DEd (Curriculum Studies) / Department of Curriculum Studies / This study sought to evaluate the implementation of intervention programmes that enhance the inclusion of learners with dyslexia in mainstream primary schools of Bubi District, Zimbabwe. A mixed-methods research design was adopted. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while semi-structured interviews and documentary evidence were used to collect qualitative data. All the 50 mainstream primary schools found in the district were included in the study. From these, simple random and purposive sampling procedures were adopted to select participants. Simple random sampling technique was used to choose 150 teachers, that is, 3 from each school. In this case, 50 were Grade 1 teachers, the other 50 taught Grade 3 classes and the last 50 were schools’ clinical language remedial teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 heads of schools who had established special classes in their institutions. The same sampling technique was also used to select a District Remedial Tutor, District Early Childhood Development Trainer and District Schools Inspector. Quantitative data was analysed through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24. Qualitative data was analysed and interpreted thematically. The major findings of the study were that, lack of adequate policies, negative attitudes from some stakeholders, shortage of expert teachers and relevant material resources were some crucial factors that hampered effective implementation of intervention programmes for learners with dyslexia. The study recommends the development of dyslexia-friendly schools through designing relevant policies, holding dyslexia awareness campaigns both in schools and communities, training of more specialist teachers and the provision of learning resources that are more sensitive to the diverse needs of learners with dyslexia. / NRF

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 aim of the present study was to establish the effects on the Zimbabwean higher educational system of student migration into South Africa for higher education. The study was motivated by the rising number of Zimbabwean students migrating to South Africa for that purpose, aided in doing so by their schools and other organisations. Rising migration rates are substantiated not only by the growing number of students departing the country for a foreign university, but by the parents who support their going and the administrators and lecturers in Zimbabwean universities who witness migration‟s impacts on the nation‟s higher education. A qualitative research design was employed for data collection. A review was first conducted of the empirical evidence of student migration rates. Data were collected through conversations and interviews, the interview-guide approach, and recorded cell-phone interviews. The qualitative research design was motivated by grounded theory, narrative qualitative inquiry, interim analysis and interpretive epistemology. These approaches jointly ensured that the data would be most suitable for the study‟s intensions. The study investigated the international and local factors contributing to the out-migration of Zimbabwean students in general and, in particular, into South African higher educational institutions. Interviewees reported that migration was motivated mainly by the condition of the Zimbabwean economy. Findings also clarified the effects of the migration process on the educational system in Zimbabwe. Those effects emerge as challenges that must be addressed in the Zimbabwean higher education system. Policy recommendations for addressing such challenges are provided. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The environmental education (EE)-sustainable development (SD) nexus has generated much research and debate at local, national and global levels (Fien, 1993). Although the term EE is quite old, dating back to 1948 in Paris (Palmer, 1998), during the last three decades, it has regained global currency due to numerous environmental challenges that are confronting our planet Earth, including: climate change, land degradation, desertification, and de-forestation, pollution and ozone depletion. The Rio Earth Summit of 1992 generated a new zeal in the provision of EE throughout the world. Since then, many countries have adopted it as a remedial strategy to address these environmental challenges. In Zimbabwe, EE dates back to 1954 during the colonial era when it was provided in the form of conservation education among farmers and in schools and colleges (Chikunda, 2007). The Natural Resources Board (NRB), a department in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture (which was established in 1941) played a key role in both research and the dissemination of EE (Whitlow, 1988). However, throughout the colonial era and up to the end of the millennium, the country did not have a written EE policy document. Consequently, various government departments and organisations, which provided EE, did so individually. However, this fragmented approach proved to be ineffective and had to be abandoned through the promulgation of the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) of 2002. This development led to the establishment of an environmental management agency (EMA), which harmonised the provision of EE at local and national levels. This study based on information that was collected between 2011 and 2014, examines Zimbabwe‟s EE programme and its implications for sustainable development. It employed a mixed methods research design which enabled the researcher to employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection, interpretation and analysis. Derived from the pragmatic school of thought, this research design allows researchers to triangulate with different methods without provoking epistemological conflicts from other schools of thought. The study shows that nearly 84% of the EE in the country is provided by the formal education sector (which includes schools, colleges and universities) while the remaining 16% is derived from non-formal and informal education sources such as: EMA, some government ministries and departments, and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs). However, the bulk of the EE provided in Zimbabwe is biophysical in nature and is geared at transmitting facts about rather than for the environment (Fien, 1993; Chikunda, 2007 and Mapira, 2012a). Consequently, it does not instil a sense of environmental stewardship among ordinary citizens as reflected by increasing cases of environmental crimes including: land degradation, veldt fire outbreaks, deforestation, and the poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other wildlife resources. Furthermore, most people lack a deep knowledge of basic concepts such as EE, SD and ESD, indicating the weakness of the country‟s EE efforts. The study makes several recommendations for the improvement of the country‟s EE programme, including: more funding of EMA and its partners so that they can execute their mandate more efficiently, and revising school and college curricula with a view to infusing EE in courses and syllabi. Other recommendations are that EE should be made compulsory in all formal educational institutions while the state should take environmental issues more seriously than it has done in the past. For example, top government officials should refrain from the poaching of endangered wildlife resources like elephants and rhinos if their country‟s EE policies have to be taken seriously at the grass roots level. Stiffer penalties should be meted out to those found guilty by courts of law while ordinary citizens need more educational campaigns if they have to develop environmental sensitivity and a sense of stewardship, which are necessary ingredients for the success of any country‟s EE programme. Furthermore, alternatives of making a living should be created for villagers and peasants so that they do not have to damage their environment in order to survive. Finally, this study argues that if all the above challenges are fully addressed, Zimbabwe‟s EE programme can achieve its goals in the long run.

The aim of the present study was to establish the effects on the Zimbabwean higher educational system of student migration into South Africa for higher education. The study was motivated by the rising number of Zimbabwean students migrating to South Africa for that purpose, aided in doing so by their schools and other organisations. Rising migration rates are substantiated not only by the growing number of students departing the country for a foreign university, but by the parents who support their going and the administrators and lecturers in Zimbabwean universities who witness migration‟s impacts on the nation‟s higher education. A qualitative research design was employed for data collection. A review was first conducted of the empirical evidence of student migration rates. Data were collected through conversations and interviews, the interview-guide approach, and recorded cell-phone interviews. The qualitative research design was motivated by grounded theory, narrative qualitative inquiry, interim analysis and interpretive epistemology. These approaches jointly ensured that the data would be most suitable for the study‟s intensions. The study investigated the international and local factors contributing to the out-migration of Zimbabwean students in general and, in particular, into South African higher educational institutions. Interviewees reported that migration was motivated mainly by the condition of the Zimbabwean economy. Findings also clarified the effects of the migration process on the educational system in Zimbabwe. Those effects emerge as challenges that must be addressed in the Zimbabwean higher education system. Policy recommendations for addressing such challenges are provided. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

As personal computers (PCs) and related ICTs become more and more omnipresent than ever before in institutions of education, teachers are faced with the challenge of having to teach in ICT rich environments. Some syllabuses increase this pressure by stipulating where ICT may be applied. While past research efforts have focused on presence of and/or effectiveness of ICTs on achieving various didactic goals, there is limited literature on the extent to which actual practice occurred naturally. It was the aim of this study to determine the extent to which Physics teachers and students used ICT in their usual teaching/learning ambience, referred to as natural settings in this study. Using activity theory as a theoretical lens, multiple case studies were chosen as a strategy using 10 schools, 15 Physics teachers, 20 A-level Physics students and 10 ICT teachers (computer specialists). Questionnaires, observations and informal and focus group interviews were used to elicit responses from students, teachers and computer specialists. It emerged from the case studies that despite the presence of apt ICT infrastructure in the schools and although the teachers had a positive attitude towards the use of ICT for teaching and learning of Physics, teachers were apathetic when it came to the actual use. Some of the reasons militating against use were lack of an ICT policy, school authority, and monopoly of computers enjoyed by computer studies teachers. However among students there were ‘early starters’ who used ICTs outside of school, a situation that tended to change the Physics learning environment. These findings led to a proposal for a post of Computer Specialist (CS) in the schools. The need for developing ICT policy at all levels namely national, Ministry of Education and the school was also proposed. Lastly staff development in the use ICT for Physics teachers was proposed as indispensable.

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 uses a systems thinking perspective to explore the role and meaning of participation, capacity development and project sustainability in the Zimbabwe Secondary Teacher Training Environmental Education Project (St²eep). Since there was no consistent critical reflection upon the different assumptions that underpin these important aspects of St²eep in the original project design, this study aims to articulate a theoretical framework for guiding the project. St2eep is a donorfunded project, located in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education in Zimbabwe that seeks to integrate environmental education across the curriculum of secondary teacher education. The study first develops a theoretical framework drawing on systems thinking. In particular it uses the holistic and constructivist perspectives embedded in systems thinking to describe a number of analytic frameworks that are used as a guide to investigate participation, capacity development and project sustainability in the St²eep case study. The research methodology comprises a qualitative case study approach, which contains elements of an instrumental, evaluative and critical case study. Data-collection methods include document analysis, focus group discussions, focus group interviews, semi-structured face-to-face interviews and participant observation. Data analysis follows the constant comparative method of coding and categorising data as outlined by Strauss and Corbin (1998). The outcomes of this research show that participation processes in St²eep evolve around the interactions between a political dimension and a learning dimension. The political dimension relates to giving the project stakeholders a critical voice, allowing them to shape the project and involving them in the decision-making process. This approach has fostered an ongoing learning process in a small team of committed stakeholders based on the principles of collaborative learning, team learning and action research. Participation was shown to enhance capacity-development processes at individual and institutional level by the provision of support through learning teams, and by the renegotiation of responsibilities and power relations between lecturers involved in St²eep, donor representatives and college administrations. The strong operational role of the donor organisation was seen as a serious threat towards individual and institutional capacity development since it creates a functional but artificial and independent project system within the college system and takes over any local institutional support structure that it might seek to develop. Fostering continuous learning and capacity development, St²eep’s participatory approach was shown to contribute to a better understanding of the interconnectedness of factors that influence future sustainability of the project and the implementation of environmental education. This has assisted in the development of different scenarios on the sustainability of the project. The research shows that the project-ustainability planning process draws directly from St²eep’s ongoing learning process, with individual and institutional capacity development featuring strongly in the different scenarios, and with the external context such as the economic situation and the low priority of environmental education being recognised as important factors that need to be considered. Drawing on the findings from the case study, this study makes a tentative recommendation that donor organisations should focus more on capacity-development initiatives and avoid taking on a strong operational role in project activities. The research also recommends that there is need for a deliberate focus on both the political and learning dimensions of the participation process in order to foster local ownership. Making the learning aspect much more central in St²eep is presented as a possible strategy for motivating a larger number of college lecturers to become involved in the project and the implementation of environmental education. The study also urges St²eep to combine the different scenarios that have emerged during the project sustainability planning process and to focus on the benefits that stakeholders want to see sustained.

The academic challenges faced by pregnant and nursing students in Zimbabwe do not seem to attract the attention of scholars. This study focused on the educational challenges faced by pregnant and nursing adult learners at Morgenster Teachers‟ College, a tertiary education institution. Participants‟ perceptions of the academic challenges they faced were established through the use of a qualitative methodology in which the semi-structured interview was the dominant data collection method. Non-participant observation and document analysis were employed to complement the dominant method. The findings indicated that the academic challenges faced by mothering adult learners are related to physical problems, social relationships, inadequate financial resources and administrative problems. The study revealed that such students develop strategies to alleviate some of the educational challenges they face. In view of the findings, recommendations are made to improve the learning environment of mothering students and for further research to address the problem. / M. Ed. (Adult Education) / Educational Studies

There is overwhelming evidence the world over on the pedagogical benefits of learning in the mother language. Zimbabwe recognized this significant role played by the mother tongue in education when a policy enshrined in the 1987 Education Act was enunciated. The language-in-education policy, which was amended in 2006, allows mother tongue usage up to Grade Seven. Contrary to the stated policy, primary school teachers continue to use English as the medium of instruction in primary schools. The purpose of this study was thus to explore the barriers that rural primary school teachers face in implementing the proposed policy in Masvingo District of Zimbabwe. Literature suggests that factors that inhibit implementation of a mother tongue education policy in ex-colonial African countries include state-related factors, uninformed language myths and language attitudes which support the dominant role of English. The postcolonial theory paradigm guided this study since the intention was to conduct the research as well as to contribute to how to generate teachers’ participation in mother tongue policy implementation in a postcolonial context. A qualitative case study was employed where semi-structured open ended questionnaires, focus group discussions and individual interviews were used to collect data. Fifteen rural primary school teachers, three school heads and two District Schools Inspectors were purposefully selected to participate in the study. It emerged from the study that all the participants were not knowledgeable about the stipulations of the 2006 language-in-education policy. The major barriers identified include inadequate policy dialogue, unavailability of educational material resources in the mother tongue, language attitudes and individual teacher concerns which contribute to low self-efficacy. A critical analysis of the barriers to implementation success indicates that they are mainly related to postcolonial mentality where language attitudes are deeply entrenched in people’s minds. Participants believed that the challenges they faced could be resolved and they proposed some intervention strategies. The study recommends that teacher education institutions should spearhead the designing of professional development modules that impart knowledge and skills on the implementation of additive bilingual education in primary schools. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)