http://hdl.handle.net/10311/13 2026-07-11T06:35:37Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2555 Cross-linguistic barriers and literacy instruction via breakthrough to Setswana in Botswana public schools : a case study of the early primary school years Bolokwe, Glorious Kgalalelo This study investigated the efficacy of Breakthrough to Setswana, one and the only method for teaching and learning of literacy in the Republic of Botswana public schools, using a monolingual approach in a multilingual setting, at beginner reader level. The research site was situated at one public primary school; Mantshwabisi. Mantshwabisi is also the name of a village where the study site was situated in the Republic of Botswana. I was motivated by the fact that Botswana recognises two languages of literacy of instruction amid more than 20 languages. I used qualitative approach case study and related techniques viz; class observation, interview, focus group discussion, document analysis to understand a phenomenon in a context-specific environment. Therefore, the study was of research methodology paradigm. Cases are created hence I created a case within cases. Mantshwabisi primary school had a number of cases, but I chose ‘literacy in the early years of primary school’ and what composed those years. These were among others: children, teachers, parents, language(s)and documents used to execute early literacy teaching and learning. The study was guided by conceptual framework that pivoted around the languages used at home, school, and teacher training programme. It was further grounded on three theories bilingualism and multilingual in education and pedagogy in language education. The three theories were used to verify how teachers offered early literacy teaching and the supportive systems they used such as documents, school material. Furthermore, how the theories complement one another. The other supportive systems were parents, and children were involved to find out if they benefitted from the way(s) early literacy was taught. The study was guided by four objectives: a) To examine the extent to which language of literacy teaching and learning facilitates early literacy when it differs with learner’s home language. b) To explore parents’ involvement in their children’s early literacy teaching and learning. Cross-linguistic barriers c) To establish how teacher training prepares teachers for multilingual setting for early literacy instruction and learning. d) To ascertain why teachers used Breakthrough to Setswana to teach beginner-readers literacy. Against research, one becomes literate in formal schooling after four to five years using their home language. The practice at school was that Breakthrough to Setswana, a skill-based method, language experience approach based, and child centred was contrary to just the afore mentioned principles. It was used interchangeably with English language to teach literacy in the environment where not all children were Setswana language speakers, where children’s Setswana proficiency was varied. Most of the documents were in English language except the vocabulary children were to learn. Therefore, children were seemingly taught literacy in rote learning method. They had to remember instead of comprehending. Most of the children’s parents were not involved in their children’s early literacy learning because children were at a boarding facility. In addition to that, the parents could have not been speaking the literacy teaching languages; Setswana and English. Consequently, they may have not been literate, more so that there were no schools in their areas hence children were sent to the boarding school. There was a teacher aide who was not trained in teaching profession. Her duty was to interpret between teachers and children. This was so because the teachers did not speak some of the children’s languages; Sekgalagadi and San/Sesarwa. The teacher-aide did not speak Sesarwa language. Still Sekgalagadi and Seswarwa varied and that could have raised communication challenges as well. There were three standard one classes, and the teacher aide could not avail herself to all the classes at the same time since she took turns in the said classes. That resulted in teachers teaching in Setswana or English and at least the non-Setswana speakers were disadvantaged. Much as teachers and other management staff did not speak some of the children’s languages, they believed that literacy teaching was their job, and they could do it. They realised that those children could read but did not comprehend. Therefore, that confirmed that children remembered but did not understand. Few parents whose children were not boarders, helped their children with Setswana learning and teachers rarely gave children English language assignments to do at home. Even during end of term parent-teacher consultation, the teachers did not mention anything about English performance. That may confirm that children had to learn in their home language for four to five years to be introduced to a second language. The boarding children were supposed to be under the conduct and academic guidance of care takers who acted as loco parentis. The latter did not stay in the hostels and whose substantive job was to clean the hostels, wash for the children and bathe little ones. They did not and could not assist the children in early literacy learning because their job schedule clashed with time to help the children. There was that element that boarders did not trust care takers in assisting them with their homework; particularly in Mathematics. Parents and care takers believed in teachers’ ability to teach because the latter were trained to do so. The teacher training programme offered two languages for literacy teaching and learning as reflected at Mantshwabisi primary school. Teachers expressed that Breakthrough to Setswana was an imposed method and they could not compare its efficacy with any other because it was the only one used. They expressed that they needed more training on Breakthrough to Setswana, more so that what they were exposed to during their teacher training was inadequate, theoretical and did not help them to execute literacy teaching. The early literacy approaches used by teachers were not based on children’s ways of knowing, did not empower children because they did not tap from children’s background. As such, that alienated the children from school. The children’s background could not be accommodated by teachers because that was how the guidance from documents dictated. In conclusion, early literacy should be done in the child’s home language, his or her ways of knowing, his or her language proficiency as well as the child’s background. The instructional material should reflect the child’s home language. These children should be taught by teachers who speak their language, they should stay with their parents. There should be a programme for parents to make them aware that literacy is endowed in their homes, where it should start. Teachers should be trained at teacher training institutions to support parents in early literacy teaching. The teacher training should expose teacher -trainees to a variety of teaching early literacy approaches that will allow child-centred methods. There should also be in-service training for appropriate early literacy approaches. This study is an opportunity to all involved in preparation for early grade teachers and literacy teaching and learning in a typical school and literacy teaching and learning in general. There is a possibility that teachers can use effective methods to teach early literacy because they are eager to do so, and they believe in themselves. Also, parents believe in teachers. A Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy In Language Education, University of Botswana 2023-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2554 Cross-linguistic barriers and literacy instruction via breakthrough to Setswana in Botswana public schools : a case study of the early primary school years Bolokwe, Glorious Kgalalelo This study investigated the efficacy of Breakthrough to Setswana, one and the only method for teaching and learning of literacy in the Republic of Botswana public schools, using a monolingual approach in a multilingual setting, at beginner reader level. The research site was situated at one public primary school; Mantshwabisi. Mantshwabisi is also the name of a village where the study site was situated in the Republic of Botswana. I was motivated by the fact that Botswana recognises two languages of literacy of instruction amid more than 20 languages. I used qualitative approach case study and related techniques viz; class observation, interview, focus group discussion, document analysis to understand a phenomenon in a context-specific environment. Therefore, the study was of research methodology paradigm. Cases are created hence I created a case within cases. Mantshwabisi primary school had a number of cases, but I chose ‘literacy in the early years of primary school’ and what composed those years. These were among others: children, teachers, parents, language(s)and documents used to execute early literacy teaching and learning. The study was guided by conceptual framework that pivoted around the languages used at home, school, and teacher training programme. It was further grounded on three theories bilingualism and multilingual in education and pedagogy in language education. The three theories were used to verify how teachers offered early literacy teaching and the supportive systems they used such as documents, school material. Furthermore, how the theories complement one another. The other supportive systems were parents, and children were involved to find out if they benefitted from the way(s) early literacy was taught. The study was guided by four objectives: a) To examine the extent to which language of literacy teaching and learning facilitates early literacy when it differs with learner’s home language. b) To explore parents’ involvement in their children’s early literacy teaching and learning. Cross-linguistic barriers c) To establish how teacher training prepares teachers for multilingual setting for early literacy instruction and learning. d) To ascertain why teachers used Breakthrough to Setswana to teach beginner-readers literacy. Against research, one becomes literate in formal schooling after four to five years using their home language. The practice at school was that Breakthrough to Setswana, a skill-based method, language experience approach based, and child centred was contrary to just the aforementioned principles. It was used interchangeably with English language to teach literacy in the environment where not all children were Setswana language speakers, where children’s Setswana proficiency was varied. Most of the documents were in English language except the vocabulary children were to learn. Therefore, children were seemingly taught literacy in rote learning method. They had to remember instead of comprehending. Most of the children’s parents were not involved in their children’s early literacy learning because children were at a boarding facility. In addition to that, the parents could have not been speaking the literacy teaching languages; Setswana and English. Consequently, they may have not been literate, more so that there were no schools in their areas hence children were sent to the boarding school. There was a teacher aide who was not trained in teaching profession. Her duty was to interpret between teachers and children. This was so because the teachers did not speak some of the children’s languages; Sekgalagadi and San/Sesarwa. The teacher-aide did not speak Sesarwa language. Still Sekgalagadi and Seswarwa varied and that could have raised communication challenges as well. There were three standard one classes, and the teacheraide could not avail herself to all the classes at the same time since she took turns in the said classes. That resulted in teachers teaching in Setswana or English and at least the non-Setswana speakers were disadvantaged. Much as teachers and other management staff did not speak some of the children’s languages, they believed that literacy teaching was their job, and they could do it. They realised that those children could read but did not comprehend. Therefore, that confirmed that children remembered but did not understand. Few parents whose children were not boarders, helped their children with Setswana learning and teachers rarely gave children English language assignments to do at home. Even during end of term parent-teacher consultation, the teachers did not mention anything about English performance. That may confirm that children had to learn in their home language for four to five years to be introduced to a second language. The boarding children were supposed to be under the conduct and academic guidance of care takers who acted as loco parentis. The latter did not stay in the hostels and whose substantive job was to clean the hostels, wash for the children and bathe little ones. They did not and could not assist the children in early literacy learning because their job schedule clashed with time to help the children. There was that element that boarders did not trust care takers in assisting them with their homework; particularly in Mathematics. Parents and care takers believed in teachers’ ability to teach because the latter were trained to do so. The teacher training programme offered two languages for literacy teaching and learning as reflected at Mantshwabisi primary school. Teachers expressed that Breakthrough to Setswana was an imposed method and they could not compare its efficacy with any other because it was the only one used. They expressed that they needed more training on Breakthrough to Setswana, more so that what they were exposed to during their teacher training was inadequate, theoretical and did not help them to execute literacy teaching. The early literacy approaches used by teachers were not based on children’s ways of knowing, did not empower children because they did not tap from children’s background. As such, that alienated the children from school. The children’s background could not be accommodated by teachers because that was how the guidance from documents dictated. In conclusion, early literacy should be done in the child’s home language, his or her ways of knowing, his or her language proficiency as well as the child’s background. The instructional material should reflect the child’s home language. These children should be taught by teachers who speak their language, they should stay with their parents. There should be a programme for parents to make them aware that literacy is endowed in their homes, where it should start. Teachers should be trained at teacher training institutions to support parents in early literacy teaching. The teacher training should expose teacher -trainees to a variety of teaching early literacy approaches that will allow child-centred methods. There should also be in-service training for appropriate early literacy approaches. This study is an opportunity to all involved in preparation for early grade teachers and literacy teaching and learning in a typical school and literacy teaching and learning in general. There is a possibility that teachers can use effective methods to teach early literacy because they are eager to do so, and they believe in themselves. Also, parents believe in teachers. A Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor Of Philosophy In Language Education, University of Botswana 2023-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/2459 The theoretical analysis of ethical leadership lapses: a disturbing concern about school leadership in Botswana Pansiri, Nkobi Owen; Ugwu, Chikezie Ignatius; Maundeni, Wazha Bickie A school is the only place with a formal and legitimate mandate of duty of care for the learner. Schools are expected to be nurturing environments free of abuse, exploitation, violence, bullying, humiliation, discrimination, harassment, negligence, cultural stereotypes, emotional distress, socio-economic marginalisation and moral prejudices. Some concerns about governance and ethical leadership in schools are therefore inevitable. Drawing from the Eurocentric and Afrocentric theoretical perspectives, this article discusses lapses of ethical leadership practices in Botswana with a deliberate focus on school leadership systems. Secondary data is drawn from the media and government reported cases on the growing systemic social decadence. It is argued that unethical conduct in the education system in the country is heightened by lack of an Africanized ethical code of conduct for educators and double dipping by the public officers. The article recommends an indigenized research approach on ethical leadership and governance. 2021-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1968 Influence of Information and Communication Technology policy on the integration of computer awareness in Botswana junior secondary school curriculum Kgwefane, Tshepo Andrew The socio-economic transformation prompted by globalization and associated Information and Communication Technologies are cross-cutting and have inevitably found their way into the provision and delivery of educational services. Globally, countries use national ICT policies to promote and manage the complex process of integrating ICT in education. In 2007, Botswana launched the national ICT policy to facilitate effective use of ICT across Government sectors and transform the country‟s economy from mineral-led into knowledge-based one. Thuto Net is an important component of the national ICT policy aimed at equipping learners with relevant ICT skills and competencies required in the work place and for self-employment. This study investigated the influence of the national ICT policy on the integration of computer awareness in Botswana junior secondary schools. Specifically, it assessed the match or mismatch between the ICT policy intentions and practical outcomes. The study revealed the following: inadequate teacher preparation in terms of ICT integration, insufficient ICT resources, failure to integrate computer awareness into school curriculum and limited acquisition of critical ICT skills and competencies by the students. The study used the pragmatic paradigm of the mixed methods hence combining the qualitative and quantitative approaches to generate rich data and attain a comprehensive understanding of policy impact on the integration of computer awareness across the junior secondary school curriculum in Botswana. Multiple research instruments were used to collect data including face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires, observations and document analysis to enhance and triangulate the results. A total of 192 questionnaires were completed. Sixty three interviews and nine focus group discussions were conducted. 10 lessons were observed. The national ICT policy and related documents were analysed. The study was conducted in six educational regions namely Central, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, North East, Southern and South East. Junior secondary schools were the main unit of analysis. Data was collected in twelve junior secondary schools, one secondary college of education, Botswana Examinations Council and Curriculum Development and Evaluation. A concurrent multilevel sampling strategy combining probability and non-probability sampling techniques was used to compare between different groups at various levels. The findings indicate that integrating ICT in junior secondary schools is faced with multiple intertwined challenges. There are mismatches between policy intentions and practical outcomes. The ICT infrastructure that is provided is inadequate to support effective ICT integration into the school curriculum. Key policy implementers are not conversant with the national ICT policy. Teacher preparation for ICT integration is inadequate. The ICT curriculum is inconsistently implemented making it unlikely that learners receive adequate ICT skills required in the work place. The national ICT policy is inadequate to facilitate effective integration of technology in the education system in the country. The study proposed a framework to facilitate effective implementation of ICT in education. A dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Technology, Faculty of Education, University of Botswana in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Technology. Citation: Kgwefane, T.A. (2018) Influence of Information and Communication Technology policy on the integration of computer awareness in Botswana junior secondary school curriculum, University of Botswana. 2018-06-01T00:00:00Z