Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006. / Title from title page screen, viewed on May 11, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Paul J. Baker (chair), Joseph Pacha, Norman D. Durflinger, Jeffry B. Nelson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 206-216) and abstract. Also available in print.

A relação entre educação e economia, tanto do ponto de vista teórico quanto na formulação de políticas públicas foi, em grande medida, entendida pelas ideias vindas da teoria do Capital Humano, nas Ciências Econômicas, e da teoria da Modernização, na Sociologia, em termos de oferta. Uma economia, para possuir alto desempenho econômico, deveria superar as deficiências educacionais de sua força de trabalho no sentido de aumentar a escolarização dos indivíduos. Atualmente esta relação linear entre os sistemas educacionais e a estrutura produtiva vem sendo questionada por não levar em conta aspectos que atuam como mediadores do efeito da educação na economia. Este trabalho busca a caracterizar alguns desses aspectos, ao analisar como a estrutura produtiva das regiões metropolitanas de São Paulo e de Belo Horizonte, em termos de setores de atividade econômica, absorvem a escolaridade. Dessa forma, este trabalho busca explorar aspectos da demanda por escolaridade por parte das economias metropolitanas em análise. Para tanto, foram usados os dados da Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS), bem como três formas de metodologia: análise do coeficiente de variação dos salários, análise de correspondência e regressão logística multinomial. / The relationship between education and the economy, both from a theoretical viewpoint and in the formulation of public policy, was largely understood by ideas from the theory of Human Capital in economics, and Modernization Theory in sociology, in terms of supply: an economy to have high economic performance should overcome educational deficiencies of its workforce in order to increase the enrollment of individuals. Currently this linear relationship between education systems and the productive structure is being challenged for not taking into account aspects that act as mediators of the effect of education on the economy. This dissertation seeks to characterize some of these aspects in analyzing how the productive structure of the metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, in terms of sectors of economic activity, absorb schooling. Thus, this dissertation seeks to examine aspects of the demand for schooling by the metropolitan economies under study. For this, we used data from the Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS), as well as three types of methodology: analysis of the coefficient of variation of wages, correspondence analysis and multinomial logistic regression.

Educational leadership and management is a very wide field of study with interdependent components that should form a chain reaction in order to bring about effective management. This study attempts to investigate planning in schools which is one of the educational leadership and management components or functions. Very little research work has been done on educational planning in the Ciskei schools. This is a shortcoming since the number of secondary schools has mushroomed in the late twentieth century. The Ciskei educational managers and parents need to know and take note of the possible situations in the various schools. This is opportune time, particularly that recent events, i.e. students' demands and strikes, are drawing parents closer to the education of their children. The researcher's experience of inspecting school administration since 1990 has reinforced his conviction that the managerial teams in the Ciskei secondary schools have little knowledge of management, and of planning in particular. Although the investigation is into secondary school administration, it is also pertinent to primary school planning. Management, i.e. school year-planning, control of work, staff development, appointment of teachers, policy governing students and teachers are discussed at length . Joint planning, i.e. a participative or consultative approach, and advance planning, are investigated in relation to the school year-programme. The existence of statutory bodies in the various schools is assessed in order to test parents' involvement in the education of their children. School tours are discussed in relation to students' involvement in the school activities. The analysis of the results highlights areas that require attention, and the recommendations given address the controversial issues in planning in the various schools.

The School Clustering System (SCS) was introduced five years after Namibia’s independence in 1990. The rationale for its implementation was to improve the quality of education in Namibian schools by enabling the sharing of resources, experience and expertise among clusters and facilitating school administration by pooling resources from several schools to be shared equally. It was piloted in Rundu and then gradually expanded to the whole country. The cluster system groups 5-7 schools that are eographically close and accessible to each other in one cluster under the leadership of one of the principals known as a Cluster Centre Principal (CCP). The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of CCPs of the implementation of the SCS in two clusters of a particular circuit in the Omusati region. It is a case study involving two CCPs, one serving Inspector of Education (IE), a former Inspector of Education, several teachers, principals and parents. Data were collected through interviews, document analysis, and focus group discussions. The study found that the practice of cluster leaders is informed by contemporary leadership and management thinking. The participatory approach employed in clusterbased committees enables site-based management and collaboration. This has led to organisational learning. It was also found that a number of challenges are hampering the implementation of the SCS. These include lack of system support and inadequate resources. However, the human potential coupled with a high degree of readiness exhibited by cluster members are seen as potential drivers of further development of the system. The study recommends the adoption of a national policy that formalises the SCS as well as the strengthening of system support to build cluster capacity. It also makes suggestions for further research in organisational culture and behaviour with the aim of developing leadership and management practices in the SCS.

Environmental education is taught as part of the Primary School Environmental and Agricultural Science (EAS) curriculum in Zimbabwe. An attempt to improve the quality of learning in EAS resulted in a research project at the University of Zimbabwe that aimed to transpose innovative constructivist pedagogy from a western context to a rural African one. This writer has used a definition of teacher change as social change and a belief that sustainable pedagogical change involves a transformative process. The research backs up previous findings that failure to recognise and deal with how people actually experience the change process, accounts for much failure of social change. This qualitative research has attempted to provide some understanding of the complex interrelationships of factors that affected expected change in teaching style. By focusing on the process of teacher change within innovation, this researcher was able to identify inhibitors to change that were subsequently critically reflected on by the tea~hers themselves. The disappointing resistance to change first noted within the project has become a source of unexpected but potentially important illuminative understanding of teacher education and development in a non-western environment.

Since independence in 1990, various efforts have been made to improve the quality and management of Namibian schools, including the Basic Education Project (BEP-Project). In collaboration with the Geselschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), the BEP-Project has supported the implementation of important Government programs, such as Lower Primary reform and the cluster system. In 1995 the BEP-Project began to address educational needs in the Rundu education region. It was believed that Rundu had in the past been the most neglected region, especially with regard to education. The school cluster system was devised to facilitate new ways of education service delivery and to address the question of improving education standards. The purpose of this research is to answer the question: "How do the management and staff of a secondary school in the Rundu region of education experience a school cluster system?" To this end, the research seeks to determine what potential the cluster system holds and how that may be realised, and to also establish whether there is any evidence of change in management practices. A case study method has been employed to gain insight into the cluster system as a management tool. Ten respondents, all of whom have been employed at the school in question for a considerable period of time, were interviewed before and after the implementation of the cluster system. The research disclosed that disparities and tension in the school were legacies of the colonial education system, but that the cluster system had bridged the gap and enhanced uniformity and cooperation. Sharing of ideas on educational issues and constant interaction created a conducive environment for academic performance. The case study further disclosed that parental involvement in decision making is still a course for concern and that the cluster system has not yet addressed this issue. The study has shown that decentralisation has taken place and that rural schools are no longer operating in isolation. A lack of innovative ideas has hampered training as a cluster activity. From the research, it is evident that schools have previously operated on an individual basis, but that the cluster system has created the opportunity for schools to interact on a regular basis. This study is timely and of national importance. I anticipate that this study will be of use to policy makers in making decisions for the future development of the cluster system.

After the introduction of Learner Centred Education in Namibia, a number of studies were conducted on how teachers either perceived learner centred education or implemented it. However, very few studies investigated the teachers' understanding of both subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge; primarily, how they understand and develop key concepts. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Grade 5 teachers' understand and develop key concepts in Social Studies in selected schools in Namibia. The study focused on three teachers in three primary schools in the Caprivi educational region of Namibia. These teachers were purposefully selected as graduates of the teacher education programme instituted at the time of the Namibian education reform process. As a teacher educator, my main motive of conducting this study was to gain a better understanding of some of the issues that have been raised about these graduates' lack of content knowledge. The study adopts a qualitative approach and seeks to investigate (a) how the three teachers in this study understand key concepts and (b) the strategies they use to develop such concepts. Three data collection instruments were employed: interviews, document analysis and class observations. The findings indicate that despite the training that all three teachers in this study received, their understanding of the concepts they taught is problematic. Furthermore, some of the strategies that the teachers used did not bring about learning with understanding. The results of the study revealed how these teachers' problems with concepts and the development of conceptual understanding are related to specific issues and can be attributed to a number of factors. Because of this, the study has provided valuable insights into aspects of teacher education that need to be addressed both in terms of in-service and pre-service programmes to support teachers in teaching for understanding, a key idea underpinning the reform process.

Before the attainment of independence on 21 March 1990, the people of Namibia were engaged in a protracted struggle against colonialism, racism and apartheid, all of which had denied the majority of the people democracy and development. The people of Namibia therefore did not have power to make decisions on matters that affect their lives and were also not able to determine their own destiny (Ministry of Regional Government and Housing [MoRGH]: 1998:1). After independence, the Namibian government provided for a policy of decentralization under Chapter 12 of the Constitution. After adopting decentralization as state policy in 1996 the government, under the auspices of the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing, embarked upon an implementation process that began in 2003. Education decentralization was included in this process. As my research investigated participants' experience of education decentralization in the Omaheke Region, I conducted an interpretive case study. I employed semi-structured interviews as my main data collection instrument. The quality of my research lies mostly in the authenticity of my thick descriptions where I rely to a large degree on a high ratio of participant to researcher voice. The study has revealed that there is a basic understanding of what education decentralization refers to. Education decentralization is also perceived to provide for the democratization of education through the active participation of all relevant stakeholders - parents, teachers, learners and civil servants - in the education process. However, although there is a basic understanding of what education decentralization entails, there is not necessarily acceptance. The study revealed that many people in Omaheke have reservations about the process of decentralizing education services. Some regard education decentralization as central government "dumping" its responsibility on the Regions. Furthermore, neither the Regional Council, the Regional Education Office, schools, communities nor parents have the capacity to cope with decentralization. The responsibility for overseeing the implementation of decentralization in the Region lies with the Omaheke Regional Council. Education as a decentralized function ought to resort directly under the Regional Council. However, the Regional Education office does not yet operate under the Regional Council. Instead the Education Director continues to report directly to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education in the capital. In this way an important decentralization structure, the Regional Council, is bypassed and rendered toothless. The data reveal that there is only partial evidence of psychological and structural readiness for education decentralization. Consequently there is little meaningful participation and therefore no sense of ownership among parents, teachers, learners, community-based organizations and political leaders.

The purpose of this study is to look at English Second Language IGCSE Core Curriculum for Grades 11 and 12. The criteria that has been identified and selected for analysis as stipulated by the Ministry of Basic Education and Culture Language policy Document of 1996 reads as follows: The aim of teaching English as a language should be to enable the learners to increase their participation in the learning processes. This aim was selected as the criteria for investigation because the notion of active participation by the learners in the teaching and learning process places the learners in a different perspective. In other words, the learners are to be seen as possessors of knowledge rather than ‘empty vessels’ as depicted by the behaviourist approach (Van Harmelen 1999). This idea of a learner-centred approach as embedded in Social Constructivism approach is the foundation on which the Namibian Education Reform Process is based. The justification for selecting these particular criteria for close inspection in the English Second Language Curriculum was sparked by the professional attachment of the researcher into teaching English Second Language to Grades 11 and 12 at the Herman Gmeiner Technical School in Swakopmund. The researcher is also serving as a subject head for this particular discipline. Furthermore, evaluating and analyzing the English Second Language curriculum on this particular objective, the researcher hopes to uncover or come to an understanding of how our educational practices have moved from what was practiced under the behavioural approach and to discover the needs of teachers in terms of implementing the new curriculum in their daily practices as educators. Having the criteria stated, the study will focus on how the data was collected and the type of methodology used to gather this information.

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.