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Thesis (MEd) -- Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the major features of educational transformation in Namibia revolves around the democratisation of education. However, despite various endeavours by the government to transform the education system in an effort to provide quality education, there remain many challenges to the delivery of urgently needed quality education. This thesis seeks to explore how democratic education can possibly contribute towards eliminating identified challenges. My contention is that the promulgation of the education policy document "Toward Education for All" of 1993 was meant to bring about changes in the Namibian education system. However, the promulgation of this policy does not imply the effective implementation thereof. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die belangrikste kenmerke van onderwystransformasie in Namibie is die demokratisering van die onderwys. Ten spyte van verskeie pogings deur die regering om die onderwysstelsel te transformeer in 'n poging om gehalteonderwys te verseker, is daar steeds baie uitdagings met betrekking tot die lewering van dringend nodige gehalteonderwys. Hierdie tesis ondersoek hoe demokratiese onderwys moontlik daartoe kan bydra om die uitdagings soos gerdentifiseer die hoof te bied. Die skrywer is daarvan oortuig dat daar met die bekendmaking van die onderwysbeleidsdokument, Toward Education for All (1993), bedoel word om veranderinge in die Namibiese onderwysstelsel teweeg te bring. Die openbaarmaking van hierdie beleid impliseer egter nie die effektiewe implementering daarvan nie.

Since independence, the Namibian education system has experienced a process of transformation from authoritarianism to democratisation. The philosophy underpinning this process is spelt out in the policy, Toward Education for All, with its four major goals being: Access, Equity, Quality and Democracy. Democratisation of education would mean that people would be equally involved in decision‐making processes both at the system and organizational level, so as to contribute collectively to shaping the destiny of education in Namibia. This would mean at the school level of an organization, that teachers are the facilitators of democracy and agents of change in the learning organization environment. To strengthen democracy and empower people’s participation in the decision‐making process, Namibia further adopted a decentralization policy which involved the devolution of power and administrative functions from central government to regional authorities. In the context of this policy framework, schools should take responsibility to introduce and manage change in their organizations. However, evidence suggests that schools have been slow to take up the challenge and that change is largely still initiated by regional officials. This study looks at how organisation development (OD) may play a role in encouraging a mindset where change may be initiated by the organisation itself. OD is a planned change strategy based on normative re‐educative and empirical rational strategies implemented systematically. OD is participant driven, involving a series of activities that move the organization to a preferred future. It focuses on human behaviour and organizational change through staff participation practising a bottom‐up rather than top‐down approach. This study reports on an OD intervention in a rural school east of Rundu, in the Kavango Educational region of Namibia. The study aimed at exploring staff involvement in an OD intervention and probed participants’ perceptions and experiences of the process. The study is an action research case study located within the interpretive and critical paradigms. Observation and semi‐structured interviews were the main data‐collection tools used in the study. In its preliminary investigation the study found that a lack of staff involvement in decisionmaking processes and participation in meetings were the major factors that were perceived to retard the effectiveness of the organization. The study further found that the authoritative style of leadership in the school contributed to the lack of cooperation and participation of staff members. In contrast, the staff responded positively to the OD intervention. Participants embraced OD as a democratic approach to change as it made a meaningful impact on their understanding and conception of organization change. The intervention further empowered participants with new skills and knowledge of initiating change and problem‐solving. Apart from that, the intervention provided a possible short‐term outcome that encouraged participants to adopt and apply OD in the future, without underestimating the difficulties associated with the process.

The appreciation by leadership of the culture of an organisation plays an important role in the success of that organisation. Leadership and organisation culture are an inextricable part of the life of an organisation. The shared assumptions and beliefs of the individual within an organisation shape its culture. My study investigates the aspects of school culture and, further, looks at its link to the success of an organisation, and at the leadership style that influences such an organisation. My research, conducted in the interpretive paradigm, is a case study which was carried out at a public secondary school in the capital city of Windhoek, in Namibia. Since the school was built during South African rule, it was intended mainly for white children. Since independence, it has undergone transformation and is currently integrated, accommodating learners from different cultural backgrounds. It is a successful school, with a good reputation for its discipline and academic excellence. I chose this school deliberately, for those reasons. My findings are that there are aspects of culture which maintain its creation and perpetuate the existence of a particular culture at the school. This school’s culture is embedded within the Christian faith, and there are deliberate rituals and ceremonies put in place to enhance the creation and maintenance of the values that inform its culture, and the school leadership, management, teachers and student council members have a central role in this regard. My study shows that the creation, understanding and appreciation of beliefs and values of the individual within the organisation enable the consequent creation of the shared vision and values that ultimately lead to the foundation and maintenance of a strong culture.

The main goal of this study was to investigate how grade 9 learners make sense of prior everyday knowledge and practical learning through exploring tooth decay problems in their local context. The study was conducted at a deep rural Junior Secondary School situated in Onangalo Village, Tsandi constituency in Omusati political region, northern part of Namibia. My research was triggered by the transformation in the Namibian curriculum, which now recognizes a need to contextualize science and make it relevant to the learners’ everyday life experiences. An interpretivist paradigm informed this study. Within this paradigm, a qualitative case study approach was employed. The unit of analysis was the various activities undertaken by my grade 9 learners with a view to make meaning of prior everyday knowledge and practical investigations in chemistry. A variety of data generating techniques were used in this study, namely, brainstorming and discussion sessions, questionnaires, practical activities with worksheets and semi-structured interviews. A video recorder was used to capture events throughout. Analytical categories emerged as a result of a coding system called pawing. From the analytical categories, analytical statements were formulated. The generated data was validated by a critical friend who was a Life Science teacher at the same school at which I did this study. Further validation was done through learners watching the video recordings and through focus group interviews. Methodological triangulation was also used to validate the data. The study revealed that the use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences in teaching and learning promoted active learners’ participation and enhanced meaning making. Thus, the study recommends the adoption of well-structured science lessons which take into consideration learners’ prior everyday knowledge. The study recommends that these science lessons be used in conjunction with practical activities to promote active learner engagement and conceptual development. Despite the benefits of integrating learners’ prior everyday knowledge during teaching and learning, the study however also revealed some challenges such as limited time and difficulties of English language proficiency amongst learners.

21 March 1990 marked the turning point in the Ministry of Education's policy processes in Namibia when a culture of open debate in policy making commenced. Against this background, this study focused on the role of stakeholders in the policy process with particular reference to the role played by the Namibia National Teachers' Union (NANTU) in the formulation of the staffing norms policy in Namibia. The topic was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews from a small sample of Union and Ministry officials. Findings supported the role of NANTU in what was traditionally perceived a management area of jurisdiction. The role of the teachers' union in policy making is more widely accepted due to professionalism. Findings stressed the significance of stakeholder involvement in policy processes and provided a better understanding of the complex nature of policy. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The aim of this study was to find ways of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the Erongo primary schools in Namibia. The study focussed on the numerous education reforms that Namibia underwent since independence in 1990 and how these have assisted in providing quality education to all its inhabitants. The quality of the education has been a topic widely debated and the Government of Namibia’s records of attempts to create a change within the education system can be found in published documents such as: Records of attempts by the Namibian Government to improve the quality of education in the country are found in published documents such as; Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1992a); Ministry of Education and Culture, (1992b); Ministry of Education and Culture (1993); Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1999); Ministry of Education and Culture (2003); Government of the Republic of Namibia (1999); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2004); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2007a) and Government of the Republic of Namibia, (2007b). In this study, the researcher looked at the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes of education in schools, tried to define the term quality in education, and also focussed on both the human and material resources that influence education. Through this, focus was placed on the school as a unit that could provide change. The investigation was conducted in 18 schools, randomly selected, in the Erongo region in the western part of Namibia. Initially, the researcher intended to administer two questionnaires at the 25 schools selected, but during data collections, principals at some schools indicated that their teachers were unwilling and reasons were given, as mentioned in Chapter 5 of 5.1. Therefore, the initial total of schools selected could not be met. In the 18 schools, more participants completed questionnaires than others. However, the total of 50 questionnaires was completed as envisaged. For the interviews, the researcher randomly selected twenty percent (20%) from the teachers who completed the questionnaires thus a total number of 10 teachers were selected. The need for quality in schools is seen as a major challenge and places huge demands on educational institutions. The frameworks selected in this study are relevant because they can be applied to the understanding of the concept of quality in the education context and direct the improvement of the whole school towards educational change and assist in addressing the factors that could hamper the quality of education provided. The study also focused on the education systems in four Sub-Saharan countries: Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi and three European countries: Germany, Belgium and Finland. These countries were selected to find ways that could assist its quest to provide quality teaching and learning in schools. The Sub-Saharan countries have shown that change has an impact on the outcomes of education, yet to reach these outcomes, many reforms and transformations need to take place. This has important implications for the education system in Namibia where various reforms and transformations are currently taking place to address the quality of education in schools. The European countries have been found to have good quality schools and their policies in education are aimed at achieving quality education. The strengths and weaknesses of the countries selected for this study could serve as essentially vital lessons to the challenges the Namibian government is still faced with in respect of the teaching and learning process. This study used the mixed method for data collection. Both questionnaires and interviews were used and the study was conducted in the Erongo education region of Namibia. The findings of this study indicated that schools are still faced with many challenges in realising the ultimate goal of Vision 2030, whereby all citizens would receive quality education and meet the challenges of an industrialised country. The results of the study suggested that quality human and material resources were still lacking which resulted in schools not being able to provide the quality of education envisaged by the Ministry of Education. The immense administrative work given to teachers has surfaced as one of the areas that need improvement and that could result in teachers being able to utilize sufficient time in the classrooms during teaching. As far as the material resources were concerned, it was discovered that learners, at some schools, shared desks and chairs as well as textbooks. There appears to be a slow pace with which Information, Communication and Technology is introduced and used in schools. The need for computers in schools; the need for learners to become familiar with technology; and the need for teacher training in the use of computers appeared to be a dire need. Although the clustering system of schools has being regarded as very valuable in the improvement of quality teaching and learning in classrooms, there was however a need expressed for funds to assist in transport costs to attend the meetings as schools were situated at vast distances from each other. The study has thus arrived at the conclusion that stakeholders, namely teachers, principals and heads of departments are attempting to improve the quality of teaching and learning at their schools but are however hampered by the factors mentioned. The need for improved quality teaching and learning is a challenge at schools and support is needed from the Ministry of Education to reach the ultimate goal of the Government of the Republic of Namibia in providing quality teaching and learning to all its learners. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

21 March 1990 marked the turning point in the Ministry of Education's policy processes in Namibia when a culture of open debate in policy making commenced. Against this background, this study focused on the role of stakeholders in the policy process with particular reference to the role played by the Namibia National Teachers' Union (NANTU) in the formulation of the staffing norms policy in Namibia. The topic was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews from a small sample of Union and Ministry officials. Findings supported the role of NANTU in what was traditionally perceived a management area of jurisdiction. The role of the teachers' union in policy making is more widely accepted due to professionalism. Findings stressed the significance of stakeholder involvement in policy processes and provided a better understanding of the complex nature of policy. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

Since the early 1990’s both South Africa and Namibia have been engaged in educational reform processes to address the discriminatory impacts and orientations of education under Bantu Education which were implemented in both countries prior to independence (Namibia in 1990, and South Africa in 1994). A feature of both educational reform processes is the underpinning theory of learning which draws on social constructivism, and which is articulated as learner centred education. This approach to teaching and learning infuses both policy frameworks. Another common feature is the introduction of environmental education into the formal education systems of both countries, a process which has been championed by development assistance, and which has been supported by programmes such as the Eco-Schools programme which is an international environmental education initiative started after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, and implemented in a number of countries, including South Africa. The programme has also been piloted in some schools in Namibia. To date no research has been done on the way in which the Eco-Schools framework (its practices, organizing principles, evaluation processes etc.) enhance learner centred education. This study therefore aimed to investigate and understand how the Eco-Schools framework can enhance learner centred education. The study was conducted in 2007 in three Eco-Schools in Namibia and four Eco-Schools in South Africa in the context of the broader national programmes of implementing learner centred education policies, and environmental education histories. The study used a case study methodology, using observation, interviews, and document analysis as the main methods for data generation. The analytical process followed two stages: the first involved an inductive analysis using categories which were organized into a series of analytical memos. The second phase of data analysis involved recontextualising the data drawing on theory and contextual insights to provide insights that address the research question, using analytical statements. The main findings of the study are that the Eco-Schools framework provides numerous opportunities to enhance learner centred education, through contextualization of learning, through strengthening school-community interactions, and through enabling active involvement of learners in decision making and a range of contextually meaningful Eco-Schools practices. The study also showed that the Eco-Schools framework allows for empowerment of learners in relation to diverse needs, and also allows for learner initiated contributions, although this aspect was not well developed in the schools that were included in this study. The study also found that the benefits of Eco-Schools in terms of enhancing learner centred education were limited to only a few learners who were involved in club activities or who were being taught by enthusiastic teachers who were participating in the Eco-Schools programme. The study showed that these benefits can be more widely shared if more teachers were to get involved, and if the Eco-Schools programme were better understood in relation to the curriculum requirements of various subjects and learning areas, and if the Eco-Schools practices could be more successfully integrated across the curriculum. The study also showed that various forms of support were required for implementing the Eco-Schools programme, most notably the support of the Principal, and the Department of Education. The study also identified that parents and other stakeholders in the school were supportive of the Eco-Schools programme since it was perceived to have relevance to learning, as well as the community. The results broadly confirmed that the implementation of Eco-Schools using a whole school, values based and active learning approach promotes a school culture which enhances learner centred education more broadly across the school. The study also found that the Eco-Schools programme added a new dimension to existing discourses on learner centred education, which could be described as a community linked or situated approach to learner centred education.

The aim of this study was to find ways of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the Erongo primary schools in Namibia. The study focussed on the numerous education reforms that Namibia underwent since independence in 1990 and how these have assisted in providing quality education to all its inhabitants. The quality of the education has been a topic widely debated and the Government of Namibia’s records of attempts to create a change within the education system can be found in published documents such as: Records of attempts by the Namibian Government to improve the quality of education in the country are found in published documents such as; Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1992a); Ministry of Education and Culture, (1992b); Ministry of Education and Culture (1993); Ministry of Basic Education and Culture (1999); Ministry of Education and Culture (2003); Government of the Republic of Namibia (1999); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2004); Government of the Republic of Namibia (2007a) and Government of the Republic of Namibia, (2007b). In this study, the researcher looked at the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes of education in schools, tried to define the term quality in education, and also focussed on both the human and material resources that influence education. Through this, focus was placed on the school as a unit that could provide change. The investigation was conducted in 18 schools, randomly selected, in the Erongo region in the western part of Namibia. Initially, the researcher intended to administer two questionnaires at the 25 schools selected, but during data collections, principals at some schools indicated that their teachers were unwilling and reasons were given, as mentioned in Chapter 5 of 5.1. Therefore, the initial total of schools selected could not be met. In the 18 schools, more participants completed questionnaires than others. However, the total of 50 questionnaires was completed as envisaged. For the interviews, the researcher randomly selected twenty percent (20%) from the teachers who completed the questionnaires thus a total number of 10 teachers were selected. The need for quality in schools is seen as a major challenge and places huge demands on educational institutions. The frameworks selected in this study are relevant because they can be applied to the understanding of the concept of quality in the education context and direct the improvement of the whole school towards educational change and assist in addressing the factors that could hamper the quality of education provided. The study also focused on the education systems in four Sub-Saharan countries: Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi and three European countries: Germany, Belgium and Finland. These countries were selected to find ways that could assist its quest to provide quality teaching and learning in schools. The Sub-Saharan countries have shown that change has an impact on the outcomes of education, yet to reach these outcomes, many reforms and transformations need to take place. This has important implications for the education system in Namibia where various reforms and transformations are currently taking place to address the quality of education in schools. The European countries have been found to have good quality schools and their policies in education are aimed at achieving quality education. The strengths and weaknesses of the countries selected for this study could serve as essentially vital lessons to the challenges the Namibian government is still faced with in respect of the teaching and learning process. This study used the mixed method for data collection. Both questionnaires and interviews were used and the study was conducted in the Erongo education region of Namibia. The findings of this study indicated that schools are still faced with many challenges in realising the ultimate goal of Vision 2030, whereby all citizens would receive quality education and meet the challenges of an industrialised country. The results of the study suggested that quality human and material resources were still lacking which resulted in schools not being able to provide the quality of education envisaged by the Ministry of Education. The immense administrative work given to teachers has surfaced as one of the areas that need improvement and that could result in teachers being able to utilize sufficient time in the classrooms during teaching. As far as the material resources were concerned, it was discovered that learners, at some schools, shared desks and chairs as well as textbooks. There appears to be a slow pace with which Information, Communication and Technology is introduced and used in schools. The need for computers in schools; the need for learners to become familiar with technology; and the need for teacher training in the use of computers appeared to be a dire need. Although the clustering system of schools has being regarded as very valuable in the improvement of quality teaching and learning in classrooms, there was however a need expressed for funds to assist in transport costs to attend the meetings as schools were situated at vast distances from each other. The study has thus arrived at the conclusion that stakeholders, namely teachers, principals and heads of departments are attempting to improve the quality of teaching and learning at their schools but are however hampered by the factors mentioned. The need for improved quality teaching and learning is a challenge at schools and support is needed from the Ministry of Education to reach the ultimate goal of the Government of the Republic of Namibia in providing quality teaching and learning to all its learners. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)