5.5.1 Establish explicit policies on teaching English as a second language to African students
Findings indicated that of the three rationale types (professional, personal and societal), professional rationale was the least used. This suggests that English lecturers lacked written strategies which are influenced by policy documents to decolonise the curriculum. Thus, I suggest that the English Major 420 course outline should be more specific regarding the importance of explicit policies on teaching English as a second language to African students.
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This is because English as a global language can help students to access work abroad and if the professional part is ignored, students might not teach it as well as they should. Decolonisation in this study refers to the balance of local and international knowledge to equip students with knowledge that is recognised globally, and that can only be done in effective teaching of English as a foreign language.
5.5.2. Use creative writing to access students’ thoughts on what can be done to improve the quality of teaching
Findings revealed that social development content, which refers to creative writing, is not used by most of lecturers. This is the English section that can allow students to write based on issues they feel should be known and attended to by the discipline. I suggest that the discipline leaders should think of a way that can help them to get to know students’ needs and thoughts regarding their curriculum. For instance, for each English module students should be given a at least one chance to write a reflection based on what can be done to improve the quality of teaching, especially to students as future teachers. This can help student’s writing skills and also provide the chance for them to communicate their thoughts, which would make them feel part of the curriculum. This can also assist English lecturers to identify areas where they need improvement in their teaching and attending to the needs of students. Berkvens et al. (2014) outlined that a communicative approach allows all education stakeholders to participate in the curriculum – which includes the students themselves, thus employing verbal strategies to decolonise the curriculum.
5.5.3. Training on the importance of aims and objectives
The findings revealed that English lecturers see objectives and aims as the same thing. I therefore suggest that the English discipline should organise training to make the importance of having separate aims and objectives clear to the staff. With that knowledge, relevant and effective strategies can be designed to decolonise the curriculum. English lecturers did not have personal aims regarding the teaching of the module, which resulted in them not using habitual strategies to decolonise the curriculum. Berkvens et al. (2014) and Khoza (2016b) concur that lecturers’ lack of clear, broad educational goals can lead to unsuccessful curriculum implementation. Furthermore, studies outlined that lecturers are different individuals who interpret and implement the curriculum differently – and thus personal aims can drive them to go the extra mile in finding relevant strategies to decolonise the curriculum.
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5.5.4. Training in the use of Moodle and WhatsApp for communication with students Findings revealed that ideological-ware resources were those that were mostly used while software and hardware were used to support these. This is in line with what the literature revealed about the importance of aligning teaching with relevant theories. However, based on the interaction I had with English lecturers, they are not well equipped on using the Moodle platform, and so some of them ignore its use. I therefore suggest that they receive proper training in the use of this learning site and be encouraged to adopt WhatsApp to communicate easily with students. While the institution has developed a policy for all lecturers to use Moodle, the English lecturers seem to be under-informed about it. Such training may help English lecturers to become well equipped and to design verbal strategies to decolonise the curriculum.
5.5.5. Workshops for lecturers on how students may use peer assessment
It is recommended that the English discipline should organise workshops based on the importance of using peer assessment as one of the different forms of assessment. This is because findings revealed that this was the form of assessment that was least used by the English lecturers, and that they did not see it as important form of assessment. This can assist lecturers to start teaching differently, as well as helping them to see the importance of hearing from their students and getting to see their different capabilities. Moreover, this can also assist students as future teachers to adopt this of assessment and use it when teaching their own learners. If this can be revised correctly, verbal strategies can be used effectively to decolonise the curriculum though peer assessment.
5.5.6. Training on blending online and face-to-face interaction
Findings revealed that English lecturers did not know what blended learning is. I suggest that the discipline should organise trainings for their staff so that they can be updated regarding innovative ways of blending online and face-to-face interaction to make teaching and learning easier. Furthermore, findings revealed that English lecturers did not have a clear understanding of what online learning is; they used emails and some used WhatsApp, but they did not know that this is a part of online learning. Therefore adequate training needs to be offered to English lecturers. I suggest that the institution should organise workshops and start teaching all staff members about the importance of changes in teaching pedagogies which can be interesting to students. This can help the institution itself and the students to become advanced in terms of most up-to-date use of technology and to be in line with the world, so as to attract international
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students to consider the university. Thus, habitual and verbal strategies can be effectively used to decolonise the curriculum.
5.5.7. Provide smaller venues for tutorials and groupwork
In the teaching and teaching activities theme findings revealed that tutorials were not operating effectively due to the fact that they were held in lecture halls. I recommend that the institution should consider building small tutorial venues and that they should communicate with the staff regarding conducive venues for teaching and learning. One of the English lecturers commented that the university is building larger lecture halls when they need small tutorial venues for effective tutorial sessions. Furthermore, findings revealed that as much as English lecturers believe in grouping students to work together, the classes are too overcrowded in one venue, which makes it difficult for lecturers to facilitate group work activities effectively. I suggest that the institution should hire additional qualified English lecturers, so as to have different lecturers teaching in different groups in flat venues that will be conducive for groupwork. Le Grange (2016) concurs with (Mbembe, 2016) that there is a need to decolonise the institution’s physical structures (lecture halls) to make them ready to teach in an African context, to foster effective group discussions among students and lecturers. By doing this, verbal strategies would be enforced to decolonise the curriculum.
5.5.8. Increase the duration of lectures in order to build in more time for queries and clarification
The findings also revealed that English lecturers used their spare time to attend to students through consultations, since contact time was not enough to deal with students’ issues. I recommend that the university should increase the number of hours during lectures, so that the last 30 minutes could be used for queries and clarifications. As a result, English lecturers can use their spare time to conduct research to prepare adequately for subsequent lectures. English lecturers can then use their spare time to research more on topics dealt with in class and to find new ways to implement the curriculum effectively.