Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education
The location of writing centres in universities has attracted attention from practitioners and researchers in the field of academic support scholarship. These writing centres, known as spaces where students discuss their writing ideas, have become part of the decoloniality discourse in South Africa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate
2023-07-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.nust.na/index.php/ajims/article/view/1126 |
| _version_ | 1797682575646392320 |
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| author | Ntuthuko Mhlongo Nonhlanhla Khumalo Denver Naidoo Nthabeleng Tamako |
| author_facet | Ntuthuko Mhlongo Nonhlanhla Khumalo Denver Naidoo Nthabeleng Tamako |
| author_sort | Ntuthuko Mhlongo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The location of writing centres in universities has attracted attention from practitioners and researchers in the field of academic support scholarship. These writing centres, known as spaces where students discuss their writing ideas, have become part of the decoloniality discourse in South African higher education. This study adopts a mixed-method approach and builds upon Grimm's theory of transitional space to examine tutor perspectives on the contribution of writing centres' pedagogical practices and physical location to the decolonisation of education at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). The findings reveal that the writing centres in these contexts contribute to the decolonial agenda by employing various approaches such as multilingualism and one-on-one consultations that are sensitive to the African context. However, despite these positive contributions, it is necessary to initiate decolonial discussions that address historical past injustices. The study recommends that the creation of decolonised spaces is a complex process requiring collaborative engagement between writing centres and the university community, including management. Writing centres have an integral role to play in decolonising the university space, particularly in the South African context.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:01:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10fffde80ae542ce978d4cd889c8027b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2663-4597 2663-4589 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:01:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-10fffde80ae542ce978d4cd889c8027b2023-09-17T11:24:11ZengResearch and Postgraduate Support DirectorateAfrican Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies2663-45972663-45892023-07-015110.51415/ajims.v5i1.1126Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher EducationNtuthuko Mhlongo0Nonhlanhla Khumalo1Denver Naidoo2Nthabeleng Tamako3Mangosuthu University of Technology, South AfricaDurban University of Technology, South AfricaUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa The location of writing centres in universities has attracted attention from practitioners and researchers in the field of academic support scholarship. These writing centres, known as spaces where students discuss their writing ideas, have become part of the decoloniality discourse in South African higher education. This study adopts a mixed-method approach and builds upon Grimm's theory of transitional space to examine tutor perspectives on the contribution of writing centres' pedagogical practices and physical location to the decolonisation of education at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). The findings reveal that the writing centres in these contexts contribute to the decolonial agenda by employing various approaches such as multilingualism and one-on-one consultations that are sensitive to the African context. However, despite these positive contributions, it is necessary to initiate decolonial discussions that address historical past injustices. The study recommends that the creation of decolonised spaces is a complex process requiring collaborative engagement between writing centres and the university community, including management. Writing centres have an integral role to play in decolonising the university space, particularly in the South African context. https://journals.nust.na/index.php/ajims/article/view/1126decolonisationpedagogysafe spacestransformationwriting centre |
| spellingShingle | Ntuthuko Mhlongo Nonhlanhla Khumalo Denver Naidoo Nthabeleng Tamako Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies decolonisation pedagogy safe spaces transformation writing centre |
| title | Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education |
| title_full | Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education |
| title_fullStr | Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education |
| title_short | Practices and Spaces (Location): Reflecting on the Contribution of Writing Centres for Decolonisation in Higher Education |
| title_sort | practices and spaces location reflecting on the contribution of writing centres for decolonisation in higher education |
| topic | decolonisation pedagogy safe spaces transformation writing centre |
| url | https://journals.nust.na/index.php/ajims/article/view/1126 |
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