3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Progressive methods of teaching history at school level in Swaziland: teachers' perceptions of what is essential to their classroom practices(2014-03-19) Nsibande, Rejoice NcamsileThe primary aim of the study, is to investigate teachers’ views about what is necessary for the effective use of progressive methods in the teaching of history. It argues that the mere adoption of procedures associated with progressive methods in teaching without awareness of the essentials for using them' does not lead to the expected results. The study draws its research from two high schools in the Manzini Region in Swaziland, and concludes that even though teachers were using a terminology of progressive methods when talking about their teaching strategies, they were unaware of the essential skills related to such terminology, anJ subsequently could not encourage the development of such skills. Their understanding of the nature of history as a discipline and its value as a school subject is also identified as limited. The study recommends that for teachers to overcome these shortcomings, they need to be part of the discourses that defines their discipline and the discussions on what is essential for the teaching of history.Item Knowledge and practice of continuous assessment : The barriers for policy transfer(2007-03-01T12:57:16Z) Nsibande, Rejoice NcamsileThe study investigates the extent to which primary school teachers understood and implemented the requirements of the continuous assessment programme that has been introduced in primary schools in Swaziland. By focussing on teaching and learning activities that occurred during eight teachers’ lessons within the Salesian-Ekutsimuleni zone in Manzini, and what they expressed as intentions and justifications for these activities, it tries to clarify, in particular, the relationship between their assessment strategies and the broader educational principles promoted by the programme. Classroom observations and stimulated interviews were used to capture, respectively, data on what teachers did and principles that informed their behaviour. Codes abstracted from classroom observations and grounded on the views expressed by teachers indicate that they followed slavishly what was contained in the curriculum support materials with which they had been provided. Even though they used assessment strategies promoted by the Continual Assessment (CA) programme, their assessment strategies prioritized knowledge-retention rather than the cognitive development advocated by the programme and, in a specific sense, implied by lesson objectives they had to fulfil. The conclusion is that teachers could not translate the rhetoric of the CA programme into relevant professional judgement, decisions and practices without exposure to meaningful development programmes. Key Words Swaziland, Continuous Assessment, Criterion - Referenced Assessment, Mastery learning, Fordism, Post-Fordism