In this study, the researcher aimed to investigate and explore the instructional leadership role of the high school head in creating a culture of teaching and learning (COTL), with specific reference to high schools in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. In an attempt to realise that end, a qualitative approach drawing from ethnographic studies was used to collect data. Therefore, the research instruments included qualitative observations, individual and focus group interviews and document analysis. The participants included five high school heads, ten heads of departments (HODs), ten assistant teachers, and twenty five parents. These were drawn from the five high schools selected for the study. The main findings of the study are that a model for effective instructional leadership aimed at creating a culture of teaching and learning (COTL) consists of long-term and short-term dimensions. The long-term instructional leadership dimension comprises: visioning, communication of the school vision, value management, professional development of staff, and empowerment. The short-term instructional leadership dimension comprises of characteristics of the instructional leader, characteristics of the followers and characteristics of the situation. Characteristics of the instructional leader include his or her perception of stakeholders, task or people orientation, personality, knowledge and experience, value system and trust in followers. Characteristics of the followers include their readiness to take responsibility, motivation to excel, knowledge and experience. Characteristics of the situation include the school climate and culture, relationships among members of the school community, structuring of tasks, availability of human and material resources, and the use of incentives. The effective application of the instructional leadership model for effective practice by the high school head as the instructional leader in creating a culture of teaching and learning (COTL) takes into account both the long-term and short-term dimensions of effective instructional leadership in order to achieve meaningful educational change. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

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)

The main purpose of this study was to explore what the true worth or value of formative assessment was in the context of self-regulated learning. It sought to find out how the quality of formative assessment practices is characterised by the lecturers and students at Solusi University, Zimbabwe. The evidence from this was to be compared with what the course outlines and related documents suggested regarding the quality of formative assessment practices at Solusi University. The study also intended to find out how the self-regulated learning approach could add value to formative assessment practices in this university. This became important on account of the major functions of assessment in general and continuous assessment in particular to act as a barometer of the quality of learning going on in an institution. The qualitative research approach was adopted using interviews and analysis of formative assessment documents such as the course outlines as well as quizzes and tests. It emerged from the findings that formative assessment practices at Solusi University are characterised by performance as the major issue. Performance is the overemphasis of marks and scores whilst ignoring the other major learning aspects of formative assessment. This is so because there is no assessment guide to inform on the criteria and standards to follow. The course objectives were based on the lower-order levels of learning which dwell more on rote learning for the sake of grading or performance. Even though assignments were preferred, more quizzes were being used so as to garner enough marks. This picture could be altered if the theories that underpin this study namely, Self-Regulated Learning, the BEAR Assessment System and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives respectively were applied in the formative assessment practices in the university. This would allow for transparency and collaboration in the formative assessment process with students being active participants. In this case the self-regulated learning approach would have been used to enhance the quality of formative assessment practices. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

In this study, the researcher aimed to investigate and explore the instructional leadership role of the high school head in creating a culture of teaching and learning (COTL), with specific reference to high schools in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. In an attempt to realise that end, a qualitative approach drawing from ethnographic studies was used to collect data. Therefore, the research instruments included qualitative observations, individual and focus group interviews and document analysis. The participants included five high school heads, ten heads of departments (HODs), ten assistant teachers, and twenty five parents. These were drawn from the five high schools selected for the study. The main findings of the study are that a model for effective instructional leadership aimed at creating a culture of teaching and learning (COTL) consists of long-term and short-term dimensions. The long-term instructional leadership dimension comprises: visioning, communication of the school vision, value management, professional development of staff, and empowerment. The short-term instructional leadership dimension comprises of characteristics of the instructional leader, characteristics of the followers and characteristics of the situation. Characteristics of the instructional leader include his or her perception of stakeholders, task or people orientation, personality, knowledge and experience, value system and trust in followers. Characteristics of the followers include their readiness to take responsibility, motivation to excel, knowledge and experience. Characteristics of the situation include the school climate and culture, relationships among members of the school community, structuring of tasks, availability of human and material resources, and the use of incentives. The effective application of the instructional leadership model for effective practice by the high school head as the instructional leader in creating a culture of teaching and learning (COTL) takes into account both the long-term and short-term dimensions of effective instructional leadership in order to achieve meaningful educational change. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

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)

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Setswana / This study investigated the feasibility of using WhatsApp Messenger as a tool to enhance the professional identity and inquiry-based pedagogy through the professional development of university chemistry teachers. The epistemological interpretive paradigm was used to guide the study. The study assumed a naturalistic, exploratory investigation. The qualitative research methodology was used to conduct the study. Nine university teachers were purposively sampled from three universities (three teachers from each university) for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and focus group discussions. Data analysis was completed using the thematic networks analysis. Ethics considerations were observed by not disclosing personal information of the participants or information about the universities where they represented. This study was guided by four theoretical underpinnings: the connectivism theory, the transformative learning theory, the expectancy-value theory, and the dual systems theory. The primary research question guiding this study was: How does the professional identity of university chemistry teachers develop as they learn IBP through WhatsApp Messenger? A two-pronged approach was used in the research: (1) comparing the professional identity of the teachers before and after the course, and (2) observing and describing the professional identity process as the teachers undertook the course. The results from the interviews conducted before the teachers undertook the WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP course showed that most teachers had a negative professional identity. They had become teachers for a variety of reasons, but they did not consider themselves teachers and believed they would leave university teaching if opportunities arose in the industry. They had no formal qualifications in pedagogy, and they did not believe that such knowledge was necessary. The majority of these teachers used teacher-centred approaches. Results from participant observations during the WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP course showed that the course slowly imparted to the teachers the norms associated with not only IBP, but other teaching approaches as well. WhatsApp Messenger provided a flexible online platform where the teachers interacted and exchanged ideas without the need to meet in a physical space. The results from the interviews conducted after the teachers participated in the WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP course showed that the participants' professional identity had changed positively. They now recognised the importance of pedagogy in teaching, they positively identified with the teaching profession, and some were considering acquiring formal qualifications in pedagogy. / Lolu cwaningo beluphenya ithuba lokusetshenziswa kwangempela kwe-WhatsApp Messenger njengethuluzi lokuqinisa isithombe sesisebenzi kanye nohlelo lokufundisa olwencike phezu kophenyo lothisha besifundo seKhemistri (chemistry) enyuvesi, ngohlelo lokuthuthukisa abasebenzi. Uhlelo lwepharadayimu echazayo ye-ephistemoloji lwasetshenziswa ukuhlahla indlela yesifundo, okuyindlela enqume ukulandela indlela yemvelo, ephenyayo. Umethodoloji wocwaningo olwencike kuKhwalithi (Qualitative) lusetshenzisiwe ukwenza ucwaningo, ndawonye nothisha basemanyuvesi ayisishiyagalolunye abakhethwe ngenhloso kumanyuvesi amathathu (abathathu kwinyuvesi eyodwa). Idatha yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa izinhlolovo ezimbaxambili (semi-structured interviews), ngokubheka izenzo zomdlalindima (participant observation) kanye nezingxoxo zeqembu eliqondiwe (focus group discussions), kanti ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kwenziwa kwaqedwa ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lokuhlaziya oluwuthungelelwano lwendikimba (thematic network analysis). Kubonakele ukulandelwa komgomo wokuziphatha ngokungadaluli ulwazi lomuntu ongumdlalindima noma ulwazi olumayelana namanyuvesi ababewameleyo. Ucwaningo beluholwa yizinhlaka ezine zethiyori: i-connectivism theory, i-transformative learning theory, i-expectancy-value theory kanye nama-dual systems theory. Umbuzo wokuqala wezocwaningo ohola ucwaningo bewuthi: Ngabe isithombe sobizo lobuthishela wekhemistri enyuvesi sithuthukiswa kanjani ngesikhathi befunda uhlelo lwemfundo eyencike ekuphenyeni (inquiry-based pedagogy (IBP) ngokusebenzisa i-WhatsApp Messenger? Indlela embaxambili iye yasetshenziswa: 1) ukuqhathanisa isithombe sobizo lobuthishela ngaphambi nangemuva kwesifundo,, kanye no-2) baqhathanisa isithombe sobizo lobuthishela sothisha ngaphambi nangemuva kwesifundo, kanye no 2) babheke futhi bachaza uhlelo lwezimpawu zokwakha isithombe sobizo lobuthishela njengoba othisha baye badlala indima kulesi sifundo. Imiphumela evela kwizinhlolovo ezenziwe ngaphambi kokuba othisha bahambele isifundo se-WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP, ikhombise ukuthi iningi lothisha libe nesithombe sobizo esibi. Baye bafundela ubuthishela ngezizathu ezahlukahlukile, kodwa abakaze bazibona bangothisha futhi baye bacabanga ukuyeka inyuvesi uma ngabe kuvela amathuba kwimboni. Abakaze babe neziqu zokufundisa, kanti abazange bakholwe ukuthi ulwazi olunjalo kwakunesidingo sokuba nalo, kanti iningi lothisha lwalandela indlela izindlela ezencike kuthisha. Imiphumela evela ekubukeni izenzo zothisha ngesikhathi sesifundo se-IBP ikhombise ukuthi isifundo kancane kancane sinikeze othisha izimfundiso ezithile, kanti futhi nezinye izindlela zokufundisa. Uhlelo lwe-WhatsApp Messenger lunikeze inkundla ye- inthanethi engenamngcele lapho othisha bebahlangana futhi baphakelane ngemibono nhlangothi zombili ngaphandle kwesidingo sokuhlangana endaweni ephathekayo. Ngemuva kwesifundo se-IBP abadlalindima baye babika ukuthi babone izithombe zobizo lwabo zizinhle kakhulu. Manje sebeyakwazi ukubaluleka kwendlela yephedagogi ekufundiseni, bazibona behambisane kahle kakhulu nobizo lobuthishela. Kanti abanye baze bacabanga ukuthola ezinye iziqu ezisemthethweni zobizo lobuthisha. / Thuto e, e dirile dipatlisiso tsa kgonagalo tsa go dirisa WhattsApp Messenger jaaka sediriso sa go tlotlomatsa tlhaolo ya borutegi le potsiso theo ya thuto ya sekolo ya barutabana ba Yunibesithi ba thuto ya khemise, ka tlhabololo ya borutegi. Go dirisitswe pharataeme ya phetolo ya episitemoloji go kaela thuto e e tsaletseng botlhagiso jwa tlhago le tlhotlhomiso. Thutatsela ya patlisiso e e boleng e ne ya dirisiwa go tsamaisa thuto, le barutabana ba ba robongwe ba diyunibesithi tse di neng di na le maikemisetso a bosupi go tswa mo diyunibesithi tse tharo (ba bararo go tswa mo go nngwe le nngwe ya tsona). Didatha di ne di kgobokantswe ka seka-popego sa dipuisano, kelotlhokomelo ya batsayakarolo le tsepamiso ya setlhopha sa dipuisano, fa tshekatsheko ya datha e feditswe ka go dirisa tshekatsheko ya kgokagano ya thitokgang. Kelotlhoko ya maitshwaro e ne e na le tlhokomelo ka go se senole tshedimosetso ya batsayakarolo kgotsa tshedimosetso ka diyunibesthi tse e leng baemedi ba tsona. Thuto e ne e kaelwa ke metheo e mene ya tiori: tiori ya kopano, tiori ya phetogo ya thuto, tiori ya boleng jo bo solofetsweng le tiori ya thulaganyo. Potso e kgolo ya patlisiso e e kaelang thuto e ne e le: tlhaolo ya borutegi e gola jaang mo barutabaneng ba yunibesithi ba thuto ya Khemise fa ba ithuta thuto ka theo-potsiso ya petakoji (IBP) ka WhatsApp Messenger? Go thapilwe tlhagiso e e tlhagelelang gabedi 1) go farologanya tlhaolo ya barutabana pele le morago ga khoso le 2) go ela tlhoko le go tlhalosa tshedimosetso ya tlhaolo ya borutegi jaaka barutabana ba batsayakarolo mo khosong. Dipholo tsa tsamaiso ya potsotherisano e e neng e le teng pele ga go tsena khoso ya WhatsApp Messenger-based IBP, di bontsha gore ba bantsi ba na le tlhaolo ya borutegi jo bo sa siamang. Ba ne ba nna barutabana ka mabaka a a rileng a a sa tshwaneng fela ba sa ipone sentle jaaka barutabana, ka megopolo ya go tlogela Yunibesithi fa ditšhono tsa intasetari di tlhagelela. Ba ne ba sena boatlhodi jwa semmuso ba petakoji, mme ba ne ba sa dumele gore kitso e jaana e a tlhokagala, ka bone bontsi bo ne bo tsaletswe ditlhagiso tsa go tsepama mo borutabaneng. Dipholo tsa kelotlhoko ya batsayakarolo mo nakong ya khoso ya IBP di bontsha gore khoso e e neetse barutabana ditlwaelo tse di rileng tse di sa tsamaisaneng fela le IBP gape le ditlhagiso tse dingwe tsa borutabana. WhatsApp Messenger e kgona go abelana mo polatefomong e e bonolo ya inthanete mo barutabaneng ba ba tlhaeletsanang le go abelana dikakanyo kwa ntle ga tlhokego ya go kopana mo lefelong ka sebele. Morago ga khoso ya IBP batsayakarolo ba begile gore ba leba ditlhaolo tsa bone tsa borutegi ka letshwao la koketso. Jaanong ba lemogile botlhokwa jwa petakoji mo go ruteng, se se tlhagisiwa ka letshwao la koketso mo boruteging jwa go ruta, ba bangwe ba ntse ba akanya go nna le boatlhodi jwa semmuso ka mo petakoji. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Phil. (Curriculum Studies)