secondary school teachers’ understanding of namibian boys’ underachievement and under-participation in education

Abstract

To create awareness on gender disparity in academic achievement between boys and girls, we conducted the Namibian boys’ underachievement in education study (Zimba, et.al; 2023). We report on data from this study pertaining to secondary school teachers’ understanding of the issue. Using a pragmatic parallel mixed methods research design, systematic and criterion sampling techniques, we administered structured questionnaires to 528 teachers. We also conducted focus group discussions with 115 of these teachers. According to teachers, some boys performed worse than girls because they withdrew from learning activities, were not interested in education, dropped out of school and they did not participate in learning activities. Teachers also reported that several parents undermined their sons’ educational achievement by giving them too much freedom to roam around while strictly controlling the behaviour of their daughters, allowing their sons to abuse alcohol and drugs, not giving their sons chores to perform at home and not being concerned of their sons’ education, welfare, and misconduct. In addition to reviewing educational policy to target and support boys’ education, we have recommended that teachers should be made aware of differences in learning and socialization styles of boys and girls and that they should include the learning needs of boys in their teaching. We have also recommended that pre- and in-service teacher education programmes should  sensitize and instil in teachers caring and nurturing attitudes towards boys who underachieve in education, raise awareness of gender disparity in education attainment that is in favour of girls and empower teachers to initiate programmes and attitudinal changes aimed at redressing the disparity. Without undermining educational benefits that have accrued to girls over the years, this could be done by drawing lessons and strategies for change from successful programmes targeting girls’ education.