Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Literacy hour'

This dissertation reports on an outcome evaluation of The Shine Centre's literacy intervention, Literacy Hour. The Shine Centre is a South African non-governmental organisation that offers literacy support to Grade 2 and 3 learners at risk of reading failure. The programme takes the form of one-to-one or one-to-two tutoring. The learners who are chosen to participate in the Literacy Hour programme are selected based on their results in Shine's diagnostic assessment completed at the end of Grade 1. The selected students work with trained volunteers twice a week for an hour at a time. Each hour of the Literacy Hour programme is divided into four 15-minute components, namely: (a) paired reading, (b) shared reading, (c) have-a-go writing, and (d) wordplay. The evaluation design was a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent group design. The assignment into the experimental/intervention group and the control group was done by means of a sharp regression-discontinuity cut-off. The sample included six Centres and two Chapters in the Western Cape with complete data for the 2011 to 2013 cohort. Learner results were monitored using various assessment tools at the end of Grade 1 and during Grades 2 and 3. The two Shine diagnostic assessments, D1 and D2, tested the learners' literacy skills against the level that they should have acquired by that point in their school career. Additionally, the reading level assessments were used to determine the learners' actual reading level/age.

In the context of an increasing awareness of improving the standards of English in Malaysia, this study explores Year 1 literacy practices in English and offers important insights into the three major innovations introduced in 2002: the English Hour, Big Books and CD-ROMs. The findings are examined in the context of the Ministry's desire to promote active engagement and high quality interaction. Two studies were conducted using a naturalistic approach. In 2003,50 questionnaires were distributed to primary school teachers: 5 classes and 9 teachers in 2 primary and 3 pre-schools were observed teaching English, Bahasa Malaysia and Arabic/Jawi. These teachers were also interviewed. In 2004,2 trainers and 10 teachers were interviewed, 48 lessons of English, Mathematics and Science in English by the 10 teachers were observed, but the study focuses on the literacy practices in 26 lessons by 4 English teachers in four schools. Interviews and role plays with 28 children from these four classes in 7 groups of 4 inform the accounts and discussion of reading and writing events and practices. The 2004 study suggests that the Ministry of Education's directives to English classes to integrate the use of the English Hour, Big Books and CD-ROMs have only been partially implemented in the classroom. The Ministry's hopes to provide more active engagement and to increase students' interests and motivation through the Big Books and the CD-ROMs were achieved, but the expectations of high quality interaction were not realised. Methods need to be developed to accommodate teachers' beliefs about the value of drilling, repetition and choral reading with the Ministry's desire to extend these interaction patterns and practices. The present study contributes to existing research on the implementation of the English Hour, Big Books and CD-ROMs in Year 1 English classrooms, specifically from the perspective of Year 1 English classes in non-English speaking contexts. It also provides greater understanding of issues to be addressed in future teacher education developments.

This study examines the illustrations that appear at the Office of the Dead in English Books of Hours, and seeks to understand how text and image work together in this thriving culture of commemoration to say something about how the English understood and thought about death in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Office of the Dead would have been one of the most familiar liturgical rituals in the medieval period, and was recited almost without ceasing at family funerals, gild commemorations, yearly minds, and chantry chapel services. The Placebo and Dirige were texts that many people knew through this constant exposure, and would have been more widely known than other 'death' texts such as the Ars Moriendi. The images that are found in these books reflect wider trends in the piety and devotional practice of the time. The first half of the study discusses the images that appear in these horae, and the relationship between the text and image is explored. The funeral or vigil scene, as the most commonly occurring, is discussed with reference to contemporary funeral practices, and ways of reading a Book of Hours. Other iconographic themes that appear in the Office of the Dead, such as the Roman de Renart, the Pety Job, the Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead, the story of Lazarus, and the life of Job, are also discussed. The second part of the thesis investigates the musical elaborations of the Office of the Dead as found in English prayer books. The Office of the Dead had a close relationship with music, which is demonstrated through an examination of the popularity of musical funerals and obits, as well as in the occurrence of musical notation for the Office in a book often used by the musically illiterate. The development of the Office of the Dead in conjunction with the development of the Books of Hours is also considered, and places the traditions and ideas that were part of the funeral process in medieval England in a larger historical context.

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This study presents the analysis from the production of Ler a Jato primer and the Literacy audio-phonographic method in 15 hours, written by the teacher Gilda de Freitas Tomatis, at 1960 decade, in Rio Grande do Sul. The period of this study considered the 1967 year, when it was edited the first primer sample of Ler a Jato until 1986, was the last date found during this research. For the data analysis it was done a crossing of the documents with the oral sources. Related to the oral sources, it was considered the semi structured interview with the teacher Gilda de Freitas Tomatis‟ daughter in Porto Alegre city, in October of 2010. Related to the documents were considered: photos, books, primers, vinyl discos, certificates, medals, a view from Researches Center and Educational Advising from Education and Culture Bureau of 1968, all them including a detailed evaluation about the Ler a Jato primer. Some of these documents were donated by the teacher Gilda Tomatis‟ daughter, along with other documents acquired at tallow and websites. About the theoretical-methodological option, this study was based on the epistemological model of evidentiary paradigm proposed by Ginzburg (2007), used as a research device to notice and to analyze the relevant elements in the documents. This way, these study results intend to contribute with the other searches in the Literacy History and Textbooks areas, showing important aspect regarding the production and the textbooks circulation which were done by the teacher Gilda de Freitas Tomatis through her Tomatis-Textbooks Publisher, based on the communications circuit proposed by Darnton (1995). Furthermore, this study still presents a comparative analysis between the Ler a Jato primer and the Primeiro Guia de Leitura LER from MEC, material used in Brazil since the late 1940s. The analysis from these primers displayed similarities between both of them, specially related to graphic aspects, for example, distribution and similarities between some images, page organization, lessons and the use of some key-words, among other things.
O trabalho apresenta a análise da produção da cartilha Ler a Jato e do Método Audiofonográfico de alfabetização em 15 horas, produzido pela professora Gilda de Freitas Tomatis, na década de 1960, no Rio Grande do Sul. A periodização deste estudo considerou o ano de 1967, ocasião em que foi editado o primeiro exemplar da cartilha Ler a Jato até o ano de 1986, data da última edição encontrada durante a realização da pesquisa. Para a análise dos dados, fez-se o cruzamento dos documentos com as fontes orais. Em relação às fontes orais, considerou-se a entrevista semiestruturada realizada com a filha da professora Gilda de Freitas Tomatis em Porto Alegre/RS em outubro de 2010. Em relação aos documentos foram considerados: fotos, livros, cartilhas, discos de vinil, certificados, medalhas, um parecer emitido pelo Centro de Pesquisas e Orientação Educacionais da Secretaria de Educação e Cultura de 1968, contendo uma avaliação detalhada sobre a cartilha Ler a Jato . Alguns desses documentos foram doados pela filha da professora Gilda Tomatis, aliados a outros documentos que adquiri junto a sebos e sites virtuais. O presente estudo, no que concerne à opção teórico-metodológica, baseou-se no modelo epistemológico do paradigma indiciário proposto por Ginzburg (2007), utilizado como dispositivo de pesquisa para perceber e analisar os elementos relevantes contidos nos documentos. Assim, os resultados deste estudo pretendem contribuir com as demais pesquisas na área da História da Alfabetização e dos Livros Escolares, revelando aspectos importantes da produção e a circulação dos materiais didáticos que foram produzidos pela professora Gilda de Freitas Tomatis, através de sua Editora Tomatis - Livros Didáticos, com base no circuito das comunicações proposto por Darnton (1995). Além disso, este trabalho ainda apresenta um estudo comparativo entre a cartilha Ler a Jato e o Primeiro Guia de Leitura LER do MEC, material de circulação no Brasil desde o final da década de 1940. A análise destas duas cartilhas evidenciaram semelhanças entre ambas, especialmente no que se refere aos aspectos gráficos, como, por exemplo, disposição e a semelhança entre algumas imagens, organização das páginas, das lições e o uso de algumas palavras-chave, dentre outros aspectos.

North-West University in South Africa is committed to expanding use of learning technologies for contact and distance education students by augmenting the existing NWU teaching and learning policy with an e-learning policy. The School of Continuing Teacher Education at North-West University is currently training about 24 000 in-service teacher students through Open Distance Learning. Only a few students submit assignments in typed format and seldom electronically. Students rarely use electronic technologies to augment their learning, and the SCTE employs few to support students. This does not comply with the South African Government’s policy on e-Education that demands information and communication technology mastery in teacher training. The aim of this research was integration of learning technologies in open distance learning at SCTE NWU through recommendations compiled in a sociologically transformative emergent implementation framework. The researcher followed a concurrent mixed-method sociologically transformative approach, focussing on the use of technology for social empowerment to cross the digital divide, through a theoretical lens of ICT for development. The lived experience in the natural setting of distance education students, lecturers, and involved stakeholders was used as initial data collection, informed by a continuous literature study of emergent learning technology use. Purposeful sampling was used during participant selection. The role of the researcher was that of participant observer, interviewer, and human instrument, from a position of methodological pragmatism as a method of inquiry. Using a design-based research approach, the thesis addresses the main research question through five research papers; each addressing one of the sub-questions as design-based research cycles, while collectively addressing the research problem to address the main research question. Nonstandardised measuring instruments were developed based on themes identified from literature and the analysis of qualitative data. Significant barriers to population-wide ICT adoption exist. Strong intentions of perseverance in attaining functional computer literacy are evident. Support and enablement are required to promote trust to attempt using computers, necessary to obtain self-confidence through accomplishment. In this way perseverance to attain functional computer literacy may be cultivated. The study presents a model for intention to use, confidence, trust and perseverance in attaining computer literacy competence with statistically significant standardised regression weights. In terms of affective responses of students during computer literacy training, a twodimensional model for computer literacy learning emotions is presented. Perceptions during professional development produced a model for faculty development towards socially transformative learning technology integration for open distance learning. The researcher also presents a people-technology interaction in teaching and learning model in the fifth paper. A distinction is made between reactionary interventions and pre-emptive unobtrusive seamless support, based on requirements identified through bottom-up feedback listening to latent requests of participants. Technology-enhanced learning integration should be legitimised through visible commitment from the university as institution. Lecturer training, innovative planning of time issues, acquisition of appropriate infrastructure, buying in from the institution and IT support services, and support of teacher-students are all essential for evolvement towards an e-mature organisation for the delivery of ODL to vast numbers of newly industrialised context clients.
Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Keywords: regional literature, legends, autobiographical prose literature, fiction, short stories, novellas, literary creation, aesthetics of nature Abstract: The subject of this thesis is a life and writing of the Gustav Leutelt, one of the lesser known German writing authors of Bohemia from the turn of the 20th century. Special attention is paid on describing the Jizera Mountains that play a pivotal role in his creation. The first chapter formulates the subject matter and establishes the goals of the thesis. The second chapter takes a brief look at the Leutelt's life and his writing. The third chapter covers introduction of specific works from three main areas of his art, which were fictional prose, legends and natural works. The final chapter summarizes the results and insights of the thesis.

This thesis examines William Blake’s conceptions of time and space in the light of the philosophies of Hinduism and Islam. In order to perform this analysis, source material, often from rare and neglected texts, is utilized to examine Blake’s possible unorthodox influences. The analysis of influences takes a three-pronged track: literary, symbolic, and linguistic; Blake’s possible knowledge of Orientalist translations; the symbols in his poetry, prose, and paintings are analyzed; and his potential knowledge of major Orientalist languages is also examined. Once this has been examined in sufficient depth, an excavation of Blake’s views on time and space is then undertaken. This analysis of Blake’s philosophical perspectives utilizes a comparative phenomenological approach in order to show their similarity to the perspectives of the Hindu Vedanta and Ismaili Islam. Throughout this analysis, I aim to demonstrate both that Blake’s views on space are inherently mystical (space as limitless and unbound by the physical universe), and that his view on time, having a similarity to that of the Platonists, views Eternity as the one true reality.

Text in Afrikaans
Hoewel die retorika bykans 26 eeue oud is, word die relevansie daarvan vir ons eie tyd toenemend besef - as 'n sleutel tot die wyse waarop mense dinkargumenteer en oorreed. Hierdie studie ondersoek retoriese (oorredende) strategiee in Afrikaanse historiese romantekste, binne 'n historiese konteks en teen die agtergrond van eietydse historiografiese insigte. Die aspekte van die kommunikasiesituasie wat saamhang met die retorika, word verbind met die vernuwende denke daaroor binne die hedendaagse literatuurteorie en historiografie. Die konteks van die outeur en roman word telkens bestudeer, gevolg deur 'n retoriese analise. Aristoteles se idees oor die retorika kry hierby voorrang, vanwee sy nadruk op die inventio of vinding, maar die retorika word eerder geassosieer met 'n dinamiese metode as met rigiede kategorisering. Aandag word veral bestee aan retoriese strategies in S.J. du Toit se Di koningin fan Skeba (1898) en Andre P. Brink se Houd-den-bek (1982), maar ook aan resente historiese romans wat hedendaagse historiografiese en retoriese opvattinge en konvensies ontgin en problematiseer. Beide S.J. du Toit, wat kennelik 'n goeie kennis van die antieke retorika gehad het en Andre P. Brink, met sy romanonderwerp wat aansluit by die geregtelike rede, betree die retoriese terrain op sodanige wyse dat hul romans tipiese produkte van hul eie tyd genoem kan word. Beide die geskiedskrywing en die historiese roman is gemedieerde weergawes, gekenmerk deur 'n subjektiewe seleksie (inventio) van gegewens en die kombinasie daarvan binne eie verbale strukture (dispositio). Dit kan in verband gebring word met nie-tegniese oorredingsmiddele, waar die sender sy informasie van buite kry. Hy gebruik dan sogenaamde empiries-verifieerbare feite as retoriese strategie ten einde 'n waarheids- en I of werklikheidsillusie te skep wat bydra tot die roman se oorredingsskrag. Die keuse vir die skryf van 'n historiese roman, impliseer reeds ook 'n keuse vir die bakens van die geskiedskrywing, maar 'n skeppende skrywer is, anders as 'n historikus, eties vry om nie-tegniese bewysmiddele te transformeer tot tegniese bewysmiddele, in aanpassing by 'n nuutgeskepte argumentatio en 'n eie causa. Na aanleiding van die tekste kom die ontvanger op sy beurt tot 'n eie seleksie en skep sy eie kousale en argumentatiewe strukture
While rhetoric has been part of the history of mankind for nearly 26 centuries, it is increasingly regarded as extremely relevant for our time - as a key to the way in which people think, argue and persuade. This study investigates rhetorical (persuasive) strategies in Afrikaans historical novels. The novels and their authors are first situated in their historical contexts and against the background of contemporary historiographical inquiry, and then analyzed by means of rhetorical concepts. Aspects of communication, which coincide with rhetorical categories, are combined with recent developments in the field of literary theory and historiography. Aristotle's views on persuasion and rhetoric are used as point of departure, but rhetoric is regarded as a dynamic method rather than a rigid categorization. Attention is given to rhetorical strategies in the novel Di konlngin fan Skeba [The queen of Sheba] by S.J. du Toit (1898) and Andre P. Brink's Houd-denbek [translated into English by the author as A chain of voices], but also to recent Afrikaans historical novels which exploit contemporary historiographical and rhetorical conventions. In S.J. du Toit's novel (which illustrates his knowledge of ancient rhetoric) as well as Andre P. Brink's (where the topic can be linked to litigation) rhetorical strategies are employed in such a manner that their texts can be regarded as products of their historical contexts. Both historiography and historical novels are mediated representations, characterized by a subjective selection (inventio) of data and its combination in verbal structures (dispositio). This can be related to 'extrinsic' or 'inartificial' proofs, which are not contrived by the author. The author exploits the so-called empirically verifiable facts as rhetorical strategies to create an illusion of truth or verisimilitude, which greatly contributes to the persuasiveness of the novel. The decision to write a historical novel implies a choice to keep to the historical 'facts', but the writer, in contrast to the historiographer, is ethically free to transform the inartificial proofs into artificial proofs, in combination with his own invented argumentatio and causa. Prompted by these texts the reader, in his turn, makes his own selection and creates his own causal and argumentative structures
Afrikaans & Theory of Literature
D. Litt. et Phil. (Afrikaans)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English
In hierdie navorsingsverslag word die representasie van die reg en die verskynsel van die verhoor as romangegewe in enkele tekste van André P. Brink ondersoek. Die studie vind plaas binne die interdissiplinêre konteks van die reg en die letterkunde. Die studie: (i) fokus op die rol wat die reg in die literêre teks vervul; (ii) ondersoek uitbeeldings van die verhoor soos wat dit in Brink se romankuns aangetref word; en (iii) ondersoek die fiksionalisering van historiese en dokumentêre regsbronne met spesifieke verwysing na sekere eksemplariese Brink-­‐romans.
In this research report, representations of the law and of the trial, as embedded in certain novels by André P. Brink, are explored. The study is structured within the interdisciplinary field of law and literature. This study: (i) focuses on the role of law within the literary text; (ii) explores the legal delineation of a trial in novels by Brink; and (iii) explores the fictionalisation of historic and documentary judicatory resources with specific reference to exemplary texts by Brink.
Afrikaans & Theory of Literature
M.A. (Afrikaans)