Journal articles on the topic 'Education, Higher – Zimbabwe – Masvingo Province'

This article explored the perceptions of lecturers on integration of gender equality and language diversity in Zimbabwe University teacher education curricula through the qualitative phenomenological design. Out of the population of forty lecturers from one State University and one church owned university in Masvingo Province, nine lecturers from the Department s of Educational Psychology, Educational Sociology and Special Needs Education were picked to participate in this study through Focus Group Discussion which was analyzed through the thematic approach. The study concluded that the challenges that face gender equality include lack of qualified lecturers to teach gender studies in universities, gender studies being elective at universities and lack of scholarly materials that deal with gender issues. These challenges negatively affect the goals of gender equality. The use of a variety of languages helps students and lecturers to socialize. However, some of the challenges that affect the effective use of a variety of languages as instruments of teaching and learning include inability of teachers to master and use all students’ languages, the lack of university course textbooks in various languages and lack of reading materials that are in vernacular languages. The study recommends that lecturers should be trained in gender equality issues through staff development programs periodically. The compulsory teaching and learning of gender studies will equip students with relevant knowledge of gender equality. Institutions of higher learning should have clear and deliberate policies of promoting women to positions of authority as a way for women empowerment. Finally, scholars should write literature in vernacular languages to enhance the use of multiple languages in teaching and learning in Zimbabwe.

Microfinance has been viewed as a pathway for smallholder farming. This paper aims to investigate the impact of microfinance on smallholder farming. It examines the role of microfinance in the development of smallholder farming. This paper employs the integrated view of microfinance study as opposed to the ‘credit only’(minimalist) view. Using qualitative research methodology, the paper relies on literature review and primary data. Household level data (primary) were collected from a rural district (Masvingo Rural District) of Masvingo province in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from 250 microfinance participants (household heads) using questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The findings show that microfinance had positive effects on accumulation of agricultural assets, income from agriculture, agricultural education, agricultural productivity, agri-business, consumption and health. However, the impact is limited due to lack of finance. Basic financial services are essential for the management of their smallholder farming activities. The practical implications are that the study results could be used by the government and development agencies for policy making. The paper recommends that microfinance should be harnessed as a useful intervention that can be employed to economically empower the smallholder rural agricultural sector. Keywords: microfinance, smallholder farming, integrated view, minimalist view. JEL Classification: G21, O13

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) is a strategic national food security crop in that can be used as a supplement for carbohydrates. It is the fastest growing staple food crop and source of income for poor smallholder farmers. There is limited documentation on effects of earthing up irish potatoes on yield and yield components in Zimbabwe. A field experiment was conducted in Zaka district of Masvingo province in Zimbabwe during the 2018/19 cropping season. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of time of earthing up on yield and yield parameters of BP1 potato variety. The treatments consisted of four levels of time of earthing up (no earthing up (control), three, four and five weeks after plant emergence), replicated three times on a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Results on earthing-up at three weeks recorded significantly (P<0.013) the highest total tuber yield (21.97 t ha-1) which is 10% higher compared to no earthing up which recorded 14.43 t ha-1. Moreover, earthing up at two weeks had the least number of greening tuber yield (3%), 11% pest damaged tuber yield, 6% unmarketable tuber yield and 45% marketable tuber yield. This is in contrast with no earthing up which recorded 91% greening tuber yield, 25.3% on pest damaged tubers, 59% on unmarketable tubers and 10% marketable tuber yield. Based on the results, first earthing up should be done at three weeks after complete plant emergence at the study area under rain fed conditions for the production of potatoes with improved yield and better tuber quality.

Teacher training colleges and universities in Zimbabwe currently fall under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development (MHTESTD) whose mission is to develop and deliver a knowledgeable and skilled human capital through higher and tertiary Education 5.0, science and technology development using a heritage based philosophy, for the production of quality goods and services. The core values of the Ministry are integrity, humility, innovation and productivity. The philosophy of Education 5.0 system is centred on five pillars which include teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation while the previous 3.0 design was centred on three aspects which are teaching, research and community service. Thus, teachers who are being trained at Zimbabwe’s colleges and universities will be required to acquire skills and knowledge to produce goods, services and ideas and also to impart such knowledge and skills to their learners. The mathematics curriculum inclusive of the syllabi, schemes of work and timetables at a teacher training institution in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe was critically analysed. Two randomly selected lectures in progress were observed and five purposively chosen lecturers interviewed. The study addresses the questions of whether and to what extent Education 5.0 is being realised, the challenges currently being faced and the future prospects of the philosophy. The paper concludes by giving recommendations for sustainable professional development of primary school mathematics teachers in Zimbabwe.

Located in the small town of Alice in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) was established in 1916 and for many years was the only institution of higher education in sub-equatorial Africa which was open to black students. Therefore, among Fort Hare's alumni are well-known African nationalists and politicians such as Oliver Tambo and Govan Mbeki of the African National Congress (ANC); Robert Sobukwe, who founded the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC); Mangosuthu Buthelezi of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP); Eluid Mathu, who was the first African member of the Kenya Legislative Council,;President Robert Mugabe and Herbert Chitepo of Zimbabwe; Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle of Lesotho; former Prime Minister Fwanyanga Mulikita of Uganda; and many others. While Fort Hare was taken over by the apartheid government in 1959 and incorporated into a network of ethnic universities within the homeland system, from the 1960s to early 1990s various banned liberation movements were active on campus and students periodically clashed with security forces. As a result, “[i]t is thus not surprising that with its venerable history of resistance and struggle, the UFH was chosen to be the repository of most of the archives of the Liberation Front.”

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the consistency with which quality is maintained in the orientation process. Orientation is a key university process intended to prepare new students for life in higher education (HE). For open and distance learning (ODL), orientation can be a key process for lessening some of the challenges associated with the separation of the learner and the lecturer. Indeed, for ODL students, orientation can be fraught with a variety of challenges one of which could be quality problems.Design/methodology/approachConvenient sampling was used to obtain a total of 89 students in the first semester and 34 students in the second semester. The respondents came from all the eight districts in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. They belonged to various degree programmes found in the eight faculties of the institution. Correlation was used to determine quality variations. Using a mixed methods approach, the study sought the views of the students and the relationships between activities done in the two semesters of 2018. SPSS version 16.0 software was used to compute Spearman’s correlations whereas content analysis was used to analyze the open-ended responses to the questa-view. This mixed methods approach helped the researchers to analyze and compare the quality of the orientation sessions.FindingsResults yielded a positive and high significant correlation between first and second semester variables (r=0.916,p=0.000), a finding indicating that staff members in the Midlands Regional Campus of Zimbabwe Open University have not changed their ways of conducting orientation. On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), the average ratings for the presentations in the first and second semesters were 4.08 and 4.26, respectively. In the qualitative analysis, adequacy of the venue, timing, coverage of aspects and use of media were all rated positively for the two sessions. However, for the two sessions, some students mentioned negative sentiments to do with the provision of needed materials at time of student registration, the public address system, orientation packages, time management and communication.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper looks at the process of orientation as it was done at one regional campus of an ODL institution in Zimbabwe. It also analyses the quality of the orientation using correlation as a lens that measures consistency and also by critically analyzing content in the respondents’ voices. Implications are that the findings and recommendations can also be applied in other ODL (and even non-ODL) institutions with a view of finally coming up with common policies and procedures with regards to providing quality service and support to the twenty-first century student.Practical implicationsFindings were relevant and could be used for designing applicable orientation programmes in ODL institutions and for improving the quality of student support and services.Originality/valueWhile a number of studies have been carried out on orientation in HE, it would appear that research on orientation in ODL institutions, especially in Zimbabwe, appears minimal, hence this study covers an unexplored niche.

The study sought to explore rural and urban primary school heads’ perspectives on staff appraisal systems in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe and utilised a qualitative approach based on a phenomenological design. Five rural primary school heads and five urban primary school heads with at least 14 years of experience were purposely selected. In-depth, face-to-face phenomenological interviews were conducted to collect the lived experiences of participants in relation to performance appraisal systems for teachers. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Three major themes emerged: (a) implementation of performance appraisals; (b) feedback and professional development; and (c) challenges with regard to the implementation of performance appraisals. The economic crisis in Zimbabwe has had a negative impact on school performance appraisal systems. Both school locations had implemented such systems, but were faced with limited resources, time constraints and teachers’ lack of interest in being promoted. In looking at the differences between rural and urban school head participants, the focus was on observation and feedback processes. This study has important implications for staff appraisal systems in Zimbabwe.

This article discusses the central “ignored” role that women play in disseminating vital societal information through folklore. It explores the limited conceptions and constructions of their roles in literature and the media today where they are confined to housekeeping duties. It argues that through story-telling—the cornerstone of communal revitalisation—women play a pivotal task in ensuring the well-being of their communities. In advancing this argument, the article takes into account the fact that folktales have formed the basis of African formal education and training, which was meant for cognitive development of the African child. The major concern is, despite the tremendous contribution of women into the development, re-engineering and redesigning of the society, women are not taken or taking themselves seriously when it comes to societal decision-making issues. This paper mainly depends on a literature review and qualitative research methodology. A sample of 25 homes was selected randomly in the Bikita District of Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. Data were collected orally from the story-tellers. Thereafter, an analysis was undertaken to establish the strategic role of women in disseminating information.

The study sought to establish the use of information technology in literacy instruction by university lecturers. The focus was on the main demographic factors which significantly impact on the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in literacy instruction. The following variables were of interest: age, gender, highest qualification attained, work experience, tenure and employment status. The research was carried out at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), a university in Masvingo Town, Zimbabwe. A descriptive survey was used as research design. Interviews and questionnaires were used as data collection instruments to eighty (80) lecturers from the Robert Mugabe School of Education and Culture based at GZU. The current study rides on the knowledge gap that previous studies had a tendency to look at primary and secondary school practitioners’ use of ICT and yet the problem could be at institutions of higher learning. The research looked at GZU’s perspective or policy to the use of ICT, teaching /learning outcomes for both students and lecturers, impediments to the use of technology and uses of technology by both lecturers and students. Quite significant therefore, is the fact that the research empowers all stakeholders to redirect their efforts to address the use of technology to enhance literacy instruction in institutions of higher learning. The results of the study revealed that there is less use of ICTs by lecturers in teaching and learning at the Robert Mugabe School of Education and Culture, Great Zimbabwe University. Variables such as age and gender were seen to affect the use of ICTs. Educational and academic qualifications and use of ICTs had an inverse relationship whereby an increase in one’s educational/academic qualifications showed a decrease in the use of ICTs. It is recommended that the university has to come up with a clear policy to guide lecturers on the use of ICTs in research, lecture preparation and presentation and assessment. Members of staff (Lecturers) were to frequently attend refresher workshops and seminars on the use of ICTs in education. It is also envisaged that personal computers and laptops are availed to teaching members’ offices and computer laboratories. This would result in effective teaching and research. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0730/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Purpose This study aims to examine how spatial contexts, institutions and entrepreneurial self-identity affected the formation of entrepreneurial intentions of a sample of students in Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from 284 students enrolled in two vocational education institutions located in Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. To select the respondents, convenience sampling was used. The sample size was determined by the total number of students agreeing to participate in the research. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (maximum likelihood estimation method). Findings Social approval, supportive cultural environment and entrepreneurial self-identity had positive statistically significant direct effects on entrepreneurial intentions. Also, entrepreneurial self-identity partially mediated the effects of social approval and supportive cultural environment on entrepreneurial intentions. The total effect of supportive higher education institutions on entrepreneurial intentions was statistically significant, despite the direct and indirect effects being non-significant. Practical implications The findings suggest a need to cultivate supportive social contexts and higher education institutions for nurturing entrepreneurial self-identity and entrepreneurial intentions, factors that are integral to the development of future entrepreneurs. Originality/value The study examined the validity of a novel conceptual model based on the contribution of entrepreneurial self-identity, spatial context and institutional variables in shaping entrepreneurial intentions of selected college students in the global south.

Zimbabwe has one of the highest prevalence rates on preventable child morbidity in the world. This is mainly attributable to the absence of an effective community health mobilisation structure that reaches all targeted households with correct and consistent social behaviour change interventions for better child and maternal health. To address this, a cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a developed integrated community intervention approach in reducing child morbidity and improving maternal health outcomes. A total of 765 mother-child pairs (413 in the intervention and 352 in the control) from 2 districts in Mashonaland East province were recruited and followed up for 12 months. Only women with children aged 0 - 48 months at the beginning of the study were selected. Participants were selected (and recruited) through stratified random sampling from 30 villages/clusters (16 in the control and 14 in the intervention) out of the total of 43 villages in the 2 districts. The intervention arm received education on maternal and child health through an Integrated Care Model mobilisation system whereas participants in the control arm were mobilized and educated using the conventional mobilisation system. Baseline and end-line surveys were done to assess and compare baseline characteristics and secondary study outcomes. The primary outcome was child morbidity in the follow-up period of 12 months. The mean age of participating mothers was 28 years (SD = 6.8) and that of participating children was 18.2 months (SD = 4.0). The risk of child morbidity was 37.5% in the control and 22.0% in the intervention representing a relative risk of 1.7 [95% C.I (1.4-2.1)]. The incidence rate of child morbidity was 0.043 and 0.022 episodes per child year in the control and intervention arm respectively giving an incidence rate ratio of 2.0(p<0.001). This ratio meant that the chance of being a disease case in the control was double that in the intervention arm. Women in the intervention arm had statistically significant (p<0.001) higher knowledge about maternal and child health and better child care practices at the end of the study. There was strong evidence that the Integrated Care Model did not only reduce child morbidity but also improved maternal knowledge, health-seeking behaviour and care practices. Accordingly, governments in developing countries and countries in poor resource settings could strengthen their community health delivery systems by implementing this low-cost, sustainable and high-impact approach.

Welcome to Volume 4(1) of the International Journal for Educational Integrity. Last year finished in a frenzy of activity at the 3rd Asia-Pacific Conference on Educational Integrity: Creating a Culture of Integrity, held at the University of South Australia, 7-8 December 2007. Professor Cathy Small from Northern Arizona University opened the conference with her thought-provoking presentation, 'The culture of the university: Challenges and implications for academic integrity', based on her undercover year as a college freshman. This was followed by thirty-five papers and workshops, including excellent keynote addresses by Professor Brian Martin from the University of Wollongong, Professor Bob Birrell from Monash University, and Emeritus Professor Robert Crotty from the Ethics Centre of South Australia. The full proceedings are available in CD-Rom by contacting tracey.bretag@unisa.edu.au. The next conference, scheduled for late 2009, will be held at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. Further details will be provided in the coming months via this journal and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Educational Integrity. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome members of a newly established Editorial Board of the IJEI: Robert Crotty, Ethics Centre of South Australia; Fiona Duggan, Higher Education Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, UK; Rebecca Moore Howard, Syracuse University; Brian Martin, University of Wollongong; Helen Marsden, University of Canberra; Don McCabe, Rutgers University; Miguel Roig, St. John's College, New York; and Daniel Wueste, Center for Academic Integrity, Clemson University. The current issue of the journal offers an eclectic mix of international and interdisciplinary insights. Kate Chanock, an Academic Language and Learning (ALL) adviser from La Trobe University in Melbourne, explores survey data which sought to provide an explanation for why many students unwittingly plagiarise. Chanock then shares her own teaching practice as a means of "mediating the gap between students' and lecturers' understandings of the purposes of attribution in scholarly writing". Sue McGowan from the University of South Australia, and Margaret Lightbody from the University of Adelaide, provide insights from Commerce as they make the case for ongoing plagiarism education for English as an additional language (EAL) students. McGowan and Lightbody outline an assignment "specifically developed to assist EAL students in a second-year financial accounting course delivered in Hong Kong, to develop an understanding of plagiarism issues within the context of their study discipline". The final two papers come from African nations, and inevitably overshadow some of the integrity issues confronting Western academics. While this is not the first time that African scholars have submitted work for consideration to the journal, this is the first time that authors, reviewers and editors have worked hand-in-hand, over multiple revisions and submissions, and an extended time period, to ensure that the final work meets international academic publishing standards. We trust that readers will agree that the message being told in both papers is important, and that academics in more privileged institutions have a responsibility to collaborate with our colleagues to ensure that these stories reach a wide audience. Anthony Nwaopara, Anthony Ifebhor and Frank Ohiwerei from Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma in Nigeria, dare to speak out about the shocking breaches of academic integrity occurring everyday in Nigeria. 'Proliferating illiteracy in the universities: A Nigerian perspective' argues that the current crisis in the Nigerian educational system is "contributing to a downward spiral in academic standards, and in particular... to decreasing literacy among Nigerian students". The authors provide a rare inside view of the underfunded Nigerian education system which exists in a broad culture of corruption, and is dominated by examination fraud, violence on campus, sexual harassment and a range of entrenched social problems. One recommendation, among others offered by the authors to ameliorate this situation, is for university authorities, administrators, lecturers, students and parents to maintain a strict code of personal ethics in all educational endeavours. By fortuitous coincidence, this suggestion is taken up by Blessing Chapfika from Masvingo State University, Zimbabwe, in his paper, 'The role of integrity in higher education'. Chapfika maintains that 'virtue ethics' as opposed to rules-based approaches to ethics, plays a crucial role in higher education. Without referring to specific behaviours or cases, Chapfika makes a strong case for the centrality of the key virtue - integrity - for both teachers and learners. I do hope you enjoy the current issue of the International Journal for Educational Integrity, and encourage you to consider submitting a paper for review. The December issue of the journal will be a special issue, guest edited by Dr Fiona Duggan, from the Higher Education Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service in the United Kingdom. Dr Duggan is seeking papers focusing on supporting and promoting academic integrity in European Higher Education Institutions. Please send your submissions directly to her at fhduggan@gmail.com. The submission deadline is 8 September 2008. Other papers not related to the Special Issue, can be submitted to the journal via the automatic tracking system, or directly to me at tracey.bretag@unisa.edu.au. Tracey Bretag, IJEI Editor April 2008 List of reviewers 2007-2008 Bambaccus, Mary. University of South Australia Barthels, Alex. University of Technology, Sydney Cadman, Kate. University of Adelaide Di Matteo, Don. University of South Australia Dick, Martin. RMIT, Melbourne Duggan, Fiona. JISC Advisory Service, U.K. East, Julianne. La Trobe University Foster, Gigi. University of South Australia Harris, Howard. University of South Australia Hastie, Brianne. University of South Australia Higgins-Desbiolles, Freya. University of South Australia Hinton, Leone. Central Queensland University Kennelly, Robert. University of Canberra Li, Laubi. University of South Australia Marsden, Helen. University of Canberra Matthews, Brian. Flinders University Morrow, Margaret. SUNY Plattsburgh, New York, U.S.A. Muller, Robert. Flinders University O’Callaghan, Terry. University of South Australia Palmer, Carolyn. Flinders University Sharman, Jason. Griffith University Smith, Erica. Charles Sturt University Van Hooft, Stan. Deakin University Wache, Dale. University of South Australia Winefield, Tony. University of South Australia.