Department of Early Childhood Care and Development

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Browsing Department of Early Childhood Care and Development by Advisor "Veii, Kazuvire R-H."

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    Best practices in whole child development at pre-primary school level - A multiple case study of selected pre-primary schools in Windhoek
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Van Wyk, Elana; Veii, Kazuvire R-H.
    The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of pre-primary teachers in Namibia about best practices in whole child development (WCD) at four pre-primary schools in Windhoek, Namibia. The study was underpinned by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs under the concepts of the Association for Curriculum Development and Supervision’s (ASCD) whole child approach to education. This study employed a qualitative research approach, specifically adopting a collective case study design to explore the WCD practices in pre-primary classrooms in Windhoek. The sample for this study comprised 12 voluntary pre-primary teachers at four pre-primary schools in Windhoek. The chosen data collection instruments to determine popular teaching methods among volunteer teachers included individual interviews and observations. These research instruments were checked beforehand for trustworthiness and authenticity. Results showed that best practices in WCD were compromised by lack of skills and inadequate teacher training, incomplete teaching guides, insufficient teaching aids, time constraints and insufficient playground equipment. Despite these adverse circumstances, all teachers were aware of the concept of WCD as well as what it entails. However, they found that the factors listed above proved an obstacle to implementing the WCD approach. As a result, in applying best practices in holistic education for pre-primary classrooms, certain domains of child development were emphasised at the cost of others. Implications for enhancing a holistic approach in the four schools include compulsory workshops on holistic child developmental practices for all teachers and providing Namibian pre-primary schools with a practical WCD manual. The study thus recommends that future research should target studies into holistic child development in rural Namibia. A quantitative study is also recommended to investigate the availability of proper teaching equipment or resources at pre-primary schools throughout Namibia