Cogent Education (Dec 2024)
‘Hapa ni wapi? (Where is this?)’: a linguistic and discursive examination of students-teacher dynamics in education
Abstract
This paper explores the relationship between teachers and learners, particularly within Mathematics education, examining how language and discourse influence relationship dynamics. It acknowledges historical educational hierarchies where teachers exerted authority and students assumed passive roles. Through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study scrutinizes a Swahili meme, ‘Wewe mwalimu wa mathe uliyesema sitofika mbali, hapa ni wapi?’ (‘You, the math teacher who said I wouldn’t go far, where is this?’), which reflects students’ doubts and potential discouragement from math teachers. Employing qualitative methods like digital ethnography and purposeful sampling, the research examines the meme’s interpretations, employing CDA to dissect linguistic features such as deixis, modifiers, modality, interrogative structures, proniminal and iron or rhetoric, and socio-cultural contexts. The analysis reveals the meme’s strategic use of these linguistic elements to challenge power dynamics, evoke reflection, and convey deeper meanings. The implied meanings of the meme expression include questioning authority, validation of student agency, a narrative of resilience, critique of the educational system, and the significance of teacher-student interactions. The study has also shown that the hapa ni wapi? ‘Where is this’ expression has impacts on Math’s teachers and teachers at large. Such impacts are focused on power dynamics, identity representation, the role of teachers, emotional impact, and pose challenge to the educational system. This study, highlights the influential role of teachers in shaping students’ lives, emphasizes the importance of language use in education, and promotes a more inclusive and growth-oriented learning environment.
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