Browsing by Author "Mosia, Paseka Andrew"

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    Challenges of using sign language interpreting to facilitate teaching and learning for learners with hearing impairment
    (National University of Lesotho, 2021-07) Majoro, Nthabiseng Eugenia; Mosia, Paseka Andrew
    This study investigated challenges of sign language interpreting in facilitating teaching and learning for learners with hearing impairment. The study was also meant to find out how sign language services are organised in the school. Five sign language interpreters and five subject teachers participated in the study through semi-structured interviews. Data for the study was collected and analysed qualitatively through content analysis and the findings organised in categories of responses namely themes and sub themes. The findings are therefore presented using identified themes and extracts from participants to allow readers to make own interpretations. The study revealed that both sign language interpreters and subject teachers face challenges in facilitating learning for learners with hearing impairment. The major challenges which sign language interpreters and learners with hearing impairment face are low competence in sign language such as limited vocabulary to express key concepts in certain subjects and lack of learning material. Additionally, there are few sign language interpreters and one sign language interpreter has to interpret continuously from 8 am to 4 pm and this is tiring. Sign language interpreters interpret all subjects taught during the course of the day, as such, the idea of their competence in each discipline comes into play. This is because interpreters are at the core of teaching and learning for the learners as some subject teachers do not know how to communicate in sign language. Whenever a sign language interpreter is absent from school, teaching for learners with hearing impairment is compromised. Notwithstanding, the school makes efforts to ensure that subject teachers have workshops to equip them with sign language skills. The study recommends that The Ministry of Education and Training should follow up on the implementation of the Inclusive Education Policy, develop sign language as a subject in schools, offer trainings for sign language interpreters and also have a say into hiring the sign language interpreters.
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    Exploring the influence of socio-economic status on equitable access to secondary education in Lesotho
    (National University of Lesotho, 2021-07) Nyaphisi, Mokete Bendly; Mosia, Paseka Andrew
    Getting through the gates of a school is nothing but just a physical entrance to education that is not enough as a learner living in poverty might be not confident to the way they look in their uniform relative to their affluent counterparts. Such a poverty-stricken learner might be too hungry and neither feel acceptable nor ready to participate in a learning process at a relatively equal basis with their well-off counterparts. These poverty features translated to lack of learning amenities that account for such learners to be referred to as learners from poor socioeconomic background or learners of low socioeconomic status (SES). Thus, poor socioeconomic background positions such learners at disadvantageous starting point of learning, and this denies them equitable access to education which must be governed by not only physical presence at school, but also by a sense of feeling belongingness and acceptance substantiated by availability of adequate resources to participate in the learning process to achieve good academic grades. Globally, poverty has adversely affected access to education and Lesotho is not an exception with her secondary education level being the worst affected relative to primary and tertiary as the costs at secondary level are borne by parents. In a country of about 2,1 million people, only 10.7% of youths in the lowest wealth quintile are enrolled in secondary schools compared to 61% of those in the highest quintile. It was against this backdrop that the current study with a qualitative case study design engaged 32 participants in semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and a review of documents to explore access to secondary education for learners of low socioeconomic status (SES). The study has established that Lesotho education system limits access to education to disability inclusion. While the study fully acknowledges that disability acts as a barrier to access to education, poverty also adversely affect inclusive education which is buffer to equity in education. While Lesotho government pays school fees for vulnerable learners, access to secondary education is hindered by socioeconomic challenges such as lack of food, cosmetics, stationery, and money for transport. This subjects the learners to feeling of helplessness and low self-concept. Furthermore, parents of such learners fail to participate in their children’s education due to their low level of education. Additionally, lack of basic skills on ensuring equitable access to education among teachers has vii resulted in a failure to properly identify and support learners of low SES. Furthermore, educational policies and practices fail to establish proper strategic actions to promote equitable access education must be embraced through to inclusive approach for vulnerable categories of learners beyond disability. Guided by social justice theory and capability approach which are the lenses that view access to education as a human right issue than an opportunity for a selected few, the study argues that learners of low SES must be afforded more learning resources that would incapacitate them to equitably participate in learning process and attain good academic achievement. The study concludes that access to secondary education for learners of low SES is remarkably low and lacks equity since the current measures that are deemed inclusive education in Lesotho simply translate to physical access which is integration of learners with disability in regular schools without proper support. Furthermore, while some learners of low SES are subjected to the education system that does not account for socioeconomic barriers they encounter, and when there are no social support frameworks, such learners may not learn as much as those without barriers. It is therefore recommended that inclusive education policies and plans should establish strategies that expand target coverage beyond disability to socioeconomic aspect. Policy enactment should stimulate collaboration between families, schools and other stakeholders to ensure holistic development of learners from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
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    Investigating access to education for learners with hearing impairment at secondary schools
    (Faculty of Education, National University of Lesotho, 2019-07) Lehloa, Hopolang; Mosia, Paseka Andrew
    The study investigated the access to education for learners with hearing impairments. As such, a qualitative methodology was employed in the conduction of the study. The study was developed using the interpretivist paradigm. In that regard, purposeful sampling was considered in selecting the participants, and, data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews methods. The findings were presented in words, based on content analysis and interpreted within the theoretical framework of the study. The study uses sociocultural theory which emphasises the importance of language, society and culture for child cognitive development. The theory further notes that, learners with special needs need to be viewed positively and be treated as normal people. The study has explored education and its access in general as well as its access to learners with hearing impairment. The study has further discussed assessment of learners with hearing impairment along with the strategies used so as to improve their access to the general curriculum. The study has revealed that learners with hearing impairment seem to cope at school. Besides, they feel accommodated, as the presence of sign language interprets and the use of sign language on the school campus makes their learning possible. The data also reveal that sign language interpreters feel capable of helping learners. However, they pointed out the need for their training for specialization, and the need for the school to have many interpreters so that they can have some time off from classes to plan for their lessons. The study further indicates that teachers feel they accommodate learners as the presence of sign language interprets makes their work easy. On the other hand, teachers show that learner-centered teaching methods are effective in teaching learners with hearing impairment. However, in using such teaching methods, they encounter a challenge in time management and unsuitable resources. The study has found that there is a need for training sign language interpreters and a clear policy on inclusive education.
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    Learners’ perceptions about the causes of bullying at secondary schools in Lesotho and how it can be controlled
    (Faculty of Education, National University of Lesotho, 2020-07) Seisa, Ramonki Egnetus; Mosia, Paseka Andrew
    Nowadays learners present various emotional and behavioural challenges to the mainstream education system because they come from diverse cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, and have different abilities, gender orientation, ethnicity and so on. This study explores learners’ perceptions about the causes of bullying and how it can be controlled at secondary schools in Lesotho. Data for the study was collected using a qualitative approach employing a case study design and was analysed through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Thirty learners participated in the study through focus-group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study indicate that learners experience various forms of bullying either as bystanders, perpetrators and/or victims. They further reveal that many learners have frequently experienced physical, verbal, emotional and cyber-bullying in different contexts. The study concludes that while there are existing punishment mechanisms like corporal punishment, verbal reprimands, manual labour and suspension, most participants reflected that one of the most effective ways to control school bullying is the learners’ home background which could be used to influence the change. Finally, the study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) should establish a National Anti-Bullying Policy with clearly spelled out guidelines on how individual incidences of bullying should be dealt with in secondary schools. The policy should be disseminated and implemented across all schools in the country to safeguard learners’ sense of safety, fundamental freedom and basic right to education.
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    Reliability components of online teaching and learning tools in Lesotho Higher Education Institutions
    (Universiti Putra Malaysia Press, 2022-12-27) Ayanwale, Musa Adekunle; Mosia, Paseka Andrew; Molefi, Rethabile Rosemary; Shata, Liapeng
    Electronic learning is a techno approach that brings new opportunities for teaching and learning in many fields of education compared to the traditional classroom environment. However, there is a dearth of research on its effectiveness in practicality and whether it is dependable enough during teaching and learning. Thus, this systematic review aims to provide evidence from numerous findings on the reliability components (such as functionality, probability of success, environment, and duration) of online teaching and learning (OTL) tools in Lesotho higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on functionality and probability of success only. A review of online learning tools includes Thuto, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Zoom, Moodle, and Microsoft Teams. Technology adoption models and Siemens’ theory of connectivism underpin this review. The review covered 18 articles between 2015 and 2021. Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and EBSCO were used for data search. In addition, selected studies were reviewed by experts in Educational Technology at the National University of Lesotho. Some factors were found to hinder the functionality and success of OTL tools, including lack of internet connectivity, electricity, and gadgets. As a result of this review, OTL tools are effective to some extent in terms of functionality and likelihood of success. However, the weaknesses of the e-learning tools outweigh the strengths of Lesotho HEIs. Consequently, only using OTL tools could hamper the quality of higher education in Lesotho. In HEIs, blended learning and continuous training on e-learning tools should be introduced for effective teaching and learning.