Social context and the use of technology in teaching African languages : a case study of public universities in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

This study uses the concepts of Bourdieu’s sociological theory to investigate factors influencing technology use in teaching African languages. The study contends that language lecturers’ choices in teaching with technology were affected by the social phenomena of the field in which they operate. By adopting Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital, and field, the study offers a multi pronged approach to understanding the complex nature of the relationship between practices of individuals and social structures. A thematic textual analysis was used to investigate the attitudes of lecturers who taught African languages in selected public universities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The analysis reveals a mutually reinforcing relationship between individuals who operate in the teaching field and their behavioural attitudes towards using technology in teaching African languages. The study contributes to understanding how individuals and groups navigate different social and cultural contexts and how they could use their resources to the advantage of their fields. In addition, the study showed how agents actively try to shape their current teaching practices and adopt new approaches while subtly resisting external pressures that conflict with the practical realities of their field and their audience (students). The results of the interviews indicate that individuals' behaviours were influenced by the forces of the field where they operated, external factors and their habitus. This study recommends that policymakers collaborate with stakeholders like communities, governments, institutions, and lecturers to ensure technology development for teaching African languages yields desirable results. It also suggests African countries create an enabling environment for African languages to thrive, and future research adopts an integrated approach examining various factors influencing technology use in language teaching.