Department of Educational Planning & Research Services

The unit is the process of undertaking a study on “Teacher quality in Botswana”. A brief synopsis of the study is given below, Teacher education involves policies and procedures that are designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and skills that require to perform their tasks in the classroom, school and wider community. For an education system to prosper there is need for well-trained teachers. It is during the teaching and learning process that these teachers exhibit the knowledge, skills and attitudes they would have acquired during the training process. If well articulated, these would translate into student achievement in not only the academic result but also lifelong prospects.

The Revised National Policy on Education (1994) recommends improved pre-service training and continuous in-service training of teachers for professional and academic development with the view to improve instruction, create a poll of experienced professional for leadership and skills on staff performance appraisals. Teacher performance standards outline the knowledge and skills required of an effective teacher, they are the core of the evaluation process and offer a tool for teacher self-reflection, goal setting and ongoing processional growth. Through the Botswana Teachers Continuous Professional Development (BOTECPD) draft policy and the country has proposed teacher performance standard and competencies required of all teachers. The commencement of this policy will require teachers to progress on fulfilling certain requirement in terms of set competencies and standards and therefore there is need for improved teacher knowledge, skills, competencies, attitudes and values to match the 21st century expectations and globally competitive human resource.

The overall objective of the study is to carry out a baseline study on the skills and competencies teachers at basic education level possess to establish teacher competencies acquired through pre-service and in-service training for both primary and secondary school teachers, and, to determine the extent to which teachers at basic education level demonstrate key teacher performance standards and competencies in delivering their mandate. The specific objectives are to:

i. Establish teacher competencies acquired through pre-service and in-service training for both primary and secondary school teachers

ii. Determine the extent to which teachers at basic education level demonstrate key teacher performance standards and competencies in delivering their mandate to include but not limited to:
– Ability to demonstrate pedagogical expertise in the subject content;
– Ability to establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students;
– Ability to plan and deliver instruction; ability to reflect on own teaching practice;
– Ability to communicate effectively within schools and with stakeholders concerning the child’s education;
– Ability to demonstrate leadership; ability to engage in career-long professional development to improve own teaching practice.

iii. Determine teacher readiness level in implementing the 21st century learning skills.