The fundamental aim of undertaking the study was to develop a teaching practice curriculum for teachers colleges in Zimbabwe. In order to accomplish this, basic questions on curriculum development were first investigated These were on curriculum intent, structure and content. In chapter two a conceptual framework for the proposed teaching practice curriculum was investigated. This involved an analysis of the influence of aims of education on curriculum theory and development, issues of curriculum foundations and models of curriculum development. The analysis culminated in the adoption of a cyclical model for the development of the proposed teaching practice curriculum. The cognitive framework of the study was further illuminated through the conceptualisation of the teaching practice curriculum, where philosophical foundations of teaching practice as well as its theoretical contexts were examined. Critical in this was the theory-practice relationship. In chapter four, the prevailing teaching practice situation in Zimbabwe was examined and views of lecturers and students on it analysed. This was accomplished in order to further identify flaws in the current approach to teaching practice which could be improved by means of the proposed teaching practice curriculum. The teaching practice curriculum being proposed was synthesised and developed in chapter five. This curriculum is founded on the philosophical foundations discussed in chapters two and three. It has theoretical components and is implemented in teachers' colleges and schools. It brings to the fore the importance of partnership between the practising schools and colleges as well as reflective teacher education. The development of the proposed teaching practice curriculum resulted in the following outcomes: • An investigation into how theory and practice in teacher education could be integrated. • Suggestions for improving the college-school relationship through the development of partnership in teacher education. • The extrication of theory p-orn practice. • An emphasis on the importance of reflective practice and reflective teacher education. In recommending the adoption and implementation of the curriculum the researcher identified a number of meaningful consequences: • The improvement of teaching practice programmes in colleges. • The development of expertise in the practice of education. • The active involvement of experienced teachers in teacher education and training. • The resurgence of research in the practical aspect of teacher education. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The fundamental aim of undertaking the study was to develop a teaching practice curriculum for teachers colleges in Zimbabwe. In order to accomplish this, basic questions on curriculum development were first investigated These were on curriculum intent, structure and content. In chapter two a conceptual framework for the proposed teaching practice curriculum was investigated. This involved an analysis of the influence of aims of education on curriculum theory and development, issues of curriculum foundations and models of curriculum development. The analysis culminated in the adoption of a cyclical model for the development of the proposed teaching practice curriculum. The cognitive framework of the study was further illuminated through the conceptualisation of the teaching practice curriculum, where philosophical foundations of teaching practice as well as its theoretical contexts were examined. Critical in this was the theory-practice relationship. In chapter four, the prevailing teaching practice situation in Zimbabwe was examined and views of lecturers and students on it analysed. This was accomplished in order to further identify flaws in the current approach to teaching practice which could be improved by means of the proposed teaching practice curriculum. The teaching practice curriculum being proposed was synthesised and developed in chapter five. This curriculum is founded on the philosophical foundations discussed in chapters two and three. It has theoretical components and is implemented in teachers' colleges and schools. It brings to the fore the importance of partnership between the practising schools and colleges as well as reflective teacher education. The development of the proposed teaching practice curriculum resulted in the following outcomes: • An investigation into how theory and practice in teacher education could be integrated. • Suggestions for improving the college-school relationship through the development of partnership in teacher education. • The extrication of theory p-orn practice. • An emphasis on the importance of reflective practice and reflective teacher education. In recommending the adoption and implementation of the curriculum the researcher identified a number of meaningful consequences: • The improvement of teaching practice programmes in colleges. • The development of expertise in the practice of education. • The active involvement of experienced teachers in teacher education and training. • The resurgence of research in the practical aspect of teacher education. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Didactics)

As part of a drive to improve the quality of teachers, Zimbabwe introduced a school-based mentoring model in 1995, a move which regrettably seems not have borne fruit. Therefore, this study sought to propose an improved mentoring model for initial teacher training for primary school teachers. Efforts to improve the current mentoring could, however, be facilitated if they were informed by an empirically-based understanding of the shortcomings of the existing mentoring system for student teachers and teachers. In order to attain the above objective, this study adopted a multisite case study design, guided by the interpretive paradigm. A core of nine primary schools, drawn from the rural, urban and peri-urban areas of the Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe, was purposively selected to participate in the study. In the participating schools, key participants were student teachers and mentors, while school principals participated when they had time. A secondary group of primary schools were also identified to be used as validation of findings in a wider setting. An in-depth literature study on teacher education and mentoring was also carried out and this, combined with empirical data, illuminated the issues being investigated. The empirical data were primarily gathered through focus group and face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews, while participant observation (used in conjunction with informal unstructured interviews) and questionnaires were used to verify and triangulate data collected through the interviews. To safeguard the ethical integrity of the study, ethical approval from the relevant university committee, as well as the official consent of educational authorities, was obtained beforehand, as was the informed consent of individual participants. The research established that the support rendered to student teachers in the participating primary schools was largely inadequate and of a shallow mode, focusing primarily on facilitating the mastery of technical skills and the provision of psycho-social support, while being sorely deficient in empowering the student teachers with the skills and attitudes to reflectively and critically engage with their own and others‟ teaching practices. The mentoring was taking place in the context of field experience, organised along the apprenticeship model, hence located in an outmoded traditional paradigm of field experience, something which is regrettable at a time when international best practices seek to move towards a reflective-inquiry-oriented paradigm. Secondly, the research found that the participating schools were not structurally or culturally ready to take significant teacher training responsibility; hence the schools, in their present state, could be seen as constraining the smooth functioning of the mentoring model. Thirdly, some mentor-based factors also seemed to inhibit the functioning of the mentoring model. These included teachers who were attitudinally indisposed to accept student teachers as their professional colleagues, preferring to relate to them hierarchically and vertically, thereby limiting the emergence of a culture of professional collaboration and reciprocal learning relationships. In similar vein, the mentors‟ lack of training limited their capacity of mentors to perform the extended range of mentoring functions necessary for supporting student teachers trained in 21st century schools. The above conclusions and implications point towards the following recommendations: Mentor support for student teachers should be extended from the present superficial level to include functions that are oriented towards reflective practice. However, for this to happen, some adjustments will need to be made in the schools. These include, most importantly, making time available for mentoring activities. In order for the mentors to be able to perform their mentoring functions knowledgeably, they must be made fully aware of what they are supposed to do by providing them with the official documents spelling out mentoring expectations in schools. Additionally, the commitment of mentors to their duties could be made more sustainable by putting in place a clearly defined reward structure that is fully recognized officially and integrated into the employee grading system. To make school environments more propitious towards mentoring, schools must be structurally modified and re-cultured to create slots for mentoring activities, provide opportunities for informal professional interaction among teachers, as well as establish professional engagement forums, such as school-based learning circles. The research also suggests that student teachers should be allowed to choose their mentors through providing them with opportunities for early contact with their prospective mentoring partners. In an attempt to close the gap between college-based modules and field-based school experiences, the research further recommends that college-based modules be delivered in a way that ensures that they are fully integrated with student teachers‟ field experiences. Finally, mentoring could be better facilitated if schools and colleges adopted a partnership arrangement that is more aligned to mentoring. This implies provisionally shifting from the present separatist to the HEI-led partnership model, while preparing for the adoption of a fully-fledged collaborative partnership in the long term. The research was, however, by no means carried out perfectly. It was somewhat limited by its failure to take into account the view of officials from the Department of Education, as well as the input of colleagues in teacher education. In similar vein, the researcher felt that a more nuanced and fine-grained picture of the participants‟ mentoring experiences could have emerged if he had spent more time in the field, something which limited resources and work commitments did not allow him to do. Some significant issues arose from this study, but which it could not pursue. These include exploring the possibility of coming up with a model of teacher education that integrates ITE and CTPD in the context of mentoring, as well as conducting a similarly designed research into the mentoring that is taking place in secondary schools.