Home Institution
Washington University in St. Louis
Publication Date
Spring 2023
Abstract
This qualitative research project explores how critical engagement with Black South- African authored literature empowers the voices of grade 10 and 11 students in the Cato Manor township of South Africa. Located within a Freirean educational framework, this research utilizes a critical pedagogy approach to empower student voices through representation in texts, deconstruction of a knowledge hierarchy, problem-posing pedagogy, and exposure to themes of racial pride and self-agency in selected literature. This study employs a general qualitative design paradigm consisting of engagement with 3 focus groups of 10-11 learners spanning grades 10 and 11 in Cato Manor public secondary schools. The researcher utilizes participatory observation and facilitation to implement self-created lesson plans of reading and discussing chosen texts with the learners. This data concludes that through empowering book selections and intentional culture creation, students use relatable literature to vulnerably express challenges faced in the township, critically debate philosophical themes, and experience encouragement through dialogue of texts. This research advocates for greater access to Black South African authored literature for adolescence to increase benefits seen in critical thinking, connection to peers, and self-confidence.
Disciplines
Africana Studies | African Studies | Community-Based Learning | Creative Writing | Educational Sociology | Modern Literature | Secondary Education
Recommended Citation
Fales, Sally, "An Exploratory Study into Empowering Grade 10 and 11 Learners through Critical Engagement with South African Literature: A Case Study in Cato Manor" (2023). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3632.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3632
Included in
Africana Studies Commons, African Studies Commons, Community-Based Learning Commons, Creative Writing Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Modern Literature Commons, Secondary Education Commons
Program Name
South Africa: Social and Political Transformation