Use of social media by parents raising autistic children in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Bikitsha, Tina Sisanda
- Date: 2025-04-04
- Subjects: Autism spectrum disorders South Africa , Autism spectrum disorders in children South Africa , Mothers of children with disabilities South Africa , Social media South Africa East London , Digital divide South Africa East London , Digital literacy
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480128 , vital:78399
- Description: This study investigates how local parents use social media platforms, focusing on the platforms they use, how they access them, the barriers they face, and the effectiveness of social media in supporting them. Using a qualitative approach and informed by the theoretical frameworks of digital divide and digital literacy, semi- structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants (parents and caregivers), the majority of whom resided in an urban area with one from a township. The findings reveal that social media, especially WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube, play an important role in providing emotional support, connecting parents with similar challenges, and information sharing. However, the effectiveness of these platforms is restricted by factors such as high data costs, frequent power outages (loadshedding), limited digital literacy, disinformation, and a lack of South Africa-based online autism support groups. Additionally, the research reveals a gender disparity in social media engagement, with fewer fathers joining online support groups. Recommendations include developing relationships with policymakers to reduce data costs and enhance digital access, creating locally appropriate resources and digital literacy initiatives to improve social media accessibility for South African parents and caregivers of autistic children and, addressing the under-representation of male participants. Future research should include recruiting more fathers and caregivers, particularly in low socioeconomic regions like the Eastern Cape, and parents who lack access to social media due to financial and digital literacy challenges, to better understand their use of social media as parents or caregivers raising children with autism. The researcher’s own experience as a parent of an autistic child provides a unique perspective, which allows a more empathic and authentic understanding of the experiences of the interviewed parents. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2025
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- Authors: Bikitsha, Tina Sisanda
- Date: 2025-04-04
- Subjects: Autism spectrum disorders South Africa , Autism spectrum disorders in children South Africa , Mothers of children with disabilities South Africa , Social media South Africa East London , Digital divide South Africa East London , Digital literacy
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480128 , vital:78399
- Description: This study investigates how local parents use social media platforms, focusing on the platforms they use, how they access them, the barriers they face, and the effectiveness of social media in supporting them. Using a qualitative approach and informed by the theoretical frameworks of digital divide and digital literacy, semi- structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants (parents and caregivers), the majority of whom resided in an urban area with one from a township. The findings reveal that social media, especially WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube, play an important role in providing emotional support, connecting parents with similar challenges, and information sharing. However, the effectiveness of these platforms is restricted by factors such as high data costs, frequent power outages (loadshedding), limited digital literacy, disinformation, and a lack of South Africa-based online autism support groups. Additionally, the research reveals a gender disparity in social media engagement, with fewer fathers joining online support groups. Recommendations include developing relationships with policymakers to reduce data costs and enhance digital access, creating locally appropriate resources and digital literacy initiatives to improve social media accessibility for South African parents and caregivers of autistic children and, addressing the under-representation of male participants. Future research should include recruiting more fathers and caregivers, particularly in low socioeconomic regions like the Eastern Cape, and parents who lack access to social media due to financial and digital literacy challenges, to better understand their use of social media as parents or caregivers raising children with autism. The researcher’s own experience as a parent of an autistic child provides a unique perspective, which allows a more empathic and authentic understanding of the experiences of the interviewed parents. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2025
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Investigating the interplay between Grade 9 learners’ home visual literacy and their development of school visual literacy in English First Additional language classrooms
- Authors: Mnyanda, Lutho
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Visual literacy , Digital literacy , Action theory , Culturally relevant pedagogy , English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- Case studies , English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/50191 , vital:25966
- Description: Visual literacy is one of the critical aspects that English First Additional Language teachers and learners battle with. The focus of this investigation was on developing learners’ performance in visual literacy and helping teachers improve teaching practice. This thesis reports on efforts in developing critical visual literacy in two Grade 9 classrooms; a rural and a township school in the King William’s Town District in the Eastern Cape. The research spread over four week, spending two weeks at each school as an ethnographic researcher, being assimilated to the culture of the each school. In understanding the kind of visual knowledge that these learners brought from home between the rural-urban divide, the learners displayed an interest in visual literacy, used the necessary language and appeared to design certain visual materials around the school. Data was collected in the form of questionnaires that learners filled, informal Facebook conversation screenshots, as well as the researcher’s field notes. Learner focus group discussions were conducted, tape recorded and transcribed. Two lessons each were observed with the two teachers, and these were recorded and transcribed. A camera was used to take shots in the classroom to show the interaction between the teachers and the learners. Also, semi-structured interviews were held with each teacher and these were recorded and transcribed. The data revealed that there were no major differences between rural and urban school learners. However, the research has provided a valuable insight into the mismatch between home visual literacy practices and school visual literacy teaching. The learners’ digital visual literacy practices were far ahead than those of the teachers who are not able to capitalise on these visual skills; the cultural capital that learners bring to school. Learners also displayed a low reading culture but the medium for reading has shifted considerably and learners developed communication skills through digital technology. Teacher agency in the classroom revealed that teachers need to first engage with the cognitive functions of the visual images that they teach by the prevalence of low level questions that they ask. Moreover, there is a place for translanguaging in visual literacy lessons. These indicate important areas for teacher development to promote the emergence of transformative agency.
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- Authors: Mnyanda, Lutho
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Visual literacy , Digital literacy , Action theory , Culturally relevant pedagogy , English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- Case studies , English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/50191 , vital:25966
- Description: Visual literacy is one of the critical aspects that English First Additional Language teachers and learners battle with. The focus of this investigation was on developing learners’ performance in visual literacy and helping teachers improve teaching practice. This thesis reports on efforts in developing critical visual literacy in two Grade 9 classrooms; a rural and a township school in the King William’s Town District in the Eastern Cape. The research spread over four week, spending two weeks at each school as an ethnographic researcher, being assimilated to the culture of the each school. In understanding the kind of visual knowledge that these learners brought from home between the rural-urban divide, the learners displayed an interest in visual literacy, used the necessary language and appeared to design certain visual materials around the school. Data was collected in the form of questionnaires that learners filled, informal Facebook conversation screenshots, as well as the researcher’s field notes. Learner focus group discussions were conducted, tape recorded and transcribed. Two lessons each were observed with the two teachers, and these were recorded and transcribed. A camera was used to take shots in the classroom to show the interaction between the teachers and the learners. Also, semi-structured interviews were held with each teacher and these were recorded and transcribed. The data revealed that there were no major differences between rural and urban school learners. However, the research has provided a valuable insight into the mismatch between home visual literacy practices and school visual literacy teaching. The learners’ digital visual literacy practices were far ahead than those of the teachers who are not able to capitalise on these visual skills; the cultural capital that learners bring to school. Learners also displayed a low reading culture but the medium for reading has shifted considerably and learners developed communication skills through digital technology. Teacher agency in the classroom revealed that teachers need to first engage with the cognitive functions of the visual images that they teach by the prevalence of low level questions that they ask. Moreover, there is a place for translanguaging in visual literacy lessons. These indicate important areas for teacher development to promote the emergence of transformative agency.
- Full Text:
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