UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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Perceptions and experiences of parenting, co-parenting and parental adjustment among adolescent mothers and adolescent fathers in Windhoek, Namibia
No full textAdolescent pregnancy and parenting have become a major challenge globally due to the psychological adjustment of adolescents during pregnancy and transition to parenthood. Parenthood during adolescents holds not only health risks but also the emotional, psychological, social and economic risks for the adolescent parents and their children. The aim of the study was to explore experiences and perceptions of parenting, co-parenting and parental adjustment among adolescent mothers and adolescent fathers in Namibia. The study employed a qualitative approach with an explorative design. The study population were adolescent mothers and adolescent fathers who were co-parenting in Windhoek, Namibia. Participants were aged between 15 and 19 years. Participants such as adolescent mothers (n = 14) were purposively selected using exclusion and inclusion criteria, while, adolescent fathers (n=7) were snowball sampled. Data was collected through semi-structured interview and Focus Group Discussion till data saturation. Tesch’s method was used in data analyses. The study found that participants value the importance of parenting and co-parenting relationship in the provision of financial, emotional, and physical wellbeing of both the adolescent mothers and babies. The study revealed positive experiences by adolescent parents such as being joyful and happy to be a parent and being changed - a responsible parent. The study also recorded negative experiences. Design of preventive family programmes and support through counselling to cope with parenting, co-parenting and parental adjustment are recommendations flowing from the findings
Secondary school teachers’ perceptions of practical work in biology in the Oshana Education Region, Namibia
Full text linkAbstract
This study investigated Biology teachers’ perceptions of the importance of practical work in selected secondary schools in the Oshana Education Region (OER) in Namibia. This study was situated in both the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. The population of this study consisted of all Biology teachers of Grade 11 and 12 students. Eight secondary schools in the OER were purposely selected to take part in the study. A sample comprising of 23 Biology teachers was
then chosen purposively from the eight secondary schools. A questionnaire and an observation schedule were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the quantitative data while the qualitative data were categorised into themes. The findings showed that the 69.9% of the Biology teachers did not have a laboratory specifically for conducting Biology practical work and they carried out their practical work in a common laboratory used for both Physical
Science and Biology or in their classrooms. Two out of the nine observed teachers did not bother to carry out practical work at all and they taught Biology as a completely theoretical subject. The study recommends that Biology teachers should be encouraged to source materials necessary for conducting practical work from private schools in cases where their schools do not have the necessary resources for conducting practicals in Biology
Attitudes toward rape victims among University of Namibia students
Full text linkA common misunderstanding about rape is that the perpetrator is driven by a sexual desire motivated by the victim’s seductive dressing or behaviour. The damaging impact of rape on the victim not only affects the victim’s emotional, psychological and physical state, but its ripple effects impact the larger systems of families, friends and life partners. The literature on studies of attitudes toward rape shows that there is an overall negative attitude towards rape victims leading to discrimination, stigma and, consequently, under-reporting of rape. The main focus of the present study was to investigate university students’ attitude toward rape victims. Furthermore, the study sought to explore gender differences in acceptance of rape victims. A convenience sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 131 students between the ages of 19-38 years. The sociodemographic questionnaire and Attitudes Towards Rape Victims Scale (ATRVS) were self-administered to collect quantitative data and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that male students have significantly higher unfavourable attitudes towards rape victims in comparison to females. Most of the rape victims are judged by what they wear and their location. However, both genders showed an acceptance of rape victims, even though a small number of males indicated “mildly disagree” on the scale. To be effective at reducing victimization, results strongly suggest rape awareness programs and interventions targeting society’s attitude and ways of dealing with a victim. Without community involvement and change in societal attitudes toward rape, legal policies will remain ineffective
A survey of the usage and storage practices of veterinary medicines among communal cattle farmers in the Kabbe South Constituency, Zambezi region.
Full text linkVeterinary medicines are an indispensable tool for animal disease control and prevention. Misuse, improper handling and storage can render veterinary medicines less effective. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 60 cattle farmers in the Kabbe South Constituency of the Zambezi region in Namibia. The objective of the study was to find out the usage and storage practices of veterinary medicines. Selected farmers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results of the study showed that the majority of respondents were males (78.3%, n=47) with at least primary school level education. Overall, farmers acquired and used 13 different types of veterinary medicines from licensed shops and pharmacies (73.4%, n=44), the state veterinary office (23.3%, n=14) and from unregistered veterinary medicine agents (3.3%, n=2). The medicines comprised of antibiotics (n=4); vaccines (n=3); combination of ectoparasiticide and anthelmintic (n=2), ectoparasiticide (n=1), anthelmintic (n=1) and vitamins (n=2). Although 36.7% (n=22) of the farmers owned or had access to a refrigerator, the majority (86.7%, n=52) did not maintain the cold chain. Most of the respondents (93.3%, n=56) self-diagnosed animal diseases and decided on the treatment without consulting a veterinarian. Oxytetracycline was the most commonly used veterinary medicine and was used at less than the recommended dose of 1ml/10kg by most respondents (83.3%, n=50). Although farmers sourced veterinary medicines from licensed retailers, the break in the cold chain and the under dosing of medicines may impair effectiveness. Self-diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases promotes misuse and the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria in cattle which may render antibiotics on the market less effective. The training of all stakeholders along the veterinary medicine value chain in the region is recommended
Grade 1 teachers’ knowledge and perceptions regarding reading instruction in Windhoek, Namibia
Full text linkA number of international and national assessments show that Namibian children are not reading according to set benchmarks. The teaching and learning of reading can only be as good as the teachers who facilitate the reading acquisition process. Namibian learners are formally taught how to read in Grade 1, and thus this article focuses the perceptions of Grade 1 teachers in Windhoek, Namibia regarding their knowledge and classroom practices in teaching reading and how they support their learners’ reading acquisition. Through a survey to gauge their use of reading practices, 132 teachers were asked about the teaching methods they use, the specific instruction content they use, how they create a literate classroom, how they encourage and support poor readers, and whether and how reading instruction in small groups occurs. Their teacher training was examined, as well as the knowledge that they have regarding certain language and reading components that support reading instruction. Teachers reported that they mostly use a range of methods when teaching reading (83%), while (15%) report using only one method. Of all the reading and language skills that teachers had to select from, 90% included phonological awareness as part of their reading instruction content, more so than the other reading and language skills. Among different strategies used to create a literate environment in the classroom, the majority (82%) use labels and notices to draw children's attention to literacy. To encourage struggling readers to read, teachers indicated they mainly use simple, easy texts so that poor readers can experience success. The results of the study reveal that while most Grade 1 teachers (81%) claim that they have received average to excellent training in teaching reading and demonstrate that they overwhelmingly agree (99%) with good reading practices and beliefs, the results reveal that their actual knowledge of various aspects of reading does not relate to their stated teacher training and reading beliefs. It appears that the overall average for the knowledge section showed that less than 37% of teachers had detailed knowledge of specific aspects of reading such as being able to identify syllables, morphemes, and speech sounds in words as well as demonstrating knowledge of phonics, phonemes, and diphthongs. The article discusses some strategies to alleviate some of the issues highlighted in the results
The case of Oshiwambo-English/English-Oshiwambo translation of informative texts : Is meaning lost in translation?
Full text linkThis paper aims to explore the question of whether translators retain the meaning or the correct message from the source language into the target language despite the language differences. Successful translation includes linguistic forms, word selection, sentence structure, cultural features, literal meaning and rhetoric devices. It is of significant importance to translate carefully to maintain the primary meaning of any text. The present research presents the challenges of direct translation in maintaining the meaning of the given contexts. This qualitative study uses a descriptive analysis by examining a few selected texts from Oshiwambo-English and EnglishOshiwambo informative texts. The results show that some translation could not maintain the primary meaning of texts due to direct translation. The researchers provided suggestions and corrections for the discovered errors. The study suggests two significant practices; translators to consider the translation in the target language and the context of the source the language
An analysis of semantic and syntactic negation in Oshiwambo and English
Full text linkNegation in languages has been documented since the 1970s and 1980s. This paper attempts to explain the negation structures in semantic and syntactic structures of Oshiwambo and English languages. These two languages have two complete negation structures and how they function to achieve negation is far from being similar. The focus of the paper was on the analysis of the sentential negation and how negative particles are used in English and Oshiwambo, a Bantu language. It analyzes and compares the use of full negatives, affixes and quasi negative words to achieve negation in English and Oshiwambo language. The Oshiwambo and English texts/contents were purposely sampled and content analysis was performed accordingly. The analysis shows that Bantu languages share a common rule of negation which is the use of a preinitial prefix while the rules to changing negative imperative to interrogative or declarative are different between English and Oshiwambo
Drivers of profitability in the Namibian cattle farming: A case study of north western Namibia
Full text linkThe continuous changes in the economic, social and physical agricultural environment call for resilient livestock production systems and food chain networks around the world and Namibia in particular. Because of the low profitability, cattle farming in Namibia is heavily dependent on correct decision making for farmers to survive. Access to digital tools and interactive technologies for farming systems has increased rapidly and it is likely to play a significant role in meeting future challenges. This has not been properly propagated in beef cattle production areas of Namibia. The paper employed ordinary least square and dynamic models to investigate farmer’s net worth in livestock production systems as function of herd size per hectare, carcass price per kilogram and the El Niño Southern Oscillation Index. Results show that herd size per hectare significantly impacts net worth without prior knowledge about 1.627 percent, while exhibiting the impact of 1.523 percent on net worth with prior production knowledge. Farmers thus become more carcass price per kilogramme responsive (increases net worth by 1.131 percent) when prior information is incorporated in the decision making process at farm level. The price elasticity of the two models are 0.60 and 0.70, respectively, points out that improved access to knowledge allows for livestock price responsiveness of 0.1 percent. The significance of these variables calls for introducing technologies to mitigate the impact of changes on cattle production and the agribusiness sector by linking production to climate adaptability for resilient food markets
Authentic leaders needed to enhance organisational commitment of teachers in Namibia
Full text linkThe education sector in Namibia experiences challenges such as imbalanced learner-teacher ratios, poor working conditions, lack of resources and criticisms from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture and parents because of high failure rates. Organisational commitment is the psychological link that employees have in wanting to remain with and exert significant efforts on behalf of an organisation. Relationships have been confirmed between authentic leadership (leaders who are genuine and stand up for their followers), perception of fairness and equity within the workplace, psychological conditions and organisational commitment. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data on authentic leadership, organisational justice, psychological conditions and organisational commitment of teachers from the Omaheke, Oshana and Oshikoto regions in Namibia (n=288). The data were analysed using SPSS (24.0) with Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analyses to assess the impact of these variables on organisational commitment of teachers. The significant predictors of organisational commitment were the openness and transparency of leaders; how they share information freely; their engagement in moral and ethical behaviour; and when teachers experience interactional justice and psychological meaning in their work. This study proposes leadership development to enhance transparency of leaders, development and implementation of policies ensuring just and fair interactions between superiors and subordinates as well as re-evaluation of remuneration and compensation packages to enhance the level of meaningfulness experienced by teachers
Husab and Ramatex as Foreign Direct Investments in Post-Independence Namibia : Neoliberal “wine in new bottles”?
Full text linkIn their rhetoric and agitation for freedom and independence, liberation movements envisioned a new economic order for the majority of their people that will thwart inequality and economic exclusion occasioned by colonialism and apartheid. The South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) – Namibia’s then leading liberation movement – promised economic opportunities for Namibians and was on record proposing a leftist economic order as opposed to capitalism. Most analyses of the postcolonial economic order in Namibia testify to the fact that these promises were not kept. Instead, Namibia followed a neoliberal and an outward-looking economic development path that prioritised the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment. This text analyses the content and character of neoliberalism in postcolonial Namibia by conducting a comparative analysis of two case studies of Foreign Direct Investment – Ramatex Textiles Namibia and Husab Uranium Mine. Using a qualitative research method, the text finds that in both cases, state and foreign elite convergence ensured a neoliberal environment characterised by general deregulation, exploitation of labour and relaxation of laws all in favour of foreign capital at the expense of the local population. The text argues that the continuation of a neoliberal approach to economic policy will deepen inequality in Namibia. Instead, it is proposed that Namibia must follow the path of a developmental state as is the case in Botswana, Tanzania and Mauritius