Developing a Culture of Reading in Rwanda
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THE MAKING OF A READING SOCIETY Developing a Culture of Reading in Rwanda Pierre Canisius Ruterana Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science No. 165 Linköping University, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning Linköping 2012 Distributed by: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning Linköping University 581 83 Linköping, Sweden Pierre Canisius Ruterana THE MAKING OF A READING SOCIETY: Developing a Culture of Reading in Rwanda Edition 1: 1 ISBN 978-91-7519-840-8 ISSN 1654-2029 © Pierre Canisius Ruterana Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning Printed by: LiU-Tryck, Linköping, 2012 DEDICATION To you my wife Marie Chantal, My sons Romeo Lucky and Jason, For your love, support, understanding, exceptional patience during my long absence from home, This thesis is dedicated. 3 Acknowledgements This doctoral thesis is a culmination of a long journey of life experience, studies and research. In the following lines, I would like to thank a number of supportive people who contributed to its completion. First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge an invaluable support I received from Associate Professor Ingrid Andersson, my supervisor, whose provocative and insightful comments and suggestions have sharpened my thinking. I will always be grateful. On the same note, I am also indebted to Dr Monica Sandlund, my co-supervisor and Professor Sven Andersson for their support, critical reflection and constructive inputs on my work. I am also greatly indebted to Late Professor Lars Owe Dahlgren (RIP) and Professor Madeleine Abrandt Dahlgren for their encouragement and support to Rwandan PhD students in Linköping. You will be remembered for your seminars on teaching and learning in higher education held in Rwanda. I would particularly like to thank Professor Rolf Holmqvist, the discussant at my final seminar, who carefully read my manuscript. His valuable comments helped me to revise my thesis in major ways. I would furthermore like to acknowledge the academic and moral support provided by my colleagues at IBL in different seminars, in the coffee room and corridor. You really strengthened me when I was weak. I would also like to express my gratitude to the students, the parents, school children and teachers who participated in this PhD research project. Thank you for contributing to the understanding of the phenomenon of the lack of a reading culture and devising strategies to develop a reading culture in Rwanda. Thanks are also due my family, my mother, my brothers and sisters who have always expressed their love and moral support and encouragement to me. I also take this opportunity to thank Sida/SAREC via the Swedish Institute and the National University of Rwanda for sponsoring my studies. Finally, I must both thank and express my apologies to my wife, Marie Chantal Kayitesi and our two sons, Romeo Lucky and Jason. From the bottom of my heart, I really thank you for your exceptional patience and courage during my long absence from home. Please find in this thesis the price and pride I have been searching. You have inspired and lightened up my spirit to finish this thesis. You are my pride. Linköping, August 2012 Pierre Canisius Ruterana 4 Contents Dedication………………………………………………………………………………….……3 Acknowledgements………..........................................................................................................4 List of original articles………..…………………………………..……………………………7 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 9 Background ................................................................................................................................... 9 Motivation................................................................................................................................... 11 Context ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Aim and research questions ........................................................................................................ 15 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................................. 16 2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK........................................................................................ 17 Reading culture and literacy ....................................................................................................... 18 Literacy as a social and cultural practice .................................................................................... 21 Emergent literacy development .................................................................................................. 24 Home and school literacy development ...................................................................................... 25 3. METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN ..................................................................................... 29 Research design .......................................................................................................................... 29 Participants and settings ............................................................................................................. 30 Ethical considerations ................................................................................................................. 33 Data analysis procedure .............................................................................................................. 34 Quality considerations ................................................................................................................ 36 4. SUMMARIES OF THE ARTICLES .................................................................................. 39 Introduction................................................................................................................................. 39 Study 1: Enhancing the culture of reading in Rwanda: Reflections by students in tertiary institutions ......................................................................................................................... 42 Background ...................................................................................................................... 42 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 42 Findings and discussion ................................................................................................... 43 Study 2 : Exploring home literacy practices among Rwandan families ..................................... 44 Background ...................................................................................................................... 44 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 45 Findings and discussion ................................................................................................... 45 Study 3 : Teachers’ reflections on parental involvement in emergent literacy development in Rwanda…………………………………………. ............................................................. 46 Background ...................................................................................................................... 46 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 47 Findings and discussion ................................................................................................... 48 Study 4 : Children’s Reflections on Gender Equality in Fairy Tales: A Rwanda Case Study ... 49 Background ...................................................................................................................... 49 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 50 Findings and discussion ................................................................................................... 50 5 5. CONCLUDING DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………… 53 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………. 53 Written versus oral traditions…………………..………………………………………………53 The making of a reading society………………………………………………………………. 54 Responsibility for developing a culture of reading…………..……………………….………..55 Parents' responsibility………………………………………..……………………………….55 Teachers' responsibility……………………………………...………………………………..57 Societal responsibility…….……………………….………………………………………….57 New tools for developing a culture of reading.………………………………………………...58 Some sociolinguistic considerations in education ……………………………………………...58 Urban - rural divide…………………………………………………………………………...60 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………………...61 Implications and future research perspectives………..……………..........…………...………..62 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………..………65 APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………........71 Appendix 1: Questionnaire for university students ................................................................ ...71 Appendix 2: Questionnaire & interview guide for parents ......................................................... 73 Appendix 3: Questionnaire & Interview guide for teachers (nursery & primary schools) ........ 75 PART II THE STUDIES I-IV 6 List of original articles 1. Ruterana, Pierre Canisius. (2012). Enhancing the culture of reading in Rwanda: Reflections by students in tertiary institutions. The Journal of