Jenny Clarence-Fincham - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jenny Clarence-Fincham

Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning (CriSTaL), 2016

In 2013 the Council on Higher Education (CHE) released a proposal for the reform of South Africa'... more In 2013 the Council on Higher Education (CHE) released a proposal for the reform of South Africa's undergraduate degree arguing that all current 3-year degrees and diplomas, as well as 4-year Bachelor's degrees be extended by one year with an additional 120 credits. This paper argues that the structure proposed provides the conditions for a different kind of curriculum that enables epistemic access and development. The paper firstly offers a set of theoretical tools for conceptualising this enabling curriculum structure. Secondly, drawing on the CHE exemplars, the paper makes explicit the general curriculum reform principles that underpin the enabling structure. Finally, the paper describes how these reform principles translate into qualification-specific curriculum models which enable epistemic access and development. This research is an important contribution to the next phase of curriculum reform in South Africa, what we refer to as a 'new generation' of extended curricula.

South African Journal of Higher Education, 2016

In the context of the complex challenges facing higher education, this article aims to illustrate... more In the context of the complex challenges facing higher education, this article aims to illustrate how the translation of theoretical insights into a carefully formulated set of questions, can function as a flexible, discipline-specific developmental framework for curriculum development. Drawing primarily on Bernstein's (2000) concept of the pedagogical device and also on the work of Maton and Muller (2007), Muller (2008), Young (2008), and Wheelahan (2010), the authors argue that this process, without either alienating or patronising staff, has the potential to strengthen the theoretical understanding of their curricula by raising awareness about differentiated knowledge domains and the extent to which this impacts on curriculum design. This facilitates a collaborative process of critical discussion and debate which highlights the importance of access to knowledge, and encourages exploration of the nature of disciplines; their shaping values; the kinds of curricula that emerge from them; and the associated student and staff identities.

An excellent collection of diverse and deeply reflective perspectives. All offer insights into th... more An excellent collection of diverse and deeply reflective perspectives. All offer insights into the multiple challenges confronted in improving the quality and depth of postgraduate supervision, increasing throughput, and dealing with complexity. What is also affirmed is the importance of individual capability in supervision that is developed and nurtured over time, and through arduous effort. The book will be of value to novice supervisors and to more experienced ones. Policy makers, planners and administrators looking to enlarge their understanding of the postgraduate terrain in all its complexities will find the mix of theoretical and practical lenses through which the topic is approached particularly illuminating. — Professor Narend Baijnath, Chief Executive Officer, Council on Higher Education

Journal of Literary Studies, 1992

... Jenny Clarence ... Opsomming In hierdie artikel word geredeneer dat studente wat vir die eers... more ... Jenny Clarence ... Opsomming In hierdie artikel word geredeneer dat studente wat vir die eerste maal aan 'n universiteit studeer nie net die tradisionele universiteitskonvensies en -praktyke moet begrypnie, maar ook, nog belangriker, insig moet he in die institusionele ...

Education as Change, 2014

ABSTRACT

Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, Nov 27, 2013

In the face of the complex array of competing pressures currently faced by higher education, glob... more In the face of the complex array of competing pressures currently faced by higher education, globally, nationally and institutionally (Maistry, 2010; Clegg, 2005) academic staff who are required to reconceptualise their curricula are often tempted to focus on the immediate demands of the classroom rather than the broader knowledge and curriculum-related issues which inform pedagogical practice. In this paper we argue that opportunities should be created for staff to consider knowledge domains and the curriculum in all its dimensions from a distance and in a more nuanced, theoretically informed way (Clarence-Fincham and Naidoo, forthcoming; Luckett, 2012; Quinn, 2012). The paper aims to show how a model for curriculum development which mirrors the three tiers of Bernstein"s pedagogical device was used in the field of Graphic Design as a means of facilitating a deeper, more explicit understanding of the nature of the discipline and the values underpinning it, the kind of curriculum emerging from it and the student identities associated with it. (Bernstein, 1999, 2000; Clarence-Fincham and Naidoo, forthcoming; Maton, 2007). Drawing on staff responses during early curriculum development workshops, examples from the curriculum as well as data emerging from group discussion and individual interviews, it identifies a range of positions about several aspects of the field of Graphic Design (Maton, 2009) and the related curriculum. This reveals both areas of agreement as well as contestation and provides a solid platform for further interrogation and development.

In 2013 the Council on Higher Education (CHE) released a proposal for the reform of South Africa&... more In 2013 the Council on Higher Education (CHE) released a proposal for the reform of South Africa's undergraduate degree arguing that all current 3-year degrees and diplomas, as well as 4-year Bachelor's degrees be extended by one year with an additional 120 credits. This paper argues that the structure proposed provides the conditions for a different kind of curriculum that enables epistemic access and development. The paper firstly offers a set of theoretical tools for conceptualising this enabling curriculum structure. Secondly, drawing on the CHE exemplars, the paper makes explicit the general curriculum reform principles that underpin the enabling structure. Finally, the paper describes how these reform principles translate into qualification-specific curriculum models which enable epistemic access and development. This research is an important contribution to the next phase of curriculum reform in South Africa, what we refer to as a 'new generation' of extended ...

Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus, 2013

The title of this paper has its origins in observations made by a black, first year, woman studen... more The title of this paper has its origins in observations made by a black, first year, woman student which have become a touchstone in my thinking about critical linguistics and its role in language programmes. She had enrolled for a first year, credit-bearing course which is available to second language speakers on the Pietermaritzburg campus and as their first assignment, one group of students was asked to investigate any aspect of the university environment they chose. They decided to interview Deans of Faculties or other senior members of the administration about the university's admission policy, most especially as it pertained to black students. The purpose of this activity was to develop the linguistic and personal confidence and competence of these new students by creating what Bryce-Heath and Branscombe have termed "crises in communication" (1985: 31)-contexts in which they were involved in relatively high risk situations, which would challenge them to use all the linguistic, sociolinguistic and strategic resources 1 at their disposal. It was also hoped they would experience, as interviewers, even in this rather unusual context, a position where they were potentially in control of some of the encounter. High risk communicative tasks however, can have counter-productive and demoralising effects, and adequate initial preparation was an essential part of the process. Students worked in groups of two or three and spent considerable time carefully defining their purpose, making the necessary appointments (itself a completely new experience), learning about appropriate formats for later written and oral presentation and role playing potentially difficult situations. They discussed various interviewing strategies and attempted to anticipate potential obstacles to what, in any event, was an undeniably daunting task. Once the interviews had been completed, they were required to present their findings individually as formal written discourse and then to pool information by reporting back orally to the rest of the class. http://spilplus.journals.ac.za/

Per Linguam, 2011

This article explores the use of Systemic Functional Grammar in a module for University students ... more This article explores the use of Systemic Functional Grammar in a module for University students entitled Analysing Media Texts. This module aims at assisting students to produce their own texts and to help them develop an understanding of the linguistic choices they make. Students are introduced to the key principles of CDA and to Halliday's SFG to provide them with tools to assist them to understand the social and constructed nature of discourses, especially those typically found in media texts. This article follows on (Clarence-Fincham 2000), which focuses on students' interpretation of media texts, their ability to read with greater understanding and to apply key concepts that they had learnt to their analyses. The students demonstrated clearly that they had developed an understanding of CDA, acquired the basic metalanguage necessary for Hallidayan analysis and some of them could produce much more rigorous textual analyses than before. This article focuses on the engagement and high level of motivation students showed when asked to produce their own texts. Examples of the texts are given of texts produced and analysed by the students. Students reported that choosing and constructing their own texts had been both beneficial and enjoyable. However, students were able to produce fine-tuned linguistic analysis in the time allottedsome of them still resorted to extremely mechanistic analyses which took no explicit account of the purpose or function of the language and still less of the significance of the linguistic choices made.

Per Linguam, 2008

flexible, yet structured set of analytical tools with which to interpret texts. With this claim a... more flexible, yet structured set of analytical tools with which to interpret texts. With this claim as a backdrop, this article asks whether SFG is, in fact an appropriate analytical approach for under-graduate students and whether it can facilitate their ability to analyse texts. Its context is a second level course, Analysing Media Texts, offered at Natal University. Broadly framed by critical discourse analysis, it traces the development of a thirteen week module and, using student analyses for illustrative purposes, identifies pedagogical challenges and difficulties that need to be confronted before any strong claims can be made. It is concluded that, on the evidence of students' responses to texts analysed during this course, it is not yet possible to make strong claims about the benefits of SFG. There is enough positive evidence, however, to pursue the possibility that with innovative curriculum development and the careful scaffolding and integration of concepts, SFG will be clearly shown to have an extremely important role to play. Per Linguam 2000 16(2):15-30 http://dx.doi.org/10.5785/16-2-137 Per Linguam 2000 16(2):15-30 http://dx.