Pre-service science teachers’ perceptions towards developing Isizulu vocabulary for teaching and learning

Abstract

This study investigates pre-service teachers’ perceptions towards developing an isiZulu vocabulary for teaching and learning chemistry in three rural FET schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It contributes to the ongoing debates around curriculum decolonisation and code-switching in teaching and learning. The study adopts a qualitative interpretivist paradigm, utilizing individual interviews with six (6) isiZulu pre-service chemistry teachers who were purposively selected. The study found that pre-service teachers generally had a positive attitude towards curriculum decolonisation and code-switching for teaching and learning chemistry. This study also found that some pre-service teachers were not keen to develop isiZulu vocabulary, given the challenges and complexities of code-switching in real-life chemistry teaching and learning contexts.Further, the findings indicate developing isiZulu vocabulary can enhance curriculum decolonisation and code-switching for effective teaching and learning of chemistry in this context. The study recommends the need for pre-service teachers to be conscientised about the value of developing isiZulu vocabulary for effective teaching and learning of chemistry lessons. Future must explore how to effectively empower pre-service teachers to manage code-switching in teaching chemistry in rural contexts.