Review of basic education curriculum as structuration through education research in Namibia

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of educational research in reviewing Namibia’s basic education curriculum towards developing a socially relevant education. The thesis highlights the interplay between curriculum reviews, as a normative societal trajectory, and educational research, exploring how these elements can inform one another through a dialectical relationship of structure and agency. Using Structuration Theory as a framework, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with twelve (12) Senior Education Officers (SEOs). It explored how 'agents' (mainly curriculum reviewers) interact with 'structures' (such as policies and resources) to either support or hinder the link between research and curriculum review. SEOs recognise research as vital for keeping the curriculum relevant, but they feel restricted by bureaucratic structures that prevent the practical use of research in decision-making. While reviewers see research as a crucial evidence-based resource, a gap persists between theoretical results and real-world application. The results show that structural elements like policies, institutional frameworks, benchmarking, and funding can create opportunities to incorporate research into the curriculum review. However, major obstacles such as limited resources, political interference, poor collaboration, and time pressures hinder this integration. These issues often lead to curricula that are not firmly grounded in evidence. At the same time, the findings point to opportunities for developing frameworks that combine research insights with stakeholder perspectives. Despite these challenges, reviewers draw on their professional expertise and teamwork within the NIED divisions to strategically navigate these structures and advocate for curriculum changes. The study proposed a structuration model that demonstrates how educational research can be effectively integrated into curriculum review. It also recommends continuous reflexive monitoring of the ongoing relationship between agents’ actions and educational structures, along with establishing a dedicated support system to assist the integration process.

Hierdie tesis ondersoek die rol van opvoedkundige navorsing in die hersiening van Namibië se basiese onderwyskurrikulum, met die oog op die ontwikkeling van onderwys wat sosiaal relevant is. Die tesis beklemtoon die wisselwerking tussen kurrikulumhersiening as ’n normatiewe gemeenskapsweg en opvoedkundige navorsing, en ondersoek hoe hierdie elemente mekaar kan beïnvloed deur ’n dialektiese verhouding van struktuur en agentskap. Deur die struktureringsteorie as raamwerk te gebruik, het hierdie kwalitatiewe studie halfgestruktureerde onderhoude met 12 senior onderwysbeamptes gebruik om te ondersoek hoe “agente” (hoofsaaklik kurrikulumbeoordelaars) met “strukture” (bv. beleide en hulpbronne) omgaan om die skakel tussen navorsing en kurrikulumhersiening te ondersteun of te belemmer. Senior onderwysbeamptes erken navorsing as noodsaaklik om die kurrikulum relevant te hou, maar voel beperk deur burokratiese strukture wat die praktiese gebruik van navorsing in besluitneming verhinder. Terwyl resensente navorsing as ’n belangrike bewysgebaseerde hulpbron beskou, bly daar ’n gaping tussen teoretiese resultate en toepassing in die werklike wêreld. Die bevindinge toon dat strukturele elemente soos beleide, institusionele raamwerke, normstelling en befondsing geleenthede kan skep om navorsing in kurrikulumhersiening in te sluit. Dit is veral belangrik om te weet dat struikelblokke soos beperkte hulpbronne, politieke inmenging, swak samewerking en tydsdruk sulke integrasie belemmer, wat lei tot kurrikulums wat nie stewig op bewyse gegrond is nie. Terselfdertyd dui die bevindinge op geleenthede vir die ontwikkeling van raamwerke wat navorsingsinsigte met belanghebberperspektiewe kombineer. Ten spyte van die genoemde uitdagings, steun beoordelaars op hulle professionele kundigheid en spanwerk binne die afdelings van die Nasionale Instituut vir Opvoedkundige Ontwikkeling (NIED) om strategies deur hierdie strukture te navigeer en voorspraak te maak vir kurrikulumverandering. Die navorser stel ’n struktureringsmodel voor wat demonstreer hoe opvoedkundige navorsing effektief in kurrikulumhersiening geïntegreer kan word. Die ander aanbeveling sluit in om deurlopende refleksiewe monitering te doen van die voortgesette verhouding tussen agente se optrede en opvoedkundige strukture, benewens die vestiging van ’n toegewyde ondersteuningstelsel om die integrasieproses te fasiliteer.

Lolu cwaningo lubheka indlela ucwaningo lwezemfundo olungasetshenziswa ngayo ekubuyekezeni uhlelo lwezifundo zemfundo eyisisekelo eNamibia, ngenhloso yokwakha imfundo ehambisana nezidingo zomphakathi. Ucwaningo luhlaziya ubudlelwano phakathi kokubuyekezwa kwekharikhulamu njengendlela umphakathi ozama ngayo ukuthuthukisa imfundo, kanye nocwaningo lwezemfundo olungaba ngumthombo wolwazi olusiza ukwenza izinqumo ezihlakaniphile. Ucwaningo lusebenzisa umbono weStructuration Theory njengesisekelo sokuhlaziya, kugxilwe ekutheni abantu ababamba iqhaza enqubweni yokubuyekeza ikharikhulamu basebenzisana kanjani nemithetho, izinqubomgomo kanye nezinsiza ezikhona ezibumba indlela umsebenzi owenziwa ngayo. Ucwaningo lwenziwe ngendlela ye‑qualitative, kusetshenziswa izingxoxo ezihlelwe ngokulinganisela nabaphathi bezemfundo abaphezulu abayi‑12 (Senior Education Officers). Inhloso kwakuwukuqonda ukuthi labo ababhekele ukubuyekezwa kwekharikhulamu basebenza kanjani ngaphakathi kwezinhlelo nezakhiwo zikahulumeni ezikhona. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveza ukuthi laba baphathi bayakuqonda ukubaluleka kocwaningo ekugcineni ikharikhulamu ihambisana nesikhathi kanye nezidingo zomphakathi. Nokho, baveza ukuthi izinqubo zokuphatha kanye nemithetho yehhovisi ivamise ukubambezela noma ivimbe ukusetshenziswa kwemiphumela yocwaningo ekuthatheni izinqumo. Nakuba ucwaningo lubhekwa njengomthombo obalulekile wobufakazi, kusekhona igebe phakathi kwemiphumela yocwaningo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwayo empilweni yangempela nasezinqubweni zokwenza izinqumo. Ucwaningo luphinde lwakhombisa ukuthi izinto ezifana nezinqubomgomo zikahulumeni, izinhlelo zezikhungo, ukuqhathanisa namanye amazwe kanye nokuxhaswa ngemali kungadala amathuba okuthi ucwaningo lube yingxenye ebalulekile ekubuyekezeni ikharikhulamu. Kodwa-ke, kunezinselelo eziningi ezifaka phakathi ukuntuleka kwezinsiza, ukungenelela kwezepolitiki, ukungabambisani kahle phakathi kwabathintekayo kanye nengcindezi yesikhathi. Lezi zinto zenza kube nzima ukwakha amakharikhulamu asekelwe ngokuphelele ebufakazini bocwaningo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, imiphumela iphakamisa ukuthi kukhona amathuba okwakha izindlela ezintsha ezihlanganisa ulwazi oluvela ocwaningweni kanye nemibono yabathintekayo emkhakheni wemfundo. Naphezu kwezinselelo ezikhona, labo ababuyekeza ikharikhulamu basebenzisa ulwazi lwabo lobungcweti kanye nokusebenzisana phakathi kweminyango yeNational Institute of Educational Development (NIED) ukuze bathole izindlela zokusebenza ngaphakathi kwezinhlelo ezikhona futhi bakhuthaze ushintsho oludingekayo ekharikhulamu. Umcwaningi uphakamisa imodeli esekelwe kuStructuration Theory ekhombisa indlela ucwaningo lwezemfundo olungahlanganiswa ngayo ngempumelelo enqubweni yokubuyekeza ikharikhulamu. Phakathi kweziphakamiso kukhona nokuqapha okuqhubekayo kobudlelwano phakathi kwezenzo zabantu abasebenza ohlelweni kanye nezakhiwo zemfundo, kanye nokwakhiwa kohlelo lokweseka oluzosiza ukuhlanganisa ucwaningo kanye nokubuyekezwa kwekharikhulamu ngendlela ephumelelayo.