The Pedagogical Role of Language in Science Teaching and Learning in South Africa: A Review of Research 1990–2015

Abstract

One of the objectives of the South African science curriculum is to provide equal access to science for students from all backgrounds. However, this goal remains elusive as many students, particularly those from low socio-economic backgrounds continue to perform poorly in science. One of the reasons for the persistent differential achievement in science is language. Yet, the latest review of research in science education in South Africa conducted in 2009 identified only five papers focusing on language in science in the key journals reviewed. This paper presents a review of literature on language in science, with specific focus on research on the pedagogical functions of language in South African science classrooms in the past three decades. We extended the scope of the review by looking beyond the key journals considered in the 2009 review to include any other journal publications on language in science. Analysis of the research itself suggests that earlier studies focused on ways to resolve a perceived language crisis in ESLs classrooms. There is a shift in focus with more recent research exploring the mobilisation of the linguistic resources of the classroom for learner conceptual engagement. We discuss these emerging trends.

Content Subject Teachers’ Views of Implementing the English Across the Curriculum (EAC) Approach: A Study of Some South African High Schools

“…To date, very few studies in South Africa have explored the way in which content teachers implement EAC. Current studies in EAC in the South African context have focused mainly on science and mathematics teaching, such as Msimanga et al (2017), Msimanga and Erduran (2018), and Setati (2001). There is, however, an expanse of research output that focuses on mother tongue instruction (Heugh, 2009;Mathole, 2016) and translanguaging practices (Makalela, 2015;Probyn, 2019), which although related to EAC do not emphasise this approach.…”

“…The implementation of the EAC approach in South Africa, whether in initial teacher education preparation or in classroom practice, is an approach that is unfamiliar to most teachers (Uys et al, 2007). In addition to this instructional demand, there is limited research to anchor the practice of teaching and learning content subjects in South Africa (Msimanga et al, 2017). A summary of the reviewed studies acknowledges that teachers support the EAC approach although they struggle with the pedagogical knowledge required for effectively infusing language skills into content learning.…”

“…A summary of the reviewed studies acknowledges that teachers support the EAC approach although they struggle with the pedagogical knowledge required for effectively infusing language skills into content learning. From 1990 to 2015, Msimanga et al (2017) found only six studies that focused on language development and teaching in South Africa -an indication that there has not been much focus on how content and language are integrated in the classroom. To address this knowledge gap, this study reports on content teachers' views on implementing the EAC approach at the classroom level.…”

Research into human cognition, attitudes, and beliefs requires a social sciences approach

“…More importantly, experienced biology lecturers could have identified factors more likely to contribute to student's choice of what to study, so these could be investigated, for example, the impact of admired family members, teachers, or mentors, who made biology seem exciting or were in biologyrelated careers. Language-related issues also play a critical role for students learning science through a medium of instruction that is not their mother tongue [6][7] .…”

Det flerspråkiga NO-klassrummet : En studie om translanguaging som läranderesurs i ett NO-klassrum

“…Enligt García och Wei (2014) gynnas flerspråkiga elevers lärande av att få använda hela sin språkliga repertoar i ett ämnesinriktat perspektiv. Ett antal studier över hela världen pekar på att den naturvetenskapliga undervisningen behöver utvecklas på så sätt att den anpassas till alla elever oavsett deras färdigheter i undervisningsspråket Msimanga, Denley & Gumede, 2017;Skolforskningsinstitutet, 2018). Enligt alla dessa studier är detta en utmaning, men också en viktig förutsättning för att alla elever ska få tillgång till det naturvetenskapliga ämnesinnehållet och på så sätt ges möjlighet att vidareutveckla och fördjupa sina kunskaper.…”