UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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Qualitative research paradigm: A design for distance education researchers
Get PDFA number of researchers have commented on the death of substantive research within the field of management, education, social science and other related disciplines. The plea to use experimental type of research has interestingly been the major area of concentration by most modern researchers. This paper outlines an alternative methodology known as the qualitative research paradigm. More recently an overview of distance education research showed that more than 80% are identified as having used qualitative methods. The qualitative research is seen as a research methodology that engages in research that probes for deeper understanding and insight rather than examine surface features. This paper outlines the key characteristics of the qualitative research methodology and further discusses the reasons for its selection by most students in distance open learning. There is a growing body of literature devoted to qualitative research and some of which is synthesized in this paper for the benefit of researchers and educational practitioners. The goal of this desktop research is to elaborate on and present on the major reasons for using qualitative methodologies and also to provide a basic introduction to the features of this type of research which is commonly used by distance education students
Perceptions of pre-service male teachers towards early childhood and lower primary education at Hifikepunye Pohamba Campus
Get PDFThis study intended to find out the factors that prevent male students from pursuing Early Childhood and Lower Primary Education. Male students from each of the 4 years Bachelor Degree in Early childhood and lower primary were participants in this study that aimed to find out the rea-sons for scarcity of male students in this field. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the collection and analysis of data in understanding the reasons for the reluctance of more male applicants. The findings indicated several factors prohibiting male students from opting for this specialization. Cultural and community notions of teachers in Pre and lower primary have a strong influence on the decision to join this phase of teaching. Securing employment was another influence on their choice of this phase. The study recommends more community awareness campaigns and dissemination of information to Secondary Schools with regards to reducing negative perceptions for this phase
Mammal species composition and diversity of the Nyae Nyae Communal Conservancy, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
Get PDFThe emergence of the communal conservancies in Namibia contributed to community-based conservation approach outside protected areas. This study was conducted to establish the status of biodiversity conservation of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy by analysing the mammal species composition and diversity changes for 13 years. The long-term wildlife count data were obtained from the conservancy in Tsumkwe, Otjozondjupa region. A total of 20 mammal species, comprising of ungulates and predators, were recorded from 2001 through 2013. The overall trend of the mammal species population sizes was positive, though not statistically significant (r = 0.477; t10 = 1.574; P = 0.145). In addition to the stable species composition over the years, the mammal species diversity in Nyae Nyae conservancy was high (Simpson Index of Diversity, SID = 0.81). However, a significant decline in the diversity of mammal species (SID = 0.72) was detected in 2013 evident from the low species count data. This low diversity may be attributable to many factors including but not limited to the effects of severe drought which may have led to the emigration of some species, reduction in the abundance of some species due to deaths from drought and low reproductive output. Hence Nyae Nyae Conservancy, though an open unfenced system, serves as a good example in which a community-based natural management program outside protected areas contributes not only to the conservation of natural resources including wildlife but also utilisation of these resources for the benefit of local community members
Women and political participation in Namibia and Nigeria: a comparative analysis of women in elective positions
Get PDFWhile women in Namibia have made successful inroads into the country’s parliament despite gender barriers in the country, Nigerian women are yet to make any noticeable progress in their efforts to achieve political power. Women’s agitation for increase political participation over time has received backing from international instruments. The 1979 UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development are some of these international instruments. They emphasize that member nations, who signed and ratified these documents, put in place necessary mechanisms needed to eliminate gender discriminations and promote women’s cause generally. Nigeria just like Namibia has signed these documents and has even incorporated some provisions in its National Gender Policy. In comparison with Namibia, women in Nigeria still have a long way to go in politics. The question is what accounts for the slow progress of Nigerian women in gaining political power? This paper examines the trend in women’s political participation in Namibia and Nigeria by exploring and discussing those factors that engender increase in participation in Namibia and those that constrain the female politicians in Nigeria
The impact of international computer driving license training on the use of information and communication technologies in the classrooms by teachers in the zambezi Region
Get PDFThe Namibian Government, through Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture chose International Computer Driving License (ICDL) literacy training as a pathway for equipping teachers with basic ICT literacy skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of ICDL literacy training on Zambezi Region teachers and their use of ICTs in their classroom practices. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used for this study and targeted teachers who received ICDL training between 2007 and 2011. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 198 teachers for the quantitative phase and eight for the qualitative phase. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were returned with ninety-six completed and twenty-four blank. An adapted Becker survey and structured interviews were used to collect data. The results revealed that fifty percent of participants did not acquire the minimum requirements of four modules to be eligible for the ICDL certification. Although ICDL training empowered participants with confidence to use PowerPoint, Word processing, Excel and internet skills, it failed to translate into teacher’s ability to determine the relative advantage of appropriate technology to use in the classroom for effective integration practice
Rethinking biology teaching at the University of Namibia: Insights from student profiling
Get PDFThe University of Namibia students today are very diverse. This is largely due to differing cultures, learning styles and levels of emotional and social maturity. Acknowledging this diversity will help avoid the “common sense” based predisposition of higher education teachers to treat every student the same. Diagnosing student needs and crafting learning experiences in response to revealed diagnoses is therefore imperative. In this study, second year Biometrics students were profiled with a focus on the social, economic, political and psychological aspects of their lives. Data from Sixty five (65) Biometrics students from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Namibia were recorded using a two-part questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire comprised personal and socioeconomic questions and the second part was a VARK questionnaire. The VARK questionnaire was used to determine a person’s sensory modality preferences. The percentage of the students who fell into the four modalities, that is, visual, aural, read/write, kinaesthetic or multimodal was determined. The most popular learning style was multimodal (61.3%). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the race of the student and their mode of transport to the University campus (Chi-square, p<0.001) with most of those who walk to campus and those using buses or taxi being black. A highly significant association existed between race and student funding (Chi-square, p<0.001), with the majority of black students on NSFAF funding (40). This study reveals the government’s commitment to the funding of higher education since the majority of the previously disadvantaged black students are funded by NSFAF. The internationalisation of Namibian higher education and cross-border provision of higher education have increased student diversity, hence the need to respond to such diversity in our academic practice. We therefore recommend the tracking of these students until they finish their degree program to see if application of the knowledge acquired through this study will improve student learning and performance
Genetic and non-genetic factors influencing birth weight in the Tuli cattle breed of Zimbabwe
Get PDFGenetic and non-genetic factors were estimated for birth weight in the Tuli cattle breed of Zimbabwe. Performance records ( n = 1154) were obtained from the Livestock Identification Trust (LIT) for the period (2008–2014) for three farms; X ( n = 494), Z ( n = 143) and Y ( n = 517). We used the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) for fitting the Sire model. The model used the farm, season, sex, year and dam age as fixed effects while the sire was fitted as a random variable. Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) was used to predict breeding values (BVs). The mean birth weight was (30.89±0.128). Wet season had higher birth (31.62±0.27) weight than dry season (30.62±0.144); however, the difference was not statistically significant. The other factors, farm, sex, year and dam age had a significant effect (P <0.05) on birth weight. Heritability and repeatability estimates were 0.44 and 0.35, respectively. Based on the results, the high heritability estimate for birth weight suggests that the trait responds well to selection. Sire breeding values ranged from -4.400 to 6.845 with the majority of sires between -2 and 2, showing that there was stabilising selection over the years to minimise both overweights and underweights
Characterising the trophic relationships between cuttlefishes, myctophids and round herring in the Northern Benguela
Get PDFRound herrings, myctophids, and cuttlefishes are a crucial part of the trophic interactions in the northern Benguela, as they form important trophic linkages between macrozooplankton and predators like hake, horse mackerel, and monk. The main objective of this study was to understand their trophic relationships using stable isotope measurements of their tissues. Tissues from round herring [Etrumeus whiteheadi], Myctophid species [Symbolophorus boops, Lampanyctodes hectoris, Diaphus hudsoni, Lampanyctus australis, Diaphus meadi], and cuttlefishes [Sepia australis and Sepia elegans] specimens were collected off Namibia. There were little variations in nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) values among these species, an indication that they fed at similar trophic positions. The trophic levels ranged from 2.51 to 3.00, an indication of their zooplanktivorous feeding habits. Among these species S. boops fed at a relatively higher trophic level, while L. hectoris fed at the lowest trophic level. Diaphus hudsoni had the lowest carbon stable isotope (δ13C) values and E. whiteheadi the highest. Significant differences were observed in δ13C values between most species, suggesting significant variations in their carbon sources. Isotope-based metrics showed overlapping trophic niches, with S. boops having a significantly broader niche. Our observations support the hypothesis that although these forage species have overlapping trophic niches, there are pronounced differences in the carbon sources of their prey
A stylistic analysis of Diescho's dictums published from January 2014 to December 2015
Get PDFUsing the Formalist Theory and the pedagogical stylistics perspective, this article analyses stylistic features of foregrounding and figurative language used by Joseph Diescho in his “Dictums”, published in the New Era newspaper between January 2014 and December 2015. The study seeks to demonstrate how public discourse can provide useful insights to teachers and lecturers as well as students who are inter-ested in understanding how language and literature can be analysed in the classroom. The study found that Diescho is a writer with multiple authorial styles. Furthermore, he creatively combines (writing) styles such as deviation, parallelism, reference, rhetorical questions and the extensive use of quotes to communicate what he intends the readers to understand. The varied styles are also intended to strengthen and enhance his arguments, as well as to voice his views, beliefs and opinions on multiple issues. The study recommends the need for classroom practitioners to scrutinise public discourse from a stylistic perspective in the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors in order to enhance their interpretive skills and creative writing skills
An analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions on urban water erosion in Windhoek, Namibia
No full textThis study aimed at understanding the perceptions of stakeholders on urban water erosion in a dryland city - Windhoek (Namibia) - by interviewing 41 stakeholders using semi-structured questionnaires. Stakeholders’ perceptions were analysed by addressing their understanding of water erosion dynamics, their perceptions with regards to the causes and the seriousness of erosion damages, and their attitudes towards the responsibilities of urban erosion prevention and damages. The results indicated that there is less awareness of the process as a phenomenon; instead there is more awareness of erosion damages and the factors contributing to the damages. About 69% of the stakeholders considered erosion damages to be ranging from moderate to very serious. However, there were notable disparities between the private householders and public authority groups. The private householders and local authority sectors pointed fingers at each other as regards responsibility for erosion damage payments and for putting up prevention measures. The reluctance to take responsibility could undermine any effort to minimise erosion in urban areas and create a predicament for areas affected, especially in the informal settlements where land management is not carried out by the local authority and land is not owned by the occupants