Paradigm Shifts in Teaching and Learning at the University of Namibia: Kavango West Region at the Core

Full text

Paradigm Shifts in Teaching and Learning at the University of
Namibia: Kavango West Region at the Core
Natalia S. Intja, Martha Nahole
nreino@unam.na
University of Namibia, Rundu Campus, Winhoek 88, Nambia
University of Namibia, Rundu Campus, Winhoek 88, Nambia
Abstract
This study evaluated the training program offered by the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus. The
aim was to ascertain the contests that education students face in fulfilling their duties in the teaching profession
and deduce approaches which the University of Namibia could engage in their teaching and learning to
safeguard students’ success in their academic life after graduation. The study is qualitative in nature which was
conducted through purposive sampling and analysed thematically. The sample consisted of twenty graduates in
the years 2011- 2018, three inspectors, subject advisors, Heads of departments and school principals from
Kavango West Region participated in the study. Data was collected using semi- structured interviews. The
results revealed that a lack of knowledge of the general job description, national standards, code of conduct for
teachers and the public act seem to be a challenge. Thus, Unam’s curriculum should be designed in such a way
that more contact hours are reserved for practical than theory. The article concludes by making
recommendations that a closer look at these challenges and approaches may be beneficial to the curriculum
reviewers, designers and educators of Unam to confirm successful teacher trainees prior to joining the
workforce.
Keywords: Paradigm Shifts; University of Namibia; Teaching and Learning
1. Introduction
The recent rapid advancement of technologies provides everyone with many new capabilities and, at the
same time, changes the ways people live, study, work, and interact with others, as Schwab (2017) signifies
that the new industrial revolution with its fusion of technologies across the physical, digital, and biological
worlds causes shift not only across all industries, but also towards society, and reshapes governments,
institutions, systems of education, and many others. This industrial era requires the University of Namibia’s
stakeholders to have creative insight, collaborative team work, and adaptively toward culture differences,
including intercultural and interpersonal skills (Penprase, 2018). In the framework of paradigm shifts,
especially in the teaching and learning context, this circumstance indicates that the University of Namibia
have to develop interactive forms of pedagogy and put emphasis on multiple disciplinary and cultural
perspectives, in order to cultivate students (human) capacities and skills.
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Xing (2017) notes that today all graduates face a world transformed by technology, in which the Internet,
cloud computing, and social media create different opportunities and challenges for formal education systems.
As students consider life after graduation, universities are facing questions about their own destiny especially
employment. These technologies powered by artificial intelligence are so much transforming the world that
social concepts such as “post-work” are more and more defining the present period. This period requires
certain skills that are not exactly the same as the skills that were required in the third industrial revolution
where information technology was the key driver. These skills are critical thinking, people management,
emotional intelligence, judgment, negotiation, cognitive flexibility, as well as knowledge production and
management.
Observably, the development of higher education system has gone through the following stages, namely,
elite, mass, and post-massification. In the elite stage, higher education has profound origins starting in the 6th
century monastic schools and later evolving into the medieval European University beginning in Bologna in
1088 which focused on theology and philosophy, and progressing into the current modern higher education
system. In this evolution universities evolved from just being centers of teaching and learning, to include
research and thereafter to include service to society. In its early stage, university education was catered for
tiny elites. In that time, higher education was intended to mould the minds and characters of the ruling class
(Xing, 2017).
Marwala (2015) maintains that in the stage of mass in the late 20th century, the tension between education
as a private right or a public good prompted the trend to ‘massification’, i.e. provide higher education to many
people. During this period, the higher education spawned changes in a massive way in terms of many factors
such as the size and shape of systems, the curriculum designs, the organisational structures, the pedagogy
methodologies, the delivery modes, the research patterns, and the relationship between institutions and other
external communities. The main goal of mass higher education was targeting transfer of skills and preparation
for a wide variety of technical and economic roles. Whereas, in the post-massification higher education has
gradually progressed from the elite phase to mass higher education and then to post-massification stages.
Many advanced and some developing economies enjoy the tertiary participation rates of over 50%. Another
characteristic of this trend is internationalisation of both students and staff. According to a report from OECD,
with demographic changes, international student mobility is expected to reach 8 million students per year by
2025. South Africa is presently hosting many sub-Saharan students, with much of the remainder studying in
European and American countries. Currently, adapting population to rapid social and technological change
remains the main goal of many countries, specifically, at the University of Namibia.
It is very important to note that the University of Namibia should respond to the outcry from various
schools where its graduates are employed after graduation. According to the school hosts, some education
graduates from the University of Namibia seems to be incompetent in subject content delivery,
professionalism as well as abiding by the education act and the vows they have made whilst graduating. The
researcher’s starting point is to investigate the problems that our education graduates from Unam’s Rundu
Campus experience in the teaching profession and confirm the rumour around the country about education
students from the University of Namibia not been fit for the workforce and deduce approaches which the
university may employ in its teaching and learning to ensure education students’ success in academic life after
graduating.
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2. Theoretical Framework
The theoretical thrusts reviewed in this article are based on Kirkpatrick’s model of evaluating training
programs. Kirkpatrick first proposed his approach to evaluation in 1959. The model was extensively reviewed
as part of its semi-centennial celebrations (Kirkpatrick & Kayser-Kirkpatrick, 2014). It consists of four levels
of evaluation designed to appraise course training (Table 1). The model is an established and recognised
approach which provides a structure and does not require an inordinate amount of time to administer.
Although the approach has its critics, and is not the only way to evaluate interventions, the contribution of the
Kirkpatrick model in organizations “cannot be underestimated” (Saks & Haccoun, 2010, p. 332), given its
wide use for over 55 years.
The Kirkpatrick model has been employed in higher education settings with varying opinions about its
efficacy (see Abdulghani, Shaik, Khamis, Al-Drees, Irshad, Kalil & Isnani, 2014; Chang & Chen, 2014;
Praslova, 2010; Yardley & Dornan, 2012). Although Saks and Haccoun (2010) concluded it may not be well-
suited to formative evaluation, and Holton (1996) and Alliger, Tannenbaum, Bennett, Traver & Shotland
(1997) have criticised the hierarchical nature of the approach, these conclusions have not been further
substantiated, nor had an impact on its application in industry. Its simplicity and focus, and its systematic
approach, mean that it remains one of the most widely used tools for training evaluation. It therefore provides
a useful starting point for evaluation of curriculum.
Reaction is Kirkpatrick's first level of evaluation, which behavior change and finally results are the real
gains of the evaluation on how the participants living the learning educational program view and rate what
was just learnt. Conferring to the model each level is experience perceiving the action (Kirkpatrick, 1998).
2.1. Justification of Choice
The Kirkpatrick’s model was chosen by the researchers on the basis that the study aimed at ascertaining the
challenges that education students face in fulfilling their duties in the teaching profession after training and
deduce approaches which the University of Namibia could use in their teaching and learning to safeguard
students’ success in their academic life after graduation. Based on above, the Kirkpatrick’s model was seen
suitable by the researcher because in the nutshell the study evaluated the training program which was offered
to education students that have graduated from the years 2011-2018 and see if the program was of good help.
Substantively, the Kirkpatrick’s model answers these with its first level which is ‘reaction’. The first level of
the model describes the level as a level of reaction which measures the result whether the education students
reacted satisfactorily to the Bachelor Degree Honours training or they need some sought of intervention to
help curb what was not addressed during training.
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Table 1: Overview of the Kirkpatrick four Levels of Evaluation
Table by Ulum (2015)
2.2. Research Problem
Whilst a plethora of available literature has been written on paradigm shifts in teaching and learning at
higher institutions of learning from an international and national perspective (Marwala, 2015; Penprase, 2018;
Razah, Alkrash & Sahboun, 2018; Schwab, 2017; Xing, 2017) not much is known about paradigm shifts in
teaching and learning at the university of Namibia (Rundu Campus) that may help education graduants to
excel ones they join the work force. The researcher considered this investigation to be of value, and that
paradigm shifts in teaching and learning and implications should be understood from the education graduates
in the years 2011-2018, inspectors, principals, head of departments and subject advisors’ perspectives
respectively because these are the stakeholders that are engaged with the students after training them at the
university.
2.3. Research Questions
The following research questions were addressed in this study:
1. How can the University of Namibia redesign its curriculum to nature education graduants’ success in
life after graduation?
2. What challenges do education graduates encounter in the teaching profession after training?
3. What challenges are being experienced by superiors in schools where the graduates are recruited?
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2.4. Significance of the Study
This study is a contribution to the shift of the University of Namibia of curriculum transformation in terms
of recurriculation in review of higher education industrial revolution 4.0. the findings of this study may
impact the university positively, as it may inform them with challenges their graduates face after being
trained, the way the graduates view the structure of the course outlines and the assessment techniques, what
might seem to be changed and how the universities’ stakeholders view their training pedagogy and deduce
approaches which may help the university as they redesign their curriculum to help the graduants who are to
join the workforce.
3. Methodology
3.1. Research Design
Qualitative methodology was compatible with the study’s focus for as it enables researchers to dig deep
into the phenomenon under study (Mpofu & Chimhenga, 2016). Qualitative research allows for the collection
of rich detail and insights into the participants experiences of the world and these may prove to be more
meaningful than other approaches. A qualitative methodology for this study was suitable to evaluate the
training course from the education graduates, principals, Heads of Departments, subject advisors and
inspectors and deduce approaches that the University of Namibia may term inclusive in their redesigning of
their curriculum to safeguard education students’ success in the teaching profession.
3.2. Population
The population of this study consisted of education graduates from Unam’s Rundu campus in the years
2011- 2018, inspectors, heads of departments, subject advisors and principals in the Kavango West Region of
Namibia.
3.3. Sample
A purposive sample of twenty Bachelor Degree (Honours) graduates from Rundu Campus in the years
2011- 2018, three inspectors, three subject advisors, six Head of departments and six school principals from
six selected schools in the Kavango West Region participated in the study. The purposive sampling was
employed to select the sample size because purposive sampling is a sampling method that advocates using
participants that are already known to have the information that the researcher is looking for. Substantively,
purposive sampling is the deliberate choice of a participant due to the qualities the participant possesses
(Etikan, Musa & Alkassim, 2016).
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3.4. Research Instruments
Semi- structured interview guides were used to collect data. The semi- structured interview guides were
two; this is because questions which were directed to the graduates were different from those which were
directed to the HODs, principals, subject advisors and inspectors. Questions were different because the
graduates were asked to evaluate the training course which was offered to them if it’s doing any good to them
in the teaching profession and the ones directed to the other participants focused on how they see the
graduates that are teaching in their region and how they can help the university in redesigning its curriculum
to ensure that the graduates produced from the university are fit for the workforce.
3.5 Procedures
After obtaining official access to the participants, arrangements were made to administer semi-structured
interviews. The interviews provided opportunities for the participants to reflect on their experiences and
evaluate the training program offered by the university. Semi-structured interviews were preferred for the
collection of data as they enabled the researcher to probe responses and solicit further details from the
interviewees.
4. Ethical Considerations
In order to maintain a climate of trust in the practice and outcomes of social research, an ethical assurance
was established and was maintained by the participants. The aim and purpose of research was explained to the
participants. Bryman (2012) has suggested four significant ethical considerations for researchers to avoid;
namely, lack of informed consent; harm to participants; invasion of privacy; and deception. This research
study has followed the core ethical issues of informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity, and minimizing
harm to participants.
5. Data Analysis
The interview data from semi-structured interviews were categorized and thematic analysed.
6. Results and Discussions
To appropriately address the research questions posed in this study, the researcher presented the findings of
the integrated interview data according to identified three thematic categories namely; challenges faced by
graduates in the teaching profession, the latter training pedagogy of the university and curriculum change for
the betterment of education students.
6.1. Challenges faced by Unam’s Rundu Campus graduates in the teaching profession
It emerged from the analysis of data that education students face the following challenges ones they join
the workforce:
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6.1.1 Lack of knowledge of the general job description, national standards, code of conduct for
teachers and the public act
When asked to state the challenges students face in the teaching profession, they said that even if the
students have knowledge about the general job description, the national standards, code of conduct and the
public act, students are unable to execute what these documents entails. It is then empirical for the University
of Namibia to ensure that these documents are thoroughly exposed to the students as soon as the students join
the university so that they become part and parcel of their education journey while still at the university and if
need be to conduct practicals on the national standards instruments rather than experiencing the practical part
when they are already teachers.
6.1.2. Compiling subject files
When asked to state if the graduates have any idea of the subject files they supposed to keep. The results
revealed that most of them if not all do not have any idea of what those files are and what content supposed to
constitute each file. It was singled out and emphasized that these files are very important for any individual
teacher because one file is meant to be an administration file that supposed to document important subject
information and any other school-related information. Whereas the resource file documents the following:
control Sheet, worksheets, projects, assignments, topic tasks, practical investigations, artifacts, including
marking criteria, course material and workshop hand-outs and information on compensatory teaching in the
subject. While the preparation file supposed to document the following: Control sheet, Table of contents, the
teacher’s personal time-table, Syllabus for all the subjects taught this year (the latest editions), Schemes of
work for all the subjects taught that year (neatly typed) and Up-to-date daily/weekly written lesson
preparation. The university is then advised to make this a priority as well so that students know what type of
files to have and how they can compile them before they become teachers.
6.1.3. Lack of classroom management
When asked to state if the graduates know how to handle the class to ensure a successful lesson. Both
participants were of the opinion that most of the education graduates do not know how to handle their learners
in the classroom to ensure that teaching and learning is taking place smoothly. It appears to be that the
university did not do enough to train the students holistically, that is to say not only in content delivery but
also to make sure that the teaching and learning environment is favourable. One cannot teach learners that are
noisy and learners cannot listen and grasp the content very well if there is too much noise in the classroom. A
teacher is a manager of each classroom, thus if they lack knowledge on how to make the teaching and the
learning environment favourable then teaching and learning will not take place or if it does, it occurs
minimally. To concur with the above, (Dizdarevik, 2014) articulates that to be an efficient teacher means to
know with what and how to motivate students to learn. Teacher as an efficient classroom manager needs to
have skills to plan and prepare the education process, know how to organise the teaching and how to guide the
class. Moreover, an efficient teacher needs to establish positive classroom climate and working discipline.
6.1.4. Lack of mentorship
It was revealed in the results that some mentor teachers that are assigned to the novice teachers are not
doing enough to scaffold the teachers to get acquainted to the profession’s expectations. As a result, the
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novice teachers do what they know and leave out what they seem to struggle with. To mitigate this, the
University of Namibia should ensure that their students are well trained before they are termed graduates. The
theory part seems not to help in any case. Mentoring involves guidance and suggestion, as well as the
development of autonomous skills, judgments, personal and professional mastership, expertise, trust and the
development of self-confidence over time. Mpofu and Chimhenga (2016) are of the opinion that mentoring
plays an important role in enhancing novice teachers opportunities to learn within the contexts of teaching.
Mentoring in specific context not only allows student teachers to acquire context specific knowledge but also
develop situation-based skills, which can be transferred to similar future situations in that context.
6.1.5. Lack of content in lesson delivery
When asked to state if they are able to deliver their subject content at ease. The responses were that those
placed in pare with what they have majored in during training are doing well with their content delivery but
those that are placed at the junior and senior secondary phase are getting it hard to deliver the subject content.
It was then suggested that it will do all stakeholders well if the University of Namibia, specifically Rundu
Campus change the intake of lower primary and upper primary to junior and senior secondary phase. This is
because in the past years until now the University has over supplied schools with lower and upper primary
phase teachers while the junior and senior secondary phase is in dividing line.
6.2 The latter training pedagogy at the University of Namibia
It was singled out that the training pedagogy that the University of Namibia is implementing is
questionable. This is because students spend four years at the university to train them to become
professionals, but in the end results do not recon the value of the four years spent. It is worth noting that the
University of Namibia is too theoretical that pragmatic. It was confirmed that students are saturated with
information about the modules offered at Unam and use the content to pass examinations and excel to the next
level until they graduate.
When asked to comment if they are able to use the content to explain it to the next person. The majority
said that they are unable to.
The other issue is about the assessment strategies. It was suggested that it may be wise if the university will
refrain from giving group assignments and tests that accord recalling of information than having test,
assignment and examination questions that allow them to practice about the real classroom experiences.
Asking students what reading is, is not enough, but asking them how to teach reading to a special learner is
very important. Currently, the type of questioning strategies that most academics are using does not allow
students to practice the knowledge gained but rather reproduce what was taught during lectures.
6.3 Curriculum change for the betterment of education students
When asked to state how the university’s curriculum could change to ensure successful education students
prior to joining the work force. The respondents said that the university should liaise with school (Ministry of
Education) syllabus to ensure that what they offer in their various courses is what the schools require the
teachers to exhibit. Furthermore, there is a need for the university to visit schools and listen to what their
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needs are and redesign their curriculum as such. To extend a point, it was said that the university’s curriculum
should make provisions to expose their students to classroom environments in their first year. School Based
students should start in year one (1). It was still said that micro-teaching should start in year one so that as
students progresses they are only corrected until they get it right. The university’s curriculum should also be
designed in such a way that more contact hours are reserved for practicals than theory. Students need to
practice what they are taught. This calls for effective student-centered approach implementation.
7. Conclusions and Recommendations
This qualitative study sought to evaluate the education training programme of the University of Namibia at
Rundu Campus about the paradigm shifts in teaching and learning. The study concludes that there are five
challenges that education graduates experience as they join the teaching profession. These challenges include,
knowledge of the general job description, national standards, code of conduct for teachers and the public act,
compiling subject files, classroom management, mentorship and content in lesson delivery. It was also
concluded that the university should shift to the following to ensure that they produce graduates that are fit for
the workforce: The University’s curriculum should also be redesigned in such a way that more contact hours
are reserved for practicals than theory. Students need to practice what they are told. This calls for student-
centered approach. The questioning strategies in tests, assignments and examinations should be changed to
pragmatics. The university should liaise with school (Ministry of Education) syllabus to ensure that what they
offer in their various courses is what the schools need the teachers to exhibit. Moreover, there is a need for the
university to visit schools and listen to what their needs are and redesign their curriculum as such, expose
education students to classroom environments in their first year, School Based Studies and micro- teaching
should start in year one (1).
Additionally, Rundu Campus to change the intake of Junior Primary and Senior Primary to Junior and
Senior Secondary phase. The university is again advised to teach students what type of subject files to have
and how they can compile them before they become teachers. It is also worth noting that having the subject
content is not enough for a successful lesson, thus the university should redesign its curriculum in such a way
that it incorporates teaching students how to manage classrooms. It is also concluded that the University of
Namibia should avail and teach explicitly the National Standards for Teachers in Namibia, code of conduct
for teachers, general job descriptions for teachers and the public act right in year one.
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