Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers‟ perception(s) of the relevance of performance indicators for school improvement and development in Namibia. The study employed a case study involving two school principals, two heads of department (HODs) and five teachers. Interviews were used to collect the data. The study found that almost all teachers acknowledge the importance of the PIs and believe that they succeed in improving the provision of quality education if they are properly implemented. The study also found that both school principals experience many challenges with the implementation of these PIs. The analysis was framed by interpretive theory as the study is exploratory. Performance indicators (PIs) have become the yardstick by which internal and external school evaluators can assess whole school performance. The focus of this case study was on Grade 10 school performance in the Katima Mulilo rural circuit and an urban secondary school in the Caprivi education region of Namibia. Grade 10 is one of the school levels in which low academic performance has been found to be common in the Caprivi region. The study included a literature review of studies on performance indicators in different parts of the world. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMING: No Afrikaans abstract available

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A major factor affecting higher education world wide and in particular in Namibia is a trend towards massification. Within Namibia this trend is due to an increase in population, an increased demand for skilled human resources and an increase in political power of the formerly disadvantaged communities. This resulted in a rising demand that the government of Namibia provide access to higher education for increasing numbers of young people. The Polytechnic of Namibia (PaN) has therefore opted for distance education as a means of providing flexible and cost-effective education to the people of Namibia. The term "distance education" is currently accepted internationally to describe a whole range of educational activities in which teaching and learning take place without the students and the educators being together for all, or even most of the time. This is made possible by the use of communication media in the form of print, broadcasts, audio and video recordings, telephones or computers and often a combination of several of these, usually in conjunction with occasional face-taface contact between students and educators or between fellow students. These common characteristics are the result of the convergence of various traditlena and a variety of political, economic, social, educational and technological developments in different countries at different times. Managing distance education is a complex undertaking. In addition, educators have so far only had limited experience of managing distance education, because it has such a short history. This situation is further complicated by the fact that such diverse media are used, each with its own peculiar characteristics and that the scale of operation is often larger than in conventional education institutions. For the purpose of this dissertation distance education institutions were divided into four types, namely, dedicated distance education institutions, departments of existing conventional education institutions, consortia and hybrids. Furthermore, the internal organisation and management issues related to the management and administration of distance education were explored and certain criteria were identified to develop a normative model of distance education management for a mixed or dual mode institution like the PaN. The current distance education management model at the PaN was evaluated in terms of the normative management model identified. An evaluation was undertaken to identify the shortcomings and to make certain recommendations to overcome these shortcomings. A new distance education management model was also proposed. The aim of this distance education management model is to ensure that a suitable division of labour is created to fulfill the required distance education activities, and to ensure that all distance education activities are properly co-ordinated within the PaN and that the Centre for Open and Lifelong learning (COll) which is responsible for the managing of all distance education .. activities at the PaN gets the support it needs to carry out its task. The writer believes that distance education will increasingly be an essential factor in making education accessible at all levels, in all forms, to all people at every stage of their life. New technology is increasingly making this possible. Due to the fact that distance education will become of vital importance in the twenty first century, distance education practitioners and planners need to be more flexible and open-minded about distance education's appropriate role and usage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Belangrike faktor wat hoër onderwys dwarsoor die wêreld en veral in Namibië beïnvloed, is 'n neiging tot massifikasie. Binne Namibië kan hierdie neiging toegeskryf word aan 'n toename in bevolking, in die vraag na opgeleide menslike hulpbronne en in politieke mag by die voormalige agtergeblewe gemeenskappe. Dit het uitgeloop op groter eise dat die regering van Namibië toegang tot hoër onderwys moet verskaf vir 'n groeiende getal jongmense. Die PoN het dus besluit op afstandsonderrig as 'n manier om buigbare en koste-effektiewe onderrig aan die mense van Namibië te voorsien. Die term "afstandsonderrig" word tans internasionaal aanvaar as die beskrywing van 'n hele reeks onderwysaktiwiteite waartydens onderrig en leer plaasvind sonder dat die studente en die opvoeders voortdurend of selfs vir die meeste van die tyd bymekaar is. Dit word moontlik gemaak deur die gebruik van kommunikasiemedia in die vorm van drukwerk, uitsendings, oudio- en beeldopnames, telefone of rekenaars, en dikwels 'n kombinasie van 'n aantal hiervan, gewoonlik gepaard met toevallige persoonlike kontak tussen studente en opvoeders of tussen mede-studente. Hierdie gemeenskaplike eienskappe is die resultaat van 'n sameloop van verskeie tradisies, asook 'n verskeidenheid van politieke, ekonomiese, sosiale, opvoedkundige en tegnologiese ontwikkelings in verskillende lande op verskillende tye. Om afstandsonderrig te bestuur is 'n ingewikkelde onderneming. Hierbenewens het opvoedkundiges tot dusver slegs beperkte ondervinding opgedoen ten opsigte van die bestuur van afstandsonderrig, omdat dit so 'n kort geskiedenis het. Hierdie situasie word verder gekompliseer deur die feit dat 'n verskeidenheid van media gebruik word, elkeen met sy eiesoortige eienskappe, en dat die skaal waarop hierdie soort onderrig onderneem moet word dikwels groter is as in konvensionele opvoedingsinrigtings. Vir die doel van hierdie proefskrif is afstandsonderriginrigtings in vier tipes verdeel, naamlik, afstandsonderwysinrigtings wat geen ander doel het nie, departemente in bestaande konvensionele opvoedkundige inrigtings, konsortia en 'n samestelling van twee of meer van hierdie drie. Hierbenewens is die interne organisasie en bestuursvraagstukke verwant aan die bestuur en administrasie van afstandsonderrig ondersoek en sekere kriteria is geïdentifiseer om 'n normatiewe model van afstandsonderrigbestuur te ontwikkel vir 'n gemengde of dubbelganginrigting soos die PoN. Die afstandsonderrig-bestuursmodel wat tans aan die PoN gebruik word, is geevalueer ten opsigte van die normatiewe bestuursmodel wat geïdentifiseer is. 'n Evaluasie is gedoen om die tekortkominge te identifiseer en om sekere aanbevelings te doen om hierdie tekortkominge aan te spreek. 'n Nuwe afstandsonderrig-bestuursmodel word ook voorgestel. Die doel van hierdie afstandsonderrig-bestuursmodel is om te verseker dat 'n geskikte arbeidsverdeling geskep word sodat die nodige afstandsonderrig aktiwiteite doeltreffend binne die PoN gekoordineer word, en dat die Sentrum vir Ope- en Lewenslange Leer, wat verantwoordelik is vir die bestuur van alle afstandsonderrig aktiwiteite aan die PoN die nodige steun kry om sy taak uit te voer. Die skrywer glo dat afstandsonderrig toenemend noodsaaklik sal wees om onderwys toegangklik te maak op alle vlakke, in alle vorme, aan alle mense in elke stadium van hulle lewens. Nuwe tegnologie maak dit toenemend moontlik. Aangesien afstandsonderrig 'n noodsaaklike rolspeler sal word in die een en twintigste eeu, sal die beoefenaars en beplanners hiervan toenemend buigbaar en oop van gemoed moet wees ten opsigte van afstandsonderrig se toepaslike rol en toepassing in die samelewing.

This investigation looks at the role played by school-based studies in the development of reflective practice among student teachers at a Namibian college of education. Literature reviewed indicates that reflective practice helps teachers continually grow and enhance their professional insights and practices. The study focused on the perceptions and experiences of a group of teacher educators, support teachers and student teachers involved in a particular teacher education programme. A case study was chosen, and built up using an interpretive paradigm. This enabled the researcher to make meaning of information often taken for granted. Triangulation was used to ensure the development of as broad and authentic a picture of the case as possible. Key findings reveal that despite claims that Namibia’s three-year Basic Education Teacher Diploma programme (BETD) is explicitly designed to facilitate the development of critical reflective and reflexive practice in student teachers, the way in which aspects of the programme are implemented frequently undermines this design intention. A lack of careful and explicit mentoring on the importance of reflection for enhancing teaching, plus a measure of distrust between student teachers and teacher educators prevents college students from fully exploiting the opportunities afforded by school-based studies for the development of reflective skills.

A number of tertiary institutions offer bridging courses and intervention programmes in order to increase the number of students performing well in first year mathematics. At the university of Namibia, the science faculty provides educational opportunities to students who have not met the requirements to proceed with MAT 3511 (Basic Math). Unfortunately, the majority of students are not able to cope with the first year modules in Mathematics and the pass rates are unacceptably low. In the interest of supporting students, the University was prompted to introduce a two mode intervention programme in first year mathematics, namely: the normal mode and the alternative mode intervention. The alternative mode intervention was designed to improve the mathematics achievement of first year students who are considered low achieving or at risk of failure. This programme involves the identification of the lowest attainers in first year mathematics, and the provision of professional and faculty trained tutors and individualized teaching to these students in order to advance them to a level at which they are likely to learn successfully in a normal mode system. This research explores the experience and perceptions of first year students on the alternative mode, in particular as it relates to mathematical strands of proficiency. A second step was to explore how teaching contributes to the learning of mathematics on the intervention programme. The empirical investigation was done in 4 phases. A questionnaire on mathematics teaching and learning was given to the students during the first phase. During the second phase, two focus group discussions were conducted. Thereafter four interviews were carried out with lecturers, and finally tutorial and lecture observation were conducted. An analysis of these findings led to the identification of the students’ experiences on the alternative mode. Analysis of the results indicate that the students identified mathematical proficiency as the central element to their learning, and pedagogical knowledge and exploratory talk were critical aspects of good teaching in the mathematical intervention programme.

This study was aimed to explore challenges of students with disabilities in higher education institutions in Namibia, as narrated and illustrated by themselves. Mixed methodologies, with specific reference to a small-scale quantitative survey and extensive qualitative design were employed as tools to understand the prevalence, extent and nature of challenges of students with disabilities in their pursuance of higher education in Namibia. Data was thus collected in two phases. The first phase consisted of a ten-item quantitative-survey which was largely used to determine the prevalence of students with disabilities in higher education institutions, and basic information regarding institutional standpoints pertaining to students with disabilities. Data acquired through this survey confirmed the prevalence of students with disabilities in Namibian higher education institutions. The second phase represented the qualitative design whereby data was collected through three main methodologies namely a narrative diary-based approach, a photo-voice and individual interviews. These methodologies ensured reliability of the data through triangulation. The study confirmed that inclusive education at the higher education level in Namibia was largely achieved through the goal of access, as all higher education institutions have admitted students with observable as well as hidden disabilities. However, a major finding of the study was that support and provision for students with disabilities was rendered in fragmented portions within and across institutions, and that the goals of equity and equality have not yet been achieved to the desired degree, if inclusive education was to become a reality for students with disabilities in higher education in Namibia. Students reported challenges related to physical accessibility of institutions; unavailability of educational material in alternative, as opposed to traditional formats; lack of sensitivity and skills of staff; as well as lack of structured support systems. The study also revealed that, notwithstanding the challenges students faced in their institutions, students with disabilities continued to perform their academic duties to the best of their abilities and were driven by their individual personal philosophies, many of which spoke of perseverance and courage, to make a success of their studies. / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education) / Language Education Arts and Culture

This study was aimed to explore challenges of students with disabilities in higher education institutions in Namibia, as narrated and illustrated by themselves. Mixed methodologies, with specific reference to a small-scale quantitative survey and extensive qualitative design were employed as tools to understand the prevalence, extent and nature of challenges of students with disabilities in their pursuance of higher education in Namibia. Data was thus collected in two phases. The first phase consisted of a ten-item quantitative-survey which was largely used to determine the prevalence of students with disabilities in higher education institutions, and basic information regarding institutional standpoints pertaining to students with disabilities. Data acquired through this survey confirmed the prevalence of students with disabilities in Namibian higher education institutions. The second phase represented the qualitative design whereby data was collected through three main methodologies namely a narrative diary-based approach, a photo-voice and individual interviews. These methodologies ensured reliability of the data through triangulation. The study confirmed that inclusive education at the higher education level in Namibia was largely achieved through the goal of access, as all higher education institutions have admitted students with observable as well as hidden disabilities. However, a major finding of the study was that support and provision for students with disabilities was rendered in fragmented portions within and across institutions, and that the goals of equity and equality have not yet been achieved to the desired degree, if inclusive education was to become a reality for students with disabilities in higher education in Namibia. Students reported challenges related to physical accessibility of institutions; unavailability of educational material in alternative, as opposed to traditional formats; lack of sensitivity and skills of staff; as well as lack of structured support systems. The study also revealed that, notwithstanding the challenges students faced in their institutions, students with disabilities continued to perform their academic duties to the best of their abilities and were driven by their individual personal philosophies, many of which spoke of perseverance and courage, to make a success of their studies. / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education) / Language Education Arts and Culture

This research studies and documents the barriers to remote rural students' access of distance education support services offered by the centre for external studies at the University of Namibia The intent of the researcher is to investigate the question: What barriers do remote rural students face when accessing student support services offered by the CES-UNAM? The purpose of the study is to promote the growth of open and distance learning in the area of student support for students in the remote areas of Caprivi and Kavango regions in Namibia. The aim of the research is to provide evidence that open and distance learning students in remote rural areas face academic, administrative and logistics, personal and natural disasters as barriers as they study through the Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia. Six students were interviewed and studied over a period of two months. The students were followed to their places where interviews were held. Several written documents from students registering their grievances with CES-UNAM were requested from the office of the Director and were reviewed and analysed. The results thereof were recorded in thick verbatim as students personally engaged themselves in narrating the barriers that they face each day during their study periods. The results showed that Open and Distance Learning institutions in the world should practise and enhance sound academic, administration and logistics management systems to help students in remote rural areas. CES-UNAM has a challenge to ensure that students in remote rural areas are adequately supported. The researcher recommends that studies in the area of student support in should focus on their transactional, interactional and social contexts in order to enhance their opportunities to continue with their studies. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Distance Education)

This research studies and documents the barriers to remote rural students' access of distance education support services offered by the centre for external studies at the University of Namibia The intent of the researcher is to investigate the question: What barriers do remote rural students face when accessing student support services offered by the CES-UNAM? The purpose of the study is to promote the growth of open and distance learning in the area of student support for students in the remote areas of Caprivi and Kavango regions in Namibia. The aim of the research is to provide evidence that open and distance learning students in remote rural areas face academic, administrative and logistics, personal and natural disasters as barriers as they study through the Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia. Six students were interviewed and studied over a period of two months. The students were followed to their places where interviews were held. Several written documents from students registering their grievances with CES-UNAM were requested from the office of the Director and were reviewed and analysed. The results thereof were recorded in thick verbatim as students personally engaged themselves in narrating the barriers that they face each day during their study periods. The results showed that Open and Distance Learning institutions in the world should practise and enhance sound academic, administration and logistics management systems to help students in remote rural areas. CES-UNAM has a challenge to ensure that students in remote rural areas are adequately supported. The researcher recommends that studies in the area of student support in should focus on their transactional, interactional and social contexts in order to enhance their opportunities to continue with their studies. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Distance Education)

The objective of this study was to understand how teacher educators in a Namibian college of education interpret and practice the learner-centred pedagogy underpinning the Basic Education Teachers Diploma (BETD) program. In order to achieve this objective, a case study approach was adopted, qualitative-interpretive in orientation and drawing upon interviews, naturalistic non-participant observation and document analysis. Bernstein's theory of pedagogy - in particular his notion ofrecontextualization - offered ideas and concepts that were used to generate and analyse data. The data indicated that, at the level of description, teacher educators interpreted leamercentred pedagogy as a pedagogic practice based on weak rules of regulative discourse, or a weak power relation between themselves and their student teachers. The weakening of the rules of regulative discourse and the waning of educator authority were indicated in the interview narratives, which evoked a pedagogic context characterized by a repositioning of the student teacher from the margins to the centre of the classroom, where he or she enjoyed a more active and visible pedagogic position. Contrary to the dis empowering dynamic within classroom practice under the apartheid dispensation, the repositioning of the student teacher suggested a shift of power towards him or her. Similarly, the identification of the teacher educator as afacilitator, which featured prominently in the interview narratives, further suggested a weakening or diminishing of the pedagogic authority of the teacher educator. With regard to rules pertaining to the instructional discourse, the data revealed an interpretation of leamer-centred pedagogy as a pedagogic practice based on strong framing over the selection of discourses, weak framing over pacing, and strong framing over sequencing and criteria for evaluation. When correlated with the interview data, the data generated through lesson observation and teacher educator prepared documents such as lesson plans revealed a disjuncture between teacher educators' ideas about leamer-centred pedagogy and their practice of it. Contrary to the interviews, lesson observation data revealed that teacher educators implemented leamer-centred pedagogy as a pedagogic practice based on strong internal framing over rules of the regulative discourse. Data further indicated strong internal framing over the selection, sequencing, pacing and evaluation. The study concluded that while some teacher educators could produce an accurate interpretation oflearner-centred pedagogy at the level of description, most of them did not do so at the level of practice. Findings revealed structural and personal-psychological factors that constrained teacher educators' recontextualization of the new pedagogy. A narrow understanding of leamercentred pedagogy that concentrated only on changing teacher educators' pedagogical approaches from teacher-centred to learner-centred, while ignoring structural and systematic factors, tended to dominate not only the interview narratives but also official texts. Learner-centred pedagogy was understood as a matter of changing from teachercentredness to leamer-centredness while frame factors, for instance regarding the selection, pacing or sequencing of discourses, still followed the traditional approach. The study recommends the adoption of a systematic and deliberate approach to address the multiplicity of factors involved in enabling teacher educators to interpret and implement leamer-centred pedagogy at the micro-level of their classrooms. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

Foundation Programme (FP) students at the University of Namibia (UNAM) Oshakati Campus display inadequate academic writing abilities. As their aim is to gain admittance to UNAM main campus science-related courses, it is vital to have effective academic writing skills. This action research (AR) study is a comparison of three writing programmes, the process approach, the modeling approach, and the process genre approach which were implemented separately to three different class groups in 2008 and 2009 to improve the writing skills of students and the teaching practice of the researcher. The effects of the interventions were examined using a combination of the quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data were collected using questionnaires, pre- and post-intervention essays and laboratory reports and interviews. The findings indicate that all three approaches improved the academic writing skills of FP students. The process genre approach had a higher rate of effect than the other two approaches. / English Studies / M. A. (Specialisation TESOL)