Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (2013)
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Item Index(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; ruth.aluko@up.ac.zaItem Experiences of distance education and development in Africa: a case study of the National Open University of Nigeria(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Salawu, I.O.; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; tundesalawu2003@yahoo.co.ukThe place of teacher education in the context of the overall development of any nation is extremely important. The emergence of open distance learning, with its particular characteristics and its usage in offering teacher education programmes, has created unique challenges for teacher education. This paper uses a historicalcum- descriptive approach to provide an overview of various attempts at using distance education in offering teacher education in Nigeria. It aims to focus attention on important aspects of teacher education such pedagogy, teaching practice, and curricular as well as programme administration, among others. The challenges that the National Open University of Nigeria experiences, as well as efforts to address these, are highlighted with the purpose of providing evidenced-based experiences from which other countries can learn.Item Primary education expansion and the challenge of inadequate teacher supply in Sub-Saharan Africa(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Sifuna, Daniel N.; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; daniel.sifuna@ownresearch.orgThis paper focuses on the expansion of teacher education and the efforts to introduce universal primary education (UPE) in Africa. It also looks at the need for an adequate supply of primary school teachers. With specifi c reference to the expansion of teacher education in Kenya after independence, and the country’s issues regarding quality education, it shows that the poor supply of teachers in most African countries, following the introduction of free primary education, has more to do with (among other factors) the ad hoc manner in which UPE programmes were introduced, structural adjustment programmes (SAPs), and the teachers’ wage bill, rather than the inadequacy of inherited systems of teacher education.Item Science teaching in Africa: enhancing and sustaining teacher efficacy(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Oyoo, Samuel Ouma; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; samuel.oyoo@wits.ac.zaGiven the well-established need for teacher intervention in Science learning, it is now time for closer attention to be given to research on teachers and teaching in schools, so as to address the question of quality Science education locally (in Africa) and internationally. In this paper I argue that Science teacher effi cacy is a key issue and a major factor in successful implementation of effective Science education in Africa. It presents the Kenyan case as a typical African scenario. Located in the sub-Saharan region, Kenya shares similar national development plans and dreams as well as socio-economic conditions with most African countries. In this report, the current status of Science education in Kenya is explained, and a blueprint for how to enhance and sustain effective teaching of school Science, likely relevant to any country in Africa, is presented. This work argues that teachers’ use of contextual and practical approaches would enhance the effi cacy of school Science teaching. The aim of this paper, though focusing on a Kenyan context, is to generate debate about Science education in Africa, as well as expose issues for cross-border research on teachers and the teaching of Science.Item Using open educational resources to design an online academic research writing course: a project report(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Omidire, Margaret Funke; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; funke.omidire@up.ac.zaThe DETA Conference of August 2011 and the workshops on the use of open educational resources (OER) were the catalyst for a project that aimed to design and build a multidisciplinary online course in academic research writing, using OER for undergraduate and postgraduate students at a Nigerian university as a resource for research reports, assignments, dissertations, and theses. The project provided an opportunity for collaboration among lecturers and IT specialists, thereby raising awareness about the benefi ts of using OER and broadening the user base for these resources. Some of the challenges encountered include the lack of adequate access to the internet, possible lack of commitment to the project by some participants due to pressures of their workload, unrealistic timelines, and lack of familiarity with OER. The paper concludes with refl ections on the reasons for these challenges and suggests recommendations for scholars planning similar projects.Item Causes of test anxiety among students in the faculty of education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Ocansey, Sylvia; Gyimah, Emmanuel Kofi; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; ocanseyarm@yahoo.com; gyimahemma@yahoo.comTests are invaluable tools to educators but their over-dependence on tests in recent times has heightened the negative impact of test anxiety on its victims. Though the causes of test anxiety are many and varied, understanding them could greatly help bring the rather perturbing test anxiety situation among students under control. The study was a descriptive research design involving a sample of 376 fi rst- and fi nal-year students, purposively selected from 2 871 students in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire, which had a Cronbach alpha reliability coeffi cient of 0.80. Focus group discussions were also held separately with students in each year group to gather further data. Questionnaire results were analysed as to frequencies and percentages under a two-point scale of ‘Agree’ and ‘Disagree’, while responses from the focus group discussions were transcribed and summarised under two relevant themes on test anxiety. The study revealed that fear of examination failure, poor preparation for tests and the rigid grading system at the University of Cape Coast are typical causes of test anxiety among students. It is therefore recommended that counsellors at the University teach students good study habits and encourage them to commence serious studies immediately when school reopens.Item Teachers’ concerns when implementing innovations: strengthening secondary science education in Kenya(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Ndirangu, Caroline Waruguru; Nyagah, Grace; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; cawandi57@gmail.com; nyaga_grace@uonbi.ac.keChange facilitators often presume that once an innovation has been adopted and the intial training has been completed, the intended users will put it into practice. However, implementation of an innovation is seldom simple without support. In 1998, Kenya adopted the Strengthening of Mathematics and Sciences in Secondary Education (SMASSE) in-service training programme, using a constructivist methodology to improve Science performance. The emphasis was on ‘activityfocused methods, student-centred activities, experimenting and improvisation’ (ASEI) through the ‘plan, do, see, and improve’ (PDSI) approach. The objective of this study was to establish the level of implementation of the ASEI/PDSI classroom practices innovation and the stages of concern of the implementers. The study also sought to establish how the teachers’ concerns affect the implementation of the ASEI/PDSI classroom innovation. Concerns in innovations range from self, to task, and fi nally to impact levels. The survey design was used for a sample of 68 head teachers, 147 Science teachers and 10 trainers. The main instrument for the study was the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ). The study established that the majority (75%) of the teachers, were partial implementers of the ASEI/PDSI innovation, and only 5% were full implementers. The majority of the teachers had concerns regarding self that affected the level of implementation and innovation; few had task and impact concerns. The study recommended that appropriate support be given to these teachers by the head teachers and Ministry of Education offi cials. This is likely to lead to interventions that will hopefully resolve their individual concerns and hence raise the level of implementation of the innovation.Item Use of distance education for teacher training and development in Malawi: models, practices, and successes(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Msiska, Fred Gennings Wanyavinkhumbo; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; fredmsiska@yahoo.comThis article argues that the distance education (DE) delivery model has the potential to offer education and training to a greater majority of Malawians who, for one reason or another, cannot be accommodated in the traditional face-to-face delivery model. Motivated by the need to understand the delivery models employed by DE institutions in the country, the technologies they employ, and the need to gauge major successes of this model of provision, an audit study involving Mzuzu University, the Domasi College of Education, the Malawi College of Distance Education, the Department of Teacher Education and Development, Chancellor College, the Malawi Polytechnic, and Aggrey Memorial School was conducted in 2012. This was necessitated by the need to establish the nature and effi cacy of distance education in Malawi. The major fi nding of the study is that, although this model of delivery has allowed access to education and training for people who otherwise would have been denied the opportunity because of the restrictive nature of the face-to-face delivery mode, DE institutions in Malawi continue to face challenges pertaining to the use of basic, rudimentary and often obsolete technologies, which make the delivery model cumbersome for both tutors and learners. The implication is that the full potential of this delivery model has been attenuated by the use of such instructional technologies. The paper recommends that Malawi must invest in the requisite infrastructure and appropriate technologies to enhance the effi cacy of distance education and e-learning as a means of broadening and increasing access to education and training.Item Integration of information and communications technology as a teaching and learning resource in primary teacher education in Kenya(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Kisirkoi, Florence Kanorio; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; kisirkoiflorence@gmail.comKenya aspires to harness science, technology and innovations in order to be competitive both regionally and globally. This can be achieved more effectively if learners in teacher education training institutions are developed into critical citizens of the digital world. Teachers should be prepared to use information and communication technology (ICT) as a teaching and learning resource. An innovation in education that is not backed by the teacher is bound to fail. Therefore, the main concern of this paper was to investigate whether primary school teachers in Kenya were prepared during pre-service training to use ICT as a teaching and learning tool. Case study and content analysis methodologies were adopted. Data were gathered using questionnaires. It was found that the primary teacher education (PTE) syllabus and the teachers’ guide were not designed to develop trainees’ skills in the use of ICT as a teaching and learning resource, and that the computer literacy skills of the tutors and the trainees were low. It is recommended that the PTE syllabus should be revised, and ICT be treated as a teaching and learning resource. Both tutors and students should be equipped with computer literacy skills, and the skills to use the computer as a teaching and learning resource.Item Teacher education and development in Africa: the need for access, equity, sustainability, quality & relevance within the context of globalisation(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; ruth.aluko@up.ac.zaForeword: The fifth Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA) Conference in 2013 was hosted by the University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya, from 30 July to 1 August. The biennial conference was borne out of the necessity to create a unique platform for all faculties of education to share knowledge and deliberate on educational issues as they affect Africa. We now understand our contextual landscape as it affects education far better. Expanding education and improving its quality is central to the continent’s development. African scholars always meet at international conferences, but at the inception of the DETA Conference in 2005, there were few conferences to bring them all together. DETA’s major objectives are to contribute to the debate on teacher training in Africa and to build capacity for the delivery of teacher-training programmes in Africa. These objectives represent ways in which the conference can support NEPAD, various protocols on education and training in Africa, the Millennium Development Goals, and some of the recommendations of the All-Africa Education Ministers’ Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education.Item Teachers’ perceptions about the effects of children’s experiences of learning on their later emotional and social development(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Gyimah, Emmanuel Kofi; Amponsah, Mark Owusu; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; gyimahemma@yahoo.com; mokamponsah@yahoo.comIt is generally believed that children’s success in grappling effectively with emotional and social challenges in later years largely depends on their childhood experiences. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored the perceptions that teachers in a primary school in Ghana held about this belief. Data was collected using a questionnaire and interviews. Sixty teachers voluntarily participated in the study. The study found, among other things, that the ability of a child to cope with emotional and social challenges in later years depends on teachers’ attitudes in terms of their commitment, sensitivity to the child’s needs, and ability to structure the teaching and learning environment. Based on the fi ndings, the study recommends that in making placement decisions in primary schools, educational departments should place emphasis on teachers’ commitment to children’s development.Item Distance education training programmes for foundation phase heads of departments could be the answer to balancing time and tasks(Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA), 2015) Bipath, Keshni; Nkabinde, Bongi; Aluko, Folake Ruth; Bowa, Omondi; keshni.bipath@up.ac.za; bonginkabinde4@gmail.comWhen striving to balance their dual role as leaders and teachers, Foundation Phase Heads of Departments (HoDs) have found themselves challenged and under stress. The Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) document was used to examine challenges with regard to their roles and responsibilities, based on the conceptual framework of instructional leadership. A quantitative research approach was used to assess perceptions of 274 Foundation Phase HoDs in Mpumalanga. Data was analysed using the SPSS 20.0 statistical package. It was found that HoDs perceived that they were overworked, whereas in reality, the amount of time they spent in school was less than that suggested in the PAM document. Most HoDs left school earlier than anticipated and had insuffi cient time for supervision and administration. This resulted in stress, as they could not fulfi l their roles and responsibilities. It is concluded that HoDs should conform to the requirements of the PAM document. Training or mentoring should be undertaken by the Department of Education in collaboration with universities to make sure that HoDs are capable and competent. Distance education for HoDs could be the answer to balancing time and completing the tasks required of the Foundation Phase HoD.