THE AFRICAN STORYBOOK AND TEACHER IDENTITY by Espen Stranger-Johannessen A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Language & Literacy Education) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) December 2017 © Espen Stranger-Johannessen, 2017 Abstract The African Storybook (ASb) is a digital initiative that promotes multilingual literacy for African children by providing openly licenced children’s stories in multiple African languages, as well as English, French, and Portuguese. One of the ASb pilot sites, a primary school in Uganda, served as the focal case in this research, while two other schools and libraries were also included. Data was collected from June to December 2014 in the form of field notes, classroom observations, interview transcripts, and questionnaires, which were coded using retroductive coding. Based on Darvin and Norton’s (2015) model of identity and investment, and drawing on the Douglas Fir Group’s (2016) framework for second language acquisition, this study investigates Ugandan primary school teachers’ investment in the ASb and how their identities change through the process of using the stories and technology provided by the ASb. The findings indicate that the use of stories expands the repertoire of teaching methods and topics, and that this use is influenced by teachers’ social capital as well as financial factors and policies. Through the ASb initiative and its stories, the teachers began to imagine themselves as writers and translators; change agents; multimodal, multiliterate educators; and digital educators, reframing what it means to be a reading teacher. Teachers’ shifts of identity were indexical of their enhanced social and cultural capital as they engaged with the ASb, notwithstanding ideological constraints associated with mother tongue usage, assessment practices, and teacher supervision. This exploration of teachers’ resourcefulness, needs, and realities provides a foundation for enhancing existing practices. ii Lay Summary The African Storybook (ASb) is a digital initiative that promotes multilingual literacy for African children by providing children’s stories in African languages, as well as English, French, and Portuguese. Field notes, classroom observations, interview transcripts, and questionnaires from an ASb pilot site and two other schools and libraries were analyzed. Based on Darvin and Norton’s (2015) model of identity and investment, this study investigates Ugandan primary school teachers’ investment in the ASb and how their identities change through the process of using the stories and technology provided by the ASb. The findings indicate that the use of stories expands the repertoire of teaching methods and topics. Through the ASb initiative and its stories, the teachers began to imagine themselves as writers and translators, change agents and multimodal, multiliterate, digital educators. These changes in identity reflected teachers’ enhanced social and cultural capital as they engaged with the ASb, notwithstanding several constraints. iii Preface Parts of Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 have been published as: Stranger-Johannessen, E. (2017). “The African storybook, teachers’ resources, and pedagogical practices”. International Journal of Educational Development, 52. Parts of Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 have been published as: Stranger-Johannessen, E. (2017). “Digital stories and the African Storybook: Teaching English in the digital age”. In: M. Carrier, R. Damerow, & K. Bailey (Eds.) Digital language learning and teaching: Research, theory and practice. London: Routledge. Parts of Chapter 2 have been published as: Stranger-Johannessen, E. (2015). Constructing English as a Ugandan language through an English textbook”. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 28(2), 1–7. Parts of Chapter 2 have been published as: Stranger-Johannessen, E. (2014). Trends and developments of community libraries in Africa. Libri, 64(4), 396–407. Parts of Chapters 2, 6, and 7 have been published as: Stranger-Johannessen, E. & Norton, B. (2017). The African Storybook and language teacher identity in digital times. Modern Language Journal, 101(S1), 45–60. I transcribed, coded, and analyzed the data used in this article, and wrote the first draft. The rest of the dissertation was researched, analyzed, and written by the author, Espen Stranger-Johannessen. This study was approved by the University of British Columbia’s Behavioural Research Ethics Board (UBC BREB Number: H14-00788) under the original project title: Digital storytelling, early reading, and the African Storybook Project. iv Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Lay Summary ............................................................................................................................... iii Preface ........................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................................v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xii List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................ xiii Transcription Legend ..................................................................................................................xv Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... xvi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction to the Study ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions................................................................ 6 1.4 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................ 7 1.5 Overview of the Dissertation .......................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Literature Review and Theoretical Framework ....................................................11 2.1 New Literacy Studies, Multimodality, and Multiliteracies ........................................... 13 2.2 Education in Uganda ..................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Digital Technology in African Classrooms .................................................................. 18 2.4 Literacy Materials ......................................................................................................... 22 2.5 Pedagogy ....................................................................................................................... 28 2.6 Students’ Reading Preferences and Community Libraries ........................................... 31 v 2.7 Language in Education ................................................................................................. 37 2.8 Theoretical Framework: Identity and a Model of Investment ...................................... 43 2.9 Identity, Teachers, and Educational Change ................................................................ 51 2.10 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 3: Methodology..............................................................................................................55 3.1 Research Design ........................................................................................................... 56 3.2 Managing exigencies .................................................................................................... 59 3.3 Research Sites and Participants .................................................................................... 61 3.3.1 Arua Hill Primary School ................................................................................. 63 3.3.2 Drari Primary School ........................................................................................ 69 3.3.3 Mvara Junior Primary School ........................................................................... 69 3.3.4 Mindrabe Primary School Library and Ombaderuku Primary School Library 70 3.4 Data collection .............................................................................................................. 72 3.4.1 Field notes and observations ............................................................................ 73 3.4.2 Interviews ......................................................................................................... 74 3.4.3 Focus group discussion ..................................................................................... 76 3.4.4 Participant journals ..........................................................................................