46 research outputs found
Problems Of Conducting Educational Research In Zambia
No full textThis study was an attempt to identify factors hindering the carrying out of educational research in Zambia. Further, it sought to provide solutions to the identified problems.
Seven of the 18 respondents returned completed questionnaires. The respondents identified the following as factors hindering research activities in Zambia; lack of research funds, lack of adequate number of publishing houses, ignorance of the uses of research results by the majority of individuals in the country, unwilling or unhelpful respondents, lack of transport and lack of research skills by the majority of professionals with first degrees.
The following were suggested as possible solutions to the identified problems; allocation of more funds for research purposes, setting up of more publishing houses, authorities should be more supportive of research activities, publicizing the importance and value of research findings and creating school based transport pools for research purposes
Why The Mathematics and Science Teacher Extension Programme Works in Namibia
No full textIn the majority of African countries on attainment of political independence after decades
of colonialism found themselves with few (if any) adequately educated and prepared
persons to carry on the task of developing their new state economically. Namibia was no
exception. Indeed at independence in 1990, Namibia found herself in the same position as
other African countries, with a poorly trained or untrained cadre of schoolteachers in
almost all subject areas. The building of more schools and the training of more
schoolteachers for the majority of the previously colonized people was a must for these
African countries. The general population saw education as a passport for a better life and
their right. Therefore teacher education had to be emphasized to cope with the increased
demand for education. Accordingly, teacher education was one of the priority areas of
these independent countries in order to develop the necessary human resources and to
develop economically. Education brought about a higher personal status and quality of
life
Examinations and assessment at tertiary level
No full textThis study is a case study of Continuous Assessment and External Examiners'.reports in
two universities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The paper
defines the term Continuous Assessment. The first part of the presentation then examines
the conduct of Continuous Assessment at the two universities under study. The concerns in
Continuous Assessment addressed are: Number of ContinuousAssessment test/assignments
to be given per course; Absenteeism/ late/ non-submission of tests or assignments;
Security of tests/assignments for continuous assessment; and Plagiarism. Advantages and
disadvantages of Continuous Assessment schemes are briefly discussed. The second part
of the paper examines the roles of External Examiners at the two Universities. The findings
presented indicate that basically external examiners' roles revolve around five verbs. They
do one or more of the following: expose; impose; suppose; endorse and propose. The
paper concludes by affirming the power of examination. Examinations are here to stay
The perceptions and practice of learner centred teaching in Namibia. The case of Physical Science teachers in the Omusati eucation region
No full textThis study sought to find out the practice and problems encountered by Physical Science teachers in the Omusati Education Region in Namibia. It was found that there was a discrepancy between the teachers’ perceptions of their practice of learner-centred teaching and their actual practice in the classroom. It was also found that a number of problems hindered their practice of learner centred teaching. Possible solutions to these problems were also indicated
Use of Nonstandardised Measurements To Enhance Student Learning of Units
No full textMeasurement is described in the directives of the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM, 1989: 51) as "of central importance to the curriculum because of
its power to help children see that mathematics is useful in everyday life and to help them
develop many mathematical concepts and skills." At primary level, the instruction
emphasized the importance of establishing a firm foundation in the basic concepts and
skills of measurement. For example, understand the attributes of length, capacity, mass,
weight, area, volume, time, temperature, and angle. However, when learners reach
secondary level, still many do not have the sense of estimating one centimeter, one
centimeter square, or hectare. This can be attributed to the way measurements are
introduced and used in the schools. In fact metric units are just taken for granted.
We need to inculcate into our learners the sense of ownership of the units of
measurements, even the metric units. This is only possible if we revisit the nonstandard
units our ancestors used to measure objects as the basis of known (contextualizing) and
move to the unknown, the metric units. The metric systems of units have evolved since
the adoption of the first well-defined system in France in 1791 (Wikipedia, 2007).
Learners need to see the necessity of using the metric systems and this can only be done
if they work with nonstandard units and see the inconsistency in their measurements
The perceptions and practice of learner centred teaching in Namibia. The case of Physical Science teachers in the Omusati eucation region
No full textThis study sought to find out the practice and problems encountered by Physical Science teachers in the Omusati Education Region in Namibia. It was found that there was a discrepancy between the teachers’ perceptions of their practice of learner-centred teaching and their actual practice in the classroom. It was also found that a number of problems hindered their practice of learner centred teaching. Possible solutions to these problems were also indicated
The use of contextualised teaching and learning in grade 11 and 12 mathematics classrooms in Gobabis, Namibia
No full textThis paper investigates the use of contexts in the teaching and learning of mathematics in two secondary schools in the Gobabis area using the Mayoh & Knutton (1997) taxonomy. It was found that not all contexts as suggested by Mayoh & Knutton were used by the teachers and that the context were almost entirely initiated by the mathematics teachers and were used as a primary strategy for presenting the content. The study recommended the introduction of the use of contexts in the pre-service training of mathematics teachers and that teachers create their own mathematics problems to solve rather than adhering to the problems provided in their textbooks which are often of a foreign origin
The perceptions and practice of learner centred teaching in Namibia: The case of Physical Science teachers in Omusati education region
No full textThis study sought to find out the practice and problems encountered by Physical Science teachers in the Omusati Education Region in Namibia. It was found that there was a discrepancy between the teachers’ perceptions of their practice of learner-centred teaching and their actual practice in the classroom. It was also found that a number of problems hindered their practice of learner centred teaching. Possible solutions to these problems were also indicated
