The invisible curriculum: A policy analysis of orthographic knowledge in the Foundation Phase isiXhosa Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement and implications for Initial Teacher Education

Abstract

Background: Although research on orthography, Foundation Phase (FP) literacy and isiXhosa instruction has expanded, limited attention has been given to how orthographic knowledge is explicitly integrated into official literacy curricula and the implications for teacher preparation. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for isiXhosa Home Language outlines FP literacy content and assessment standards; however, Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes often assume that teachers already possess the specialised linguistic knowledge required to teach reading and writing in African languages.
Aim: This study examines how orthographic knowledge is conceptualised within the FP isiXhosa CAPS and analyses the implications for teacher preparation in ITE programmes.
Setting: The study is situated within the South African FP isiXhosa Home Language curriculum as prescribed by CAPS.
Methods: A qualitative document analysis of CAPS was conducted, informed by pedagogical content knowledge and sociocultural literacy perspectives. Thematic analysis identified assumptions about teacher knowledge and alignment with ITE preparation.
Results: The findings indicate that orthographic knowledge is largely implicit in CAPS. This implicit approach, coupled with language-neutral literacy methods, obscures isiXhosa’s linguistic specificity and creates a gap between policy expectations and classroom practice.
Conclusion: Although CAPS outlines expected literacy outcomes, it does not explicitly articulate the orthographic knowledge teachers require, leaving novice teachers underprepared. Policymakers should strengthen orthographic explicitness in CAPS and ITE programmes.
Contribution: This study highlights orthographic knowledge as central to FP teacher education and proposes a language-responsive ITE framework that bridges the gap between policy and practice in isiXhosa literacy instruction.