Towards sustainable learning environments: deconstructing discourse of social justice in the english home language class room
Loading...
Date
2012
Authors
Govender, Rodelle
Muthukrishna, Nithi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State
Abstract
Internationally there have been calls for the creation of sustainable learning environments. Education is seen as a key tool for building a sustainable community and society. A key issue in these debates is that the school curriculum should involve learners in a critical engagement on issues of social justice, human rights and social change by transforming attitudes and behaviours. This article presents a study that explored how discourses of social justice are created and generated in a classroom, and how they influence a teacher’s practices. The study involved one teacher at an urban secondary school in KwaZulu-Natal. Data generation tools used were interviews and lesson observation. Data analysis entailed the use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Three discourses of social justice embedded in the teacher’s assumptions and pedagogical practices emerged from the analysis: the discourse of academic excellence; the discourse of inclusivity and diversity; and the discourse of critical thinking. The study highlighted the need for further research into ways of supporting teachers in adopting a social justice approach to teaching and in creating empowering learning environments.
Description
Keywords
Social justice, Education -- South Africa, Curriculum change --South Africa
Citation
Governder, Rodelle., & Muthukrishna, Nithi. (2012) Towards sustainable learning environments deconstructing discourse of social justice in the english home language classroom. Communitas, 17, 21-44.