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This study explored instructors' conceptions of teaching in view of the existing calls for improving the quality of teaching at higher education in Ethiopia. Twenty university instructors were interviewed using a phenomenographic approach, a popular research procedure to explore variation in the ways instructors experience and understand teaching. The study revealed categorization and conceptualization of conceptions that substantiate recent investigations. From the analysis, categories of conceptions that are related hierarchically from the more teacher-centred to the more student-centred emerged. A higher category in a hierarchy hence included the awareness of the lower category but not vice versa. From this, it is concluded that instructors in the higher category are likely to adopt alternative conceptions in teaching whereas instructors in the lower category are unlikely to adopt conceptions of teaching beyond their category unless their conceptions are developed. Therefore, academic development progr...

This paper surveys various theories and models that have been used in the implementation of mathematics professional development programs in different countries for the past thirty years. The paper also reflects on the ongoing Mathematics Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) project's pilot study findings (reported in another paper of this special issue) that sought for an appropriate MCPD framework for South Africa. The South African study examined the status of existing MCPD practice and the challenges practitioners experienced in the implementation of MCPD programmes. The paper concludes that MCPD models can be categorized into two frameworks that should be considered for effective MCPD programs. These are the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) framework and the Organizational Framework of the MCPD that should also involve evaluation aspects in these frameworks. It is recommended that a framework that develops mathematics teachers and subject specialists in MKT combined with effective organizational structure at district level involving school principals, district officials, service providers and school based professional development activities could suit the current operational structure in the South African education system for effective MCPD.

KEYWORDS Mathematics Professional Development.Mathematics Teaching.Teacher Practices.Mathematics Teacher Development.Mathematics Teacher Knowledge ABSTRACT This paper reports on a pilot study on Mathematics Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) programmes in the post-apartheid era South Africa. The study examined current practices in mathematics professional development programmes and the challenges practitioners experience in the implementation of such programmes. The study involved five of the nine provinces in South Africa and the population of the study was 55 that consisted of teachers, principals, subject advisors, district officials, ministry of education and service providers. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and interviews which were analysed using qualitative methods. The study found that the implementation of MCPD programmes was characterized by different factors such as relations between labour unions and the employer, the political legacy of the country and others. The study also established that different participating groups experienced different challenges regarding the implementation of MCPD programmes. The findings from this pilot study were also useful in the modification of some of the research instruments for main data collection.

The dissemination and utilisation of research knowledge produced at universities has been debated in recent times. Recent changes and developments at universities suggest an entrepreneurial model of academic research production in which universities have the responsibility not only to carry out research and teaching but also to disseminate research outputs directly to the users for economic growth of the society. In this paper, we present findings on the nature of ICT research studies conducted, the dissemination and utilisation of the research findings in the past five years at the three universities in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. A major finding of the study was that many ICT studies conducted at these universities did not target particular community groups for dissemination of knowledge generated and consequently, research outputs from these projects were not delivered to their potential end-users. The ICT research knowledge findings remained located mostly in university departments, librar...

Geometer Sketchpad and MSW Logo programs have been introduced in Bachelor of Science Education degree courses along with other software programs including a course on ICT in mathematics education at the University of Botswana. Sketchpad is known as a tool of dynamic geometry and Logo, basically as a programming language. Current trends of instruction involving technology tend to avoid programming language and some critics argue that the language was now given less prominence in enhancement of thinking skills. In this paper, both programs are used to illustrate how to integrate ICT into the teaching the topic on Rotational Symmetry from the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE). While the programs indicate that the topic can be taught in two ways that were not similar, it is illustrated that the two programs can be used to describe and investigate rotational geometry to achieve the same stipulated objectives with a difference. At the end of the paper, some differences in inst...

This chapter analyzes the contribution of academic research outputs in ICTs towards the improvement of economic and social development of communities in Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The findings reported emanate from a study that examined ICT projects undertaken at the universities of these countries and how the projects benefited the communities to realize the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The findings indicate that studies in ICTs were used as either an object or instrument of inquiry, and a number of challenges were associated with the dissemination and utilization of research outputs. In addition, the MDGs were not deliberately factored in the ICT research agenda, and their treatment was by accident rather than design. The authors recommend that in order for research outputs to address the MDGs, the universities should put in place explicit policies that emphasize production of knowledge relevant to community, and dissemination and utilization strategy policies for research outputs.

The introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the school curricula raised some hopes that it could minimize gender differences in learning. The interactive nature of ICT materials was believed to provide a favorable environment especially for girls to learn. This article reports the findings of the study that analyzed students’ gender differences in learning using computers in Botswana junior secondary schools in the year 2006. Variables considered were usefulness and enjoyment of using computers in learning, anxiety in learning when using computers and interaction among students of both sexes. Data were collected using structured interviews with closed and open-ended questions, and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative techniques. The findings of the study indicated that while gender differences existed in anxiety and usefulness variables, some positive aspects in learning were visible when computers were used. At the end, suggestions on the way forward are outlined.