Reflections on student agency through the use of voice notes in university English tutorials during Covid-19

Atiyyah Motala; Leila Kajee

doi:10.56285/jltVol59iss1a6544

Atiyyah Motala University of Johannesburg, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9133-828X
Leila Kajee University of Johannesburg, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9039-4186

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56285/jltVol59iss1a6544

Keywords: student reflections, voice notes, critical theory, agency, university tutorials

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have had to reconsider and reshape their teaching and learning pedagogies overnight during the Covid-19 pandemic. The dramatic closure of education institutions in South Africa, and worldwide, gave rise to questions around our adaptability, readiness, and response to change in the HEI sector. While universities made the rapid move to emergency remote teaching and learning, it remained to be seen how students responded to this move. This study reports on the use of voice notes to promote student voice and agency in English tutorials at a university in Gauteng, South Africa. The main aim of this paper is to examine student reflections on the use of voice notes to foster agency in tutorials. Based on the inequalities present in South Africa’s education system, specifically HEIs, this paper is conceptually framed in critical theory. Through an examination of data elicited from student interviews, observations, and voice notes, this case study finds that participant reflections highlight the significance of a critical approach, in utilising voice notes in English tutorials, to assist students in being active participants in the teaching and learning process.

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Author Biographies

Atiyyah Motala, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Atiyyah Motala is a lecturer in English Literature and Academic Literacy in the Faculty of Humanities’ Department of English at the University of Johannesburg. Her deep commitment to social justice in language education is rooted in her personal experiences as a student, as well as her extensive background in tutoring and lecturing. She completed her master’s degree in education in 2021, with this article being a product of that research. Her academic interests encompass student-centred pedagogy, tutor and teacher training, English literary analysis, and the development of academic writing skills. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in the Department of English at the University of Johannesburg, where her research explores themes of masculinities, education, and violence within South African post-apartheid literature.

Leila Kajee, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Leila Kajee is Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. Her areas of research interest include social justice and transformation through language and literacies. She leads and participates in several research projects, most recently in refugee and immigrant communities.

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