Euclidean geometry and geometric proof have occupied a central place in mathematics education from classical Greek society through to twentieth century Western culture. It is proof which sets mathematics apart from the empirical sciences, and forms the foundation of our mathematical knowledge, yet students often fail to understand the purpose of proof, they are unable to construct proofs, and instead readily accept empirical evidence or the authority of textbooks or teachers. (For complete abstract open document)

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Nigeria is one of the most multilingual nations in Africa which consists of over 450 languages (Adegbija, 2004; Danladi, 2013). It has a population of more than 150 million people, with three major languages, namely Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, and a number of minority languages. Despite its linguistic and cultural diversity, English is the main medium of instruction from primary to tertiary education. The negative effects of learning through the medium of English second language (L2) are evidenced in the learners’ poor achievement in the external examination results of the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC). There is an assumption that learners’ poor performance in English (L2) is due to little attention given to English writing in schools, and the use of less appropriate or effective teaching approaches (Babalola, 2011). There is a special concern about the poor writing proficiency levels of learners, particularly in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) phase which is an exit to Senior Secondary School level where learners are expected to show strong academic literacy skills. Writing is a process which is central to learners’ learning across the curriculum and it enables learners not only to access knowledge from different sources, but also to display the acquired knowledge in different domains. Learners’ poor writing skills are a great concern given that English (L2) is the main medium of instruction at all levels of education in Nigeria. In light of the above, this study set out to explore the pedagogical strategies and problems encountered by both teachers and learners in English (L2) academic writing in Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) classrooms in the Ekiti State, Nigeria. Guided by Second Language Acquisition theory, the study explored the factors that influence second language learning, in relation to the sociocultural and contextual factors that influence learners’ writing abilities. Through the lens of the Genre Pedagogical Theory and the Social Constructivist theory, it investigated teachers’ pedagogical strategies in English (L2) writing, and analysed learners’ written texts in order to understand the extent to which they reflected the features of specific genres that support learners’ writing skills. Four JSS3 teachers in three schools were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study employed a qualitative research paradigm, underpinned by the interpretive theory. Through the use of an ethnographic design, the day-to-day happenings such as thoughts and engagements of both teachers and students in the English (L2) lessons were observed and recorded by means of an audio-recorder in order to build a comprehensive record of the participants’ practice in the classroom. In addition, both semi-structured and unstructured interviews were conducted with the individual teachers. The students’ written texts and other relevant documents were collected and analysed for the purpose of data triangulation. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, voluntary participation, respect and anonymity of participants were observed throughout the study. In this study, the findings show that the teaching of English (L2) writing is still a challenge to many teachers due to a variety of factors which include linguistic, pedagogical and structural factors. As a result, learners’ academic writing suffers, especially writing to learn at secondary school level. Specifically, the findings of this study indicate that the teachers made use of traditional teaching approaches in the teaching of English (L2) writing as against the approaches recommended in the curriculum. The study also reveals that most of the JSS(3) students’ level of proficiency in English writing is below the expected levels stipulated in the curriculum document, although some of them displayed good basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS), Other contributing factors to the learners’ low academic writing proficiency in English (L2) include teachers’ limited understanding and application of the Genre-Based Approach in teaching writing, inadequate language teaching and learning resources, learners’ limited exposure to English (L2) and limited writing opportunities. The study concludes that while the use of the Genre-Based Approach is not the only strategy to enhance learners’ writing skills, the teaching of writing remains crucial as it is central to language use in different knowledge domains. Students’ writing proficiency is critical for cognitive and socio-economic development as it has implications for students’ access to knowledge and academic literacy which spills over to tertiary education. In a country like Nigeria where the main language of instruction is English, there is a need to prioritise teacher development and to revisit the curriculum to determine how it meets the academic needs of learners in this century.

Master of Public Health - MPH / The Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) curriculum was introduced into Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in Nigeria to provide young people with life skills and knowledge essential for protecting themselves from HIV/AIDS. However, coverage of schools with the FLHE curriculum implementation is low. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that affect the implementation of the FLHE curriculum in JSS in Abuja, Nigeria. This study was a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey. The study populations were teachers from public JSS implementing the FLHE curriculum in Abuja, among whom 300 teachers selected using systematic random sampling constituted the sample size. A close-ended anonymous questionnaire was administered to the research respondents as a self-administered questionnaire in English Language in their schools. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered of which 251 completed questionnaires were returned and analysed. Data analysis was undertaken using SPSS version 17 and included frequency distribution, mean score and standard deviation (univariate analysis), and cross tabulations of dependent variable (teaching of FLHE curriculum) and independent variables (awareness of HIV/AIDS policy and government directive; level of knowledge of the FLHE curriculum; level of comfort to teach FLHE curriculum; religious belief and affiliation; and cultural values of respondents). Chi-square tests and p-values were calculated to determine relationship between variables. Throughout this study, the autonomy of the respondents and dignity were respected; and their participation was voluntary. There was full disclosure of the purpose of the study. The respondents were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of the information collected; and their written consent were secured prior to participation in the study. The majority (72%) of teachers in this study were aware of the National HIV/AIDS Policy and the government directive to mainstream topics in the FLHE curriculum into existing subjects (78%). Just above one-third (36%) of the teachers had ever seen a copy of the HIV/AIDS policy and knew all the content of the policy. The study revealed that only 5% of the teachers in schools implementing the FLHE curriculum had sufficient level of knowledge of the FLHE curriculum. Majority of the teachers (71%) knew the content of only one (HIV infection) out of the five themes in the curriculum, and 4 out of 5 of the teachers were comfortable in teaching the curriculum to students. The lack of sufficient level of knowledge of the FLHE curriculum and the content of the HIV/AIDS policy and government directive among majority of the teachers were major factors that affected the implementation of the curriculum. Awareness of the government directive (P= 0.000) as opposed to the HIV/AIDS policy (P= 0.772) among the teachers was found to be an important factor to harmonize implementation modalities of the curriculum. The study also noted that personal perception (P = 0.000), cultural values (P = 0.000) and religious belief (P = 0.000) of the teachers as opposed to their religious affiliation (P= 0.218) were important factors in the teaching of FLHE curriculum to students. This study has established that several factors among teachers that included awareness of the government directive to mainstream topics in the FLHE curriculum into subjects, knowledge of the content of the FLHE curriculum and personal perception to the teaching of the curriculum, as well as religious belief and cultural values affected the implementation of FLHE curriculum in JSS in Abuja, Nigeria.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This study examined the degree of alignment between instructional practices and national curriculum standards, which may vary as a function of teacher characteristics. Using self-reports from teachers about their experiences teaching the national curriculum standards, the study explored three aspects of the alignments: (1) topic coverage, (2) level of difficulty for teachers to teach, and (3) level of difficulty for students to learn. While topic coverage is determined by the percentage of the national curriculum standards topics taught during the year of 2008-2009, the level of teacher difficulty to teach and the level of student difficulty to learn are assessed using a scale from 1 (very easy) to 4 (very difficult). I used mixed multilevel regression analyses to examine the relationships between alignments and teacher characteristics. The study involved 501 junior secondary school teachers from three western provinces in Indonesia (Lampung, Jakarta, and East Java) who teach the following nationally-assessed subjects: Indonesian, English, science, and mathematics. The findings showed that the majority of teachers taught 100% of the topics that were outlined in the national curriculum standards. Teachers generally found the topics easy to teach; however, students had some difficulty understanding the topics. In terms of the relationships of alignments with teacher characteristics, the findings suggested that these relationships varied. Theoretically, this research provides two contributions. First, lacking research in the area of curriculum standards and classroom instruction as mediator of student competencies, the findings of this study make an important contribution to the current research of the standards-based education system. Second, predicting alignments as a function of teacher characteristics in this study contributes to the theoretical discussion of teacher characteristics. As practical implications, the low level of the students' understanding required by the national standards is a problem that requires great concern from the government at all levels. Regarding topics, there is an urgent need to identify the specific topics that teachers think are difficult for the students to understand.

The aim of this research was to examine the extent to which the pedagogical practices of Business Studies teachers in Botswana junior secondary schools conform to pedagogical practices recommended for imparting practical business skills relevant to the world of work. It also aimed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ current practices with a view to proffer a teaching model that would help to maximize learner acquisition of business skills and competencies. Literature related to the pedagogy of business education subjects was reviewed to give a general conceptual and methodological foundation for the investigation. An overview of the methodological approaches and the qualitative research design selected for application to the study were provided including the data-gathering procedures and the conceptual framework that supported and informed the research. The major findings of the study were that Business Studies teachers subscribe mainly to the transmission paradigm of teaching. Teachers’ failure to use constructivist pedagogies prescribed in the syllabus were attributed to a multiplicity of challenges they face in their day-to-day practices. The challenges that beset the pedagogy of business subjects emanate from a variety of sources such as the scarcity or non-availability of teaching materials and resources, a congested syllabus and problems associated with striking a balance between the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. Teachers indicated that the Business Studies syllabus is too long and with the little time allocated to teach it on schools timetables, it is impractical to expect them to complete the syllabus using constructivist teaching approaches which they perceive as pedagogically burdensome and time-consuming. Despite the teachers’ constraints in creating constructivist learning environments, the use of an entrepreneurial pedagogy in the form of the mini enterprise whereby students are involved in setting and running a concrete enterprise is prevalent. The study concluded by suggesting a pedagogical model, based on the findings, to improve Business Studies curriculum delivery. It was also recommended that support structures aimed at monitoring and ensuring that the delivery of business education is done according to the stipulated business curriculum standards be put in place. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

A quantitative and descriptive type of study design was followed using structured self-administered questionnaires distributed among 84 conveniently selected male adolescent learners from Nanogang Community Junior Secondary School (NCJSS) in Gaborone. The purpose of this study was to describe factors that influence the uptake of safe male circumcision (SMC) as a human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategy among male adolescent learners. The study findings show that protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) was found to be the main reason for adolescent learners undergoing male circumcision (MC) (p<.01). Reasons such as maintenance of genital hygiene, culture, religion, and the enhancement of sexual pleasure were not found to be significant factors. Misconceptions such as the belief that girls do not like circumcised partners were found to be the main reason for adolescent learners not undergoing MC (p<.05). A number of factors which were claimed in previous studies to be obstacles for the uptake of MC, such as surgical complications, peer pressure, stigma, and discrimination, were not found to be major obstacles / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

A quantitative and descriptive type of study design was followed using structured self-administered questionnaires distributed among 84 conveniently selected male adolescent learners from Nanogang Community Junior Secondary School (NCJSS) in Gaborone. The purpose of this study was to describe factors that influence the uptake of safe male circumcision (SMC) as a human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategy among male adolescent learners. The study findings show that protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) was found to be the main reason for adolescent learners undergoing male circumcision (MC) (p<.01). Reasons such as maintenance of genital hygiene, culture, religion, and the enhancement of sexual pleasure were not found to be significant factors. Misconceptions such as the belief that girls do not like circumcised partners were found to be the main reason for adolescent learners not undergoing MC (p<.05). A number of factors which were claimed in previous studies to be obstacles for the uptake of MC, such as surgical complications, peer pressure, stigma, and discrimination, were not found to be major obstacles / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The aim of this research was to examine the extent to which the pedagogical practices of Business Studies teachers in Botswana junior secondary schools conform to pedagogical practices recommended for imparting practical business skills relevant to the world of work. It also aimed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ current practices with a view to proffer a teaching model that would help to maximize learner acquisition of business skills and competencies. Literature related to the pedagogy of business education subjects was reviewed to give a general conceptual and methodological foundation for the investigation. An overview of the methodological approaches and the qualitative research design selected for application to the study were provided including the data-gathering procedures and the conceptual framework that supported and informed the research. The major findings of the study were that Business Studies teachers subscribe mainly to the transmission paradigm of teaching. Teachers’ failure to use constructivist pedagogies prescribed in the syllabus were attributed to a multiplicity of challenges they face in their day-to-day practices. The challenges that beset the pedagogy of business subjects emanate from a variety of sources such as the scarcity or non-availability of teaching materials and resources, a congested syllabus and problems associated with striking a balance between the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. Teachers indicated that the Business Studies syllabus is too long and with the little time allocated to teach it on schools timetables, it is impractical to expect them to complete the syllabus using constructivist teaching approaches which they perceive as pedagogically burdensome and time-consuming. Despite the teachers’ constraints in creating constructivist learning environments, the use of an entrepreneurial pedagogy in the form of the mini enterprise whereby students are involved in setting and running a concrete enterprise is prevalent. The study concluded by suggesting a pedagogical model, based on the findings, to improve Business Studies curriculum delivery. It was also recommended that support structures aimed at monitoring and ensuring that the delivery of business education is done according to the stipulated business curriculum standards be put in place. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of School Intervention Teams (SITs) in assisting learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) at community junior secondary schools (CJSS) in Botswana. This case study was guided by the cultural-historical theory on cognitive development by Lev Vygotsky and Bill Hettler’s theory on wellness dimensions. The study used mixed research approach which combined qualitative and quantitative method. The data collection instruments used included questionnaires which were completed by members of SITs, semi-structured oral interview which was specifically planned for SIT coordinators and lastly, document analysis. This research task was carried out under the permission of University of South Africa (UNISA) Ethics Clearance Committee and Ministry of Education and Skills Development (Botswana). Letters of consent were obtained from the school heads, SIT coordinators and members of SIT in the sampled community junior secondary schools (CJSS). The findings of this study showed that the effectiveness of SIT is dependent upon availability of positive attitude and support towards Inclusive Education by school management team, teachers, parents, external stakeholders (Botswana examinations Centre, Central Resource Centre, Principal Education Officers for Special education). Effectiveness of SIT is also enhanced by availability of resources such as teaching learning aids, office and classroom for remediation of the identified learners. Therefore, there is still a great gap between special education recommendation and their implementation in CJSS in Botswana and this hinders the effectiveness of SITs. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)