Abstract
M.Ed. (Education)
This study focuses on the teaching of linguistic rules and structures in rural informal
Settlement Schools. The inquiry was undertaken with the aim of determining what the
nature of instruction of grammar, specifically tense, is and what teachers' conceptions
of the pedagogy of grammar are. The rationale for the study was that there is virtually no research on the language pedagogy knowledge of practice of unqualified teachers in community schools. Teachers in this type of setting needed to be exposed to contemporary theory of Second Language instruction with the view of improving their pedagogy. This also needed to be researched in order to contribute to the body of knowledge..The rural settlement schools where semi-qualified teachers are still found in increasing numbers, need competent teachers who can teach students to function socially as well as linguistically. For relevant teacher education curricula research is needed to inform policy. Literature review was done and field investigation was conducted to determine teachers' conceptions of grammar and tenses. Data were collected through interviews and observations. These data were consolidated and clustered across five sources of different methods. The categories of data indicated that teachers' knowledge of rules was limited. The research was concluded with suggestions pertaining to the researcher's experience of semi-qualified teachers. It was suggested that teachers should not only concentrate on grammar knowledge but also on the knowledge about pedagogy and linguistics. The involvement of INSET programmes in this respect was strongly recommended.