Bridging the distance
Abstract
The BETD is offered both as a pre-service course in the country's four colleges of education, and, by distance mode, to unqualified and under-qualified serving teachers as an in-service course. Many people, both inside and outside the teaching profession in Namibia, have questioned the efficacy of training teachers by means of a distant education course
By examining the effect on the three teachers of one English Teaching methodology module offered on the BETD INSET programme, this study attempts to answer this question. The three teachers represent most of one cohort of those studying the English methodology course in one region. They were observed teaching on three occasions at intervals while they were studying the module and after they had completed it, and they were interviewed in depth about the lessons they had taught
The study concludes that a distance education course of the type provided by the INSET BETD can make a substantial difference to the classroom practice of serving teachers and is an effective way of providing them with the training that they need. It suggests that the current provision could be substantially further improved by accelerating the introduction of mentors
Description
Includes bibliographical references
Keywords
Teacher training, Distance education