Tinashe Mugwisi, Veli Jiyane & Hannalie Knoetze

Is Children’s Literature and Reading

promoted in the current LIS Curricula in

South African Universities?

Outline

• Introduction and background to the study

• Statement of the problem

• Aims and objectives of the study

• Methodology

• Findings

• Conclusions and recommendations

Introduction and background

• South Africa faces many challenges in promoting literacy, while leading world nations pride themselves of in promoting reading in all aspects of life – in homes, in schools, at work, and public places (Department of Education 2008:4).

• This has been attributed to the non availability of books in the home, in the classes and rarity of well established school libraries.

Introduction and background…

• Importance of reading- Research has shown that children who read well perform better academically across the curriculum.

• Importance of libraries in promoting reading and children’s literature- providers of space, and resources

Introduction and background…

• The information landscape has greatly metamorphosed with the advent of ICTs and has affected the ways in which users interact with information sources (Bronstein 2007).

• Libraries are also facing stiff competition from emerging information provision centres and services, particularly technology-driven services such as the Internet and wire-less technology (Ocholla and Bothma 2000:154, Hart 2002, Mammo 2007).

• These changes have affected the library scenario, redefining the role of information professionals, necessitating library and information science (LIS) education to under go curriculum changes (Bronstein).

Introduction and background…

• A curriculum is a fundamental part of any education or training programmes largely because it provides not only a list of courses or modules offered in a programme, but it also gives information on content, purpose, method, time/duration, trainers and location or situation of a programme or course - all of which are essential in a successful dispensation of manpower training and education (Ocholla 2000: np, Ocholla and Bothma 2007).

• A curriculum for LIS education usually mirrors what is being offered to train librarians and information professionals who will not only acquire the essential knowledge and skills to become qualified personnel in the field but also meet challenges the ever changing information society brings (Chu 2006:328).

Introduction and background…

• There were 18 LIS departments in South Africa's' tertiary educational institutions in 2000. Thirteen were located within the universities while five were resorting under technikons/polytechnics (Ocholla 2000: n.p)

• The number of LIS departments went down to 12 located within academic universities and universities of technology, operational at the Universities of Cape Town, Pretoria, Western Cape, Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, Walter Sisulu, Fort Hare, Limpopo, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Johannesburg and the Durban University of Technology

Introduction and background …

• The focus of the LIS department at the University of Johannesburg, changed to information and knowledge management and also changed their name to Department of Information and Knowledge Management and is situated in the Faculty of Management at UJ.

• The LIS departments at the 12 Universities offer courses ranging from undergraduate diplomas and degrees, postgraduate diplomas, masters and doctoral degrees. While LIS programmes at UCT and UKZN are offered to holders of a first degree, the transformation of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in South Africa resulted in the termination of LIS schools formerly based at the Universities of the Free State and Potchefstroom (which is currently part of the University of the North-West) (Ocholla and Bothma 2007:150, Raju 2004, Hart 2002, Stilwell 2004.)

Statement of the problem

• The lack of school libraries impacts negatively on the quality of teaching and learning, resulting in poor matriculation results and low levels of students reading skills (Department of Education 2008, van der Walt 2013, and Hart 2013).

• School library development in South Africa declined despite the introduction of the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) Policy and later National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) that advocated learner and resources based education for primary and secondary schools . However, although policies being implemented in South Africa promised new job opportunities in school libraries and media resource centres this has not materialized (Ocholla 2000)

Aim and objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate whether children’s literature and reading are promoted in the current LIS Curricula in South African Universities? The study sought to answer the following research objectives: • To ascertain which universities have LIS departments in South Africa • To establish which universities have children’s literature in their LIS

curriculum • To examine the content of LIS Curricula in the South African Universities

(coverage) • To ascertain the number modules that are compulsory and those offered

as electives • To determine the extent to which Children’s Literature and Reading are

infused and promoted • To establish the challenges experienced in teaching children’s literature

and reading in South African LIS schools

Methodology & procedures

• The study used the survey approach in which a

questionnaire was distributed to LIS schools in South Africa. • The target population were HODs of LIS schools identified

based on Ocholla and Bothma (2007). • Due to the numbers involved, sampling was not considered.

Content analysis was also applied to analyse the content as provided on the departmental websites.

• In content analysis, the study looked at the modules bearing children’s literature and reading as a title and further by individual module content for aspects of children’s literature and reading which were embedded.

Preliminary findings

• The results reported here are from the following universities: University of Fort Hare (UFH), University of Pretoria (UP), University of South Africa (Unisa), University of the Western Cape (UWC), University of KwaZulu-Natal UKZN), Durban University of Technology (DUT),University of Limpopo (UL) and University of Zululand (UZ).

• The University of Cape Town (UCT)’s LIS School reported that there was an agreement reached between them and the LIS school at the UWC that, as neighbors, and since the School library program had been in placed in the UWC, UCT should not offer it.

• The Department of Information and Knowledge management at UJ

reported that there focus is only on information and knowledge management and not relevant for this paper.

Findings… • Institutional background- This question was necessary in helping

provide background information about each LIS school. The findings indicate that most LIS schools have changed their previous names.

• Name change in the LIS Departments is due to new structures for institutions through merger and re-orientation (Ocholla & Bothma 2007) .

• The responses indicate that while UWC and UFH retained the traditional name of the Department of Library and Information Science, UP and Unisa are known as the Departments of Information Science.

• Only UZ among the respondents is called the Department of Information Studies . Despite this change, UZ continues to carry the word ‘Library’ among its qualifications Until recently known as the Department of Library and Information Studies

Findings… • Staff compliment- Staff compliments may

influence the offering of certain programs in one way or the other in terms of specialty and expertise. The question on staff categories was asked in order to establish whether the offering /non-offering of school library, children’s literature and reading program by LIS schools could have any relationship with the staff compliment in the LIS schools in South Africa

Findings…

Table 1: Staff categories

LIS School

UFH Unisa UP UWC UZ

Categories

P 1 3 3 - 2

AP - 1 - - -

SL 2 2 2 2 1

L 1 8 3 2 3

JL - 4 12 - 1

Findings… • The University of Pretoria had a higher total staff compliment (20)

followed by Unisa with 19. UFH and UWC had the least with 4 members each. It is however worth mentioning that 60% of staff members at UP were in the Junior Lecturer category.

• Whereas most LIS schools had senior appointments at professor level, only the UWC did not have such appointments.

• Based on the information available on the institutional website, the University of Limpopo has the Department of Information Studies in the School of languages and Communication Studies.

• The staff compliment for the department is given as two lecturers and one tutor.

• Durban University of Technology has Library and Information Studies falling under the Department of Information and Corporate Management in the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics. The staff compliment is given as six lecturers.

Findings… (Link)

• Modules and enrolment- LIS schools which responded offer National Diploma in Library and Information Science, BTech, MTech, DTech; Diploma; Bachelors degree in Information Science or in Library and Information Science/Studies which is in NQF level 7.

• However, Unisa additionally offers Higher Certificate in Archives and Records Management with 2300 students at NQF Level 5.

• Additionally, data for the University of Limpopo, was obtained from their institutional website highlighting the programmes offered.

Findings…

• Degree, NQF & Enrolment- findings show that the LIS schools offer a variety of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, under different programme names.

• DUT, UKZN and Unisa were the only institutions offering programmes beginning at certificate and diploma levels.

Findings… • Modules & Content- The respondents were asked if the

Department has a course or module on school librarianship or children’s literature and reading.

• This question aimed at determining whether these courses or modules are taught and promoted.

• The findings indicate that Unisa and UP do not teach school librarianship, children’s literature and reading.

• Fort Hare, UWC and UZ all have courses in school librarianship, children’s literature and reading.

• For UFH the module is taught at Honors’ level as LIS 507: Children’s and young adult’s literature. It is a year course and covers the following topics: developments in media publishing for children; influence of mass media on children; information services for young people; present day publishing of fiction for young adults; services provided to the young people by school media centers and public libraries.

Findings… • With UWC, the course is offered as a compulsory module at NQF

Level 6. It is a semester with the title ‘Children’s and youth literature’.

• Currently there are 26 students enrolled and it covers the following topics: children’s and youth literature genres; book reviewing; history of children’s literature in West & South Africa; role of reading & children’s literature in the development of children; picture books; oral literature; modern fantasy; modern realism; adolescent literature; graphic novels; children’s literature on the Internet; marketing books to young people; storytelling in libraries and classrooms.

• Additionally at UWC they offer Reading as a course at NQF Level 6 as well. It is a compulsory semester module for BLIS students. It covers the following topics: the reading process; different fiction genres and their possible influences on the adult readers; user surveys; illiteracy; reading in the developing countries.

Findings…

• The Department of Information Studies, University of Limpopo has a total of 33 modules (http://www.ul.ac.za/index.php?Entity=langcom_prog).

• A cursory look at these shows that for the undergraduate BINF programme, module INST content includes school libraries, as part of the types of libraries. Children’s literature is covered as part of module INST 211- Information sources and services.

• School libraries are further covered in the postgraduate Higher diploma module INST512- Management of libraries and Information Services. The BINF honours programme does not seem to have modules with children’s literature or school libraries listed among the courses.

• According to the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics Handbook (2014:28), the course content for the programmes at DUT indicate that module CLP101- Children’s Library Practice is taught in semester/year 4. This course/module covers the following areas:

• Child development • Children’s literature • Readers’ guidance to children • Services offered by the children’s library • Management of the children’s library

Findings… • The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s LIS Diploma (Education Studies

for School Library Development EDPD119) programme addresses 3 major areas with regards to school librarianship and these are:

• The school library and the curriculum • information literacy • Reading • The unit on reading addresses 4 areas, these being a. The reading process - which includes topics on the importance of reading, and teaching reading among other topics b. The importance of mother tongue literacy c. Difference between learning to read and reading to learn d. The role of the library and teacher-librarian in creating a whole-school reading environment

Findings… • The University of Zululand offers children’s

literature as part of the school librarianship programme (PGLIS) or as electives in the conventional programmes.

• Module AISD 212- Media and user studies focuses specifically on aspects of children’s literature

Findings… • The UKZN programme, together with the UZ

programme outlined here provide a comprehensive account of how LIS programmes, particularly school librarianship endeavor to promote reading and children’s literature.

• Experience from the UZ programme however indicate that after completing such programmes, the teachers go back to the same under-resourced schools where implementation is a huge challenge.

• The non-availability of the Teacher-Librarian position in the public schools sector further exacerbates this problem/challenge.

Findings…

Initiatives, trends & challenges-

It was important to solicit information regarding the initiatives the LIS schools have in teaching school librarianship, children’s literature and reading, the trends in the choice and teaching of this module and additionally challenges encountered.

Findings… • Although Unisa does not offer a course in children’s

literature, school librarianship or reading a Short Learning Programme (SLP) in Children and Youth Librarianship is currently being developed and will commence January 2016.

• The modules of the SLP will be: Managing Libraries and Information Centres; Children and youth as readers and information users; Information literacy programmes; Media and information for children and youth and Basic cataloguing and classification.

• The purpose of the SLP in Children and Youth Librarianship is to equip students with knowledge and practical skills to provide information services to children and youth in school, community and public libraries.

Findings…

• Similarly UP does not offer a course in children’s literature, school librarianship or reading currently but believes that it is a niche area.

• At UP the trend is that students take Information Science with IT-related modules and modules such as Knowledge Management, Competitive Intelligence, Information Retrieval, Digital Repository and Indigenous Knowledge.

• Since the module is not taught, there are currently no initiatives to promote it.

Findings… • The UWC has a different experience. There is enough interest amongst BA

and BLIS students for this module, may be because the school is promoting the module.

• It is pleasing to see that there are initiatives and collaboration with other partners such as the Bookery to promote school librarianship and children’s literature and reading, hence this LIS school experiences the increase in students’ enrolment.

• At Fort Hare the module is promoted and the School is even assisting schools to set up school libraries. However they experience the decrease in the enrolment may be because of the trend that students are taking modules like Knowledge Management and Information Resources Management.

• The challenge the School faces currently is the shortage of lecturers specialized in school librarianship and children’s literature and reading and who have interest in this area.

• Fort Hare is of the opinion that the curricula need to be constantly revised and made interesting to attract students, and there should be a sections dedicated to children’s information services in all universities.

Findings… • The LIS School in the University of Zululand promotes

school librarianship, children’s literature and reading, however they have experienced a decrease in student numbers for this module in 2014.

• There is no challenge in teaching this module however they propose inclusion in the curriculum and continuing education.

• Other initiatives to promote school and children’s librarianship in SA LIS profession is that there are universities and other organisations who do community outreach programmes at schools in the establishment of school libraries and book donations.

• The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) which have an interest group school libraries (SLYSIG).

Conclusions and recommendations

• It is more than the belief that reading children become reading adults.

• The LIS schools in SA are the fore fronters of teaching and promoting librarianship where school librarianship reading and children’s literature are embedded. Although the offerings in the LIS schools differ according to the needs of the clients, they should consider initiating the common patterns in their programmes so that School librarianship, reading and children’s literature becomes compulsory rather than an elective. This will make SA a reading nation.