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Vardi, Iris. "Tertiary student writing, change and feedback : a negotiation of form, content and contextual demands." University of Western Australia. Graduate School of Education, 2003. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2004.0047.
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This study aimed to examine the relationship between teacher written feedback and change in the writing of tertiary students in their final year of undergraduate study through investigating: (i) the characteristics of final year undergraduate tertiary students’ texts prior to receiving feedback; (ii) the way these characteristics change after written feedback is given; and (iii) the relationship between the changes made and the types of feedback given. The study examined student texts and teacher written feedback that arose naturally out of a third year disciplinary-based unit in which the students each submitted a text three times over the course of a semester, each time receiving feedback and a mark prior to rewriting and resubmitting. Two in-depth non-quantitative analyses were conducted: one analysing the characteristics of each of the students’ texts and how these changed over the course of the process, the other analysing the relationship between the different types of feedback and the changes that occurred in the subsequent text. The analysis of the students’ texts and their changes covered: (i) coherence; (ii) the sources used and the manner in which these were cited and referenced; (iii) academic expression and mechanics; and (iv) additional expectations and requirements of the writing task. These characteristics and their changes were related to the instructional approaches to which all the students had been exposed in their first, second and third year studies. The analysis shows that, on their own accord, the third year students were able to produce a range of generalisable characteristics reflecting the “basics” in writing and demands specific to the tertiary context that had been revealed through the instructional approaches used. The problems in the students’ texts were mainly related to (i) executing and expressing the specific requirements of the task and (ii) their reading of the social context. Most of the changes in the texts were related to the feedback given. Some of these changes directly resolved problems, however, others did not. Some changes occurred to accommodate other changes in the text and some were made to satisfy a demand of the lecturer sometimes resulting in a problem that did not present in the previous text. These findings enabled insights to be drawn on two major views of tertiary student writing: the deficit view in which the problems in student’s texts are seen to be due to a lack of “basic skills”; and the view that students’ problems arise due to the new demands of the tertiary context. The study found that the deficit view and the “new demands” view were unable to explain all the characteristics of the students’ texts and their changes. Arising out of these findings, this study proposes that the characteristics of a student’s text show the end result of how that student negotiated and integrated his/her understanding of form, content and contextual demands at the time of writing. In analysing the relationship between the different types of feedback and the changes that occurred, the feedback was categorised according to the issue that was being addressed, the manner in which it was given, and its scope. The different types of feedback were directly related to the changes that occurred in the students’ subsequent rewrites. The analysis shows that clear direct feedback on which students can act is strongly related to change where it (i) addresses characteristics that could be readily integrated into the existing text without the need to renegotiate the integration of form, content and contextual demands OR (ii) addresses characteristics and indicates to students how to negotiate the integration between form, content and contextual demands where integration in the text needs to change. In addition, the analysis shows that change is further influenced by the balance between the various individual points of feedback and the degree to which they reinforced each other. The findings from both analyses in this study show that the use of feedback that is strongly related to change can improve the writing of all students beyond what they learn through other instructional approaches to writing.
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Klassen, Johanna. "Teaching coherence in writing : rationale for a tertiary level programme /." Thesis, Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 1989. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/HKUTO/record/B38626585.
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Naidoo, Nadasen Arungasen. "Facilitating reflection in post-graduate writing practice." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/688.
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University teaching staff are employed because of their knowledge in their particular disciplines. Many do not have a qualification to teach at a higher education institution upon commencement of their academic career. In that group there are few who have the research experience required to assist at postgraduate level. This should be developed as one of the three core activities of higher education, in which they have to be involved. This study is the result of a problem that I encountered as a higher education practitioner. In keeping with my being a practitioner researcher within an action research paradigm, this report is written mainly in the first person. The study reports on how my personal theories grew over a period resulting in the need to constantly improve my own practice. These personal theories culminated in the development of an instrument (ADaM), to assess writing. ADaM was used primarily to facilitate reflection in post-graduate writing practice. In this study, there were three sets of workshops comprising 13 practical sessions each, where lecturers engaged with the process of reading, writing, computer-mediation and, to a limited extent, with the concept of mentorship. The purpose was to answer the research question: Can a writing assessment instrument be used to sensitise staff teaching post-graduates to reflect on the complex nature of producing and assessing academic writing? At two points during the 13 practical sessions, data was gathered through semistructured interviews. The data has been analysed using a form of grounded theory referred to as remodeled grounded theory. Since the analysis traversed both the quantitative and qualitative paradigms of research, it was necessary also to place the study within the third paradigm, referred to as mixed methods research. The analysis has been presented via a series of relationships generated first by open coding, then axial coding and concludes with selective coding. In addition, the comments of an independent coder were used to validate the analysis. In accordance with classic grounded theory, it was only after the analysis of the data and the emergence of a substantive theory that I referred to existing theory in the penultimate chapter as validation of my findings. The findings from the study, together with existing literature, allowed me to conclude that “Creating an awareness of writing assessment sensitises academics to their roles as HE practitioners particularly in the areas of writing and mentorship in post-graduate supervision”.
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Keane-Sexton, Maureen Bridget. "One Campus' Integration of Learning and Living in Community for Critical Thinking, Written Communication, Human Development, and Diversity: An Exploratory Study." University of Dayton / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1533219506487089.
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Cheung, Wai-fong Margaret, and 章慧芳. "A study of coherence in writing as a basis to identify teaching materials for engineering students." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31944838.
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Puhl, Les. "An evaluation of the procedures used to assess and remediate the perceived writing difficulties of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education at Edith Cowan University." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1992. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1127.
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The standards of written literacy of teacher-education students at Edith Cowan University are perceived by many staff to be inadequate. The Faculty of Education's response to this perceived inadequacy is to carry out a mandatory skills-based remedial writing programme for students whose literacy competencies are judged to be deficient, The instrument used to assess the students' literacy competencies is the English Skills Assessment test. The students' performances in the various skills which the test purports to measure, also determine the area in which they are given remedial instruction if the results of the test suggest this is necessary. However, many Faculty of Education staff are concerned that there are important conceptual, structural, and organisational inadequacies in students' writing which are not identified by the English Skills Assessment test and, therefore, are not attended to in remediation programmes based on the results generated by this test. This study was an evaluation of the remedial literacy programme conducted by the Faculty of Education at Edith Cowan University. The programme was evaluated from two perspectives (a) a theoretical perspective and (b) a practical perspective. Firstly, the study evaluated the procedures used by the Faculty of Education to diagnose and remediate writing difficulties among its first year student intake by comparing the assumptions underlying those procedures to the assumptions underlying a contemporary perspective of writing and the teaching of writing. This comparison revealed that not only were many of the procedures used by the Faculty ineffectual, but also some of the procedures used had the potential to inhibit the literacy development of its students. Secondly, the study investigated whether the English Skills Assessment test was able to identify (a) all the areas in which students experienced difficulties inwriting and (b) the students who were likely to experience the difficulties. The performances of 426 first year primary and secondary teacher education students attending the Mount Lawley Campus of the Edith Cowan University in the English Skills Assessment test were compared with their performances in a research-essay assignment, carried out as a normal part of their course work. The results of this aspect of the study reinforce the findings of an earlier study (Holbrook & Bourke, 1989) which reported that the English Skills Assessment test neither identified all the areas in which tertiary level students experience difficulty in their real writing nor the students likely to experience difficulties, This study shows that Holbrook and Bourke's findings, which related to narrative text, also applied when students wrote expository text. These results challenge the validity of the Faculty's use of the English Skills Assessment test as a means of identifying students with writing problems and show that any remedial writing programme based solely on the areas identified by the test will have a limited impact on the development of students' written literacy. In addition to the data originally sought for this study, other information came to light which showed the limitations of the way in which the Faculty conceptualises students' literacy needs. The emphasis of this programme is diagnosis and remediation. This conceptualisation has produced a literacy unit which is peripheral to the mainstream academic programme and which teaches the surface features of language in decontextualised, skills-based lessons. As a consequence, the unit: (a) is accorded marginal status by lecturers and students alike, ( b ) bears little relationship to what is happening in other units of the course, and (c) contributes little, if anything, to students' literacy development. It is clear from the findings of this study that the Faculty of Educator's remedial literacy programme contains serious flaws which cannot be rectified by attempting to modify the existing programme, The study concludes by recommending that the Faculty of Education should abandon its existing programme, along with its remedial emphasis, and institute a new programme designed to cater for the literacy needs of all its students. That is, all incoming students should be required to undertake a foundation unit which outlines the Faculty of Education's requirements and expectations of students, and teaches them the structures and processes (reading, writing, and thinking) required for successful learning in Bachelor of Arts (Education) courses.
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Sarkisian, Aram Paul. "The knowledge and skills of freshman writers." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2003. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2424.
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Zwald, Regan Lee. ""Everything in the Middle:" A Case Study of a Generation 1.5 Student's Academic Writing Process." Thesis, Connect to resource online, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/1947.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2009.Title from screen (viewed on September 30, 2009). Department of English, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Ulla M. Connor, Thomas A. Upton, M. Catherine Beck. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-62).
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Littleton, Brenda Jean. "College-level reading and writing: Considering curriculum from a postmodern perspective." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2912.
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This project presents qualitative investigations into the relation of science systems to education systems, and suggests post modern constructs as models of systemic change, with application toward reading and writing literacy for the college-level adult learning.
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Siu, Kwai Peng. "Exploring the pragmatic competence of EFL learners in the production and judgement of formal written requests." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/42561.
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Thesis (DAppLing)--Macquarie University, Division of Linguistics and Psychology, Department of Linguistics, 2008.Bibliography: p. 404-418.
Introduction -- Literature review -- Methodology -- Results -- Discussion -- Conclusion.
This study sets out to examine the pragmatic competence of Cantonese adult learners of English possessing different levels of proficiency when performing the speech act of requesting for a formal purpose in writing. Pragmatic judgment - one of the two aspects of pragmatic competence - was examined by studying the most proficient group (i.e., native Cantonese-speaking EFL teachers at university), whereas pragmatic performance - the other aspect of pragmatic competence - was examined by studying the two weaker groups (i.e., university students at two language proficient levels). Both pragmatic judgment and pragmatic performance were examined by investigating the same four dependent variables (i.e., politeness, directness, formality and amount of information). Teacher data, collected through a Pragmatic Judgment Questionnaire completed and returned by sixteen EFL teachers (eight native Cantonese speakers and eight native English speakers) and by means of individual interviews, were analyzed quantitatively for responses to twelve questions and qualitatively for responses to an additional two questions. Student data, consisting of both experimental and authentic letters and e-mails, were analyzed quantitatively. -- Main research findings suggest: *It is possible for very proficient NNSs of English, (i.e., the EFL teachers in this study), to achieve native-like pragmatic judgments in most aspects, except for their views on several pragmatic considerations (i.e., "unnaturally polite" expressions, usefulness of "negative" words, supportive moves not to be used and writing plans preferred). *As the English proficiency of L2 learners improves from Grade E to Grade A/B (as determined by the Hong Kong A-level Examinations in the subject "Use of English"), their pragmatic performance shows improvement. -- For pedagogical reasons, a qualitative analysis was conducted for Questions 1 and 2 in order to generate examples of "unnaturally polite"/ "polite" / "impolite" expressions and to provide examples of inappropriate supportive moves in relation to three writing topics.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xvii, 576 p
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Dlutu, Bongiwe Agrienette. "The impact of social network sites on written isiXhosa : a case study of a rural and an urban high school." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011826.
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The use of cellphones has increased all over the world. That invites many academics to conduct research on the usage of these devices, especially by young people, since young people join Social Network Sites (Facebook, Mxit, 2go, Whatsapp) and use a shorthand language. Most studies are related to the use of English and other languages that are recognised by computer software. There are few studies, if any, that have been done in relation to the use of African Languages on these sites. This research therefore aims to seek to explore the use of African Languages, especially isiXhosa, in assessing how technology might help in language development through the usage of SNSs that learners already use to equip them with educational material in their mother tongue. This study was conducted in two high schools, Nogemane Senior Secondary School in a disadvantaged and remote rural community with limited access to additional educational material such as magazines, newspapers, and television. The school also lacks basic study materials such as textbooks from the Education Department and they have no access to a library and laboratory. They also only have very few subjects to choose from. Nombulelo Senior Secondary School is in Grahamstown. This school has good infrastructure and learners have access to different technological devices and they can access libraries. What is common between learners in both schools is that they are all doing isiXhosa as a first language and are using SNSs to interact with each other. This study has found that learners enjoy using SNSs rather than reading the printed books. Furthermore, they enjoy and prefer interacting in isiXhosa in their conversations. Learners also use the web to post and show their creative writing, regardless of the shorthand form writing they use on the SNSs. This study has found that learners are not well equipped with basic isiXhosa skills when reaching the FET phase. They lack the understanding of standard isiXhosa idioms and proverbs. That clearly means that they are equipped in the more modern forms of literature rather than the traditional oral forms. IsiXhosa teachers also see SNSs as the better platform to engage with learners and they suggest that there must be a section in the subjects at school that teaches about cyber bullying and being safe online. This thesis also presents examples of new and contemporary forms of SNS-speak that are used by learners in both the rural and urban schools. This study is more concerned with SNSs for literacy development and to assess whether the shorthand writing has negative or positive effects in writing isiXhosa. This is done against the backdrop of a literature review which explores new literacies, computer mediated communication, social identity models as well as language policy and planning.
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Preciado, Linda Joyce. "Writing inside the caja: Constructing pasos in English composition studies." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2577.
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In this thesis, I examine the resistance, privileges, and costs of Chicana textual identity issues in an academic arena that, by design, fragments voice and dictates choice. The scarcity in research of Chicana identity through mixed-language writing in composition depicts an existing chasm between academic demographics and university sentiments. Educational institutions that neglect to investigate, engage, and participate in textual identity perpetuate accepted pensamiento. Therefore, insight to Chicana thought, culture, and educational experiences may assist and inform the teaching dominant culture, not to separate, but to conjoin information with experience for those seeking diversity.
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Case, Cynthia Katherine. "Expressive writing and academic discourse: Bridging the gap for high school second language learners." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1940.
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Peterson, Jamie Teresa. "Who says what and why it matters: an analysis of the verbal and written communication regarding classroom writing assessments." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1586794922604618.
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Shaw, Richard Murray. "Effects of teacher-written comments on the revision of descriptive essays by college freshmen." Virtual Press, 1985. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/434861.
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This study investigated interaction effects between the type and amount of teacher-written feedback, the sex of the subjects, and the degree of focus, organization, and development in two revised drafts of a 400-word description essay written by 43 college students in two sections of a freshman composition course taught by one instructor.Subjects in each section were randomly assigned to four different treatment groups to receive teacher-written comments or questions on their initial drafts and on their two revisions, each written in two 50-minute periods. Treatments were as follows: (1) Selective Comments were a terminal paragraph of specific suggestions for improving focus, organization, and development in the next draft. (2) Extensive Comments were a terminal paragraph of specific suggestions; specified errors in spelling, punctuation, agreement, and usage were noted in the margins. (3) Selective Questions about focus, organization, and development were written in the margins. (4) Extensive Questions about focus, organization, and development were written in the margins, and specified errors in spelling, punctuation, agreement, and usage were noted in the margins.Three dependent variables (focus, organization, and development) were measured on separate five-point scales by two raters. A 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 multivariate analysis of variance revealed two significant two-way interactions at the .05 level.The interaction between revision and sex showed that in response to teacher-written feedback on initial drafts, the males significantly improved their focus, organization, and development scores on the first revision, but the females improved only their focus and development scores. The interaction between revision and comment type showed that the Comment Groups improved their focus, organization, and development scores on the first revision, but the Question Groups improved only their focus and organization scores.A second revision (in response to teacher-written comments and questions and four 50-minute periods of practice in improving focus, organization, and development in sample student essays) showed no significant improvement over the first revision. There were also no significant differences between Selective Groups (no mechanical errors marked) and Extensive Groups (specified errors in spelling, punctuation, agreement, and usage noted).
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Allen, Denise Mildred. "Writing pedagogy of the news report genre across the intermediate phase in one school." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2134.
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Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.Writing pedagogy of the News Report genre across the Intermediate Phase in one school. The low levels of writing proficiency that are experienced by students is a global phenomenon and South Africa is no exception (DBE, 2008; 2013). The NEEDU Report (2012) and Hendricks (2007, 2008) argue that insufficient extended writing takes place in South African classrooms, resulting in limited textual and linguistic progression across grades. According to Hendricks (2007, 2008) and Dornbrack and Dixon (2014) little research around writing pedagogy has been carried out in South Africa, particularly on how genres or text types are taught and extended across the grades. This research examines the teaching of the News Report genre across the Intermediate Phase in one school, the discourses and positioning of literacy by the three teachers and how these are translated into practice. This study is underpinned by the notion of literacy as a social practice which Street (2003) and Prinsloo (2013) propose is not merely a technical and neutral skill but that it occurs in social practice not only through formal schooling but within a social context which has a direct bearing on it. Themes that emerge from the semi-structured interviews conducted with the three teachers include inadequate information on writing in the CAPS documents, an “overloaded” writing curriculum, a lack of pre-service/ in-service training, gaps in espoused pedagogy and the impact of teachers’ writing histories on their conceptualization of writing and espoused pedagogy. Classroom observations of writing lessons on this genre reveal the dominance of a skills discourse by two of the teachers. However, the third teacher who clearly articulated her own writing history as being “fraught and contested” illustrates evidence of a socio cultural writing pedagogy which deeply engages her students (Ivanic, 2004).
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De, Wet J. C. "Instating the study of human communication in a first-year higher education teaching programme." Journal for New Generation Sciences, Vol 9, Issue 1: Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/576.
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Published ArticleThe article revisits the concept and phenomenon of human communication to show that it deserves to be part of a first-year undergraduate core curriculum which aims to further knowledge and advance learning. Conceptual analysis and critical and rational argumentation are employed. Teaching students about what human communication really is and, concomitantly, what it entails existentially as well as adopting the appropriate spirit, stance and method for authentic intercultural communication, could go a long way in equipping them to be critical thinkers, competent citizens, and compassionate human beings in the worlds in which they live.
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DeRemer, Mary. "Students' use of semantic structure in revising their writing." Thesis, McGill University, 1989. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61994.
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Perry, Jeffrey W. "Institutional Cunning: Writing Assessment as Social Reproduction." [Kent, Ohio] : Kent State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=kent1227738168.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2008.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Dec. 14, 2009) Advisor: Brian Huot. Keywords: writing, assessment, literacy, standardized, testing, social reproduction, critical theory. Includes bibliographical references (p. 174-182)
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Stockseth, Jennifer Leonore. "THE EFFECTS OF GUIDED PROMPTS ON THE WRITTEN RECALLS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS (COMPREHENSION, READING/WRITING RELATIONSHIPS)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/183811.
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The purpose of this study was examine the effects of guided recall prompts on the written recalls of community college students. Data were presented relative to the following areas: (1) statistical analysis of frequency of idea units; (2) statistical analysis of frequency as well as proportion of idea units categorized as literal; inferential, text-relevant supplementary, and text-irrelevant supplementary; (3) statistical analysis of frequency as well as proportion of idea supplementary units categorized as relating to character, theme, reader reaction, or none; (4) statistical analysis of holistic scores for quality of recall; (5) statistical analysis of correlation of holistic scores to frequency scores. Descriptive data relative to categorization of supplementary idea units relating to character, theme, reader reaction, or none were also reported. Subjects were students enrolled in developmental reading courses at Pima Community College who demonstrated a reading ability of at least ninth grade level on the Nelson Denny Reading Test. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four recall prompts: (1) guided recall prompt which called attention to character, (2) guided recall prompt which called attention to theme, (3) guided recall prompt which called attention to reader reaction, or (4) free recall prompt. Findings indicated that guided recall prompts had effects on the written recalls and that those effects were specific to the respective prompt. Additionally, the responses of readers provided with the guided recall prompts were qualitatively better than those provided with the free recall prompt. A comparison of the frequency scores to the holistic scores seemed to indicate that the holistic score does reflect some aspects of comprehension--specifically literal and inferential recall; however, data also seemed to indicate that the holistic score measures something beyond those things measured by the frequency data
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Jenkins, Michele Lynn. "Embodied knowing and effective communication in the development of a choreography curriculum." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2656.
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Develops a choreography course curriculum to be implemented and evaluated for inclusion in the Chaffey College (a community college in San Bernardino County, California) dance program. Identifies and evaluates four core developmental areas of a well-designed choreography class: (1) communicative skill development through dance composition; (2) group problem-solving creative work; (3) integration of other arts with dance; and, (4) critical evaluation skills.
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Cheung, Wai-fong Margaret. "A study of coherence in writing as a basis to identify teaching materials for engineering students." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B19883638.
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Zhan, Ying, and 詹颖. "Washback and possible selves: Chinese non-English-major undergraduates' English learning experiences." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B43943779.
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Randolph, Gerda Ann Packard. "Building written language: A program for second language literacy in English." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2000. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1866.
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Wehrlin, Sonia E. "Teaching Interpersonal Communication Skills in Athletic Training Professional Education: A Mixed Methods Study." University of Findlay / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=findlay1532450364663942.
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Elson, Jillian Margaret. "A process-genre approach to teaching argumentative writing to grade nine learners." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003597.
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This action research study aimed to improve teaching and learning of argumentative writing through a process-genre approach. Learners were carefully guided through the processes of writing the argumentative genre, with the focus being on teaching of the genre and on the structural conventions of writing arguments. Participants were a class of grade nine learners who speak English as a first language. They were chosen for this study as Grade Nine is a crucial year for writing development before learners enter the senior phase and are met with heightened expectations in the curriculum, that often they struggle to meet, as their writing has not been sufficiently developed to an academic level. The focus of writing in Grade Nine is on narrative and prose, so this writing intervention, in which a teaching module was developed in collaboration with the 1eamers, aimed to broaden their writing skills and provide them with a head start in leaming the fine art of argumentation, as this is a useful skill to acquire for purposes even beyond the classroom. Genre theorists advocate the importance of teaching genres to leamers at a young age, as it allows them access into different communities of discourse, as they become aware and understand the conventions held by a patiicular community, and realize the purpose of different styles of writing for effectively communicating, which prepares them to meet the expectations of their audience. Teaching the structures of different genres therefore allows the writer, and the audience, a framework for understanding the text. The process approach has been widely used by educators as it focuses on explicit teaching of writing processes that are fundamental to leamers' development in writing. Learners need to be carefully guided from the initial stages, to the more complex stages (especially in argumentative writing which has been deemed the most complex genre for learners to master) in order to understand the complexities of constructing an essay in a cohesive way, as they need to consider multiple aspects of writing, such as the linguistic features, rhetorical features and structural features of the genre and unify them into a sound argument. This takes time, practice and revision, and extensive feedback is required. The process-genre approach proved to be successful in this study, as leamers showed remarkable improvements in their writing from the initial stages of writing to the final drafts of their essays. The findings revealed that explicit teaching of genres and structural elements of writing is vital for ensuring learners' development. Learners require modelling of the genre, scaffolding and careful guidance through step-by-step processes in order to build confidence and express their ideas effectively in written text. The findings indicate the relevance of using the process-genre approach for teaching and learning and that teaching and learning writing is indeed a process that needs more time and practice that is cUiTently allocated in the curriculum.
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McOsker, Megan. "Student Understanding of Error and Variability in Primary Science Communication." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2009. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/McOskerM2009.pdf.
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Paxton, Moragh Isobel Jane. "Case studies of tutors' responses to student writing and the way in which students interpret these." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003311.
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This thesis examines tutor feedback on student essays to ascertain the extent to which these responses assist in teaching the academic and specific disciplinary conventions and to determine what is effective feedback and what is not. The investigation constituted an evaluation of a small sample of essays and the framework for this evaluation was developed from a study of current theories of literacy and language teaching. It was further informed by data gathered from interviews with students and tutors and questionnaires completed by them. This was done in order to establish how students interpret and react to feedback and to demonstrate the level of understanding between tutors and students in this mode of communication. The conclusion was that tutor feedback can provide a valuable method for teaching the discourse of the discipline. However, results of the study revealed that communication often breaks down because tutors and students do not share a common language for talking about academic discourse and because students may not have understood the requirements of the task. In addition, the study found that responses to a small group of essays in the lowest mark category and written by second language students, were very inadequate. As the researcher, I concluded that graduate tutors were not well equipped for the task of dealing with these weaker essays. I have made suggestions for future research in this area and I believe that the data from this case study will provide valuable ideas for training tutors for responding to student essays.
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James, Edwin A. H. "The saliency of existing text as a barrier to revision in the redrafting of college students' written compositions." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26844.
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The text already produced by student writers can act as a barrier to revision because the existing textual material can become so salient as to prevent writers from generating alternative text. This study investigated the effects of applying a revision heuristic designed to promote successful revision by alleviating the influence exerted by students' initial formulations of text.
Inexperienced college writers were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions and asked to produce three drafts of a two-part expository composition. The experimental group composed their second drafts without access to any material produced at the draft one stage but then received back this material at the third draft stage. The control group redrafted normally, having access at all times to previous draft material.
Results showed that students in the experimental group produced significantly longer and better quality final drafts with significantly higher self-evaluation scores than students in the control group produced. The mean number of idea units that were retained, removed, or added by students in either group was significantly different at both the second and third draft stages. Each part of the assignment was affected differently. Significant interactions among condition, grade point average and writing apprehension were not evident. These findings indicated that this three-stage redrafting heuristic may be a valuable technique for encouraging successful revision of students' early drafts. Further research,
particularly regarding how a text communicates information, would be beneficial to our understanding of the role played by existing text in students' compositions.Education, Faculty of
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Finini, Nomondo Sinah Soslinah. "Ukufundisa nokufunda ulwimi ngendlela yejenra." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50212.
Full textAbstract:
Examines genre approach with reference to its use to teach Xhosa to learners.Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the genre approach with reference to its use to teach Xhosa to learners. Genres or text types are produced by learners through writing texts. Different genres are distinguished, such as social, cultural and also political texts. This study firstly considers definitions of genre by different researchers. Swales (1990) views genre as a set of communicative events whereas Medway (1994) views genre by its common communicative purposes. Kaplan (1996) defines genre as discourse type that has identifiable properties and purposes. Kalantzis (1996) argues that the genre-approach to literacy represents fundamentally new educational approach. The study reviews register, which results from the situation of the speaker and the writer respect to three aspects, namely field, mode and tenor. Littlefair defines the notion of systems of genre as the interrelated genres that interact with each other. These authors consider rhetorical devices in genre, like explanation, narration, persuasion and exposition. This study demonstrates that in constructing the Xhosa text, the level and status of the reader is considered by the writer. The writer chooses different lexical items when constructing the text for readers to understand. If the writer and the reader share the same background knowledge reader it is easy for the reader to interpret the phrases used. The study will demonstrate how the writer constructs the text in terms of the sentential and textual structures. The five community-related Bona articles are examined, illustrate the theoretical assumptions. The ethnography of writing addresses the question who writes what to whom for what purpose why and how. Finally, this study explores the curriculum 2005 outcomes for learning language.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die genre-benadering met betrekking tot die gebruik daarvan om Xhosa aan leerders te onderrig. Genres of tekstipes word geproduseer deur die skryf van tekste deur leerders. Verskillende genres kan onderskei word, bv. genres wat vir sosiale of politieke doeleindes geskryf word. Die studie beskou eerstens definisies van die term genre deur verskillende navorsers. Swales (1990) beskou genre as 'n stel kommunikatiewe gebeurtenisse terwyl Medway (1994) genre definieer in terme van die algemene kommunikatiewe doelstellings daarvan. Kaplan (1996) definieer genre as 'n diskoerstipe wat identifiseerbare eienskappe en doelstellings het. Kalantzis (1996) argumenteer dat die genre benadering tot geletterdheid 'n fundamenteel-verskillende opvoedkundige benadering tot geletterdheid verteenwoordig. Die studie verwys na die konsep van register, wat voortspruit uit die situasie van die spreker en skrywer met betrekking tot drie aspekte, naamlik veld, tenor en modus. Littlefair (1991) definieer die begrip van sisteme van genre as die verbandhoudende genres wat met mekaar in interaksie is. Hierdie outeurs beskou retoriese meganismes in genre, byvoorbeeld verduideliking, narratief, oorreding en eksposisie. Hierdie studie demonstreer dat in die konstruksie van Xhosa tekste, die vlak en status van die leser in ag geneem word deur die skrywer. Die skrywer kies bepaalde leksikale items in die konstruksie van die teks wat lesers kan verstaan. Indien die skrywer en die leser dieselfde agtergrondkennis deel, is dit makliker vir die leser om die teks te interpreteer. Die studie salook demonstreer hoe die skrywer die teks saamstel in terme van tekstuele en sinsstrukture. Die vyf gemeenskaps-verwante BONA artikels wat in die studie ontleed word, illustreer die teoretiese aannames van die genre-benadering. Die etnografie van skryf spreek die vraag aan van: wie skryf wat aan wie, vir watter doel, hoekom en hoe. Laastens ondersoek die studie die beginsels en riglyne van skryfvaardigheid soos uiteengesit in Kurrikulum 2005.
ISICAPHULO: Esi sifundo sophando sijongana nendlela yejenra esetyenziswayo ukufundisa ulwimi kubafundi. Ijenra iveliswa ngokuthetha okanye ukubhala. Injenra ezohlukeneyo ziya setyenziswa ezinjengezentlalo, ezenkcubeko kwakunje nezopholitiko. Esi sifundo sicingela inkcazo ngejenra yababhali abaninzi. uSwales 91990) ubona injera njengeseti yezehlo zoqhagamshelwano xa vena u Medway (1994) ebona ijenra ngeenjongo zoqhagamshelwano. Kaplan (1996) uthetha ngejenra njengohlobo Iwentetho Iwezinto ezikhethekayo. Kalantzis (1996) uxoxa athi uhlobo Iwejenra kufundo lumele uhlobo olusiseko Iwemfundo entsha. uLittlefair (1991) chaza umnabo wolwimi njengento engekhoyo ezinokuthi iititshala ziyive kuphondo lolwimi. Umnabo wolwimi uvela kwimeko yesithethi nonobhala enezinto ezintathu ezi zezi ifilidi, imowudi ne thena. uLittlefair (1991) uchaza uluvo Iwesisistim Iwejenra njengeejenra ezithungeleneyo nezithi zisebenzisane enye kwenye. Ababhali bacinga ngezinto zobuciko ezinjengochazo, ukubalisa, ukucenga nokubhenca. uLittlefair (1991) ujolisa kwiintlobo zejenra zeencwadi ezinjengezenkqubo, iincwadi zolwazi. Xa umbumba isicatshulwa inqanaba nezinga lomlesi uyalicingela umbhali. Umbhali uthi akhethe isigama esohlukileyo xa ebumba isicatshulwa sabalesi ukuze basiqonde. Ukuba umbhali nomlesi bakwizinga elinye lovimba wolwazi kuiuia ukuba umlesi akwazi ukutolika amabinzana amagama asetyenzisiweyo. Igrama Vivo enika intsingiselo kwisicatshulwa. Umbhali ubumba isicatshulwa esekele kwisakhivo sesivakalisi nesakhiwo sesicatshulwa. Imiba ezalaniswa noluntu iyaxoxwa, ixukushwa kusetyenziswa inqqikelelo yengcingane. Ubhalo ngenkcazo yenzululwazi ngcentlanga liphendula umbuzo othi, ngubani obhala, ntoni isiya kubani? Nganjongo zini, kutheni njani? Ukuphetha esi sifundo sijongana neziphumo zokufunda kwikharityhulam 2005.
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Dumville, Stuart Lloyd. "An investigation into the alignment of illustration in higher education practices and the visual communications industry." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2282.
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Thesis (MTech (Graphic Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012.University graduates entering the graphic design, advertising and publishing industries do so with the hand and digital illustration knowledge and skills that they acquired during their time of study. As a result of the ever-changing developments in technology, the parameters of hand-generated illustration within the visual communications industry have increasingly progressed toward digitally generated artwork. This thesis investigates the alignment or nonalignment between illustration teaching and learning practices in higher education and professional practice in the visual communications industry, with a view to identifying the gaps, and their causes, in the knowledge and skills of graduates entering the workplace. The study uses the lens of Activity Theory (Enqestrorn, 1987) to investigate practices in higher education and industry sites. Both the higher education and workplace investigation was guided by the research questions: 1) What comprises an activity system in the training of illustrators in higher education? 2) What comprises an activity system in professional illustrators' practice? and 3) How can the higher education and professional activity systems be aligned for their mutual benefit? The comparative study uses both quantitative questionnaire data and qualitative data derived from interviews conducted in both higher education and workplace sites, including the analysis of samples of illustration at both sites. The research reveals areas where there is both alignment and non-alignment and recommendations are made with a view to ensuring that illustration programmes in higher education are aligned as closely as possible to the needs of the workplace. The contribution made by this research is both theoretical and practical. The theoretical knowledge framework that has been developed outlines academics' and practitioners' of illustration theorising of current trends in both hand and digital illustration curricula in higher education and current trends and needs of digital and hand illustration in the visual communication industry. In broad terms, there is alignment with regard to technical skills and the tools used across both sites, while there is non-alignment with regard to knowledge of and preparation for the workplace and self employment, for example, time management, interpersonal skills and the acceptance of critique. The practical contribution is in the form of recommendations to curricula, which when applied should better prepare graduates with the practical and skills required of illustrators in the unpredictable, demanding world of work, which they encounter on leaving their academic institutions.
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Huckeba, Kristyn L. "Confronting Convergence: Are Higher Education Administrators Using a Strategic Planning Approach to Mass Communication Curriculum Convergence?" Thesis, University of North Texas, 2010. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28433/.
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Professors in mass communications departments of higher education institutions continue to search for the best way to prepare graduates for the ever-changing world of print, broadcast, and online media. Business administration theories have long been used in other areas, including education. While some application of strategic planning has been documented with regards to education, there is not much to reference in this area. The study investigated the use of strategic planning in developing a course of action for curriculum convergence in mass communication programs. The study used a purposive sample to determine if administrators are utilizing this method as a part of curriculum convergence. The results indicated a use of this method among institutions involved in curriculum convergence.
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Vongo, Mthuthuzeli Rubin. "A case study of the goals of the business communication course at Technikon Witwatersrand." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003949.
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At Technikon Witwatersrand, Business Communication is offered as a service subject, which is compulsory for a variety of diplomas and the majority of students are obligated to do the course. Its broad intention is to assist students in developing their proficiency in English, enabling them to cope with studying at Technikon and preparing them for the workplace. Despite the fact that the course is designed to assist them, many students question why they have to do the course and whether it is simply a repetition of high school work. The study attempts to examine the implicit and explicit goals of Business Communication, to explore the process through which the goals have been developed and changed over the years (i.e. how the goals have been constructed), and to elicit and compare the perspectives of the different stakeholder groups as to the goals. Both a qualitative and a quantitative approach are used in the research design. Interviews with four fulltime lecturers were conducted and a self-designed questionnaire was administered to students. These were the main means of data collection. The data reveals that the goals of Business Communication are implied rather than explicit. Despite this, students and lecturers see the course as important. Recommendations are made to help the Department of Business Communication to reflect on their practice with particular emphasis given to material development and the application of OBE principles.
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Bawa, Nirmal K. "An evaluation of a communication course offered as part of an elementary teacher training program." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28949.
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The purpose of this study was to determine if elementary student teachers applied the training received in a communication course on a thirteen week practicum, and if so, what specifically was applied or transferred. The practicum took place a year after the communication course; this study was undertaken nineteen months after the completion of the communication course. The participants had obtained a bachelor's degree prior to enrolling for a two year teacher training program. The critical incident technique and a structured questioning technique were used respectively in an intensive interviewing process. The findings reveal that the transference occurred in terms of attitude, knowledge, and skills from the experience of the communication course to the practical experience of the thirteen week practicum. These factors were helpful in creating a focussed and motivating presentational style, verbally and nonverbally, and in reducing stress and conflict in interactions with students, parents and
collegues. Student teachers were adamant in stating that the success of their learning was due to the positive atmosphere of the communication course, the caring, enthusiastic and motivating nature of the instructors, and the bonding which occurred between the participants as a result of this caring. These factors provided the basic human needs of affection and community.Education, Faculty of
Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of
Graduate
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Lloyd, Elme M. "Improving listening skills in a tertiary learning environment." Thesis, Cape Technikon, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2141.
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Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Technikon, 1998.Adequate listening skills as an indispensable communication skill positively affect the learning process. Adequate listening skills are essential to lecturers' teaching and students' learning performance at technikons in the Western Cape. The standard of training/education in listening skills of lecturers teaching English at technikons in the Western Cape has raised concern, as it is considered a vital skill in the learning process. A questionnaire completed by lecturers teaching English at these technikons suggests a lack of adequate listening skills when assisting students in the learning process. As points of departure, information was collected on how lecturers can enhance appreciative and creative listening; what teaching strategies the lecturer can use to encourage students to listen constructively; whether workshops are conducted to improve listening skills; whether training is available for this purpose at certain technikons; and whether the use of audio-visual material in a listening programme will assist in more effective student listening. This information was then processed in terms of the aims formulated for this study.
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Harran, Marcelle. "A survey of the writing approaches followed by ESL teachers in Port Elizabeth secondary schools where Afrikaans is the first language." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003674.
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In this study an attempt is made to describe and illuminate the current approaches to ESL writing in secondary schools in the Port Elizabeth-Despatch areas where Afrikaans is the first language of the pupils. Teacher and pupil Questionnaires were used as a means of data collection through which the approaches, practices and attitudes to the teaching of ESL writing in the secondary schools in the survey area could be reviewed and assessed. The teacher Questionnaire revealed that most respondents appeared to have a limited awareness or understanding of basic composing processes, especially the role of multiple drafting and teacher intervention in the form of interactive feedback. There is also evidence that there is a limited understanding of how these activities can be effectively implemented in a classroom situation. The pupil Questionnaire was used as a means to extend the understanding of teacher approaches to ESL writing as revealed in the teacher Questionnaire, to enable comparisons to be made and to evaluate the writing approaches currently practised in the ESL classroom. Many of the observations revealed in the teacher Questionnaire were echoed in the analysis of the pupil Questionnaire, especially the limited roles of planning and feedback, treatment of error, attitude to writing and the limited improvement in writing as pupils progress through the secondary school. The analysis also revealed that pupils were reluctant to expose, or share their work with audiences, were pre-occupied with error and viewed the teacher as grade-giver, grammarian and topic-provider. Topic selection was also revealed as a factor which influenced the pupils' negative or indifferent attitudes to writing. Although the process approach was considered a traditional approach to writing by 1986, the analysis and review of the Questionnaire data has revealed that a fair assessment of the state of ESL writing in the survey schools would place the current writing approaches in the traditional product- centred, form-dominated, teacher-centred mould. For this position to change, research pedagogy will need to become part of teacher training and the classroom so that there can be greater teacher awareness and understanding of composing processes and their implementation in the classroom. This is necessary, because research findings have revealed that a genuine orientation to a process approach and the application of composing stategies followed by good writers will result in improved writing progress and pupils having a more positive attitude to writing.
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Garrett, Sandra E. Renfro. "A Survey of Young Writers' Conferences in School Districts in the State of Texas." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278096/.
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This study describes young writers' conferences in school districts in the state of Texas. The study proposed: (a) to describe the characteristics of young writers' conferences; (b) to determine how young writers' conferences were created and implemented; (c) to identify the purpose of writing conferences; (d) to identify the population served; (e) to describe the unique contribution of conferences; (e) to determine the perceived value of conferences to school district personnel. A 26 item survey was developed and distributed to 133 Texas school districts. One hundred percent of the districts responded to the survey or telephone interview Data was collected from the ten districts that provided young writers' conferences for young writers during the 1994-95 school year. Eighty percent of the school administrators surveyed rated their program as very beneficial for young writers. Twenty percent rated their program at the second highest rating, or beneficial. All of the districts reported that as a result of the workshop, writing has become more important in the districts. In addition, the majority of the districts reported that parents are more aware of the importance of writing and that teacher attitudes toward writing have improved as a result of participation in the workshop Districts also reported that students have a more positive attitude toward writing and are more interested in writing after having attended the workshop. It can be concluded from the study that students in grades nine through twelve were largely undeserved by the districts in the sample. Therefore, the researcher suggests that districts serve this population in future conferences. The researcher also recommends that a democratic process be established that would maximize the number of participants attending young writers' conferences in each district. Information obtained from the study can inform educational policy makers, educators, parents and citizens about young writers' conferences and can also serve as a resource for conference planners and participants as similar programs for young writers are created, implemented and evaluated.
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Ganca, Zanodumo Victor. "A genre-based approach to the analysis of sports celebrity texts in Xhosa." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52641.
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Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the nature of writing instruction which can improve the writing skills of learners as it also takes into account the learners needs. The main aim is to apply the genrebased approach to written texts in Xhosa. This framework for instruction will help learners to be ready for the work place after they have left school. They will acquire the necessary writing skills, which are needed in the work place today. The genre-based use oflanguage will enable them to use written language in different situations and they should be able to write meaningful texts, which will take the reader into consideration, as required by Curriculum 2005. The approaches to teaching communicative writing skills are discussed in relation to both the critical outcomes and the specific outcomes for the learning field Language, Literacy and Communication as specified in the Curriculum 2005 (1997). The framework presented by Grabe and Kaplan (1996) is also presented in relation to the specific outcomes that need to be achieved in the Languages, Literacy and communication-learning field. Six BONA Magazine articles on sport celebrities have been analysed according to the model of text-construction within the framework proposed by Grabe and Kaplan (1996). It is concluded that these types of analytic skills are required in an effective approach to the teaching of writing to accomplish the outcomes of Curriculum 2005.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die aard van skryfonderrig wat die skryfvaardigheid van leerders kan verbeter en ook die leerders se behoeftes in ag neem. Die hoofdoelstelling van die studie is om die genre-gebaseerde benadering toe te pas in die analise van geskrewe tekste in Xhosa. Hierdie raamwerk vir onderrig sal leerders help om gereed te wees vir die kommunikatiewe eise van die werkplek nadat hulle die skool verlaat het. Hulle kan, deur die genre-benadering tot skryfonderrig, die vereiste skryfvaardighede ontwikkel wat in die werkplek benodig word. Die genre-gebaseerde gebruik van skriftelike taal kan leerders in staat stelom taal aan te wend in In verskeidenheid situasies, en hulle behoort in staat te wees om betekenisvolle tekste te skryf wat die leser in berekening neem, soos vereis deur Kurrikulum 2005. Die benaderings tot die onderrig van kommunikatiewe skryfvaardigheid word bespreek met betrekking tot sowel kritieke uitkomste as spesifieke uitkomste vir die leerveld Taal, Geletterdheid en Kommunikasie, soos gespesifiseer in Kurrikulum 2005 (1997 weergawe). Die raamwerk van Grabe en Kaplan (1996) word ook behandel met betrekking tot die spesifieke uitkomste in wat bereik moet word in die leerveld Tale, Geletterdheid en Kommunikasie. Ses BONA tydskrifartikels wat handeloor sportpersoonlikhede word ontleed volgens die genre-gebaseerde benadering binne die raamwerk van Grabe en Kaplan se model vir tekskonstruksie en etnografie vir skriftelike tekste. Daar word bevind dat die onderrig van hierdie soort analitiese vaardighede nodig is vir In doeltreffende benadering tot skryfonderrig vir die bereik van die uitkomste van Kurrikulum 2005.
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Wang, Dongxia. "Ritual as communication in academic organizations : a case analysis of a Chinese institution." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2006. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/705.
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Bhebhe, Lindelihle. "Multicultural narratives in graphic design teaching and learning for diverse audiences at a university of technology." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2804.
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Thesis (MTech (Graphic Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.This research is an investigation into how Graphic Design, a visual communication subject is taught and learnt at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in light of the dynamics that cultural semiotics present. There is a need to equip students with the cultural awareness to design communication that is sensitive to the varying needs of their consuming audiences. By its very nature, visual communication is vulnerable to an unintended array of misinterpretations because of the audiences’ differing semiotic backgrounds. The pedagogic duty of academy is to equip communication students in this case Graphic Design students with adequate tools to facilitate the understanding of their audiences, the communicative purpose of their designs is compromised. Vygotsky’s (1978) learning theory is therefore applied to examine the role of culture in the teaching and learning of culturally diverse students. Concepts from JoAnn Phillion’s (2002) Narrative Multiculturalism are also used to understand how the narratives collected from the respondent students, lecturers and an industry expert in this study offered guidelines for the effective teaching of Graphic Design. To investigate the teaching and learning of Graphic Design holistically the research employed a mini-ethnographic case study method. Data for this research were obtained through participant observations, semi-structured informal interviews of participants narratives and document analysis. The findings point to a lack of a cohesive and coordinated approach to teaching and learning, which in turn reflects a lack of sensitivity to cultural diversity in the Graphic Design department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. This is evidenced in the unreformed curriculum and a culturally unbalanced staff complement. Industry’s lethargic participation also seems to have done nothing to ensure the standardisation of the curriculum to align with industry demands nor guide the career paths of students. As a result, the gap in these areas may leave some historically vulnerable students feeling excluded and despondent about both their academic and career prospects.
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Wyrley-Birch, Bridget Diana. "Professional communication practices of radiotherapists in the workplace and classroom in higher education in the Western Cape, South Africa." Thesis, [S.l. : s.n.], 2008. http://dk.cput.ac.za/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=td_cput.
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Garraway, James Windsor. "Perceptions of language teaching in science from student and teacher discourse." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003576.
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The research was concerned with perceptions of language and physics in three strata of participants in a writing across the curriculum teaching course at an intermediate college. The participants were: a language teacher, two physics teachers and a class of twenty physics students - the students were studying in order to enter the Engineering Faculty at the University of Cape Town. The predominant understanding of the teachers was that of a limited interpenetration between the discourse of physics and language teaching. Physics teachers thought that language teachers would experience difficulties with both the concepts and language of physics. In actual practice however, students and the language teacher managed physics knowledge with some degree of success in the language classroom. Some students understood writing as helping them to understand physics. However, the dominant understanding of language was that of knowing the appropriate language of physics for their teachers. An appropriate language understanding was seen as potentially problematic in that it could encourage an unquestioning or monodimensional approach to physics knowledge. As a way around this problem, it was suggested that language teachers teach students to recognise and to use particular genres within science, and to develop their voice within these constraints.
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McKenzie, Donald John. "An investigation of the effects which using the word processor has on the writing of standard six pupils." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003531.
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In order to discover to what extent the use of the word processor affects the motivation of high school students when engaged in writing tasks, and to determine the effects of the word processing on the length and quality of their work and editing, two groups, carefully matched in terms of prior computer experience, intelligence and language ability were given eight writing tasks. The test group used word processors while the control group used pen and paper. Their behaviour was closely observed and their writing was subsequently compared. It was found that while the test group were more motivated and spent longer both writing and editing their work, the quality of the work of both groups was similar. The degree of editing was greater for the test group. The conclusion is that there is a place for the use of the word processor in the English classroom, but specific strategies need to be developed to optimise its benefits.
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Julius, Lukas Homateni. "Teaching writing to Grade 5 English language learners in two Grahamstown East schools, South Africa : a case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011989.
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The majority of learners in South Africa are not native speakers of English, yet English is the dominant language of learning and teaching (LoLT). South African teachers, therefore, have the challenge of ensuring that their learners' literacy skills in English are adequately developed so as to facilitate learning in other curricular areas. This study investigated the way in which two Grade 5 teachers employed at different primary schools in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa taught writing to their English first additional language (EFAL) learners. English is the LoLT at both schools. A qualitative interpretive approach was used to identify factors that shape the ways these teachers handle the teaching of writing. The theoretical framework was informed by Borg's model of teacher cognition (2003) Shulman's conception of teacher knowledge (1987). Data collection methods consisted of interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. In-depth interviews, comprising two semi-structured interviews, two post-lesson informal conversational interviews and one stimulated recall interview were conducted with each teacher. Five of each teacher's writing lessons were observed and audio and video recorded. Samples of learners' written work were also collected. Analysis of the data reveals that the two teachers' beliefs, their experiences as learners themselves and subsequently as teachers, impacted on their pedagogy, as did other contextual factors (including the support they received from subject advisors, time management, and the number and range of learners in their classrooms). It was found that both teachers focused primarily on ensuring that their learners completed their written work so that it could be marked and graded in response to demands from their superiors, rather than on engaging deeply with the processes of writing (brainstorming, drafting, revising etc). Not only does this run counter to the writing pedagogy recommended in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), but it also denies learners the scaffolding needed to help them develop the self-regulation skills needed to become independent writers. These findings demonstrate the need for assisting teachers to shift away from focusing only on learners' performance (testing and grading) towards a stronger emphasis on the process of writing. This would require that teachers develop a deeper understanding of the process/genre approaches to teaching writing advocated by CAPS.
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Nestel, Debra. "Communication skills for medical students, doctors and dentists : a programme evaluation /." Thesis, Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B19657468.
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Sakurauchi, Yoko Hwang. "Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Sensitivity: A Cross-Cultural Examination of American Domestic Students and Japanese Exchange Students." PDXScholar, 2014. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1643.
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Global student mobility has become a dynamic force in American higher education. Integrating international students into diverse campus environments provides domestic as well as foreign students with enriched learning opportunities. However, a diverse campus climate itself will not make college students interculturally competent. Intentional curricular design is critical for overcoming issues such as resistance and reinforcement of stereotypes, but the research literature is extremely limited on effective pedagogical strategies for cultivating college students' intercultural sensitivity.
This paper explicates a research study to investigate college students' development of intercultural sensitivity through an intentional course design utilizing Kolb's (1984) learning styles cycle and Hammer's (2009) Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to explore domestic and international students' intercultural learning experiences and to potentially identify pedagogical approaches that facilitate students' intercultural competence. These findings show that the four pedagogical strategies associated with Kolb's learning cycle were effective and crucial when designing an intercultural course in order to develop college students' intercultural competence. This study also revealed a gap in intercultural development through the intentional intercultural course between American students and Japanese exchange students due to their vastly different intercultural experiences.
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Klepadlo, Joseph Stanley. "Zora Neale Hurston's Their eyes were watching God: A stylistic analysis and its application to the teaching of writing." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1990. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/529.
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Kirsten, Monica. "Multilingual/multicultural aspects of visual literacy and interpretation in multimodal educational communication." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2004. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
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The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of visual images in print texts produced for language teaching and learning. It tested the manner in which learners from different cultural contexts relate to selected visual images in language textbooks prepared for use in secondary schools. More specifically it aimed to gain clarity on how certain visual elements, relevant to the illustration of people, contribute to encouraging students to access their learning material. The research aimed to gain insight into the way in which visuals can be bridges or barriers to reading and thus also to learning in learner-centred language education in a multilingual/multicultural South African context.
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Roberts, Steven Fredolph. "The Mediation of U.S. American Culture in the ESL Classroom." PDXScholar, 1994. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4786.
Full textAbstract:
The concept of cultural mediation is one that all ESL teachers must deal with as an inherent part of their employment. Yet, relatively little of the current literature has examined how teachers actually perceive this aspect of their work once they have left the teacher preparation program behind. This question provided the main rationale for the present study. The current study, an adaptation of DeFoe (1986), examined the mediation of U.S. American culture in the ESL classroom by means of a written survey of 42 teachers from ten community colleges, both in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area and from around the state of Oregon. The four research questions of the present study sought to find a relationship between four independent variables--the kind of ESL that is taught, overseas exposure, cultural self-characterization, and explicit instruction in intercultural communication theory and practice--and how ESL teachers perceive their roles as each of these concern the four dependent variables of the study: being an example, explaining U.S. American culture, teaching interculturally, and listening and helping as a friend. A non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis analysis of the data revealed that none of the research questions achieved statistical significance. However, some of the findings did suggest several interesting relationships. The variable of cultural self-characterization did approach significance in relation to the dependent variable of explaining American culture. This, in connection with some of the findings for the respondent demographic data, appeared to indicate for this group of teachers that cultural self-perception may have exercised an influence on their explain of American culture. Second, intercultural communication theory and practice exposure seemed more of an aid to the respondents of this study in teaching about culture specific issues, as opposed to teaching about culture general issues. This would appear to raise a question as to how easily the theory and practice learned in the intercultural communication classroom translates to the ESL context.
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WILDE, SANDRA JEAN. "AN ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION IN SELECTED THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE CHILDREN (ORTHOGRAPHY, PAPAGO, O'ODHAM)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/183876.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores various aspects of the spelling and punctuation development of six Tohono O'odham (Papago) children during their third and fourth grade years. The data used, which was collected in a prior study, consisted of 215 texts (13,793 words) written in natural classroom settings as part of the teacher's ongoing writing curriculum. Field notes decribing what the subjects did as they wrote, as well as written interviews, supplemented the texts themselves. A number of specific features were examined to explore the subjects' use of various level of linguistic information about spelling. Those features included: initial letters, vowel phonemes, consonant digraphs, the letters C and G, consonant gemination, bound morphemes, and homophones. Spellings involving permutation (changes in letter order) and the letters E and Y as final markers, as well as those spellings which were real words, were also examined. Finally, differences between spellers, the subjects' use of punctuation and capitalization, and orthography in the classroom context were analyzed. A number of conclusions were drawn from the analysis. The subjects spelled most words conventionally. The more frequently a word appeared in the subjects' writing, the more likely it was to be spelled conventionally. Selected orthographic features varied widely in how conventionally they were spelled, with those which were less predictable or more abstract tending to be more difficult. Almost every spelling feature examined showed growth from third to fourth grade. The invented spellings of particular features tended to reflect understandable, logical processes. Invented spellings which were either real words or permutations of the intended word were common. There were differences between children not only in how conventionally they spelled but in the types of invented spellings they produced. Punctuation was more difficult than spelling for the subjects, and its use varied greatly between subjects. Capitalization was comparable to spelling in how conventionally it was used. Children used a variety of linguistic information and spelling strategies as they wrote. There was evidence that punctuation usage was driven (at least in some cases) by conscious hypotheses about how it works. Children's metalinguistic knowledge about orthography may or may not parallel their use of it.