The Zimbabwean Education Act of 1987 stated that English was the official language of learning and teaching (LoLT) from grade four upwards. From grade three downwards, the mother tongue was to be used. That Education Act was later amended in 2006, to extend the use of the mother tongue up to grade seven. As a college lecturer, I have observed that there is tension between policy and practice. English and indigenous languages are vying for supremacy as the LoLT from as early as the Early Childhood Development (ECD) level. For the majority of these learners, English is a second language. This research aims to investigate problems emanating from the use of English as a second language (ESL) in learning and teaching Environmental Science (ES) at primary school level. Its objectives are to investigate the usefulness of the language policy currently in use in Zimbabwe as well as to investigate empirically, how grades four to seven teachers and their pupils communicate in class during ES lessons; and identify problems resulting from the use of ESL during ES lessons at primary school level and suggest solutions to these problems. I purposively chose ES because I developed interest in that subject when I taught it at college level where I observed many students teaching it for almost three decades. Most of the pupils these students taught struggled to communicate in ESL. My research was not intended to test existing theory. Therefore I chose an inductive (qualitative) approach. I adopted the phenomenological case study in which I collected data from the natural setting, namely: three purposively selected primary schools. I did my pilot study at the fourth school. I used four methods of data collection, namely: direct observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. The participants were grades four to seven teachers and their pupils. Findings of this study show that pupils were not willing to participate in class oral discourse. When teachers asked questions, pupils usually gave one-word answers. Teachers and pupils spoke the same first language (L1). So, when they failed to express themselves coherently in English, they code-switched to their L1. When that happened, most of the pupils were eager to talk. They gave correct responses in their L1. Group discussions were very lively when they were held in the pupils’ L1. But when teachers instructed the pupils to discuss in English, many pupils were silenced because of their limited English proficiency (LEP). It was very evident that ESL was a barrier to the learning of ES for many learners. Pupils faced conceptual and communication problems because most of them were not yet proficient enough to use ESL effectively to learn ES. Participants welcomed code-switching to L1 as a solution to their limited English proficiency. / Educational Studies / D. Phil. (Education)

The study sought to investigate factors that influence the choice of career pathways among high school students in Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. The investigation serves as a springboard to establishing a career guidance model that would assist career guidance teachers in high schools in their endeavours to help students make career choice from a well-informed perspective. A survey design which was mainly quantitative in nature was used in this empirical study. A self-designed questionnaire was used in collecting data from the participants. One thousand and ten high school students and 20 career guidance teachers participated in the study. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 19 calculated the percentages that were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that family members, both nucleus and extended, had an influence on students’ choice of careers. The influence of mothers and fathers was rated highly as compared to other family members. The study also revealed that schools had an impact on high school students’ choice of careers. Career guidance, especially school career days, was cited as having a positive impact on students’ choice of careers. The geographical location of schools was cited as quite influential in the choices of careers by students. The study also revealed that peers had an influence on students’ choices of careers through peer advice and encouragement. However, the influence of gender on career choice was lowly rated. In other words, gender did not influence the students’ choice of careers. Several recommendations were made. The study recommended the training of parents, peers and teachers to enhance students’ choice of careers. It was also recommended that only trained career guidance teachers be allowed to teach career guidance. Lastly, the study also recommended a career guidance model to assist in helping students choose suitable careers. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Text in Afrikaans / Multikulturele onderwys is die uitkoms van demokratiseringstendense wereldwyd. Die Verenigde State van Amerika, Zimbabwe en die Republiek van Suid-Afrika is as eksemplare geselekteer om die wordingsgang van multikulturele onderwys te ondersoek. Die wordingsgang toon duidelike ooreenkomste met die wordingsgang van gesegregeerde, monokulturele onderwysstelsels. Weerstand teen die eksklusiewe aard van monokulturele onderwys het uitgeloop op die ontwikkeling en implementering van multikulturele onderwys. In die Verenigde State van Amerika word die implementering van multikulturele onderwys wetlik afgedwing. Multikulturele onderwys in Zimbabwe word nie s6 intensiefverreken nie. In die onderwys van Zimbabwe val die klem oorwegend op Afrikanisering en lewensvoorbereiding en daarna op die optimale hantering van kultuurdiversiteit. Onderwys in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika is steeds gesegregeer en hoofsaaklik monokultureel. Dit blyk uit die beleidsdokumente van onderwysbelanghebbendes dat 'n toekomstige onderwysbedeling dieselfde weg as die in Zimbabwe gaan volg. Die onderrig van samelewingsvaardighede word as prioriteit gestel. / Multicultural education is the consequence of universal trends towards democratisation. The United States of America, Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa were selected as exemplars to investigate the emergence of multicultural education. There are distinct similarities between this process and that of the development of segregated monocultural education systems. Opposition to the exclusive nature of monocultural education resulted in the establishment and implementation of multicultural education. In the United States of America multicultural education is enforced by legislation. Multicultural education in Zimbabwe is not applied as stringently. Zimbabwe's educational model emphasises Africanisation and the preparation for life, also proficiency in dealing with cultural diversity. Education in the Republic of South Africa remains segregated and predominately monocultural. From the policy documents of those parties interested in education it seems that any future educational dispensation will follow a course similar to that of Zimbabwe. The teaching of societal skills enjoys precedence. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Historical Education)

The present study assessed the factors that affect the implementation of inclusive education for children with learning disabilities in Zimbabwean primary schools. The assessment serves as a context for finding ways of dealing with challenges and proposing a model of implementing inclusive education for children with learning disabilities. The survey method was used in the empirical study and a self-constructed questionnaire was used to collect data. Two hundred and fifty primary school teachers, twenty education officers and thirty college/university lecturers participated in the study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 16.0 was used to analyse data. Frequency tables and ratios were calculated to establish the relative rating of each item. Chi-square tests were also calculated. This study revealed that primary school teachers lacked training to assist children with learning disabilities in their classes. The study also revealed that the primary schools did not have material resources to implement inclusive education for children with learning disabilities. The current study also established that the stakeholders had negative attitudes towards the implementation of inclusive education for children with learning disabilities. Findings of the study also revealed that there was no inclusive education policy for the implementation of inclusive education for children with learning disabilities in primary schools. The present study recommended that the implementation of inclusive education for children with learning disabilities in primary schools would be improved through the professional preparation and training of Zimbabwean school teachers, the availability of trained teachers, the provision of resources and the need to formulate mandatory policies and legislation for the implementation of inclusive education. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Primary school teachers in Zimbabwe tend to face a number of challenges that need to be overcome if they are to handle learners with diverse needs effectively. The main problem has been failure by teachers to deal with gifted learners. The objective of this qualitative study focused on answering the key research question, ‘What are the teacher education initiatives undertaken by Teachers Colleges to prepare trainee teachers in handling gifted learners in primary schools in Zimbabwe?’ The problem is mainly attributed to preparation of teachers during pre-service training. Primary school education in Zimbabwe has tended to ignore gifted learners as compared to learners who experience academic barriers. It has been observed that records kept by trainee teachers on teaching practice reflect some serious planning considerations given to remedial cases in which gifted learners are completely ignored. This suggests that the trainee teachers are not deliberately ignoring gifted learners but have an inherent assumption that they do not need extra attention. The research was grounded in the constructivist paradigm to gain a full understanding of the social life-world of the initiatives by teacher education in the preparation of trainee teachers to handle gifted learners. A phenomenological design was employed to collect data through qualitative methods, namely semi-structured interviews, observation and focus group discussion. The respondents to these data collection methods were lecturers from two teachers colleges, qualified teachers and trainee teachers from two primary schools. The main finding was that gifted education was missing in the teacher preparation to enable trainee teachers to handle gifted learners. The researcher made some recommendations from the conclusions drawn from the research findings. The recommendations included that there is need for a national policy on gifted education to provide guidelines for teacher education programmes and that teacher training colleges should review their curriculum specifically in Theory of Education and Professional Studies to include gifted education. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of philanthropic interventions in public high schools in Mutasa district of Zimbabwe. Three research questions guided the study. The investigation focused on finding out the types of philanthropic interventions in the public high school and to evaluate their impact on the schools and students involved from an educational management perspective. The investigation was a mixed methods research using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected by questionnaire, interview and documentary sources. Principals of twenty nine high schools responded to a questionnaire. Interview data was gathered from two representatives of non-governmental organisations. One NGO also provided documents for more data. Two individual philanthropists from the district were also interviewed. The results of the study indicate that philanthropic interventions have made significant improvements to the physical infrastructure of some schools. During the 2014 study there were about 700 students from poor backgrounds on various school fees assistance programmes. School enrolment and completion rates have increased. School drop-outs have decreased. Over 6 500 former beneficiaries of fees from one donor organisation have formed an alumni association to assist other children in disadvantaged circumstances. It is strongly recommended that schools in the district and elsewhere use online social network platforms to organise alumni associations from a wider catchment area beyond national borders. Alumni associations are a potentially rich source of philanthropic revenue hardly tapped in the district. Schools should create their own websites to be exposed to a global audience of donors for possible funding of their projects. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding HIV and AIDS of university in Zimbabwe using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as the theoretical framework. The ultimate aim was to find out how at risk university students were of contracting HIV and AIDS. A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive, explorative and correlational research design was used, using self-designed questionnaires for data collection. Respondents were sampled through systemic stratified random sampling resulting in 403 undergraduate university students. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS version 21 software program. Most students were knowledgeable about HIV transmission; the prevention of HIV and AIDS and sexual risk behaviours pertaining to HIV transmission. Students also did show positive attitudes towards PLHIV. Most students did not perceive themselves to be at high of contracting HIV and AIDS. Up to 52% who were sexually active had more than one sexual partner. The respondents knew that HIV and AIDS were not treatable but continued to indulge in risky sexual behaviours. Most respondents received information about HIV and AIDS from the media and peers. The findings would assist policy makers, programme planners and educators in developing in developing and implementing programmes to improve the health of university students. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Cultural conflict is endemic in diverse societies and schools. It manifests in both subtle and overt ways, permeating the whole school environment and posing tremendous challenges for society. The purpose of this study is to devise an education strategy to reduce cultural conflict in schools administered by mines in Zimbabwe, with a particular reference to language and teacher capacity to cope with diversity in mining-town schools. This study was guided by three theoretical frameworks: Bourdieu’s capital theory, Nussbaum’s cosmopolitan education theory and unhu/ubuntu moral theory. Nine models for the reduction of cultural conflict in diversity were reviewed in order to gain insight relating to cultural conflict in mining-town schools. The qualitative research design of the study was approached from a phenomenological perspective with regard to document analysis, face-to-face and focus group interviews as well as classroom observation. Three school administrators, three SDC members, two company managers, three Grade 2 teachers and 30 Grade 6 learners were purposively selected to participate in the study. It emerged from the study that conflict was attributable to teachers with no command of language(s) spoken by the school-going population and lacked training and apititude for the task of dealing with language and cultural diversity in the classroom. It was also found that cultural conflict as described above could be reduced by establishing well-resourced language learning centres that foster essentially civilised values like respect, tolerance and dialogue. Participants also saw an ethnic match between staff and learners as significant in averting cultural conflict. The study recommended that the government should provide services that address diverse learners’ unique needs. / Early Childhood Education / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

The focus of this study was to explore and expand capabilities, sustainability and gender justice in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects (SMTs) in teacher education curriculum practices as a process of Education for Sustainable Development in two case studies in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The study begins by discussing gender and science education discourse, locating it within Education for Sustainable Development discourse. Through this nexus, the study was able to explore gender and sustainability responsiveness of the curriculum practices of teacher educators in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects; scrutinise underlying mechanisms that affect (promote or constrain) gender and sustainability responsive curriculum practices; and understand if and how teacher education curriculum practices consider the functionings and capabilities of females in relation to increased socio-ecological risk in a Southern African context. Influenced by a curriculum transformation commitment, an expansive learning phase was conducted to promote gender and sustainability responsive pedagogies in teacher education curriculum practices. As shown in the study, the expansive learning processes resulted in (re)conceptualising the curriculum practices (object), analysis of contradictions and developing new ways of doing work. Drawing from the sensitising concepts of dialectics, reflexivity and agency, the study worked with the three theoretical approaches of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), feminist theory and capabilities theory. The capability and feminist lenses were used in the exploration of gender and sustainability responsiveness in science teacher education curriculum practices. CHAT, through its associated methodology of Developmental Work Research, offered the opportunity for researcher and participants in this study to come together to question and analyse curriculum practices and model new ways of doing work. Case study research was used in two case studies of teacher education curriculum practices in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects, one in Zimbabwe and one in South Africa. Each case study is constituted with a networked activity system. The study used in-depth and focus group interviews and document analysis to explore gender and sustainability responsiveness in curriculum practices and to generate mirror data. Inductive and abductive modes of inference, and Critical Discourse Analysis were used to analyse data. This data was then used in Change Laboratory Workshops, where double stimulation and focus group discussions contributed to the expansive learning process. Findings from the exploration phase of the study revealed that most teacher educators in the two case studies had some basic levels of gender sensitivity, meaning that they had ability to perceive existing gender inequalities as it applies only to gender disaggregated data especially when it comes to enrolment and retention. However, there was no institutionalised pedagogic device in place in both case studies aimed at equipping future teachers with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to promote aspects of capabilities (well-being achievement, wellbeing freedom, agency achievement and agency freedom) for girls in Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects. Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects teacher educators' curriculum practices were gender neutral, but in a gendered environment. This was a pedagogical tension that was visible in both case studies. On the other hand, socio-ecological issues, in cases where they were incorporated into the curriculum, were incorporated in a gender blind or gender neutral manner. Social ecological concerns such as climate change were treated as if they were not gendered both in their impact and in their mitigation and adaptation. It emerged that causal mechanisms shaping this situation were of a socio-political nature: there exist cultural differences between students and teacher educators; patriarchal ideology and hegemony; as well as other interfering binaries such as race and class. Other curriculum related constraints, though embedded in the socio-cultural-political nexus, include: rigid and content heavy curriculum, coupled with students who come into the system with inadequate content knowledge; and philosophy informing pedagogy namely scientism, with associated instrumentalist and functionalist tenets. All these led to contradictions between pedagogical practices with those expected by the Education for Sustainable Development framework. The study contributes in-depth insight into science teacher education curriculum development. By locating the study at the nexus of gender and Science, Mathematics and Technical subjects within the Education for Sustainable Development discourse, using the ontological lenses of feminist and capabilities, it was possible to interrogate aspects of quality and relevance of the science teacher education curriculum. The study also provides insight into participatory research and learning processes especially within the context of policy and curriculum development. It provides empirical evidence of mobilising reflexivity amongst both policy makers and policy implementers towards building human agency in policy translation for a curriculum transformation that is critical for responding to contemporary socio-ecological risks. / Microsoft� Word 2010 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

Among the many undesirable phenomenon within developing countries is „orphanhood‟ that seems to be precipitated by the escalating parental deaths mostly rooted in the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS and poverty. The phenomenological descriptive case study investigated the effects of double orphanhood on the cognition and learning of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) living within child-headed households (CHHs) in Chipinge District of Manicaland, Zimbabwe. The qualitative enquiry is tethered on a multi-dimensional concept of constructivism. The triangulated data were collected through participant observations, open-ended questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions held at four secondary schools. The purposefully selected participants comprised 20 double orphans and vulnerable children, four headmasters, eight teachers, one Education Officer and one Social Welfare officer, making a total sample of 34. The study employed the Tesch‟s qualitative model of data analysis that led the findings into five major themes, each differentiating into sub-categories. The findings revealed that though most OVC try to remain resilient within their orphanhood predicament, they continue to suffer loneliness, inferiority complex, stresses, anxieties, low self-esteem, lack of concentration in class and more negativity that militates against effective assimilation and accommodation of learning materials within their ecological environment. The situation affected both sexes and was exacerbated by poverty, need deprivation and overwhelming household and parenting responsibilities. As such, most of the children‟s voiced responses expressed great despondence over their predicament. Other older OVC were contemplating dropping out of school in order to work, earn and look after their siblings. Even though some OVC reported occasional receipt of aid through donors and the government‟s facilities such as the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), not all OVC were lucky to remain beneficiaries up to the end of their secondary schooling. vi Orphanhood was found to be a psychological deterrent to cognition and learning. Therefore, the local community, education administrators, policy makers, children‟s rights advocates together with the children‟s representatives should map out life-lines ideal for enhancing the cognitive learning of double OVC residing in CHHs. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)