Alta Engelbrecht

Senior Lecturer
Department of Education Management and Policy Studies
University of Pretoria
South Africa

Biography

Alta Engelbrecht researches the influence of ideology on representation of identities in Afrikaans text books. Based on the assumption that textbooks serve as a mirror of the social and political order, the research for her PhD (awarded in 2009) was aimed at determining the extent to which Dutch, Flemish and Afrikaans language textbook series foster cultural stereotyping of the 'other’. She co-authored a methodology textbook for students: Vuvuzela-Afrikaans: Taalonderrig wat nie geïgnoreer kan word nie (2011).

Research Intrest

Dr Engelbrecht mainly researches in the field of textbooks and stereotyping. She has also published in the fields of mergers; and teacher/learner interaction and the long term effect thereof. She mainly works in the Faculty of Education focus area of Power, reform, change and continuity in education. Her research interests also include teacher/learner interaction and its long-term effects.

List of Publications
Sercu L, Van der Westhuizen CN, Van Praag ET. Kultuurstereotipering in Nederlandse moedertaal-taalhandboeke.
Ramoroka D, Engelbrecht A. The role of History textbooks in promoting historical thinking in South African classrooms. Yesterday and Today. 2015 Dec(14):99-124.
Engelbrecht A. Reading between the lines: Hegemonic favouring within language-related communities. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. 2017 Jan 2;35(1):105-20.