isahluko 1 - UKZN ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal

ISELEKO 6: LETTER TO THE PARENT
125 Wyebank Road
Kloof
3610
19 May 2009
Dear Parent
Thank you for allowing your child to participate in the lessons when I will be doing
observation of reading lessons. 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 the teaching of reading in isiZulu home language classrooms in
grades two and three at foundation phase. I have chosen the school for convenience in
collecting data and I anticipate the following participants to form a sample for this study:
Teachers of isiZulu who teach grades two and three, because the focus of the study is on
the teaching. Since there will be observation of lessons which will be observed in their
natural setting, your child will be in the class where the teaching will be taking place. I
will also ask for permission to utilize a video camera and/ or audio-tape when observing
the reading lessons. During the observation of lessons, both teachers and learners actions
will be observed. Interviews before and after lesson observations will be done with
teachers, and no interview will happen with learners.
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. The study will not harm the image of the
school. Names of the teachers and of the school as well as of your child will not be
mentioned or linked to any of the data collected. In this way pseudonyms for all the
participants and of the school will be used, and will under no circumstances be revealed
without your permission. For the purpose of analysis, the discussions will be video or
tape-recorded, but at all times the identity of the school, the teachers and of your child
will be protected. Data will be stored in a safe place at 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
your child 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:
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