Linquistic challenges faced by assitatnt teachers of english in Limpopo province: the case of two primary schools
Abstract
This study explored the linguistic challenges, faced by Assistant Teachers of English in the classroom with specific reference to two primary schools in the Limpopo province, South Africa. The study also investigated the perceptions of English teachers and learners on the support, received from Assistant Teachers in English classrooms. The study used interviews to investigate and explore various linguistic challenges, faced by Assistant Teachers. Data was also collected using questionnaires, which were designed to compare perceptions of English teachers and learners who received support from Assistant Teachers. Data from questionnaires was analysed quantitatively, and data from interviews was analysed qualitatively. This study was prompted by the increasing number of Assistant Teachers, required in South African schools. Furthermore, several research studies found that Assistant Teachers struggle to assist learners in Mathematics, English and Science. Amongst other things, the study revealed that Assistant Teachers of English have inadequate English language competency to assist in English classrooms. Challenges in grammar, sentence structure, word formation, comprehension, and difficulty to express themselves in English contribute to Assistant Teachers’ incompetence in the English language. Although learners find the support of Assistant Teachers in the English classroom helpful for the teaching and learning process, English teachers are concerned with the quality of education, received by learners, since they are aware of the lack of English competency amongst Assistant Teachers of English. The overall findings of this study revealed that there is a need to appoint well-trained Assistant Teachers that will not only benefit teachers but be able to provide learners with the quality education they deserve. Findings from this study could contribute to improving the quality of education in primary schools.
Downloads
References
Cassim, N., Moen, M. (2020). Contribution of teaching assistants to quality education in Grade 1 classrooms. South African Journal of Education, 40 (1), 1–9. doi: https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v40n1a1719
Webster, R., Blatchford, P., Russell, A. (2012). Challenging and changing how schools use teaching assistants: findings from the Effective Deployment of Teaching Assistants project. School Leadership & Management, 33 (1), 78–96. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2012.724672
Bignold, W., Barbera, J. (2012). Teaching assistants and teacher education in England: meeting their continuing professional development needs. Professional Development in Education, 38 (3), 365–375. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2011.621967
Cassim, N. (2016). Perspectives of Grade 1 teachers on the need for teaching assistants. University of Pretoria.
Bodisch Lynch, K., Uhl, M., Reece, J., McGuire Buck, D., Gilles, D. L. (2016). Impact of a statewide early childhood curriculum enhancement initiative on community college faculty and paraprofessional students. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 37 (3), 245–259. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2016.1204575
Butt, R., Lowe, K. (2012). Teaching assistants and class teachers: differing perceptions, role confusion and the benefits of skills-based training. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16 (2), 207–219. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603111003739678
Frantz, R., Hansen, S. G., Erturk, B., Machalicek, W., Squires, J., Raulston, T. J. (2019). Play to Teach: Coaching Paraeducators to Facilitate Communication in the Preschool Classroom. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 124 (6), 497–510. doi: https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-124.6.497
Webster, R. (2014). Education in 2014: The year of the teaching assistant? The Guardian.
Wildsmith-Cromarty, R., Balfour, R. J. (2019). Language learning and teaching in South African primary schools. Language Teaching, 52 (3), 296–317. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444819000181
Lewit, E. M., Baker, L. S. (1997). Class Size. The Future of Children, 7 (3), 112–121. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/1602449
Lenyai, E. (2011). First additional language teaching in the foundation phase of schools in disadvantaged areas. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 1 (1). doi: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v1i1.76
Jacoby, J. W. (2021). Assistant Teachers in Head Start: important Drivers of a Diverse Competent and Workforce. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25 (8), 1162–1179.
Isingoma, P. (2014). Overcrowded classrooms and learners' assessment in primary schools in the Kamwenge District, Uganda. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Anyiendah, M. S. (2017). Challenges Faced by Teachers When Teaching English in Public Primary Schools in Kenya. Frontiers in Education, 2. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2017.00013
Feiman-Nemser, S., Parker, M. B. (1990). Making Subject Matter Part of the Conversation in Learning to Teach. Journal of Teacher Education, 41 (3), 32–43. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/002248719004100305
Khatri, K. K. (2020). Research Paradigm: A Philosophy of Educational Research. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 5 (5), 1435–1440. doi: https://doi.org/10.22161/ijels.55.15
Babbie, E. (2013). The practice of social research. Belmont: Wadsworth.
Wimmer, R. D., Dominick, J. R. (2014). Mass media research: A introduction. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage learning.
Gravette, F. J., Forzano, L. B. (2012). Research methos for the behavioural sciences. Belmont: Wadsworth.
Dahlia, K. R., Gregg, G. (2011). Research methods in practice: strategies for description and causation. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Smith, J. A., Flower, P., Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretive phenomenological analysis theory: Method and research. Sage.
Daniel, J., Kanwar, A., Uvalic-Trumbic, S. (2009). Breaking higher education’s iron triangle: Access, cost, and quality. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 41 (2), 30–35. doi: https://doi.org/10.3200/chng.41.2.30-35
Nichols, R. M., Lupascu, M. (2020). Undergraduate teaching assistants in Asia: A Singapore case study. International Journal of Educational Research, 104. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101647
Copyright (c) 2023 Taetso Mphokane Asnath Morethe, Tebogo Johannes Kekana, Malesela Edward Montle
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Our journal abides by the Creative Commons CC BY copyright rights and permissions for open access journals.
Authors, who are published in this journal, agree to the following conditions:
1. The authors reserve the right to authorship of the work and pass the first publication right of this work to the journal under the terms of a Creative Commons CC BY, which allows others to freely distribute the published research with the obligatory reference to the authors of the original work and the first publication of the work in this journal.
2. The authors have the right to conclude separate supplement agreements that relate to non-exclusive work distribution in the form in which it has been published by the journal (for example, to upload the work to the online storage of the journal or publish it as part of a monograph), provided that the reference to the first publication of the work in this journal is included.
