Mosenodi

Editorial

Boineelo P. Lefadola, Malebogo Monnaatsie, Kemmonye C. Monaka — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:39:48 +0000

ASSESSING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES USED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS IN SELECTED PRIVATE PRESCHOOLS IN GABORONE

Gorata N. Sepopa, Marea M. Tsamaase, Kelebogile Kgosi — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:40:12 +0000

Professional development (PD) is deemed as instrumental in enhancing the skills, knowledge, and
abilities of educators in early childhood education (ECE) programs. This study assessed the PD
strategies used by early childhood educators in selected private preschools in Gaborone, Botswana.
The research aimed to identify the strategies employed, the challenges faced, and the educators'
perceptions of these strategies. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study gathered data
through interviews with six educators and three administrators from three private preschools in
Gaborone. Findings revealed that PD strategies used included both internal activities (in-house
training, mentorship, team building, and personality tests) and external activities (workshops, short
courses, first aid training, and long-term studies). The challenges identified by this study included
lack of funds, legal restrictions, inflexible work schedules, language barriers, educators' disinterest,
reluctance to attend workshops on weekends, and insufficient communication of early childhood
educators’ needs. This study expands the current knowledge on early childhood PD by bringing
insights from Botswana.

CULTURE AND VISUAL REPRESENTATION IN CHILDREN’S UNSOLICITED GRAPHIC ART: INSIGHTS WITH PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Vhaidha Chiutsi, Attwell Mamvuto — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:40:58 +0000

Children utilize graphic art as a medium of visual communication to express their social learning,
self-awareness, societal values, and community identity. This case study examines how children
represent culture in their spontaneous graphic art and discusses the emerging educational
implications. Data were collected through interviewing selected teachers and students, observing
children engaged in drawing activities, and analysis of the artwork produced. The findings reveal
that children’s spontaneous art serves as a vessel for cultural knowledge and a preferred mode of
expressing daily life and gender roles. Educational implications from the study include fostering
self-expression, cultural identity portrayal, and enhancing visual communication between the
young artists and their audience.

TYPES OF TEACHER TALK IN CLASSROOMS AND IMPLICATION FOR LEARNER PERFORMANCE

Oreeditse Ramothonyana — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:41:31 +0000

This article analyses the types of talk employed by the teacher in Setswana and English
classroom interactions at Phatsimo junior secondary school in the Tutume Sub-region of
Botswana. The study adopts a qualitative case approach involving one class of form 3 students
and one English teacher and one Setswana teacher as participants. The Flanders Interaction
Analysis Category (FIAC) is used as an underpinning framework. Data was generated from an
observation tally sheet and video recordings of four classroom sessions. The results show that
content cross was the most dominant type of teacher talk, indicating that most of the teaching
and learning time was dominated by the teachers doing most of the talking, with the learners
largely passive. This was followed by relatively low score for teacher control where teachers
in both subjects exerted little effort in controlling the students. Teacher support came third,
evidencing that the talking done by teachers hardly supported the learners. The article
concludes that the model of teaching and learning at Phatsimo junior secondary school focused
on the teacher or was teacher centred. The study recommends a more learner-centred approach
where students are participatory, and a re-evaluation of teacher training programs with a view
to incorporate learner-centred teaching strategies.

EXPLORING ITEM ESTIMATORS’ PARAMETER AND BLOOMS TAXONOMY FOR MARKING AND GRADING ASSIGNMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: A CASE OF BOTSWANA

Kaone Bakokonyane, Nkobi O. Pansiri — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:42:01 +0000

The purpose of this study was to explore item estimators’ parameter and Blooms Taxonomy for
marking and grading assignments in higher education institutions in Botswana. This approach
helped in constructing, validating assignment items, as well as in marking, scoring, grading and
analyzing the marks. The study examined how these parameters assisted the lectures in marking
and grading of twenty (20) assignment papers. This study used a qualitative approach to gather
non-numerical data from the eight lecturers who were purposively sampled as there were expertise
in the area. Four lectures marked ten assignment papers for module A and the other four lectures
marked ten assignment papers for module B. Twenty (20) assignment papers were selected from
a total of forty-four (44) from two modules for the fourth-year students. The case study research
design was used to produce a comprehensive understanding of the marking and grading process
for twenty scripts from each module. Lecturer interpretations of the marks were conducted after
document analysis of the marked scripts and used rubrics. Thematical analysis were then employed
to examine the information gathered from the eight lecturers who were interviewed regarding the
item estimators’ parameter and Blooms Taxonomy approach in assignment marking and grading.
Four themes emerged as; simplicity, flexibility, accuracy, and speed as compared to alternative
approaches in rubric 1-3. This approach was found to be effective as it made the marking and
grading task less demanding, fair, well-organized and simple to use. In conclusion, the study
present solid evidence suggesting that the use of an approach for marking and grading assignment
items based on Bloom's Taxonomy and Item Response Framework is a useful and effective tool
in the context of marking, scoring, grading, and analyzing the marks. Its implementation in
institutions of higher learning is recommended to improve the quality and reliability of assignment
items and to promote more effective marking and grading.

THE DENUNCIATION OF SHAKA ZULU AND THE SCAPEGOATING OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES FOR UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS BY BOTSWANA GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE ELITES

Christian J. Makgala — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:42:28 +0000

In August and September 2020, the Minister of Basic Education and the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Botswana Stock Exchange critiqued the teaching of Shaka Zulu and
history in schools, reflecting a government narrative that linked the humanities and social
sciences graduates to youth unemployment. Their comments sparked public backlash for being
short-sighted. This paper argues that the Minister and the CEO ignored the fact that military
strategies and leadership from historical generals can inform modern business, even during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, discussions in business studies and entrepreneurship,
including those from Botswana, reference Shaka Zulu, who also appears in mathematical
sciences and operational research. Blaming the history subject and the humanities/social
sciences for the unemployment crisis oversimplifies the issue. The marginalisation of history
in Nigeria and South Africa caused various societal problems that prompting these countries to
reintroduce history as a mandatory subject in 2022 and 2023. The World Economic Forum
praises institutions like Stanford University and MIT for integrating humanities to enhance the
Fourth Industrial Revolution, a perspective that has yet to resonate with Botswana which
prioritise STEM over the humanities and social sciences. The paper argues that the crisis of
youth unemployment in Botswana is rather rooted in corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency.