The Classroom Assessment Practices and Skills (CAPS) questionnaire was administered to a sample of 691 primary and secondary school teachers in Botswana,Southern Africa to survey their thoughts about classroom assessment and identify classroom assessment practices teachers perceive to be skilled and those that they used most. The study examined the discrepancies between teachers’ perceived skill and use of classroom assessment practices. Exploratory factor analysis generated four factors from “Thoughts about Assessment” and six factors for skill and use of classroom assessment practices. Botswana teachers held positive beliefs about both mastery and performance orientations to student assessment. Teachers were unsure about the adequacy of their assessment training, but indicated that they needed further training in assessment. The results also showed that primary teachers, particularly those with only a certificate needed more skill training in assessment applications, statistical applications, and criterion referenced testing. The more experienced teachers were, the more they agreed with mastery and performance orientations, and the more they had perceived skill and use of desirable classroom assessment practices. Factors wererelated to teacher characteristics of educational level, subject taught, teaching level,years of teaching experience and assessment training. The results showed that including more courses in assessment during teacher training and sending teachers for in-service or workshops in assessment helped to improve their perceived beliefs, skills, and use of desirable classroom assessment practices. Understanding the beliefs teachers hold, particularly about students’ performance, can be used as a framework for identifying educational resources meant to help both schools and students to perform. If policy makers are aware of teachers’ beliefs regarding mastery, they can help teachers to formulate assessment practices that promote critical thinking skills and mastery. A mentoring program to match new and experienced teachers to share reciprocal knowledge and skills on classroom assessment practices can be developed in schools. Teacher educators may consider overhauling their programs to have courses that are more focused on assessment, or increase the number of assessment courses for preservice teachers. Teachers should be sent for in-service training in assessment on a regular basis to ensure that they maintain current classroom assessment skills. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of primary school teachers' involvement in curriculum development in the South and South Central Education Regions of Southern Botswana. It also examined the teachers' contribution to curriculum development in Botswana. The introduction of the study provides the aim, problem statements, limitations, and defines critical concepts used in the study among other things. The methodology of the study employed IS survey research in its design. The population of the respondents in the two regions is five thousand five hundred and ninety (5590). The sample targeted was six hundred (600) teacher respondents. However, the actual number achieved was three hundred and fifty-three (353). Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire, which was piloted before the main study was undertaken. Twenty (20) teachers in one primary school were used in the pilot study, out of which fourteen (14) teachers responded. The research findings indicated that primary school teachers are not involved in curriculum development. With respect to this, the majority of the respondents indicated that they wanted teachers to participate fully in curriculum development. The study found out that primary school teachers are not involved in curriculum development because teachers are in shortage in the schools. One other reason is that curriculum development is centralised, a factor which inhabits teacher involvement. the research also found out that primary school teachers are not involve in curriculum development because they are not qualified to develop the curriculum. it was found that all primary school teachers cannot be involve in curriculum development. The study made some recommendations for policy refocus so that teachers should be involved fully in curriculum development. it is recommended that membership of primary school teachers in the national Curriculum panel should be rotational. Further, it is recommended that the number of the teachers in the Panel should be increased to two per subject area. it is recommended that more power should be devolved to regions. / (Ph.D) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Africa, 2001.

Newly qualified educators in Botswana face many challenges not least of which occurs when they are posted to rural schools a distance from other teachers and information resources. The Government of Botswana has committed itself to enhancing the ICT infrastructure for use in both the economic and educational endeavours of the country. Research conducted in first world countries show that Communities of Practice can take place in a virtual environment and that these can facilitate knowledge sharing and management. This research was conducted to investigate if a Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP), guided by the educational theories of Constructivism and Connectivism, could facilitate information and knowledge sharing among art teachers in dispersed location in the Botswana context. Using Reeves and Hedberg’s (2003) Development Research model, 13 art teachers, who were located in different parts of the country, participated in knowledge sharing through a Virtual Community of Practice. This study analysed the specific needs of art educators, interrogated the literature for best practices, formed a VCoP, and analysed how participants used it and reports on their comments The research findings indicate that educators would be enthusiastic about the use of such a facility if there was a perceivable benefit especially in breaking down the geographical induced communication barriers that they face at the moment. The research does not propose the replacement of existing face-to-face workshops, meetings and other communication fora, but rather suggests a VCoP can complement them by allowing discussions to continue beyond such meetings. It is contended that a carefully structured and supported VCoP can improve information and knowledge sharing significantly among educators and other stakeholders in Botswana. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The education reform efforts in Botswana have focused predominantly on teacher preparation, recruitment and compensation. Recruitment efforts have resulted in a significant number of expatriates working with indigenous teachers in many schools. However, as the schools are currently upgraded and restructured, the quality of the working relationships forged between indigenous and expatriate teachers represents one vital aspect in the reform effort that has gone almost unattended. Many teachers have become dissatisfied and concerned about these relationships, despite compensation and preparation. A decisive first step in attending to these relationships lies in understanding how they develop. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify and describe factors related to the development of working relationships between indigenous and expatriate teachers and illustrate how those factors contribute to the development of these relationships. The study employed a micropolitical perspective and through phenomenological interviews, observation and document analysis, indicated that cultural differences in language and communication, regard for time, handling of student discipline, work ethics and professionalism along with ambiguity and uncertainty, professional and interpersonal obligations, indigenous to expatriate teacher ratio and the interplay of micropolitics are related to the development of these relationships. Results, however, are specific to one school context and should not be generalized. The study recommends management strategies such as provision of programmes for cultural exchange, communication mode standardization, a dean of discipline system, faculty building and further research to redress the situation. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed.

The education reform efforts in Botswana have focused predominantly on teacher preparation, recruitment and compensation. Recruitment efforts have resulted in a significant number of expatriates working with indigenous teachers in many schools. However, as the schools are currently upgraded and restructured, the quality of the working relationships forged between indigenous and expatriate teachers represents one vital aspect in the reform effort that has gone almost unattended. Many teachers have become dissatisfied and concerned about these relationships, despite compensation and preparation. A decisive first step in attending to these relationships lies in understanding how they develop. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify and describe factors related to the development of working relationships between indigenous and expatriate teachers and illustrate how those factors contribute to the development of these relationships. The study employed a micropolitical perspective and through phenomenological interviews, observation and document analysis, indicated that cultural differences in language and communication, regard for time, handling of student discipline, work ethics and professionalism along with ambiguity and uncertainty, professional and interpersonal obligations, indigenous to expatriate teacher ratio and the interplay of micropolitics are related to the development of these relationships. Results, however, are specific to one school context and should not be generalized. The study recommends management strategies such as provision of programmes for cultural exchange, communication mode standardization, a dean of discipline system, faculty building and further research to redress the situation. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed.

In A Question of Power Bessie Head explores metaphysical forms of knowledge and systems of belief (against a background of what is verifiable and can be called the truth) and finds them necessary but flawed because they are illogical. The experience of madness in Bessie Head's main character, Elizabeth, (which is caused by a deep fear of domination and oppression), provides an opportunity for the character to raise propositions and questions of philosophy related to race, class, heterosexuality, God, to mention but a few, and to come to the conclusion that the 'truth' claims which are implied in and suggested by these notions do not obtain in real life. In other words, there is no stable, transcendental reality. It dawns on Elizabeth (the main character) that certain realms of knowledge which society has determined as objective truth will remain forever unknowable. Thus Elizabeth, the main character in a A Question of Power, identifies and challenges all patriarchal structures and power hierarchies in society, seeing them as the real causes of her suffering. After completing this process of deeonstruction, she is able to integrate herself into society. / English Studies / M. A. (English)

This study investigated perceptions of preservice primary student teachers of their teacher preparatory program. In particular, the study wanted to find out if the Philosophy of Kagisano, which encompasses the five national principles of democracy, development, self-reliance, unity, and botho, was integrated in the training of the preservice primary student teachers. The study addressed the following three research questions: 1. How do preservice primary student teachers perceive their preparatory program, including the integration of the national principles? 2. What pedagogical methods/teaching strategies and assessment techniques do teacher educators in primary colleges use? 3. How do primary teacher educators integrate the national principles (philosophy of Kagisano) throughout the program, including in their content, teaching strategies and assessment techniques? This qualitative case study used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with the participants, document analysis and classroom observations for collecting the data. Seventeen preservice student teachers at Fellow College of Education in Botswana were interviewed individually. These were third and final year students with a specialty in Social Studies. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and the grounded theory was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that preservice teachers were taught “more” theory than application. The content that was taught at the College of Education was a repetition of the junior and senior secondary school content. The study also found that college lecturers do integrate the five national principles of democracy, development, self-reliance, unity, and botho in their content, and teaching strategies but did not integrate them in their assessment techniques. Furthermore, the study found that some inconsistency in the grading of students’ work existed. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Educational Studies

In A Question of Power Bessie Head explores metaphysical forms of knowledge and systems of belief (against a background of what is verifiable and can be called the truth) and finds them necessary but flawed because they are illogical. The experience of madness in Bessie Head's main character, Elizabeth, (which is caused by a deep fear of domination and oppression), provides an opportunity for the character to raise propositions and questions of philosophy related to race, class, heterosexuality, God, to mention but a few, and to come to the conclusion that the 'truth' claims which are implied in and suggested by these notions do not obtain in real life. In other words, there is no stable, transcendental reality. It dawns on Elizabeth (the main character) that certain realms of knowledge which society has determined as objective truth will remain forever unknowable. Thus Elizabeth, the main character in a A Question of Power, identifies and challenges all patriarchal structures and power hierarchies in society, seeing them as the real causes of her suffering. After completing this process of deeonstruction, she is able to integrate herself into society. / English Studies / M. A. (English)

Instructional media is expensive yet it may be underutilized. This study explored the perceptions of tertiary educators in Botswana on the role of instructional media in tertiary students’ conceptualization of intended learning outcomes. Quantitative research was used to a greater extent and the qualitative to a lesser extent. The study is a survey in which a questionnaire with twenty-two (22) items was used as a data collection instrument. An initial total of 300 copies of the questionnaire were sent to a sample of 30 tertiary institutions in Botswana. A total of 183 questionnaires were returned, thus 61% return rate. A number of findings emanated from this study, and it was concluded that instructional media enhances tertiary students’ conceptualization of intended learning outcomes. There was a correlation between instructional media utilization and students’ conceptualization of intended learning outcomes. Respondents also reported that instructional media aroused interest in learning and enhanced effective teaching and learning during the teaching and learning process; and that instructional media improved learning, thereby improving academic achievement of the learners, up to estimated 50% or better than students who were taught using the traditional ways. It was also found out that computers and their accessories were frequently used as well as a combination of instructional media. Another finding was that the same media were frequently used because of lack of resources and that they were the only instructional media available in the institutions. The study further concluded that, the amount used to purchase and maintain instructional media at departmental, faculty and or institutional level was seen to be put to good use. The study recommends that: instructional media be one of the main components of teaching and learning process in tertiary institution; a policy to be formulated on financing; use and management of instructional media; training of tertiary educators on different types of instructional media to be made a priority; otherwise purchased instructional media may end up as white elephants in schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)