Exploring the lexical and semantic access afforded by novice and experienced Namibian physical science teachers’ talk during electricity and magnetism lessons
- Authors: Muzambani, Efraim Hiamueze
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Knowledge, Theory of , Education, Secondary Aims and objectives Namibia , Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Systemic functional linguistics , Lexical density , Electricity Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Magnetism Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405346 , vital:70163
- Description: Challenges to learners’ meaning-making in the topic of electricity and magnetism contributes to underperformance in grade 10 Physical Science in Namibian schools. Teacher talk in content-based classrooms not only contributes to learners’ language development (Gibbons, 2003), but also facilitates meaning-making and cumulative knowledge-building (Halliday, 1999). However, it is possible that there are differences between the classrooms talk of novice and experienced Namibian Physical Science teachers. An understanding of differences between experienced and novice Namibian science teacher talk could inform teacher training and professional development and potentially help improve learners’ meaning-making in topics such as electricity and magnetism. However, no study could be found in the Namibian context which explored whether novice and experienced teacher talk afforded similar semantic and lexical access to meaning-making. This research gap provided a strong rationale for undertaking the study reported in this thesis. The study sought to investigate the extent to which novice and experienced grade 10 Namibian Physical Science teachers’ classroom talk provides semantic and lexical access to learners for the topic of electricity and magnetism. The research is informed by Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Research has shown that the two theories are complementary and can be used to characterize teachers’ pedagogical practices (Maton, 2014). A quantitative case study methodology was followed in this study with LCT’s semantic density and SFL’s lexical density as analytical tools to analyze the two teachers’ classroom talk. The results from a t-test for semantic density show that there is a significant difference in the means for “semantic density waving” criterion (t-value of -2.331; p-value for 2 tail test at 95% level of 0.0040) and for the “linking downward escalators or single references” criterion (t-value of 4.649; p-value for 2 tail test at 95% level of 0.001) of teacher talk by the teachers. The overall results for semantic density indicate that the experienced teacher affords better epistemological access through semantic waves than the novice teacher, whereas the novice teacher affords better epistemological access through semantic range and semantic flow. In terms of lexical density, both teachers afforded similar access, characterized by their talk veering towards the level of information density associated with written text. The study makes a methodological contribution to science education research through its characterization of novice and experienced teachers’ talk in terms of semantic waves and lexical density. This study also provides empirical insight into the differences between language use by novice and experienced Namibian Physical Science teachers, which can inform the work of educational institutions, advisory and inspectorate services in the ministry of education, and school managers. Relevant Namibian stakeholders are encouraged to consider including the topics of semantic density and lexical density, in continuous professional development programmes towards improving the meaning-making affordances of science teachers’ talk. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Muzambani, Efraim Hiamueze
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Knowledge, Theory of , Education, Secondary Aims and objectives Namibia , Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Systemic functional linguistics , Lexical density , Electricity Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Magnetism Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405346 , vital:70163
- Description: Challenges to learners’ meaning-making in the topic of electricity and magnetism contributes to underperformance in grade 10 Physical Science in Namibian schools. Teacher talk in content-based classrooms not only contributes to learners’ language development (Gibbons, 2003), but also facilitates meaning-making and cumulative knowledge-building (Halliday, 1999). However, it is possible that there are differences between the classrooms talk of novice and experienced Namibian Physical Science teachers. An understanding of differences between experienced and novice Namibian science teacher talk could inform teacher training and professional development and potentially help improve learners’ meaning-making in topics such as electricity and magnetism. However, no study could be found in the Namibian context which explored whether novice and experienced teacher talk afforded similar semantic and lexical access to meaning-making. This research gap provided a strong rationale for undertaking the study reported in this thesis. The study sought to investigate the extent to which novice and experienced grade 10 Namibian Physical Science teachers’ classroom talk provides semantic and lexical access to learners for the topic of electricity and magnetism. The research is informed by Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Research has shown that the two theories are complementary and can be used to characterize teachers’ pedagogical practices (Maton, 2014). A quantitative case study methodology was followed in this study with LCT’s semantic density and SFL’s lexical density as analytical tools to analyze the two teachers’ classroom talk. The results from a t-test for semantic density show that there is a significant difference in the means for “semantic density waving” criterion (t-value of -2.331; p-value for 2 tail test at 95% level of 0.0040) and for the “linking downward escalators or single references” criterion (t-value of 4.649; p-value for 2 tail test at 95% level of 0.001) of teacher talk by the teachers. The overall results for semantic density indicate that the experienced teacher affords better epistemological access through semantic waves than the novice teacher, whereas the novice teacher affords better epistemological access through semantic range and semantic flow. In terms of lexical density, both teachers afforded similar access, characterized by their talk veering towards the level of information density associated with written text. The study makes a methodological contribution to science education research through its characterization of novice and experienced teachers’ talk in terms of semantic waves and lexical density. This study also provides empirical insight into the differences between language use by novice and experienced Namibian Physical Science teachers, which can inform the work of educational institutions, advisory and inspectorate services in the ministry of education, and school managers. Relevant Namibian stakeholders are encouraged to consider including the topics of semantic density and lexical density, in continuous professional development programmes towards improving the meaning-making affordances of science teachers’ talk. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Revitalisation and indigenisation of the Science curriculum through drum making, drumming, music and dance
- Authors: Liveve, Angelius Kanyanga
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Curriculum change Namibia , Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Traditional ecological knowledge Namibia , Drum Performance , Drum making , Pedagogical content knowledge , Social learning
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405482 , vital:70175 , DOI 10.21504/10962/405482
- Description: The integration of IK is a common phenomenon in many postcolonial states, where it is viewed as a means to redress the injustices of the colonial era. It is believed that the recognition of IK in education represents an acknowledgement of diversity and other ways of knowing. In Namibia, for instance, the National Curriculum for Basic Education encourages the integration of IK in Science teaching. However, this goal is still far from being achieved because the curriculum seems to be silent on how teachers should integrate IK into their teaching. As a result, research shows that many Science teachers in Namibia seem to find it difficult to integrate IK into their science teaching because they were not properly trained to do so during both their pre-service and in-service training. This suggests that there is a dire need to empower science teachers who are implementers of the curriculum on appropriate pedagogical content knowledge on how to integrate IK into their science teaching in particular. It is against this backdrop that this interventionist study sought to explore how to mobilise the indigenous technology of drum making, drumming, music and dance for cultural revitalisation and indigenisation of the science curriculum. The study is underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm and augmented with an indigenous research paradigm. The interpretivist paradigm enabled me to understand the teachers’ perspectives in their contexts. On the other hand, within the indigenous research paradigm, I used the Ubuntu perspective which afforded each of us an opportunity to understand each other’s ways of knowing, doing and being. Within these two complementary paradigms, a qualitative case study approach was employed. The case study was in the form of intervention with six Grade 10 Physics teachers from three senior secondary schools in the Kavango West Region in Namibia. Moreover, a critical friend who was a lecturer at the university and expert community members of the Unongo Cultural Youth Group who are the custodians of the cultural heritage. Data were generated using semi-structured interviews, workshop discussions (audio-recorded), observations (participatory and lesson observations), stimulated recall interviews as well as journal reflections. Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory, Ogunniyi’s Contiguity Argumentation Theory and Mavhunga and Rollnick’s Topic-specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge were used as the theoretical lenses in this study. The data gathered were analysed thematically and then categorised into sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that tapping into the cultural heritage of community members through giving them a voice has great potential to revitalise and indigenise the science curriculum. It also emerged in this study that storytelling is a potential instructional strategy to make science accessible and relevant to learners. The use of the indigenous technology of drum making, drumming, music and dance contributed to the Physics teachers’ agency and empowered them to co-develop their learning and teaching support materials in the form of exemplar lesson plans that integrated IK. Moreover, their pedagogical content knowledge was enhanced through enacting such exemplar lessons and thereafter reflecting on them. The study thus recommends that those in academia should promote the use of indigenous technologies as hubs for mediating the learning of science concepts. It also recommends that learners should be taken out of their science classrooms into the community to learn IK and wisdom from expert community members, something which could assist them in understanding the science taught at school. This might also benefit teachers in effectively implementing the integration of IK in schools and thereby use learners’ cultural heritage as a starting point to enrich meaningful and authentic learning. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Liveve, Angelius Kanyanga
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Curriculum change Namibia , Science Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Traditional ecological knowledge Namibia , Drum Performance , Drum making , Pedagogical content knowledge , Social learning
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405482 , vital:70175 , DOI 10.21504/10962/405482
- Description: The integration of IK is a common phenomenon in many postcolonial states, where it is viewed as a means to redress the injustices of the colonial era. It is believed that the recognition of IK in education represents an acknowledgement of diversity and other ways of knowing. In Namibia, for instance, the National Curriculum for Basic Education encourages the integration of IK in Science teaching. However, this goal is still far from being achieved because the curriculum seems to be silent on how teachers should integrate IK into their teaching. As a result, research shows that many Science teachers in Namibia seem to find it difficult to integrate IK into their science teaching because they were not properly trained to do so during both their pre-service and in-service training. This suggests that there is a dire need to empower science teachers who are implementers of the curriculum on appropriate pedagogical content knowledge on how to integrate IK into their science teaching in particular. It is against this backdrop that this interventionist study sought to explore how to mobilise the indigenous technology of drum making, drumming, music and dance for cultural revitalisation and indigenisation of the science curriculum. The study is underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm and augmented with an indigenous research paradigm. The interpretivist paradigm enabled me to understand the teachers’ perspectives in their contexts. On the other hand, within the indigenous research paradigm, I used the Ubuntu perspective which afforded each of us an opportunity to understand each other’s ways of knowing, doing and being. Within these two complementary paradigms, a qualitative case study approach was employed. The case study was in the form of intervention with six Grade 10 Physics teachers from three senior secondary schools in the Kavango West Region in Namibia. Moreover, a critical friend who was a lecturer at the university and expert community members of the Unongo Cultural Youth Group who are the custodians of the cultural heritage. Data were generated using semi-structured interviews, workshop discussions (audio-recorded), observations (participatory and lesson observations), stimulated recall interviews as well as journal reflections. Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory, Ogunniyi’s Contiguity Argumentation Theory and Mavhunga and Rollnick’s Topic-specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge were used as the theoretical lenses in this study. The data gathered were analysed thematically and then categorised into sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that tapping into the cultural heritage of community members through giving them a voice has great potential to revitalise and indigenise the science curriculum. It also emerged in this study that storytelling is a potential instructional strategy to make science accessible and relevant to learners. The use of the indigenous technology of drum making, drumming, music and dance contributed to the Physics teachers’ agency and empowered them to co-develop their learning and teaching support materials in the form of exemplar lesson plans that integrated IK. Moreover, their pedagogical content knowledge was enhanced through enacting such exemplar lessons and thereafter reflecting on them. The study thus recommends that those in academia should promote the use of indigenous technologies as hubs for mediating the learning of science concepts. It also recommends that learners should be taken out of their science classrooms into the community to learn IK and wisdom from expert community members, something which could assist them in understanding the science taught at school. This might also benefit teachers in effectively implementing the integration of IK in schools and thereby use learners’ cultural heritage as a starting point to enrich meaningful and authentic learning. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
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