Course Synopses

Language Education

LED 221-3       Curriculum Studies I Primary English

Second language learning processes and the primary school curriculum. Materials and experiences for improving spoken and written English: Oral work and language exercises. Reading activities and comprehension in the primary school.

LED 313-3       Sesotho for the High School Teacher (Compulsory)

Sesotho content course designed to develop mastery of the content specifically geared to the needs of the Sesotho student teacher.

LED 322-3      Curriculum Studies: Primary English (II)

First and Second language acquisition-the psychology of language learning-curriculum planning and design-course and textbook evaluation-the early years of skills-pre-reading and pre-writing activities and materials design-the later years of primary English-evaluation and testing.

LED 325-3       English Language for the High School Teacher

An English Language content course designed to develop mastery of the High School syllabus/curriculum and content specifically geared to the needs of the English Language student teacher. Compulsory for 3^rd year English Language B.Ed.

LED 328-3       Literature for the High School Teacher

An English Literature content designed to develop mastery of the content specifically geared to the content needs of the English Literature student.

LED 415-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Sesotho I

Principles of first language acquisition and development. The role of language in education and of Sesotho in particular in Lesotho’s education and development. Sociolinguists, language policy in Lesotho. Teaching of Sesotho language, modern and traditional literatures. Methods and instructional media. Language evaluation. Schemes and records of work and lesson planning Microteaching clinics and teaching practicums.

LED 426-6       Curriculum and Teaching of English Language I

This course reviews the theory and practice of teaching English Language as a subject in an ELS/EFL situation. Based on the high school syllabus and related content in LED 325, the course covers the teaching of Grammar. Reading Comprehension, the process approaches to teaching composition writing, the listening skills and library skills. Reflective practice, systems-based Lesson Planning, scheming and recording, evaluation, identification and production of instructional materials as well as Testing and Evaluation are other key areas of focus on the course.

LED 429-6       Curriculum and Teaching of English Literature I

The literature syllabus/syllabi. Integrating Literature and English Language. Objectives in teaching Literature. Criteria for selecting set books. Approaches to teaching Literature; the short story, the novel, drama, poetry and Oral Literature. Testing Literature. Preparing students for Literature examinations. Lesson plans, schemes of work and examinations/school literature syllabus, writing text reviews/criticisms. Place for thrillers. School festivals-poetry, composition and play writing competitions.

LED 493-6       Curriculum and Teaching of English Language II

An English Language School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

LED 494-6       Curriculum and Teaching of English Literature II

An English Literature School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

LED 499-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Sesotho II

Sesotho School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

Social Education:

ABE 300 – 6 Accounting for the High School Teacher

Accounting content course designed to develop accounting content specifically geared to the needs of accounting education student teachers. Topics include: basic accounting to the balance sheet covering different business units; Accounting Approaches: Balance sheet/Accounting Equation; Single entry/Cash account; and Subsidiary books/Journal entry approaches, and completion of the accounting cycle. Analysis of the model, knowledge as design using the topics: bank reconciliation statement, incomplete records, suspense, final accounts of non-trading concerns and partnerships and extracts of final accounts of companies, together with interpretation of final accounts.

ABE 310: 6 Business for the High School Teacher

Business education content course designed to develop mastery of Business education content specifically geared to the needs of business education student teachers. Topics include: Definitions of the concept “business” and their implications for teaching and learning; human needs and business; factors to be considered when starting a small business; purchasing, pricing and selling; types, functions and filing of business documents; management and the art of salesmanship in small business; assessment of business performance and decision-making in small business.

ABE 311: 6 Commerce for the High School Teacher

Commerce content course designed to develop mastery of Commerce content specifically geared to the needs of commerce student teachers.  Topics include: the meaning and importance of commerce; home and international trade; Finance, banking; insurance; advertising; warehousing; transport; and communications.

BE 200: 6 Business Accounting I

The course examines the principles of accounting in detail and introduces students to documentary records. Topics include: Books of prime entry, the ledger and extraction of trial balance; Accounting procedures; Capital and Revenue expenditure. Accounting for depreciation; Adjustments to ledger accounts; Correction of errors; Trading and profit and loss accounts; Balance sheet and introduction to partnership accounts.

BE 210: 6 Management of Business I

Introduction to Commerce: Production and satisfaction of human needs: trade, home trade and international trade; aids to trade: banking and finance, advertising, insurance, transport and communication and warehousing; business units, private and public enterprises and types of businesses.

BE 211: 6 Introduction to Business Calculations

The course provides basic algebraic skills, graphical techniques in useful business management. Topics include: Fundamental operations with algebraic expressions; equations and inequalities; Graphics; Matrices; Ratio, proportion and percentages.

BE 300: 6 Business Accounting II

The course introduces students to the preparation of final accounts and treatment of advanced principles. Areas include: sole trader; partnership; clubs and societies; Incomplete records; limited liability companies; manufacturing or production accounts; Financial relationships; Accounting principles; Introduction to the principles and techniques employed in cost accounting; Hire purchase accounting and royalty accounting.

BE 310: 6 Management of Business II

Introduction to business management. Functions and practice of management: planning, decision-making, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling in the context of Business Education.

BE 311: 6 Research Project

Following guided readings which will involve an extensive research of literature and/or field student will be required to produce a paper of about 8,000 words on approved topic which must be submitted by the last day of classes in the third year of study.

BE 400: 4 Business Accounting III

The course introduces students to accounting ratios, analysis and interpretation of financial statements, budgeting and budgetary control. It also covers control accounts, sale and purchase of a business, branch accounting and consolidations and amalgamations.

BE 410: 4 Management of Business III

The course looks into the application of management principles in small businesses. Topics include: introduction to the nature and dynamics of small businesses; starting a small business, management and evaluation of the business; the role of small business in the economic and social development of developing countries.

SED 314-3       Business for the High School Teacher I

Management of business content course designed to develop mastery of business content specifically geared to the needs of business education student teachers.

SED 315-3       Curriculum and teaching of Business II

Revision and application of objectives, content organisation, teaching methods, assessment and evaluation to the teaching of the high school management of business syllabus.

SED 316-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Business II

Management of Business and Accounting school-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

SED 323-3       Development Studies for the High School Teacher

Development Studies content course designed to develop mastering of the content specifically geared to the needs of the Development Studies Student Teachers.

SED 332-3       Geography for the High School Teacher

A geography content course designed to develop mastery of the content specifically geared to the needs of the geography student teacher.

SED 342-3       History for the High School Teacher

A History content course designed to develop mastery of the content specifically geared to the needs of History student teachers.

SED 362-3       Religious Education for the High School Teacher

Religious Education content course designed to develop mastery of the content specifically geared to the needs of Religious Education Student teachers.

SED 391-3       Curriculum and Teaching of Social Studies

Social Studies School-based Teaching Practice Action Research.

ABE 400: 6 Curriculum Studies in Accounting I

The course introduces students to application of principles of curriculum and instruction in the teaching and learning of accounting education. It covers: an in-depth study of curriculum development models as a theoretical background to the systems-based lesson plan; the nature and application of objectives in Accounting education; methods of accounting education, which include, teacher-explanation-demonstration, problem-solving; assessment and evaluation of the teaching/learning of high school accounting syllabus.

ABE 410: 6 Curriculum Studies in Business I

The course introduces students to application of principles of curriculum and instruction in the teaching and learning of Business education. It covers: the nature of the concept, curriculum and issues pertaining to curriculum development processes; revision and application of objectives in their varied form, content organisation, teaching methods, assessment and evaluation of the teaching of high school management of business syllabus.

SED-416-3       Curriculum and Teaching of Business III

Revision and application of objectives, content organisation, teaching methods, assessment and evaluation to the teaching of the high school accounting syllabus.

SED 425-6       Curriculum Studies in Development Studies

Aims and objectives of teaching Development Studies in Lesotho and the other BOLESWA countries. The rationale for offering Development Studies in the Schools. The Junior Certificate and the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate syllabuses, their design, construction and implementation. The usefulness of the different social science concepts and their integration. Varieties of teaching methods, sources and materials for the classroom and the use of local resources. Practical activities in schools; field trips and their motivational value to the learners. A preliminary orientation towards school-based teaching practice exercises.

SED 433-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Geography I

The nature and scope of school Geography. Aims and objectives in the teaching of geography including the contribution of geography in the secondary school curriculum. The geography classroom and instructional materials. Teaching, testing and evaluation strategies and methods including learning geography through fieldwork. Map work and map interpretation for the secondary school teacher. Classroom management incorporating micro and peer teaching, schemes, records and lesson plans. Local emphasis and prepared case studies in geography teaching. Geography education appropriate communication, questioning and study skills for the learner.

SED 444-6       Curriculum Studies and Teaching of History I

Aims and objectives of history teaching in Lesotho and elsewhere, the Junior Certificate and the Cambridge School Certificate syllabuses; their design, preparation and implementation. Teaching methods; their design, preparation and implementation. Teaching methods, the construction and use of appropriate teaching materials. The problems of subjectivity and objectivity in history teaching; evaluation. The history teacher; research materials and publications in history teaching. Field trips or visits to places of historical interest and the motivational value to the learners. A preliminary preparation for school based teaching practice exercises.

SED 453-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Religious Education I

Aims of the Religious Education programmes in Lesotho; principles underlying approach and implications for implementation. Principles of curriculum design applied to religious education; procedures for designing units of study criteria for evaluation; application to content from the JC and COSC programme of instruction. Variety of teaching strategies. Methods for moral education. Scheme of work and lesson planning; practical activities.

ABE 401- 6 Curriculum Studies in Accounting II

School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project in Accounting. The course involves the preparation and implementation of accounting units (schemes and records of work) and lesson plans through action research in the microteaching and in-school teaching practice contexts. Topics include: the action research cycle; (pre-observation, implementation stage and post-observation); parts of the teaching practice project (problem identification, related knowledge, data collection, data analysis and discussion, conclusion and recommendations); reflective practice in:

(a) the analysis of high school accounting syllabus;

(b) planning of accounting units,

(c) planning of accounting lessons;  and

(d) the implementation (teaching) of accounting lesson plans.

ABE 411-6 Curriculum Studies in Business II

School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project in Business Education. The course involves the preparation and implementation of business education units (schemes and records of work) and lesson plans through action research in the microteaching and in-school teaching practice contexts. Topics include: the action research cycle; (pre-observation, implementation stage and post-observation); parts of the teaching practice project (problem identification, related knowledge, data collection, data analysis and discussion, conclusion and recommendations); reflective practice in:

(a) the analysis of the business education syllabus;

(b) planning of business education units,

(c) planning of business education lessons and

(d) the implementation (teaching) of business education lesson plans.

SED 492-6       Curriculum and Development Studies II

A school-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

SED 493-6       Curriculum and Teaching of History Education II

A School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

SED 496-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Geography II

A GeographySchool based Teaching Practice Action Research.

SED 498-6       Curriculum and Teaching of Religious Education II

Religious Education School-based Teaching Practice Action Research Project.

B.Ed. Degree in Primary Education

COURSE SYNOPSIS

Year I

BEP 101 – 3A:    Introduction to Sesotho Language

The essence and origin of language.  Language sounds and sound patterns applied to Sesotho.  Introduction to Sesotho Morphology and syntax.  Sound and word meaning in Sesotho sentence structure and analysis into words and clauses.

BEP 102 – 3B:  Introduction to Language Development

Theories of language development.   Language acquisition and language learning.  Early language learning and pre-school language development in Lesotho.  School-age and adult language development.  Bilingualism.

BEP 103 – 3A:  Introduction to the Structure of English

The course is intended to improve the primary teachers’ competence in sentence construction.  Hence the exposure and practice of essential grammatical rules; definition of a sentence; basic parts and essential elements of a sentence; an overview of the structure of phrases, clauses; an analysis of sentence forms; subject-verb agreement; use of proper tenses: singular and plural use; classification of sentences by structure/purpose; direct and indirect speech; normal patterns of speech in ordinary conversation and as relevant and appropriate in the Middle and Upper primary.

BEP 104 – 3B:  Developing Reading Skills – Primary English

The Course is intended to help the primary teachers acquire the necessary techniques for teaching English reading at primary school level.  Hence the examination and discussion of psychological factors helpful or hindering reading; pre-reading activities; organizing reading programmes in the Upper Primary; selecting suitable reading materials for pupils  in the primary; developing fluency and comprehension in reading.

BEP 105 – 3B:  Prose Writing for Primary School Teachers

The course is intended to expose primary school teachers to practical writing skills.  Emphasis is laid on writing correct sentence, diction, choice and logical setting of ideas, developing and improvement of one’s expression, paragraphing and editing of one’s writing; Teachers should be exposed to the various types of prose: Narrative, Descriptive, Informative, Argumentative etc.; and illustrations of each should be discussed and practices.

BEP 106 – 3A: Introduction to Primary Social Studies

What is Social Studies; A comparative study of the New and Old Social Studies; The history and development of Lesotho Primary Social Studies; The children we teach and their basic human needs.  Aims and Objectives of Social Studies to include concepts.  Skills and attitude objectives.  The Local environment – a practical approach to the study through a mini environment project to include population distribution, environmental degradation.

BEP 107 – 3B: PMSR Ed. Personality and Human Development in Religious Education.

Initiation to self-discovery.  Factors that shape the personality. Self-knowledge; self-image; others.  Approaches to the inner self.  The “I”, feelings and the body.  Basic attitudes for progress and guidelines concerning self-analysis and action for growth.

BEP 108 – 3A:  Introduction to the Foundations of Education

A.                  The meaning and functions of education; types of education.  Theories in education and their relevance within the developing environment.  The contextual consideration in education.  Education in Lesotho: a historical overview.

B.                  The school and its role in society; home and school as agents of  socialisation.  Culture as the content of socialisation and education.  Social stratification and education.  The school system tasks in relation to other educative agencies in society.  The changing society and education;  gender in/and education; youth and the labour force.

Critical study of the work of some past and contemporary educational thinkers.  A critical overview of some colonial educational influence and impact on the practice of education in some contemporary systems in Africa.

BEP 109 – 3AB: Elements of Maths I

Fractions; bearings; multiplication and division; circumference, area and volume; number patterns; ratio; reflections and rotations; linear mappings and equations; graphs statistics; set notation and Venn diagrams; Vectors and matrices; sequences and series; index notation, logarithms and exponential functions; differential and integral calculus and its applications; circular functions; probability; introduction to statistics.

BEP 110 – 3AB: Elements of Science I

Cell structure and function; animal diversity and plant diversity; life cycles, modes of nutrition and introduction to the theory of evolution; materials contained within the body of an animal dealing with cytology; circulatory, respiratory and excretory systems; osmoregulation and homeostatis; endocrine glands and hormonal control; nervous system and the sense organs; sexual reproduction in animals.

The properties and structure of matter; water and aqueous solutions; chemical change; amount of substance and the mole; chemical formulae and equations.

BEP 201 – 3A: Sesotho for the Primary School Teachers

Sesotho content course designed to develop mastery of the content geared to the need of the Sesotho student teacher.  Sesotho oral literature: fork stories (lits’omo), riddles, games, totem praises and simpler poetry, etc – their content, form and significance.  Creative composition and research in oral literature.

BEP 202 – 3B:  Language Arts in Sesotho

Theories and practice regarding: Listening skills, Speaking skills, Reading skills; Writing skills and Thinking skills; application to Sesotho as LI.

BEP 203 -3A: Effective Teaching of English in Primary Schools

 The Course is intended to expose primary teachers to a variety of ways for teaching English effectively in a primary school.  Thus, the definition and discussion of the terms:  approach, method, technique, strategy, activity, experience, involvement, assessment, goal, objective; oral approach, direct approach, integrated approach, discussion of factors affecting second language learning; the primary school curriculum; materials and experiences for improving spoken and written English; oral work and language exercises; language teaching materials – lower/middle/upper primary; language content skills – lower/middle/upper primary.

BEP 204 – 3B  Developing Writing Skills in Primary English

The purpose of the Course is to enable developing techniques for helping pupils at primary level write correct English.  Thus, the examining and discussion of objectives of the writing skills; writing readiness; pre-writing activities/context – based sentence construction; sentence combining; guided writing with properly  generated ideas; guided and free simple composition; creative writing and functional writing at primary school level simple story and/or poetry writing; graded writing activities – lower/middle/upper primary.

BEP 205 – 3A:  Primary Social Studies I

Specific Objectives of the Lesotho Primary Social Studies class 3 to 7:  The family and the home as a social unit and the influence of modernization; The school as a social unit; Rural and urban communities a comparative socio economic and cultural study.  The districts of Lesotho a historical background.

BEP 206 – 3B: Primary Social Studies II

Lesotho today - The people, the geography; Local and Central Government.  Modern Lesotho versus traditional Lesotho a political perspective.

Lesotho Yesterday – The early inhabitants (San & Khoikhoi) Basotho origins; lifaqane and the history of Lesotho.  (1884 – 1966).

The struggle for independence; post independence changes in population’ environment, climate and human activities (1966 to present).  Employment and Recreation (I) a rural and urban perspective (ii)socio-cultural perspective.

BEP 207 – 3A:  PSMRED Philosophical and Social Foundations for Personal, Social Moral and Religious Education

A philosophical examination of views of the human of world views and ways of knowing.  Religion and the human experience.  Functions of belief systems.  Rationality and respect.  Language and meaning making.  The relational aspect of knowing and cultural formation.  Change, pluralism and new cultures.  Foundations for reflective education.  The value and importance of developing dialogical thinking.  The cultivation of the rational passions.  Towards a re-imaging of the educational process.

BEP 208 – 3B: Psychopedagogics for Personal, Social Moral and Religious Education

The nature, scope, field and value of psychopedagogics.  (1)  Overview of theories of human development:  contributions (e.g. Bruner, Goldman, Kohlberg, Rogers, Allport, Fowler).  Implications for PSMR education and for schooling.  The importance of self-image, self-esteem, self-determination and actualization.  The potential and importance of the affective dimension of extensive and learning.  Cognitive ways of learning; the nature and teaching of thinking skills.  The pivotal importance of personal experience in PSMR learning.  Implications for PSMR instrucation.

BEP 209 – 3B: Ethics, Ethical Values and Value Formation

Introduction to ethics, ethical values:  description, characteristics, significance.  Values and norms in human self-realization: formation of values; values and norms: Moral codes and religion/beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviour; value conflicts and judgments, impact of technology, media and new cultures.  Explicit value education  in school.  Approaches to value development.  A wide variety of strategies for developing thinking and valuing skills in children.  The school as a value laden enterprise:  the “value climate” of the school.  The role of the teacher.

BEP 210 – 3A: Introduction to Instructional Technology

Educational goals and objectives.  Logical Instructional Model.  Methods and Strategies of teaching and factors determining their selection.  Bloom’s Mastery Learning Strategy.  Types and functions of instructional media.  Production and operation of selected instructional materials.  Information Processing.  Inductive and Deductive models.  The concept Attainment model.

In-service Education

Through the centre for the In-service Education of Mathematics and Science Teachers (CIEMST), the department provides in-service education for teachers.

The Induction Programme (IP), a unit of CIEMST, plans organizes and runs school-based in-service for beginning teachers from the University and the Teachers Training Colleges in the Country.