University Of Namibia Research Articles

Growth and yield response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris (L.) to media mixture ratios of sand, acacia soil, and goat manure

Northern Namibian soils are predominantly sandy. A mixture of Acacia soils, sandy and goat manure is frequently used for growing various plants. However, the extent to which variations in proportions of these substrates affect growth and yield is not known. The study was conducted at the University of Namibia, Ogongo campus during the period April to August 2020 to determine optimum mixing ratios for sandy, Acacia erioloba soil and goat manure on the growth and yield of Swiss chard. Treatments were Sandy, Acacia soil and goat manure mixed in 5 different ratios of respectively; 1:2:1; 2:3:2; 1:1:1, 2:1:2, 1:1:2 and Acacia soil (control). Samples from each mixture used for pot filling were taken to the soil laboratory for textural analysis. A complete randomized experiment with 8 replications was laid under the University’s shade house. Measured parameters were plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry matter weight and chlorophyll content. Results showed that media was significantly different across all the measured parameters at 1 % probability level. The medium mixture 2:3:2 outperformed the rest of the mixtures in almost all the parameters. The results of the study indicated that acacia soil alone is not optimum for pot filling but must be supplemented with substrate that is rich in mineral content like goat manure. However, the mixing ratio is a key consideration for optimal vegetable production. We recommend the use of media mixture 2:3:2 to improve yield of Swiss chard.

Factors Contributing to Pregnancies among Tertiary Students at the University of Namibia

The Government of Republic of Namibia through the services rendered by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) continues to provide various free health services including contraceptives to its citizens. Nevertheless, several challenges related to unplanned pregnancies among tertiary student’s remains a challenge, which includes poor reproductive health status, socio-economic consequences rapid-population growth, rural-urban migration of youths accompanied by proliferation of informal settlements around cities, high youth unemployment and crime. This requires institutions of higher learning to establish which strategies are likely to address these problems of unplanned pregnancies among tertiary students. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the contributing factors to pregnancies amongst tertiary students at a selected satellite campus in order to make recommendations to the University of Namibia (UNAM). 
 
 An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative design was used. The study was contextual in nature. A convenient sampling was used. The data were collected through three focus-group discussions with 19 students from the three faculties namely: Education, Health Sciences and Management Sciences. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness and ethical implementation of the study were implemented. It became evident from the study findings that factors which are contributing to pregnancies, as evidenced by the four emerged themes namely: Personal factors, institutional related factors and improvements measures. This study has implications for higher education institutions in terms of promoting sexual and reproductive health information and increasing access to a range of contraceptive methods of campus which are key in the prevention of pregnancies among tertiary students. Participants in this study recommended that peer educators and students counsellor within the campus should be used as a vehicle to provide support and guidance to students on reproductive health choices.

Nursing students’ perceptions and experiences of concept mapping as a learning tool in a human physiology course

Background. Nursing students perceive human physiology as one of the most challenging courses, and it is also the course most often failed. To address this perceived challenge, a university campus introduced concept mapping to facilitate learning among nursing students in the human physiology course. Despite evidence of its use in other disciplines and educational contexts, it is not known how nursing students perceive and experience its use when learning human physiology. Objective. To explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of nursing students’ use of concept mapping as a learning tool in a human physiology course. Methods . A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at a university campus in Namibia. Data were obtained through three focus group discussions with 18 second-year nursing students in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (Clinical) Honours programme, who were conveniently sampled. Transcriptions from the discussions were analysed following Tesch’s 8-step coding process. Ethical approval and permission to conduct the study were granted by the campus Research Ethics Committee in the School of Nursing, University of Namibia. Results. Four themes emerged from the analysis: concept mapping facilitates deep learning; concept mapping as a group activity; effects of concept mapping on students’ academic performance; and implications of concept mapping for learning resources. Conclusion. Nursing students had positive experiences and perceptions of concept mapping as a learning tool for human physiology. However, students felt that this learning tool is time consuming and requires many learning resources. Considering its benefits for learning, it is recommended that concept mapping be used as it promotes deep learning, which in turn leads to in-depth knowledge of human physiology. Nevertheless, students should be guided on time-management strategies and learning resource options available in resource-constrained settings.

Creating clinical pharmacy capacity in Namibia: a collaboration to establish a post-graduate pharmacy degree programme.

Namibia has previously relied on external training of pharmacists but began in-country training in 2011. In response to an identified need for postgraduate clinical pharmacy development and training in the country, a Master's degree was set up at the University of Namibia in 2016. The country has a considerable health burden of HIV and TB as well as a shortage of healthcare professionals. A UK clinical diploma model was adapted to meet the specific needs of the country and wider region, ensuring students could access the course over a sparsely populated, but large geographical spread, in addition to providing work-based learning, embedding research skills for future development, and focusing on the health needs of Namibia. The course uses online learning platforms and contact sessions to cover both knowledge and skill acquisition throughout the 3years of the course. UK and US clinical pharmacists are utilised to provide specialist input, both remotely and within student workplaces, and further support has come from collaborations, including cross-site visits, with the UK-based pharmacy school whose diploma model was adapted. Challenges have included a shortage of clinical mentors, also compounding the students' difficulty in visualising their future roles, as well as lone practitioners finding it hard to attend all contact sessions. The initial dropout rates of earlier cohorts have since reduced with greater understanding of the programme, and enthusiasm for the course remains high. The aim for the Master's is to train students to become competent clinical pharmacists, thus having the knowledge and skills to mentor future cohorts of the course, as well as expanding the specialty within the country.

Effects of Tillage and Fertilizer Application on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties in Pearl Millet Field in Northen-Central Namibia

The influence of Physico-chemical properties of soil as affected by tillage systems and fertilizer applications as it hasa direct bearing on plant growth and cropping systems sustainability. The study conducted a field experiment during the 2020/2021 cropping season at the Ogongo Campus of the University of Namibia, using a split-plot design for determining the effects of different tillage systems and fertilizer applications on soil nutritional characteristics. The triangular method was applied to the settling method results to determine physical soil texture. The effects of tillage and fertilizer on different soil physical and chemical properties were tested using Parametric Analysis of Variance. The results depicted that a predominant sandy loam characteristic is possessed by the soil. Further, it was shown that tillage effects were statistically significantly different on N (p < 0.001), P (p = 0.013), K (p = 0.004). Similarly, fertilizers influenced soil N, P, and K, with respective p-values of 0.076; <0.001 and 0.044. Interaction between tillage and fertilizers has shown significant statistical differences in all three elements (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium). The study concluded that the adoption of appropriate fertilizer management combined with suitable tillage practice can enhance soil fertility and improve crop production since soil physicochemical properties are influenced by soil tillage and fertilizer practices.

H2O Sense: a WSN-based monitoring system for fish tanks

In oceans, fish usually live in an environment that is best suited for their growth. When these fish are introduced into man-made environment, e.g. in mariculture and aquaculture set-ups, the physical parameters might stray from their ideal values, resulting in improper growth and undesired outcomes. Hence, to prevent these undesirable outcomes, continuous monitoring of the physical parameters of the water such as pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen is required. In this work, we present a system called H2O sense, which continuously monitors the physical parameters of the water in tanks and alerts the user in case the values deviate from ideal. We use only low-power, low-cost hardware and open-source development tools, which makes the system easily applicable to various settings. The deployment of our system in the Maritime Laboratory of the University of Namibia shows its efficacy. Furthermore, we evaluate in detail the performance of our system and discuss its applicability in similar challenged environments.

Child fosterage in Namibia: The impact of informal care arrangements upon children’s health and welfare

This paper reports the findings from a small qualitative study into child fosterage undertaken in Namibia in 2019. The research project is a collaboration between academics at the University of Namibia, Africa, and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Workshops were undertaken in Windhoek the capital city of Namibia with five groups including stakeholders and policymakers, children’s practitioners, social workers, parents and carers, and children. The workshops ascertained the thoughts, understandings and individual experiences about child fosterage practice from personal and professional perspectives focusing on the impact of child fosterage upon children’s health and welfare. This paper contributes new and rich insights into the impact of informal care arrangements upon children’s health and welfare. Findings contribute understanding about why child fosterage arrangements are needed, how they negotiated, and how they are experienced by children. Aside from recognizing the complex cultural variations in Namibia’s diverse ethnic groups, findings emphasize the multi-level contextual influences of fosterage practice, and the absence of children’s participation in decisions that govern informal arrangements for their care. With the recent implementation of the Child Care and Protection Act 3 of 2015 and the Act’s emphasis on children’s participation, rights and responsibilities, this paper makes a timely call for the inclusion of children’s voices and wishes in the processes that affect their care and welfare - congruent with article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and article 7 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Investigating the factors that affect academic performance of first year Psychology and Sociology students at the University of Namibia

Stress is inevitable; it has become part of students’ lives as they work hard and compete at every stage of their academic careers. Students’ academic performance at tertiary institutions is affected by stress and their levels of motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of stress, motivation and teaching styles of lecturers on first year students’ academic performance. This is because reducing students’ stress levels and finding ways to increase their levels of motivation would result in better academic performance; a greater understanding of factors underlying academic stress is believed to lead to improved stress management strategies and academic success; and this understanding would facilitate the development of effective counselling modules and intervention strategies by student counsellors to help students alleviate stress. The sample consisted of students from the University of Namibia’s main campus in Windhoek (n=321). The study questionnaire collected data on the biographical details, motivation, perceived stress, teaching style experienced and academic performance of first year Psychology and Sociology students of 2018. This study found that extrinsic motivation, a motivation and perceived stress negatively affected academic&#x0D; performance. Teaching style (facilitating expert style) positively affected motivation to know, motivation to achieve and extrinsic motivation. Motivation to know and motivation to achieve reported a positive effect on academic performance.

Inclusive Education Policies versus Practices

In Namibia, education is an undisputable right (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 1992). The University of Namibia prides itself in being an inclusive education institution and it adheres to national and international legal frameworks advocating inclusivity in higher education. The research that forms the basis of this article emanated from a project of students offering Inclusive Education 1 as a module in teacher education. The research capitalized on a qualitative design in which students took to all spaces (physical, infrastructural, cultural, socio-emotional etc.) of the main campus of the University of Namibia to identify barriers to inclusive education. They were allowed to provide either descriptions (using words) and/or pictures of the barriers they observed. The findings of the study revealed a myriad of exclusive infrastructure and peace threatening spaces. Some of the images that emerged from these activities show a clear disconnect between policies and reality through the students’ “discoveries” of barriers to inclusive education. Hence the recommendation that universities have a responsibility to ensure that equality and equity are achieved and are experienced not only by policy developers and service providers, but also by the&#x0D; beneficiaries of the policies.

Assessing Knowledge and Practice Regarding the Management of Dysmenorrhea Among Students at University of Namibia Rundu Campus

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea is a common gynaecological condition that affects the daily activities of the women who suffer from it. In the education context, female students often have to spend long hours at clinics or doctors&amp;rsquo; appointments due to dysmenorrhoea, thus having to miss lectures when dysmenorrhea impacts adversely on their studies and academic performance. Purpose: This study sought to determine the knowledge and practice of female students at the University of Namibia, Rundu campus regarding the management of dysmenorrhea&#x0D; &#x0D; METHODOLOGY: A quantitative study was employed using a non-experimental, cross-sectional approach. The non-probability sampling method was used with convenient sampling being employed. A total of 303 fulltime female students from the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus were selected to participate in the study. Of the 303 students selected 295 completed the open-ended questionnaires which they were given. The data from the questionnaires was analysed manually and the findings presented in the form of tables, graphs and pie charts. &#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS: The study found that dysmenorrhea was affecting 88.1% of the students at the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus. In addition, there was evidently a lack of knowledge on the management of dysmenorrhea, as 46% only of the participants appeared to possess adequate knowledge on the management of dysmenorrhea. The study also found that approximately 54.2% of the participants sought medical assistance when experiencing dysmenorrhea, 30.8% used home remedies of which 91.3% were effective, 12.3% used traditional herbs of which 90.6% were effective, while 25.3% exercised or did other activities in order to relieve pain. &#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that dysmenorrhea was affecting the majority of female students on Rundu Campus although only a few of them possessed adequate knowledge on the management of dysmenorrhea and only about half (46%) of the respondents sought medical help. Recommendation: The findings indicated the need for the university to build a clinic on campus and to organise student wellness programmes which included the management of dysmenorrhoea.

Learning in Namibia: an opportune solution or an impediment to learning? – The case at the University of Namibia

Learning in Namibia: an opportune solution or an impediment to learning? – The case at the University of Namibia

Experiences of Postgraduate Nursing Students at the University of Namibia

While the number of students who choose to enrol in various postgraduate academic programmes continues to increase, the number of postgraduate students who graduate each year remains low. This requires institutions of higher learning to establish which factors and study modes are likely to promote an environment that is conducive to learning for postgraduate students. The experiences of postgraduate students can be used to promote a positive learning environment for postgraduate students. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of postgraduate nursing students enrolled in postgraduate nursing diploma coursework and research at the University of Namibia with a view to describe what aspects affect their learning. An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative design was used. The study was contextual in nature. A sample of seven students participated in the study. Purposive sampling was used. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with seven postgraduate diploma nursing students. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The following four themes were identified: individual experiences, academic factors, institutional factors, and suggested improvement measures which included an improved research approval process and institutional support system to enhance postgraduate studies. The findings of this study highlighted the need for well-articulated actions to deal with the negative challenges identified in the study by offering more academic support to the students during their research proposals and research project writing.

Use of electronic resources by law academics: a case study from the University of Namibia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the use of e-resources by the Faculty of Law’s academic staff at the University of Namibia’s (UNAM’s) main campus. The study aimed to determine their level of awareness of electronic resources (e-resources) available to them, how useful and effective they found these e-resources, and the challenges they face in accessing them.Design/methodology/approachA convenient sampling technique was used to select a sample of 12 law academics from the population of 17. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research methods using questionnaires and a semi-structured interview guide.FindingsFindings revealed that the majority of the law academics were aware of the e-resources subscribed by UNAM’s library, although some were not aware of the newly subscribed international law databases. The findings further revealed that the academics used e-resources for research, publications and teaching purposes, but irregular training, bandwidth problems and limited searching skills hindered their use of e-resources.Practical implicationsFindings could be used to inform future collection-development decisions, realignment of information-literacy training and promotion and marketing of library services.Originality/valueThis study has made a significant contribution in the understanding the use of electronic legal resources by law academics at UNAM. The findings and recommendations could also benefit similar academic institutions in developing countries like Namibia.

The Impact Digitalization Has on Students’ Behavior on a High-Level Institution as the University of Namibia

The overall aim of this study was to describe and understand how the impact of digitalization impacts students' behavior on a high-level institution such as the University of Namibia. In order to achieve this aim, the following research questions/and research objectives were formulated. The findings of the study were as follows: About 60% of respondents indicated had benefited from digitalization offered by the University of Namibia. Meaning that students had a positive behavior on the digitalization in their learning environment. But about 5 (25%) and 4 (20%) of the respondents showed their disagreement. 4 (20%) of the respondents were neutral as the opted in the middle of the data collection. Only 2 (10%) of the respondents were in agreement with the digital online platforms that it created a more collaborative lecture room environment at the University of Namibia. With thus, students were unsatisfied with digital online platforms in the lecture room and referred to it of being very inadequate and unreliable. With that mind it is recommended that the digitalization should be updated, restructure and improved by the University for Better Performances and the promotion of learning among the stakeholders.

A study on the knowledge of 4th year nursing students regarding oral health care at the University of Namibia (Main Campus) Windhoek, Namibia

A study on the knowledge of 4th year nursing students regarding oral health care at the University of Namibia (Main Campus) Windhoek, Namibia

Demographics, distribution, ownership and naming patterns of pets presented to a mobile clinic for sterilisation in Namibia.

This study analysed the demographics, spatial distribution, ownership and naming patterns of dogs and cats presented to the University of Namibia’s veterinary mobile clinic for sterilisation from small underserved towns around Namibia. The proportional distribution of pets was determined based on species, sex, age, owner gender, town of origin and naming categories. Overall, 84.4% (n = 2909) of the animals presented for sterilisation were dogs and the remainder were cats (15.6%, n = 539). Of the dogs presented for sterilisation, 51.9% (n = 1509) were male and 48.1% (n = 1400) were female. In cats, 51.4% (n = 277) were male, whilst 48.6% (n = 262) were female. Overall, the majority of pets (68.2%) were presented for sterilisation from urban areas than rural areas (31.8%). About 49.8% of men and 24.2% of women that presented pets for sterilisation came from urban areas, whilst 20.1% of the women and 11.7% of the men that presented pets for sterilisation were from rural areas. Of all the pets presented for sterilisation, the majority were male-owned (64%, n = 2206). Pets were mainly presented for sterilisation at < 2 years (41.1%), 2 to < 4 years (32.4%) and 4 to < 6 years (15.4%). The naming of pets was mainly after people (42.4%), circumstances (20.6%) and appearance (15.5%). This community engagement exercise yielded valuable demographic data indicating that pet origin, sex and species and owner gender were important factors in determining the voluntary presentation of pets for sterilisation in the study area.

Evaluation of the implementation of the University of Namibia portfolio for French as a foreign language

Namibia is a young country which gained its independence in 1991. Before that date the educational system was based on an Apartheid regime imposing discriminative access to education among the population. After Reconciliation, Namibia had the hard task to create a new education system for all valorizing the former underprivileged children. The Ministry of Education fast considered the learner centered approach as a good alternative to reach schools new objectives. Nevertheless, this pedagogy is still encountering difficulties to be fully operational in Namibian classrooms. The Namibian Portfolio for Languages (NPL) was conceived as a practical tool promoting this approach at secondary level. NPL findings proved that it was indeed well received by pupils, learner-centered and contextualised but they also revealed that teachers faced some challenges implementing self-assessment and individual counseling with their learners. Therefore, the present paper proposes a comparative approach between NPL results and another language portfolio implemented at the University of Namibia (UNAM) with beginner levels in 2016. Findings are cross-examined to assess the benefices gained from language portfolios in general and in particular to investigate the statu quo of self- assessment and learning strategies guidance at U NAM to holdout solutions supporting teachers in secondary schools.

The English access course students’ views and preferences on corrective feedback at the University of Namibia

Corrective feedback has for long been an area of interest to second language learning and teaching researchers. Most renowned researchers in this area, Lyster and Ranta (cited in Vasquez &amp; Harvey, 2010) define corrective feedback as teachers’ feedback to learners’ erroneous or inappropriate utterances to provide correct forms, hints or clues to elicit learners’ reformulations of their errors or inappropriate utterances. Different studies carried out have been preoccupied with comparing CF techniques in terms of their effectiveness. Most revisited techniques are recasts and elicitation prompts. This study explores English Access Course (EAC) students’ perceptions on immediate oral feedback with an aim to find out their preferences, especially between recasts and prompts as corrective feedback techniques. This was a mixed-method study that collected data by means of interviews and questionnaires. The study comprised of 12 students registered for the (EAC) at the University of Namibia in the department of Language Centre. The study results reveal that students prefer recasts in terms of the affective states, but find elicitation prompts to be more effective in oral feedback than recasts in developing their proficiency in English.

The importance of practical work in the teaching and learning of integrated natural sciences and health education at the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus

This research paper reports on the importance of practical work in the teaching and learning of integrated natural sciences and health education (INSHE) at Rundu campus. This research was triggered by Ministry of Education report of 2004 which raised growing concerns about the amount and quality of practical work carried out in secondary schools that have both suffered as a result of the impact of the national and international tests in science worldwide. This emanated from a high percentage of secondary school science teachers who experienced a fall on time spent on practical work that appeared to be between one third and a half of all lesson durations. The aim of this study was to enhance the understanding of theory by using practical work. The study adopted a mixed approach method in reporting informants’ views as data was collected from several laboratory experiments where it was found out that the informants lacked rudimentary knowledge, methods and skills. It is against this backdrop that this research used questionnaires and semi – structured (stimulated – recall) interviews for the purpose of providing allogamy of claims and ideas. This study involved a total of ninety – three (93) pre -service INSHE student – teachers. These informants were purposefully selected due to lack of exposure in practical work from their former schools. The findings from this study indicated that there is both a degree of exposure and enhancement of conceptual understanding of theory using practical work after student teachers have been exposed to practical work at the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus (UNAM:RC). The results also revealed that there is a need for improvement in administering practical work in schools. It is evident that practical work plays a very important role in the teaching and learning of integrated natural sciences subjects.

Rethinking biology teaching at the University of Namibia

The University of Namibia students today are very diverse. This is largely due to differing cultures, learning styles and levels of emotional and social maturity. Acknowledging this diversity will help avoid the “common sense” based predisposition of higher education teachers to treat every student the same. Diagnosing student needs and crafting learning experiences in response to revealed diagnoses is therefore imperative. In this study, second year Biometrics students were profiled with a focus on the social, economic, political and psychological aspects of their lives. Data from Sixty five (65) Biometrics students from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Namibia were recorded using a two-part questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire comprised personal and socioeconomic questions and the second part was a VARK questionnaire. The VARK questionnaire was used to determine a person’s sensory modality preferences. The percentage of the students who fell into the four modalities, that is, visual, aural, read/write, kinaesthetic or multimodal was determined. The most popular learning style was multimodal (61.3%). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the race of the student and their mode of transport to the University campus (Chi-square, p&lt;0.001) with most of those who walk to campus and those using buses or taxi being black. A highly significant association existed between race and student funding (Chi-square, p&lt;0.001), with the majority of black students on NSFAF funding (40). This study reveals the government’s commitment to the funding of higher education since the majority of the previously disadvantaged black students are funded by NSFAF. The internationalisation of Namibian higher education and cross-border provision of higher education have increased student diversity, hence the need to respond to such diversity in our academic practice. We therefore recommend the tracking of these students until they finish their degree program to see if application of the knowledge acquired through this study will improve student learning and performance.