University Botswana Journals
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TEACHER’S UNDERSTANDINGS OF IMPLEMENTING CURRICULUM: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN BOTSWANA AND SOUTH AFRICAN RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS EDUCATION SYSTEM
Get PDFThis comparative paper is intended to promote discourse among professionals, policymakers and educators concerning current and future challenges faced by teachers in implementing the curriculum especially teachers working in rural areas in Botswana and South Africa primary schools. This study therefore intends to find out how best we can help rural educators in the implementation of the curriculum. Rural educators seem neglected and most of them are either moving to urban for greener pastures or resigning in big numbers because they are not given enough support, rural educators are still using an old approach and this frustrates learners when learners reach tertiary level as they cannot compete with those learners who got proper education in foundation phase. example, most rural learners and educators cannot express themselves properly in English while their counter parts excelled fluently in English, where lies the problem and how can we deal with it, are rural educators being supported enough?
In Botswana, six primary schools in rural areas were used and 12 teachers were interviewed and observed while in South Africa five rural primary schools were used and 10 teachers were interviewed. Findings revealed that most participants’ understanding regarding issues of curriculum/curricula can be interpreted and located within the contested nature of curriculum. Their responses were varied and diverse and such variations reflected the challenges and problematic nature of defining curriculum in view of implementing it. Participants of this study were concerned about the nature of the curriculum. Based on such responses of conceptualising curriculum within the confines of time, teachers pointed out that the real tension for them is meeting the governments’ testing requirements of the curriculum. They further indicated that this pressure perpetuates them to be more concerned with covering the curriculum breadth than understanding its depth. The study therefore proposes curbing the tensions that exist between covering the curriculum breadth and understanding its depth in order to effectively implement it and affording learners equal opportunities when they get to higher levels of education
THE UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA FIRST YEAR STUDENT’S ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS COLLABORATIVE WRITING
Get PDFThe study investigated students’ attitudes and perceptions on the use of collaborative writing. The purpose of this study was to find out if students benefitted from using collaborative writing in academic contexts. The study involved 94 first year students in one faculty in the University of Botswana, and the data was collected towards the end of the second semester. A questionnaire consisting of 25 items with 4 point Likert scale was administered and 10 randomly selected focus group students were interviewed. Exploring the students’ views and getting their suggestions may influence lecturers planning and methods of teaching. The results of the study indicated that most of the students found collaborative writing effective and beneficial in improving their communication, presentation and problem solving skills. They however, perceived collaborative writing negatively due to the challenges that they experienced in using group work to do a writing assignment. Some of the challenges they highlighted were poor time management and lack of participation by some group members, there overburdening other members. Students suggested that they preferred working in pairs and individually compared to groups, as it gave them an opportunity to work at their own pace. The collaborative writing approach therefore presents some serious in teaching and learning challenges, and needs to be considered critically by lecturers
Geopolitical Implications of President Seretse Khama’s 1976 State Visit to North Korea
Get PDFBotswana and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) started diplomatic relations in 1974. Botswana severed its relations with North Korea in 2014. The United States (US) got worried when Botswana’s first President, Seretse Khama (1966-1980), started diplomatic relations with North Korea’s founding leader, Kim II Sung (1948-1994). Kim was leading the fight against colonialism and imperialism globally. From 1956 to the 1980s, he supported the liberation struggles against colonialism in many African countries. Many African leaders looked to him for material and moral support. This paper focuses on the geopolitical implications of Seretse Khama’s state visit to North Korea in 1976. It also comments on Botswana-North Korea relations during his presidency. Khama was a capitalist and liberal leader, who was pro-West and the US. In contrast, Kim was a communist trained in China and the Union of Soviet and Socialist Republic’s repressive political systems
Botho as a Way of Enhancing Problem Solving in a Community Project: The Case of Moshupa Study Group Project in Botswana
Get PDFThe paper examines how the concept of Botho has enhanced problem-solving in a community project, where it was used to gain entry into the research site. This was undertaken in the village of Moshupa in south-eastern Botswana between April 2011 and August 2014. Botho works in a situation where members of the society are held together by common values and beliefs. The paper demonstrates how the principle of Botho helped the research team for the Moshupa Study Group Project to gain entry into the Moshupa community and be successful in achieving the intended goal of solving the youth’s education problem. The project emerged from Moshupa Development Show held on 18 September 2010, where the residents, including the youth, showcased their works. The exhibition was organised by the then area member of parliament, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, the current president of the Republic of Botswana. The principal researcher of the project, Dr Setumile Morapedi, who happened to have been invited in her capacity as an academic, was moved by the artistically created artefacts exhibited by the youth. She responded to thetalking desperate faces of the youth exhibitors by preparing a 20 paged proposal and submitted it to the Office of Research and Development at the University of Botswana for the possibility of funding. The aim of the proposal was to have the youthful exhibitors’ skills and talents nurtured and hence taken to a level higher than where they were at that moment. The hope was that if assisted, they would be linked with the development of the nation. In particular, the aim of the project was to assist the out-of-school youth to stand on their feet, re-enter the school system, learn more vocational skills and subsequently establish their own businesses. The assistance was going to be in the form of tutorials for academic and vocational courses which were to empower them, and in turn help them to empower others. Instances in which exercising Botho typically enhanced progress in the project are highlighted in the paper
Sir Ketumile Masire and Some Documents on Constitution Making in Botswana: Notes from My Library
Get PDFWhen the editor of the Botswana Notes and Records (BNR) issued a reminder on a call for papers for the 50th anniversary of the BNR and also dedicated to the life of the late second President of the Republic of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, as Chairman of The Botswana Society, the publishers of the BNR, I thought of what it is that I could say as a fitting tribute to the former President, and Patron of The Botswana Society. The Society had issued a tribute on his life and role in the Society. I had had the privilege of working under President Masire on such (national) matters as: Kenya Elections in 1992, Presidential Commission on the Judiciary (Aguda Commission) of 1997, Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana from 2003 to 2011, and the Botswana Society from 2013 to 2017
EXORCISING “GHOSTS” THROUGH PERFORMED ETHNOGRAPHY: A TRANSATLANTIC PROJECT IN COMMUNITY BASED THEATRE - ANALYSING THE BUS STOP JOURNALS
Get PDFThis paper is based on the analysis of setting and character in two plays entitled Bus Stop Journals, which were written and performed for a trans-Atlantic project in community-based theatre. The project was conducted by two teams from the departments of Theatre at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (USA) and the University of Zimbabwe between October 2004 and September 2005. The paper investigates the use of performed ethnography to subvert certain essentialist identities, which are often mutually held by African and American citizens. The project went under the title “Border Crossings – a Transatlantic Project in Community based Theatre”. It was funded through a Fulbright Alumni Initiatives Awards grant (AIA) involving two alumni of the Fulbright program from the two participating Theatre Departments. The aim of the project was to enhance mutual understanding through cultural co-operation between the peoples of Zimbabwe and the peoples of the United States. The paper argues that the Border Crossings project harnesses the element of ‘thick description’ found in performed ethnography to parallel setting and character in such a way as to exorcise the ghosts of mutual distortion, stereotyping and essentializing that often takes place between African and American citizens. In the face of these mutually held (mis)conceptions and distorted identities, the paper seeks to demonstrate the power of performed ethnography to reach large audiences and encourage public reflexive insights
HIGH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN BOTSWANA: A CASE OF POLICY FAILURE OR POOR RESEARCH?
Get PDFRising youth unemployment is a major challenge in Botswana. In recognition of the gravity of the matter, the Government of Botswana has formulated and implemented policies addressing unemployment. Despite the well intentioned policies and programmes, unemployment amongst the youth continues to rise. The unemployment rate amongst the youth is higher than the national unemployment rate. This paper attempts to ascertain as to whether the rising unemployment is due to poor formulation and implementation of policies or posssibly a failure of research which feed into the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the policies? The paper begins by providing a socio-economic profile of the youth utilizing data from different sources. It goes on to discuss the existing policies and programmes addressing the youth unemployment. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of research informing on policy formulation, implementation and monitoring, highlighting the need to promote a strong relationship between policy makers and researchers in addressing issues of youth unemployment
PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO RAINWATER HARVESTING AS A SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY IN BOTSWANA: CASE OF GABORONE CITY
Get PDFWater is considered as a finite resource and urban water supply is a growing issue for many cities and towns as they face rapid population growth, spatial growth and diverse urban activities. In most urban areas underground water levels are declining and the Authorities are struggling to meet the current and future urban water demands. As this process unfolds urban water suppliers are forced to search for new and more water sources. Rainwater harvesting is a potential avenue for source of water that has been exploited successfully elsewhere. Rainwater harvesting is gaining relative significance as an effective long term strategy for supplementing urban water sources. In spite of this, urban areas in Botswana are failing to consider and practice rainwater harvesting as a sustainable development strategy. Water demand is increasing but there are little efforts in harvesting and utilizing rainwater which is a decentralized, local and in-situ water source. In light of this the paper seeks to assess the levels of rainwater harvesting uptake in Gaborone, in particular, and to explore the constraints and opportunities of rainwater harvesting as a supplementary source of water. The paper finds that at household levels, rainwater harvesting is in its infancy stage to the extent that it does not augment the current water supply. Most households deal with rainwater by channeling it outside homesteads (plots) as a form of storm water management
Effect of maturity stages on nutritive quality and sensory properties of Fig fruits
Get PDFAbstract This study was conducted in a completely randomized design to evaluate the physical character, proximate composition, minerals (Fe, Zn, Ca and P) and sensory properties of early, mid and late maturity stages of Ficus sur fruits (FSF) collected from five trees. The physical parameters were determined at the sample collection site. Fresh fruit samples collected were used for sensory evaluation. The other sub-sample was dried at 65OC for 48 h to constant weight and stored in a sealed plastic bag at refrigeration temperature (5°C) for nutrient content analysis. The early maturity stages of FSF was most preferred except for its taste in which the late maturity stage was accepted best. The early maturity stage attained the highest fruits size, crude fat, crude protein and aril weight. The late maturity stage attained the highest dry matter, crude fiber and total carbohydrate. Iron and zinc contents were high for late maturity stages while calcium and phosphorus contents were high at early stages. The condensed tannin contents were not significantly varied for the three maturity stages. The study showed that harvesting FSF at early maturity stage would be best for most sensory preferences and physical characteristics while late maturity stage is better for most of the nutrient contents analyzed.