Learner-centred teaching and learning practices in geography teaching in Namibian secondary schools

[摘要] English: After Namibia's independence and with an educational reform where there was a shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred education by the Ministry of Basic Education and Culture in 1995, the purpose of the study was to establish whether, after more than twenty years of independence, the practices of learner-centred teaching and learning in Geography at senior secondary schools were practiced.There was a shift from teacher- to learner-centred education. Swartz and Avenstrup indicate that education in Namibia before Independence was highly content-orientated, and characterized by rote learning rather than inviting creativity and critical thinking. Swartz and van Graan further indicate that neither lecturers nor students applied the broad understanding of learner-centredness.The research questions addressed the following objectives:To determine the nature of learner-centred education in Namibian secondary schools; to determine the extent to which teachers applied learner-centredness in their teaching; to determine the extent to which learners interacted and communicated in a learner-centred approach; to determine the extent to which learning is taking place in a learner-centred approach; to determine the factors that did not contribute to the success of learner-centred teaching and learning in Namibian secondary schools; to determine whether classroom layout was conducive for learner-centred teaching.The population for the study comprised 560 secondary school learners from 17 secondary schools from nine educational regions in Namibia who were taking the subject Geography at either higher or ordinary level. The final sample which consisted of both males and females comprised 560 learners. There were 17 teacher consist of both male and female, teaching the subject Geography, on both higher and ordinary level. Seventeen school principals, both female and male, were included.The data were collected by making use of questionnaires for both Geography teachers and learners taking Geography as a school subject. Classroom observations were done at seventeen senior secondary schools in nine educational regions in Namibia. Interviews were held, involving both principals and teachers teaching Geography at the senior secondary level.To analyze the data, the SPSS program was used. Furthermore, frequencies and cross tabulation were also used to analyze the data. Cross tabulations were carried out for each of the sub-samples namely, gender, age and resources.The principle findings in the research are as follows:There is a great prevalence of teacher-centred teaching and learning. However, the teachers had a reasonably good understanding of learner-centred education, in contrast with that of the Geography senior secondary learners.The teachers dominated most of the instructional processes and practices. Even where teachers applied group activities or role play activities, there was no effective guidance or facilitation of the group activities. The learners merely reflected on the facts from the textbooks or teacher notes. Most of the time the teachers posed questions contrary to the learner-centred approach.The instruction of lessons was dictated by the subject curriculum and relevant subject materials, such as subject syllabuses, textbooks and teachers' lesson notes on the chalk boards.There was effective communication between learners and teachers through the medium of English. Only in one school did learners address the teachers through their mother tongue.The Geography syllabus for Grades Eleven and Twelve was characterized by too many topics to be covered. The syllabus in itself was too much examination-driven. Preparation was at all times focused on what would be in the final examinations. Little time was allotted to knowledge construction and daily experiences.The main focus was on class tests, assignments or projects and external or final examinations. There were not many critical thinking exercises or problem-solving activities. In most cases homework was either examples of textbook activities or questions from previous examination papers. The researcher has made recommendations on in-service training regarding the implementation of LCE approaches: overcrowded classes; the lack of teaching resources; teachers' use of integrated-formative evaluation and assessment approaches and, equally importantly, the need for further research around the influence of national examinations on effectively teaching in a learner-centred approach.

[发布机构] University of the Free State