The social regulation of literacy through teacher expectations

Wilburn, Shelly

The social regulation of literacy through teacher expectations

Master Thesis

2012

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

School of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

This study is motivated by the problematic of underdeveloped literacy skills, particularly the reading and writing skills of at-risk learners, and draws theoretical support from Basil Bernstein’s sociology of education linked with the ‘school effectiveness’ theory of teacher expectations. I suggest a relation between the social context or community of a school, the culture and order of the school, and forms of teacher expectations, to propose a school-level expectation orientation that suggests a particular theory of instruction. For my investigation of teacher expectations, I select two contrasting, relatively high-performing, primary schools in working-class contexts in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and I interview grade 3 and grade 6 language teachers. Interview questions are based upon a novel conceptualization of expectations.

Description

Includes bibliographical references.

Reference:

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