The provision of academic literacies for the enhancement of teaching and learning in a selected programme at a university in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

The general expectation is that students entering university should possess a diverse range of literacies. The reality, however, is that even with various interventions to develop essential literacies, students continue to be inadequately equipped with academic literacies (ALs) that are pivotal towards the attainment of quality teaching and learning and improved student success. This study sets out to examine the provision of ALs for the enhancement of teaching and learning in a selected programme at the Durban University of Technology. The objectives to achieve the above aim were to identify the practices followed in the provision of ALs for the enhancement of teaching and learning in a selected programme at DUT and to establish the factors influencing the provision of ALs for the enhancement of teaching and learning in a selected programme at DUT. The study was informed by Lea and Street’s (1998) theory of New Literacy Studies (NLS). The NLS theory considers ALs as more than technical reading and writing skills and rather as social practices that vary with context, culture, community, student identities and discipline. A post-positivist paradigm was adopted allowing for a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches within a survey research design. The populations targeted were lecturers and undergraduate students. A census of all the lecturers in the selected programme was conducted. For students, the first level of sampling was through probability quota sampling for the representation of the three undergraduate levels: first, second and third year. Although a Bachelor of Technology is an undergraduate qualification, for this study it was excluded. The second level of sampling was to select randomly within quotas. Academic staff were targeted through a census. The quantitative data obtained was analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data through content analysis. The findings reveal that there is consensus on the need for the provision of ALs for the enhancement of teaching and learning in the selected programme. AL teaching practices are dominated by the Study Skills Approach while the preference of all participants’ points to the NLS approach. With regard to factors that influence the provision of ALs, time was of primary importance especially time to engage with lecturers as well as individual time for practice. In addition, there was a lack of synergy and cooperation among the relevant stakeholders which hampered the provision of ALs. The study recommends a shift in focus on the provision of ALs from the study skills approach to the more nuanced delivery mode provided through the NLS approach. This could be achieved by putting more emphasis on helping students learn beyond superficial reading and writing skills to the more overt approaches of sense making within their disciplines. The implications of changing from the study skills approach to the NLS approach are that the provision of ALs which is presently largely offered by support departments has to move to discipline- based lecturers. Improved synergy and cooperation among relevant stakeholders are imperative to enhance the provision of ALs for teaching and learning.