings of this study can be comparable. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10
Reading to learn for secondary schooling: an interventionist action research study within a South African under-privileged setting
- Authors: Mataka, Tawanda Wallace
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Rose, David, 1955-. Reading to learn , Reading (Secondary) , English language -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Foreign speakers -- South Africa , English language -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Foreign speakers -- South Africa -- Case studies , Literacy -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92191 , vital:30706
- Description: The study examined the contribution that Rose’s (2005) Reading to Learn (RtL) methodology made in development of advanced literacy abilities recommended in the schooling system. RtL was influenced by Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse, Bruner, Vygotsky’s social learning theory and Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics theory. The study used the same cohort of learners during Grades 11 and 12 in a black township secondary school in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. RtL was birthed in Australia with the intention of accelerating literacy development of learners in disadvantaged communities. Based on its success in Australia, I implemented the methodology against a backdrop of continuously declining literacy standards in South African primary and secondary schools. Researchers on literacy acknowledge that socioeconomic and geosocial circumstances cannot be divorced from poor literacy performances in South African schools. Although these two factors play a role in regressing literacy, pedagogical approaches play a role. RtL was employed as an intervention strategy with learners whose literacy abilities were found lacking in comparison to curriculum demands. Despite the focus being on learners whose performance was below expected academic levels, the able learners were motivated to further their advanced abilities. The learners whose performance was previously compromised performed to par with their able counterparts. RtL provided all learners an opportunity to apply, with less difficulty, the language approved by the schooling system. The two research questions sought to illuminate the role RtL played in developing learners’ ability to read, so that they could converse with text and put into writing practice what they had read. In this regard, creative and transactional assignments were written, and performance assessed to evaluate the RtL intervention. Secondly, the research allowed me to get an insight through interviews with learners as to how they were positively or negatively influenced through RtL in learning English as a First Additional Language. The study was a longitudinal action research study which had a life span of 22 months. It was dominantly qualitative with a thin quantitative strand. Data to evaluate effectiveness was generated from learners’ written work and interviews. The learners’ work was analysed using an RtL assessment tool adopted from Rose (2018), for the purposes of uniformity and reliability. Findings from interviews highlighted various views regarding the positive impact of RtL. What emerged from the findings is a reflection of the positive impact RtL had on literacy development. Significantly, learners’ work improved across the board, true to Rose’s assertion that learners exposed to teaching using RtL principles experience accelerated literacy development. Based on these findings, RtL implemented in a township setting in South Africa yields results similar to those in Australia and other countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mataka, Tawanda Wallace
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Rose, David, 1955-. Reading to learn , Reading (Secondary) , English language -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Foreign speakers -- South Africa , English language -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Foreign speakers -- South Africa -- Case studies , Literacy -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92191 , vital:30706
- Description: The study examined the contribution that Rose’s (2005) Reading to Learn (RtL) methodology made in development of advanced literacy abilities recommended in the schooling system. RtL was influenced by Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse, Bruner, Vygotsky’s social learning theory and Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics theory. The study used the same cohort of learners during Grades 11 and 12 in a black township secondary school in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. RtL was birthed in Australia with the intention of accelerating literacy development of learners in disadvantaged communities. Based on its success in Australia, I implemented the methodology against a backdrop of continuously declining literacy standards in South African primary and secondary schools. Researchers on literacy acknowledge that socioeconomic and geosocial circumstances cannot be divorced from poor literacy performances in South African schools. Although these two factors play a role in regressing literacy, pedagogical approaches play a role. RtL was employed as an intervention strategy with learners whose literacy abilities were found lacking in comparison to curriculum demands. Despite the focus being on learners whose performance was below expected academic levels, the able learners were motivated to further their advanced abilities. The learners whose performance was previously compromised performed to par with their able counterparts. RtL provided all learners an opportunity to apply, with less difficulty, the language approved by the schooling system. The two research questions sought to illuminate the role RtL played in developing learners’ ability to read, so that they could converse with text and put into writing practice what they had read. In this regard, creative and transactional assignments were written, and performance assessed to evaluate the RtL intervention. Secondly, the research allowed me to get an insight through interviews with learners as to how they were positively or negatively influenced through RtL in learning English as a First Additional Language. The study was a longitudinal action research study which had a life span of 22 months. It was dominantly qualitative with a thin quantitative strand. Data to evaluate effectiveness was generated from learners’ written work and interviews. The learners’ work was analysed using an RtL assessment tool adopted from Rose (2018), for the purposes of uniformity and reliability. Findings from interviews highlighted various views regarding the positive impact of RtL. What emerged from the findings is a reflection of the positive impact RtL had on literacy development. Significantly, learners’ work improved across the board, true to Rose’s assertion that learners exposed to teaching using RtL principles experience accelerated literacy development. Based on these findings, RtL implemented in a township setting in South Africa yields results similar to those in Australia and other countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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