First-Year University Students’ Sampling

This sample consisted of 65 first-year university students enrolled for the Diploma in Education course at the UNAM, Hifikepunye Pohamba Campus. The campus offers Arts teaching as a course only to the first-year students enrolled in teacher training. The students have the choice of Visual Arts and/or Performing Arts. A small number of students study both fields while the majority does Visual Arts. The selection was simple as all first-year students doing teacher training at the Arts department participated.

No questionnaires were given to this sample. The focus was on a series of workshops that took place over a period of two months from August to September 2014. The choice to work with these students was because they have to teach the Arts after the completion of the course. It was a tremendous opportunity to work with the students.

The sample included students from rural and urban locations who were aged between 25 and 42 years. Although the majority of the students were from the northern regions, a few came from as far as the southern regions, Karas and Hardap, while a small group came from the Kunene Region.

The Table below gives an indication of all the participants who took part in this research during the three years. The learners did not directly work with the researcher, but were selected by the members of the VAFT to participate in their lessons. Each teacher involved 10 learners in their working sessions.

135 | P a g e

Table 13. Indication of the Research Sample

Activity Participants

Pre-primary school workshop 40

Primary School workshop 43

First-Year University Arts students' workshop 65

VAFT workshop series 13

Learners’ working series 130

Total 291

3.4 Instruments

3.4.1 Questionnaires (See Appendices S, T, U, V, W)

As summarized by Boynton and Greenhalgh, questionnaires offer an objective means of collecting information about people's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. They can be used as the sole research instrument (such as in a cross-sectional survey) or within clinical trials or epidemiological studies (May 29, 2004). Based on these facts, this study mainly focused on the use of questionnaires for data collection, and six questionnaires were distributed.

The rationale behind the abundant use of questionnaires as the main instrument has support from Ong'anya and Ododa. Significant amounts of information were collected from a large number of people in a short period and in a relatively cost effective way. The researcher and many other people with only limited effects on its validity and reliability distributed the questionnaires. The researcher quickly and easily quantified the results of the questionnaires.

136 | P a g e

The questionnaire was furthermore used as a research tool for the following reasons:

§ It was not difficult to distribute the questionnaires to the selected regions as a courier service were used to deliver most of the questionnaires;

§ As the area of research was too large for the researcher to visit each region, it was inexpensive and faster to collect the data by the use of questionnaires;

§ A big number of respondents were reached in a reasonable time;

§ It was a high return response data collection method;

§ The respondents could answer the questionnaire in their own time The researcher designed the following questionnaires to cover numerous areas:

Ø National Arts Questionnaire to Schools (NAQS) Ø National Teachers’ Questionnaire (NTQ)

Ø Learners’ Questionnaire (LQ)

Ø Pre-primary school Teachers’ Questionnaire (PSTQ) Ø National Arts Questionnaire to Artists (NAQA)

The objectives of the questionnaires were:

Ø Bringing realistic statistics to use for the research Ø Evaluating the current state of the Arts in schools

Ø Looking at methodologies on how Arts Education can be changed Ø Enhancing opportunities to promote the Arts in schools

The researcher systematically compiled a well-organized series of questions intended to obtain information that would provide insight into the nature of the problem under the field of study.

The NTQ and PSTQ were divided into three sections, while the NAQA consisted of only the first two sections. Section A consisted of questions searching for general information about higher education degree earned, teaching experience as a teacher in general and as an Arts teacher, and the use of the Arts outside the classroom.

137 | P a g e

Section B collected general information on the knowledge of the Arts by including items that use the categories of yes or no. This section explored the participants’ knowledge about the various components of the Arts, in particular, Visual Arts, Dance, Drama, and Music. It also looks at knowledge attainment as part of formal education, training, work, and personal interest.

Section C was comprised of Likert-type items and open-ended questions. The open-ended questions focused on the use of the Arts in schools and permitted the teachers to explain the personally perceived benefits of integrating art, drama, music, dance, and visual art. It further included the integration of Arts components in other academic subjects as part of a holistic approach. Open-ended questions provided room for the expressions of integration perspectives.

The LQ was divided into three simple sections that looked for the learners’ input on the state of the Arts in schools. Section A collected general information, such as the school, grade, age, gender, and the region. Section B consisted of 13 questions that rated the interest of the learners in the Arts inside and outside the classroom.

Section C was open-ended questions that allowed the learners to express their likes and dislikes about the Arts as well as their suggestions for Arts implementation in their respective schools.

In general, the questionnaires to the teachers and schools focused on information about the Arts teachers at the schools and the implementation of Arts subjects as well as their promotion or non-promotion in schools. It searched for information on access to musical instruments and teaching aids. Burning issues, like suitable space for education and budget, were included in some of the questions. It had space for them to list challenges they had experienced in Arts Education and suggestions for how to improve Arts Education. The questionnaires also looked into general information about artists and their involvement in schools and proposals on Arts Education.

It was important to perform a test of the questionnaire before it was distributed to the respondents to uncover possible problems. The researcher emailed the NAQS to the Director and Deputy Director of the D.A. for their input. Education Officers for the Arts also assisted with the analysis of the questionnaire. After thorough discussions, editing was done.

138 | P a g e

The NTQ, LQ, PSTQ, and NAQA were pre-tested with randomly selected teachers, school learners and artists in Walvis Bay. After several discussions and input, the final questionnaires were made available for distribution.

The distribution of the questionnaire also came with some challenges like:

Ø Some questionnaires were not returned Ø Some questions were left incomplete Ø Some questions were misinterpreted

Ø Several regions returned the questionnaires only after the set due date

In addition to the mentioned challenges, the response was above the expected level. The huge response indicates an interest in the Arts, especially for artists. Table 14, below shows the response rates from the various regions.

A covering letter was enclosed (Appendix BB) with all the questionnaires. The purpose was to orientate the respondents to the aims of the questionnaires. It assured confidentiality and anonymity in the collection of the data. Lastly, the letter indicated the date when the questionnaires should be returned.

139 | P a g e

Respondents Questionnaire Distributed Returned Percentage

Learners LQ 130 130 100

140 | P a g e