Research Articles (DAES)

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A systematic review on the fourth industrial revolution: African basic schools' readiness
(Jurnal Bidang Pendidikan Dasar, 2023) Awodiji, Omotayo Adewale; Katjiteo, Ancia
This systematic review's primary goal is to determine how prepared African basic schools are for implementing 4IR tools and how well-versed in 4IR the teachers in African basic schools are. A systematic review approach was adopted. Data base such as Johannesburg e-library, ProQuest, and Google scholar was used to search for relevant study used. It was determined that the findings were valid and rigourous through the use of PRISMA. Out 106,859 resource generated, the review included 18 studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study highlights the necessity for African basic schools to enhance their preparedness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Funding is crucial to provide the necessary 4IR infrastructures, suggesting the allocation of resources by the African government for procurement and deployment of 4IR tools. Additionally, implementing a program to train teachers and school leaders in 4IR technologies is recommended to enhance their capabilities
An analysis of a teacher education programme at a Namibian tertiary institution
(Creative Education, 2022) Junias, Kristofina; Kambeyo, Linus; Katukula, Kelvin Mubiana
Teacher quality is a crucial element of quality education, and it is dependent on the quality of teacher education. Thus, this study analyses the teacher training programme at a Namibian university to determine its quality. Four quality determining components were analysed: students and teacher educator qualities; curriculum materials; teaching and learning process; and teaching practice. This qualitative study employed a single case study design. Four research instruments were used to collect data: document analysis, focus group interviews, questionnaires, and observations. The sample comprised one hundred and sixty (160) pre-service students, one (1) focus group of fifteen (15) graduates, sixteen (16) teacher educators, and three (3) focus groups with a total of thirty (30) pre-service students. The significant findings of this study were that average students enroll in the teacher education programme because of extrinsic and other motives other than intrinsic and altruistic reasons. In addition, the teacher education curriculum was found to be overcrowded with fragmented modules. Further, the subject matter content was not aligned with the school curriculum; students exit with little subject matter knowledge. The study also found that the assessment of pre-service students lacked authenticity as assessment questions do not test the understanding and application of knowledge. Additionally, the lecture method dominated the pedagogies employed, promoting rote learning. Another factor was poor teaching practices characterised by inadequate time allocation and lack of mentoring support from the school. Thus, a lot is desired from the teacher education programme; hence, the study recommends a longitudinal study to be carried out involving all higher education institutions in Namibia that offer a teacher education programme to see if the findings would be the same
Can adoption of ICTs in schools assist in the war against poverty and underdevelopment in Namibia?
(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2011) Matengu, Keneth K.
This article is part of a large study that investigates the issue of ICT and innovation adoption in Namibian schools. The main aim is not only to bring into focus the convegence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development and education, but also to highlight some of the major barriers to sucessful ICTs integration by schools. On the basis of a critical review of literature, claims about the role of ICTs in education are discussed and the synergies concerning ICTs for development interventions that can be identified are discussed. With the advent of ICTs, many people have claimed that ICTs have a pivotal role in development. Indeed, these tools are useful for different applications. However, there are certain factors that can prevent a country from utilising ICTs even if the devices and technologies exist. The challenges of considering educational institutions as development players and their preparedness to actually ‘throw decisive blows’ on poverty are emphaised and a conceptual framework encompasing critical success factors is mapped out. Reference is made to Namibian situation.
Children’s early encounters with literacy in Windhoek urban preprimary schools in Namibia
(International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2021) Hengari, Job Uazembua
This paper takes a socio-cultural approach as it analyze ways in which reading and writing is taught and learnt to define what counts as literacy in Windhoek urban preprimary schools in Namibia. The study explores data of a larger ethnographic-style research that followed three children in three Windhoek urban pre-and primary schools in Namibia. The writer examines their early encounters with literacy and the implications of these encounters for their later development as readers and writers in schools. As teachers and learners occupy the classroom as a social space, they engage each other in literacy events, during which literacy development is scaffolded and encouraged as a culturally valued activity. This paper presents a „slice‟ of that larger study that followed three preschool classrooms literacy encounters over a period of six months. The writer suggests that this “school literacy”, defines what counts as literacy, a specific kind of literacy that is planned and offered to learners in a classroom setting. In Windhoek urban preprimary settings, the „traditional‟ conception of literacy as a largely psychological ability – something true to do with our intellect, and thus a private possession – remains dominant. Literacy learning is taught as a mechanical activity by focusing on breaking the code rather than as sense-making and engagement. I argue that this approach helps learners to cope with early primary school curriculum while missing to lay the foundation necessary for literacy forms and practices demanded in later years of schooling.
The development of early childhood education within an inclusive educational framework in Namibia
(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2008) Naanda, Aune N.; Engelbrecht, P.
Using quantitative methods in research, this article describes the provision of early childhood education in Namibia within the context of inclusive education for all and lifelong learning. Research has shown that participation in early childhood education significantly contributes to a child’s success in later learning. However, the results of the research outlined in this article reveal that although efforts are in place to address early childhood education in Namibia, many children do not benefit from early childhood education, let alone quality services due to a number of factors such as poverty, HIV and AIDS and other special needs. This article formulates recommendations for developing an inclusive early childhood education approach for Namibia.
Educators' preferred forms of schooling for learners with special needs in Namibia
(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2008) Mowes, Andrew D.
This paper is an abridged extract from one of the chapters of my dissertation which attempts to develop an insight into the preferred forms of schooling for learners with special educational needs in Namibia. A questionnaire was administered to a stratified sample of 616 Namibian primary, combined, and secondary school educators. Educators had to give their views regarding the inclusion of learners with special educational needs into regular schools. Educators also had to indicate the type of schooling that learners with predetermined categories of disabilities should receive. Some of the major findings were the following: • The majority of respondents felt that learners with special needs would be better off in special schools and that teaching of learners with special needs should remain a separate specialised field. • The results further showed that the majority of respondents suggested one of the following options for learners with disabilities: a regular classroom, a special class, and a special school. Very few chose a residential facility, a home or a hospital. • The results also showed that as the level of disability increased there appeared to be a decline in willingness amongst educators to include either a learner with hearing impairment, physical impairment, conduct impairment or learning difficulties in a regular classroom. In view of findings it becomes vitally important to address educators’ views and concerns before inclusive educational policies are implemented.
The evolution of science and technology policy dialogue in post-colonial Africa
([s.l], 2012) Chinsembu, Kazhila C.; Kasanda, Choshi D.
This paper describes the dialogue around Science and Technology (S and T) policy in post-colonial African countries with a special emphasis on Southern Africa. It traces the evolution of S and T policy dialogue from several global and African conferences held in the 1960s. In post-colonial Africa, S and T policy dialogue was founded on the Monrovia declaration of 1979 and the Lagos Plan of Action of 1980. In the new millennium, African S and T policy dialogue has been driven by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). In Southern Africa, the S and T policy environment is guided by several treaties of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Although African S and T policies are well discussed and articulated, implementation of the S and T agenda has been poor, hence the authors recommend that NEPAD institutes an S and T peer-review mechanism to monitor performance of S and T indicators in member states.
Factors impacting the implementation guidance and counselling services in secondary schools in the Ohangwena region of Namibia
(2016) Mbongo, Emilia Ndapandula; Mowes, Andrew D.; Chata, Charles C.
The study aimed to establish teacher counsellors’ views on the factors impacting the implementation of guidance and counselling services in the Ohangwena region of Namibia. The study was quantitative in nature and used a non-experimental design that involved a survey. The population of the study comprised of teacher counsellors in all senior secondary schools in Ohangwena region. Data were collected using questionnaires which were administered to a sample of twenty-six (26) teacher counsellors. Teacher counsellors were purposively sampled. The data was analysed by use of descriptive statistics using The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Based on the findings of this study teacher counsellors viewed inadequate training, high teaching loads and time constraints, lack of support given to teacher counsellors and lack of resources and facilities as key factors impacting the successful implementation of school guidance and counselling. It was thus recommended that the training of teacher counsellors in school guidance and counselling be improved, reduced work load for teacher counsellors, better resources and facilities for guidance and counselling, and for teacher counsellors to be supported in order for guidance and counselling to be successfully implemented in schools.
The impact of Mastep on the use of practical work in Namibian science classes
(University of Namibia and University of York, 2006) Kandjeo-Marenga, Hedwig U.; Kapenda, Hileni M.; Lubben, Fred; Campbell, Bob; !Gaoseb, Noah; Kasanda, Choshi D.
This article presents an investigation into the changes in the Teaching practices of practical work in senior science classes in Namibia. The teachers in this study are involved in training Programme, the Mathematics and Science Teacher Extension Programme (MASTEP). Pre- and post-intervention data were Collected from eight Biology teachers and four Physical Science teachers Lesson plans, worksheets and other documentation were Used to characterise practical activities using m1 established Taxonomy classroom interactions were audio-taped and Transcribed verbatim the findings i11dicate an increased focus on Practical activities aimed more at qualitative rather than Quantitative understanding of science concepts. In addition, the Post-MASTEP teachers favoured small group work and demonstrations. The changes in teaching practices arc attributed To the improved PCK that has enabled teachers to align their Practice with the assessment system
Implementation of the government of the Republic of Namibia’s language policy for schools in selected primary schools in Windhoek
(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2008) Ashton, D.; Iijambo, Tangeni; Matengu, Marika; Kalenga, E.
This study investigated the implementation of Namibia’s Language Policy in Grades 1-4 in selected schools in the Windhoek area. Thirty-six teachers of Grades 1-4 in nine schools were individually interviewed. Seven principals were also interviewed. Namibia’s Language Policy states that English is the official language of the country and that instruction for primary learners Grades 1-3 be delivered in the mother language. The issues investigated in this study were: 1) how does this mother tongue implementation occur in a heterogeneous classroom where there are learners with a variety of mother languages and where the teacher’s mother tongue may not be that of the learner? 2) What are the social dynamics in a school where the learners and the teachers are from different ethnic groups? The findings indicate that only eight of the 36 teachers had a medium of instruction in one of Namibia’s native languages (six in Afrikaans, one in Khoe-Khoe and one in Oshiwambo). English supersedes mother language teaching as the default medium of instruction in many heterogeneous classrooms even though it is not a mother language. Furthermore, parents are requesting that their children be enrolled in the English medium of instruction streams as opposed to the mother language streams.
Indigenous knowledge of HIV/AIDS among High School students in Namibia
(BioMed Central The Open Access Publisher, 2011) Chinsembu, Kazhila C.; Shimwooshili-Shaimemanya, Cornelia N.; Kasanda, Choshi D.; Zealand, Donovan
The use of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can help students to form schemas for interpreting local phenomena through the prism of what they already know. The formation of schemas related to HIV/AIDS risk perception and prevention is important for individuals to form local meanings of the HIV /AIDS epidemic. The objective of this study was to explore the indigenous names and symptoms of HIY/AIDS among High School students in Namibia
Interpersonal relationships in organisations
(2012) Amushigamo, Angelina Popyeni
Investigating Mathematics teachers’ understanding and practices of learner-centered teaching in junior secondary schools within the Katima circuit in the Zambezi region of Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2023-07-01) Katukula, Kelvin Mubiana; Mwazi, Richard Salufu; Kambeyo, Linus; Garegae, Kgomotso Gertrude
This study investigated mathematics teachers’ understanding and practices of learner-centered teaching (LCT) in junior secondary schools within Katima Circuit in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. A qualitative study method was used and purposeful sampling procedures were used to select participants. Research instruments included open-ended interviews and recordings from twenty mathematics teachers in selected junior secondary schools in the Zambezi Region. Results of the study indicate that teachers understand the concepts of LCT and have adequate training and knowledge on the benefits and teaching approach in LCT due to the inclusion of the LCT methods in teacher education and other training workshops. However, the study also found that most mathematics teachers use only cooperative learning during teaching and learning mathematics. The study also identified significant challenges teachers face in implementing LCT, including overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources, and learners’ lack of motivation. Considering the above findings, the study recommends that the government and stakeholders support teachers with resources and further staff development opportunities.
Language ideologies and the use of mother tongues as the medium of instruction and learning in junior primary schools: A case study of parents and teachers in a Namibian school
(University of Namibia, 2023-07-03) Katukula, Kelvin Mubiana; Set, Beatha; Nyambe, John
In the Namibian education system, teaching in the junior primary is supposed to be done in the learners’ mother tongue. However, there is always controversy on adopting a language to be used as a medium of instruction (MoI) due to the multi-ethnic and multilingualism of the Namibian society. To make matters worse, parents equally cast doubt on enrolling their children in schools that uses mother tongue as an MoI. Framed within the qualitative case-study orientation, this research investigated: parents’ and teachers’ language ideologies and beliefs; the factors that informed the embodied and expressed language ideologies and beliefs of parents’ and teachers’; and how these dominant language ideologies and belief systems informed parents’ and teachers’ choice of language of instruction and the general implementation of the language policy in a Namibian school. The study found that both parents and teachers harbored monolingual ideological belief systems that did not only construct and perpetuate an “English-only” language zone but also banished all mother tongue languages from the school premises. Not only do the findings point to the hegemonic positioning of the English language in the minds of parents, teachers, and school principals as the only language that can lead to success, but its violation was punishable in a derogatory manner. The study concludes that, among others, parents, teachers, and school principals’ language ideologies and beliefs were shaped and informed by the prevailing English language hegemony. The liberal and duality stance of the Namibian language policy, and its decentralization, partly resulted in parents, teachers, and school principals’ neglect of the multilingualism and heterogeneity that the very same policy purports to advocate. The study recommends raising parents’ and teachers’ awareness of embracing the heteroglossia of language practices and for the ministry of education to consider a more inclusive language policy
Needs assessment for colleges of education in Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2009-03) Kasanda, Choshi D.; Kapenda, Hileni M.; Nicol-Wilson, R.E.
There is a need to enable the four Colleges of education in Namibia to carry out their stated mandate to prepare effective teachers for the primary and junior secondary phases in our education system. Quality teacher training can only take place in an environment where management, academic and no-academic staff work together as a team and cooperate in all aspects related to their mandates. Educational institutions need to be managed as a business venture if stated goals are to be achieved. Management maybe defined as, " ... the process of setting objectives and coordinating the efforts of personnel in order to attain them''(Hodgetts, 1985, 4). Accordingly educational managers should ensure that " ... individuals can work together towards the achievement of stated goals" (Kroon, 1998, 3) in their institutions. Therefore, a conducive environment must exist, if individuals have to give of their best. Such an environment requires that management cadres display a variety of skills in several areas related to making their institutions effecf1ve and eff1cient. In carrying out these management tasks, managers may use one or a combination of the following management styles; autocratic, democratic and laissez faire. It should be indicated that often the management style adopted by an institutional manager may depend on the type of workers s/he has.
Practices of learner-centred mathematics curriculum in senior secondary schools in the Khomas Region
(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2011) Kapenda, Hileni M.
This article is part of a larger study that investigated how secondary schools Mathematics teachers in the Khomas region are implementing Learner-Centred Education in their classrooms. It presents a qualitative research that involved eight weeks of fieldwork investigations. Three Mathematics classrooms were selected from three different schools in the Khomas Region. Using a video camera, classroom observations were carried out in order to capture maximum classroom activities and participation of both the teacher and the learners. The teachers were interviewed after lesson observations. The results revealed different types of classroom interactions in the three classrooms. These include among others, question and answer dialogue between the teacher and the learners; teachers giving instructions; learners asking for clarification, just to mention but a few. The findings suggested that Mathematics teachers at Senior Secondary schools used the expository method more often in their teaching than other teaching methods such as lecturing and discussions. The teachers also used the chalkboard quite frequently, especially when assigning class activities. However, the teachers endeavoured to implement Learner-Centred approaches in their teaching.
Reasons for code switching in upper primary classes in the Khomas Educational Region
(Namibian Educational Research Association (NERA), 2011) Mouton, B.D.; Mowes, Andrew D.; Zealand, Donovan
In this article, the views of upper primary school teachers in the Khomas educational region regarding code switching were investigated. A questionnaire and interviews were administered to a stratified sample of 13 schools with 44 participants that were aware of the occurrences of code switching within their classes. It was found that the main reasons for code switching were due to its usefulness in the teaching environment, such as transmitting of knowledge, clarifying concepts or meanings, and assisting learners who had a deficiency in the competence of the English language. Code switching was furthermore used in the classrooms when discipline problems arose and when learners were not paying attention.
Research in Science & Technological Education
(Carfax Publishing, 2002) Kapenda, Hileni M.; Kandjeo-Marenga, Hedwig U.; Kasanda, Choshi D.; Fred, Lubben
This paper presents a study into science practical work conducted in Namibian classrooms. Lesson plans, task sheets, student work, lesson transcripts and observation notes were used to identify intended learning Outcomes. In addition, aspects of task design (inductive-deductive; open-closed; nature of student involvement) and the context of the practical task (duration; interaction patterns; types of task information and apparatus; nature of the student records were explored. A profile form was used and its usefulness evaluated for the analysis of 12 practical Tasks. The findings showed an emphasis on conceptual as opposed to procedural objectives, and a frequent change from an inductive to a deductive approach during the execution of the tasks pupil practical activity was rarefy Consolidated as a laboratory report but functioned as an enjoyable introduction to a set of general questions on the Content covered in the practical. Suggestions are made for the modification of the profile form, and for in-service.
The resources available at home in Windhoek urban settings in Namibia and their implications for early literacy learning at school
(International Journal of Social Policy and Education, 2020) Hengari, Job Uazembua
The study explores data of a larger ethnographic-style research that followed three children in Windhoek urban pre-and primary schools and at home in Namibia to examine their early encounters with literacy and the implications of these encounters for their later development as readers and writers in schools, at home and in their communities. As parents and older siblings occupy home as a social space, they engage each other in literacy events, during which literacy learning is encouraged as a culturally valued activity. This paper presents a ‘slice’ of that larger study that followed three pre-and primary school home literacy encounters over a period of one year, focusing on the primary school phase. The writer suggests that the reading and writing practices of literacy are only one part of what children are learning at home in order to be literate. Home creates other literacy practices that cut across reading, writing and other forms of semiotic forms of communication. I want to suggest that Namibia endorse the sociocultural approach to literacy learning by way of a paradigm shift in order to create room for other literacy practices outside of school, in homes and in communities, to become recognized and made legitimate as they already are broadening what counts as literacy.
The role of everyday contexts in Learner-centered teaching
(Routledge Publisher, 2005) Kasanda, Choshi D.; Lubben, Fred; !Gaoseb, Noah; Kandjeo-Marenga, Utji; Kapenda, Hileni M.; Campbell, Bob
This paper reports on the usc of out-of-school everyday contexts in Namibian science classrooms. This usc is portrayed against the backdrop of an explicit educational philosophy of learner centred teaching. Data were collt:cted through audio-taped teacher-learner interactions and non-participant field notes in 29 junior and senior science classes taught by 12 teachers in six schools. An existing typology was applied to classify episodes of use of everyday contexts and identify teachers' pedagogic strategies for their use. The results show that more everyday contexts are used in junior secondary than in senior secondary classes, that only a limited range of types of everyday contexts are used at both levels, and that their usc often follows theoretical exposition or teacher questioning. These findings are related to three interpretations of learner centered teaching. Recommendations for a fuller implementation of learner-centred teaching are made.

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