Exploring teachers’ experiences of teaching poetry to Grade 10 English First Additional Language learners in the Motheo district

"Teaching poetry in the English First Additional Language (EFAL) classroom has been a core aspect of the English curriculum for decades in local and international contexts. This study sought to explore teachers’ experiences of teaching poetry to Grade 10 EFAL learners. It also sought to establish what makes teachers teach poetry to EFAL learners the way they do. In order to understand the teachers’ experiences, the social constructivism and poetry teaching framework (POT) theories were used as the lens through which the current study was viewed. The study employed a qualitative approach within the interpretative paradigm. Purposive and convenience sampling methods were employed to sample two high schools in Motheo district, situated in the Free State province and three Grade 10 EFAL teachers. Classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with the teachers were used to collect data. Data collected was analysed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that teachers experience several challenges when teaching poetry to EFAL Grade 10 learners, which include among others, language barriers, shortage of poetry reading books, overcrowded classes, and the learners’ lack of interest in studying poetry. These findings highlight the need for the teachers to be trained effectively in teaching poetry to EFAL learners with varying language proficiencies and also housed in classes which are overcrowded. It is also important to workshop teachers regarding how they should teach their learners to care for books used for reading in the classroom, as this could promote sustainability for the classroom reading materials. The findings in this study will contribute knowledge by encouraging educational authorities to support teachers in addressing the said challenges so that poetry teaching to the EFAL learners and across the grades can be interesting and stimulating."