Academic literature on the topic 'Manzini Nazarene High School (Manzini, Swaziland)'

Scientific reasoning, though not explicitly taught in classrooms, is promoted as a major goal for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at all levels, worldwide. Literature also indicates that the time spent by learners explaining and justifying their ideas strongly correlates with learning improvement. In Swaziland, however, reports from school science inspectors and school leaving examiners point to weak evidence of scientific reasoning skills from school-based and high-stake examinations. This contradicts the main education goal at this level – producing learners who can use science phenomena awareness for reasoning through diverse life contexts. The study was conceived within the interplay between cognitive and sociocultural theories of constructivism. It focuses on how senior secondary school Physical Science teachers use informal formative assessment (IFA), and how the assessments so used support scientific reasoning. Through the qualitative inquiry approach a multiple case study design was used where four teachers in the Manzini Region were purposively sampled and their lessons observed. The data were then analysed through content analysis and Furtak, Harding, Beinbrech, Shavelson, and Shemwell (2008)’s analytical framework. The study revealed that teachers initiated learner-centred dialogues to address misconceptions and ask further clarification questions. Practical work and contingency based oral questions generated a reach variety of scientific reasoning levels while cases where teachers treated none response moments by supplying answers generated the least reasoning levels. All in all, by diligently using IFA to support learning, teachers realised opportunities for assisting learners migrate from concrete operational to formal thinking levels.

In contrast with the large number of poorly performing schools in Swaziland over the past decade (1991-2000), a few schools have managed to attain consistently good results. One such school is St Michael's High. This study draws on the perceptions of different major stakeholders at St Michael's of factors deemed to have contributed to academic success at the school. The study thus follows Fertig (2000), who advocates research in effective schools to be done by looking at the perceptions of different stakeholders rather than in relation to an objective checklist. In this study, St Michael's High is found to be an effective school. Its experience can play a vital role in helping other ineffective and failing schools to improve their academic standing and tarnished public image, provided the schools unreservedly commit themselves to changing their ways. This investigation is aimed at understanding the roles which the school leadership and associated stakeholders have played in making St Michael's an exemplary school in Swaziland. Its findings indicate that the schools that themselves take the initiative to improve their effectiveness are the ones which are successful, which accords with the consensus in research literature on school effectiveness. The evidence gathered in this study suggests that St Michael's is characteristic of such effective schools. Since this is a qualitative interpretive case study on perception of success factors in a girls' high school within the city of Manzini, interviews comprising semi-structured questions were highly useful in tapping the understanding of how various stakeholders contribute to the academic achievement of students in the school. The findings, organised in the form of themes, help illuminate what appears to be a systematic and well-focussed approach toward the academic development of the school and the fulfilment of its goals. Every aspect of the school system is thoroughly explored. The validity of the stakeholders' claim that St Michael's High is a dream school for most Swazi children is verified by the school's examination results for the past decade. But what the research reveals are the cultural, academic, social, and moral values and beliefs which serve as a strong anchor for the school leadership and management, and without which St Michael's as an organisation would be unable to meet the challenge of implementing academic and national reconstruction.

The use and non-use of school libraries depends on their existence or lack thereof, the quality and accessibility of their collections, their relevance to current curricula and on the availability of a teacher librarian and the teaching of information skills. These are but a few of the factors that influence the use of school libraries.
Thesis (MIS)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This exploratory study sought to determine how the current science education curriculum at Nazarene Teachers College contributes to the final (third) year’s students’ career readiness from their own perspectives. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The target population was 150 third year students; 110 responded to the questionnaire which had a response rate of 79%. To describe the biographical information of the respondents, frequencies and percentages were used. Tables of frequency distribution were then used to deduce the respondents’ responses to the group of questionnaire questions that probe the various career readiness concepts. Scale reliability testing was also used to determine the reliability of career readiness concepts. An overall measure of career readiness was calculated for each respondent and the effect of biographical properties as part of evaluation of respondents. The empirical (quantitative survey)showed that the science education course at the Nazarene Teachers College indeed prepares the students for their career readiness with specific reference to the teaching profession although some aspects can be improved. Therefore, it was recommended that there should be increased time allocated to science education and its teaching approaches; that a suitable science laboratory with all the required equipment for experiential learning should be constructed; the current curriculum content with regards to the relevance for primary school science should be reviewed; and the lecturers should be workshopped on the use of interactive methods of teaching science to facilitate active engagement with students. This study reveals that the science education course at the Nazarene Teachers College strengthened the students’ attitudes towards teaching science; improved their skills and confidence to teach science and enabled them to focus on a learner-centred approach. Students indicated that the use of specific teaching methods and the use of teaching aids contributed in a significant way to their preparation as teachers in the classroom. However, the students rated the contribution science makes to society as of minor importance
Curriculum and Instructional Studies
M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)