Abstract
The study proposed to find out how literacies were practiced at grassroots, in order to enhance post-literacy (PL) training. The study applied the New Literacy Studies (NLS) conceptual framework through ethnographic case study in selected communities to find out who participated in literacy activities, when they participated and the types of materials they used. The methods of data collection used included direct and participant observation, documentaries, face-to-face interviews, dialogue and group discussions. The data collected generated themes, one of which was information communication and technology (ICT). The data was analysed following LeCompt’s (2000) approach. The findings were presented in three case studies of ‘Tum’s story in stonemasonry, piggery, and community councils’ literacy practices. The cell phone use is common in literacy practices, which need enhancing. Thus, PL training should be an extension of existing literacy practices.
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Abbreviations
- Literacy:
-
is understood as social practices and not the 3 Rs, representing reading, writing and numeracy. Literacy refers to daily activities that need enhancing through improving IEMS’ approach to literacy, as opposed to the autonomous model of literacy, that emphasises specific skills. It refers to the social uses of reading and writing. These are multi-literacies meant for different purposes and valued in different ways.
- Post-literacy:
-
involves the use of ICT in materials development for use in community development activities, supported by facilitators within the domains of literacy. It involves a notion of lifelong learning that uses the principle of adult education, namely, that adults learn from their daily activities, in which their acquired skills are applied immediately. Post-literacy is an extension of existing activities, rather than something that is imposed from above.
- Information Communicationand Technology:
-
refers to the gadgets in the form of cell phones used to communicate in the three case studies, by members of the selected community groups. Cell phones are the most common channels of communication, among the young and old people. ICT is used in the stonemasonry, piggery and community councils’ activities.
- Literacy practices:
-
are the everyday uses and meanings or rationales that people give for the way they undertake actions or events. Maddox (2005:124) describes it as “how people value literacy and use it”. Literacy practices differ according to different domains of literacy or different specific places, and according to different literacy events taking place. The literacy practice is the process of using literacy skills in daily activities.
- Literacy events:
-
take place within different domains and are actual activities or occasions in which literacy has a role. Heath (1983, 93) explains literacy event as written text involved in a social interaction. In an editorial in a special issue of Language and Education, Tusting 2012: 99) analysed that studies are yard sticks. Tusting argues that learning arises from everyday activities and that it is most effective when it addresses immediate needs.
- Social practices :
-
are the existing practices or activities people engage in at community level that need enhancing through PL training. They are based on the social practices approach to literacy, which emerged through evolution of the NLS movement. The approach is based on ‘the social practice theory of literacy’. The theory regards literacy as social practice. Hence, literacy practices are embedded in social practices, based on everyday activities in different contexts. The social practice theory of literacy points to the multi-literacies that need to be enhanced through PL training. The theory emphasises starting where learners are in order to develop relevant curriculum for PL programmes. Recent studies indicate how literacy should be regarded. Parr and Campbell (2012: 562) assert that, according to the NLS movement, literacy is concerned with social practices and relationships, knowledge, language and culture and that they differ according to places. The use of the social practices approach to literacy is recommended for literacy researchers, so that they can find out about the many literacies that exist in different contexts.
- Home domain:
-
constitutes any activity taking place in the family compound. Home domain may be subdivided into private or individual, and family work activities, which are for the purpose of personal and family benefit. An example of an activity in a family domain is provided by Mpoyiya and Prinsloo (1996: 184–186). They describe a South African township family member named Nowowo, who works in Khayelitsha. Nowowo uses sewing patterns, takes clients’ measurements and records details, in addition to household literacy practices, such as shopping and financial transactions. Her children look after family cattle and goats, counting them to identify whether animals are missing.
- Community domain:
-
constitutes any activity taking place in a social setting, in public, church or in the shops. These activities affect the lives of community members social, economic, political or developmental, for the purpose of communal benefit. For example, Malan (1996b: 145-149) says, “at the funeral service in the home, friends and neighbours said their condolences using oral or verbal communication; at the church the minister used oral or verbal communication and reading the Bible and narrating religious stories and at the graveside, the choir took over through singing, flower offerings and reading scriptures”.
- Life-Long Learning :
-
refers to a continuum of learning, which begins at birth and lasts until death. It continues throughout life within people’s activities, in their different settings or contexts. In other words, it takes place at home, in family life, in working life and in social and civic life. Torres (2003: 36-37) regards lifelong learning to be organised for the 21stcentury. Torres explains that emphasis is on learning than on education. In other words 'learning' and 'lifelong learning' replace 'education' and 'lifelong education', respectfully.
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Mofana-Semoko, M., Preece, J. (2021). Learner-Driven Education: The Use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in Social and Literacy Practices. In: Eilu, E., Baguma, R., Pettersson, J.S., Bhutkar, G.D. (eds) Digital Literacy and Socio-Cultural Acceptance of ICT in Developing Countries. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61089-0_11
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