An investigation into the implementation of the senior secondary agriculture curriculum in the Caprivi region of Namibia
- Authors: Kasenga, Alfred
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia Educational change -- Namibia Education, Secondary -- Namibia Curriculum planning -- Namibia Agriculture -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004555
- Description: Shortly after independence, Namibia embarked on a major process of educational reform. It was in this reform that the apartheid educational legacy was redressed. Namibians viewed the apartheid educational system as being irrelevant and that it did not meet their needs and expectations. One of the reform aims was to involve education in the development of knowledge and skills for self sufficiency and sustainable development, therefore Agriculture was incorporated into the school curriculum as a key area to achieve this aim. Learners taking the subject are expected to be equipped with relevant theoretical and practical skills that provide a sound foundation in this discipline. This case study was undertaken to gain a better understanding about how the participating teachers perceived and implemented the Agriculture curriculum at the senior secondary school level in their schools. In carrying out the case study a qualitative research method was employed using semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis for data collection. It would appear from this study that Agriculture is unable to fully achieve the reform ideals at the senior secondary school level, as sixteen years after independence these teachers are still teaching the subject to learners with very limited resources and academic support. This scenario shows that there are marked inconsistencies between policy and praxis, between the stated goals and aims of the reform and the curriculum designed to achieve these. In this half-thesis I therefore argue that without well qualified teachers, suitable resources and infrastructure to implement the curriculum in these schools, the pre-vocational nature of the subject as suggested in the subject policy document will be compromised. The study concludes by proposing certain teaching strategies and possibilities for systemic development that can be used to effect quality curriculum implementation in the region where the research was situated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Kasenga, Alfred
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia Educational change -- Namibia Education, Secondary -- Namibia Curriculum planning -- Namibia Agriculture -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004555
- Description: Shortly after independence, Namibia embarked on a major process of educational reform. It was in this reform that the apartheid educational legacy was redressed. Namibians viewed the apartheid educational system as being irrelevant and that it did not meet their needs and expectations. One of the reform aims was to involve education in the development of knowledge and skills for self sufficiency and sustainable development, therefore Agriculture was incorporated into the school curriculum as a key area to achieve this aim. Learners taking the subject are expected to be equipped with relevant theoretical and practical skills that provide a sound foundation in this discipline. This case study was undertaken to gain a better understanding about how the participating teachers perceived and implemented the Agriculture curriculum at the senior secondary school level in their schools. In carrying out the case study a qualitative research method was employed using semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis for data collection. It would appear from this study that Agriculture is unable to fully achieve the reform ideals at the senior secondary school level, as sixteen years after independence these teachers are still teaching the subject to learners with very limited resources and academic support. This scenario shows that there are marked inconsistencies between policy and praxis, between the stated goals and aims of the reform and the curriculum designed to achieve these. In this half-thesis I therefore argue that without well qualified teachers, suitable resources and infrastructure to implement the curriculum in these schools, the pre-vocational nature of the subject as suggested in the subject policy document will be compromised. The study concludes by proposing certain teaching strategies and possibilities for systemic development that can be used to effect quality curriculum implementation in the region where the research was situated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Former BETD graduate's understanding and implementation of reflective practice in the Rundu region of Namibia
- Authors: Mwala, Maria Elizabeth
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia , Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia , Educational change -- Namibia , Teacher educators -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1547 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003429 , Education -- Namibia , Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia , Educational change -- Namibia , Teacher educators -- Namibia
- Description: The research, investigating how a selected group of former BETD graduates understand and implement the theory of reflective practice, is a qualitative case study carried out in the Kavango region of Namibia. The study was shaped by one of the major policy emphases in Namibia’s post independence teacher education reform process - that of developing reflective teachers who actively participate in curriculum planning and take educational decisions based on their own judgment. A basic assumption underlying the study is that effective educational practice is dependent on practitioners thinking about what they are doing and acting on their reflections to improve practice. The study found that a fundamental problem preventing these teachers from implementing reflective practice in accordance with the Namibian educational reform process, is that the participating teachers neither understand the exact meaning of reflective practice nor do they have a common or shared view of the concept, in spite of their common qualifications. A key contributing factor to their problems with implementing reflective practice is the lack of a deep understanding of the reform epistemology and pedagogy revealed by the three former BETD graduates selected for the research. These are the teachers referred to in the first paragraph: The first teacher is Helena, a teacher at Duduva primary school, the second teacher is Kalishe, also teaching at the same school as Helena and the third teacher is Darius at Ntja Junior secondary school. The qualitative approach employed for the study served to illuminate and highlight specific issues related to the implementation of reflective practice that will be of considerable value for the researcher in her capacity as a teacher educator. These included among others: • The teacher’s need for an understanding of the key principles on which reflection is based and how to translate these into practice. • The need for teachers to have a clear understanding of the role that learners play in the reflective process. • The need to revisit the Basic Education Teacher Diploma (BETD) education programme, because for teachers to reflect they need a sound subject knowledge on which to base their judgments. These aspects, as well as the identification of the factors in the school system that contribute to the failure of reflective practice, provide a foundation for finding real solutions to the problems identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Mwala, Maria Elizabeth
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia , Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia , Educational change -- Namibia , Teacher educators -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1547 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003429 , Education -- Namibia , Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia , Educational change -- Namibia , Teacher educators -- Namibia
- Description: The research, investigating how a selected group of former BETD graduates understand and implement the theory of reflective practice, is a qualitative case study carried out in the Kavango region of Namibia. The study was shaped by one of the major policy emphases in Namibia’s post independence teacher education reform process - that of developing reflective teachers who actively participate in curriculum planning and take educational decisions based on their own judgment. A basic assumption underlying the study is that effective educational practice is dependent on practitioners thinking about what they are doing and acting on their reflections to improve practice. The study found that a fundamental problem preventing these teachers from implementing reflective practice in accordance with the Namibian educational reform process, is that the participating teachers neither understand the exact meaning of reflective practice nor do they have a common or shared view of the concept, in spite of their common qualifications. A key contributing factor to their problems with implementing reflective practice is the lack of a deep understanding of the reform epistemology and pedagogy revealed by the three former BETD graduates selected for the research. These are the teachers referred to in the first paragraph: The first teacher is Helena, a teacher at Duduva primary school, the second teacher is Kalishe, also teaching at the same school as Helena and the third teacher is Darius at Ntja Junior secondary school. The qualitative approach employed for the study served to illuminate and highlight specific issues related to the implementation of reflective practice that will be of considerable value for the researcher in her capacity as a teacher educator. These included among others: • The teacher’s need for an understanding of the key principles on which reflection is based and how to translate these into practice. • The need for teachers to have a clear understanding of the role that learners play in the reflective process. • The need to revisit the Basic Education Teacher Diploma (BETD) education programme, because for teachers to reflect they need a sound subject knowledge on which to base their judgments. These aspects, as well as the identification of the factors in the school system that contribute to the failure of reflective practice, provide a foundation for finding real solutions to the problems identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Investigating the implementation of continuous assessment by grade 7 Social Studies teachers in the Oshana education region
- Authors: Matheus, Hilya
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Educational tests and measurements -- Namibia Social sciences -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1593 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003475
- Description: Since independence in 1990, Namibia’s Ministry of Education Sport and Culture has focused on curriculum and assessment reforms. The introduction of Continuous Assessment (CA) for appraising learners’ achievement was considered to be a very important aspect of teaching and learning. This study focused on the implementation of CA in schools. The study explores how the selected grade 7 Social Studies teachers understand and implement CA. This study was conducted in the Oshana region of Namibia. Four grade 7 Social Studies teachers participated from two different schools. This study was done through a case study to gain insight into the implementation of CA in schools. Semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis were the research methods used to collect the data. The findings indicate that these teachers have a theoretical understanding of what CA implies and what role it plays and are aware of assessment strategies. However these theoretical perspectives are not translated into practice. This implies a limited understanding of CA and reflects a gap between the teachers’ theoretical understanding of CA and its practical implementation. The study also identified various systemic factors that hamper the implementation of CA, which include overcrowded classrooms, increased teachers’ workload by CA, shortages of resources such as textbooks and lack of professional development. The nature of pre-service teacher education the participants went through, professional development programmes that are given to teachers as in-service training and a lack of guidelines in the syllabus on how to approach continuous assessment are clearly evident in the findings as factors that contribute to the teachers’ gap between theory and practice. The study concludes that even though a number of workshops on continuous assessment were conducted, the teachers still could not implement it as expected. The study findings inform my professional context as an Advisory Teacher and that of my colleagues. Therefore it made me realize what the teachers’ needs are and what kind of support they require.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Matheus, Hilya
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Educational tests and measurements -- Namibia Social sciences -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1593 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003475
- Description: Since independence in 1990, Namibia’s Ministry of Education Sport and Culture has focused on curriculum and assessment reforms. The introduction of Continuous Assessment (CA) for appraising learners’ achievement was considered to be a very important aspect of teaching and learning. This study focused on the implementation of CA in schools. The study explores how the selected grade 7 Social Studies teachers understand and implement CA. This study was conducted in the Oshana region of Namibia. Four grade 7 Social Studies teachers participated from two different schools. This study was done through a case study to gain insight into the implementation of CA in schools. Semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis were the research methods used to collect the data. The findings indicate that these teachers have a theoretical understanding of what CA implies and what role it plays and are aware of assessment strategies. However these theoretical perspectives are not translated into practice. This implies a limited understanding of CA and reflects a gap between the teachers’ theoretical understanding of CA and its practical implementation. The study also identified various systemic factors that hamper the implementation of CA, which include overcrowded classrooms, increased teachers’ workload by CA, shortages of resources such as textbooks and lack of professional development. The nature of pre-service teacher education the participants went through, professional development programmes that are given to teachers as in-service training and a lack of guidelines in the syllabus on how to approach continuous assessment are clearly evident in the findings as factors that contribute to the teachers’ gap between theory and practice. The study concludes that even though a number of workshops on continuous assessment were conducted, the teachers still could not implement it as expected. The study findings inform my professional context as an Advisory Teacher and that of my colleagues. Therefore it made me realize what the teachers’ needs are and what kind of support they require.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
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