Browsing by Author "Shilongo, Elise"

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    An investigation into code switching in junior secondary Geography Grade 10 classes in Omusati educational region, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2017) Shilongo, Elise
    The examiners’ reports for the National Junior Secondary Certificate examinations have indicated that the learners’ poor proficiency in English has been adversely affecting their performance in Geography (MoE), 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). These reports have also indicated that the learners answer some questions in languages other than English (i.e. they mix languages when they are writing examination) while they are fully aware of the medium through which they are supposed to answer. Another problem is the poor English proficiency of the teachers in some Namibian schools which in turn is likely to affect the teachers’ and learners’ ability to communicate effectively. Consequently, the teachers’ proficiency would in the end affect the teaching and learning of Geography when it is taught through English as a medium of instruction. This study therefore attempted to find out the extent to which code-switching between English and Oshiwambo is used in the Junior Secondary Geography classrooms, the reasons for code-switching as well as the teachers’ and learners’ perceptions regarding code-switching in the Omusati Educational Region. The study followed a mixed research design approach where a sample of three teachers and twenty learners was drawn from three schools of the population of the Junior Secondary Geography teachers and learners in Omusati Educational Region. In an attempt to get a representative sample of the population, convenience and purposeful sampling were used for this study. Triangulation was used in the study by incorporating quantitative and qualitative data obtained from lesson observations, questionnaires as well as by conducting structured interviews to cross-validate the research findings of the study. The findings of this study revealed that code-switching was prevalent in the Omusati Educational Region’s Junior Secondary Geography classrooms. The teachers were found to be using code-switching as a strategy to make their learners understand better and to overcome the learners’ and teachers’ English language proficiency in their classrooms. Learners were also found code-switching because they couldn’t express themselves better in English. As a result, learners and some teachers proposed that code-switching should be allowed in schools. The study recommends that code-switching needs to be acknowledged as a lawful practice and recognized as an important and meaningful teaching strategy to assist teachers and learners.
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    A study on cost analysis and implementation of solar power systems for rural development in Namibia: Case study - Onaushe village, Oshana Region in northern Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2019) Katanga, Lusia; Shilongo, Elise; Shafudah, Natangue H.; Singh, Shyam
    In most developing countries, especially in rural and remote communities, lack of access to light energy is an obstacle to development. This paper presents a cost analysis study for the implementation of solar power systems in rural Namibia. The study mainly focuses on the contemporary cost for different lighting sources currently employed and compares it with the possible cost of a basic solar system being utilized. The data collected was obtained through a field survey with structured interview questions in Onaushe village, Oshana Region, northern Namibia. The results revealed that 87% of the sampled homesteads had no access to electricity and relied on traditional energy sources such as torches, candles, cellphones and firewood to meet their lighting needs. The study further found that solar power system has high initial cost compared to the lighting sources being used in rural areas. Recommendation for some relevant strategies that may enable the implementation of solar power systems are discussed.