Page 14 - UNAM Virtual Graduation 2020 e-Book

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SCIENCE EDUCATION I AM UNAM

CANDIDATE: UUGWANGA Jafet S
Who are you?

CURRICULUM VITAE

Jafet S. Uugwanga was born in Iikokola village in the Tsandi constituency,
Omusati Region and matriculated from Shikongo Iipinge Senior Secondary
School. His qualifications include Basic Education Teacher’s Diploma in
Mathematics and Science from the former Windhoek College of Education;
Advanced Certificate in Education Management and Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Education
Management, Law and Policy both from the University of Pretoria; and Masters of Education in Science Daily
Education from the University of Namibia. His professional career includes working as a Mathematics and
Science teacher; Head of Department for Mathematics and Science; and Senior Education Officer for unforgettable
Research at the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. Jafet’s academic experience includes part-time
lecturer and part-time research assistant both at the University of Pretoria. His research interest includes
the authenticity of science pedagogy for conceptual understanding; educational management; and life transforming
government policies implementation.

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION experiences!

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHENTIC LEARNING ACTIVITIES ON ACHIEVEMENTS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS NATURAL
SCIENCE AMONG GRADE 7 LEARNERS IN KHOMAS AND OMUSATI EDUCATIONAL REGIONS

The doctoral study was undertaken and completed under the supervision of Prof. C. D. Kasanda and Dr. H.
M. Kapenda of the University of Namibia as the Main-Supervisor and Co-Supervisor respectively.

The candidate investigated the effects of authentic learning activities on achievements and attitude
towards Natural Science among Grade 7 learners in Khomas and Omusati educational regions. Teaching
and learning Natural Science for conceptual understanding requires appropriate and effective teaching
approaches and inquiry-based learning activities. The problem of teaching and learning Natural Science
for deeper understanding is global and Namibia is not an exception. The Ministry of Education, Arts and
Culture’s reports on the National Standardised Achievement Tests (SATs) results of Grade 7 Natural Science
showed that learners scored under basic achievement category over the past years. These unsatisfactory
SATs results might affect learners’ academic achievements and attitude towards science subjects. It is
therefore a concern that many teachers seem to teach Natural Science excluding authentic learning
activities in their teachings. The study used mixed research approach and adopted both case study and
quasi-experimental designs. Data were collected from the learners using pre- and post-tests, Simpson Troost
Attitude Questionnaire-Revised (STAQ-R), and focus-group interviews.

The study revealed that authentic learning activities improve learners’ achievements in Natural Science;
and learners appreciated the use of authentic learning activities as the activities helped them to
understand concepts of science better and they could easily remember what was taught. Some of the
recommendations include enabling the use of authentic learning activities in schools to enhance learners’
conceptual understanding, improve learners’ achievements, and positively influence learners’ attitude
towards the subject.

In conclusion, the CPSR domain model was developed for the effective teaching and learning of concepts
st
of Natural Science using authentic learning activities in classrooms to prepare learners for the 21 century.

14