Validating Pedagogical Documentation Practices in Teaching and Learning at Zimbabwean Primary Schools

The purpose of the study was to assess pedagogical documentation practices that help inform teaching and learning at Zimbabwean primary schools. In this paper we argue that one of the pervasive paradoxes in primary school teaching and learning is the qualitative discrepancy between what is contained in teacher prepared documents and what happens in practice presenting a rhetoric-reality dichotomy. We used a reflective paradigm, and the qualitative interpretive phenomenological design with a convenience sample of ten primary school teachers drawn from Masvingo urban, Zimbabwe. Document analysis was the main data collection instrument triangulated with data from open-ended interviews. The study found that there was a decline in the quality of preparation and use of pedagogical documents by primary school teachers in Zimbabwe. Pedagogical documents were viewed as tools in teaching and learning and part of the teacher professional identity and responsibility, yet the study found no empirical evidence to suggest a coherent picture of the relationship between documents and the teaching-learning processes. We recommend the need for a national consultative workshop to review the pedagogical documents in which there is greater primary school teachers’ participation with the view to rethink the whole documentation practices in the Zimbabwean primary school classrooms

Community participation in curriculum implementation in Zimbabwean primary schools

Allowing communities to become integral players in curriculum implementation conversation has not been taken seriously by academics and the educational leaders. Generally, there is a growing realisation in academic circles that knowledge and skills in primary school education cannot be solely owned by school heads and teachers for effective curriculum implementation to be realised. School heads and teachers need pedagogical support from members of the community around their primary schools who have the knowledge and skills that teachers can make use of in teaching and learning. Current curriculum implementation practices have seen community members as peripheral players whose knowledge and skills are of diminished value. The purpose of this study was to explore how community members’ knowledge and skills could be harnessed in curriculum implementation at primary school level in Zimbabwe’s Chivi district of Masvingo. The notion was to grow a partnership between community members, school heads and teachers. The study was informed by the Social Capital Theory, a theory devoted to the establishment of social networks, links and social relations among individuals and groups for the realisation of new ways of co-operation. The qualitative case study design was employed, where individual interviews, focus group discussions and open-ended questionnaires were the data-collection instruments. Four rural primary schools with their respective school heads, were randomly selected to participate in the study. Twenty teachers, two traditional leaders, two church leaders, two business people and eight parents comprised the purposefully selected participants. The study findings indicated that community members and the school community have not meaningfully engaged each other in curriculum implementation. The barriers to a successful relationship included: the language of education, feelings of inadequacy, time constraints, and the polarised political environment. Evaluated against the social capital theory, participants appreciated the need for partnerships in curriculum implementation for shared resources, knowledge and skills for the benefit of the learners. The study recommends a rethink by school heads, teachers and community members, aided by government policy to create space for community contribution in curriculum implementation.D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)Curriculum and Instructional Studie

Exploring the Zimbabwean Technical and Vocational Education Journey: Challenges and Prospects

The study explored the challenges that militate against the successful implementation of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Zimbabwe. The study gave an informed focus on biases and perceptions associated with the academic curriculum. In addressing these challenges, it becomes possible to create an environment where TVET education is valued and considered a viable pathway for individuals, and national economic and social development. Using critical discourse analysis, the study examined the perceptions of instructors and students about TVET education and identified historical factors that continue to contribute to the devaluation of TVET. The study findings revealed that the historical undervaluing of TVET subjects in comparison with academic subjects was borrowed from the colonial bottleneck education system that favoured university education over technical skills and persists today. The study underscored the need for a paradigm shift to TVET skills if economic development is to be realised in Zimbabwe. This study recommends the need to re-evaluate the status of TVET education given its contribution to the job market. This study understands the historical roots of biases against TVET and provides insights for the reconstruction of an effective TVET system in Zimbabwe that contributes toward ongoing discourses on the importance of technical skills for national development. The study recommends the need to reshape public perceptions around TVET which requires a concerted effort and long-term commitment to changing societal attitudes toward technical-vocational education

African Linguistics in Central and Eastern Europe, and in the Nordic Countries

Non peer reviewe

Language endangerment and language documentation in Africa

Non peer reviewe

Using mother tongue as a medium of instruction in the teaching of mathematics in the Zimbabwean junior primary schools: Desirable or feasible?

The use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction debate has been on the cards fora long time now in Zimbabwe but has never had any genuine implementation commitment from the policy makers. The study focuses on language use and challenges teachers and pupils face in the classroom in their attempt to use mother tongue in the teaching and learning of mathematics at junior primary level. The study sample comprised 32 teachers from Masvingo urban primary schools, 32 of their lessons were observed and learners from these classes participated in the study. Observation protocol and a structured questionnaire were the data collection instruments. The research found out that the use of mother tongue in teaching mathematics may not be achieved soon. Consultations with relevant stakeholders, attitude change and resource production and mobilisation are among some of the many issues militating against the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in mathematics. One of the major recommendation was to have an all stakeholder conference, comprising politicians, academics , language experts, representatives from countries where mother tongue tuition has been successfully implemented in educational settings; teachers and parents to openly debate the feasibility of using mother tongue as a medium of instruction in education in general. Mathematics would obviously benefit from such a conference.

Rurality and Curriculum Implementation in Zimbabwean Primary Schools: Challenges and Opportunities

The paper argues that harnessing community epistemologies can greatly improve the implementation of the curriculum in Zimbabwean rural primary schools. The contribution of rural communities in educational discourses has been less valued and this position is being challenged given the wealth of knowledge and skills that are prevalent in rural communities. Employing the Social Capital Theory, the study empirically analyses the implications of engaging rural communities based on a qualitative descriptive survey design with a small purposefully selected sample of four rural primary schools, twenty primary school teachers, and ten community members.  The study employed focus group discussion and in-depth unstructured interviews in data collection. The research findings indicated that rural teachers cannot self-provide all the educational knowledge critical for quality primary school education. They need to meaningfully engage community members in the implementation of the primary school curriculum. Furthermore, rural community members felt the primary schools did not value their contributions and, therefore, did not engage them in curriculum implementation discourses. The study concludes that there is a need to change the current teacher-community relationship practices that erode trust and voluntarism on classroom matters and create favourable win-win educational conditions. The study recommends that teachers identify specific attributes of members of the rural community and exploit them for the good of curriculum implementation at the primary school level

An exploration of the factors that lead to the successful employment of people with intellectual disabilities

Employment is an important aspect of being a participating and valued member of the community. The term social inclusion is commonly used to describe the need to incorporate people with intellectual disabilities in different facets of the community, including employment. This research examines how six people with intellectual disabilities (ID), who are supported by IDEA Services Ltd in South East Auckland, with shared similarities, have fared differently in mainstream employment. Three of the people were successful in obtaining and keeping jobs, while the other three were unsuccessful. A strength-based approach is used to demonstrate the fact that, given the right environment and support, there could be a possibility of more people with intellectual disabilities succeeding in the mainstream employment sector. Literature shows how different models have been used historically, in working to gain employment for people with ID and how currently there are some models, both internationally and nationally, which appear to be working well. The concept of social role valorisation (SRV) as an aspect of normalization is taken into consideration when looking at inclusion with ID, from the historical perspective. Though it has its limitations, SRV is important in that it emphasizes the fact that people with ID should not stand out, but be given as much opportunity as possible, to participate as the rest of the members of society who do not have a disability. It also stresses the importance of training people with disability, to give them skills that help them to fit into the community. An important aspect from literature is how the social model plays a vital role for people with intellectual disabilities in getting and keeping jobs. Two international and one local successful model are used as examples of what has been done to give people with ID a chance in the employment sector. There are specific characteristics that the models possess, which have made them successful in helping the people to obtain and maintain employment. However, possibly both internationally and locally, there is more that needs to be done to get more people with ID into employment. The transformative emancipatory paradigm as part of the methodology, takes centre stage in this research because of its focus on social justice. A mixed methods approach is used, which includes a focus group and semi structured interviews, which are qualitative. At the same time, it makes use of a quantitative survey assessment. The focus group is made up of the six participants with ID, while the semi-structured interviews encompassed the support network of the people with intellectual disabilities, including the employers. The main tool for quantitative data collection was the Supported Independent Living Assessment adapted from Australia and adjusted to suit the New Zealand context. Government policies, including international conventions like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability and IDEA Services policies are also examined in terms oftheir role in the employment of people with intellectual disabilities. A non-random, purposive quota sampling method was used to select the participants with intellectual disabilities. This gave an opportunity to acquire an information rich sample, which was diverse enough to give the research validity. The study shows how the three people with intellectual disabilities have been able to obtain and keep jobs. It examines the environmental factors and the personal attributes of the people, and the role these have played in their success in the employment sector. On the other hand, it also examines the possible causes for the other group of three participants with ID not being able to have the same kind of success. The role each factor has had on those who have been successful and those who have not, is examined to see how it may be replicated for the successful cases or enhanced for those who have not been successful. In addition to that, the personal characteristics of the participants from the two groups are also examined to see the role they play in their success or lack of success