Causes of the underachievement of Grade 12 learners of English: A case study of a rural school in the Oshikoto region, Namibia
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Date
2016-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)
Abstract
This study assessed the causes of the underachievement of Grade 12 learners of English focusing on rural school in the Oshikoto region, Namibia. In January 2016, the Namibian (National) Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCOL) examination results were announced. The results were slightly decreased in the percentage of graded entries, from 93.9 % in 2014 to 92.9% in 2015. The survey showed that teachers lacked knowledge of subject methodology and knowledge of subject content. Classrooms were overcrowded, creating more challenges for the teachers to assist individual learners. Learners lacked self-motivation and confidence in the subject, as English was stigmatised as a foreign language which was regarded as hard to learn. The school lacked teaching and learning resources. Parental support was not practised as most parents were uneducated. It was recommended that there was a strong need for regular in-service training for teachers, English teaching and learning resources, for emphasising the importance of parental education and awareness sensitisation at all levels. The lower primary curriculum needed to address the second language problems faced by these learners and improve the ways of tackling language difficulties. This included rigid language usage as from primary level (in rural area schools) and, finally, the government needed to build more secondary schools with hostels to accommodate more learners, as this could solve the problem of overcrowding of classrooms.
Description
N. Kamati is a First Year Postgraduate candidate, MEAL, Department of Communication, Faculty of Human Sciences, NUST, Windhoek. H. Z. Woldemariam is an Associate Professor/Deputy Director, Dept. of Communication, Faculty of Human Sciences, NUST, Windhoek, Namibia.
Keywords
Underachievement, Grade 12, English learners, Teacher knowledge, Overcrowding, Teaching and learning resources
Citation
Kamati, N. and Woldemariam, H. Z. 2016. Causes of the underachievement of Grade 12 learners of English: A case study of a rural school in the Oshikoto region, Namibia. NAWA Journal of Language and Communication. 10(2).