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African Studies Brown Bag Lecture

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. ET
335 Willard Building
African Studies Brown Bag Lecture
Mfundo Msimango

“Southernizing Monolingual Written Assessments in Natural Science in Multilingual Schools in South Africa and Ghana ”

In this presentation, we report on a critical comparative case study of monolingual written assessment practices in Grade 4 natural science classrooms in two Global South countries: South Africa and Ghana. Studies such as Makoni et al. (2023) argue for research into the Global South context that challenges the norms of colonialism, capitalism, and neoliberalism. We see the pervasiveness of monolingualism in the chosen educational contexts as an example of the injustices that need to be reconceptualized. Using grounded theory (Hardley, 2017) and case study methodology (Johansson, 2007) to analyze interview data collected from six natural science teachers working in public schools in South Africa and Ghana, we examined learners’ written materials, and the language used in educational policy documents, complemented by findings from participant observations and field notes. Drawing on critical applied linguistics (Fairclough, 2003; Pennycook, 2020), we interrogate the multifaceted challenges, potential opportunities, and outcomes associated with the integration of Southern perspectives that call for linguistic and epistemological diversity (Makoni & Antia, 2023) in the design and implementation of assessment practices for science education (Heugh et al., 2016). The findings from our comparative study offer significant insights into the potential benefits and challenges of Southernizing monolingual written assessments in the natural sciences, underscoring the need to recognize students’ linguistic repertoires by incorporating contextually relevant assessment tasks that reflect learners’ diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Cingo, 2022; McKinney and Set, 2023). By emphasizing Southern perspectives and advocating for inclusive assessment methods, this study contributes to the need for Southernizing applied linguistics while supporting more equitable evaluation approaches in multilingual schools. The presentation concludes with suggestions for curriculum developers, educators, and policymakers to establish pedagogical environments that empower diverse learners and foster a deeper grasp of course content (e.g., natural sciences) in local contexts.

Mfundo Jabulani Msimango is a doctoral student in applied linguistics and African studies at Penn State.

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Headshot of Mfundo Msimango
Headshot of Mfundo Msimango
335 Willard Building

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