Language programme evaluation for meaningful english language teaching in diverse township schools: investigating the parameters for more equitable education

Abstract

The prescribed national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is intended to address the needs of learners at public schools in South Africa on an equitable basis. However, its generic design does not accommodate the diverse learner and teacher profiles. Significant disparities exist in teacher quality, school infrastructure, resources, and the socio-economic contexts of rural, township, and urban schools. Ensuring quality education requires equitable provision of resources and effective teaching practices. Additionally, it requires access to quality English language education since English serves as the medium of instruction for content subjects in most schools and prepares learners for the world of work and higher education. Hence, this study focused on how the English First Additional Language (EFAL) component of CAPS is operationalized in quintile 1 schools located in communities with limited exposure to English.

Drawing on Lynch’s (1996) Context Adaptive Model (CAM), which provides a comprehensive multifaceted approach to evaluating language programmes, the researcher evaluated the Grade 10 EFAL school curriculum and its practical implementation through two mini case studies: one at a school in a farm setting and the other at a township art school. This focus stems from the persistent challenges faced by learners and teachers in distinct quintile 1 schools where English proficiency remains an obstacle, despite making academic progress and in some instances attaining good Grade 12 school results.

To determine the alignment of policy and practice in ensuring the effective implementation of CAPS, the researcher adopted a qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm. Data were gathered through interviews with stakeholders, classroom observations, analysis of student work and a critical appraisal of policy documents. The findings indicate a clear misalignment between the national curriculum and the English language needs of learners and teachers. The curriculum does not adequately address learners’ linguistic and literacy challenges in under-resourced quintile 1 schools. Teachers are also not equipped to implement the curriculum effectively to support language development. Secondly, the study highlights teachers’ inadequate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to work with multilingual learners. Translanguaging, which allows learners to use their home languages as a bridge to learning English, is not employed strategically in the two schools. This gap in teaching methodology contributes to the difficulties in fostering English proficiency. Thirdly, the low levels of English competency among Grade 10 learners in the two schools can largely be attributed to a restricted code caused by inadequate exposure to English for academic purposes and serious reading literacy constraints. The combination of these factors indicates a need for targeted interventions to improve English language education in these schools to operationalize the democratic ideal of equitable education.

Based on the findings above, this language programme evaluation recommends a revision of the curriculum to accommodate schools in different quintiles and to provide appropriate pedagogies for multilingual language learners. Effective evidence-based reading methodologies should be incorporated to enable reading with understanding across the curriculum. Additionally, robust professional development opportunities for teachers should be made accessible through online learning platforms, enabling them to collaborate with educational experts to increase learners' exposure to English and to implement effective EFAL teaching practices in quintile 1 schools. Furthermore, ongoing monitoring is essential to sustain momentum and ensure continued progress toward equitable English education. This can be done through regular cycles of programme evaluation employing a digitalized learning management system and database.