Why student–teachers fail the basic mathematics module in first year of study at Rundu Campus of the University of Namibia?

Abstract

The research paper reports on a study that examined the cause of failure among first year mathematics student - teachers registered for the Basic Mathematics module at the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus since the inception of the four year Bachelor of Education Honours (B. Ed. Hons) programme in 2011. Questionnaires were administered to 92 student teachers, but only 39 returned their questionnaires. The questionnaires sought the participants’ perceptions and experiences with various aspects of the Basic Mathematics module. The grade 12 mathematics syllabi and the Basic Mathematics course outline were used to cross check the level of the content covered at secondary school and university. The purpose of B. Ed (Hons) course was to address the perceived minimal mathematics content knowledge in the previous Basic Education Teachers Diploma (BETD) programme. The study further attempted to explore and identify areas that needed improvement in terms of the gap between high school mathematics and the mathematics offered by the University of Namibia in the first year, and how the situation could be addressed.