Abstract
This dissertation explores the social justice issues surrounding participation and student agency in English tutorials at a South African university. A significant focus is placed on the language perceptions and experiences of students and tutors who are second language speakers of English (L2). Every year, various universities in South Africa enrol students under degree programmes where an English module (either academic writing or literature), at first year level, is a compulsory course requirement under the faculties of education and humanities. As a result, English tutorials have been established to provide additional support to students by tutors who supplement lecture content, promote dialogue and critical skills, and assist with academic writing. In these tutorials, the challenges with English encountered by L2 students are brought to the forefront. The matter presents several concerns and challenges as many firstyear students often lack adequate English language proficiency, agency, and participatory confidence (based on the diverse levels of English instruction they encounter in high school). In this study, two participatory strategies, consisting of virtual text discussions and voice notes, have been implemented to identify whether participation and agency can be fostered among students to ensure social justice in English tutorials. The study aims to advance the value of social justice practices through the lens of Paulo Freire’s (1970, 2005) critical theory and critical pedagogy by highlighting the significance of dialogue and conscientisation in educational environments. Furthermore, it examines theories around student agency and self-efficacy by examining the works of the core theorist Bandura (1989, 2001, 2006, 2008). These theoretical approaches form the basis of alternative and effective ways of addressing and deconstructing the injustices and indoctrination that is vastly evident in educational contexts (Kincheloe, 2007; McLaren, 1989). The recorded responses, based on the experiences and perceptions of the participants, seek to provide a deeper understanding of social justice practices in language education. KEY WORDS: Social justice, participation, agency, university, English, English tutorials, English Second Language (L2), language(s), participatory strategies.
M.Ed. (Educational Linguistics)