Dialogue and subject positioning in pedagogical practice: the academic literacies classroom in a Ghanaian University
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
The importance of academic literacy acquisition through
enculturation in higher education is self-evident. Important within
the processes of enculturation is how interactants are positioned.
This study examines how interactants within the writing
classroom of a higher education institution in Ghana are
positioned through dialogue. Data for this study are recordings of
lectures of a mandatory undergraduate programme. The study
indicates that though there are attempts to position the student
as an active and equal participant within the writing classroom,
the instructor still emerges as dominant participant. It also
establishes that the pedagogical practices of the classroom adopt
strategies such as peer deliberations, and epistemic discovery to
help foster personal agency development in the student. It
concludes that the academic literacies model has not informed
what goes on in the literacies classroom of the institution. The
study recommends that the enculturation processes will have to
adopt a more critical approach.
Description
Research Articles
Keywords
Academic literacies, positioning, pedagogy, classroom, agency