Afful, Joseph Benjamin Archibald

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Undergraduate Students’ Preferences for Literacy Practices in Higher Education: Towards Transformative Pedagogy

By Tabiri, Francis

This study is necessitated by the observation that university students’ preferences do not reflect the ideal pedagogical practices in higher education, especially university students in Ghana. Therefore, given that previous studies have concentrated solely on classroom-related practices of lecturers, this study examines undergraduate students’ preferences for their lecturers’ pedagogical practices in higher education. It addresses Peripheral Academic Writing Practices (PAWP) and Actual Academic Writing Practices (AAWP). Using the quantitative approach, with focus on cross-sectional survey design, the study samples 598 Bachelor of Education (Arts) students. Preference for literacy practices questionnaire (PLPsQ) is adopted for the study, with emphasis on dichotomised regularities in higher education: normative socialization (NS) and Academic Literacies Socialization (ALS). Data analysis focuses on mean and standard deviation. Findings from the study indicate that undergraduate students’ preferences show a blended approach of hybridised notations of an integrated pattern of teacher-centred and non-digital based approach to pedagogy as well as student-centred and digital-based approach to pedagogy. Regarding the priority ratings of their preferences, they seem to prefer practices that require their active participation in the lesson, engagement in criticality, and utilisation of digital-based technology. However, in terms of information generating practices, undergraduate students seem to have the most preference for teacher-centred information-generation practices, where they would want their lecturers to provide them with all the information (such as copious notes, pamphlets, course packs, and handouts) that they need to learn for the semester. Therefore, various departments in higher education, especially in Ghana, should organise research clinics, student-led seminars, and workshops in order to develop students’ habit of generating their own knowledge so as to realise the decolonisation, liberalisation, and transformative agenda envisaged in higher education. © 2024 Unisa Press.

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Persuasive strategies in grant recommendation letters written by senior faculty in a Ghanaian university

By Afful, Joseph Benjamin Archibald

The genre system of grant application has gained attention from researchers in Applied Linguistics, Discourse Studies, and Higher Education. However, the grant recommendation letter (GRL), also known as the “letter of support”, has been understudied in this system. To address this gap, this study examined the persuasive strategies used in GRLs. Using Aristotle’s Theory of Persuasion and a qualitative inductive discourse analysis, we analysed 90 GRLS. The findings revealed that GRLs employ different frequencies of ethos, logos, and pathos to influence the grant committee. The writers primarily emphasised rational justifications for the applicant’s qualifications, while also demonstrating ethos through appropriate personal traits. Personal pronouns were used to perform discursive functions as well. Based on the findings, we offer implications for pedagogy and further research on GRLs. © 2023 Sciendo. All rights reserved.

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