Browsing by Author "Lyster, Elda Susan."

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A case study of a workplace training programme and how it relates to the national qualifications framework and skills development.
(2002) Ramnath, Bashnee Yonna.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This is a qualitative case study which encompasses a thick description of an organization's workplace training programme and how it relates to the National Qualifications Framework and Skills Development. The organization in question is Imana Foods (Pty) Ltd. The purpose of conducting this particular study is to take a close look at the workplace training programme of a particular organization and to see how it has embraced the implementation of new legislative acts such as the South African Qualifications Authority Act, the Skills Development Act, the Skills Development Levies Act, and the Employment Equity Act into its education and training policy . These legislative acts are interrelated in the sense that they have one very significant common goal, and that is to improve the South African economy. By implementing these acts, the government hopes to increase the amount of skilled labour, which in turn should lead to better job opportunities for those employees who already have jobs, and also to promote education and training to those people who are unemployed. The government hopes to keep a watchful eye on the labour market with the intention of providing training in the areas where there is a shortage of skills. My intention for wanting to examine the workplace training programme of a single organization is to determine whether or not the training programme under study is serving its purpose which is to provide equal opportunity for all the employees within the organization.
Adults in the mainstream : free primary education in the southern districts of Lesotho.
(2002) Ramaqele, Thabele.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights has as one of its components and the world call to achieve education for all has led to a number of countries' introduction of Free Education. In Lesotho the call was heeded with the introduction of the Free Primary Education Programme in phases as from the year 2000. It was with the advent of the Free Primary Education Programme that a number of adults who never had formal schooling and or who had very little schooling took advantage and enrolled in the mainstream of primary education. This study therefore investigates the teaching and learning processes of adult learners in the mainstream of primary education where the curriculum is designed for the school age learners. It consists of the in-depth investigations of three primary schools in the Southern districts of Lesotho namely Moyeni Primary and Zibandayo Primary in the district of Quthing; and Naleli Primary in the district of Mohales'hoek; This study also investigates how these schools handled the education of adult learners while still not compromising the tuition of the school age learners. It also tried to find solutions as to how best the tuition of the adult learners could be handled so as to benefit them and the country as a whole.
An assessment of the impact of current language policy pertaining to adult basic education and training at Phindangene adult education centre (Lamontville).
(2002) Nkabinde, Cyril Thamsanqa.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
Public policy can take a wide range of forms, from broad statements of goals to more specific statements of intention (De Clercq 1997 cited in Kallaway et al 1997). Policy can be expressed in speeches, official statements, court decisions, laws and regulations, all of which embody the authority to define goals and priorities. Policy also provides a framework for taking action and lends legitimacy to implementation and evaluation purposes (Ray and Poonwansie 1987 cited in Ovando, 1999). The outcomes of a policy depend critically on the resources allocated to its support and the institutional arrangements mobilized in its implementation. Despite the introduction and implementation of the new Language in Education Policy (1997), policies and legislation enacted by the new government in South Africa to redress the imbalances of the past, especially in terms of promoting the marginalized African languages, and recognising language diversity and choice, the status and use of African languages in schools has not improved. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the current language policy on an adult centre that is Phindangene Adult Centre. This study sought to investigate learners and teachers attitudes towards the Language In Education Policy. It also aimed to demonstrate how language choices were made at Phindangene AEC, and whose interests they served. Different research instruments were used for data collection. A written questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from the respondents. Observation and official records were also used to supplement this. This study showed that there was a big difference between the language policy of the country and language practice at Phindangene AEC. In the light of the major findings the study recommends the following: • Student's primary language should be incorporated into the instructional program. • A holistic approach to teacher development should be adopted which provides teachers with basic skills and concepts in curriculum development through seminars and workshops. • Much more effort should go into developing and providing learning materials and textbooks that are more appropriate to adult learners. • School governing bodies need to familiarize themselves with the new Language in Education Policy. • It is the responsibility of the Department of Education to make sure that each adult centre gets a copy of the language policy.
Beyond learning to read : an evaluation of a short reading intervention in the Ilembe District of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2007) Mackie, June Margaret.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
Challenges faced by a rural FET college : a case study of a FET college in northen KwaZulu-Natal.
(2010) Van Wyk, Adri Elizabeth.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
In this study the challenges faced by a rural Further Education and Training (FET) college to deliver education are investigated. The FET sector uses the same curricula for colleges in both rural and urban settings but conditions in rural areas are very different. For example, few industries are situated in these areas, resulting in unemployment and/or the migration of youth to the urban areas. Long distances between campuses and a lack of employment opportunities in the rural areas suggest that it is difficult to manage rural colleges in the same manner as urban colleges. The education and training sector in South Africa has experienced significant changes during the last 11 years. Since 1998, the FET sector has faced mergers, the introduction of new governance structures, curriculum changes, relationship changes with both communities and the business sector and the introduction of new funding formulae. The FET College studied is situated in the Northern Region of KwaZulu-Natal and covers a vast area served by 11 municipalities. The campuses of this College are spread over a wide geographical area. This particular FET College is historically a state-funded merged institution of former Technical Colleges and Skills Centres. The merger was intended to deliver a better service by avoiding duplication of programmes at the colleges. Data gained from interviews with relevant role players identified challenges such as lack of infrastructure, poverty, poorly resourced campuses, high turnover of staff, limited course offerings, lack of policies and lack of financial assistance for disadvantaged students as key challenges faced in the rural areas. Most of the challenges faced by staff at campuses are related to the centralisation of services. Poor management is blamed for most of the challenges experienced by central office staff. Challenges faced by students are poverty, lack of infrastructure, unemployment and transport. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations are made relating to the challenges faced by the various role players.
A comparative study of learner and management perceptions of ABET English level 4 in selected companies in Durban.
(2002) Campbell, Bridget.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This is a qualitative, comparative study of management and learner perceptions of ABET English level 4 in a range of companies around Durban. South Africa's past is characterized by separate and unequal education and an ABET policy has been created in an attempt to address these educational inequalities. The legislation surrounding ABET creates a consistent approach intended to achieve economic growth and social transformation. During a long period of involvement in ABET, it appeared that the problems with and complaints about English level 4 were the same in all companies. In order to investigate and compare learner and management perceptions and expectations, a qualitative study was conducted with interviews being the main means of data collection. Twenty-seven learners and ten managers participated in the research with education levels ranging from Standard 5 to a post matric qualification. The interviewees were drawn from employees within the manufacturing, shipping, commercial and hospitality sectors. It was found that the expectations of managers and those of learners are often unrealistic and are not aligned and there is disillusionment when these expectations are not met. There is a complete lack of understanding as to the nature of English level 4 and I ascribe this to the perennial problem of the perceived value of soft skills in this profit driven business and production environment. Recommendations are made as to how the expectations surrounding English level 4 can be more realistic and how the situation can be improved.
A comparative study of the FAL and REFLECT adult literacy facilitators' training process in Uganda.
(2002) Openjuru, George Ladaah.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This was a comparative study of FAL and REFLECT'S adult literacy facilitator training processes in Uganda. It was based on the government's Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) programme, and Action Aid Uganda's (AAU) REFLECT Programmes.The purpose of this study was to: Find out the similarities and differences between the FAL and REFLECT facilitator training process. Establish how FAL and REFLECT facilitator training is organised. Establish how FAL and REFLECT facilitators are selected for training. Identify the teaching and learning materials used for training FAL and REFLECT literacy facilitators. Find out how the trained facilitators of FAL and REFLECT feel about the training and the approach they have been trained to use. Establish the kind of post training support arrangements provided for the trained adult literacy facilitators under FAL and REFLECT. These issues were all raised in the form of research questions and answered by the study. A qualitative research study was used to address the research questions. This included the use of focus group discussions, key informant interviews, questionnaires, direct observation and documentary analysis. The findings of this study are presented in chapter four under various headings applicable to both FAL and REFLECT. These are: the ideological view of literacy, selection of trainees and trainers, the training programmes, the training materials, funding for the training, employment arrangements after training, post training support arrangements, and evaluation of the training programme. From the findings, a general conclusion was drawn that the training processes of FAL and REFLECT were similar in the areas of organisation of the training programmes, selection of trainees, the sources of funding for the training programmes, deployment of trainees and evaluation of the training. Differences were found in the ideology which informs the two literacy approaches and therefore the training programmes for the literacy facilitators, the training methods and materials used and the post training support arrangements made for the trained literacy facilitators. The study concludes that the FAL and REFLECT literacy facilitator training is different. REFLECT has a better approach to training their literacy facilitators than FAL, although both approaches have many areas which should be improved for better training of their literacy facilitators. It was also noted that the differences between FAL and REFLECT occur in areas which are crucial for the success of a training programme and the performance of the trainees. This could explain the difference in the performance and effectiveness of the programmes using the two approaches. The recommendations call for serious attention to be given to the training of adult literacy facilitators to ensure that only qualified people are entrusted with the work of teaching adult literacy.
An ethnographic study of rural community literacy practices in Bweyale and their implications for adult literacy education in Uganda.
(2008) Openjuru, George Ladaah.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This was a study of rural community literacy practices in Uganda. I used the social practices theory of literacy as a theoretical framework to investigate literacy use in rural community life in Bweyale. The social practices theory of literacy sees literacy as variable social practice that can only be understood within the social context of its use. Consistent with the social practices theoretical perspective and following similar research traditions in this area of literacy study, I used ethnographic research methods to collect data and grounded theory methods to analyse data on literacy use in Bweyale. The study revealed that rural people, contrary to popular perceptions about their illiteracy and hence lack of literacy, actually use reading and writing in a variety of ways in different domains of literacy use. Literacy pervades most aspects of rural community life, making rural people use literacy in many rich and creative ways. Most people, regardless of their literacy status, participate in local literacy practices. The most prominent areas of literacy use in rural community life are livelihood activities, education, religion, bureaucracy, household life, and personal life. The study also found that the conception of literacy among rural people in Bweyale is similar to the dominant conception of literacy. In this conception, literacy is seen as equal to education and/or schooling and it relates to modernity. Rural people see literacy as a valuable and important aspect of life. The literacy they value most is the dominant English language literacy. This is due to the multilingual nature of Uganda and the national language policy that made English the dominant language of literacy even in rural community life. The use of English literacy is also reinforced by its use as the language of instruction in Uganda’s education system where most people learn how to read and write. This dominance of English complicates literacy use in rural community life because it brings in the need for translation, especially when people who do not understand English are involved in a literacy event. It also complicates local language literacy learning. The use of English is closely associated with the dominant non-traditional activities like school education, the police service, modern trade practices, and to some extent, Christian religious practices. Local language literacy is mainly used when communicating information relating to traditional activities, for example, traditional medicinal practices or for personal use. The study recommends that adult literacy education curricula should be tailored to the local literacy practices of the people for whom the literacy programmes are being developed. This will help to make the literacy programmes immediately relevant to the everyday literacy practices of the learners’ community. The programmes should promote literacy use in the community by exploring new areas of literacy use in rural community life. These are areas in which the use of literacy could lead to better management of some activities in rural community life. In all, rural people are literate in ways that are not acknowledged in dominant literacy thinking and hence even by rural people themselves. This way of thinking must be discouraged.
The impact of the family literacy project on adults in rural KwaZulu-Natal : a case study.
(2001) Desmond, Alethea.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
There are many family literacy programmes in countries such as England, United States of America and Australia. The programmes usually include both parents and children and are presented in different forms. In South Africa there are very few family literacy programmes of any sort. This is a case study of a family literacy programme in a deeply rural area of KwaZulu-Natal. The study presents information gathered from interviews with parents and teachers on their perception of early childhood literacy and their role in its development in their children. The study contains information on the interventions of the Family Literacy Project in an attempt to assess the impact these have had on the behaviour and attitudes of the parents and teachers. Tentative conclusions are drawn and suggestions offered for future research and action. The study includes a review of related literature. This, together with the findings of the study should contribute to the discussion of how relevant family literacy programmes could be in South Africa.
An inquiry into the dynamics of intergenerational learning in URLCODA's adult literacy classes in Arua district, Uganda.
(2004) Ngaka, Willy.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This study, conducted in Uganda, was set up to observe, record and analyse the pattern of interactions among the participants of URLCODA's adult literacy programme which has taken a semi-formal intergenerational form. Inspired by Vygotsky's ideas on mediation, more 'capable peers' and the Zone of Proximal Development, it was thought that intergenerational interactions in URLCODA's literacy programme could be harnessed to maximise learning among the participants which could become an alternative model for promoting literacy across the board regardless of age, sex, race, location and social status. The main research question that guided the study was: what happens in the intergenerational interactions in URLCODA's adult literacy programme attended by children in Arua district of Uganda and what are the motivational, enabling and limiting factors in such a teaching and learning arrangement? The study, which adopted a qualitative design, used observation, interviews, documentary analysis and photography to collect data from a sample of 32 participants. These were purposively selected from URLCODA's intergenerational literacy programme. It was important to conduct the study because URLCODA's adult literacy programme attended by children is rare and has not, to the best of my knowledge, been reported on anywhere in Uganda. The study was unique because the learning relationships between the adult and child learners were the reverse of the Vygotskian concept of mediation that interested me to undertake the study. This is because in the formal literacy and numeracy skills lessons, it was the child learners who played the role of 'more capable peers' and not the adult learners. The data collected revealed that the teaching methods were conformist in nature, the learners depended entirely on the instructors for the teaching/learning and reading materials, the participants were motivated by various factors of which personal, social and economic ones outweighed the rest, such as political and environmental ones, the intergenerational interactions appeared to be beneficial to both adult and child learners who all appeared to be enthusiastic about the programme, and the greatest challenge to the programme lay in the area of lack of resources on the part of the organisers and poverty on the part of the literacy learners. The study concluded that the interaction between the adult and child learners is beneficial for exchange of ideas, experiences, skills and beliefs which helps in shaping their behaviour in the class and outside the class. The programme has serious resource limitations and design deficiencies, especially in terms of the content of the curriculum that needs to be addressed urgently. The study recommended that URLCODA should seek support from the government and charitable organisations, liase with other organisations to institute credit schemes to support and strengthen the livelihood or functional nature of the programme, solicit and provide reading materials to the learners, put in place post-literacy programmes, further develop the intergenerational nature of the programme, offer training opportunities for the instructors, balance the curriculum to ensure that the programme meets the needs of all the participants and embark on fund-raising and other resource mobilisation drives to enable the programme achieve its intended goals. Finally the study identified a number of areas for further research. These include: the assessment of the impact of such an intergenerational programme on the performance of children in the primary schools in case of those attending Universal Primary Education (UPE), the assessment of the impact of the programme on the behaviour of children outside the literacy class and whether such a learning arrangement can create a democratic situation for the two groups to freely share information for enhancing learning opportunities and promoting the concept of lifelong learning.
Literacy practices of the African Gospel Church members in the KwaMashu Circuit, Durban : a case study.
(2011) Dlamini, Leonard Dumisani.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This is an exploratory qualitative study which is an in-depth investigation into the literacy practices of the congregants of the KwaMashu African Gospel Church circuit (Durban). The study focuses on the practices, uses and values that the congregants attach to literacy. The contribution of this study can be summarised by the following three points: 1). The church is a potential domain or institution that can contribute to the eradication of illiteracy and promotion of literacy skills. 2). Literacy seems to be integral in all spheres of life. 3). Literacy is situational or contextual; therefore, formal literacy cannot always be generalized. There are four critical questions posed by the study: 1). What are the literacy practices that the church members engage in? 2). What are the literacy events occurring or identified in the church? 3). How do church members value literacy? 4). How do non-literate church members cope with the literacy demands of church literacy practices? The study aimed at exploring how literacy is used and valued by the members of this church. The data was collected and analysed qualitatively from three categories of participants (leadership, non-literate and literate congregants) who are its members. The study revealed that literacy is used and valued by the congregants. It further revealed that in the literacy events that were studied congregants had a tendency to use orality and literacy mediators. Although these appeared to be coping means for non-literate members, the study revealed that even the literate members sometimes made use of literacy mediators and orality. The study concludes that despite the culture of Pentecostalism (reliance on guidance by Holy Spirit and tendency towards oral practice of religious activities), literacy appears to be integral to and irreplaceable in this church.
Microfinance for better lives?: learning experiences of women beneficiaries of the Inhlanyelo Fund in Manzini Region, Eswatini=Ukusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi ukuthuthukisa izimpilo? Ukufunda ngokwenza kwamalunga abesifazane eSikhwama Inhlanyelo esifundeni saseManzini, eSwazini.
(2022) Mahlalela-Dlamini, Khabonina Annastasia.; Preece, Julia.; Lyster, Elda Susan.; Harley, Anne.
Empowering women is a critical issue in developing countries such as Eswatini. Women's poverty is exacerbated by discrimination in the economic, social, and political spheres (Salia, Hussain, Tingbani, & Kolade, 2018), thus limiting their inner potential. Poverty in emerging economies is a major impediment for meeting the countries’ Sustainable Development Goals. There is evidence that interventions, such as microfinance schemes, can improve the lives of women, particularly rural women (Banerjee, 2017; Mayoux, 2002). Women's participation in informal sectors in developing countries could lead to economic growth and well-being. As key players in household welfare, microfinance supports self-employment, and alleviates poverty. Understanding women's microfinance experiences could improve microfinance interventions. The study explores how women beneficiaries of Eswatini’s Inhlanyelo Fund bettered their lives and gained learning experiences. There is limited information available on this topic. This investigation analyses what kind of microfinance intervention is most suitable for improving the lives of women and their families. The study is positioned within the interpretive paradigm, and adopts a qualitative design. The investigation was conducted with ten women in the Manzini regions of Eswatini. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews, which make use of life histories and photovoice. The data were transcribed and analysed manually using pattern coding where themes emerged. The findings reveal that loan income from the Inhlanyelo Fund was used primarily for consumables, with little remaining for investment in the business. Using the theoretical lenses of Jarvis’ model of experiential learning and the African perspective of ubuntu, this study examines how the women’s learning evolved through access to the fund and led to their empowerment and “buen vivir”. The findings reveal that women learned in social networks through interaction with others, and this helped to transform their behaviour and changed their lives. The study concludes that the ubuntu theme of humanness and participation in the collective were contributory factors in the learning processes of the beneficiaries of Eswatini’s Inhlanyelo Fund. The study recommends that future training should take account of the importance of experiential learning and social networking in empowering women through microfinance schemes. Iqoqa: Ukuphakamisa abesifazane isimo esibucayi emazweni asathuthuka afana neSwatini. Ububha kwabesifazane sekwenyuke kakhulu ngokucwasa ezinhlakeni zezomnotho, emphakathini, kanye nakwezepolitiki (Salia, Hussain, Tingbani, & Kolade, 2018), nokwenza ukuthi banqindeke amandla abanawo ngaphakathi. Ububha eminothweni esakhula buwumkhawulo omkhulu ukuhlangabezana neziNhloso zokuGcineka kweNtuthuko zamazwe. Kunobufakazi bokuthi izimo zokuhlangabezana, ezifuze imibutho yokusebenzisa imali emazingeni aphansi, kungathuthukisa izimpilo zabesifazane, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni zasemaphandleni (Banerjee, 2017; Mayoux, 2002). Ukuzibandakanya kwabesifazane esikhungweni zomphakathi emazweni asathuthuka kungaholela ekuthuthukeni komnotho kanye nasempilweni engcono. Njengababambiqhaza abasemqoka ekunakekelweni kwamakhaya, ukusebenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi kwelekelela ukuziqasha, bese kwehlisa ububha. Ukuqonda ukusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi ngabesifazane kungathuthukisa izimo zokuhlangabezana nokusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi. Ucwaningo luphenya ukuthi ngabe abesifazane abangamalunga eSikhwama Eswatini Inhlanyelo bayazithuthukisa izimpilo zabo futhi bayawathola amathuba okufunda. Kunolwazi oluncane kulesi sihloko. Lolu phenyo luhlaziya ukuthi yiluphi uhlobo lokungenenela ekusetshenzisweni kwezimali emazingeni aphansi olukulungele kakhulu ukuthuthukisa izimpilo zabesifazane kanye nemindeni yabo. Ucwaningo lwesekelwe kuhlakamqondo lweparadaymu yomhumusho, futho usebenzisa uhlaka kwekhalithethivu. Uphenyo lwenziwa nabesifazane abayishumi ezifundeni zaseManzini zasEswatini. Izindlela zokuqoqa imininingo zibandakanya izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka, ezisebenzisa imilando yempilo kanye nemifanekisozwi. Imininingo yaqoshwa futhi yahlaziywa bukhoma ngokusebenzisa ukuhlahlela imininingo okuhlelekile lapho izindikimba zaqubuka. Imiphumela iveza ukuthi inzuzo yemalimboleko ephuma esikhwameni se-Inhlanyelo yasetshenzisa kakhulu ekudleni, bese kuthi encane isalele ukufakwa ebhizinisini. Ngokusebenzisa imodeli yenjulalwazi kaJarvis yokufunda ngokwenza kanye nokubuka kwama-Afrikha kobuntu, lolu cwaningo luhlola ukuthi ukufunda kwabesifazane kukhula kanjani ngokungena esikhwameni ukusifakela nokuholela ekuzithuthukiseni kanye ne-“buen vivir”. Imiphumela iveza ukuthi abesifazane babefunda ezinhlanganweni zomphakathi ngokuhlanganyela nabanye, futhi lokhu kwasiza ukuguqula indlela abenza ngayo izinto futhi kwaguqula nezimpilo zabo. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokuthi indikimba yobuntu yendlela yokuphila kwabantu kanye nokuzibandakanya enhlanganweni kwaba nomthelela omkhulu ezinqubeni zokufunda kumalungu eSikhwama i-Eswatini Inhlayelo. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi uqeqesho lwesikhathi esizayo kumele luqikelele ukubaluleka kokufunda ngokwenza kanye nokuhlanganyela komphakathi ukuthuthukisa abesifazane ezikhungweni zokusetshenziswa kwezimali emazingeni aphansi.
Real or imagined worlds : an analysis of beginner level reading books for adult literacy learners in South Africa.
(2003) Lyster, Elda Susan.; Aitchison, John Jacques William.
The content of books published for adult beginner readers reveals as much about how literacy is understood and valued as it does about how literacy learners are viewed and constructed. This research consists of a description and analysis of the corpus of easy readers or stories published specifically for adult beginner readers in South Africa from 1990 to 2000. It is based on the assumption that texts can be used as evidence of the educational theories which underpin and inform them. The research consist of three parts: the development of analytical tools; a broad descriptive review of books published in all South Africa's official languages; a detailed content analysis of English books. The analytical tools are derived from research into children's literature, dominant conceptions of the meanings and purposes of adult literacy and research into gender and language. The corpus of books is examined in terms of literary quality, pedagogy and ideology. 120 books published in all South African languages are analysed according to various criteria relating to genre, theme, setting and design. The 38 English books in the sample are, in addition, analysed in depth in relation to plot, narrative features, character, emotions, direct speech, gender, imagery and readability. The research reveals that unlike fiction for children beginner readers, fiction for adult beginner readers in South Africa is relatively restricted in terms of genre, theme and literary quality in general. While a significant number of stories conform to conventional notions of what constitutes good fiction, many others are simply overdetermined vehicles for "development" messages - non-fiction masquerading as fiction. Despite the presence of a surprising number of humorous titles, many of the books are characterised by overtly moralising and didactic themes.The majority of the books do not substantially challenge stereotypes. The readership is generally portrayed as docile, predictable, hard-working, decent and stoical. Male characters tend to be more varied and complex and female characters conform to their stereotypical roles. Stories are mostly set in domestic, racially homogeneous domains populated by poor African people. Although there are notable exceptions to the above trends, the stories generally depict an uncontested, harmonious, homogeneous and docile world. In terms of issues relating to pedagogy the corpus reveals an overwhelming dominance of English second language books. This suggests that literacy acquisition in mother tongue African languages is not a serious endeavour in the current South African context. In terms of readability features, aside from surface similarities, there are wide discrepancies between publishers. Books are mainly written in naturally occurring language and do not appear to be written with predictability or decodability features particularly in mind. The analysis overall illustrates the complex nature of fiction for adult beginner readers which has to meet the simultaneous demands of readability and engagement. The corpus of books for adult beginner readers reflects competing conceptions of the purposes of promoting adult literacy: functionality, immediate application and relevance versus long-term development of reading through the evocation of emotion and imagination.
The role of literacy in enhancing capabilities for participation in Uganda's plan for modernism of agriculture : exploring the experiences of rural subsistence farmers in Manibe Sub-County.
(2009) Ngaka, Willy.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
This study examined the role of literacy in enhancing rural people's capabilities for participation in Uganda's Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA), an intervention aimed at improving rural livelihoods through commercialising subsistence agriculture. Using Amartya Sen's capability approach, in which poverty is conceptualised to be a capability deprivation as the conceptual frame of reference, the study aimed at exploring how literacy facilitates or inhibits rural subsistence farmers' participation levels in PMA activities in Manibe Sub-County, Arua District. Using data collected from 54 research participants analysed interpretively, the study revealed that the majority of PMA activities demand a high degree of interaction with written materials, mostly in English, which created an unconducive atmosphere for the unschooled in the target group, thereby forcing them to depend on literacy mediators. It further revealed that there were more women than men participating in parish level activities which greatly decreased in favour of men at sub-county levels and above. It also found that farmers' groups were treated uniformly which negatively affects some of them in terms of access to resources and options. It further revealed that lack of supporting resources, stringent conditions for accessing Enterprise Development Funds, and difficulties in meeting farmers' co-funding requirements, were creating serious obstacles in undertaking group activities, hence making many potential participants avoid PMA activities. The main thesis in the study is that transforming rural subsistence producers into small-scale commercial farmers as a rural poverty reduction strategy, without providing them with the means to expand their basic capabilities so as to move out of capability deprivation, will not by itself increase rural incomes and reduce poverty. It is argued further that engaging the rural subsistence farmers in commercial agriculture will tend to enrich the educated few who are already better resourced. Since capability deprivation, amongst others, manifests itself through widespread illiteracy, the study recommends that efforts to eradicate rural poverty should focus on expanding the capabilities of the target group through building their literacy skills and improving their access to basic resources.
A study of pictorial interpretation of health education illustrations by adults with low literacy levels.
(2014) Arbuckle, Katherine Elizabeth.; Lyster, Elda Susan.
Print materials for audiences with low levels of literacy usually include illustrations. This is particularly true of health education materials designed to raise awareness of serious diseases like the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and Tuberculosis (TB). When people cannot read well, it is often assumed illustrations will communicate information more clearly than written text. Theories of visual communication, however, suggest that visuals are ambiguous and more likely to be misinterpreted than written text, especially by under-educated viewers in environments where visuals and print materials are scarce. Moreover, the traditional guidelines on illustrating educational materials for adults with limited literacy are dated and often anecdotal. Due to South Africa’s high HIV/AIDS and TB infection rates, effective health education is important. The lack of basic literacy skills among millions of adults presents a challenge. It is important to understand the communicative potential and limitations of illustrations in health education materials in order to maximise their success. This qualitative research analyses how visual meaning is structured in illustrations from health education print materials from a semiotic perspective. A mixed method approach known as hybridised semiotics (Penn, 2000) is used, which in this case combines the semiotic analysis of the illustrations with data collected through interviews. Audience interpretations of the illustrations are contrasted with the producer’s intended meanings. 23 individual interviews were conducted with Zulu-speaking adult participants from ABET Level 1 Zulu literacy classes in two rural and two urban literacy centres in KwaZulu-Natal. The research instrument for the interviews included illustrations in different illustrating styles and with different approaches to content. The content of the illustrations included HIV/AIDS; the digestive system, safety for caregivers, and TB. The illustration styles included artistic techniques, levels of stylization, pictorial depth and background detail. The participants frequently misinterpreted the illustrations, or were able to describe the basic appearance of what was depicted without interpreting the complexities of the intended messages. Reported education levels seemed to influence participants’ abilities to interpret pictures, but not as significantly as expected. Findings suggest that rural participants were more likely to misinterpret illustrations containing symbols and unfamiliar objects, and tended to focus on describing surface details. Even though urban participants were more likely to discuss the connotations of illustrations, they often misinterpreted the intended message. Previous background knowledge and experience of the subject matter of the illustrations seemed to be the factor that enabled participants to infer the intended meanings of illustrations. This study demonstrates the use of a semiotic approach to analysing illustrations, which may help to predict and avoid sources of confusion for audiences with low literacy. It also confirms that certain guidelines remain relevant while others do not, and provides specific recommendations on how to enhance the effectiveness of visual communication in this context. Illustrations have many beneficial roles, and remain essential components of reading material for audiences with low levels of literacy. It is therefore important to understand their complexity, and the reasons why they may be misinterpreted, so that their educational potential can be maximised.
Teaching reading for meaning? : a case study of the initial teaching of reading in a mainstream South African school.
(2010) Verbeek, Devon Clare.; Lyster, Elda Susan.; Land, Sandra Jane.
This case study examines the pedagogy of early reading in one mainstream (numerical norm) South African school. Existing research shows that there is reason for grave concern in South Africa regarding the reading achievements of a large proportion of children in the Foundation Phase of schooling. The impact of poor reading achievement in the early years not only remains largely unmitigated throughout schooling, but also affects adult illiteracy rates and academic achievement in institutions of higher learning. The implications for individuals and for society as a whole are profound. However, the acquisition of reading competence in the Foundation Phase at school in South Africa is surprisingly under-researched and has tended to focus on the language of instruction (the "mother tongue debate") or on broader sociological explanations for the generally poor reading performance of South African school children who do not attend elite schools. Explanations relate to the web of widespread poverty, poor health conditions, and early childhood learning experiences at home and in ECD centres which inadequately prepare children for the demands of schooling, and lack of access to resources such as books in the home. Little of the existing literature directly addresses how pedagogies of early literacy influence the "reading crisis". This study contributes to understanding poor reading achievement by providing a rare rich description of three Grade 1 literacy classrooms in one South African township school, seeking pedagogical explanations for the continued low reading achievement of South African school children. This interpretative, qualitatively dominant, theory-seeking case study is bounded by category (the pedagogy of teaching reading), space (Grade 1 classrooms in one particular mainstream school in KwaZulu-Natal), time (2006/2007) and theme (How meaning is positioned in the teaching of reading). It captures the understandings and practices of Grade 1 teachers with respect to the initial teaching of reading through an additional language in a typically mainstream school in South Africa. The positioning of reading as a meaning-making activity and the kind of "literate subject" produced by this positioning are foci of investigation and analysis. Data are examined from the perspective of reading theory. Data were gathered from a transect walk through classrooms, extensive classroom observations, teacher interviews, participatory artefact analysis, questionnaires and children‘s drawings. Findings were that these teachers, though fully qualified, have neither coherent understandings of how literacy develops nor appropriate pedagogical knowledge to inform their practice. The dominant instructional practice in these Grade 1 classrooms is whole class recitation of lists of words and of short and mostly unconnected text with restricted meaning and function. Teachers do not consciously help learners to develop the ability to manipulate and play with sounds. Scant attention is paid to the development of concepts about print in these Grade 1 classrooms, in spite of the literacy-poor backgrounds from which most learners come. There is effectively no access to books in the classroom, visits to the school library are irregular and teachers do not read aloud regularly to learners. Learners are not significantly exposed to extended text in the first year of schooling. The almost exclusive use of phonic decoding does not develop learning strategies for word recognition and comprehension, and is inappropriate for proficient reading in English. Most importantly, teachers and learners do not approach reading or writing as a meaning making activity. In the light of international research, it is argued that these practices prevent children from coming to an early understanding of the functions of text and from developing a range of strategies for comprehension. It is argued that this lack of focus on meaning and on ways of constructing meaning in reading are factors contributing to the poor performance of learners in standardised reading tests. Explanations for these pedagogical practices involve a complex interplay of personal experience of reading, outdated initial teacher education and inadequate continuing teacher education. Recommendations are made regarding initial and continuing teacher education for Foundation Phase teachers.