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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 eraItem A systematic review on the fourth industrial revolution: African basic schools' readiness(Jurnal Bidang Pendidikan Dasar, 2023) Awodiji, Omotayo Adewale; Katjiteo, AnciaThis 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 capabilitiesItem Strengthening internal quality assurance as a lever for enhancing student learning experiences and academic success: lessons from Namibia(2019) Kadhila, Ngepathimo; Iipumbu, NangulaHigher education plays an important role in the social, eco-nomic and political development of any given nation. In the Namibian context, quality assurance systems have been put in place at both national and institutional levels through the establishment of national quality assurance agencies and units responsible for quality in institutions. A critical literature analysis of quality assurance systems in higher education shows that although they claim to strike a balance between improvement and accountability, external quality assurance mechanisms tend to have an accountability and compliance focus and to promote managerialisation and bureaucratisation of academia. This article argues that internal quality assurance systems, built on a strong quality culture, tend to be more effective in enhancing the quality of student learning experience and academic success than externally driven quality assurance. Thus, to promote genuine quality, more energy must be invested in external quality assurance capacitating and strengthening internal quality assurance systems.Item Teachers’ experiences with online teaching during COVID-19 in Kenya and Namibia(Studies in learning and teaching (SiLeT), 2023) Ngololo, EN; Nekongo-Nielsen, H; Odhiambo, JDuring the COVID-19 pandemic across sub-saharanAfrica, the sudden closure of schools has interrupted and brought physical learning to a standstill. The rapid transition to emergency remote teaching posed many challenges and required innovative approaches to ensure continuity of teaching through information technology tools in Kenya and Namibia. Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) theory supports an effective teaching strategy for teachers to adopt appropriate technologies and clear educational goals, develop clear instructions for influencing students’online behavior, prepare and orientate students adequately, and select pertinent discussion topics.The study used a cross-sectional survey of secondary school teachers in both countries. The results show that teachers continued to provide education during the pandemic without proper guidance from the school leadership. Teachers had no knowledge and support in developing appropriate online content, motivating students, and delivering quality teaching. Also, the results show no evidence-based online collaborative learning amongst teachers and/or schools. Similarly, schools lacked knowledge practices and digital resources, especially those in rural settings. The study recommends the improvement of continuing professional development in the respective countries covering aspects of the school vision, leadership, practices of the teaching community, pedagogical approaches, school-level knowledge practices, and increased digital resources.Item 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, JohnIn 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 policyItem 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 GertrudeThis 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.Item Scaffolding epistemological access in the context of forbidden discourses: A case study of a grade 4 Natural Science class in a Namibian school(Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd, 2023) Katukula, Kelvin Mubiana; Set, Beata; Nyambe, JohnQualitative in orientation and using the case study methodology, the research drew upon Margaret Archer’s theory of agency to examine how, at the point of confluence of culture, structure and agency, the teacher’s agency was enabled or constrained in attaining the agential project of scaffolding epistemological access in a Grade 4 Natural Science classroom. The study found that when positioned into a face-to-face relationship, or a direct relationship, with the structural, cultural, and agential causal powers, the teacher’s agential project of scaffolding epistemological access in a Grade 4 Natural Science classroom was constrained than enabled. The teacher was placed into a pedagogical dilemma where on the one hand, structural causal powers (e.g., the curriculum, syllabus, school authorities) demanded the teaching of topics on human sexual reproduction and human excretory systems. At the same time, causal cultural powers exerted by cultural properties, which include values, norms, and taboos, render conversation with young children over sexual reproduction matters and human excretory system forbidden discourses. The study concluded that cultural factors are among the myriad factors that potentially lead to poor performance in Natural Science by Namibian learners and African learners in general. The study recommends that in teacher education programs, it is essential to interrogate the school curriculum regarding its sensitivity and responsiveness to the cultural contexts of both teachers and learners. Similarly, such programs should investigate developing appropriate agential powers of aspiring teachers to resist or circumvent causal cultural powers that obstruct or hinder meaningful science learning.Item An analysis of a teacher education programme at a Namibian tertiary institution(Creative Education, 2022) Junias, Kristofina; Kambeyo, Linus; Katukula, Kelvin MubianaTeacher 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 sameItem Children’s early encounters with literacy in Windhoek urban preprimary schools in Namibia(International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2021) Hengari, Job UazembuaThis 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.Item 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 UazembuaThe 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.Item 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.Item 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, DonovanIn 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item Interpersonal relationships in organisations(2012) Amushigamo, Angelina Popyeni