Evaluation of the implementation of Life Skills curriculum in selected Windhoek high schools

Abstract

Stakeholders in the education sector are aware of how important it is to provide learners with high-quality education. Life Skills Education (LSE) has gained popularity as a method for getting learners ready for successful adulthood. Schools around the world are dealing with issues that are hurting learners, particularly those in high school. High rates of school crimes, including bullying, substance misuse, teen pregnancy, and in some cases gun abuse, pose a threat to both industrialised and developing nations. However, it has been recognised that a better method to address these issues is to raise educational standards by introducing LSE as a preventative strategy. Namibia has also joined the global trend and has been implementing Life Skills (LS) as a standalone subject since the attainment of independence. The evaluation of the implementation of the LS curriculum in Windhoek state high schools was the purpose of this qualitative study. The study evaluated the implementation of Life Skills curriculum exploring the reasons why learners continue to exhibit anti-social behaviour. The focus was establishing the effectiveness of Life Skills curriculum implementation. The major aim was to establish why there is a dearth of successful results from LS implementation. The factors that affect implementation were included in the evaluation. The study also addressed the issues of persistent learner deviance behaviour after being exposed to Life Skills Education. Furthermore, the study had objectives to achieve which included evaluating the implementation strategies and assessment of intervention methods. The interactive approach model to Life Skills implementation was developed. The study was guided by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory which asserts that learning happens in a social setting. The principles of the theory were infused in the model developed. The study employed a qualitative case study. The schools from which participants were drawn were chosen using a stratified sampling technique. Initially, the schools were divided into two homogenous strata which were affluent suburbs and high-density locations. Three schools were chosen by simple random, picking from each stratum. Since they are the ones that apply the curriculum under investigation, LS teachers were chosen in order to answer the research questions. As heads of schools, principals were included in the sample. Learners in grade 11 were specifically chosen due to their background in the subject. Purposive sampling was used to choose every participant. Six principals, six LS teachers and forty-eighty learners in grade 11 made up the study's sample. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were the main data collection methods used. Using the thematic analysis approach, transcribed data were thematically categorised. The established themes were tabulated followed by discussions and interpretations. The research findings indicated that the LS curriculum was being implemented reluctantly. It was found that the LS curriculum implementation was given little attention in the selected schools. The six schools had only one female LS teacher each. Evaluated against the Social Learning Theory, the study concluded that the environment both at home and school has an impact on the implementation of the LS curriculum. The schools are not being provided with enough LS teachers. All schools visited had only one female LS teacher. No male teachers were present in the LS department. The boy child has no male figure in the LS curriculum in the schools studied. All these factors were found to be compromising the implementation of the LS curriculum. However, the research concluded that the inclusion of the society as a support structure providing indigenous knowledge in the implementation increases the chances of achieving positive results. The study recommends that the status of the subject be elevated. One way of doing this is making LS a promotional subject. There is a need to secure resources and improve infrastructure for the subject. The study further recommends that the relationship between training colleges and schools be improved. It is recommended that male teachers be encouraged to join LS training. Future studies may also evaluate the involvement of responsible authorities in curriculum implementation.