Exploring the assessment strategies used in the Oshindonga first language advanced subsidiary curriculum in selected Secondary Schools of the Omusati region, Namibia

Abstract

The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the assessment strategies used in assessing Oshindonga First Language at the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) level in selected secondary schools in Namibia. The study also sought to understand how teachers perceive assessment strategies, their classroom assessment practices, the challenges they face, and their views on how to improve assessment strategies to promote effective language learning. The study was underpinned by the Personal Practice Assessment Theories (PPAT) framework, as proposed by Box et al. (2015), which informed the analysis of teachers’ assessment beliefs and practices. The study population comprised all schools offering the Oshindonga First Language Advanced Subsidiary curriculum in the Omusati Region. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select the participating schools and all study participants. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm, using a qualitative approach and a case study design. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and document analysis were used to collect data. The gathered data were analysed using a rigorous process of thematic analysis. The findings reveal that assessment practices remain predominantly examination-driven, with teachers heavily reliant on outdated Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary level (NSSCO) past papers rather than the NSSCAS syllabus. Teachers also reported limited exposure to training in assessment design, marking, and curriculum interpretation, resulting in reduced capacity to plan assessments that measure higher-order competencies. Additional challenges include limited support from the Heads of Department (HOD), poor classroom monitoring, and inadequate teaching resources. Linguistic diversity and limited professional development further hinder the development of consistent assessment standards. Results also showed that teaching practices were characterised by the prioritisation of English, persistent dialectal interferences, and the contextualisation of activities to support meaningful Oshindonga language learning. Additionally, the study revealed that assessment in the Oshindonga First Language curriculum can be improved through sustained teacher development, better resource provision, continuous reflective practice, and more rigorous marker selection to ensure fairness and effective learning outcomes. The study recommends the urgent need for structured professional development programs, improved instructional leadership from HODs, and enhanced resource allocation to address these challenges. It also highlights the importance of dialect-sensitive assessment practices and the integration of reflective learning to promote learner-centred pedagogy.

Elalakano linene loshipekapekwa eshi okukonakona omikalo detalashiivo hadi longifwa motundi yOshindonga pondodo yomufika wopombada (NSSCAS) meesekundofikola odo di na eendodo dopombada moNamibia. Epekapeko eli ola lalakanena yo okuuda ko nghene ovahongifikola ve udite ko elongifo lomikalo detaloshiivo, nghene have di longifa meetundi davo, omashongo hava shakeneke, nomafeneko nghene ku na okuxwepopalekwa omikalo edi, elihongo lelaka li nghonopalekwe. Epekapeko ole likanghamekela kotheori yedina Personal Practice Assessment Theories (PPAT), ya etwa po ku-Box navakwao (2015), tai yandje ouyelele wokukonakona etaloshiivo netulomoilonga lalo kovahongi. Ovakufimbinga mepekapeko, eesekundofikola odo hadi hongo eendodo domufika wopombada (NSSCAS) mOshitukulwa shaMusati. Mokuhoolola oshipangula [osampela], okwa longifwa omukalo wonhomenawina mokuhoolola eefikola novakufimbinga aveshe. Epekapeko ole likwatelela komufango wokufatulula hau ifanwa interpretivist paradigm, melongifo lomukalo womafatululo omoule [qualitative] osho yo ekonakono lomoule loshinima shonhumba (case study). Mokwoongela ouyelele, epekapeko ola longifa omukalo weenghundafana doohandimwe, eenghundafana dopaungudu nosho yo omukalo wokukonakona oinyolwa yOshindonga. Ouyelele wa monika, owa konakonwa, kwa longifwa omukalo wokukonakona oifimanitwa. Oidjemo oya ulika kutya oilonga yetaloshiivo meetundi, ohai kala ya tala unene kekonakono, omo omataloshiivo e likwatelela unene keembapila dokomakonakono makulu nokwa kusha, domufika wopedu wo-NSSCO, ponhele yokulikwatela kOmufindahongo wOshindonga, omufika wopombada (NSSCAS). Ovahongi ova holola yo kutya ihava pewa omadeulo a wedwa po e na sha nomikalo diwa detaloshiivo, okutala oinyolwa yovahongwa, nefatululo lomoule lomufindalandu, osho she va etela eudeko la nghundipala. Ounghundi umwe vali wa ulikwa, ovahongi ihava pewa omakwafo okudja kOvawiliki vOikondo peefikola (HOD), okutalela po eetundi dovahongi okwa nghundipala, noikwafifohongo inai henena. Okuhongela mumwe ovahongwa vomihoko da yoolokafana motundi imwe yelaka nosho yo omaudelo a wedwa po ovahongi, oyo imwe yomoinima oyo tai i moshipala exwepopalo metaloshiivo li na omakanghameno noli li pamufika. Oidjemo oya ulika yo kutya, ehoololo lelongifo lelaka lOshingilisha, nokuhahonga ovahongwa she likwatelela konghalo yoshili, oyo imwe oyo tai eta oidjemo yanghundipala. Kakele kwaasho, oidjemo oya ulika yo kutya etaloshiivo lOshindonga otali dulu ashike okuxwepopalekwa ngeenge ovahongi otava kala tava pewa omaduelo a wedwa po efimbo nefimbo, tava pewa oikwafifohongo tai wapalele, omatalululo eetundi akwalukeshe, opo ku kwashilipalekwe exwepopalo loidjemo yoshihongwa. Epekapeko otali faneke pa ningwe omalongekido omeendelelo e na sha neeprograma dokukwafela ovahongi va mone omadeulo a wedwa po efimbo nefimbo, ovawiliki voikondo peefikola (HOD) va kale neudeko loihongwa oyo tava pashukile, noikwafifohongo tai wapalele, opo ku kelelwe omashongo aa. Epekapeko eli otali faneke ku yandjwe yo omataloshiivo taa wapalele eenyapilaka adishe tadi hongwa motundi yOshindonga, nokukwatela mo omukalo wetalululo lotundi, opo ku nghonopekwe omukalo wehongo lomuhongwa ta dana onghandangala.

Inhloso eyinhloko yocwaningo kwakuwukuphenya amasu okuhlola asetshenziswa ekuhloleni isi-Oshindonga njengoLimi Lokuqala ezingeni leNamibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) ezikoleni ezithile zamabanga aphezulu eNamibia. Ucwaningo luphinde lwahlose ukuqonda indlela othisha abawabona ngayo amasu okuhlola, indlela abenza ngayo ukuhlola eklasini, izinselelo ababhekana nazo, kanye nemibono yabo mayelana nokuthuthukisa amasu okuhlola ukuze kugqugquzelwe ukufunda kolimi olusebenzayo. Ucwaningo lwalusekelwe kuhlaka lwe-Personal Practice Assessment Theories (PPAT) oluphakanyiswe u-Box nabanye (2015), olwasiza ekuhlaziyeni izinkolelo nemikhuba yokuhlola yothisha. Inani lababambe iqhaza lalihlanganisa zonke izikole ezifundisa i-Oshindonga njengoLimi Lokuqala ezingeni leAdvanced Subsidiary esifundeni sase-Omusati. Kwasetshenziswa indlela yokukhetha ngenhloso (purposive sampling) ukukhetha izikole nababambe iqhaza. Ucwaningo lwalandela umbono we-interpretivist, lusebenzisa indlela yekhwalithi (qualitative) kanye nomklamo wocwaningo lwecala (case study). Izingxoxo ezihleleke ngokwengxenye (semi-structured interviews), izingxoxo zamaqembu (focus groups), kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa imininingwane, eyabe isihlaziywa nge-thematic analysis. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveze ukuthi imikhuba yokuhlola isalokhu igxile kakhulu ezivivinyweni, othisha bethembele kakhulu kumaphepha amadala e-Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) kunokulandela i-syllabus ye-NSSCAS. Othisha baphinde babika ukuntuleka kokuqeqeshwa okwanele ekwakheni ukuhlola, ukumaka, kanye nokuqonda uhlelo lwezifundo, okuyinciphisa ikhono labo lokuhlela ukuhlola okulinganisa amakhono aphakeme. Ezinye izinselelo zihlanganisa ukwesekwa okuncane okuvela kumaNhloko oMnyango (HOD), ukuqapha okungeluhle kwamakilasi, kanye nokushoda kwezinsiza zokufundisa. Ukuhlukahluka kwezilimi kanye nokuntuleka kwamathuba okuqeqeshwa okuqhubekayo nakho kuphazamisa ukuthuthukiswa kwezindinganiso zokuhlola ezifanayo. Imiphumela iphinde yaveza ukuthi ukufundisa kugxile kakhulu esiNgisini, kunezithiyo ezidalwa ukwehluka kwezindlela zokukhuluma (dialects), kanye nokuhlelwa kwemisebenzi ngendlela ehambisana nesimo ukuze kusekelwe ukufunda okunenjongo kolimi lwesi-Oshindonga. Ucwaningo luphinde lwabonisa ukuthi ukuhlola kungathuthukiswa ngokuthuthukisa othisha ngokuqhubekayo, ukuhlinzeka ngezinsiza ezingcono, ukuzindla okuqhubekayo ngomsebenzi, kanye nokukhethwa ngokucophelela kwababhalayo ukuze kuqinisekiswe ubulungiswa nemiphumela efanele yokufunda. Ucwaningo luncoma isidingo esiphuthumayo sezinhlelo eziqhubekayo zokuqeqeshwa kochwepheshe, ukuqiniswa kobuholi bezemfundo kuma-HOD, kanye nokwabiwa kangcono kwezinsiza. Luphinde lugcizelele ukubaluleka kokuhlola okubheka umehluko wezilimi kanye nokuhlanganisa ukufunda okuqondiswe kumfundi.