Universities admit students from diverse backgrounds and have an obligation to accommodate all the students in various educational programmes to ensure that they acquire relevant skills and knowledge. The provision of Textile, Clothing and Design programmes to students with diverse academic backgrounds in universities of technology in Zimbabwe has led to various concerns raised by the textile and clothing stakeholders. The concerns include poor performance of students, high student failure rate, high student drop out, late completion of programmes by students, and other problems emanating from curriculum implementation approaches used by the lecturers. This study therefore, sought to find out how students with diverse academic backgrounds are catered for in the provision of TCD programmes in the two sampled universities of technology in Zimbabwe, with a view to assist the students and to enhance the quality of TCD provision. The study adopted a post-positivism paradigm and used a mixed method research approach that integrated concurrent qualitative and quantitative procedures in data collection, analysis and interpretation. A questionnaire, interviews and document analysis were used to collect data from respondents. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select 36 TCD lecturers, 2 universities’ quality assurance directors, 2 TCD faculty deans of studies, and 2 department chairpersons. Collected data were analyzed using statistical and non-statistical procedures. The study revealed that catering for students with diverse academic backgrounds was practiced in the two universities despite the absence of a curriculum implementation policy to guide the provision of TCD programmes to students with diverse academic backgrounds at university level. It emerged that catering for students with diverse academic backgrounds in implementing TCD curricular at the two sampled universities was faced with various challenges that include lack of lecturer training with regard to catering for students from diverse academic backgrounds and inadequate lecturer training in depth TCD subject content knowledge and ICT teaching technology packages. The study also revealed that there is not enough university and stakeholder participation with regards to supporting and monitoring curriculum implementation process to cater for students with diverse academic backgrounds. Although there were challenges encountered in catering for students with diverse academic backgrounds, the study reveals that there are pockets of good practice in some curriculum implementation strategies implemented by the two institutions such as use of student centered teaching and instructional approaches, university support and lecturer commitment to assist the students. The study findings conclude that although catering for TCD students with diverse academic backgrounds was being practiced in the two universities of technology, there are very critical issues observed over the programmes implementation process that include absence of curriculum implementation policy, lack of training of lecturers and inadequate participative TCD stakeholder involvement. Based on the study findings and reviewed literature, the researcher suggests an alternative curriculum implementation framework for catering for students with diverse academic backgrounds that may help improve effectiveness of university programmes implementation.

This study explored teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of multicultural education in Zimbabwean primary schools. The sample consisted of twenty teachers (10 male and 10 female) selected through purposive sampling technique. Teachers in the sample had a minimum of five years post qualifying experience. The study focused on five selected primary schools in Chegutu district. Qualitative research was chosen as the research method with phenomenology as the research design. Data collection instruments consisted of unstructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Interviews were conducted with the teachers at their respective schools. Focus Group Discussions were also conducted with the teachers soon after the unstructured interviews at their schools. Data analysis consisted of a thematic approach where common themes were identified in participants’ responses. A number of findings emanated from this study. Teachers were found to have a narrow focus in terms of their conceptualisation of multicultural education. The study revealed that multicultural education is being implemented at a superficial level as the participants felt that it is being implemented to a limited extent. Some school textbooks particularly those in the Languages, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education and Environmental Science were seen as reflecting the multicultural character of Zimbabwe. In terms of the language policy, the teaching of marginalised indigenous languages such as Tonga, Nambya, Kalanga and others was seen as a way of addressing the needs of learners in a linguistically diverse nation. The study found out that parental participation in school activities involves parents from culturally diverse backgrounds. The study recommends that multicultural education should be part of the curriculum in initial teacher education. Seminars and workshops should be hosted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to conscientise teachers on the practice of multicultural education. Book publishers should liaise closely with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education so as to ensure that the content of textbooks is multicultural in every respect. There is need to consider the teaching of Chewa particularly in those communities where it is commonly spoken. A policy framework regulating the practice of multicultural education needs to be put in place. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This study explored teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of multicultural education in Zimbabwean primary schools. The sample consisted of twenty teachers (10 male and 10 female) selected through purposive sampling technique. Teachers in the sample had a minimum of five years post qualifying experience. The study focused on five selected primary schools in Chegutu district. Qualitative research was chosen as the research method with phenomenology as the research design. Data collection instruments consisted of unstructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Interviews were conducted with the teachers at their respective schools. Focus Group Discussions were also conducted with the teachers soon after the unstructured interviews at their schools. Data analysis consisted of a thematic approach where common themes were identified in participants’ responses. A number of findings emanated from this study. Teachers were found to have a narrow focus in terms of their conceptualisation of multicultural education. The study revealed that multicultural education is being implemented at a superficial level as the participants felt that it is being implemented to a limited extent. Some school textbooks particularly those in the Languages, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education and Environmental Science were seen as reflecting the multicultural character of Zimbabwe. In terms of the language policy, the teaching of marginalised indigenous languages such as Tonga, Nambya, Kalanga and others was seen as a way of addressing the needs of learners in a linguistically diverse nation. The study found out that parental participation in school activities involves parents from culturally diverse backgrounds. The study recommends that multicultural education should be part of the curriculum in initial teacher education. Seminars and workshops should be hosted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to conscientise teachers on the practice of multicultural education. Book publishers should liaise closely with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education so as to ensure that the content of textbooks is multicultural in every respect. There is need to consider the teaching of Chewa particularly in those communities where it is commonly spoken. A policy framework regulating the practice of multicultural education needs to be put in place. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The research study focused on the integrating of indigenous African knowledge systems in teaching and learning at the Catholic University of Zimbabwe. The curriculum of the Catholic University of Zimbabwe offers a number of degree courses. The study sets out to address the problem with the curriculum of the Catholic University of Zimbabwe, namely, that it is to a large extent dominated by Western knowledge and gives little priority to indigenous African knowledge systems. The majority of the courses offered at the CUZ are Eurocentric in nature and give little regard to the indigenous African knowledge systems. The study was undergirded by the Afrocentric theory which focuses on giving the African world view in terms of knowledge. The research study was informed by the constructivist paradigm which focuses on how individuals analyse and construct meanings of social situations. The research approach is qualitative in nature that means it is based on social interpretation and not numerical analysis of data. The data in the study was generated through face-to-face interviews, focus group discussion and document analysis. The data was presented under different themes. The study found out that they are few courses in the CUZ curriculum which include IAKS. Most of the knowledge and theories in the courses offered at the Catholic University of Zimbabwe curriculum are Western oriented. The knowledge in most of the courses is reminiscent of the colonial education system and gives no regard to indigenous African knowledge systems. The recommendation is for the inclusion of indigenous African Knowledge systems in the CUZ curriculum. / Educational Foundations / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

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)