Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal
The post-apartheid language policy of South Africa grants every child the right to study in their mother tongue. Despite this provision, mother-tongue education in indigenous languages has only been implemented in some schools in the country, and this has also been limited to the first three grades...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate
2023-02-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.dut.ac.za/index.php/ajims/article/view/1069 |
| _version_ | 1811163501921566720 |
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| author | Snenhlanhla Saralee Khanyile Felix Awung |
| author_facet | Snenhlanhla Saralee Khanyile Felix Awung |
| author_sort | Snenhlanhla Saralee Khanyile |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The post-apartheid language policy of South Africa grants every child the right to study in their mother tongue. Despite this provision, mother-tongue education in indigenous languages has only been implemented in some schools in the country, and this has also been limited to the first three grades of primary education. While research has highlighted the challenges of mother-tongue education in South Africa, little attention has been given to the educators’ perceptions on the subject. It is for this reason that this study sought to investigate educators’ perspectives on the challenges of mother-tongue education in uThungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal. Using Biesta and Tedder’s ecological agency as a theoretical lens, the study adopted a multiple-case study research design to collect data from 30 educators in five schools using questionnaires. The results revealed that the implementation of mother-tongue instruction in uThungulu District was fraught with challenges such as ill-adapted terminology for mother-tongue teaching, negative attitudes from the community, lack of training for teaching in the mother tongue and lack of resources. The study is significant in shedding light on the role that educators as agents of the system can play in bringing about the successful implementation of mother-tongue education in South Africa.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:06:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-401b00dbf0dd4eb4bd7458f82c9427e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2663-4597 2663-4589 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:06:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-401b00dbf0dd4eb4bd7458f82c9427e52023-02-15T01:28:00ZengResearch and Postgraduate Support DirectorateAfrican Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies2663-45972663-45892023-02-015110.51415/ajims.v5i1.1069Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-NatalSnenhlanhla Saralee Khanyile0Felix Awung1Durban University of Technology, South AfricaSol Plaatje University, South Africa The post-apartheid language policy of South Africa grants every child the right to study in their mother tongue. Despite this provision, mother-tongue education in indigenous languages has only been implemented in some schools in the country, and this has also been limited to the first three grades of primary education. While research has highlighted the challenges of mother-tongue education in South Africa, little attention has been given to the educators’ perceptions on the subject. It is for this reason that this study sought to investigate educators’ perspectives on the challenges of mother-tongue education in uThungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal. Using Biesta and Tedder’s ecological agency as a theoretical lens, the study adopted a multiple-case study research design to collect data from 30 educators in five schools using questionnaires. The results revealed that the implementation of mother-tongue instruction in uThungulu District was fraught with challenges such as ill-adapted terminology for mother-tongue teaching, negative attitudes from the community, lack of training for teaching in the mother tongue and lack of resources. The study is significant in shedding light on the role that educators as agents of the system can play in bringing about the successful implementation of mother-tongue education in South Africa. https://journals.dut.ac.za/index.php/ajims/article/view/1069isiZulumother-tongue education challengesuThungulu Districtteacher agency |
| spellingShingle | Snenhlanhla Saralee Khanyile Felix Awung Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies isiZulu mother-tongue education challenges uThungulu District teacher agency |
| title | Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal |
| title_full | Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal |
| title_fullStr | Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal |
| title_short | Challenges of Mother-Tongue Education in IsiZulu: A Case Study of Selected Schools in the uThungulu District of Kwazulu-Natal |
| title_sort | challenges of mother tongue education in isizulu a case study of selected schools in the uthungulu district of kwazulu natal |
| topic | isiZulu mother-tongue education challenges uThungulu District teacher agency |
| url | https://journals.dut.ac.za/index.php/ajims/article/view/1069 |
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