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Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking
Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613513270165504 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Omidire, Margaret Funke |
| author_browse | Omidire, Margaret Funke |
| author_facet | Omidire, Margaret Funke |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/81296 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:20.380Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/81296 Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking Omidire, Margaret Funke sipikelelomugari@gmail.com Ebersohn, L. (Liesel) Murphy, P. Karen Mugari, Sipikelelo UCTD Educational psychology Education theses SDG-04 Education theses SDG-10 Education theses SDG-16 Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. Evidence-based research acknowledges the current shift in pedagogical practices from the conventional teacher-centred approaches to the collaborative, discourse-intensive practices that promote critical-analytic thinking in students. Among the discourse-intensive pedagogical practices, the use of small-group discussions has proved to be one of those most successful. The Sociocultural Theory from Vygotsky was employed to gain insight into interventions that enabled education in schools in challenged spaces by describing how peer-facilitation partnered in developing discourse-intensive pedagogical practices through the use of small-group English discussions. The interventions aimed to improve critical-analytic thinking in students in a remote South African rural secondary school, using discourse elements from the Quality Talk study as a model. A qualitative interpretive methodology was deployed to understand how peer-facilitation in small-group, text-based English discussions enriches teaching and learning. Classroom observations and interviews were used to collect data from one purposively selected rural secondary school. The participants included Grade 8 and 9 English teachers (n=2), two control groups of students (n=92 students), two intervention groups of students (n=94 students) from English classes, and peer-facilitators (n=13). Data was coded and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. The findings indicate that higher student-talk and higher-level cognitive engagement through the use of discourse elements authenticated: (1) The use of peer-facilitation small-group discussions; and (2) the use of home language as scaffolding through code-switching as students co-constructively made-meaning of the English text under discussion. The trained peer-facilitators making use of the Quality Talk model succeeded in drawing most of the group members into active participation in class discussions. The current study highlights the salient role of peer-facilitation in enhancing participation in discourse-intensive small-group, text-based English discussions that develop high-level, critical-analytic thinking in students. Insights from this study can be used to improve English proficiency and the overall academic performance of students in a way that lessens the achievement gap between rural secondary school students and their urban counterparts. It is recommended that peer-facilitated small-group discussions be implemented across the curriculum in resource-constrained school settings and that code-switching be used as a resource for scaffolding students’ learning English as a second language. UP Postgraduate Doctoral Bursary es2026 Educational Psychology PhD (Educational Psychology) Unrestricted SDG-04: Quality education SDG-10: Reduced inequalities SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions 2021-08-16T12:35:11Z 2021-08-16T12:35:11Z 2021-09 2021 Thesis In her thesis, Strengthening Discourse - Intensive pedagogical practices: The utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking the promovendus describes the utility of peer-facilitation in small-group, text-based English discussions in developing critical-analytical thinking skills in students. A qualitative interpretative mode of enquiry predicated on Vygotskyian concept of the zone of proximal development was employed to gain insight into how peer-facilitation of small-group English discussions through the use of discourse-intensive pedagogical tools enhances learning in resource constrained settings. Research participants were conveniently drawn from Grade 8 and 9 English classes from one rural secondary school for the descriptive case study. Findings from the study highlight how peer-facilitation contributes to the development of critical-analytic thinking in students. Insights from this study can be used to enhance learning in multilingual resource constrained teaching and learning environments such as obtain in typical South African rural secondary schools S2021 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/81296 en © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Educational psychology Education theses SDG-04 Education theses SDG-10 Education theses SDG-16 Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking |
| title | Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking |
| title_full | Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking |
| title_fullStr | Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking |
| title_full_unstemmed | Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking |
| title_short | Strengthening discourse - intensive pedagogical practices : the utility of peer-facilitated small-group discussions to develop critical-analytic thinking |
| title_sort | strengthening discourse intensive pedagogical practices the utility of peer facilitated small group discussions to develop critical analytic thinking |
| topic | UCTD Educational psychology Education theses SDG-04 Education theses SDG-10 Education theses SDG-16 |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/81296 |