Browsing by Author "Shikwaya, Renate Olga"

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    Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar: Impact evaluation in Namibia, 2025 report
    (Genesis Analytics and University of Namibia, 2025) Zastrau, Elzeth; Jansen, Jessica Mary-Ann; Shikwaya, Renate Olga
    This report presents the findings of an independent impact evaluation of the Jolly Phonics and Grammar programmes in Namibia, commissioned to assess the programme’s effectiveness in improving foundational English reading skills among early-grade learners. The evaluation focused on Grade 3 learners from the 2024 academic year, sampled from 100 schools equally divided between the Oshana region (which had been trained on Jolly Grammar 2 for Grade 3s) and the Oshikoto region (which had not received Jolly Grammar 2 training at the time of the survey). The study employed a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach to estimate average treatment effects on Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) performance. Four primary models were employed, varying in their matching specifications to test the robustness of results. The evaluation also calls for improved monitoring and the incorporation of longitudinal study designs, including baseline assessments, to better track learner progress over time and attribute improvements to the Jolly programmes
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    Learning mathematics through parental support during COVID-19 pandemic: Teaching of Junior primary learners in Namibia
    (University of Western Cape, 2024) Shikwaya, Renate Olga; Khuzwayo, Bhekumusa
    The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unexpected and sudden educational changes for everyone involved, including learners, students, teachers, education officers, policymakers, guardians and parents. Global associations have focused on their reactions in emergencies by using elective methods of instruction. The usual face-to-face teaching and learning techniques were supplanted by homeschooling and e-learning. Everyone involved in education had to adjust to creative strategies. Most studies focused on teachers' and students' difficulties, barriers and new challenges. However, parents were also given a new role, especially in the junior primary phase (Pre-primary to Grade 3), as they were expected to assist by supporting their children's school subjects, including mathematics. The critical problem explored was the backlog in learners' understanding of mathematics concepts caused by learning inequalities during the COVID-19 lockdown. During the COVID-19 lockdown, parents had to support their children throughout the learning process—the current study aimed to investigate how parents have been crucial in supporting their children's mathematics learning at home. The study was guided by the central question of how junior primary learners learnt mathematics during the COVID-19 lockdown when supported by parents. The study used a qualitative exploratory case study design. A purposive convenient sampling was used to identify research participants. Participants were eighteen (18) Junior Primary teachers and thirty (30) parents in the Khomas Region. Questionnaires were constructed and administered to eighteen (18) teachers from three (3) schools in the Khomas region to explore how learners learnt mathematics at home during the lockdown. Furthermore, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty (30) parents about their experiences supporting their children with mathematics at home. Thirty (30) learners' mathematics workbooks were reviewed to analyse their progress in learning mathematics as their parents supported them at home. The anticipated contribution of the study is to identify and document effective strategies parents use to support their children’s mathematics learning at home, offering recommendations for Namibian policymakers and educational practitioners to better support parents as co-educators, especially during crises. It contributes to curriculum development by incorporating parental involvement as a critical component in early mathematics education and informs teacher training programs on engaging and collaborating with parents. Additionally, the study adds to the existing body of research on the impact of parental involvement in education, particularly in emergency remote learning.