Transect walks as a critical community mapping tool to develop student teachers’ intercultural awareness

ABSTRACT

Student teachers in South Africa need to realise that although their classrooms are multilingual and multicultural, English remains the dominant language. Preparing student teachers for diverse classrooms require a pedagogical approach that will enable them to be agents of social change. This view supports transformative ideals in teacher education which seek to prepare student teachers to be able to embrace critical pedagogy. We argue for the incorporation of transect walks as a community mapping tool to support transformative teacher preparation. We argue, to develop students' intercultural awareness, their school-based learning curriculum should introduce them to the pedagogy of transect walks.

Omnye wemibuzo ekufuneka abafundi abaqeqeshelwa ubufundisintsapho eMzantsi Afrika, bequbisene nawo ngulowo wokuqonda ukuba nangona amagumbi okufundela enabantwana abathetha iilwimi ezahlukeneyo bekwasuka kwiinkcubeko ezahlukeneyo, isiNgesi sisatshotsha entla njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa. Kungoko kufuneka abafundisi-ntsapho abasaqeqeshwayo bexhotyisiwe ngenzululwazi yokufundisa ukuze babe nako ukumelana nale yantlukwano yeelwimi neenkcubeko ze bakukhuthalele ukuba ngabemi abaphembelela utshintsho ekuhlalisaneni kwabantu kunye. Olu luvo luxhasa iinguqulelo zeengcinga ezifezekilyo zokuxhonkxa abafundisintsapho kwizifundo zabo ukuze babe nako ukwamkela i-filosofi neendlela zokufundisa, iinzululwazi ezisesikweni kwanenzululwazi yokufundisa engundoqo. Kweli phepha, sixoxa ngokubandakanywa nezahlulo zomsebenzi ezinokulawuleka zibe sisixhobo sokwakha nokucwangcisa uluntu, sikwabonisana nangendlela inkqubo yokufundisa abafudisi-ntsapho enokuthi ngayo ixhase iinguqulelo zokubaxhonkxa. Sikwaxoxa ngokuba, ukuze sibe nako ukuphuhlisa abafundi ekuqapheleni iinkcubeko ezahlukileyo nenkqubo yokufunda esesikolweni, kufuneka baziswe ngezahlulo zomsebenzi kwinzululwazi yokufundisa. Ezi zahlulo zomsebenzi zakha amathuba okuba abafundisi-ntsapho abaseluqeqeshweni babonise umdla, banxibelelane nabantu bendawo leyo bakuyo ukuze babonisane ngemicimbi ebalulekileyo ephathelele ekufundiseni nasekufundeni.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical pedagogy
• intercultural awareness
• multiculturalism
• multilingualism
• teacher education
• transect walks

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Deidre Geduld

Deidre Geduld is the Head of Department for the B Ed Foundation Programme (Gr R-3) at Nelson Mandela University. Her research interest include teaching and learning in the early years, inclusive education, teacher education curriculum design, community schooling and engagement within communities of practice, critical approach to research. Her latest work is: Towards decolonising teacher education: Reimagining the relationship between theory and praxis (SAJE).

Heloise Sathorar

Heloise Sathorar is the Head of Department for the Secondary School Education Department (PGCE and BEd SP & FET) in the Faculty of Education at the Nelson Mandela University. She is a senior lecturer and her research interest includes critical pedagogy, the democratisation of knowledge, teacher education, higher education, curriculum design and critical community engagement. Her most recent work is: Reflecting on B. Ed students' experiences of changing schooling context during School-Based learning: A proposition for transformative learning. (JOE).

Nokhanyo N. Mdzanga

Nokhanyo Mdzanga is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Nelson Mandela University. Her area of expertise is in Language Education. She serves in the Community of Practice for the teaching and learning of African languages, a national group of University representatives that focus on language and multilingualism in higher education.