Author Information
Lucy Sibanda, Sol Plaatje University, South AfricaJabulani Sibanda, Rhodes University, South Africa
Theressa M Zengeya, Sol Plaatje University, South Africa
Abstract
The study reported in this paper explored the attitudes of Technology Education teachers and learners regarding the desirability and feasibility of using Indigenous African Languages (IALs) as Languages of Learning and Teaching (LoLTs) within the context of Technology Education. The study drew on the age-old debate around mother tongue instruction and the models of attitude formation and change. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected from three purposively selected teachers and five focus groups of Grade 9 learners across township, rural, and urban school settings. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions conducted in two phases: before and after a technical translation exercise. Initially, learners expressed enthusiasm for using home languages like Setswana and IsiXhosa. However, their attitudes shifted markedly after participating in a task to identify indigenous equivalents for technical terms. This exercise functioned as a critical intervention, exposing the current technical inadequacy of IALs and leading learners to favor English-only or bilingual instruction. In contrast, teachers consistently maintained skepticism regarding the practical viability of IALs under current conditions. The study concludes that while IAL instruction is seen as desirable for social justice, significant investment in the intellectualization of these languages is required for them to be viewed as feasible LoLTs
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