Table Of ContentBIOLOGY TEACHERS’ LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE NAMIBIAN
SENIOR SECONDARY CERTIFICATE (NSSC) CURRICULUM
BY
ALOOVI ONESMUS ALOOVI
THESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION
IN CURRICULUM STUDIES (BIOLOGY)
AT
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
SUPERVISOR: PROF. LESLEY LE GRANGE
DECEMBER 2016
DECLARATION
By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained
therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (unless to the extent
explicitly otherwise stated), that production and publication thereof by Stellenbosch
University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety
or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.
Signature: ………………………………………………………….
(Aloovi Onesmus. A.)
Stellenbosch University
Date: …………………………………………………………..
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ABSTRACT
This study was conducted in order to explore the lived experiences of Grade 11 and 12
Biology teachers on the implementation of Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC)
Biology curriculum. The research design of this study is characterised by its qualitative,
exploratory, contextual and descriptive nature. A qualitative method was adopted for this
study because it helped the researcher to create a holistic picture of the phenomenon within
the context in which it occurs. Since this study seeks to understand the lived experience of
teachers, an interpretive paradigm was adopted. The study employs a phenomenological
epistemology according to which the researcher examined records and interpreted lived
experiences through clear and detailed descriptions. Semi -structured interviews were used to
collect qualitative data from five NSSC Biology teachers from three high schools in the
Erongo region of Namibia. Data constructed through semi -structured interviews were
analysed by means of thematic analysis.
The research findings revealed that the implementation of the NSSC Biology curriculum is
influenced by social and contextual factors. It was noted during the study that education-
related decisions by officials at all levels of government were being influenced by a variety of
factors. For example, the pressure created by global competitiveness heightened the public ’s
economic concerns and in particular those of business leaders. Hen ce, influential leaders who
view education as the key to a stronger economic future have promoted new accountability
initiatives and provided incentives to stimulate improvements in schools. Similarly,
corporations and their representatives have become inovlved in influencing education policy
at local, state and federal levels in their pursuit of employees who possess skills and
knowledge needed by a productive workforce. Furthermore, educatio-nrelated decisions of
officeholders and other policy makers are also influenced by media that convey information
and shape public perceptions. The latest news stories and editorials focusing on the lack of
textbooks and laboratory facilities in rural and townshipN amibian schools may heighten
public awareness of inequities in the country’s education system. Similarly, media coverage
of learners’ achievement scores informs and influences communities’ views on the quality of
education in the country.
The study further revealed that lack of training and support, poor assessment policy
guidelines, language policy, workload and frequent curriculum changes are some of the
challenges teachers are experiencing in the implementation of NSSC Biology curriculumT. he
research findings revealed that teachers int he Erongo region of Namibia received little or no
training at all after the implementation of NSSC Biology curriculum in 2006. Those who
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attended the training sessions argued that the training was inadequate and could not prepare
them to implement the NSSC Biology curriculum effectively. The research findings revealed
the need for aligning both teachers’ pre-service and in-service training programmes with
national curriculum policies to enable better alignment between the current educational
programmes for teachers and the focused training required for successful curriculum
implementation.
Furthermore, the research findings revealed that lack of support from subject advisors and
heads of departments caused confusion among teachers on how to implement the NSSC
Biology curriculum effectively. The study revealed that the only support Biology teachers get
from the subject advisors and heads of departments are the provision of curriculum
documents such as the syllabi and scheme of work. It was also noted that the support Biology
teachers get from the regional office is limited to mini-workshops and subject meetings.
Data constructed in this study further revealed that NSSC Biology teachers in the Erongo
region of Namibia are over-burdened. Participants expressed their stress as a result of the
workload associated with the NSSC Biology curriculum. The research finding revealed that,
unlike with International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and its variant
the Higher International General Certificate (HIGCSE) curriculum, teachers using NSSC
curriculum are expected to do planning and marking, create teaching aids, evaluate lessons,
attend to extramural activities and offer counselling to learners with social problems , although
they are not professional counsellors. Finally, the research findings revealed that teachers in
the Erongo region experience a lack of teaching resources because of the uneven distribution
of resources among high schools in region.
Keywords: Biology teachers, curriculum implementation, Grades 11 and 12, lived
experiences, Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC).
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Firstly, I would like to thank the Almighty Father, my Saviour, for his wisdom and guidance
during this academic study. Without his grace I would not have made it. Secondly, I would
like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor, Prof. Lesley Le Grange for his
support in this academic process. I cannot shake off the feeling that my words are insufficient
to authentically capture the worth of his time, attention, suggestions, encouragement,
guidance and above all his patience. It’s very important to acknowledge that I have been
fortunate enough to work with an esteemed scholar and academic like Prof. Le Grange. My
heartfelt appreciation is offered to him not only as my supervisor but also as a mentor.
Thirdly, special thanks go to the Deutscher Akademischer AustauschDienst (DAAD) and
Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) for their financial support during my
study; without their help this study could not have materialised. I truly appreciate this
financial support and wish you may continue offering such good service to other fellow
students to enable them to achieve their goals.
Fourthly, I would like to thank the school principals and school management teams for
allowing this study to be conducted at their respective schools. At the same time I would like
to thank all NSSC Biology teachers in the region who participated in this study, given their
busy schedules; without them this study could not have materialised. I feel privileged to have
been able to spend time with them and to get to know them for being human beings of true
worth.
Fifthly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my beloved wife, Teresia Ndahafa
Aloovi, for her consistent support throughout my studies, from BEdHons to the Master’s
level. She was always available to provide encouragement and motivation when things
became academically challenging. She kept the house in order during the time of my study.
Furthermore, I would like to thank my daughter Grace Atti Aloovi for accepting to remain
only with her mother while I was pursuing my study at Stellenbosch University full-time. She
is such a blessing to me. In addition, I would like to thank my extended family and friends for
their support and for understanding the importance of my study.
In addition, I would like to express my immense gratitude to the government of the Republic
of Namibia, the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Education in the Erongo region
for providing me with an opportunity to further my study at Stellenbosch University. Special
thanks go to the Director of Education in the Erongo region, Mr Awaseb, for motivating me to
continue to the Master’s level after the completion of my BEdHons. Lastly, I would like to
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thank Prof. Hees for editing my thesis. Thanks for a job well done, Prof. Hees, and may God
bless you.
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DEDICATION
This study is dedicated to my daughter, Grace Atti Aloovi, for her love and respect. It is also
dedicated to my wife , Teresia Ndahafa Aloovi , for her love, support, understanding and
encouragement during my study. Lastly, this study also dedicated to all Biology teachers who
work tirelessly to bring enlightenment to their learners and the promise of hope to the world.
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LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
BETD Basic Education Teachers’ Diploma
BEdHons Bachelor of Education Honours
CAPS Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements
CEPD Centre for Educational Policy Development
CDs Compact Discs
DNA Deoxryribonucleic acid
DoE Department of Education
EMDCs Education Management and Development Centres
EMIS Educational Management Information System
EU European Union
HED Higher Education Diploma
HIGCSE High International General Certificate of Secondary Education
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
ICT Information and Communication Technologies
IGCSE International General Certificate of Secondary Education
ILO International Labour Organisation
INSTANT In-Service Training and Assistance for Namibian Teachers
MBESC Ministry of Basic Education Sport and Culture
MEC Ministry of Education and Culture
NIED National Institute of Education Development
NSSC Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
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PCK Pedagogical Content Knowledge
STS Science Technology Society
SWAPO South West Africa Peoples’ Organisation
UK United Kingdom
UNAM University of Namibia
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation
USA United State of America
VCRs Video Cassette Recorders
VUA Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Participants’ profiles ................................................................................................... 87
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 The Namibian map showing the position of Erongo region ...................................... 70
Figure 2 The map of Erongo region ......................................................................................... 71
Figure 3 Miming activities happening in Erongo region ......................................................... 73
Figure 4 Infrastructure of Erongo region ................................................................................. 74
Figure 5 Infrastructure of School A ......................................................................................... 91
Figure 6 Infrastructure of School B.......................................................................................... 93
Figure 7 Infrastructure of school C .......................................................................................... 94
Figure 8 Themes emerged from interviews ............................................................................ 102
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