UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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Analysis of the basic Ross-MacDonald malaria model parameters
Get PDFWe consider a basic finite dimensional Ross-Macdonald malaria mathematical model on interaction of the infected humans and the infected mosquitoes. We study this system for consistence of the equations to the real biomedical situation that they model. Local and global well-posedness of the system is proven and the analysis of the equilibrium points is carried out. Numerical analysis show that mathematical analysis is very powerful for understanding such systems
The nature and origin of acronyms in Kiswahili and Setswana
Get PDFThis study examines how this mechanism has been used in two major regional languages, namely Kiswahili, spoken in eastern Africa, and Setswana, extensively used in southern Africa. The main aim of the article is to investigate how these two regional languages have dealt with the influx of acronyms which have become important word forms in African languages, as the use of these languages expands to higher domains. The study uses primary and secondary data to demonstrate the efforts which have been made in the development of acronyms in both languages, and the challenges which have been experienced. The study findings are very revealing in that they show that, although most African dictionaries do not include acronyms as part of their entries, they are found most often in the higher domains and appear in many forms. The main conclusion of the paper is that African countries need full-fledged language institutions and supportive language policies in order to spearhead the process of lexical expansion and intellectualization of the indigenous African languages by using all strategies of term development
The jigsaw method: The use of cooperative learning in a grade 7 English second language lessons – a Namibia school case study
Get PDFThis paper reports on the use of cooperative learning technique – Jigsaw - that describes the use of small groups to enable learners to increase their own responsibility in learning and that of their peers. As a strategy that support Learner Centred Education which was adopted as a framework for teaching and learning in Namibia in 1990, cooperative learning is very compatible to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) which are both highlighted in the new basic education national curriculum as strategies for teaching languages in Namibian schools. To develop responsive practices to the learner-centred approach this study investigates the role of cooperative learning activities in learning English second language and the influence it has on teaching and assessing learners. An expansive route was taken to engage learners in a Jigsaw activity, in an English Second Language lesson. The findings revealed that participants of the study perceived cooperative learning instructional to be generally a positive experiences which provide an effective method of learning in groups and it enhance learners’ achievement. Cooperative learning may help learners to acquire and develop four language skills at the same time and with easy as concepts are interlinked. Learners in the jigsaw classroom reported stronger intrinsic motivation, greater interest in the topic, and more cognitive activation and involvement
Wikipedia translation as an additive pedagogy for Oshikwanyama language learning
Get PDFThis paper reports on a study carried out in a northern Namibian urban school about the use of Wikipedia translation as an additional teaching and learning tool in Oshikwanyama Firs Language classroom. Higher-level learners (Secondary phase) were purposefully chosen for this study. The study followed a situated learning theoretical framework, of which its cognitive apprenticeship elements were used as the analytical tool. The research findings show that Wikipedia translation offers a simulating learning platform for learners to learn both languages Oshikwanyama and English reciprocally and this improves their performance. Furthermore, Wikipedia translation, which is done collaboratively, give learners confidence towards working with others to create knowledge. Lastly, Wikipedia translation motivates learners to learn Oshikwanyama and use it in their daily ICT interaction
Teachers use and integration of ICT in the teaching of Life Science: A case of two urban high schools in Namibia
Get PDFMany developing countries recognised the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education for teaching and learning. In Namibia, ICT use and integration in the classrooms remains limited. This study has sought to investigate how Life Science teachers with access to technologies use and integrate ICT into their classroom through collaborative and creative teaching. The study was designed as a qualitative research using a multiple case study approach. The study was guided by activity theory as a theoretical framework. Two Life Science teachers were observed and semi-structured interview were conducted. The findings of the study revealed that Life Science teachers demonstrated use of ICT in their classrooms through smart boards connected to e-Learning Management Systems and collaborated with each other by sharing notes but did not co-teach nor developed their own teaching materials. The study recommends that teachers be provided with the necessary tools and be trained to develop teaching materials, and to co-teach for purposes of enhancing collaborative teaching
Lesson planning for teacher effectiveness
Get PDFWell planned lessons enable learners to learn better and to develop better attitudes towards their work. The paper emanates from formal observations of the University of Zimbabwe Graduate Diploma in Education (Grad. D. E.) student teachers on three months teaching practice attachment. Many student teachers were found to be clearly on the path to becoming effective teachers but a sizeable portion, about 20-25%, were thought to be experiencing problems. In their planning of lessons, a wide range and variety of problems were noted. These include lack of real appreciation of the need to plan lessons, lack of the understanding that in order to be effective teachers they had to deploy different pedagogic approaches to meet the learning needs of the subject, inability to address lesson objectives and to match the maturity and social milieu of the learners in their care. Thus it is hoped that this paper may stimulate more interest in educators and student teachers alike beyond these student teachers passing or failing the teaching practice component to preparing really effective practitioners
Mainstreaming multiple knowledge systems in the south-north collaboration for higher education
Get PDFThis paper discusses the need for a shift in the role of South- North collaboration for higher education. To do so, it points to some persistent trends in the nature of South-North partnerships. Rather than being empirically-based, the aim of the paper is to spark critical discussion and new research, drawing from the authors’ collaborative experience over the last couple of years. Some suggestions for change in the field of higher education are offered
Environmental protection using Indigenous knowledge (IK) methods and skills for sustainability: case study in the Kavango East region
Get PDFThe analysis presented in this study draws from a theoretical framework that sees indigenous knowledge (IK) and discourse as important features of ethno–science publication in Namibia. The study aims to make a meaningful contribution to an ongoing debate about IK in Namibia and the world over; the use of IK in the construction of knowledge about ethno–science; analysis and exploration of IK. As such the study looks at the process of authenticating ethno – scientific argument, knowledge and skills, providing clear understanding of how IK is used to protect the environmen
Challenges faced by student teachers when teaching through the medium of mother tongue during school based studies: a case for Katima Mulilo campus bachelor of Education 4 (Pre and Lower Primary) students
Get PDFThis paper reports on a study that investigated challenges faced by Bachelor of Education (Pre and Lower Primary) final year University of Namibia students at Katima Mulilo Campus when they taught through the medium of mother tongue during School Based Studies (SBS). The study is located in the interpretive paradigm and is an intrinsic case study. It is shaped by the school of thought that supports the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in lower primary classrooms. Two students at two different School Based Studies support schools were studied. Data were collected by using interviews and classroom observation. One student teacher taught in Grade 2, and the other one taught in Grade 3. Both were interviewed and their lessons were observed. Interviews and observations were transcribed and translated into English. The results of the study show that Pre and Lower Primary Bachelor of Education final year student teachers faced various challenges with regards to the use of mother tongue as medium of instruction during SBS. The challenges ranged from their inability to express themselves fluently in the target language (Silozi in this case); difficulties in translating concepts from English into Silozi (mother tongue) since the curriculum is in English; writing words; planning lessons in the target language; a lack of materials in line with topics, more especially topics of integration. The study recommends that the Silozi orthography should be made available to all the schools in the region; teachers should receive intensive training on how to teach through the medium of Silozi; lessons that are taught through the medium of Silozi should be planned in Silozi and not in English; there should be Silozi dictionaries to assist teachers with translation. Finally, there should be relevant Silozi teaching and learning materials
Diet of Barn owls (Tytoalba) in Katima Mulilo, Zambezi region, Namibia
Get PDFThe diet of barn owls (tytoalba) was studied at three active roosting sites in order to understand their feeding ecology throughout various phases of the annual cycle. We conducted weekly field trips between June and October 2016. During that period a total of 516 pellets were collected during the wet (353) and dry season (163). Furthermore, this study has resulted in the first-ever documentation on the diet of barn owl in Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi region of north eastern Namibia. bones and skulls were extracted from dissected pellets and identified to taxonomic level based on cranial structure and bdirect comparison to reference specimens collected from shamvura, Kavango east region by kopij (2013).small mammals were the main prey in both seasons (86.3% in the wet season and 94% in the dry season) followed by arthropods in the wet season with 12.8% and 2% in the dry season, while birds contributed 0.5%in the wet season and 4%in the dry season. Results of this study point to the importance of basic field studies to understand the needs of a particular species as well as the community that supports it