Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Education)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10566/15753
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Item type: Item , An exploration of micro-teaching skills with digital technology (cell phone) in B.Ed. programmes at a Western Cape university(University of the Western Cape, 2020) Omolere, Okuntade JaphetMicro-teaching provides a framework for teachers’ professional development with emphasis on the teach and re-teach cycle as a practical procedure for the development of micro-teaching skills. One fundamental element in this teach and re-teach cycle is the use of digital technology tools as a recording device which may help aid the understanding and application of micro-teaching skills. This study explores micro-teaching skills with the use of digital technology (cell phone) in B.Ed. programmes at a Western Cape university. The study aims to merge the past and present strategies to initiate the development of a simple model to improve micro-teaching methodology using a simple and mostly available digital technology tool which can allow for self-evaluation and personal reflection. The study seeks to investigate how a digital technology, through a cell phone, can guide practical learning to support pre-service teachers in the micro-teaching presentation.Item type: Item , The academic profession and the rising knowledge societies in Africa: A comparative analysis of research, teaching and community outreach in Makerere University and the University of the Western Cape(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Ndibuuza, FlorenceThis thesis explores the fate of the academic profession at Makerere University [MUK], Uganda and the University of the Western Cape [UWC], South Africa. The study explores higher education as a strategy prioritized to drive knowledge production, innovation, ICT integration, and human resource development to position economies across Sub Saharan Africa among knowledge economies. While the study recognizes that the initiatives in Uganda and South Africa are at a policy rhetorical level hence categorizes the two as “rising knowledge societies”, the policy implications on universities as the main seat of knowledge and innovation in the two countries motivated the study to establish if the academic profession at MUK and UWC is changing in response to the policy interests of the rising knowledge society in the two countries.Item type: Item , Grade 3 learners’ metaphorical proficiency in isiXhosa literacy: Exploring the use of idioms in the teaching and learning of creative writing(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Nondalana, Nomfundo TinyMany South African Foundation Phase learners perform poorly in literacy, especially in reading and writing. The Annual National Assessment (ANA) results show that many Grade 3 learners experience difficulties in reading and in writing sentences from pictures (Howie, Venter, Van Staden, Zimmerman, Long, Scherman & Archer, 2008). The learners also struggle to produce meaningful written sentences, even though they are taught through the medium of their own home languages, including African languages (Department of Basic Education, 2013). To enrich learners’ language and literacy skills, the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) encourages the use of figurative and metaphorical language through the teaching of folklore. However, CAPS does not provide explicit guidelines on how folklore ought be taught to enhance learners’ literacy skills.Item type: Item , Guidelines for empowering secondary school educators, In loco parentis, in addressing truancy among early adolescent learners(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Van Breda, Maynard JohnIn view of my extensive experience as an educator and currently as an Educational Psychologist serving schools in the eastern Education Management and Development Centre (EMDC) of the Western Cape, I have become acutely aware of the occurrence of truant behaviour particularly among fourteen to fifteen year old secondary school learners. On the one hand I am moved by the plight of many learners particularly in the afore-mentioned age group, for whom the education system appears irrelevant or of little value and is apparently failing them. Some communicate this attitude by their frequent and at times prolonged absence from school. On the other hand, many educators have little sympathy with truants, since as professionals, educators feel that consistent school attendance is essential if learners are to make satisfactory progress. Moreover, it is also my perception that educators' work loads and the organisation of schools, currently ensure that very few educators have the time to become closely acquainted with those individual learners who manifest their displeasure with schools - and them - by truanting. In turn, this breakdown in communication between educators and truants, makes implementing successful reintegration strategies immensely difficult. In fact, such is the pressure on today's educators, that some staff are greatly relieved at the prospect of instructing fewer learners, especially if the absentees are those who may be troublesome, backward, require extra attention in class or behave badly (Reid, 2002:5). Furthermore it has also come to my attention that educators feel that their prime duty and responsibility is to regulate attendees, higher achievers, as well as learners who conform and wish to do well at school. Hence, regular attendance appears to be the best barometer of this conformist attitude.Item type: Item , Exploring the Namibian inclusive education policy’s responses to gender nonconforming learners: A case of Erongo region(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Haitembu, Rauna KeshemunhuThis study explored the Namibian Inclusive Education policy‟s responses to gender nonconforming learners in Namibian schools. Gender nonconformity within the scope of this study refers to nonconforming to societal gender expectations through behaviour, presentation, sexual identity or any other means construed as normal by societies. Thus the study was guided by the research question: How does the Namibian IE Policy respond to gender nonconforming learners in Namibian schools? Even though there is growing evidence on mistreatment of gender nonconforming learners in schools worldwide, there is minimal evidence on the support for gender nonconforming learners within the Namibian schools. Additionally, there is paucity of literature on gender nonconformity in the Namibian education context.Item type: Item , The effects of a dialogical argumentation and assessment for learning instruction model (DAAFLIM) on science students’ conception of selected scientific topics(University of the Western Cape, 2021) George, FrikkieThe central concern of this study has been to determine the effectiveness or otherwise of a combined Dialogical Argumentation Instructional Method (DAIM) and the Assessment for Learning Model (DAAFLIM) strategies in enhancing Tertiary and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students’ conceptions of selected scientific topics. The extant literature has shown that students often hold other worldviews or funds of knowledge, which might be in conflict with canonical school science. In light of this, DAAFLIM has been chosen for a number of reasons: (1) it has been shown to be effective for revealing students’ scientific and alternative worldviews; (2) it provides the learning environment that encourages students to express themselves freely, exchange views with others, reflect on what they have learned, and even to change their minds in the face of stronger arguments; (3) it is compatible with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) curriculum which emphasizes that educators should integrate school science with students’ indigenous knowledge as a way to make the former more relevant to their sociocultural environment; (4) assists educators to plan instruction in accordance with the needs of multicultural science classroom; and (5) the combination of classroom discourses with continuous or formative assessment (as exemplified by DAAFLIM), instead of the usual terminal summative assessment, tends to mitigate the fears that students usually associate with assessment. Specifically, a group of TVET students i.e. the Experimental group (E-group) was exposed to DAAFLIM while the other group i.e. the Control group (C-group) was exposed to traditional instruction method (TIM).Item type: Item , A decolonial study of indigenous teaching and learning methods of knowledge transfer in Gabon’s rural communities(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Binze Bi Kumbe, Franck SandryGabon is a country with an important ancestral cultural heritage that constitutes a set of epistemological and ontological systems that can be traced back to the 15th century. Europeans, with their colonising mission, wrongly presumed that African indigenous people were ignorant and uneducated. Thus, Gabon remains one of the sub-Saharan countries where access to education and forms of knowledge is exclusively established on the Western hegemonic knowledge system. This study demonstrates how indigenous knowledge contributes to education in Gabon via the implementation of indigenous teaching and learning methods of knowledge transfer. The theoretical framework underpinning the present study is based on decolonial theory as conceptualised for research in the humanities, social sciences, and education.Item type: Item , Examining teachers’ experiences of implementing the Grade 12 Life Sciences curriculum(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Booysen, BarryThe implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in different subjects in South Africa has been studied before, but the literature is generally lacking on the lived experiences of life sciences teachers implementing the Further Education and Training (FET) phase life sciences curriculum (Davids, 2018; Dlova, 2019; Imenda, 2016; Koopman, 2013; Koopman, 2018; Mabusela, 2016; Ngidi, 2016; Riffel, 2020; Siseho, 2013 Sitwala; 2016). Lived experiences in phenomenology means those often taken for granted experiences that we encounter in our daily lives.Item type: Item , Investigating the incremental implementation of African languages program: a case study of two primary schools in South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Sigcau, Nompucuko EuricaThe study seeks to investigate the Incremental Introduction of African Languages (IIAL) program in relation to the teaching and learning of isiXhosa in Grade two classes. It is set to focus on the guidelines for implementation of IIAL, in schools that did not implement African languages in the Foundation Phase before. The complexity of multilingualism in South Africa where African languages are given a lower status than English and Afrikaans. Furthermore, the teaching of African languages as additional languages assumes a particular substance in my study. The purpose of my study then is to find out the teaching strategies that are being used by the isiXhosa teachers in implementing IIAL to multilingual learners with different linguistic backgrounds, and the type of support given to teachers by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in implementing IIAL, which is a new program meant to focus on the development of African Languages. The implications of IIAL for accommodating language diversity will also be taken into consideration. The main theories used are Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory (1978) and Vygotsky Sociocultural theory (1978) that focuses on the family, economy and political structures as factors that influence a child’s transition into adulthood. Some other theoretical pespectives are also employed. To achieve my research objectives, I used a qualitative research design with indepth interviews, class observations as well as document analysis. The research participants were teachers teaching in the Foundation Phase in the former Model C schools in the Northern Suburbs, Curriculum Advisors as well as the Government official in the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). In reviewing literature, I found that a lot has been done in South Africa with regards to the teaching and learning of African languages in Higher education as well as politics revolving the area. However, there is little that has been done on Foundation Phase research in these areas. Presently there is no study that has looks at the implementation of IIAL focusing on teaching and learning isiXhosa as Second Additional Language in former Model C 4 Schools. It is assumed that the study will come up with more strategies and guidelines on how to teach African languages to multilingual learners in the Foundation Phase.Item type: Item , Using the COMET diagnostic model to enhance occupational competence of electrical engineering students in TVET colleges.(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Sibanda, JamesIt is common cause that rapid digitisation and automation of industries has resulted in new challenges for current and future labour markets in which automated systems are constantly raising the complexity of tasks and demanding higher skills for entry-level positions. TVET colleges are seen as key institutions for training that is responsive to industry and skills needs, but there has been ongoing concern about the quality of TVET graduates, and whether the training offered at TVET colleges produces graduates with cutting-edge knowledge and skills. It has been argued that one of the ways to improve the quality and occupational competence of TVET graduates is a focus on teaching and learning, hence this research that shines a light on current teaching models and investigates what might improve poor throughput rates. The COMET (Competence Measurement in Electrical Technology), three-dimensional Diagnostic Model showed potential in earlier studies to both measure and develop occupational competence in TVET, but to date there has been no study to specifically explore the didactic application of the model, which is the knowledge gap addressed in this thesis. A longitudinal study was undertaken in the TVET Electrical Engineering domain to investigate how the COMET diagnostic model might be applied didactically in the quest to enhance the occupational competence of students at TVET colleges in South Africa. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design was adopted in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a purposive sample representative of five TVET colleges across four South African provinces. Open-ended test tasks inspired by authentic industry activities were designed to develop and test students’ holistic problem-solving capabilities and their occupational competence. A large Cohen effect size value (d = 0.8) is reported between the professional occupational competence profiles of participating TVET students in the Baseline and Main Tests, which offer compelling evidence of the COMET diagnostic model’s didactic enhancement of TVET Electrical Engineering student’s occupational competence development in the current investigation.Item type: Item , Blended learning approach in the BED (foundation phase teaching) programme: strengths and challenges(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Kies, Carolynne ChristellBlended learning in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has become increasingly popular (Graham, 2006; Guangying, 2014; Win & Wyn, 2015). In 2015 and 2016 South African Higher Education Institutions struggled with the impact of the #FeesMustFall campaign, which sought to reduce and, in some instances, eliminate the fees required to engage in Higher Education studies. The #FeesMustFall campaign led to classes being disrupted and consequently suspended. Offering blended and purely online teaching was not a common practice, and was resisted by many teaching staff members of universities. Although blended learning was increasingly being used in the learning enterprise, it was only during the national ‘lockdown’ phase that most countries and educational institutions experienced the need to expand the implementation of online learning. Hence, there was a dire need to design interactive learning environments for effective learning and teaching. Both the #FeesMustFall campaign and the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the use and implementation of blended learning in the South African higher education sector. Accordingly, lecturers needed to diversify their teaching practices to cater for diverse students entering institutions of higher learning. The development of a blended learning environment includes the careful discussion, planning, and selection of eTools, for both physical classrooms and online environments. This method was used to enhance teaching practice and, more importantly, the learning process. It is important to note that students who enter university are not always English home language speakers. This factor could influence the quality and frequency of student interactions during face-to-face classes and teaching activities. It is also important to note that students learn in different ways and have different learning styles. In order to address the needs of diverse students, lecturers need to understand their target audience and how their teaching methods may assist students’ learning.Item type: Item , Exploring the curriculum implementation challenges faced by early childhood education teachers in Ethiopia in ensuring the holistic development of young children.(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Fentaw, Alemu AsresuGlobally, there is a growing interest in enhancing Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to ensure quality education in this sector. The reason for this is the realisation that ECCE is a sensitive period marked by rapid changes in the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of the child; the child’s holistic development (Hedges & Cooper, 2014; Vargaz-Lopez et al, 2016; Wood & Hedges, 2016), working from the premise that what happens in the early years of schooling can have a lasting effect on the educational trajectory of the child. Despite the growing evidence showing the importance of ECCE, it remains an underdeveloped, under-researched sector in Africa, more specifically in Ethiopia where this research study will be based. The aim of this study, is, therefore, to explain and explore curriculum implementation challenges faced by early childhood education teachers in Ethiopia in ensuring the holistic development of young children. The main research question, I raised to address this problem is, what are the curriculum implementation challenges faced by ECCE teachers in Ethiopia in ensuring the holistic development of young children? My conceptual focus is on the appropriateness of curriculum, alignment of curriculum, assessment and pedagogic practices, the appropriateness of the physical environment, as well as the role of different stakeholders in ensuring the holistic development of young children. This study was built on the theoretical insights drawn from Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory. Vygotsky’s theoretical project falls within sociocultural learning theories and highlights his theoretical construct of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). In addition, Vygotsky’s notion of scaffolding and mediation tools were used to frame the research questions and to explain the relationship between learning and development in the current study. It is especially useful when thinking about the appropriateness of curriculum, alignment of curriculum, pedagogical and assessment practices, and the physical environment, as well as teacher training and the role they play.Item type: Item , Exploring the significance of artificial intelligence in the Namibian universities’ teacher education curriculum in the context of the fourth industrial revolution: Contemporary discourses and empirical evidences(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Mutelo, Sydney MusipiliThis study explored the significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the teacher education curriculum at Namibian universities in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Using a pragmatic, mixed-methods approach, the research involved 50 purposefully sampled academics from Namibian universities. The primary research question was, “What role does AI play in the teacher education curriculum in Namibia in the context of the 4IR?” Guided by Anderson and Prensky’s theories of emerging technologies, the study examined current curricula to identify deficiencies in AI skills needed for teacher education in the 4IR era. The findings revealed AI's transformative role in higher education, emphasising its diverse applications, benefits for teaching, and the necessity for strategic integration. Specifically, the University of Namibia (UNAM) should integrate machine learning, learning analytics, virtual assistants, and Chatbots to improve teaching practices and student engagement. However, several challenges hinder AI integration in Namibia's teacher education, such as technological limitations, inadequate training, cultural resistance, funding constraints, and infrastructure disparities. Addressing these challenges requires strategic investments, capacity building, and ensuring equitable access. Continuous professional development is crucial for equipping educators with the necessary AI skills, promoting inclusivity, and addressing concerns about equity and creativity. The study concludes that integrating AI into teacher education at UNAM offers significant opportunities to enhance teaching and learning. Overcoming technological, educational, and cultural barriers, investing in academic training, and fostering innovation are essential. A balanced, ethical, and equitable approach is vital for successful AI integration, preparing educators for the digital age. Recommendations include developing specialised courses, investing in faculty development, fostering industry partnerships, engaging policymakers, and addressing technological and ethical challenges to ensure effective AI integration.Item type: Item , Investigating pathways for advancing the technological literacy of art lecturers and students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria.(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Ajayi, Noah OluwasanjoIn the twenty-first century, digital technology is forging a strong coalition with creative processes in Art and Design Education (A&DEd), allowing for dynamic interaction with systems and objects. Art and Design teacher educators must constantly assess the influence of their interactions and engagement with digital technology in many educational teaching and learning settings. Art and Design teacher educators need to blend new media technologies with traditional materials, while not elevating one above the other. This research explored the teaching and learning pathways for advancing the technological literacy of arts lecturers and students in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria. It reflected on sociological aspects and considered digital technological learning environments that support the creative usage of digital technology in A&DEd teaching and learning, and how these pathways could create innovative practices for new ways of imagining, perceiving, and representing in Art and Design Education.Item type: Item , Identity, and emergent counter-narratives Of teachers of afrikaans(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Lu-ann Millicent KearnsThe historical relationship between the Afrikaans language, race and teacher identity is representative of language inequalities which are deeply embedded through language ideology. Language serves as a powerful instrument of inclusion and exclusion but also has the potential to create different ways of ‘being’. In this research, identity, specifically teacher identity, is framed within the ideological margins of language. Language ideology therefore facilitates an in-depth analysis of race, language and identity.Item type: Item , An investigation of the Dialogical Argumentation Instructional Blended Learning Model (DAIBLM) in the Vocational Engineering Mathematics classrooms at selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges in South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Goodman, LThis thesis is part of a PhD study investigating the impact of a blended learning model on the understanding of functions in mathematics among first-year students enrolled in a Technical and Vocational Education and Training college in the Western Cape, South Africa. A mixedmethods approach was employed to examine the effectiveness of the blended learning model, which combined traditional face-to-face instruction with digital resources and online activities. The face-to-face component involves a dialogical argumentation instruction approach, while blended learning incorporates computer-mediated instruction.Item type: Item , English language and career development in higher education: the case of two Mozambican universities(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Covele, Ricardo Pinto MárioDeparting from Spolsky’s Theory of Field and Second Language Learning, Savickas’s theory of career construction, this thesis studies the disciplinary differences in the social and natural sciences regarding the possession of the English language competence and levels of engagement with academic communities for career development in two African universities, Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, and the Catholic University of Mozambique. This research examines the relationship between the English language and the career development of discipline groups and the levels of engagement with international communities. The research states that levels of possession of the English language have a significant effect on the distinction of the disciplinary fields, both within and across universities, and on the levels of engagement with (international) academic bodies. The investigation reveals that the English language determines the level and forms of engagement with different English-language-speaking academic communities. However, the differences across discipline groups at the university level demonstrate the engagement of academic communities with the English language for career development. That is to say, the level of English language possession differs more between different discipline groups when the engagement is related to international academic interaction for career development. However, English language possession is not the main determiner between universities for scholars’ career development. The English language is what provides academic reputation and visibility to the university. The meaning of this is that academics from different discipline groups might have diverse English language experiences of engagement with different international academic organizations, but it does not deserve a particular advantage for career development in the Mozambican higher education system. I additionally determine that the growing importance that the notion of possession of the English language has for individuals and the university visibility is, perhaps, too hard if the university language policy does not account English language for career progression.Item type: Item , The effect of dialogical argumentation and assessment for learning on Grade 1 learners’ conceptions of water pollution(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Philander, LorraineThis study explores the effect of Dialogical Argumentation and Assessment for Learning as an Instructional Method (DAAFLIM) in enhancing Grade 1 learners' conceptions of water pollution. A quasi-experimental design was employed to compare the experimental (24) and control (24) groups’ epistemic knowledge of science. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist theory, Toulmin’s (1985) Argumentation Pattern (TAP), Ogunniyi’s (2007a) Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT), and Knowles’s self-directed learning (SDL). The study involved a mixed-method approach consisting of two intact classes of Grade 1 learners. The experimental group received the DAAFLIM intervention, and the control group received the traditional instructional method (TTM). This study utilized multiple data collection instruments and techniques, including a water-pollution questionnaire, classroom observations, focus-group interviews, video-recorded class lessons, and field notes. The data was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study showed that DAAFLIM improved the conceptions of the experimental group significantly compared to the control group exposed to TTM. The findings also showed that SDL is best developed in a social environment where learners are provided with personalized opportunities to develop their SDL skills. These results advocate that dialogic argumentation can improve learners’ skills and dispositions for decision-making in a way that scientific inquiry alone may not. Moreover, the study has demonstrated the value of using the Dialogical Argumentation and Assessment for Learning Instructional Model (DAAFLIM) in the foundation phase as a more effective scaffolding pedagogical method to create a teaching and learning discussion space within an open SDL curriculum.Item type: Item , A decolonial perspective on english language teacher education(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Naketsana, MolopetsaneThis study interrogates the English language teaching (ELT) curricula and explores the necessity for a decolonial imperative in teacher training. The study has been conceived with the aim of disrupting settled knowledges. It explores strategies by which to decolonise ELT curricula and to ascertain the relevancy of the curriculum within South African higher education institutions. In particular, there is a focus on emancipatory teaching approaches in language education. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with English language lecturers and students in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) Programme inform the analysis of this study. By using document analysis to provide vigorous case description, the data for this qualitative research is systematically triangulated. The study draws on three theoretical perspectives: critical pedagogy, critical theory and decolonial theories. This theoretical framing allows for perspectives by which to rethink the language curriculum in teacher education institutions, and it provides strategies for a transformative teaching pedagogy. The findings attest to the need in teacher training for language curricula that are guided by critical pedagogy. The findings also reveal that an alignment between the reality of the school context and teacher training is lacking. The study advocates the advancement of a decolonial approach in teacher education curricula by conscious agents of critical and radical education. Recommendations include the need for teacher training institutions which promote discussion that addresses language curriculum practice. Such dialogue would best be underpinned by critical pedagogy and education. In promoting the acknowledgement, development and exposure of all knowledges critically, students may learn to balance the western and African voice in knowledge construction. Thus, reflective practice should form part of teacher training as this will encourage students to engage with their formative pedagogical knowledge and experienceItem type: Item , Exploring the use of a dialogical argumentation instructional model to an assessment for learning tool when teaching natural science and technology in foundation phase(2024) February, FlorenceAssessment for learning forms an integral part of the teaching and learning process and it can support teachers to identify learners’ prior knowledge and address learners’ alternative conceptions. This study was conducted within mixed methods (QUAL-quan) paradigm and adopted case study methods. The data was collected from foundation phase teachers in the form of individual interviews, pre- and post-questionnaires, classroom observations and artefacts to explain the nature and extent to which foundation phase teachers elicit learners’ prior knowledge and address their alternative conceptions when implementing Dialogical Argumentation Instructional Model (DAIMAL) to facilitate the teaching and learning of the foundation phase Life Skills Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). It further sought to explain the perceptions, which foundation phase beginner teachers hold, about assessment for learning and argumentation as a teaching methodology. Social constructivist theory provided the over-arching theoretical framework that guided this study. The data collected was analyzed using the Toulmin Argumentation Pattern, Contiguity Argumentation Theory, and Social Constructivist Theory. Toulmin’s Argumentation Patterns (TAP) provided a basis for analysing and describing teachers’ interview responses. In addition, this study utilized Third-Generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a methodological lens to identify the tensions and contradictions when teachers are implementing DAIMAL. The key findings emanating from this study shows that the teachers have conflicting perceptions about assessment for learning due to the pressures of the external assessments. The findings indicated that in the event where teachers embrace DAIMAL to support their assessment for learning practices that the argumentation spaces within DAIMAL allowed teachers to implement assessment for learning strategies and supported them to elicit learners’ prior knowledge and address their alternative conceptions. CHAT highlighted the contextual- and systemic factors that influenced the way teachers responded to professional development interventions. The implementation of DAIMAL was constrained by the contradictions and tensions identified in the activity systems. Finally, the study offers strategies to policy makers, curriculum designers, and education planners on the need to integrate assessment for learning in natural science to enhance the quality of teaching and learning and at the same time improve learners’ performance, and to encourage more learners to follow science careers.