The Benefits of Namibia’s Revised Mathematics Curriculum and the Support Provided to Facilitate the Implementation Thereof: A Case of the Ohangwena Region

The education system is regarded as one of the most important social institutions, influencing other institutions as well. To facilitate effective teaching and learning, this institutional structure within Ghana education service organizes training and development programs almost every year. Teaching staff have, over the years, gone through various professional development training programs through the introduction of varied policies and training programs aimed at bringing quality and affordable education to the doorstep of the people of Ghana. Recently, the Ghana Education Service (GES) introduced a number of training and development programs for science and mathematics teachers at the secondary school level to improve students’ performance in science and mathematics. Despite the execution of Science and Mathematics teachers’ training and development programs to improve knowledge and skills for teaching science and mathematics, and also improve students’ performance, there are still mixed results for students across many districts in Ghana, especially the Nkoranza North District in the Bono East Region. This study, therefore, documents the effectiveness of training and development for science and mathematics teachers in improving students’ performance in second-cycle institutions. Teachers’ application of teaching and learning materials in the classroom was assessed. Assessment of students’ performance before and after the execution of training programs has been done, and current challenges encountered during and after training programs for science and mathematics are not exceptional. The applicable theories to this study were the situated learning theory, constructivism and experiential learning theory. With constructivist theory, learners are made active in constructing their own understanding rather than receiving it from someone who knows. The outcomes are not always predictable because learners are constructing their own knowledge based on their experiences gained from research. The study employed mixed-methods research, specifically a sequential exploratory design. The study used a purposive sampling technique. The sample of the study was seventy-two (72), of which the respondents were purposively selected from Senior High Schools in the district. Science teachers, mathematics teachers, headmasters, Assistant heads of academics, the Human Resource Department, and the Director of Education were purposively selected because they have in-depth knowledge of the study. Through both in-depth interviews and questionnaires, it was observed that the training programs have, in a way, improved students’ performance and increased teachers’ confidence. The exposure of these teachers, as reported by respondents, indicates that training programs are organized twice a year and each session lasts three days. Secondary data were collected from articles, books, Journals, and newspapers. Based on both in-depth interviews and questionnaires, the study concluded that poor student performance was caused by a rush to finish topics before external exams could be scheduled, the absence of practical-based training programs to equip teachers with teaching techniques, inadequate teaching materials, a lack of laboratories for science and mathematics, improper supervision, and training for teachers only in the second cycle. However, the training programs have not addressed all the challenges faced by science and mathematics teachers. In this regard, the study recommended that the government, developmental partners, and NGOs collaborate to organize practical-oriented training programs for teachers and to establish well-equipped mathematics and science laboratories in the Nkoranza North District. Policymakers and curriculum developers should also consider societal and students’ needs when designing the curriculum, rather than focusing solely on technological changes in the system. Also, the training programs should be based on theories that will involve every learner in the process.

The study conducted a survey on mathematics teachers' perception about the mathematics curriculum and carried out a field survey of schools' compliance of the 2009 revised mathematics curriculum. The questionnaires were distributed to and collected from 36 mathematics teachers in 22 middle and high schools. According to the results of the study, it was found that most mathematics teachers had low interest in and did not feel the necessity and importance of revising the mathematic curriculum. This was because that the necessity and direction of the curriculum revision was not well understood by secondary school teachers, thanks to a hasty revamping. In addition, schools are organizing and operating their own educational programs with the focus on the college entrance exams, regardless of the guidelines of the current revised curriculum.

This study is an exploratory research project to: (1) identify the concerns that beginning science and mathematics teachers have about being a new teacher; and (2) identify the perceptions that these teachers have about the effectiveness of their preservice program in relation to their concerns. Program, in this context, is defined as pedagogy coursework, content coursework, and undergraduate experiences relevant to teaching. The participants for this study consisted of 11 beginning (less than 2 years experience) secondary and middle school science (n = 8) and mathematics (n = 4; dual assignment) teachers who were involved in the Salish Project at Purdue University during the 1993–1994 school year. The national Salish Project, in which Purdue University is a participant, is a research project designed to study secondary science and mathematics preservice programs across the nation. The primary data sources for the study were telephone interviews using an interview guide. The interview guide consisted of four questions that asked about the school community, what was learned by the participants during their first year of teaching, advice that the participants would like to give to new teachers, and how well the preservice program prepared them for their first year of teaching. The interview transcripts were analyzed using a cross-case inductive analysis based from a phenomenological perspective. The new teacher concerns that emerged were: class assignments, curriculum development, time management, classroom management, and presentation of the content. Curriculum development, class assignments, and presentation of content have significant implications for the secondary science and mathematics preservice program. The perceptions that emerged about the preservice program were: content course work is too specific; some of the pedagogical coursework has limited usefulness; there is a need for more field experiences; and being an undergraduate teaching assistant eases the transition in becoming a teacher. All four of these perceptions have implications for the improvement of a secondary science preservice program. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 81:29–50, 1997.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between different types of professional development, teachers' instructional practices, and the achievement of students in science and mathematics. The types of professional development studied included immersion, examining practice, curriculum implementation, curriculum development, and collaborative work. Data regarding teachers' instructional practices and the amount of professional development were collected using teacher surveys. Ninety‐four middle school science teachers and 104 middle school mathematics teachers participated in the study. Student achievement was measured using eighth grade state science and mathematics achievement test data. Regression analyses suggested that for both science and mathematics teachers, examining practice and curriculum development were significantly related to the use of standards‐based instructional practices. Only curriculum development for mathematics teachers was significantly related to student achievement. Implications of results for the professional development of science and mathematics teachers are discussed.

This article discusses the shortage of science and mathematics teachers and its impacts on secondary schools in Tanzania. The study adopted a mixed-methods research approach. A total of eight (8) secondary schools were selected. The data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. A total of 106 respondents (98 students and 8 Science Teachers) were involved in responding to the questionnaires and interviews respectively. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency count and percentage while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Poor performance in science subjects was revealed as the major causative of the shortage of science and mathematics teachers. Many students fail in science and mathematics; thus, the number of graduates declines. Considering that some of the science graduates join other careers, a few join teaching career. This trend of cause and effect creates a cyclic relationship between the factors and the impacts of the shortage of science and mathematics teachers. The study recommends that stakeholders should motivate students to like science, mathematics, and teaching career and ensure that they emphasize positive students’ attitudes toward science and mathematics subjects.

The research assessed the challenges faced by mathematics educators in applying the revised curriculum for the Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) within the Oshakati Circuit, Oshana Region. The study aimed to achieve the following objectives: Identify the obstacles encountered by mathematics teachers in implementing the updated NSSCO curriculum in the specified region. The research employed a qualitative methodology, gathering data through in-depth face-to-face interviews with 15 participants, including four Heads of Departments (HODs) for mathematics and eight mathematics teachers from selected secondary schools in Oshakati Circuit, Oshana Region. Participants expressed a lack of essential resources, such as textbooks, library facilities, and dedicated Mathematics study rooms, hindering the effective implementation of the new mathematics curriculum in NSSCO-selected secondary schools in Oshakati Circuit. The study revealed that existing policies inadequately address the provision of resources and educational facilities, particularly in schools situated in rural areas. Participants recommended the development of policies specifically tailored to ensure the sufficient supply of essential resources to schools in rural locations, emphasizing the need for easy implementation.

This part of the study served a double purpose. The opinions of the principals, teachers, and students gave perspective to the survey, and the personal opinions of the experts helped clarify contradictions and highlighted unknowns in certain areas of mathematical instruction and learning.

Mathematics has become a ‘critical filter’ in the social, economic and professional development of individuals and forms a core component of the school curriculum in most countries. It is upon this utilitarian nature of mathematics to the individual and the society as a whole that the school mathematics curriculum has been undergoing a number of restructuring over the last three decades. In Ghana, a new mathematics curriculum was introduced in September 2007 which aims at shifting the teaching and learning of mathematics from a teacher-centered approach to more student-centered and participatory teaching and learning. However, since the introduction of the curriculum no study has specifically examined mathematics teachers’ teaching practices in relation to these new curriculum requirements. This study examines Junior High School (12-14 years) mathematics teachers’ perceived and actual teaching practices in relation to the curriculum requirements. Participants in the study were 41 mathematics teachers’ from 22 Junior High Schools. A Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data about teachers’ perceived teaching practices, and classroom observation was used to collect qualitative data about actual classroom practices. The key findings include: teachers’ espoused the belief that their teaching practices are consistent with the principles and guidelines of the new mathematics curriculum. Teachers’ perceived teaching practices were not fully consistent with their actual practices. The movement towards a more constructivist approach as outlined in the curriculum was not fully evident in most of the classrooms observed.

This study seeks to evaluate the learning outcomes mentioned in the Mathematics Curriculum of the 5th grade students in Türkiye, based on certain criteria. The general survey model was adopted in the study. The study group consists of 44 mathematics teachers from 12 different regions of Türkiye who, during the 2022-2023 academic year, worked in secondary schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye in. The Evaluation Form for 5th - Grade Mathematics Curriculum Outcomes was used to assess the learning outcomes mentioned in the Mathematics Curriculum. To analyse the data, we used the multi-faceted Rasch technique. The findings revealed that the criteria used to evaluate the mathematics curriculum learning outcomes differ in terms of strictness and generosity. In addition, it was determined that mathematics teachers highly align with the learning outcomes in the programme. Based on the statements of the mathematics teachers, there were deficiencies in the program's distant goals as well as measurement and evaluation. In this context, it is recommended that the 2018 Mathematics Curriculum be reviewed by field experts, in-service mathematics teachers and assessment and evaluation experts.

This article draws from a study that explored how Ugandan secondary school teachers' competences are continuously developed to cope with the ever changing trends in Science and Mathematics teaching. The study was premised on a framework of professional development that views teacher education as a continuum that includes training, recruiting, retaining, and retraining. The article argues that in Uganda more research has been focused on the first two levels of the continuum, with evidence on the last one remaining less documented. Data was largely collected from qualitative semi-structured interviews with selected policy makers, school administrators, and teachers. The interviews were complemented with an analysis of relevant documents and a workshop with the participating teachers. A thematic analysis of the data revealed three categories of existing Continuing Professional Development programmes in Uganda including those initiated by government agencies and donors; those initiated by schools; and those initiated by individual teachers. The article highlights the need for a critical examination of these existing programmes with a view to ensuring that they reinforce each other.

Poor achievement in mathematics is an issue of great concern for many countries across the globe. Fiji is one of the countries in the South Pacific experiencing the same trends, pressures, and concerns. This study aims to seek the views of stakeholders (students, teachers, heads of departments, and school heads) with regards to the causes of poor achievement in mathematics at the senior grades of secondary schools in the districts of Ba and Tavua, Fiji. A descriptive design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilized whereby data were collected from 201 upper secondary school respondents comprising 171 students, 16 mathematics teachers, 7 department heads, and 7 school heads from seven randomly selected schools in the districts of Ba and Tavua. The study found that the students had a negative attitude toward mathematics. It was also found that an ineffective mathematics curriculum in secondary schools was the reason behind poor performance in the subject. Moreover, many of the primary school teachers lacked potential and competence to teach mathematics at primary school levels, and this largely contributed toward the lack of interest amongst students, hence translating into poor achievement at both upper and lower secondary levels. On the other hand, however, it was gathered that secondary school teachers were rather positive, good quality, performing, and fully qualified as far as the teaching of mathematics and delivery of the subject matter was concerned. Review and amendments to the year 12 and 13 mathematics curriculum, use of technologies to teach mathematics, improving the quality of primary school mathematics teachers, reducing the emphasis on exams, introducing internal assessments, projects, and field work in the mathematics curriculum were a few of the significant recommendations made from this study.

This study adopted quantitative method to investigate the predictive role of teacher support in student engagement in College English courses at selected universities in China. The study population consisted a sample size of 379 students and 124 teachers, and assessed the level of teacher support in terms of emotional, academic, and instrumental support, as well as behavioral, emotional, and cognitive aspects of student engagement. Through Mann-Whitney U test and multiple linear regression analysis, the study revealed the teacher-student differences in perceptions of teacher support and student engagement and also the predictive role of teacher support on student engagement, with implications for enhancing educational practices. The study revealed that both teachers and students rated teacher support positively in terms of emotional, academic, and instrumental support, with slight differences. There was no significant difference between teacher and student assessments of overall teacher support, though students rated emotional support higher. However, a significant difference was found in the assessment of student engagement, where students rated their engagement—especially emotional engagement—higher than teachers. Also, it was found that academic and instrumental support were significant predictors of student engagement, with academic support having the strongest impact. Based on these findings, a teacher support program is proposed to enhance student engagement in College English classes. The findings of this study have implications for teacher professional development in higher education. It highlights the importance of teacher support, especially academic and instrumental support, teachers towards boosting student engagement in College English class. Schools should prioritize ongoing training that helps teachers better understand and meet students’ academic and emotional needs, while also improving their ability to provide practical instrumental support. Professional development programs that strengthen and improve these areas can enhance teaching effectiveness, reduce discrepancies in student engagement perceptions, and ultimately improve student academic performance in College English classes in China.

Achievement in Mathematics at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations has been poor over the years. The low achievement has partly been blamed on teaching methods which do not actively involve learners in the learning process depriving them of taking charge of their learning. Cooperative Learning (CL) is one of the innovative ways through which learners can be involved in the learning process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategy in enhancing students’ achievement in Mathematics in secondary schools in Meru South Sub- County. The study employed the Solomon Four-Group, Non-equivalent Control Group Design. The target population for the study was 2430 form three students in 44 co-educational secondary schools in Meru South Sub-County. The sample comprised of 164 form three students from four co-educational schools within the Sub-County. Random sampling was used to select the four schools from a list of prequalified schools. Prequalification was done based on number of students, students’ entry behaviour, availability of teaching/learning resources and teachers’ qualification. Simple random sampling technique was used to assign participating schools to experimental and control groups. A Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Students’ Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) was administered to assess the students’ achievement and attitude towards Mathematics. The reliability of the research instruments was estimated using Cronbach’s Alpha. A reliability coefficient of 0.82 for SAQ and 0.79 for MAT was obtained. Validity of the instruments was ensured through expert judgment. The instruments were administered with the assistance of Mathematics teachers in the respective schools. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The difference between group means was checked for statistical significance using t-test, ANOVA and ANCOVA. The hypotheses were tested at α=0.05 significance level. Means were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) pair wise post-hoc comparisons. The study established that students who were taught through cooperative learning (CL) achieved relatively higher scores in MAT and SAQ than those exposed to conventional teaching methods (CTM). Based on the findings of this study, education authorities should encourage Mathematics teachers, curriculum developers and teacher training institutions to use CL in teaching and learning of Mathematics in secondary schools.

Curriculum materials are among the most pervasive and powerful influences on school mathematics. In many mathematics classes, student assignments, the questions the teacher asks, the ways students are grouped, the forms of assessment, and much more originate in curriculum materials. At the same time, teachers have considerable latitude in how they use their curriculum materials. Two classes making use of the same materials may differ markedly in what mathematics content is emphasized and how students are engaged in learning that content. This volume considers a variety of research tools for investigating the enactment of mathematics curriculum materials, describing the conceptualization, development, and uses of seven sets of tools. Mathematics education researchers, curriculum developers, teacher educators, district supervisors, teacher leaders, and math coaches will find insights that can improve their work, and guidance for selecting, adapting, and using tools for understanding the complex relationship between curriculum materials and their enactment in classroom instruction.

The school mathematics curriculum development process in Nepal is still conventional. Contextualized mathematics teaching and learning has not been the priority of school education of Nepal. Majority of the school mathematics teachers in Nepal still conceptualize the mathematics and mathematics curriculum from the conformist approach. Thus, this paper aims to explore mathematics teachers’ experiences on the nature of mathematics focusing on their curricular and pedagogical practices based on the research question how mathematics teachers experience the nature of mathematical knowledge during their curricular and pedagogical practices. Ernest’s and Luitel’s nature of mathematical knowledge has enabled me to evaluate teachers’ experiences towards the nature of mathematical knowledge and Habermas’s theory of knowledge constitutive interest has guided the research for knowledge and implied others’ concept. The study has relied on the phenomenological approach and reflected the experiences of four mathematics teachers. The paper concludes that mathematics curriculum guided by emancipatory interest as well as practical interest promotes counter-hegemonic vision of teaching and learning mathematics and might develop critical consciousness. Critical consciousness embedded mathematics curriculum helps students and teachers to unpack the cultural nature of mathematics education and taken-for-granted assumptions about teaching and learning through critical pedagogy.