isahluko 1 - UKZN ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal

ISELEKO 5: LETTER TO THE PARTICIPANT
125 Wyebank Road
Kloof
3610
19 May 2009
Dear Participant
Thank you for accepting my request to be the participant in my study. I am pursuing a
Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Education at the University of KwaZulu- Natal since last
year, 2008. I am presently working on a thesis on isiZulu home language reading
pedagogy at foundation phase, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for my studies.
The title of my proposed research study is “An exploration into the pedagogy of teaching
reading in isiZulu home language classrooms at foundation phase in Umlazi Schools.”
The study is focused on reading in isiZulu home language teaching in grades two and
three at foundation phase. I have chosen you as a participant in this study as a person who
is involved in Grade 2/ 3 teaching. I will request to have an interview with you, and later
on will request your permission to do isiZulu reading lesson observations, which will be
observed in their natural setting. I will also ask for permission to utilize a video camera
and/ or audio-tape when observing the reading lessons. During lessons presentations, you
and your learners’ actions will be observed. Interviews before and after lesson
observations will be done with you.
I will ensure minimal use of school time, about thirty-five to sixty minutes for the
interviews, before and after the lesson observations, and time for observation of lessons
will be according to the school time table, since the lessons will be observed in their
natural settings. The study will not harm the image of your school. Your name and of the
the school as well as of your learners will not be mentioned or linked to any of the data
collected. In this way you, your school and your learners will be given pseudonyms, and
under no circumstances will you be revealed without your permission. For the purpose of
analysis, the discussions will be video or tape-recorded, but at all times your identity and
of the school will be protected. Data will be stored in a safe place in the university and
after five years it will then be disposed off.
Participation is voluntary; if at any time during the course of the research you will wish to
withdraw from the research, you will be free to do so, without any negative
consequences.
The study will benefit the school in several ways:
• The school will have an opportunity to discuss the approaches and theories to the
teaching of reading once the study is finished.
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