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Item Leadership competencies for teacher professional development: perspectives of Namibian principals, heads of departments and teachers(Perspectives in Education, 2023) So-Oabeb, Josef; du Plessis, AndreUsing a blend of functional, distributed, and instructional leadership theories as a theoretical lens, this article presents the perspectives of Namibian principals, heads of departments (HODs) and teachers on the various leadership competencies that are required in their role of enabling school leaders to support their teachers’ professional development. The study was approached from a pragmatist perspective employing a mixed-methods methodology. The sequential explanatory design employed combined quantitative and qualitative data obtained from school principals, HODs and teachers. Analysis entailed the generation of descriptive statistics using SPSS and open coding of qualitative data to generate themes. It was found that school leaders require multiple competencies, such as accountability, effective communication, good interpersonal relations, subject-matter competencies, administrative competencies, digital competencies and listening skills to be able to support their teachers’ professional development efforts. This study provides insights into how school leadership competencies enable principals’ and HODs to support teacher professional development within a Namibian context. The study also provides a new knowledge base for Namibian policy makers, political office bearers and administrators to avail human and financial resources to capacitate school leaders with muchneeded competencies to be able support teachers’ professional development through training.Item Strategies that leadership employ to support teacher professional development in Namibia(2024) So-Oabeb, Josef; du Plessis, Andre; Masenge, AndriesBackground: Namibian education is faced with a concern of poor-quality teaching and learning. One way of seeking to address this is through the professional development of teachers. Therefore, this study examined strategies used by school leaders to support teachers for improved subject knowledge and pedagogy. Aim: The study aims to provide a fresh repository of information tailored for policymakers, political leaders and administrators to avail resources to capacitate and support school leaders towards innovative and creative strategies geared towards teachers’ professional development. Setting: This article provides insights into the various strategies employed by principals and heads of departments (HODs) to support teacher professional development in the Namibian context. Methods: This was a mixed-method study in which quantitative findings were used to guide the development of questions used during interviews. During the quantitative phase of the study, data were obtained from nine principals, 32 HODs and 62 teachers, while 23 participants comprising school principals, HOD and teachers participated in the qualitative phase of the study. Results: The findings revealed that Namibian principals and heads of departments use multiple strategies employed by the leadership to support their teachers’ professional development efforts. Conclusion: Namibian principals and heads of departments play a significant role in supporting teachers’ professional development and hence have established various strategies for improved subject knowledge and pedagogy. Contribution: The study contributes to a body of knowledge on school leadership and teacher professional development by unveiling the current practices and relationships between school leaders and their teachers’ professional development in Namibia.Item Challenges faced by Namibian school principals and heads of departments in the professional development of school teachers(Namibia Educational Reform Forum Journal, 2024) So-Oabeb, Josef; du Plessis, AndréSchool leadership members play an important role in influencing teacher practices through teacher professional development. However, school leaders often face challenges in their efforts to successfully develop teachers professionally. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to present the challenges faced by the Namibian principals and heads of departments in their quest to support their teachers’ professional development for improved subject knowledge and pedagogy. The findings presented in this article were obtained during the qualitative phase of a mixed method study conducted in the Otjiwarongo’s education circuit of the Otjozondjupa region in Namibia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants comprising school principals and heads of departments. The findings revealed that Namibian principals and heads of departments faced challenges such as inadequate resources; lack of or insufficient time; multiple responsibilities; resistance from teachers; lack of or poor governmental support; and poor subject knowledge and pedagogies. To address the challenges of inadequate resources and poor governmental support, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture increases funding and logistical support for professional development programs. To combat the issue of insufficient time and multiple responsibilities, it is recommended that schools should integrate dedicated professional development periods into the regular school schedule. This would ensure that teachers had consistent and focused time for professional growth, minimizing conflicts with their teaching and administrative duties.Item AI-enabled sign language interpretation in E-learning: A structural modelling of the perspectives of African sign language interpreters(Springer Nature, 2026) Adigun, Olufemi TimothyThe development of artificial intelligence-enabled sign language interpretation (AIenabled SLI) is changing the dynamics in the sign language interpreting space and there have been various arguments for and against the use of AI-enabled SLI, especially for academic use. Leveraging on the importance of artificial intelligence for persons who are Deaf or hard of hearing, this study brought to forward the perspectives of professional sign language interpreters from Sub-Saharan Africa about AI-enabled SLI. Framed by the technology acceptance model, a total of 412 sign language interpreters from 12 African countries participated in the study and responded to the e-questionnaire. The survey responses were analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings revealed that perceived benefits (PB), perceived risks (PR) and perceived trust (PT) had a significant positive relationship with future perspectives (FP) about AI-enabled SLI. It was also found that while PB had a negative but direct relationship with cultural influence (CI), PT was found to be positively significant with CI. This study could not establish any significant mediative influence of CI in the relationship between PB, PR, PT and FP about AI-enabled SLI among African SLIs. Therefore, CI has not been found to have any influence on FP about AI-enabled SLI among African SLIs. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were madeItem The implication of translanguaging on the linguistic competencies of deaf students(Frontiers, 2025) Adigun, Olufemi Timothy; Mathosa, Mots’elisi; Anyanwu, Chikodi JoyThe language competencies of the deaf students are key to various academic discourses that are associated with the learning outcome of deaf students and social interaction between deaf individuals and non-deaf members of society. Methods to assist the deaf in building appreciable language capacities have been encouraged in various studies. Hence, translanguaging has been found as a concept that could influence the linguistic repertoire of deaf students but there is a dearth of systematic review studies on the influence of translanguaging in deaf education, this study therefore provided evidence on the implication of translanguaging in the education of deaf students. Ten bibliographic databases were identified and comprehensively searched for academic papers on translanguaging in deaf education. Thirteen published articles were carefully selected for in-depth content analysis from 5,937 academic papers. The findings revealed that there is a scarcity of studies on translanguaging in deaf education in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study showed that translanguaging serves as an inclusive fulcrum in deaf education. Furthermore, findings showed that translanguaging can be delivered through a multi-modal approach and such approach can significantly improve the language capabilities of deaf students. Implications were advised for research, policies, and practices of translanguaging in deaf educationItem Ready or Not? Preparedness of pre-service EFL teachers to inclusive education: A cross-cultural comparative study from Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and China(Gist Education and Learning Research Journal, 2025) Yüce, Erkan; Köroğlu, Zeynep Çetin; Seitova, Meruyert; Adigun, Olufemi Timothy; Wang, YongliangThis study tried to investigate pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ preparedness for inclusive education from a cross-cultural perspective. We used a quantitative survey design and collected the data in a cross-sectional way from three Asian countries: Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and China. We implemented a questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of pre-service EFL teachers regarding inclusive education to 694 pre-service EFL teachers. We utilized the Kruskal Wallis test and Tamhane›s T2 test to analyze the quantitative data of the groups in a comparative way. We found cross-cultural differences among the countries concerning inclusive education. The perceptions subscale scores of pre-service EFL teachers in Kazakhstan are significantly higher than those of pre-service EFL teachers in China. The attitude subscale scores of pre-service EFL teachers in Türkiye are significantly higher than those of the pre-service EFL teachers in China, while the scores of the pre-service EFL teachers in Kazakhstan are significantly higher than the scores of the pre-service EFL teachers in China. The knowledge subscale scores of pre-service EFL teachers in Türkiye are significantly higher than those of pre-service EFL teachers in Kazakhstan, while the knowledge scores of pre-service EFL teachers in China are significantly higher than the scores of pre-service EFL teachers in Kazakhstan. Based on these results, we discussed the place of inclusive education in pre-service EFL education from a cross-cultural perspectiveItem Self-esteem, self-image and media advertisement as preditors of skin bleaching behaviour among undergraduate(International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy, 2025) Balogun, Olaitan Johnson; Adigun, Olufemi Timothy; Joseph, ConranThis study examined media advertisement, self-image, and self-esteem as predictors of skin bleaching behavior among Nigerian undergraduate students, grounded in Social Learning Theory. A crosssectional survey of 350 undergraduates (56.3% female) from five on-campus hostels used the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, an adapted Body Self-Image Questionnaire, and media influence assessments. Multiple regression analysis examined predictive relationships. The findings reveal media advertisements were the strongest predictor of skin bleaching behavior (β = 0.802, p < 0.001), followed by self-image (β = 0.503, p = 0.001) and self-esteem (β = 0.107, p = 0.002). The model explained 62.4% of variance. Currently, 25.4% of participants used skin bleaching products, 77.1% had family history of the practice, and only 8.1% demonstrated adequate knowledge of health risks. The findings highlight media influence as the primary behavioral driver, supporting Social Learning Theory's emphasis on environmental factors and observational learning. Interventions must address media messaging, regulatory frameworks, and health literacy rather than relying solely on individual psychological interventionsItem Investigation of the determinants of examination malpractice intentions of pre-service deaf teachers using the hierarchical multiple regression analysis(Wiley, 2025) Adigun, Olufemi TimothyThis study examined the determinant factors of examination malpractice intentions (EMI) among pre-service deaf students in a Nigerian teacher training college. Four (4) research questions were raised and answered in the study. Data were collected from265 pre-service deaf teachers using a closed-ended questionnaire. Data generated were analysed using descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and the independent t-test at a 0.05 level of significance. Theresults obtained revealed a significant inverse relationship between the academic level of pre-service teachers and EMI among the study participants. Peer pressure was found to have the highest predictive capacity of influencing EMI, followed by academic level and study habits, respectively. There was also a moderating interaction between achievement motivation, test anxiety, and EMI among the participants. A significant difference only exists in the EMI among the participants based on gender parity and not the onset of deafness. Based on the findings, the study recommends that relevant stakeholders in deaf education and deaf studies work towards the building of self-confidence required for academic excellence. More so, deaf students should be guided and encouraged to carefully choose friends who can positively influence their academic decisions and actionsItem Predicting the feasibility of data collection for disability-related research in Sub-Saharan Africa(ScienceDirect, 2024) Adigun, Olufemi TimothyThis study presents the findings of an investigation into the feasibility of data collection for disability-related research in sub-Saharan Africa. Three research questions were raised and answered in the study. Data were collected from 164 respondents from 8 countries within the sub-Saharan African region. Five respondents were also purposively selected for a semi-structured interview. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed while the quantitative data was descriptively and inferentially analysed. Findings in the study revealed the possibility of conducting disability-related research seamlessly within sub-Saharan African countries. However, there are a myriad of challenges that face the conducting of disability-related research in the region. Attitude towards disability had the highest likelihood of predicting the availability and accessibility of data for disability research. The study concluded that societal attitude had a strong influence on the conducting and productivity of disability-related research in sub-Saharan Africa. Valuable recommendations were offered based on the findingsItem Hearing health in Lesotho: An investigation into knowledge, understanding and attitude towards hearing loss(Universal Journal of Public Health, 2024) Adigun, Olufemi Timothy; Otekalu, Olumide; Oluji, Chidi Topaz; Tijani, Faisat AdekilekunThis study investigated hearing health in Lesotho based on the knowledge, understanding and attitudes of Basotho people in tertiary institutions towards hearing loss and hearing aid users. The Health Belief Model framed the study. Data generation in the study was achieved through a mixed method approach using both a closed-ended structured questionnaire administered to 272 participants and a semi-structured interview with 6 respondents who were randomly selected from the 272 participants who responded to the closed-ended questionnaire. Data generated were analysed using descriptive (frequency count, simple percentage, mean and standard deviation), and inferential statistics (Chi-square) at p < 0.05. Also, a thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that participants had a good understanding and knowledge of hearing health in relation to the implications of excessive noise and wax in the ear which may lead to hearing difficulties, as well as the need for ear checks at accredited ear clinics/centres; however, they still engage in risky hearing healthcare behaviours. Participants also had a higher negative attitude towards hearing loss as a condition but necessarily towards individuals with hearing loss. An association was identified between knowledge about hearing health and hearing in the study. Another association was recorded between gender and attitude towards persons with hearing loss and hearing aid users. Appropriate recommendations were made with respect to the findingsItem The role of K-12 educational leadership practices to promote effective teaching and learning(American Scholars Press, 2025) Mbangula, Daniel K.One of the main pillars of society is education, and the quality of education is impacted by the quality of educational leadership. Principals and other school administrators are examples of educational leaders who impact and change learning environments. This study aims to clarify how effective leadership can improve teaching and learning, encourage student engagement and well-being, and eventually result in better learning outcomes. This study employed a systematic review of the secondary data on educational leadership practices. The findings demonstrated that improved teaching performance was significantly predictable given a transformational leadership and a positive school culture. The findings also provide insight into ways to enhance school culture and educational leadership to put policies into place that will improve student outcomes. These results give school administrators important new information about how important school culture is to attaining teaching excellenceItem Fostering self-directed learning in blended learning environments: A constructivist perspective in higher education(Wiley, 2024) Adigun, Olufemi Timothy; Mpofu, Nhlanhla; Maphalala, Mncedisi ChristianHigher education (HE) is considered to be the apex of all educational endeavours. Therefore, it is expected that student in various institutions of higher learning should be self-motivated for individualized synchronous and asynchronous learning. Lamentably, it seems that such expectation within the HE spaced is yet to be achieved. While stakeholders in HE are in search for an approach to ensure that students have sufficient self-directed learning (SDL) capacities needed for blended learning (BL), this article advance and propose the use of the constructivist framework to foster SDL to ensure that students develop their own understanding of learning, its meaning according to the context, and the ways to acquire it using BL as a mediator. Using the constructivist theory as a theoretical lens, we proposed the use of a three-ring-drag-in approach as a model to fostering SDL among students in various institutions of higher learning. We, therefore encourage the adoption or adaptability of the three-ring-drag-in approach as it promise to address and resolve the concerns and agitation of enthronement of SDL among students within the HE spacesItem Issues influencing inclusive curriculum management in selected secondary schools in South Africa(Sabinet, 2024) Maphalala, Mncedisi Christian; Adigun, Olufemi TimothyThe 2001 White Paper 6 on Special Education commits to ensuring that all learnershave equal opportunities to be educated and welcomed in all schools, irrespective oftheir abilities. Consequently, the inputs and contributions of educational leaders suchas principals and school management teams (SMTs) are critical in leading andmanaging schools that accommodate and provide for learners with diverseeducational needs. It is important to note that when managing the curriculum forinclusion, leadership is not confined to the principal but is also delegated to theSMTs and teachers tasked with the academic programme of the school. This studysought to examine the nature of curriculum management for inclusion in secondaryschools. A qualitative research design was adopted for the study and a purposivesampling technique was used to draw a sample of ten SMT members and 10teachers from 10 secondary schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The mainresearch instrument for data collection was a focus group discussion with the studyparticipants. Thematic analysis was subsequently applied to analyse the qualitativedata gleaned from the transcribed focus group discussion. The findings revealed thatbarriers to implementing inclusive education included inadequate teacherpreparation, curriculum inflexibility, unfavourable classroom learning environmentsand weak support structures. Based on the findings, some recommendations were madeItem Understanding pre-service teachers' intention to adopt and use artificial intelligence in Nigerian inclusive classrooms(Frontiers, 2025) Adigun, Olufemi Timothy; Tijani, Faisat Adeniran; Haihambo, Cynthy K.; Limbo, Simasiku EnockThis study applies the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to provide an understanding of the behavioral intentions of pre-service teachers in the adoption and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for educational engagement in the inclusive classroomItem Examining the intersections between emotional intelligence and leadership practices in higher education institutions to improve institutional success(Innovare Journal of Education, 2025) Mbangula, Daniel K.The purpose of this paper is to look into how emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership practices help to improve higher education institutions’ success. The paper explored ways in which emotional intelligence can promote resilience and long-term success in educational settings by looking at how leaders with high EI contribute to institutional success. Furthermore, the paper emphasized how EI can be used to develop long-term leadership strategies that promote the welfare of faculty, students, and the higher education community at large. A crucial aspect of leadership practice is EI, which is the capacity of leaders to recognize how their behavior and feelings impact those around them within the institutions. This study’s results show that emotional intelligence is a crucial and highly relevant prerequisite for academic leadership practice in higher education institutions. Furthermore, the study determined that the emotional intelligence qualities most relevant to academic leadership were those linked to empathy, motivating and directing others, and appropriately handling oneself. Emotional intelligence becomes apparent as a crucial leadership competency, highlighting how crucial it is for leaders to comprehend and control both their own and others’ emotions. Finally, there is a constant emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between leadership and a positive school culture, emphasizing the roles that leaders play in creating cooperative, trustworthy, and ever-improving learning environments. The researcher reviewed the existing literature based on the research questions. This study employs a systematic review approach by reviewing existing qualitative articles on intersections between emotional intelligence and leadership practices in higher education institutions to improve institutional success. Findings were obtained from the reviewed articles by forming themes to make a thorough analysis and draw conclusionsItem An assessment on the effect of leadership styles on the employee performance: A case of Namibia Dairies in Namibia(International Journal of Learning and Development, 2024) Pedro, Rosalina Esperanca; Viola, Unengu; Mbangula, Daniel K.The paper examines the effect of leadership styles on the employee performance a case of Namibia dairies. From the study, it was discovered that the type of leadership style that managers use influences the morale of the employees. This study adopted a qualitative research approach using a case study design. A case study is a qualitative research method that allows a deep exploration within a natural context and hence provides a full and through understanding of the particular and lived experience of a participant. The study has 15 participants who were selected using non-probability sampling method. The results also highlighted that some of the leadership styles that are used by managers stifles employee morale thereby affecting the employees’ efficiency in an organisation. The study findings also indicated that there was significant positive relationship between democratic leadership and employee performance. The study findings furthermore indicated that there was significant positive relationship between democratic leadership and employee performance. Whilst the study results revealed that laissez-faire leadership style and individual performance has a negative relationship. The study recommends that democratic leadership style should be encouraged, for the fact that it would further empower their subordinates by developing teams and accord some measure of responsibility and authority to their employees. Therefore, workers would ignite their potentials, realize job satisfaction, and execute their tasks maximally for organization survivalItem Rethinking a framework for contextualising and collaborating in MOOCs by higher education institutions in Africa(Journal of learning for development, 2021) Kadhila, Ngepathimo; Haipinge, ErkkieMassive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online courses that are open to anyone with Internet access. Pioneered in North America, they were developed for contexts with broader access to technology and wider access to the Internet. As globally networked learning environments (GNLEs), MOOCs foster collaborative communities and learning in ways not conceived as feasible until recently. The affordances of MOOCs, such as the ability to access learning beyond one’s immediacy, exemplify their benefits for open and distance learning, especially in developing countries that continue to consume rather than produce online courses. However, the globality of MOOCs and their delivery mode pose a challenge of contextualising learning content to the local needs of educational institutions or individual students that choose to use the courses. This theoretical paper used a desk-research approach by revising literature to investigate and propose ways of contextualising MOOCs to the African higher education setting. It applied the principles of reuse and repurposing learning content, while suggesting the use of mobile learning as a technological delivery solution that is relevant to the local context. The paper also suggests a framework for inter-institutional collaboration for higher education institutions to guide future efforts in the creation and sharing of credit-bearing MOOCs.Item Using digital technology in transforming assessment in higher education institutions beyond COVID-19(Creative education, 2022) Haipinge, Erkkie; Kadhila, Ngepathimo; Josua, Lukas MatatiPurpose: This paper explores the dominant practices by integrating the use of technology to enhance assessment practices to better respond to the learning needs of the 21st century and the imperatives of the 4th industrial revolution. Objectives: 1) To explore how digital assessment could support diagnostic assessment in post-COVID-19 assessment practices. 2) To develop a digital assessment tool that supports the uptake and appropriate use of diverse digital assessment techniques. 3) To strengthen lecturers’ awareness of Constructive Alignment and implement it in digital-assisted assessment to promote the integration of graduate attributes in students. Method: The paper adopted the three elements of criticality, reflexivity, and praxis to address the use of digital technology to transform assessment of and for student learning within an institutional context. Criticality was used to provide a constructive reflection aimed at transforming the context; reflexivity enabled introspection and self-awareness regarding assessment as a pedagogical component that enhances student learning, and praxis helped to relate theories, concepts, and ideas to practice. The three elements informed the development of the model for enhancing and transforming digital enhancement assessment at the University of Namibia. Findings: The main findings revealed that higher education institutions could benefit from the forced COVID-19 migration to digitally-enabled assessment. The paper also revealed that for the digitally enabled assessment to be enhanced it requires collaboration between various institutional stakeholders. Conclusion: The paper concluded that there are opportunities for further collaboration among different institutional departments such as the faculties, quality assurance, innovation in learning and teaching, and research units, towards investigating, improving, and implementing new ways of assessing that are forward-looking and more supportive of student learning beyond their university careersItem Reconceptualising teaching for quality learning at University of Namibia(African Perspectives of Research in Teaching & Learning, 2017) Kadhila, Ngepathimo; Nyathi S.F.; Shanyanana R.N.; Iipumbu N.Teaching approaches in contemporary universities around the world need to be underpinned by new theories of how students learn, and the role of academic developers in shaping and influencing institutional culture in this regard cannot be overemphasised. This study investigated the methods used by lecturers at University of Namibia (UNAM) in their teaching and what informs the choice of these methods. The study also gauged lecturers’ views on their involvement in academic development activities. This study employed a phenomenological research design; and a mixed-method approach was used whereby qualitative and quantitative approaches were combined. Structured interviews were conducted with at least 49 lecturers at various levels across 12 UNAM campuses. Participants were purposefully approached to be interviewed because we knew they have experience of the phenomenon explored. The study revealed that lecturers were more comfortable with using traditional lecturer-centred approaches in their teaching. They expressed the need to be equipped with skills that would enhance their ability to facilitate, manage and assess student learning using approaches that have been proven to be effective. Furthermore, they acknowledged the academic development interventions provided by the Centre for Professional Development Teaching and Learning Improvement (CPDTL) in the form of short courses and the recently implemented Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education for Academics. Only a handful of participants did not support the idea of offering a full academic programme through short courses. The study recommended that CPDTL should capitalise on the willingness of most of academics to engage in academic development activities to intensify its operations and make such activities compulsory in order to promote their effectiveness and fast track their impactItem Sustainable teaching professional ethics in the post-digital Era(OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2023) Katjiteo, Ancia; Awodiji, Omotayo AdewaleSustainable teaching professional ethics in the post-digital era encompasses the principles and practices that educators must uphold to ensure responsible and ethical utilisation of technology while promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness. As technology plays a significant role in education, teachers must integrate sustainable teaching practices into their methods and incorporate digital tools ethically and responsibly. This paper explores policy and practices' implications for fostering sustainable teaching professional ethics in the post-digital era. It emphasises the importance of environmental awareness, digital citizenship, equity and access, privacy and data protection, ethical use of technology, critical thinking, and balancing digital and analogue learning. The paper also highlights the need for policy development, teaching profession and professional development, curriculum integration, access to technology, ethical use of data and privacy protection, collaboration, and ongoing evaluation and feedback. By addressing these aspects, educational systems can create an environment that fosters sustainable teaching professional ethics, preparing students to become responsible global citizens who prioritise sustainability and the ethical use of technology. Further research is warranted to investigate the challenges and effective strategies for integrating sustainability and digital ethics into teaching practices in the post-digital era
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