Browsing Faculty of Education by Title
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Phibion, O. (IJSRE, http://www.ijsre.com, March NaN, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper is aimed at discussing the information contained in Borankana (Phathisi), traditional music practiced by the Bakwena in the Kweneng District of Botswana. The paper was conceived through the collaborations between ethnomusicology classes and their subjects/respondentsin an effort to better understand Borankana traditional music performance, and its daily uses today. This paper addresses not only the traditional music, but also the traditional learning and transmission of the music. Data was gathered by author and students through kgotla (tribal administration) visits, oral interviews with the informants, as well as internet search and other secondary printed information repositories such as books and journals. Oral interviews were recorded using an audiotape for future referencing and photographs were taken of the practical music performances. It was evident in the interviews that for the Bakwena of Botswana, Borankana music was traditionally used for entertainment by both young and old people. However, it was also evident that dancing activities were largely dominated by men and boys while women sang, clapped hands and ululated. Historically, Borankana was performed during tribal activities only. Now it mainly used by men in day-to-day activities for entertainment with women accompanying through singing, hand clapping and ululating. Changes in costumes and the materials used to make instruments over time is also discussed. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1064 Files in this item: 1
Phibion_IJSRE_2012.pdf (619.0Kb) -
Mahgoub, S.E.O.; Bandeke, T.; Nnyepi, M. (Oxford University Press; http://tropej.oxfordjournals.org/, August NaN, 2002)[more][less]
Abstract: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in four randomly selected districts of Botswana. Two study sites were chosen in each district. Four hundred households with children under 3 years old were enrolled into the study. A structured questionnaire was administered to mothers of eligible children in 50 households in each of the eight sites. About half the families had monthly incomes below 400 Pula (1 US$ = 4.6 Pula). The majority of families had only one child under 3 years of age. A total of 76.4 per cent of the mothers were single and a high proportion of them had primary or secondary education. Over half, 59.3 per cent, of the mothers had a high level of information about breastfeeding mainly obtained before conception; 94.4 per cent of the mothers believed that breastfeeding was better than bottlefeeding. Ninety-five per cent of the mothers had breastfed their children, and they started breastfeeding immediately or a few hours after delivery. More than 85 per cent of the mothers were planning to continue breastfeeding for 18 months or more. The majority obtained advice about breastfeeding from health workers. The main reason for stopping breastfeeding was that the mother was at work or school. Although 58.2 per cent of mothers had little or no support for breastfeeding from the community it had a positive effect on their decision to breastfeed. The majority of mothers indicated their confidence about breastfeeding when they were pregnant. Over three-quarters (79.6 per cent) of the mothers delivered in government hospitals, and nearly all were roomed with their babies after delivery. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/214 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)Mahgoub_JTP_2002.pdf (199.9Kb) -
Kamwendo, G.H. (Routledge. http://www.informaworld.com, September NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: In 1996, the Ministry of Education in Malawi directed that in future Standards 1 to 4 would be taught through mother tongues. It took eight years before the pilot phase of the language policy could begin. The paper critically analyses this situation using Bamgbose's framework which says that, in Africa, language policies tend to follow one or more of the following patterns: avoidance, vagueness, arbitrariness, fluctuation, and declaration without implementation. The paper explains why the implementation of Malawi's mother tongue instruction policy has been a slow journey on a bumpy road. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/522 Files in this item: 1
Kamwendo_JMMD_2008.pdf (680.5Kb) -
Pansiri, L.; Pansiri, N.O. (University of Botswana; http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Poor parental involvement in schools and educational activities at basic education level is a concern the world over. Governments have promulgated deliberate educational policies to institute parental involvement through structures commonly known as Parents and Teachers Associations (PTA). Despite this structural approach, many countries including Botswana, experience poor parental involvement in a school located in a low-income township area in Gaborone – Botswana. The study confirms that there is lack of effective parental involvement in that school. One of the major challenges is that school activities and meetings are often held when the majority of the parents are at work. It therefore, recommended that PTA activities be held at a time that suits specific activities and tasks; and that teachers must be encouraged to visit their children’s homes to dialogue with parents on educational issues in order to inspire parents to participate in the education of their children. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1139 Files in this item: 1
Pansiri_PBJAS_2011.pdf (3.788Mb) -
Adeyemi, M. B. (Caddo Gap Press, http://www.caddogap.com, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The world is a diverse ecosystem where humans and the environment must interact and live in harmony. In order to keep any society going, either at the national or global level, the importance of having visions for the improvement of that society cannot be overemphasized. It is in the light of this dream of making Botswana an enviable nation that the "Vision 2016" was published in 1997. A pillar of the "Vision" focuses on the development of a moral and tolerant nation. This article presents a brief literature review that focuses on the "moral and tolerant" aspects as aspirations of a nation. These two concepts are values which have implications for classroom pedagogy. This article reports an investigation of 64 teachers at the junior secondary school level and the challenges faced by them when teaching topics related to these values with their attendant remedies. The identified challenges included the difficulty of the use of critical and ethical reasoning methods in classes, a lack of community support, inadequate teachers' qualifications and experience, needed teaching resources, and the heterogeneity of the students, among others. The teachers provide some remedies to these challenges, while the investigator advocates for further research on the appropriate methods for teaching values in schools. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1098 Files in this item: 1
Adeyemi_ME_2009.pdf (655.4Kb) -
Mafela, L. (Routledge. http://www.informaworld.com, August NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: This study explores the historical relationship between the languages of Basarwa of Botswana and Setswana, in order to understand the dynamics underpinning their appropriation of the Setswana language, as they adjust to their changing livelihoods. The study contributes towards the promotion of a better understanding and awareness of the issues of language shift and language use amongst Basarwa. Basarwa occupy the lowest rungs of the social ladder in Botswana. Due to the close association between the status of the people and the status of their language, the Basarwa languages accordingly rank low in use and status nationally (Andersson & Janson, 2004, p. 118; Batibo, 2005, p. 71). Like the other minority languages, the Basarwa languages also have a low status and a low prestige in education and in written discourse. Moreover, the study observes that in their quest to mediate their socio-economic marginalisation, Basarwa have had to appropriate Setswana, the dominant national language for survival. However, their appropriation of the Setswana Language has had deleterious effects on their languages and overall sociocultural identity. In this context, the nationally dominant Setswana language not only dominates public discourse, but also official spoken discourse as well, while English dominates official written discourse (Andersson&Janson, 1993, pp. 83 84). The sources used to guide this analysis include secondary material, official and unofficial documents, as well as the author’s own observations, as a Motswana and an educationist. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/529 Files in this item: 1
Mafela_IJM_2009.pdf (1.665Mb) -
Code-switching in Botswana history classrooms in the decade of education for sustainable developmentMafela, L. (Routledge http://www.informaworld.com, July NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: Education is an important vehicle for the achievement of overall sustainable development. Moreover, international organisations have encouraged governments around the world to work towards achieving education for all. The notion of inclusive education has been useful in ensuring that country-level educational policies and practices incorporate and serve the interests of learners coming from diverse socio-cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Language facilitation has been earmarked by UNESCO (2005) as a necessary component of education for sustainable development. Despite global affirmation of the importance of language, the absence of language facilitation policies hampers the achievement of education for sustainable development at classroom level. This article explores language use in Botswana's History classrooms in the context of education for sustainable development. It is based on an exploratory study that was undertaken to investigate the use of code-switching in Botswana's History classrooms. The article begins with a discussion of the concept, origins and evolution of sustainable development, and how it links with education for sustainable development. The article goes on to link education for sustainable development with issues of equity and inclusiveness, and explores the role of language in the facilitation of an enabling and interactive teaching and learning environment. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/725 Files in this item: 1
Mafela_LM_2009.pdf (1.531Mb) -
Mafela, L. (Research and Development Unit, University of Botswana http://www.thuto.org, NaN, 1999)[more][less]
Abstract: The dairy industry arose in Bechuanaland primarily as an alternative to beef production in response to South Africa's restrictions on the import of cattle from the Protectorate African dairy producers were at a disadvantage compared to settler farmers due to the lack of government support for the infrastructure essential for highly perishable dairy produce The decline of dairy production in the later colonial period can be attributed to the revival of beef exporting, which undercut the Administration's already limited interest. These events can be situated within the broader pattern of colonial underdevelopment. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/699 Files in this item: 1
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Merwe, M.; Mberengwa, L. R.; Lekoko, R. N. (South African Association of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences (SAAFECS). http://ajol.info/index.php/jfecs/index, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: The term empowerment has become a buzz word used by development organisations and government sectors to make development programmes sound technically correct. These programmes are often the cause of the poor becoming disillusioned and passive, since these programmes often do not achieve what they have set out to achieve. One such group that is responsible for the empowerment of community members in poverty and other special circumstances, is the home economics extension officers (HEEOs) in Botswana. This article focuses on the HEEOs’ understanding of the term empowerment as well as the subsequent actions they are taking to bring about empowerment and the hindrances that impede their empowerment practices. Qualitative data gathering methods in the form of open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were carried out with HEEOs to understand the phenomenon of empowerment. A focus group discussion was in addition conducted with one community sewing group. It became evident that HEEOs linked the term empowerment mostly to training and education. This is contrary to literature, which describes training and education as only the beginning of the empowerment process. Empowerment will however only take place if individuals are encouraged to define their own goals and to act upon them. HEEOs included community members in planning, implementation and evaluation of development programmes, but there is no evidence of authentic involvement. Community groups were also not adequately mentored and supported by HEEOs. In addition, the system within which empowerment practices are carried out appeared to be not conducive to supporting HEEOs in their empowerment practices. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/687 Files in this item: 1
Mberengwa_JFECS_2010.pdf (998.3Kb) -
Nnyepi, M.; Gobotswang, K.S.M.; Codjia, P. (Macmillan, www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/, May 12, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: This study documents a marked discrepancy between the nutritional status of children aged 0–5 years in Botswana when measured by national surveys compared to clinic-based surveillance. We compared the average prevalence of underweight (weight-for-age z-scores below 2 standard deviations of the mean of the Center for Disease Control (CDC)/WHO reference standards) in children 0–5 years of age. According to clinic surveillance, prevalence of underweight has fallen from 14.670.03 to 3.570.04 per cent between 1993 and 2010. In national surveys, it had fallen from 14.670.01 to 11.570.01 per cent between 1993 and 2007. We explored several possibilities to explain this discrepancy, and conclude that it is because of sampling bias in the clinic surveillance. This finding underlines the need for properly conducted surveys to ensure accurate information about the nutritional status of children. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1051 Files in this item: 1
Nnyepi_JPHP_2011.pdf (1.267Mb) -
Mafela, L. (Research and Development Unit, University of Botswana. http://www.thuto.org, NaN, 1997)[more][less]
Abstract: In both precolonial and Westerm forms of schooling, education was a crucial medium of construction and articulation of ideas concerning the role and behaviour of women. Precolonial education reproduced and maintained sharp gender differentiation in the division of labour. Socialisation and women's own internalisation of their role and position in society, upheld dominant male ideology and subordination of women. Under colonialism, missionary and colonial education renegotiated but did not fundamentally change the role and position of women. However, it inadvertently also provided women with ways to move out of the household sphere into the wider labour market, albeit as unequal participants. Missionary education strictly separated the sexes and rested on the continued association of women with Victorian notions of 'domesticity'. The concept of ideology is used in this paper to tease out and highlight the gender dynamics which have influenced and directed education among Batswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/525 Files in this item: 1
mafela Competing gender ideologies.pdf (794.6Kb) -
Pheko, B.C. (Kamla-Raj Enterprises, http://www.krepublishers.com, March NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate the outcomes of the 10 year- basic education policy in Botswana through comparison of one cohort national results of School Leaving Examination (PSLE) of 2003 and its Junior Certificate (JC) of 2006. The main assumptions of this policy are that all children will have gone through a quality education. The PSLE (2003) results indicate that most pupils passed their examinations and proceeded to junior secondary education level. However, the problem is that the JC national results of 2006 show that most completers have poor results which do not allow them to proceed to senior secondary education. This is an indication of poor quality education. The observation is that class sizes at junior secondary education are huge (45 - 51) and there are inadequate teaching resources at junior secondary education. The Ministry of Education should take cognizance of the educational problems at this level and make efforts to reduce class size, provide adequate teaching resources so that teachers could be able to give each student the attention she/he deserves. These have affected students’ performances and it is therefore important for the Ministry of Education to introduce Regional examinations at Form 2 in order to monitor each individual performance and provide remedial if it is necessary. These may improve quality education at this level. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1093 Files in this item: 1
Pheko_JSS_2010.pdf (623.3Kb) -
Nkhwalume, A. (IJSRE, http://www.ijsre.com, June NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper represents the voices of six Botswana girls in a case study that investigated social influences on their motivation in mathematics. Interviews were conducted and observations made to explore the girls’ experiences to shed some light on where their motivations were most influenced. The girls’ perceived motivational orientations and subsequent performance in mathematics as reflected in their case scenarios were used as a way of explaining their social implications. Their social experiential narratives were analysed for meaning with a focus on understanding them from an African context in contrast with Western cultural research perspectives. The study emanated from the fact that Botswana women are not vividly present at the post-secondary level in mathematics, science and technology. A compulsory mathematics at senior secondary school level, most young women opt out of mathematics and technology related programmes. The girls’ social experiential narratives were collected and analysed for meaning with a view to understand their implications in learning mathematics in the context of Botswana. The study adopted the Marxist social theory as its theoretical framework and used the concepts of contradiction, ideology, discourse and habitus as operational tools for the girls’ socialised orientation towards mathematic. It emerged that social environment, namely: the family (socioeconomic status, educational beliefs, attitudes, availability of books); the school system (schooling, teachers, textbooks, mathematics curriculum, and assessment) and peer groups (friends, classmates) were the key sources of influence. The interpretations of the girls’ narratives gave rise to the conclusions drawn and the recommendations made concerning social influences on their motivational orientations in learning mathematics. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1078 Files in this item: 1
Nkhwalume_IJSRE_2010.pdf (3.321Mb) -
Kesamang, M.; Taiwo, A.A. (Taylor & Francis, http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals, NaN, 2002)[more][less]
Abstract: The study was undertaken to find out whether there is a significant relationship between the socio- cultural beliefs held by beginning junior secondary school (JSS) students in Botswana and their attitudes towards school science on one hand and their achievement in school science on the other hand. Seven research questions were formulated. The nature of the study dictated the employment of descriptive research (survey) design. The sample for the study consisted of 395 JSS students randomly selected from eleven junior secondary schools within 120 kilometre radius of Gaborone, the state capital of Botswana. The collection of the data for the study was accomplished by the use of three constructed and validated research instruments. The findings of the study include the fact that Setswana1 (Botswana) mythology has a telling effect, to a large extent, on the thought processes of the average Botswana JSS student. This resulted in significant negative relationships between the students’ socio- cultural background and their attitudes towards school science on one hand and their achievement in school science on the other hand. But in spite of the negative effect of the elements of the students’ culture on the ease with which they learn school science, Botswana JSS students are found to be positively disposed towards school science in general. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1112 Files in this item: 1
Taiwo_IJSE_2002.pdf (1.468Mb) -
Mooko, T. (Routledge. http://www.informaworld.com, March NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: When Botswana gained independence from the British in 1966, a political decision was taken to designate English as an official language and Setswana, one of the indigenous languages, as a national language. This move disregarded the multilingual nature of Botswana society. Furthermore, although not explicitly stated, the use of other languages was, in effect, prohibited, especially in the school setting and other official arenas. Whereas the government undertook deliberate measures to promote the use of Setswana, no efforts were made by the government to cater for other languages spoken in Botswana. As a result, some of the latter languages have died out whilst others have survived. This paper examines some of the steps that members of the groups that speak these marginalised languages have taken in their quest to develop and maintain their languages. The discussion in this paper considers the six strategies proposed by David Crystal (2000) as some of the ways that speakers of endangered languages could ensure their survival. Deprived of any government support, the speakers of these languages initiated some processes that have seen some significant developments. These include the development of orthographies, the translation of the Bible into these languages and the publication of other written resources in these languages. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/602 Files in this item: 1
Mooko_JMMD_2006.pdf (1.181Mb) -
Garegae, K.G. (Academic Journals. http://www.academicjournals.org, January NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Although student discipline had existed since the beginning of mankind, the disciplinary methods employed have changed over the years, giving rise to culturally irrelevant disciplinary strategies. This study explored teachers’ views about approaches to discipline experienced in Botswana schools in terms of policy and practice. In particular, the study sought for information on teachers’ day-to-day experiences and their views with regard to the implementation of student discipline regulations. Twenty teachers, who have been in the field for at least eight years, were interviewed once. Interview proceedings were recorded and later transcribed verbatim. The study showed that teachers feel disempowered by schools’ discipline regulations, and that students take advantage of such regulations to undermine teachers’ authority. Based on the premise that discipline approaches are culturally conceptualized and negotiated, the paper argues that student discipline has grown into an epidemic in Botswana schools because culturally inappropriate approaches are employed. Recommendations as to how the problem could be curbed are discussed and suggestions for further studies are made. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/523 Files in this item: 1
Garegae_ERR_2008.pdf (791.2Kb) -
Monyatsi, P.P. (Academic Journals, http://www.academicjournals.org, April NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: This article critically analyses the mechanisms and procedures that facilitate the effectiveness of the current teacher appraisal system in Botswana secondary schools. Teachers in schools, in this case in Botswana secondary schools have to undergo appraisal every year for both accountability and developmental purposes. In this article, the author critically analyzes the extent to which the mechanisms and procedures are in place and adequate to facilitate the effectiveness of the current teacher appraisal in Botswana secondary schools. The article is based on an empirical study that was carried out in a sample of 607 secondary school teachers in two clusters of seventeen schools in the southern region of Botswana. The research design is a multi-methods approach of a survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The results illustrate that there is a need for training, feedback and transparency if the appraisal process is to be effective. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/605 Files in this item: 1
Monyatsi_ERR_2009.pdf (2.131Mb) -
Raditloaneng, W. (Academic Journals, http://www.academicjournals.org, November NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper provides a critique of globalization with a special focus on the declining role of subsistence agriculture as the backbone of peasant economy in colonial Botswana and the changes that have occurred since independence 30th September 1966. During the colonial and pre independence era, agriculture was the backbone of peasant economy and poverty eradication in Botswana. The post independence era in Botswana resulted in reforms in all the public sectors including education, health, agriculture, tourism, trade, industry, science and communication and others which are typified in the cash economy. Based on a mixed methodology of qualitative and participatory activities in the study of the impact of learned identities of a total of 30 poor people poverty in two selected communities (one rural and one urban) in Botswana, this paper argues that with the advent of globalization, agriculture as the backbone of peasant economy is faced with competition from the other sectors of the modern economy. Despite efforts to engage in diversification of the agricultural sector and harsh climatic changes and human factors, the sector has been adversely affected by climatic changes and human factors too. Based on the deliberation of the poor who participated in the study; to be the backbone of peasant economy and poverty eradication. Registered destitutes who participated in this study had not graduated form poverty to non- poverty at the time of the qualitative study conducted between August 2008 and March 2009, despite the monthly food basket they received from the Government of Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1065 Files in this item: 1
Raditloaneng_JDAE_2009.pdf (1.513Mb) -
Moalosi, W.T.S. (IJSRE, http://www.ijsre.com, December NaN, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: People in different cultures vary in their descriptions of their self-concept. These descriptions tend to be either individualistic or collectivist. Individualistic cultures preface independence and self-fulfillment, while collectivist cultures tend to be more group-oriented and carry more social responsibilities. Immigration and colonization have had an impact on many collective cultures that had lived among independent ones. Conflict often occurred when interdependent cultures tried to maintain their identity in their new independent environment. Teachers and students at schools frequently experience similar challenges. Theories of cognitive development show that parents differ in their perception of intelligence among these two cultural types (independent and interdependent). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1131 Files in this item: 1
Moalosi_IJSRE_2012.pdf (211.3Kb) -
Ntseane, P. G. (UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper argues that sex has to be analyzed and understood from a sociological perspective because sex in itself has a social function. A phenomenological study that was carried out among five ethnic groups of Botswana revealed the importance of taking into account cultural sexual realities when prevention strategies for HIV/AIDS are considered and implemented. Furthermore the study threw light on the ineffectiveness of the current national HIV/AIDS prevention strategy of ‘Abstain, Be faithful, and use a Condom’ (ABC), a strategy borrowed from the Christian cultural morality of sex. Therefore, this paper advocates for empowerment processes that take into consideration local ways of knowing and delivery modes such as participatory approaches. An effective and sustainable alternative to the current national ‘ABC’ strategy is to engage people meaningfully in analyzing their current cultural situation and coming up with working strategies that can make a difference in a country seriously affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/757 Files in this item: 1
Ntseane_PLE_2004.pdf (1.377Mb)