Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy

Children are exposed to influential role models, such as parents, peers, teachers, fictional characters and humans in virtual and physical environments. Utilising role modelling as a teaching approach or rich teaching resource not only appeals to the social learning preference of a young child but a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hannelie du Preez, Donna Hannaway, Ina Joubert, Francinah Masola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Unit for Distance Education, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria 2021-05-01
Series:Teacher Education through Flexible Learning in Africa
Subjects:
Online Access:https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/tetfle/article/view/63
_version_ 1811183670708404224
author Hannelie du Preez
Donna Hannaway
Ina Joubert
Francinah Masola
author_facet Hannelie du Preez
Donna Hannaway
Ina Joubert
Francinah Masola
author_sort Hannelie du Preez
collection DOAJ
description Children are exposed to influential role models, such as parents, peers, teachers, fictional characters and humans in virtual and physical environments. Utilising role modelling as a teaching approach or rich teaching resource not only appeals to the social learning preference of a young child but also supports teachers in reaching out to virtual and physical communities to enrich literacy learning experiences. The perspective of role models to promote acceptable social and academic behaviour in young children has progressively introduced scholarly views on the achievability and importance thereof in education and its applicability as a hybrid pedagogy. With rapid technological advancements and increased access to the Internet, an integrated platform is provided which teachers can benefit from when incorporating role models to help cultivate responsible social and academic behaviour. In this study, we implemented a literacy programme – the Reading, Rugby and Responsibility project – as a community project to improve our understanding of how rugby students, as role models, can intentionally inculcate responsible social and reading behaviour in Grade 3 children. We aligned the outcomes of the project with the Community of Inquiry framework to hypothesise the value and feasibility of using role models as a hybrid pedagogy and resource in early childhood education. We utilised a qualitative case study design and purposefully selected five rugby students to interact with 35 Grade 3 children at an inner-city primary school in Pretoria. The data generated from informal discussions with the rugby students and reflections of their experiences, as well as the children’s narrative accounts and drawings, were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that children yearn to engage with role models and be part of a community. Further investigation on how the Community of Inquiry framework can inform and utilise role modelling as a hybrid pedagogy and resource is beckoned and recommended.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T09:50:39Z
format Article
id doaj.art-60ca33e865254a5ea35045c3588ed176
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2788-6298
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T09:50:39Z
publishDate 2021-05-01
publisher Unit for Distance Education, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria
record_format Article
series Teacher Education through Flexible Learning in Africa
spelling doaj.art-60ca33e865254a5ea35045c3588ed1762022-12-22T04:30:49ZengUnit for Distance Education, Faculty of Education, University of PretoriaTeacher Education through Flexible Learning in Africa2788-62982021-05-011110.35293/tetfle.v1i1.6363Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogyHannelie du Preez0Donna Hannaway1Ina Joubert2Francinah Masola3Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, University of PretoriaDepartment of Early Childhood Education, School of Teacher Education, University of South AfricaDepartment of Early Childhood Education, School of Teacher Education, University of South AfricaStudent, Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, University of PretoriaChildren are exposed to influential role models, such as parents, peers, teachers, fictional characters and humans in virtual and physical environments. Utilising role modelling as a teaching approach or rich teaching resource not only appeals to the social learning preference of a young child but also supports teachers in reaching out to virtual and physical communities to enrich literacy learning experiences. The perspective of role models to promote acceptable social and academic behaviour in young children has progressively introduced scholarly views on the achievability and importance thereof in education and its applicability as a hybrid pedagogy. With rapid technological advancements and increased access to the Internet, an integrated platform is provided which teachers can benefit from when incorporating role models to help cultivate responsible social and academic behaviour. In this study, we implemented a literacy programme – the Reading, Rugby and Responsibility project – as a community project to improve our understanding of how rugby students, as role models, can intentionally inculcate responsible social and reading behaviour in Grade 3 children. We aligned the outcomes of the project with the Community of Inquiry framework to hypothesise the value and feasibility of using role models as a hybrid pedagogy and resource in early childhood education. We utilised a qualitative case study design and purposefully selected five rugby students to interact with 35 Grade 3 children at an inner-city primary school in Pretoria. The data generated from informal discussions with the rugby students and reflections of their experiences, as well as the children’s narrative accounts and drawings, were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that children yearn to engage with role models and be part of a community. Further investigation on how the Community of Inquiry framework can inform and utilise role modelling as a hybrid pedagogy and resource is beckoned and recommended.https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/tetfle/article/view/63role modellingresponsible reading behaviourresponsible social behaviourrugbysports studentsyoung childrencommunity of inquiryhybrid pedagogy
spellingShingle Hannelie du Preez
Donna Hannaway
Ina Joubert
Francinah Masola
Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy
Teacher Education through Flexible Learning in Africa
role modelling
responsible reading behaviour
responsible social behaviour
rugby
sports students
young children
community of inquiry
hybrid pedagogy
title Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy
title_full Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy
title_fullStr Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy
title_full_unstemmed Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy
title_short Reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children: Informing hybrid pedagogy
title_sort reaching out with rugby role models to inspire literacy in young children informing hybrid pedagogy
topic role modelling
responsible reading behaviour
responsible social behaviour
rugby
sports students
young children
community of inquiry
hybrid pedagogy
url https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/tetfle/article/view/63
work_keys_str_mv AT hanneliedupreez reachingoutwithrugbyrolemodelstoinspireliteracyinyoungchildreninforminghybridpedagogy
AT donnahannaway reachingoutwithrugbyrolemodelstoinspireliteracyinyoungchildreninforminghybridpedagogy
AT inajoubert reachingoutwithrugbyrolemodelstoinspireliteracyinyoungchildreninforminghybridpedagogy
AT francinahmasola reachingoutwithrugbyrolemodelstoinspireliteracyinyoungchildreninforminghybridpedagogy