Academic literature on the topic 'Teachers colleges – Lesotho'

The distinction between theory and practice can be traced back to Aristotle (384-322 B.C). Theory has been seen as the preserve of the academician who, through research, produces knowledge for the practitioner to use in his/her practice. This research sets out to investigate perceptions of the respondents with regard to the extent to which theory is applicable in practice. It does this in the context of teacher training at the Lesotho College of Education, (LCE), a teacher training college in Lesotho. In this research project; a case study of 5 students from the LCE who had been on teaching practice, their mentor teachers on teaching practice, and a college lecturer who had observed said students on teaching practice was used. Data was collected by means of focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews. Relevant documents in the form of classroom observation forms were also used. The findings from the data analysis revealed that students on teaching practice had, to a great extent, had difficulties in applying what they had learned at the college when they got to teaching practice. Difficulties were mainly experienced in the areas of classroom and time management as well as in the application of the teaching methods learned at the college. This research takes a closer look at these difficulties. It investigates their probable causes and, finally, suggests ways of responding to them.

Autonomy involves more or less the right of the responsible administrative officers, management and presidents to govern the institutes free of outside control. The concept of autonomy implies, in addition to the latitude required for administrative action required by executives, the freedom of the academic departments of the colleges and the research institutes within the institutions to make most of the decisions of academic and professional management. Recent developments in Lesotho higher education have led to substantial changes in the relationship between government and higher education. The mechanisms of steering and regulation of the systems have moved from the model of centralised government in favour of increased institutional autonomy; the introduction of quality assessment systems, and an increased demand for institutional accountability. Providing autonomy to institutions in Lesotho has a potential of delivering quality service because there is free choice, which involves providing a wider range of options both for students and learning institutions. Institutions are free to choose any strategy that may bring quality service for the students. The aim of this study is to carry out an evaluation of the effectiveness of autonomy strategy in delivering quality service at LCE. In carrying out an analysis of this strategy, Pearce / Robinson guiding theoretical strategic decision-making process model is used. The Lesotho College of Education (LCE) Mission, external and internal environment are analysed Recommendations are made whether or not autonomy is the viable option for LCE to deliver quality service to students. The data obtained from this study indicates that autonomy is a suitable and an acceptable strategy to pursue, but not feasible as LCE lacks the financial and human resources necessary to fulfil the necessary requirements for autonomy as will be explained in the study. Other recommended strategies are the concentric and diversification strategies.
Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology in Public Management, Faculty of Management Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa. 2015.
While research has been conducted, with regard to job satisfaction all over the world, no research has been done on the various factors affecting job satisfaction of academic employees, with specific reference to the National University of Lesotho (NUL). Therefore, the understanding of these factors are clearly defined and explained, in order to help university administrators to improve academic performance and attract well-qualified academics into the university. Factors affecting job satisfaction of academic employees at the NUL include, working conditions, relationship with colleagues, and access to resources, job security, recognition and advancement. The sample consisted of 156 respondents, who were selected using the Supercool Random Generator Software and were required to complete a questionnaire, with an interviewer present to assist. Respondents were asked to complete a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. A mixed approach of both quantitative and qualitative techniques was used, while the analysis of primary data was done using SPSS, version 21.0. The results were presented by figures from Microsoft Excel and gross tabulation tables. The findings of the study indicated that there was a positive significance to the NUL academic staff regarding salaries, as a factor influencing their job satisfaction. The results also indicated that there are insufficient financial resources to support teaching, learning and research at the NUL. However, the results further revealed that, besides all the dissatisfaction shown by academics, in terms of aspects, such as benefits, allowances, lack of equipment, as well as poor institutional management, there were good relations between departments, and they work as a team. Therefore, the findings from this study can assist university administrators and academics to increase the job satisfaction levels of employees.

Extant literature on academic identities claims that academic identities not only represent academics’ subjectively construed understandings of who they are but they also derive from roles, statuses, membership in disciplinary communities and characteristics that make academics unique individuals. Even so, research focusing exclusively on academic identities is unprecedented in the Lesotho higher education (HE) sector; therefore, this study describes how narratives of experiences and meanings attached to being an academic relate to the construction of academic identities at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). How do reflexive interpretations of cultural expectations tied to membership in disciplinary communities influence the negotiation of academic identities and work behaviour of academic staff? How do descriptions of the (mis)alignment between job facets, individual values and expectations influence the meaningfulness and fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts? How do stories of internalised meanings of involvement and symbolic identification with NUL influence academic identity trajectories? Being interpretive in nature, this study used narrative interviews to collect data from a sample of thirty-one academics from NUL. The findings revealed that ‘who’ an academic is derives from meanings of ‘lived experiences’ of work enjoyment, applicability, exploitation, facilitation, multitasking, prestige and burnout. The findings also showed that academic identities were negotiated by reflexively interpreting the cultural expectation of ‘finishing work on time’ through work behaviours such as managing time, working overtime, self-motivation, underperforming, balancing roles and seeking work assistance. The participants’ narratives also revealed that the fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts derived from autonomy, accomplishments, learning, interdependencies, work environment, students’ attitudes and recognition. Lastly, the study showed that participants’ academic identity trajectories were influenced by altruism, passion, options, disillusions and relations. Overall, the ‘narratives of experience’ reiterated that academic identities at NUL were contextualised constructs of ‘work experiences’, ‘membership in communities’, ‘job attitudes’ and ‘self -discovery,’ based on the self as a unique individual, a group member and a role holder. Consistent with the interactionist perspective, academic identities at NUL represent structurally, culturally and institutionally located stories of experiences and meanings derived from the work situation, the setting and social relationships that academics participate in daily at NUL.
Sociology
D. Phil. (Sociology)

The study set out to assess the quality of the DTEP offered by the LCE by examining its strengths and limitations regarding student teachers‟ home and academic background, mode of delivery, entry requirements, course materials, content and pedagogic approach. This was done through analysis of some course documents and materials, interviewing course designers, tutors as well as final year student teachers. DTEP appears to be doing well in some areas and not so well in others. To start with, the programme came as the main answer to qualifying the teachers that were employed as un/under qualified at the pressing demands of UPE and FPE in the early 2000s. DTEP goes beyond teaching primary school content and methodology, onto teaching content aimed at opening doors for further study and thus other careers for its clientele. But there‟s still dire need to convince student teachers that this is good practice and for their benefit and not an unnecessary burden, as they perceive it to be. DTEP also appears to be succeeding in not just changing the negative attitudes and/or perceptions that most of its clientele tend to have at entry point, but also in them actually changing from wrong practices as well. However, the programme is characterized with some serious administrative challenges such as lack of transport which results in late delivery of study materials and irregular school visits. Also the DTEP entry qualifications are very low and yet there‟s no form of bridging course put in place to compensate for this. It as well seems that, though they are the only means of course communication, the DTEP course materials tend to be well written, interactive and thus of a good quality. The revisions of such materials, started late 2009, was completed early 2010. DTEP tutors as well stress to their students the importance of learner centred methods of teaching even though they are not able to demonstrate their use to them most of the time.