Teacher Talk Versus Practice: Contradictions and Dilemmas in Social Studies Classrooms in Botswana

The purpose of this study was to explore the social studies teachers’ pedagogical practices on citizenship education in primary schools in Botswana. The study draws largely from post colonial theory using Said (1978) notion of orientalism and knowledge construction for its theoretical framework. The study was qualitative in nature and used the naturalistic inquiry paradigm. The focus of the study was based on eleven exemplary social studies teachers in six primary schools in one of the major villages in Botswana. Qualitative methods were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using grounded theory through the constant comparative technique. The findings of the study revealed that there are contradictions between what teachers’ say they do and what actually transpires in their classrooms. These findings reflect a gloomy picture on the state and practice of citizenship education in Botswana primary schools. The study, therefore, recommends that the pedagogical practices on citizenship education in primary schools in Botswana should be re-visited such that they become culturally relevant to both teachers and the recipients of such an education.