BIOLOGY 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: ………………………………………………………….. i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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 ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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). iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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 iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za thank Prof. Hees for editing my thesis. Thanks for a job well done, Prof. Hees, and may God bless you. v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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. vi Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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 vii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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 viii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 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 ix Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za