Situating Some Aspects of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in South African Higher Education Within Southern Theories

Abstract

This paper discusses aspects of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in South African higher education (HE) and locates it within what it calls Southern theories. Three examples of such theories that the paper advances are Southern decolonial theory, decoloniality, and transversality, which it frames from the Global South standpoint. Concerning the first theory, the paper argues that SoTL, both as a notion and as a practice, needs to be problematized, critiqued, and contextualized according to the Global South HE settings in which it is applied. One of its key points in this regard is that SoTL has to question and critique the dominant epistemic practices and scholarly practices underpinning the curricula of Global South higher education institutions (HEIs), and through which students are framed in these HEIs. With reference to both decoloniality and transversality, the paper foregrounds components of SoTL that are aligned to these two approaches in a way that dismantles their hierarchical relations. Most importantly, it contends that transversality is capable of decentering Western truth claims in favor of polycentric epistemologies, frameworks, and methodologies that resonate with and that have applicability to the Global South.

The Geopolitics of Knowledge Production in Applied English Language Studies: Transknowledging and a Two-Eyed Critical Southern Decoloniality

“…In a different but related context, Motha (2020) points out that there are multiple modalities in which AL has operated as a convenient conduit for colonialism and White supremacy or Whiteness as its disciplinary roots are implanted in racial hierarchies and racial ideologies that often conceal racial hegemony. One way in which it does so, she argues, is by aspiring for innocuous language practices, race-neutrality, and objective analytical tools (also see Almeida, 2015;Chaka, 2021aChaka, , 2023Chaka et al, 2022;Lo, 2020;Von Esch et al, 2020).…”

“…Critical Southern decoloniality or CSD, builds on the decolonial work of scholars such as wa Thiong'o (1986), Tuhiwai Smith (1999, Mignolo (2007), Nakata (2007), Kumaravadivelu (2016) Severo and Makoni (2021). Most importantly, it builds on Chaka's own work (see Chaka, 2020;2021a, 2021bChaka, 2022), and on his work with his colleagues (see Chaka et al, 2022;. In this context, CSD adds Southernism or Southern perspectives, and criticality and self-criticality to decoloniality (see Chaka, 2021a;.…”

Relocating English Studies and SoTL in the Global South: Towards Decolonizing English and Critiquing the Coloniality of Language

“…In line with one of the focal points of this special issue, which is a Global South SoTL that seeks to interrogate, critique, and problematize aspects of SoTL from critical southern paradigms, and as argued in one of the papers of this special issue (Chaka et al, 2022), the coloniality of language, especially of the English language, ought to occupy pride of place in SoTL debates. This is more so as in the Global South HEIs such as those in South Africa, English is the dominant language of learning and teaching (LoLT) even though it is hardly a mother tongue of the majority of students enrolled in these HEIs (Cele, 2021;Docrat et al, 2019;cf.…”

“…That is, it is still grounded on and informed by Boyer's (1990) classical views. As argued in one of the papers of this special issue(Chaka et al, 2022), Boyer's four variants of scholarship, of which SoTL is an offshoot, is inherently North-American-centric in its outlook. This is moreso as it was meant for American (United States)Journal of Contemporary Issues inEducation, 2022, 17(2), pp.…”

The racial hierarchisation of the isiXhosa language in South Africa

“…This means that, though there are several isiXhosa academics; racial and colonial tendencies are predominant. For example, there is a continued notion that post-graduate research proposals ought to be written in the English language owing to the fact that the Higher Degrees Committee (HDC) and the Research Ethics Committee (REC) are also comprised of White academics who cannot speak and/or understand the language (Chaka et al, 2023). Again, this proves the validity that the isiXhosa language is centered around White people and other races that cannot speak the language -isiXhosain that rsearch activities ought to be constructed in their languages.…”