This is a study about teacher education for diversity at the University of Namibia (UNAM), the only government university in the country that trains teachers. It is a response to changing classroom demographics in Namibia, as classroom composition has become more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic class. These changes require teachers with knowledge on teaching for diversity. Namibia’s post-apartheid policy on diversity reflects international practices aimed at achieving Education for All. It advocates teacher education that is responsive to the country’s needs. However, little is known about how UNAM implements these government diversity goals. This research comprised an interpretivist case study of the way in which UNAM incorporates diversity issues into its Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme. I argue that teacher education for diversity should go beyond traditional teacher education programmes, thus requiring a special set of policies, curricula, and practices. The study draws on various academic readings and debates on diversity policies, curricula and teacher preparation practices and is grounded in social justice and constructivist principles. Twenty-three final-year Social Science student teachers were purposefully sampled for the study which entailed the perusal of pertinent documents, classroom observations, and interviews. Content analysis was used which involved coding, categorising and the development of themes. The findings revealed that the BEd programme lacks dedication in regard to diversity teaching due to Namibia’s absence of a national policy on diversity in relation to teacher education. Secondly, the BEd programme only partially equips student teachers with the competencies required to teach diverse learners. Lastly, it was found that the majority of student teachers’ classroom practices were not suited to diverse classrooms. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for improving the BEd programme. This study makes a contribution to knowledge on diversity policies. It argues that an educational institution cannot operate without national policies, and that institutions should respond to such policies through policies and curricula. It explains what a socio-cultural curriculum means in Namibian teacher education and demonstrates the way courses, teaching practice and teacher educators can contribute to holistic development for diversity. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Education Management and Policy Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:58:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Regina Cordeiro Bavaresco.pdf: 3054486 bytes, checksum: 4994cc709387514e1b3979a61d434c1b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-14 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work verified if the use of metacognition helped the improvement of the professional performance of a teacher from Regular Study for the diversity teaching. The theoretical choices were based on the Vygotskys´s psychological theory and on metacognition studies. An intervention study of a case was done methodological, using varied sources and instruments as: a selection of a teacher to participate of the study of a case; characterization of the school and what is around it; a collect of ���������������� ������ ������������ �� �������� �������������������� �������������������� ��o take her way of being, think and feel; to apply on students a ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� activities observation. These instruments collected data that were used to plan and apply a practice and theoretical formation model for the use of metacognition through three situations always with or without the researcher help: 1st) the Portuguese class planning; 2nd) the class applying with a video register; 3rd) a monitoring, done by the teacher, of her own teaching activity by watching the video class. The chosen case was of a teacher from a municipal public school in a city in Santa Catarina, indicated by the school director, because of her persistency of continuing teaching in the third grade of Elementary School. The same group, of fifteen children, have already been her students one year before, in despite to problems they have had. To get the professional movement in her teaching activity were undertaken a variety of analysis, among them; the signification nucleus and the results of the diagnostic evaluation of �������������������� �������������� as well the subjects that were emerging from what was observed in her class. All of these offered hints to developed a model of formation that considered what the teacher considered as been the ideal, with information and discussions of theoretical nature (N=3) and practice (N=4), all of them articulated in order to lead the teacher regulate her teaching activities, at the beginning with the researcher������ help, and later alone. The results of this study showed being possible to improve the �������������������� performance when using the metacognitives process; through a work that got her rid of her isolation, giving her help to perceive a great number of possibilities of her students and planning, carrying out and monitoring the accomplished activities, with the aim of leading the group to appropriate themselves of the school knowledge. As the investigated teacher there are a great number of teachers equally lonely that need not only to divide their anguishes, but - also- and above of all change experiences, face conceptions, identify problems and get solutions. This contribution can be done in and for the school, between the professionals that act in there, promoting, through dialogue, the conscience of how theory directs the pedagogical practice, and how this last one gives new theoretical questions. The use of metacognition in formative strategies represents a fruitful way for teachers´s formation, giving them capacity to accomplish a good quality work, aiming the success for all of the students, effectively, a goal of a teaching with the focus on the diversity / Esta pesquisa verificou se o uso da metacognição levava ao aprimoramento do desempenho profissional de uma professora do Ensino Regular para o ensino à diversidade. As escolhas teóricas apoiaram-se na teoria psicológica de Vygotsky e nos estudos da metacognição. Metodologicamente, foi feito um estudo de casointervenção, empregando fontes e instrumentos variados, como: seleção de uma professora para participar do estudo de caso; caracterização da escola e seu entorno; coleta da história de vida e depoimento da docente para apreender seu modo de ser, pensar e sentir; aplicação de uma avaliação diagnóstica nos alunos na disciplina de Língua Portuguesa; observações da atividade docente. Esses instrumentos coletaram dados que foram utilizados para planejar e aplicar um modelo de formação teórico e prático para o uso da metacognição via três situações, sempre com e sem ajuda da pesquisadora, a saber: 1º) planejamento da aula de Língua Portuguesa; 2º) aplicação da aula com registro de vídeo; 3º) monitoramento, feito pela professora, da sua própria atividade docente, ao assistir a aula em vídeo. O caso escolhido foi o de uma professora efetiva na rede municipal de um município catarinense, indicada pela diretora da escola, em função de sua persistência em continuar lecionando, no terceiro ano do Ensino fundamental de nove anos, à mesma turma de quinze crianças que já haviam sido seus alunos no ano anterior, a despeito dos problemas que apresentavam. Para apreender o movimento da profissional em sua atividade docente foram empreendidas várias análises, dentre elas, a dos núcleos de significação e a dos resultados da avaliação diagnóstica da Provinha Brasil, bem como a dos temas que foram surgindo do observado em suas aulas. Tudo isso ofereceu pistas para desenvolver um modelo de formação que considerou aquilo que a professora considerava como sendo o ideal, com informações e discussões de natureza teórica (N=3) e prática (N=4), todos articulados de modo a levar a professora a poder regular sua atividade docente, inicialmente com a ajuda da pesquisadora e, posteriormente, sozinha. Os resultados deste estudo mostraram ser possível melhorar o desempenho da professora quando utilizados os processos metacognitivos, mediante um trabalho que a livrou de seu isolamento, fornecendo-lhe auxílio para perceber as inúmeras possibilidades de seus alunos e para planejar, executar e monitorar as atividades realizadas, com vistas a levar a turma a apropriar-se dos conhecimentos escolares. Assim como a professora investigada, há inúmeros outros professores igualmente solitários que precisam não só dividir suas angústias, mas também �� e sobretudo - trocar experiências, confrontar concepções, identificar problemas e tomar soluções. Essa colaboração pode ser feita na e pela escola, entre os profissionais que nela atuam, promovendo, via diálogo, a tomada de consciência acerca de como a teoria orienta a prática pedagógica e de como esta última coloca novas questões teóricas. O uso da metacognição em estratégias formativas representa uma trilha fértil para formar professores, tornando-os aptos a realizar um trabalho de boa qualidade, voltado para o sucesso de todos os alunos. Isso representa, efetivamente, a meta de um ensino com foco na diversidade