Exploring the role of ontological identity in the development of workplace literacy

Date
2017-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The question about the possible role of ontological identity in the development of workplace literacy arose from my experience as adult literacy educator. Sensing parallels between my own refocusing of identity at post-graduate level and nuances of growth my students reported in practice, I set out to uncover the phenomenon of identity shift in the context of the learning which prepares people for work engagement. A literature review was done to explore the concomitance of identity and literacy. An understanding of identity, as seated in the being of an individual, was linked to literature which had revealed the sub-textual ontology of literacy development. Applying an interpretative lens to identity within the context of workplace literacy, a phenomenological methodology was adopted. Using unstructured interviews, participative observation during literacy classes and the analysis of reflective texts of students and the researcher, thick descriptions of the ontological identity of four students of a workplace literacy programme were co-authored dialogically. These portraits were interpreted in terms of the definitional frame to make sense of the voice which had been accorded to these students. The perceived identity shifts of the students were compared to those reported by the researcher and relevant literature. The findings of the study, although not generalizable, point to strengthening and nuancing of identity during learning which prepares for work on different levels. Learning for the workplace appears to reside in ontological identity. The possible implications of this study are that the epistemological lens of practitioners of workplace literacy development needs to accommodate the seat of being as the site of learning, which points to a need for a modification of practice.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die vraag rondom die moontlik rol van ontologiese identiteit by die ontwikkeling van geletterdheid vir die werksplek het ontspring uit my eie ondervinding as opvoeder vir volwasse geletterdheid. Die vermoede dat daar parallelle is tussen my eie verstelling van identiteit op nagraadse vlak en die groeiverskuiwings waaroor my studente berig het in die praktyk, het my genoop om die fenomeen van identiteitverskuiwing in die konteks van leer vir werk te verken. ‘n Oorsig van bronne is gedoen om die samehangendheid van identiteit en geletterdheid te ondersoek. Die begrip van die gesetelheid van identiteit in die syn is in verband gebring met literatuur wat dui op die subtekstuele ontologie van geletterdheidsontwikkeling. Met die toepas van ‘n interpretatiewe lens om te kyk na identiteit binne die raamwerk van geletterdheid vir die werksplek is ‘n fenomenolgoliese metodologie gebruik. Ongestruktureerde onderhoude, deelnemende waarneming tydens geletterdheidsklasse, en die ontleding van reflektiewe tekste van die studente en die navorser is gebruik om in-diepte beskrywings van die ontologiese identiteit van vier studente binne ‘n program vir geletterdsontwikkeling vir die werksplek dialogies saam te pen tot identiteitsportrette. Hierdie woordportrette is geïnterpreteer binne die raamwerk van die definisies van hierdie studie om sin te maak van die stem wat gegee is aan die studente. Die waargenome identiteitsverskuiwing van die studente is vergelyk met vermelde veranderings by die navorser en in relevante literatuur. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie, alhoewel nie veralgemeenbaar nie, dui op die verstewiging en nuansering van identiteit tydens die leer op verskillende vlakke wat plaasvind ter voorbereiding vir werkstoetrede. Leer vir werkstoetrede blyk gesetel te wees in ontologiese identiteit. Die moontlike implikasies van hierdie studie is dat die epistemelogiese lens van praktisyns van geletterdheid vir werkstoetrede ruimte moet maak om die syn as die setel van hierdie leer te beskou, wat dui op noodwendige praktykaanpassings.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2017
Keywords
Identity (Psychology), UCTD, Adult literacy -- South Africa, Workplace literacy -- South Africa, Literacy -- Social aspects, Literacy programs -- South Africa
Citation