Teacher education for diversity at the University of Namibia : policies and practices

Abstract

This is a study about teacher education for diversity at the University of Namibia (UNAM), the only government university in the country that trains teachers. It is a response to changing classroom demographics in Namibia, as classroom composition has become more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic class. These changes require teachers with knowledge on teaching for diversity. Namibia’s post-apartheid policy on diversity reflects international practices aimed at achieving Education for All. It advocates teacher education that is responsive to the country’s needs. However, little is known about how UNAM implements these government diversity goals. This research comprised an interpretivist case study of the way in which UNAM incorporates diversity issues into its Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme. I argue that teacher education for diversity should go beyond traditional teacher education programmes, thus requiring a special set of policies, curricula, and practices. The study draws on various academic readings and debates on diversity policies, curricula and teacher preparation practices and is grounded in social justice and constructivist principles. Twenty-three final-year Social Science student teachers were purposefully sampled for the study which entailed the perusal of pertinent documents, classroom observations, and interviews. Content analysis was used which involved coding, categorising and the development of themes. The findings revealed that the BEd programme lacks dedication in regard to diversity teaching due to Namibia’s absence of a national policy on diversity in relation to teacher education. Secondly, the BEd programme only partially equips student teachers with the competencies required to teach diverse learners. Lastly, it was found that the majority of student teachers’ classroom practices were not suited to diverse classrooms. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for improving the BEd programme. This study makes a contribution to knowledge on diversity policies. It argues that an educational institution cannot operate without national policies, and that institutions should respond to such policies through policies and curricula. It explains what a socio-cultural curriculum means in Namibian teacher education and demonstrates the way courses, teaching practice and teacher educators can contribute to holistic development for diversity.