University Botswana Journals
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The economic contribution of tourism to local communities: The case of Khumaga and Moreomaoto villages, Botswana
Get PDFTourism is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide, and its economic significance cannot be overestimated, especially in a country like Botswana. Botswana is one of the prime tourist destinations in Africa, with several tourist attractions such as the Boteti River sub-basin, one of the numerous ephemeral river sub-basins found in the country. However, there is a paucity of empirical research on how tourism improves the livelihoods of the communities in the Boteti sub-District. The main objective of this paper is to compare the contribution of tourism to household income relative to other livelihood activities in the Boteti Sub-District. The paper further identifies factors that affect the contribution of tourism to the household economy in the region. This study was conducted in two villages, namely, Khumaga and Moreomaoto in the Boteti Sub-District. The results show that on average tourism related activities contribute as little as P2076.82 (about USD 200) annually to individual households in rural Boteti. The study further shows that government assistance, Ipelegeng, remittances, livestock and crop production are important sources of household income in the region. Negative attitudes towards tourism, limited education and fewer tourism facilities are some of the factors that explain the low contribution of tourism to household incomes in the area. The study recommends that the 1990 Tourism Policy be reviewed in order to design favourable, relevant and appropriate ways through which the contribution of tourism to households in tourism hubs could be enhanced
Emergent rites of passage in Botswana: The case study of Naomi/Laban showers
Get PDFA group of researchers from the University of Botswana carried out research on “Botho/Ubuntu and Community Building in the Urban Space: An exploration of Naomi, Laban, Bridal and Baby Showers in Gaborone” which was generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The aim of the research was to explore how the African/Setswana concept of Botho/Ubuntu inspires the showers in urban and peri-urban villages in Botswana. Our observation on these showers is that the beneficiaries are assisted, oriented and re-orientated, taught, advised, and supported materially, emotionally and morally by the community as they enter new stages and statuses of their lives. The study was carried out within Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana and the surrounding villages. This paper is limited to two of the four showers studied, namely, Naomi and Laban showers. The said showers are the newest in the country. The project employed a mixed method design which combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. The paper examined how, and to what extent, the two showers constitute emergent rites of passage and how these express the Ubuntu/botho ethos. The main findings of the study were that the Laban /Naomi showers are emerging rites of passage, which, like traditional rites of passage, express the Botho/Ubuntu ethos. However, these emergent rites of passage go beyond the traditional ones in that they are more inclusive, and cater for the needs of contemporary urban citizens
TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON USE OF MICROSOFT EXCEL IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF SELECTED CONCEPTS IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS SYLLABUS IN BOTSWANA
Get PDFThis article presents a summary of a larger study that explored perceptions of junior secondary mathematics teachers towards the use of Microsoft Excel in teaching selected concepts in the topic graphs. The study employed the quantitative survey approach and 85 mathematics teachers participated. Two research questions guided the study and a five-point Likert scale questionnaire with thirty items was used to collect data which was analysed through descriptive statistics. The findings of this study revealed that generally mathematics teachers have positive perceptions on the use of Excel which according to the theory of planned behaviour, could be translated into action. It also revealed that competence in using Excel, shortage of computers and limited time, influence teachers’ perceptions on the use of Excel
A TRACER STUDY ON TEACHERS PEDAGOGY AND THE READING SKILLS OF SOME STUDENTS AT JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
Get PDFThis paper examines teacher classroom practices in developing reading skills in literature classroom at junior secondary level in Botswana. The reading skill is pivotal since it facilitates the acquisition of knowledge in the learning process. The study is qualitative and used classroom observations, interviews, studied students’ artefacts and teachers’ schemes and records of work. The findings indicate the need for concerted effort on the part of teachers to develop reading skills in the learners. The study recommends the need to reflect on and incorporate effective classroom pedagogy to develop reading skills better in students
IMPLICATIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY ON LEARNER PERFORMANCE IN BOTSWANA – AN INSPECTION CASE STUDY OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KGATLENG
Get PDFApproaches to accountability such as school inspection and school self-evaluation are used to a limited extent in Botswana’s education system. In this regard, our knowledge base regarding the impact of inspection is limited. By drawing on the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) framework, which is a British model of inspection (Park, 2013), this paper argues that instructional leaders and curriculum drivers should account for learner performance. Documented inspection reports for 2014 for fourteen (14) primary schools in Kgatleng were studied in as much as they provided baseline data for the study. Data was collected through interviews, lesson observations and documentary analysis. The results show that all the 14 schools inspected were ineffective in their instructional supervision and pedagogical approaches thus compromising on assessment and learner achievement standards. The paper concludes that holding schools responsible for their results has a positive impact on both the learner and overall school performance. Thus, every process needs to be audited; thereof school inspections need to be intensified to monitor, track and raise performance standards
STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS USING ENGLISH AS LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION IN BOTSWANA SCHOOLS: EVIDENCE FROM A SCHOOL IN KWENENG DISTRICT, BOTSWANA
Get PDFLiterature indicates that plurilinguism is ubiquitous in African countries and influences academic performance hence more research exploring this phenomena was imperative. This study used concurrent nested research design to explore the phenomenon of plurilinguism. The study involved systematic random sampling of 120 Form five students to examine students’ attitudes towards the Botswana Language in Education policy. Questionnaire and focus group were used for data collection. Percentage analysis indicated most participants had a positive attitude towards the Botswana language of instruction policy; t-test analysis indicated no significant difference in the attitude scores of Triple Science participants (M=3.617, SD=. 315) and Double Science participants (M=3.55, SD=.3 82); t (105) =0.957, p=0.213. Themes obtained via content analysis of qualitative data affirmed participants had positive attitude. Monitoring of teachers’ adherence to policy expectations and extensive research on code switching were recommended
A Descriptive Analysis of Chibrazi, the Urban Contact Vernacular Language of Malawi − a Focus on the Lexicon and Semantic
Get PDFThis paper discusses what Chibrazi is. The paper uses some of the findings of a study that provides a basic descriptive analysis of the emerging new contact language with the aim of demonstrating that there is a new mixed language that is emerging within Malawi. The study was designed as a mixed method research that was both theoretical and empirical in nature. Data was collected through a questionnaire, interviews, observation, and literature review. The linguistic data that is presented in the paper was analysed through personal intuition of Chibrazi to illustrate the lexical shift from Malawian languages that is happening through Chibrazi
Does Relationship Value Management Matter When Developing Brand Reputation? A Developing Country Perspective
Get PDFThe study investigates the perceived influence of relationship value management (RVM) in developing the brand reputation of a major apparel manufacturer in Botswana. A descriptive quantitative research design was followed, and primary data was collected from 120 business customers of a selected apparel manufacturer who reside in the South-East District of Botswana. A total of 85 useable questionnaires were collected for further analysis. A multiple regression analysis was applied to establish the relationship between customer orientation, employee engagement, RVM and brand reputation. The results indicate that customer orientation is directly linked to employee engagement. In addition, customer orientation and employee engagement led to a significant and positive influence on RVM. Moreover, RVM was reported to have a significant positive impact on the level of brand reputation. On the other hand, customer orientation was the strongest predictor of the brand reputation of the selected apparel manufacturer. The conceptual model tested confirms the hypothesised relationship between customer orientation, employee engagement, RVM and brand reputation. The findings can further assist apparel manufacturers in understanding how the interrelationship between customer orientation, employee engagement and RVM can boost brand reputation in a developing economy such as Botswana. Therefore, RVM can be considered to be a possible catalyst for developing a genuine and stronger brand reputation in the apparel industry of Botswana