This study examined how the Lesotho Education Act of 1995 was initiated, formulated and implemented. In addition, the study investigated teachers' perceptions of the impact of the Act on them. The study was conducted through stakeholder interviews, school visits and an examination of official documents, education reports and minutes of meetings. First, the study has established that the Act was initiated to phase out churches from school management in church schools, contrary to its stated objectives of promoting education. Second, the process of formulating and implementing the Act was bureaucratic and lacked coherence, sustainability and political consensus. Third, the Act has left teachers disillusioned and feeling disempowered by not accommodating their representation in structures dealing with their employment, conditions of service, promotion and demotion, transfer, discipline, dismissal, and designing the national curriculum. It has no provision for them to unionise, and does not even bind the employing authority to allow them to influence policies at national level. Fourth, on the provision of education, the Act is seemingly inconsistent with the national Constitution and other conventions on the Rights of Child and conventions which Lesotho signed. Contrary to them, the Act makes the provision of education in Lesotho circumstantial. Keywords: Lesotho Education Act 1995, Lesotho Education Stakeholders, Lesotho Church Education, Lesotho government and churches, Lesotho Teachers,

Studies by different academics (Marsh 1997; Allen 2004; Dunn 2006; Austin, 2010 & Stears & Gopal, 2010) reveal that outcomes and assessment strategies cannot be divorced. Outcomes and assessment strategies are meant for various purposes in education, ranging from establishing the starting point, to monitoring and evaluation of the outputs of what have been planned for the lesson. The study investigates the experiences and practices of Form Three integrated science teachers with regard to the outcomes and assessment strategies. The motivation behind this study is related to the problem that teachers are trained on discipline base while they are expected to teach integrated science in the junior level (form one - form three). Integrated Science plays a major role in the Lesotho education system because it prepares learners at Secondary School level (Form One - Form Three) to study specialised science subjects namely: Biology, Chemistry and Physics at High School level (Form Four – Form Five) and this resulted in learners‟ interest in science at higher education being clearly oriented (Oludipe & Oludipe, 2010). This study was achieved by investigating teachers‟ experiences and practices of outcomes and assessment strategies in the way they do, through the use of the following data gathering instruments: document analysis, observation and semi-structured interviews. This study is mainly qualitative, interpretive case study of two schools and is informed by two theories namely: social constructionist theory and Bloom‟s Taxonomies. Social constructionist underpins social practices and practitioners‟ views on them. On the other side, Bloom‟s taxonomy provides details of construction of assessment tools towards attaining outcomes at the end of the learning period. In terms of analysing the data from the field, the data are presented using the themes and categories generated from the interviews. In addition, in presenting the data, the study would ensure that the voices of the participants were not lost. Therefore, verbatim quotations are infused in the data presentation. The emerging trends and patterns from the presented data are then outlined. According to the findings, the teachers are more interested in their areas of specialisation from the universities and colleges and this resulted in some other parts of the syllabus being sidelined. The study also revealed that teachers still lack knowledge of stating or writing observable and measurable learning outcomes even thought they are aware of theimportance of stating learning outcomes at the beginning of each and every Integrated Science lesson. The research concluded with a set of recommendations to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching of Integrated Science in Lesotho. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

This study explores how Lesotho primary school teachers understand and interpret problem-solving (PS) and how they teach and support it. Observation schedules and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from classrooms, teachers and learners. The findings revealed that teachers have considerable understanding of (PS) and value it but are not teaching it. Teachers attribute this to their lack of knowledge, the difficult conditions in their schools, policy constraints (such as assessment) and their own habits and behaviours. However, the data also indicated that teachers, with support, can successfully design and teach appropriate lessons in their schools, raising issues about their knowledge, beliefs, identity and structures. / Theses (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the process of induction was managed at Zenon High School, in Berea, Lesotho. To this end, a case study approach was employed and an attempt was made to identify what passed for induction, in this school, as this has a bearing on the management approach that may be adopted. The next step was to address three important questions: the nature of provision for induction made in the school; what experiences teachers had of induction; and the needs teachers believed could be addressed through induction, as well as how better these might be addressed, all of which reflect the question of what passes for induction in the school. Lastly, the issue of what is generally or commonly regarded as the purpose of induction, and the 'best' practice in the management of this process, was considered. Analysis of data, in this connection, indicated that there were considerable differences between the management of induction in the school, as reflected by the nature of provision for induction made in the school and the experiences of teachers with regard to the process of induction in the school, and what is commonly argued to be the 'best' practice in the management of this process. The findings further indicated that the induction programme in the school was organised by the local university for recent graduates with a teaching qualification; that participation of the school in decision making was limited only to implementation aspect of induction management, with the planning and evaluation aspects remaining the sole responsibility of the university; that, based on their experiences of the process of induction and their believes of what needs should be addressed through induction, teachers felt that their induction in the school was inadequate. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2002.

The study looks at Lesotho Science teachers' understanding, practice and explanation of learner-centred education (LCE) prior to, during and after different activities. Six Physics teachers from Maseru were selected from 20 who attended an initial meeting and workshop. The selected teachers participated in the research for two years, completing a Baseline Study, then 3 cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting in the action research on LCE. During the Baseline Study and each of the action research cycles, the teachers' explanations, understandings and practices of learner-centred education were determined through analyses of discussions and meetings, lesson plans, classroom practices, responses to the literature and other support activities, and interviews with the teachers. The process was collaborative, with the teachers and the researcher working as a team in the planning, observations of classrooms, reflections and analyses. The teachers changed their understanding and practices significantly in the course of the study. Consistent with the Concerns-based Adoption Model (CBAM), their primary concerns shifted from classroom management issues and impediments to learner-centred education in their schools at the start, to adaptation, innovation, and conducting teacher-workshops at the end. Early in the project, they opted for a model of learner-centred education comprised of three levels: caring for learners and their learning; adopting learner-centred teaching methods and allowing learners to influence the content and desired outcomes of the learning. During the research, within the team and in classrooms, the teachers developed each of these levels, though they applied the third level more in their own learning as part of the action research, than in their classrooms. At the end, the teachers co-constructed a model of LCE which they felt was doable under the conditions in Lesotho (including school constraints and competing demands on teachers and curriculum), and which would meet the expectations of principals, parents and learners. The teachers changed not only in their professional knowledge and skills, but in social-professional and self-professional aspects. For example, they began inviting other teachers to observe their classes, they conducted workshops in their schools, and enrolled for higher degrees. The teachers persisted with the study for two years, not because of school expectations or pressures, but because they wanted to participate. Their motivation was high, arising from a mix of personal, professional, career and school factors. Their motivations shifted during the research, as their knowledge and concerns changed, and they came to see different opportunities from what they had imagined at the start. Through participation and collaboration, they extended the objectives and outcomes of the study beyond its initial focus on learner-centred education in classrooms: they defined and addressed their own personal, social and professional interests. The data demonstrated that teachers' engagement with in-service activities that provide for long-term project-based learning, critical collaboration, support and reflection, can bring personal and group change more significantly than in conventional district and national workshops. / Theses (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu Natal, 2005.

Extant literature on academic identities claims that academic identities not only represent academics’ subjectively construed understandings of who they are but they also derive from roles, statuses, membership in disciplinary communities and characteristics that make academics unique individuals. Even so, research focusing exclusively on academic identities is unprecedented in the Lesotho higher education (HE) sector; therefore, this study describes how narratives of experiences and meanings attached to being an academic relate to the construction of academic identities at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). How do reflexive interpretations of cultural expectations tied to membership in disciplinary communities influence the negotiation of academic identities and work behaviour of academic staff? How do descriptions of the (mis)alignment between job facets, individual values and expectations influence the meaningfulness and fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts? How do stories of internalised meanings of involvement and symbolic identification with NUL influence academic identity trajectories? Being interpretive in nature, this study used narrative interviews to collect data from a sample of thirty-one academics from NUL. The findings revealed that ‘who’ an academic is derives from meanings of ‘lived experiences’ of work enjoyment, applicability, exploitation, facilitation, multitasking, prestige and burnout. The findings also showed that academic identities were negotiated by reflexively interpreting the cultural expectation of ‘finishing work on time’ through work behaviours such as managing time, working overtime, self-motivation, underperforming, balancing roles and seeking work assistance. The participants’ narratives also revealed that the fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts derived from autonomy, accomplishments, learning, interdependencies, work environment, students’ attitudes and recognition. Lastly, the study showed that participants’ academic identity trajectories were influenced by altruism, passion, options, disillusions and relations. Overall, the ‘narratives of experience’ reiterated that academic identities at NUL were contextualised constructs of ‘work experiences’, ‘membership in communities’, ‘job attitudes’ and ‘self -discovery,’ based on the self as a unique individual, a group member and a role holder. Consistent with the interactionist perspective, academic identities at NUL represent structurally, culturally and institutionally located stories of experiences and meanings derived from the work situation, the setting and social relationships that academics participate in daily at NUL. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

Teachers are exposed to stressful situations, of which increasing work demands is but one, leading to an alarming escalation of stress and professional burnout as career risks in the teaching profession. The focus of this study is on stress coping strategies to prevent burnout among primary school teachers in Lesotho. Some of the reasons which urged the researcher to carry out this study pertain to the fact that, although teacher burnout is an international concern, limited studies have addressed burnout and stress coping strategies among staff in the teaching service in Lesotho. Prolonged stress is a social problem leading to mental and physical ill health, with an increasing number of teachers leaving the teaching profession in Lesotho due to burnout. The population for the study was 600 primary school teachers who were engaging in professional development by pursuing a Bachelor of Education in primary education at the National University of Lesotho. This is a part-time programme offered by the University for practising teachers who hold a Diploma in Primary Education. The study followed a mixed-methods research approach, so for the qualitative study, data were collected using semi-structured individual interviews with 20 participants. For the quantitative study, questionnaires were administered to 350 respondents. Qualitative data were analysed using an inductive approach. Quantitative data were analysed using multiple regression, Chi-square and t-test. Key findings revealed that variables such as work overload, organisational climate and role conflict are predictors of burnout among teachers. Other variables predicting teacher burnout pertain to learner indiscipline, teacher personality and insufficient teacher remuneration. Burnout attacks career motivation. It also causes aggressive and violent behaviour among teachers. Teachers buffer stress and prevent burnout by employing constructive, less constructive and neutral stress coping strategies. The Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training can alleviate stress and prevent burnout among teachers by clarifying their job descriptions, instituting formal induction programmes for new teachers and ensuring that teacher salaries are on par with equivalent professional careers. / Onderwysers word aan stresvolle situasies blootgestel, waarvan toenemende werkseise net een is; dit lei tot 'n kommerwekkende styging van stres en professionele uitbranding as loopbaanrisiko's in die onderwysberoep. Hierdie studie fokus op strategieë om stres te hanteer om uitbranding onder laerskoolonderwysers in Lesotho te voorkom. Sommige redes wat die navorser genoop het om die studie te doen, hou verband met die feit dat alhoewel onderwyseruitbranding 'n internasionale bekommernis is, is beperkte studies gedoen om uitbranding en strategieë om stres te hanteer onder onderwysers in Lesotho gedoen. Langdurige stres is 'n sosiale probleem wat tot geestelike en fisiese swak gesondheid kan lei, met 'n toenemende aantal onderwysers wat die beroep verlaat in Lesotho as gevolg van uitbranding. Die populasie vir die studie was 600 laerskoolonderwysers wat by professionele ontwikkeling betrokke was deur vir 'n baccalaureusgraad in Opvoedkunde in primêre onderwys in te skryf by die Nasionale Universiteit van Lesotho. Dit is 'n deeltydse program wat die Universiteit aanbied vir praktiserende onderwysers met 'n Diploma in Primêre Opvoedkunde. Die studie het 'n benadering gebruik van gemengde navorsingsmetodes. Vir die kwalitatiewe studie is data versamel deur semigestruktureerde individuele onderhoude met 20 deelnemers. Vir die kwantitatiewe studie is vraelyste aan 350 respondente gegee. Kwalitatiewe data is ontleed deur 'n induktiewe benadering te gebruik. Kwantitatiewe data is ontleed deur meervoudige regressie, chi-kwadraat en t-toets te gebruik. Sleutelbevindings het getoon dat veranderlikes soos werksoorlading, organisatoriese klimaat en rolkonflik aanwysers van uitbranding onder onderwysers is. Ander veranderlikes wat onderwyseruitbranding aandui hou verband met leerders se gebrek aan dissipline, onderwysers se persoonlikhede en onvoldoende vergoeding vir onderwysers. Uitbranding val loopbaanmotivering aan. Dit lei ook tot aggressiewe en gewelddadige gedrag onder onderwysers. Onderwysers keer stres en voorkom uitbranding deur konstruktiewe, minder konstruktiewe en neutrale strategieë te gebruik om stres te hanteer. Lesotho se Ministerie van Onderwys en Opleiding kan stres verlig en uitbranding onder onderwysers voorkom deur hul posbeskrywings duidelik te maak, formele oriënteringsprogramme vir nuwe onderwysers daar te stel en te verseker dat onderwysers se salarisse ooreenkom met soortgelyke professionele beroepe. / Barutiši ba lebana le maemo a kgatelelo ya monagano, ao go ona a bakwago ke dinyakego tša mošomo o montši, gomme se se feletša go kgolo ya godimo ya kgatelelo ya monagano le go lapa mošomong wa bona wa sephrofešenale bjalo ka go tsena kotsing ya mošomo wa bona ka phrofešeneng ya biorutiši. Nepišo ya dinyakišišo tše e go maano a go kgona go šoma ka fase ga kgatelelo ye ka nepo ya go thibela go lapa kudu gareng ga barutiši ba phoraemari ka Lesotho. A mangwe a mabaka ao a dirilego gore banyakišiši ba dire dinyakišišo tše ke mabapi le taba ya gore, le ge e le gore go lapa kudu ga barutiši ke tlhobaboroko maemong a boditšhabatšhaba, dinyakišišo tše mmalwa fela di boletše ka ga maano a go kgona go šoma ka mathata a go lapa kudu le a ka fase ga kgatelelo ya monagano gareng ga bašomi ka tirelong ya borutiši ka Lesotho. Kgatelelo ya monagano ye e tšeago lebaka le letelele ke bothata bja setšhaba bjo bo feletšago ka bofokodi bja maphelo a monagano le a mmeleng, fao palo ya godimo ya barutiši e tlogelago phrofešene ya borutiši ka Lesotho ka lebaka la go lapa kudu. Batho bao ba botšišwago dipotšišo ka mo dinyakišišong tše ke barutiši ba dikolo tša phoraemari ba 600 bao ba bego ba kgatha tema ka tlhabollong ya sephrofešenale ka go dira Kgrata ya Borutiši ka thuto ya phoraemari ka Yunibesithing ya Bosetšhaba ya Lesotho. Le ke lenaneo la thuto leo le dirwago dinako tše dingwe leo le abjago ke Yunibesithi ye go barutiši bao ba šomago bao ba nago le Tiploma ya Thuto ya Phoraemari. Dinyakišišo di latetše mekgwa ya dinyakišišo ye e kopantšwego, ka fao bjalo ka dinyakišišo tša boleng, datha e kgobokeditšwe ka go šomiša dipotšišo tšeo di beakantšwego ka seripa tšeo di botšišwago motho ka o tee ka o tee fao go nago le bakgathatema ba 20. Go dinyakišišo tša bontši, dipotšišonyakišišo di filwe baarabi ba 350. Datha ya bontši e sekasekilwe ka go šomiša mokgwa wa tirišo ya bohlatse. Datha ya bontši e sekasekilwe ka go šomiša dipalopalo tša go akanya kamano, Chi-square le t-test. Dikutollo tše bohlokwa di utollotše gore dilo tše dingwe tše di fapanego tša go swana le go šoma mošomo o montši go fetišiša, seemo sa ka mošomong le thulano ya go šoma mošomo ke dilo tšeo di bonwago bjalo ka tšeo di bakago go lapa kudu gareng ga barutiši. Dilo tše dingwe tše di fapanego tše di bakago go lapa kudu di mabapi le go se be le maitshwaro a mabotse ga baithuti, semelo sa barutiši le tefelo ya barutiši ye e sego ya lekana. Go lapa kudu go hlasela tlhohleletšo ya go dira mošomo. Gape go baka maitshwaro a go befelwa le a dikgaruru gareng ga barutiši. Barutiši ba fokotša kgatelelo ya monagano le go thibela go lapa kudu ka go diriša maano a go kgona go phela ka kgatelelo ao a kwagalago, ao a kwagala gannyane le a magareng. Kgoro ya Thuto le Tlhahlo ya Lesotho e ka fediša kgatelelo ya monagano le go thibela go lapa kudu gareng ga barutiši ka go hlatholla gabotse mešomo ya bona, ka go hloma mananeo a semmušo a tlwaelo ya barutiši ba baswa le go netefatša gore meputso ya barutiši e lekana le ya mešomo ye mengwe ya go swana le yona ya sephrofešenale. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that cause most Lesotho secondary schools to perform poorly in the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate examinations. The findings of the study show that the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools are multiple and interrelated. These problems can be identified at the macro or policy-making level at the Ministry of Education, and at the micro or the individual school level. At macro level, there appears to be a lack of adequate capacity among the senior management staff to perform the management and governance functions effectively, so that substantive improvement could be realised in the day-to-day operations, and academic results of schools. An upshot of this is that the professional support that the Ministry of Education provides to secondary schools is inadequate. Furthermore, despite the deepening poverty in Lesotho, the state does not provide textbooks to learners in secondary schools. Consequently, many learners do not have all the textbooks, and this affects their learning negatively. At micro level, the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools include teacher tardiness, teacher absenteeism and a lack of learner determination. It is contended that these factors indicate that the management of the school principals is weak. Moreover, because of poverty, many parents fail to pay school fees for their children on time. As a result, many learners are frequently sent back home by the principals to fetch money, and this reduces their academic learning time. The study also revealed that prior academic achievement of learners in primary schools is, to a large extent, a major predictor of their achievement in secondary schools. In this regard, the highly effective schools, which have selective admission policies and accept mainly Form A applicants, tend to consistently outperform the average and less effective schools, which have open admission policies. In order to improve the academic performance of secondary schools, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education officials, principals, teachers and learners should work more diligently and refocus their efforts on the core business of schools, namely, teaching and learning. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Scholars emphasise the pivotal role that teacher perceptions play in the success of inclusive education (IE). Using Bourdieu’s (1985-1999) three conceptual tools of habitus, field and capital as a theoretical framework, this qualitative case study was designed to investigate secondary school teachers perceptions of IE – particularly with regard to the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools in the Maseru District of Lesotho. Data were collected using rural and urban focus-groups’ interviews. After analysing the data using categorical indexing, and discourse and comparative analysis methods, seven overriding themes emerged: teacher philosophical understanding of IE, teacher inclusion experiences and challenges, teacher classroom practices, teacher opinions about IE, key elements of IE, advantages of IE, and disadvantages of IE. Both focus groups demonstrated similar, but diverse conceptualisations of IE: as an integration movement requiring students to adapt to the school environment; as a segregation movement justifying special schools for students with severe disabilities; and as an education-for-all movement requiring that schools adapt to individual learner needs. The teachers understood that IE had social benefits for learners who could not reap its academic benefits. They used their traditional nurturing approaches to teach learners with different abilities – such as by memorisation of concepts and maximising peer interactions for the purpose of peer tutoring. However, the teachers’ insistence on corporal punishment and forcing learners to speak English in schools seemed to compromise their inclusion efforts. The study also found that despite the culturally influenced, positive and nurturing instincts of teachers in relation to supporting the education of children with disabilities, they were confronted with numerous challenges. These included: lack of knowledge and skills to effectively implement IE, lack of resources, lack of collaborative support from parents and government, and lack of incentives to boost their morale. It is recommended that teachers be equipped with theoretical knowledge of IE and with practical skills to implement it. Pre-service and in-service training was recommended in this regard. It is also recommended that all stakeholders in Lesotho secondary education bring together their resources, expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm – in an effort to make IE in Lesotho both successful and sustainable. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that cause most Lesotho secondary schools to perform poorly in the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate examinations. The findings of the study show that the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools are multiple and interrelated. These problems can be identified at the macro or policy-making level at the Ministry of Education, and at the micro or the individual school level. At macro level, there appears to be a lack of adequate capacity among the senior management staff to perform the management and governance functions effectively, so that substantive improvement could be realised in the day-to-day operations, and academic results of schools. An upshot of this is that the professional support that the Ministry of Education provides to secondary schools is inadequate. Furthermore, despite the deepening poverty in Lesotho, the state does not provide textbooks to learners in secondary schools. Consequently, many learners do not have all the textbooks, and this affects their learning negatively. At micro level, the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools include teacher tardiness, teacher absenteeism and a lack of learner determination. It is contended that these factors indicate that the management of the school principals is weak. Moreover, because of poverty, many parents fail to pay school fees for their children on time. As a result, many learners are frequently sent back home by the principals to fetch money, and this reduces their academic learning time. The study also revealed that prior academic achievement of learners in primary schools is, to a large extent, a major predictor of their achievement in secondary schools. In this regard, the highly effective schools, which have selective admission policies and accept mainly Form A applicants, tend to consistently outperform the average and less effective schools, which have open admission policies. In order to improve the academic performance of secondary schools, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education officials, principals, teachers and learners should work more diligently and refocus their efforts on the core business of schools, namely, teaching and learning. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)