Critical competencies for effective teaching - perceptions of hom

Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters 1997 Critical competencies for effective teaching : perceptions of home economics teachers Esthery D Kunkwenzu Edith Cowan University Recommended Citation Kunkwenzu, E D (1997) Critical competencies for effective teaching : perceptions of home economics teachers Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/918 This Thesis is posted at Research Online http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/918 Theses Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site You are reminded of the following:  Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright  A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement  A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY Use of Thesis This copy is the property of the Edith Cowan University However the literary rights of the author must also be respected If any passage of this copy is quoted or closely paraphrased in a paper or written work by the user, the source of the passage mu~t be acknowledged in the work If the user desires to J?ublish a' paper or written work containing passages copied or closely paraphrased from this thesis, which would in total constitute an infringing copy for the purposes of the Copyright Act, she or he must first obtain the written permission of the author to so Critical Competencies for Effective Teaching: Perceptions of Home Economics Teachers By Esthery Dembo Kunkwenzu A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Education at the Faculty of Education Edith Cowan University · Date of sublllission: 11 At1gust 1997 ii ABSTRACT Home economics is a multi-faceted, inter-disciplinary, integrated field of study drawing from a multitude of disciplines including sociology, psychology, anthropology, chemistry, physics, architecture and the arts (Henry, 1995) As a school subject, home economics in Malawi is taught at primary school, secondary school as well as at university level This study explores home economics teachers' perceptions of competencies critical for teaching the subject Data was collected from secondary school home economics teachers in Malawi The study is a qualitative investigation of how experienced teachers describe effective teaching of the lntergrated home economics syllabus, and what they perceive as critical competencies for meeting the goals and objectives of the course The research design included interviews, Observations and dis(~~s~ions of curriculum and teaching documents Using the ETHNOGRAPH computer program, the data was analysed to identify significant patterns of meaning and behaviour which related to the teaching of home economics in Malawi This study noted that home economics teaching in Malawi was faced with problems resulting from the conditions in the environmental context of the schools, These problems did not only affect teaching performance, but also the way teachers perceived competent practice The findings of this stud) provide useful useful information to extend the understanding of the nature of home economics teaching in Malawi The information can be useful for the planning of more effective preservice and inscrvice teacher education programs and for the development of curriculum support materials iii DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief: (i) incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher learning (ii) contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text; or (iii) contain aoy defamatory material ~ Signature Date ~ \ 'b \9,\S ' ,, ' iv , ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere thanks to my supervisor, Delia Quinn, whose assistance throughout the course of this project has enabled me to produce this work Sincere thanks to the twelve teachers who shared with me valuable experiences of their teaching Their identities remain anonymous but their contribution to this work is greatly appreciated Thanks to Desire and Flor, friends with whom I shared experiences I also like to thank them for their support, and assistance as I learnt new skills to facilitate my search Special thanks to Desire, for his assistance in proof reading parts of this work Finally, I wish to thank my husband, Vupe, and son Chitsa, for their love and encouragement during and throughout the course of this study v I TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .',,,',,,',,,· iii 1.".: DECLARATION .' , : : :.iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS : ,:.::.:.: ·.: ::: ::.: ,, : ' O :: v.·· ·-:· LIST OF FIGURES , : ::.: ::: :.:.:.: :;,;, : : · ~;;; 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