Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613897061564416 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Tuyoleni, Ruth Kambashele |
| author2 | Feldman, Jennifer |
| author_browse | Feldman, Jennifer Tuyoleni, Ruth Kambashele |
| author_facet | Feldman, Jennifer Tuyoleni, Ruth Kambashele |
| author_sort | Tuyoleni, Ruth Kambashele |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132390 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:26.328Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132390 An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia Tuyoleni, Ruth Kambashele Feldman, Jennifer Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Policy Studies. English language -- Study and teaching -- Namibia Language policy -- Namibia Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Rural conditions English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers Educational change -- Namibia UCTD Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Tuyoleni, R. K. 2025. An Exploration of Policy Change in English Second Language Teaching in a Rural Secondary School in Namibia. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/5d9b58d8-3216-4a97-aaef-79ca53841108 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is reasonable to suggest that policy enactments are context-specific, which implies that the unique features of each school significantly influence how educational policies are interpreted and applied. By the same token, different types of policies evoke different responses from teachers, shaped by their specific school environments and the resources available to them. This study sheds light on the role that locality and conditions of school contexts play in translating policy into practice, rather than viewing policy implementation as a straightforward, uniform process. Curriculum reforms in English are introduced with the purpose of enhancing the quality of education by ensuring that learners develop essential language skills necessary for effective communication and participation in a knowledge-based society. However, this aim is arguably met with a variety of challenges, thus not yielding the intended outcomes. The current revised curriculum received criticism from teachers and learners for being overloaded with complex content, making it difficult to cover all material effectively within the available time. Also, the promotion standards have become more stringent, making it difficult for learners to achieve satisfactory grades. These changes lead to increased failure rates in upper grades as learners struggle to meet higher expectations, particularly in challenging contexts. Consequently, this negative positioning of schools and teachers places huge pressure on them, as they have to meet the external expectations. Grounded on qualitative research in a rural secondary school, given their context, this thesis explores how rural secondary school English Second Language (ESL) teachers experience and respond to curriculum policy changes in English Second Language. The study intends to investigate the curriculum change recently implemented in Namibia, with explicit focus on English Second Language. The primary focus of this study is on a particular rural secondary school in the Omusati Region, where the experiences and challenges faced by ESL teachers in a contextually challenged school are investigated. This research traces the changes made to the English curriculum in relation to secondary school ESL teachers. Employing Stephen Ball’s theory of policy enactment, the study illustrates how the school’s context impacts teaching practices, which, in turn, influences the type of curriculum policy platform that is constructed. This research, as a case study, follows a qualitative interpretative approach and makes use of in-depth semistructured interviews and focus groups. This thesis elucidates how curriculum policy is received by ESL teachers within contextually challenged schools. It also explores how policy is shaped and implemented in the challenging reality of rural secondary schools. I present the argument that the successful enactment of policies in certain school is essentially implicated and determined by the schools’ contextual dimensions. Contextual dimensions illustrate that policy enactment is a complex interplay of material, professional, situated and external contexts that collectively shape how educational policies are understood and implemented in diverse school environments. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is redelik om te suggereer dat beleidsuitvoering konteksspesifiek is, wat impliseer dat die unieke kenmerke van elke skool wesenlik beïnvloed hoe onderwysbeleide vertolk en toegepas word. Net so ontlok verskillende soorte beleide verskillende reaksies by onderwysers, welke reaksies gevorm word deur hulle spesifieke skoolomgewings en die hulpbronne tot hulle beskikking. Hierdie studie werp lig op die rol wat ligging en die toestand van skoolkontekste in die oordrag van beleid na die praktyk speel, eerder as om beleidsoperasionalisering as ʼn eenvoudige, eenvormige proses te beskou. Kurrikulumhervormings in Engels word ingestel met die doel om die gehalte van onderwys te verbeter, deur te verseker dat leerders die noodsaaklike taalvaardighede vir doeltreffende kommunikasie en deelname aan ʼn kennisgebaseerde samelewing ontwikkel. Hierdie doel word stellig deur ʼn verskeidenheid uitdagings begroet en lewer dus nie die beoogde uitkomste op nie. Die hersiene kurrikulum is deur onderwysers en leerders gekritiseer vir die oormatig groot hoeveelheid ingewikkelde inhoud, wat dit moeilik maak om al die materiaal doeltreffend binne die beskikbare tyd af te handel. Die slaagstandaarde het ook strenger geraak, wat dit vir leerders moeilik maak om bevredigende punte te behaal. Hierdie veranderinge lei tot verhoogde druipkoerse in die hoër grade, omdat leerders sukkel om aan die hoër verwagtinge te voldoen, veral in moeilike omstandighede. Gevolglik plaas hierdie negatiewe posisionering van skole en onderwysers groot druk op hulle, aangesien hulle aan die eksterne verwagtinge moet voldoen. Op grond van kwalitatiewe navorsing in ʼn landelike sekondêre skool en teen daardie agtergrond, verken hierdie tesis hoe Engels-onderwysers in landelike sekondêre skole kurrikulumbeleidsveranderinge in Engels Tweede Taal ervaar en daarop reageer. Die studie beoog om die kurrikulumverandering wat onlangs in Namibië geoperasionaliseer is, te ondersoek, met uitdruklike fokus op Engels Tweede Taal. Die primêre fokus van die studie is ʼn spesifieke landelike sekondêre skool in die Omusati-streek, waar die ervarings en die uitdagings waarvoor die onderwysers met Engels Tweede Taal in ʼn kontekstueel-gestremde skool te staan kom, ondersoek word. Hierdie navorsing spoor die veranderinge wat aan die Engels-kurrikulum aangebring is, met betrekking tot sekondêre skoolonderwysers wat Engels as ʼn tweede taal onderrig, na. Die studie wend Stephen Ball se teorie van beleidsuitvoering aan en illustreer hoe die skool se konteks onderrigpraktyke beïnvloed, wat op sy beurt die soort kurrikulumbeleidsplatform wat opgestel word, beïnvloed. Hierdie navorsing, as ʼn gevallestudie, volg ʼn kwalitatiewe vertolkende benadering en maak gebruik van diepgaande semigestruktureerde onderhoude en fokusgroepe. Hierdie tesis lig toe hoe kurrikulumbeleid deur Engels-onderwysers in kontekstueel-gestremde skole ontvang word. Dit verken ook hoe beleid in die uitdagende werklikheid van landelike sekondêre skole gevorm en geoperasionaliseer word. Ek voer aan dat die suksesvolle uitvoer van beleide in sekere skole wesenlik deur die skole se kontekstuele dimensies geïmpliseer en bepaal word. Kontekstuele dimensies illustreer dat beleidsuitvoering ʼn ingewikkelde wisselwerking tussen materiële, professionele, gesitueerde en eksterne kontekste is, wat kollektief vorm hoe onderwysbeleid in diverse skoolomgewings begryp en geoperasionaliseer word. ISISHUNQULELO : Kuyingcamango ekholelekayo ukuba ukumiselwa kwemigaqonkqubo kungqamemene neemeko, nto leyo ithetha ukuba iimpawu ezikhethekileyo sesikolo ngasinye zinefuthe elimandla kwindlela etolikwa ngayo nemielwa ngayo imigaqonkqubo yemfundo. Kanye kuloo ndawo, iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zemigaqonkqubo iza neempendulo ezingafaniyo eziphuma kootitshala, ngokwefuthe leemeko ezahlukeneyo zezikolo abakuzo ndawonye nezixhobo abanazo. Olu phando lunikezela ngokhanyo ngendima edlalwa yingingqi kunye neemeko zesikolo ekumiselweni kwemigaqonkqubo, endaweni yokubona ukumiselwa kwemigaqonkqubo njengenkqubo ecacileyo nenefanayo. Iinguqu kwikharityhulam esiNgesini zenziwa ngenjongo yokuphuhlisa umgangatho wemfundo ngokuthi kuqinisekiswe ukuba abafundi bayaphuhla ngokwezakhono zolwimi ezidingekayo kwinkqubo esebenzayo yonxibelelwano kwanokuze bbe nokuthabatha inxaxheba kuluntu oluzisekele kulwazi, noxa ke le injongo yona iba namagingxigingxi ohlukeneyo, ze ngoko ingabi nakho ukuvelisa iziphumo ezilindelekileyo. Ikharityhulam ehlengahlengisiweyo ethe yafumaneka ifumene ukugxekwa ngootitshala ngokuphuphumala ngumongo onobuzaza, nto leyo yenza ukuba kube nzima ukujongana nazo zonke izixhobo ngendlela eyiyo kwanangexesha elikhoyo. Okunye, imigangatho yokuphumelela ithe yenziwa luqilima nangakumbi, nto leyo yenza ukuba kube nzima kubafundi ukuba bafikelele kumanqwanqwa akholisayo. Le mingeni ke ikhokelela ekwandeni kwamazinga okutshona kumabanga aphezulu njengoko abafundi besokolisana nokufikelela kumazinga alindelekileuo, ingakumbi kwiimeko ezinemingeni yazo. Njengesiphumo ke, oku kumiselwa ngendlela engeyiyo kwezikolo nootitshala kubeka uxinzelelo olumandla kubo, njengoko kusafuneka befikelele nakwezinye izilindeleko zangaphandle. Ngokusekelwe kuphando oluqokelela izimvo ngokweendliwanondlebe kwisikolo samabanga aphezulu esisezilalini, xa kuqwalaselwa imeko yaso, le ngxelo yophando ijongana nendlela ootitshala besiNgesi abakwizikolo zamabanga aphezulu ezisezilalni bavakalelwa ze basabele kwiinguqu zemigaqonkqubo yekharithyulam ngoLwimi isiNgesi olulolweSibini. Olu phando lujolise ekuphandeni ngenguqu kwikharithyulam ethe yamiselwa kutsha nje eNamibia, apho kugxilwe ngokuphandle kwisiNgesi njengoLwimi lweSibini. Olu phando lugxile kwisikolo esithile samabanga aphezulu esiselalini kummandla iOmusati, apho kuphandwa ngamava kunye nemingeni ekujanyelwene nayo ngootitshala besiNgesi njengolwimi lwesibini kwimeko enemingeni yayo. Olu phando lujonga iinguqu ezithe zenziwa kwikharithyulam yesiNgesi ngokuphathelele kootitshala bezikolo zamabanga aphezulu abafundisa isiNgesi njengolwimi lwesibini. Kusetyenziswa umbono kaStephen Ball wokumiselwa kwemigaqonkqubo, olu phando lubonakalisa indlela imeko yesi sikolo enefuthe ngayo kwiinkqubo zokufundisa, ezithi, ngoko ke, ibe nefuthe kuhlobo lweqonga lomgaqonkqubo wekharithyulam othi uqulunqwe. Olu phando, njengolulandela imeko ethile, lulandela inkqubo yokutolikwa kweenkcukacha yaye lwenza imihlangano yodliwanondlebe enzulu nengamiselwanga ngendlela eluqilima ndawonye namaqela agxilileyo. Le ngxelo yophando icacisa indlela ofikelela ngayo umgaqonkqubo wekharityhulam ngootitshala besiNgesi kwimeko yezikolo ezinemingeni yazo. Ikwaqwalasela indlela ebunjwe ze yamiselwa ngayo imigaqonkqubo kwimeko enemingeni yayo ezizikolo zamabanga aphezulu ezisezilalini. Ndiphakamisa ingxoxo ethi ukumiselwa ngokuyimpumelelo kwemigaqonkqubo kwizikolo ezithile kunefuthe elimandla yaye kuxhomekeka kwiimeko nemingeni yesikolo eso. Iimeko ezi ke zibonakalisa ukuba ukumiselwa kwemigaqonkqubo yinkqubo enobuzaza ekugquba kuyo iimeko zezixhobo, ezobungcali ezimiselweyo nezangaphandle ezithi ngokukodwa zibumbe indlela imigaqonkqubo yemfundo ethi iqondakale ze imiselwe ngayo kwiimeko zezikolo ngokwahlukana kwazo. Masters 2025-06-05T13:58:15Z 2025-06-05T13:58:15Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132390 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 158 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | English language -- Study and teaching -- Namibia Language policy -- Namibia Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Rural conditions English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers Educational change -- Namibia UCTD Tuyoleni, Ruth Kambashele An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia |
| title | An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia |
| title_full | An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia |
| title_fullStr | An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia |
| title_full_unstemmed | An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia |
| title_short | An exploration of policy change in English second language teaching in a rural secondary school in Namibia |
| title_sort | exploration of policy change in english second language teaching in a rural secondary school in namibia |
| topic | English language -- Study and teaching -- Namibia Language policy -- Namibia Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Rural conditions English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers Educational change -- Namibia UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132390 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tuyoleniruthkambashele anexplorationofpolicychangeinenglishsecondlanguageteachinginaruralsecondaryschoolinnamibia AT tuyoleniruthkambashele explorationofpolicychangeinenglishsecondlanguageteachinginaruralsecondaryschoolinnamibia |