Faculty of Education
School of Teacher Training
Department of Social Studies Education
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
TeleTuks Schools was an outreach initiative of the University that involved over a hundred schools in deep rural communities throughout four South African provinces. Each school was equipped with a television set, a satellite receiver and a smartcard capable of decoding instructional broadcasts from an on-campus studio.
During transmissions, learners could phone in to the studio with questions or comments.
Despite the system permitting synchronous, bi-directional, oral communication during telelessons, learner participation was poor.
Dr Rinelle Evans of the Department of Social Studies Education conducted a study to identify the factors responsible for low learner reciprocity. Experiential interviews and analyses of video recordings provided rich qualitative data.
The initial proposition was that learners’ poor English language proficiency inhibited overt participation. However, the findings revealed that, while the language barrier posed an obstacle, its effect was but a contributing factor.
Evans was able to identify several other factors that acted as obstacles with regard to learner participation. She clustered these factors into three themes. The first theme – which she termed “paradoxical perceptions” – related to the mismatch between learners’ and presenters’ interpretation of the televised context.
The second theme – “presenter nescience” – emphasised the fact that presenters were largely unaware of the many noise elements that interfered with their message. The third theme (“problematic practicalities and partnerships”) encompassed various technical and practical difficulties that impinged on the anticipated interaction
Contact person: Dr R Evans.
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