Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Language and education – Zimbabwe'

Thesis (Ph.D. (Educational Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2012
This research project was an endeavor to investigate the effects of the languages of instruction (English and Shona), to teach Tsonga (Shangani) speaking children in Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe. Because of the nature of the study, a mixed method design was used where both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted to study the performance of the Tsonga (Shangani) minority language speaking learners in five purposively sampled schools. 222 learners participated in the study. The main aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the language instruction in teaching Tsonga (Shangani) speaking Grade Seven children in Environmental Science. In fact, the researcher was interested in finding out whether teaching learners in a foreign language was a bridge or barrier to learning. In this case, the research did not only look at the effect of using English for instructional purposes, but also investigated how other major or dominant indigenous languages which are used for instructional purposes affect the performance of minority language speaking children in Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe. Data for this study were collected using lesson observation, document analysis, the questionnaire and a knowledge test. In this case, fifteen lessons were observed. Fifteen Tsonga (Shangani) speaking Grade Seven learners per school were purposively selected and taught in Tsonga (Shangani) only and the other fifteen Shona speaking Grade Seven children per school were also purposively selected and taught the same topic in Shona, and a third group of fifteen Grade Seven learners per school, were randomly selected and taught in English only. A knowledge test was given to each group thereafter. Children from each language condition were allowed to answer questions in their home languages, except for the third group which was taught in English. This group answered the questions in English with the restricted use of Shona. Each of the test results from the knowledge tests were analysed using a One Way Anova of Variance (ANOVA) and conclusions drawn. The results from other data collection instruments were analysed using qualitative methods like narrative discussions of data. A sample of five learners per school had their exercise books analysed. Data were presented in tables. The results from the knowledge tests given showed a significant difference in the mean marks obtained from the three groups (the Shangani, Shona and English group). The result showed that language has a significant influence on the performance of learners since the p – value was 0.000. This implies that the performance of learners between the three groups is significantly different. On the basis of these observations, the Null hypothesis was rejected. The same picture was also shown in document analysis and in the questionnaires. Consequently,conclusions were drawn and recommendations made.

This study presents a description of the roles District Education Officers in the implementation of the Guidance and Counselling curriculum in Zimbabwe. The roles of the District Education Officers were researched through the literature study and empirical research. It was found that although their professional contribution is vital in successful implementation, there are other obstacles namely, financial constraints, very high workload, lack of government support and inferior appointment procedures for District Education Officers which tend to hamper them to fulfil their duties.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to investigate the culture of teaching and learning in selected Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe. It was addressing the numerous pleas within the Ministry of Education and by other stakeholders, to review the O-level curriculum, to monitor and improve the O-level results and to reduce dropouts at that level. Effective school programmes hold school culture and climate accountable, and as the most influential factors that could facilitate the process of change. This study is a situational analysis of the culture ofteaching and learning in two selected schools in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The headmasters of the two schools, selected teachers and students were interviewed regarding the culture ofteaching and learning in their respective schools. The culture was revisited from as far back as the dual system of education during the colonial period in Rhodesia through post-independence in Zimbabwe in the 1980s, to the present. It was also traced from the time the sample schools were established to date. The schools are anonymous and they are referred to as Schools A and B. The situation analysis revealed that a healthy culture of teaching and learning exists in School A, but leaves room for improvement. A breakdown of this culture in school B is evident and an immediate restoration is imperative. The primary cause supported by literature review is ineffective school leadership. Other responsible factors are demotivated teachers, poor parental involvement and demoralised students. There is still hope for the culture in School B to improve because of the recent move by the government to allow schools to collect their own fees. Of course, this still leaves the main problem of leadership and uncommitted staff unresolved. Students might have a full time counsellor to meet their social needs. The study initially, states the problem and presents research questions which are answered in the study. Then the historical background of the dual education system and how it affected and still contributes to the culture of teaching and learning, follows. The methodology used in the study, the review of literature interview responses, findings and guidelines for restoring the culture of teaching and learning simultaneously follow. Finally, the study presents suggested recommendations and topics for further study and the short comings of the research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem im ondersoek in te stel na die leerkultuur in geselekteerde sekondrere skole in Zimbabwe. Dit inkorpereer die groot aantal versoeke va kie Minesterie van Onderwys en ander belanghebbendes om die O-vlak-kurrikulum te hersiem, te moniteer en te verbeter en om die aantal kandidate wat op daardie vlak uitsak te probeer verminder. Skole met effektiewe programme beskou die skoolkultuur en skoolklimaat as kie oorsake van hierdie probleme, maar is terselfdertyd daarvan oortuing dat juis hierdie faktore die veranderingsproses kan fasiliteer. Hierdies studie in 'n situasie-analise van die kultuur van onderrig en leer in twee geselekteerde skole in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Daar is ondrhounde gevoer met die skoolhoofde, geselekteerde onderyses en leerders van hierdie twee skole oor kie kultuur van onderrig en leer aan hulle skool. Die periode vanaf die dubbelmediumsisteem tydens Rhodesie se Koloniale Tydperk, die post-onafhandklikheidsperiode in die tagtigerjare in Zimbabwe tot en met die huidige tydperk is by die onderhound betrek. Dit het ook die betrokke skool se geskiedenis vanaf sy ontstaan tot en met die huidige tydperk ingesluit. Daar word na die skole verwys as skool A en skool B om hulle anonimiteit te waarborg. Uit die situasie-analise blyk dit dat daar in skool A 'n gesonde kultuur van onderrg en leer bestaan, alhoewel daar ruimte vir verberering is. In skool B bestaan dit nie en 'n onmiddellike herstel van hierdie kultuur is noodsaaklik. Uit die literatuur blyk dit dat die hoofoorsaak van so 'n insinking oneffektiewe skoolleierskap is. Ander bydraende faktore is gedemotiveerde onderwysers, swak ouerbetrokkenheid en gedemoraliseerde leerders. Dit is nog nie te laat im die kultuur in skool B te verbeter nie omdat die regering sedert redelik onlangs skole toelaat om hulle eie fondse in te samel. Dit laat egter die hoofprobleem van oneffektiewe leierskap en onbetrokke onderwysers onopgelos. 'n Voltydse berader kan help om in the leerders se sosiale behoeftes te voorsien. Hierdie studie begin met die problem wat gestel word en bied dan navorsingsvrae wat in die loop van die studie beantwoord word. Daarna volg 'n historiese agtergrond van die dubbelmediumsisteem en hoe dit kultuur van onderrig en leer beinvloed het en nog steeds beinvloed. Die metodologie wat in die bevindings en riglyne om die kultuur van onderrig en leer te herstel, volg daarna. Die studie word afgesluit met voorgestelde aanbevelings, moontlike temas vir verdere studie en die tekortkominge van die navorsing.

This research was carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the practice of governance in a technical or vocationally oriented college and the critical role played by the principal as a college manager within the governance system in which industrialists and head office are also key players. Conceptual literature relating to issues of governance and management within the education scenario is examined. The wider issues of governance are critically analysed in the context of power and control mechanisms initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education as the responsible authority for the colleges. The influence of the industrial sector as the consumers of skilled labour force is analysed through college advisory councils set up in terms of the relevant pieces of legislation. The research is qualitative and takes the form of three case studies of technical and vocational colleges in Zimbabwe. Data were collected through multiple methods from varied sources with a view to ensuring triangulation. The multiple-case design enabled me to dig beneath the surface of what apparently happens in these organisations and unearth issues and concerns at the wider governance and management levels. Views and experiences of participants are captured and explained through in-depth interviews, observations and documentary sources. Results are discussed in relation to the relevant literature allowing grounded theory to emerge. The research highlights the roles of key players in governance and the issues of relationships among these actors. What emerges is a desperate situation of ineffectiveness, problematic processes in governance and poor responsiveness of these colleges to the labour market demands. The potential for generalisability and transferability is discussed in the report and possible corrective intervention strategies are recommended. The thesis demonstrates that managers of these colleges and indeed senior officers in head office who are at the centre of governance and will need transformational leadership development in order for them to come to terms with such things as people’s feelings, abandoning ‘outdated’ policies, managing change, and handling communication effectively. Various strategies for revitalisation of governance and management in technical and vocational colleges are suggested.

This study offers an explanation of enabling and / or constraining factors in Zimbabwe‘s 3-3-3 secondary teacher education model for Post ‗O‘ Level Science. It is a theory driven study that derives its theoretical foundation from Roy Bhaskar‘s critical realism and Margaret Archer‘s morphogenetic approach to reality. The study therefore offers explanations about structural, cultural and agential influences that facilitate and / or hinder the 3-year program for Post ‗O‘ Level Science. This was a qualitative case study of one secondary teacher education college in Zimbabwe. Qualitative data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. One official from the Department of Teacher Education(DTE) at the University of Zimbabwe(UZ),the Principal, the Vice Principal and 10 lecturers from the studied college,3 Heads of Science department in secondary schools,3mentors and 5 groups of 10 and 11eleven student teachers participated in the study. The DTE Handbook (2012), vision and mission statements and core values of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development (MHTESTD),DTE and the studied college, syllabuses, teaching practice reports, policy documents, external examining reports, College Academic Board (CAB) minutes, admission records, mark profiles and pass lists among other relevant documents complemented interview data. As a theory driven study, structural, cultural and agential influences were found to be enabling and / or constraining the model. The acute shortage of Science teachers in secondary schools and the few Post ‗A‘ Level Science graduates led to the re-introduction of the 3- year Post ‗O‘ Level Science program in secondary teacher education colleges. The bureaucratic structures in educational institutions, the In-Out-In structure, institutional structures such as the family, the University, the studied college, secondary schools, infrastructural facilities, material and financial resources, transport facilities and utilities such as water, electricity and the internet were established as some among other structural factors affecting the 3-3-3 model. Discourses held about the teaching profession, the vision, mission and core values of the MHTESTD,DTE and the studied college, beliefs about what Science teachers should learn, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they should acquire and how they should be taught were established as cultural factors enabling and / or constraining the 3-3-3 model. Agential influences offering causal explanation for enablers and / or constrainers of the model were established as the decision by the Principal and the CAB to re-introduce the 3- year Post ‗O‘ Level Science program, the decision by the students to enroll for the program, the recruitment of under qualified students, the use of various teaching methods, conducting staff development and mentorship workshops and failure to increase staff establishment. The study has put forth recommendations for the improvement on constraining factors in pre-service teacher education programs. With the understanding that agency has power to reinforce or transform structures and cultures, it should not be seen to be reinforcing disadvantaged structural positions and cultures; instead, after having identified structural and cultural constrainers, it should engage in communicative and meta-reflexivity to come up with the best possible solutions to the hindrances. Courses of action should then be taken accordingly.

Inclusive education has become a global trend in the 21st century and is seen as a way of addressing barriers to learning for children with diverse backgrounds, needs, abilities and learning styles. The key to the success of the implementation of inclusive education lies in teacher education as this is where teachers are trained. Teacher education is thus expected to equip pre-service teacher trainees with relevant and effective strategies to enable them to implement inclusive education effectively in the schools in response to learner diversity. This study therefore focused on assessing the strategies for implementing inclusive education that teacher educators equip their pre-service trainees with in the primary teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. The research was grounded in the pragmatist paradigm and the mixed method approach was employed. Data were collected from two primary teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe and in primary schools in the Harare Metropolitan Province. The participants were lecturers (teacher educators), pre-service trainees in the final phase of the course and qualified teachers who trained with the two colleges and are teaching in the Mbare-Hatfield District of the Harare Metropolitan Province. The study found out that most of the lecturers, pre-service teacher trainees and qualified teachers knew about inclusive education although some had a narrow view of the extent to which learner diversity entails. Therefore, this could affect the way these educators perceive inclusive teaching strategies in the implementation of inclusive education. The main finding was that the teaching strategies that pre-service trainees were equipped with were not quite effective for inclusive classrooms. The study also unveiled that lecturers in the primary teacher training colleges were aware of different teaching strategies with which pre-service trainees can be equipped and exposed to in order for effective teaching and learning to take place. They, however, did not differentiate between those strategies for regular classes and those for inclusive ones. Although the lecturers were aware of inclusive teaching strategies, they did not do much to equip their trainees with these due to challenges which include lack of coordinated programmes in lecturing in the different subject areas; lack of integration in topics taught in the different subject areas; loaded timetables in the teacher education curriculum; the nature of the teacher education curriculum which is not flexible as it focuses on examinations; inadequate resources and high lecturer-student ratio in the colleges; and high teacher-pupil ratio in the primary schools where the pre-service trainees do their teaching practice. The researcher made some recommendations from the conclusions drawn from the research findings. The recommendations included that there is need for adequate teacher preparation and training to enable teachers to be flexible, accommodative and reflective in their practice in terms of employing teaching strategies. The researcher also recommended a review of the primary teacher education curriculum in its entirety to accommodate fully the teaching of inclusive education.

The aim of the study was to evaluate school children’s attitudes towards Physical Education in selected Mutare city schools. In order for the children to benefit from the Physical Education program, the study hypothesized that children must develop the right attitudes towards Physical Education. This observation has also been emphasized in other studies that children, who possess the right attitude towards Physical Education, develop positive attitudes towards physical activities. This suggestion has also been reported by Portman, (2003) and McKenzie (2003) that one of the benefits of Physical Education is sustained participation in physical activities outside the school. This study involved 400 children from Mutare Junior, Chancellor, Zamba, Dangamvura, Sakubva, Chikanga, Mutanda and Murahwa Primary Schools in Mutare city. The children’s age ranged between 12 - 14 years old. The primary data were collected from questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions, while secondary data were based on related literature review. The results indicated that the teacher, curriculum content and delivery, the learning environment, siblings, type of school, location of residences, proximity of facilities and support from parents were some of the factors associated with children’s attitudes towards Physical Education and Physical Activity at school and home respectively. In many ways, these factors affected children’s sustainable participation in physical activities after school.

Up to 2005 early childhood education in Zimbabwe was organised, directed and run by non-governmental organisations, churches and private individuals. Such an arrangement meant that the curriculum, personnel and strategies used to implement the programme were varied. In 2004 the Ministry of Education directed that all primary schools attach two classes of children aged between 3 and 5 years with effect from 2006, thus effectively making early childhood education part of the formal primary school structure. The research presented in this thesis focuses on teachers' perceptions of primary schools' state of readiness for the introduction of early childhood education in Zimbabwe. Located in the interpretive paradigm of qualitative research the study draws on a wide range of research methods. In particular a multiple case study was used to explore teachers' perceptions of primary schools' state of readiness for the introduction of grade zero/early childhood education in a former government group B school, a church run school, a rural school, a former government group A school and, a council run school. Some of the key findings of the study are: • School heads who are the principal gate keepers in primary schools were not provided with any preparation for the introduction of grade zero/early childhood education. • School reliance on fees and levies, without direct Ministry of Education financial assistance, meant that resource conditions - hence state of readiness - greatly differed from one school to another. • No ongoing support was provided to school heads, teachers-in-charge and early childhood education teachers. • The quality of teaching and learning at the early childhood education level, in the multiple case study, depended on the nature of teacher preparation, availability of appropriate resources, adequacy and appropriateness of teacher support, and teacher state of preparedness. The study recommends interventions that curriculum policy planners and implementers can use to create conditions that enable schools to be ready for installing, implementing and institutionalising the early childhood education innovation.

The study is premised on the assumptions that the under-representation of women in leadership in academia is aggravated by weak implementation of gender policies. In light of this, the aim of the current study was to assess the nature and extent of the implementation of gender policy frameworks as a way of engendering gender parity in leadership in academia. The study was informed by the socialist-feminist theory and John Rawls’ and David Millers’ theory of social justice. The theories were chosen on the basis of their socialist-scientific approach to gender issues and also because of their resonance with the situation in Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions. The theories were analysed within the context of Agenda 2063. The relevance of the agenda’s vision for this study is its recognition of gender equality, particularly in leadership in academia, as a critical cog for Africa’s development agenda. The researcher opted to use the qualitative approach which is embedded within the interpretivist research paradigm. The interpretivist approach makes use of qualitative methods of data collection, presentation and analysis. Data were generated from a sample of twenty four lecturers, two vice-chancellors, two pro-vice-chancellors and two registrars from two universities, a private church-run institution and a state university, mainly through interviews. Data were also generated through focus group discussions and document analysis. Data from documents were used to buttress data from the interviews and focus group discussions. The findings of this study showed that the male-management norm dominated in almost every strategic section of the structures of the two institutions. This was attributable to weak implementation of gender policies. The failure of the gender policies to bring a visible change to the institutional landscape in terms of gender equality was a result of an interplay of personal, cultural and organisational factors. Some of the factors that thwarted women’s career progression to leadership positions included, lack of inspiration from role models, lack of support from colleagues, lack of training in leadership, and the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education’s (ZIMCHE) indiscriminate policy on recruitment of staff members. All the factors however, were encapsulated within the patriarchal stereotypical conception of a women as fit for domesticity. Within the same conception, men were considered to be imbued with the clout and traits consistent with leadership demands. Studies carried out elsewhere in Zimbabwe and outside the boarders of Zimbabwe have yielded similar results. This explains the continuing and relentless nature of gender inequality in academic institutions. In order to increase the participation of women in leadership positions, the study recommends the following: establishment of a monitoring and evaluation exercise designed to audit the effectiveness of the gender policies; establishment of a review of the university programmes with the aim of establishing or intensifying training programmes in academic leadership and management; establishment of a scholarship and research fund to encourage women to undertake higher degrees studies, and the intense application of affirmative action policies and gender mainstreaming in the universities.

The study investigated how primary schools in Chiredzi District in Zimbabwe, cater for ECD “A” and “B” children with special education needs. A mixed method design located in the pragmatism paradigm was used to carry out the study. Post-positivist is an interactive process which produced in-depth, detailed, rich data from personal perspectives and experiences that resulted in realistic understanding of phenomenon, interpreted through the social and cultural context of respondents’ lives. By adopting quantitative and qualitative approaches, the researcher was able to ensure a high level of reliability in the collected data, at the same time obtaining comprehensive information on how primary schools attaching preschool classes in Chiredzi district cater for ECD “A” and “B” children with special education needs. Purposive sampling and cluster sampling procedures were used to solicit information from ECD teachers, school heads, parents, the District Education Team, NGOs and critical government ministries through semi-structured questionnaires, face-t-face interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document analysis. The study established that, while the government carries out its mandate of providing social services to learners with special education needs, they are incapacitated due to lack of resources. The majority of schools are not providing adequate health facilities for learners with special education needs. Furthermore, most schools are not providing nutritional supplementation to vulnerable learners, situations which deprive the learners with the much needed opportunity to grow and develop to the anticipated potential. In addition, the study noted that, ECD “A” and “B” children with special education needs enrolled in classes attached to primary schools do not access Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) or Cash Transfers to alleviate the children that are in need. It came out that such a situation impacts on learners’ attendance and subsequently their learning outcomes. Regardless of the stipulations by international treaties on the nature of inclusive education, the study established that, the education system has not yet modified curriculum to accommodate learners with diversified forms of special education needs. The situation is made worse by the fact that, heads of schools, and teachers are not adequately trained to handle learners with special education needs in early childhood development programmes. In addition, schools face the challenge of scarcity of learning resources that support ECD learners with special education needs which seriously impact on the growth and development of young learners at this critical stage of their development. Regardless of the essence of continuous professional development programs, in schools whose purpose is to redress the professional gap in schools, the study found that the CPD are doing very little to transform the mind-set of teachers. The study concluded that learners with special education needs are not benefiting from the current inclusive education programme. The study recommends that following; Stakeholders work together to promote the health and nutritional needs including other social services of ECD learners in classes attached to primary schools. There be a national teacher in-service programme for those teachers deployed in schools, to equip them with the desired skills, and knowledge to handle learners with special education needs, especially at this critical stage of their development. Teachers’ Colleges redesign their curriculum to address inclusive education in schools. Teachers’ Colleges need to empower new graduates with skills and knowledge to handle children with special education needs in schools. Policy makers to advocate for redesigning the curriculum to include children with special education needs to ensure availability of resources in inclusive schools to alleviate the challenges faced by these children. Those policy makers should advocate for a way to ensure that all children with special education be enrolled in mainstream schools. Thus, the study proposed an alternative, holistic, and inclusive education model for schools attaching ECD “A” and “B”

The research which forms the basis of this thesis describes rural women’s perceptions of how Camfed education and skills development programmes have improved their lives in the Chikomba rural district in Chivhu, Zimbabwe. The researcher was motivated to carry out this study mainly due to the fact that in most rural societies in Zimbabwe, women are found suffering from social, cultural and political biases in the traditional male dominated society of Zimbabwe. Compared to their male counterparts, women have limited access to educational and employment opportunities and also have less social and political power than men. Being heads of households, women have to carry out the full traditional roles with the added responsibility of household and production management. The purpose of this study was to inform those investing and interested in women’s education about whether, how and the conditions under which women’s education directly improves women’s own lives and decreases poverty in the family and society. Camfed is an organization that advocates for female education particularly in the marginalized and poor parts of the country where poverty remains a barrier to girl’s education. It provides financial resources and establishes innovative education and training programs in order to break the poverty cycle in rural communities and empower women. A quantitative approach was employed in this study using a descriptive survey design, with the emphasis on collecting primary data from the research participants as well as consulting secondary data sources such as books, academic journals, completed and unpublished post-graduate research dissertations and theses. Findings of this study revealed that financial constraints, early marriage, proximity to school, death of parents as well as domestic chores were factors identified by the women that prevented them from completing school and pursuing further studies. The women also describe their perceptions of how education has led to better opportunities and an improved standard of living as they can now afford the basic goods and services. Moreover the participants mentioned how education has provided them with the basic skills to pursue a livelihood which will enable them to enjoy a decent standard of living. The research also found that education is an important determinant of women’s decision making in terms of finances and thereby improves their sense of empowerment. The women talked extensively about how education has raised their self-esteem and how it has enhanced their economic and social independence. At the end of the study and using the acquired information, several recommendations are made for the expansion and increase of programmes that offer incentives to keep girls in school, especially at secondary level where returns for girls are substantially greater in-terms of reducing poverty and improving the wellbeing of individuals.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The major concern in the world of work has been the mismatch between a person's vocational interests and job pursuits. The understanding has been that jobs make differing demands on people and that the abilities of the individual and demands of the job have a bearing on productivity hence the need for matching people to jobs. The most notable attempts to identify and organize vocational interests have been Holland's theory of vocational interests and personality types. Holland asserts that people can be categorized predominantly as one of six personality types, namely, realistic (R), investigative (I), artistic (A), social (S), enterprising (E), and conventional (C). The review of literature has shown that person-environment fit explains the degree of match between occupational pursuits and one's vocational interests and that before a measure can be used across cultures, its construct validity must be established in each culture. The current study was motivated by the Zimbabwe Public Service Commission's quest, in the absence of vocational interest measures tailored for Zimbabwe, for assessment tools that can assist in predicting suitability for recruitment or promotion. The study was therefore designed to (a) develop a measure of vocational interest validated on the Zimbabwe population, (b) build a model for predicting and classifying people into job sectors and (c) assess the adequacy of Holland's RIASEC structure for assessing person-job fit in the Zimbabwe Public Service. To achieve this, a correlational research design was used. The vocational interest measure and the MB-10 were the two instruments used for data collection. A sample of 500 public servants representing six occupational sectors in the Zimbabwe Public Service participated in the study. Statistical approaches to data analysis included reliability and validity analysis, factor analysis and multiple discriminant analysis. The results of the reliability coefficients were within acceptable levels. The subscale reliabilities of the vocational interest measure ranged from ra = 0.85 to ra = 0.89. Overall, the concurrent validity of the vocational interest measure was established. Factor analysis and correlation coefficients statistic assessed the adequacy of the hexagonal ordering of the RIASEC types. Factor analysis was computed resulting in 8 factors being extracted instead of the theoretically conceptualized 6 factors. The 8 extracted factors accounted for 65.88% of the total variance. Holland's theory affirms that occupational types that are more proximate on the hexagon are more similar than types that are more distant. Results of the RIASEC intercorrelations showed strong correlations between Realistic and Investigative (r = 0.69) and moderate correlations with four of the adjacent types. However, low and negative correlations were obtained between Conventional and Realistic (adjacent types) (r = -0.14) and between Investigative and Conventional (alternate types) (r = -0.11). On the other hand, there was strong correlation between Realistic and Social (opposite types) (r = 0.25.) The model for predicting and classifying people into appropriate job sectors was developed. The model's utility was confirmed using the scores from the sample data. The cross validation table obtained an error rate of 0.29, an indication of a relatively good model. Given the results of the present study, it appears the study hypotheses were generally supported. Further work in refining the model is recommended.

Textiles and Clothing programmes in universities worldwide experience numerous challenges in effectively implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning. The aim of this study was to explore how ICT integrated teaching and learning was implemented in Textiles and Clothing programmes at one university of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, with a view to developing a suitable model to enhance effective implementation. The study was informed by the Activity theory and triangulated by the Technological pedagogical content knowledge framework (TPACK) and the Functionality framework. The study made use of the interpretive research paradigm, the qualitative approach and intrinsic case study design, to generate the necessary data. The participants of the study were purposively and quota sampled from the Textiles and Clothing department of the selected university of Science and Technology, and consisted of seven lecturers, three administrators, two ICT technicians and thirty-two students. Four methods were used to generate data namely in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. After coding, data were analysed for content using thematic analysis. The study established that there were no specific ICT hardware and software packages acquired by the universityfor the Textiles and Clothing programmes. Instead, general design related softwares such as CorelDraw, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Mac Paints were used to support the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning. The findings of the study further revealed that lecturers lacked thorough technological pedagogical knowledge to apply a variety of ICT in the teaching and learning of students. The study established that there was lack of an effective mechanism for providing monitoring and evaluation as the peer review and evaluation mechanism that was used in the Textiles and Clothing programmes did not identify the specific indicators for the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning. Among the conclusions emanating from the findings were that the Textiles and Clothing programmes suffered serious shortage of suitable ICT hardware and subject-specific ICT software applications to facilitate the teaching of practical components thereby compromising the effective implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning to foster effective skill acquisition in relation to ICT among students. It was also concluded that lecturers were finding difficulties in implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning as they lacked thorough technological-pedagogical-content knowledge and skills that would enable them to select appropriate technological resources and technological pedagogical strategies to teach students appropriate content. The study recommended that the Textiles and Clothing department, through the support of the university, should acquire subject related educational hardware and software like Gerber or Lectra to teach the practical courses of the programmes. The university should organise professional development programmes focussing on TPACK to assist lecturers to develop competences in ICT necessary for implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning. A model was proposed to enhance the effective implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning into the Textiles and Clothing programmes at the University.

This study investigates the Zimbabwean women listeners of a gender-focused radio programme Nguva yevanhukadzi (Time for Women) to find out what meanings they take from the programme. Located within the broad theoretical framework of cultural studies and drawing on audience reception theories, the study focuses on the ways in which Shona-speaking women bring their understandings of their social roles, derived from their lived socio-cultural experiences of patriarchy, to their decoding of the text. The study was set in Harare’s high-density suburb of Mbare and used the qualitative research methods of individual and focus group interviews. The study was conducted against the backdrop of the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) of September 2008, which ended the impasse among the warring political parties, ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDC and introduced a new era of collectively tackling socio-economic development, including redressing gender disparities through women’s empowerment. This study examines the factors shaping the audiences’ readings of the programme and seeks to establish whether the mass media has determining power on its audience in the reception of messages or if the audiences (women) have interpretive freedom. Using Hall’s (1980) Encoding/ Decoding model, the study examines the factors that influence the audiences’ choice in making preferred, negotiated or oppositional readings and the arguments they advance in line with those readings. While the interviews revealed that most of the female listeners “negotiated” the dominant encoded meanings, seeking their relevance to their varied situations and contexts (O’ Sullivan et al. 1994:152; Ang 1990: 159), of interest is the manner in which the women dealt with the discourse of patriarchy within the context of promoting women empowerment. The contestation between women empowerment and addressing patriarchy reflected the subverted notions of maintaining the status quo, while applauding the women’s commitment and ability to interrogate the practicality of issues under discussion and drawing lessons relevant to their day to day lives prior to making the preferred reading. As such, the study revealed that preferred readings are not always automated, but can be a result of intense interrogation among media audiences.

This study set out to investigate a unique case of innovation adaptation and institutionalization in a depressed socio-economic environment. The main aim of the study was to understand and explain interventions and innovative strategies that underpin the survival and growth of the Open and Distance Learning Mode (ODLM) in Zimbabwe. Towards this end, the data to address the research questions was derived from the case study methodology which incorporated, among others, documentary analysis and interviews with persons involved in the initiation and management of the ODLM. The results of the study indicate that three broad categories of strategies, namely protectionism, innovative leadership and educational entrepreneurialism or commodification constitute the foundation of ODLM durability in Masvingo Province. Protectionism in the context of ODLM survival and growth are projected and articulated in the policy instruments such as mandates and legal frameworks which shielded the innovation from the usual hazards of the innovation process. Protectionism enabled the ODLM to gain traction in an elitist and conservative higher education landscape. Correspondingly, innovative leadership is manifested in a highly motivated team of management staff committed to the propagation of the ODLM to every part of Masvingo Province. The leadership at the Masvingo Regional Campus (MRC) utilizes the multiple stakeholder approach as strategy for establishing convergences and equilibrium in respect of the interests and concerns of the four main stakeholders, namely the government or the ruling party which initiated the implementation of the ODLM; the employers of ODL graduates who affirm the relevancy of ODL qualifications, the students who sustain ODLM by generating revenue for the ZOU, and finally, the MRC staff who are the implementers of the ODLM programmes. Likewise, educational entrepreneurialism constitute another key strategy in ODLM survival and growth. This strategy is articulated in the principle of continual adaptation and creation of market – driven programmes. The above results have several implications to various role players and actors involved in the educational reform and innovation. Firstly, the results of the study reveal the imperative for power elites or policy formulators to ensure that they initiate and adopt educational innovations that match the capacities of their implementers and the socio-economic realities of their respective countries or societies. In this regard, the ODLM appears to have been a prudent choice in light of the challenges that were being encountered in post-independence Zimbabwe. Secondly, from a management perspective, the selection of the innovation team to spearhead or steer the implementation was prioritized. Only competent and committed personnel positively disposed towards an innovation should spearhead the implementation. In addition adequate training and staff development should be instituted to keep the implementers abreast of new trends and standards in educational provision. Lastly, the results of this study constitute a clarion call to curriculum developers in African university departments to design and develop programmes which resonate with the needs of key stakeholders who constitute the support base for viable educational institutions.

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.

Survey data was collected in 1985 covering information on 3,1100 Form IV students in Zimbabwe, their teachers, their classes and the 32 schools from which they were drawn - spread across six different school types. This data is analysed using a multilevel regression programme to evaluate the effectiveness of different schools in terms of '0' level results in English Language, English Literature and Mathematics. In Chapter One, the historical background to education in Zimbabwe is presented, together with an overview of the main policy changes since Independence. The study itself is situated in Chapter Two against the backdrop of a review of the literature and a discussion of the methodology which distinguishes this study as part of the third wave of research into school effectiveness. Chapter Three describes the study itself, the sample, the variables, and an overview of the school type differences. Chapter Four details the construction of the index variables at the student, the class and the school level. In Chapter Five the results of the progression of linear models are presented, substantiating the choice of 'final' models for each eub3ect. Chapter Six presents an analysis of the different costs at different types of schools, and Chapter Seven draws the threads through the arguments presented in Chapters Two. Five and Six, presenting the implications for Zimbabwe of the stud y 's findings as well as the implications for further research in this field. Whereas much of the literature on school effectiveness has assumed that family background influences on educational achievement operate differently in Third World countries relative to industrialised countries and that school-based factors predominate, this study demonstrates the inadequacy of the models on which such conclusions have been based and concludes that such a distinct pattern of educational achievement for the Third World may indeed be a fallacy.

This is a study of how certain value loaded political terms are used in Zimbabwean Parliamentary debate. Before 1980 it is argued that aspects of lexical choice and an individual's sociopolitical position were extremely closely related, especially in the case of "white Rhodesians". There was also a marked lack of ambiguity in the use of value loaded terms at this time. In contemporary Zimbabwean House of Assembly, however, terms which became popularized when the new government came to power in 1980 are used with considerable ambiguity and contestability in order to further specific strategies. Though correlations between the choice of lexical units and individuals' positions in the social structure have been identified as "sociolinguistic variables" (Downes 1984, 75), it is argued that an analysis of this type of correlation should lead us to an analysis of how these lexical units or "terms" are used by individual speakers in a micro-political process. I hypothesize that the ambiguity and contestability which encompass certain key terms used in the Zimbabwean House contribute to their being used as strategies to achieve individual or party goals. I show that the terms are manipulated by individuals in various contexts, and that the normative connotations of terms, that is what the terms "ought" to mean, is not consistent with the ways in which they are used. This, in turn, has an effect on how people think the terms should be used. This process of language change exposes the interface between language usage and social life. Though not reducible to a single "correct" interpretation, it does provide rich material for the analysis of culture.

Environmental education is taught as part of the Primary School Environmental and Agricultural Science (EAS) curriculum in Zimbabwe. An attempt to improve the quality of learning in EAS resulted in a research project at the University of Zimbabwe that aimed to transpose innovative constructivist pedagogy from a western context to a rural African one. This writer has used a definition of teacher change as social change and a belief that sustainable pedagogical change involves a transformative process. The research backs up previous findings that failure to recognise and deal with how people actually experience the change process, accounts for much failure of social change. This qualitative research has attempted to provide some understanding of the complex interrelationships of factors that affected expected change in teaching style. By focusing on the process of teacher change within innovation, this researcher was able to identify inhibitors to change that were subsequently critically reflected on by the tea~hers themselves. The disappointing resistance to change first noted within the project has become a source of unexpected but potentially important illuminative understanding of teacher education and development in a non-western environment.

Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The decentralisation of power in education is part of a global process that has become part of the education reform policies of most countries. Decentralisation, which is typified by the redistribution of power to local levels, is claimed to serve a variety of ends from democratization to efficiency, empowerment of stakeholders to improved quality of education. It is, however, a complex process that is difficult to capture as power is seen to manifest in multiple ways. During the nineties Zimbabwe, against the background of a massive increase in enrolments, for a variety of reasons including the improvement of the quality of education, embarked on the re-distribution of administrative and financial power in the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture. The implementation of this policy revealed major discrepancies between the intentions of government and the way it translated in educational sites. The aim of this study is to explore how the intentions of decentralisation in education as a policy aimed that the improvement of the quality of education is experienced by school principals. An interpretative methodology with in depth interviews, focus groups, some observations and document analysis were employed to engage in the debates about decentralisation. Although this was a small study the findings concurred with studies of decentralisation in other countries where it was found that the re-distribution of power in education manifests differently in different contexts in the same country. In countries such as Zimbabwe where resource limitations and restructuring concomitantly took place the experience of principals revealed that conditions arose that could not be seen to be conducive to the improvement of the quality of education such as the ambiguity of the meaning of who is responsible for what, the power struggles as government was seen to recentralise crucial roles, increased workloads of principals due to the devolving of administrative and supervisory functions to school level, loss of teachers and other specialist functionaries conducive to a drop in standards and the challenge to parents who had to contribute increasingly to enable schooling of their children. These findings are indicative of the claims from studies in other countries that decentralisation as a policy for whatever reason is seldom more than political rhetoric to decentralise conflict. Exploring the intersection between the literature on decentralisation and parental involvement of education, however, revealed the opening up of other spaces that enabled local power relations to develop in creative ways as parents got increasingly involved in schools. Apart from the challenges related to the redistribution of power as authority delegated, devolved or deconcentrated from government, this study revealed that power manifests in relations and interactions not necessarily ascribed to the intentions of policy, neither as a substance or function only.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die desentralisering van mag in die onderwys maak deel uit van ʼn wêreldwye proses van onderwyshervorming. Desentralisasie, wat deur die herverspreiding van mag na plaaslike vlakke gekenmerk word, is veronderstel om aan ʼn verskeidenheid doele te beantwoord – van demokratisering tot die verhoging van doeltreffendheid, die bemagtiging van belanghebbendes, en die verbetering van onderwysgehalte. Desentralisasie is egter ‘n komplekse proses waaraan moeilik uitvoering gegee kan word, aangesien mag in verskeie gedaantes voorkom. In die negentigerjare het Zimbabwe, teen die agtergrond van ʼn drastiese toename in inskrywings, die herverspreiding van administratiewe en finansiële mag in die Ministerie van Onderwys, Sport en Kultuur onderneem. Dié stap is aan verskillende redes toegeskryf, waaronder die verbetering van onderwysgehalte. Die toepassing van die beleid het egter groot teenstrydighede aan die lig gebring tussen die regering se voornemens, en hoe dié voornemens uiteindelik prakties in onderwysinstellings ten uitvoer gebring is. Die doel van hierdie studie is om skoolhoofde se ervaring van onderwysdesentralisasie as beleid te ondersoek. Die studie is vanuit ‘n interpreterende benadering gedoen met diepte-onderhoude, fokusgroepe, ʼn paar waarnemings sowel as dokumentontleding. Ongeag die beperkte omvang van die studie, stem die bevindinge ooreen met dié van navorsing oor desentralisasie in ander lande, waar bevind is dat herverspreiding van mag in dieselfde land in verskillende kontekste verskillend realiseer. In lande soos Zimbabwe, waar herstrukturering te midde van hulpbronbeperkinge plaasgevind het, het skoolhoofde bepaalde omstandighede ervaar wat nié die verbetering van onderwysgehalte sou kon bevorder het nie. Dít sluit in onsekerheid oor die onderskeie partye se verantwoordelikhede; die magstryd toe die regering kernrolle sentraal beheer; swaarder werklaste vir skoolhoofde nadat administratiewe en toesigfunksies na skoolvlak afgewentel is; ʼn verlies aan onderwysers en ander spesialisamptenare, wat op sy beurt standaarde laat daal het, en ouers se groter verantwoordelikheid om al hoe meer by te dra ten einde hulle kinders se opvoeding te verseker. Hierdie bevindinge strook ook met dié van studies in ander lande, naamlik dat desentralisering as ʼn beleid om watter rede ook al selde meer is as politieke retoriek ten einde konflik te desentraliseer. Nadere ondersoek van die verband tussen navorsing oor desentralisasie, en dié oor ouerbetrokkenheid by onderwys het egter daarop gedui dat desentralisering wel nuwe moontlikhede kan ontsluit vir die skeppende ontwikkeling van plaaslike magsverhoudinge namate ouers al hoe meer by skole betrokke raak. Buiten die uitdagings met betrekking tot die herverspreiding van mag namate regeringsgesag gedelegeer, afgewentel of gedekonsentreer word, dui dié studie daarop dat mag soms ook in verhoudinge en wisselwerkings geopenbaar word wat nie noodwendig met die voornemens van die beleid verband hou nie, en dit mag voorts nie as net substansie of net funksie tot uiting kom nie.

The study focused on the efficacy of the democratic education decentralization policy. The study focused on the efficacy of the democratic education decentralization policy implementation of the four schools of Kadoma District in Zimbabwe. The thesis reviewed literature and discussed the concept of the democratic education decentralization policy implementation and how this has been practiced in Zimbabwe. The theoretical basis of democratic education decentralization policies were outlined and the argument for and against the policy discussed. Thus the dissertation explored the concept of education decentralization policy with specific reference to the notions of democratization and participation in Zimbabwe. Besides the qualitative and the quantitative research methods employed, the study was complemented by the observation on the ground and document analysis. The thesis unearthed that; the democratic education decentralization policy is characterized by some successes and problems during implementation of the policy as indicated by the paucity of the teaching and learning resources. The research findings revealed that, there is prevalence of poor learning outcomes at ‘O’ level in schools; the SDCs/SDAs are underutilized sources of school development because they are not fully empowered by the education system since they had a minimum role in participating towards the implementation of the policy in order to acquire the teaching and learning resources at the schools in Kadoma District. The above findings long-established the view held by critical theorists of the Participatory Governance Model that there is a complementary relationship between the participation of the SDC/SDA in acquiring the teaching as well as the learning resources and the academic performance of learners. Thus, the study concluded that decentralization policy implementation was the major driving force in strengthening efficiency and accountability of resources and results.mplementation of the four schools of Kadoma District in Zimbabwe. The thesis reviewed literature and discussed the concept of the democratic education decentralization policy implementation and how this has been practiced in Zimbabwe. The theoretical basis of democratic education decentralization policies were outlined and the argument for and against the policy discussed. Thus the dissertation explored the concept of education decentralization policy with specific reference to the notions of democratization and participation in Zimbabwe. Besides the qualitative and the quantitative research methods employed, the study was complemented by the observation on the ground and document analysis. The thesis unearthed that; the democratic education decentralization policy is characterized by some successes and problems during implementation of the policy as indicated by the paucity of the teaching and learning resources. The research findings revealed that, there is prevalence of poor learning outcomes at ‘O’ level in schools; the SDCs/SDAs are underutilized sources of school development because they are not fully empowered by the education system since they had a minimum role in participating towards the implementation of the policy in order to acquire the teaching and learning resources at the schools in Kadoma District. The above findings long-established the view held by critical theorists of the Participatory Governance Model that there is a complementary relationship between the participation of the SDC/SDA in acquiring the teaching as well as the learning resources and the academic performance of learners. Thus, the study concluded that decentralization policy implementation was the major driving force in strengthening efficiency and accountability of resources and results.

This study is a contribution to the growing literature on the subject of the role of education in national reconstruction and reconciliation in countries that have experienced conflict and severe dislocation. It takes as its focus the case of Zimbabwe during the period 1980-2010 but related to experiences of conflict in countries such as Angola, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the Sudan and Rwanda in Africa and, elsewhere, in Bosnia, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Northern Ireland.

HIV severely affects children in sub-Saharan Africa. It is important to understand not only the effects of HIV on children, but also how to mitigate them and prevent future infections, with education as one possible avenue. This thesis investigates associations between HIV and education in youth participating in the Manicaland HIV/STD Prevention Project in eastern Zimbabwe from 1998 to 2011. In the first HIV prevalence survey from a general population sample of Zimbabwean children (aged 2-17 from 2009-2011), HIV prevalence was 2.1%, and was primarily due to mother-to-child transmission. Antiretroviral therapy coverage was low (< 25%) and driven by a lack of diagnosis. Therefore, increased testing and diagnosis should be a priority to improve the outlook of HIV-positive children in this population. Providing context for my detailed analyses of education, I show that although education has increased over time in Zimbabwe, it suffered during the economic turmoil of the 2000s, and females consistently achieve lower education levels than males. Increasing education is important because children with educated parents are more likely to be educated themselves, and education appears to be protective against HIV, particularly for females. Conversely, orphanhood is associated with poorer educational outcomes and substance use, which is associated with higher levels of sexual risk behaviours. School enrolment, however, mitigates these effects and is associated with lower levels of substance use and risky sex. Thus, I illustrate one pathway through which education may decrease HIV risk. Moving beyond problems to their solutions, I demonstrate that schools can impact on the education and wellbeing of vulnerable children: high quality schools were associated with better education outcomes and higher wellbeing, suggesting that schools are well placed to improve children's lives. The findings of this thesis suggest how education can support HIV-affected children and play a role in decreasing HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

This study investigates recent attempts to vocationalise secondary education in Zimbabwe in relation to the issues surrounding the provision of school-based vocational education in developing countries. Focusing on the Zimbabwe National Craft Certificate (ZNCC) and the National Foundation Certificate (NFC) pilot schemes, it examines the apparent conflict between policies advocating vocationalisation of secondary education and the views emerging from international literature questioning the efficacy of such policies. It is contended in the study that empirical evidence confirming the 'fallacy' of school-based vocational education only shows that it does not achieve its intended goals without explaining why this is the case. The current study examines the issues surrounding the provision of school-based vocational education from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. It is concluded from the theoretical discussion that the unsatisfactory labour market outcomes of schoolbased vocational education in post-colonial countries are a result of socio-economic and political factors which continue to reflect 'low-participation' practices in the inherited economic systems. Fieldwork findings seem to disprove the commonly held notions about vocational education. Although pupils' high educational and career aspirations were consistent with the arguments from literature, pupils still aspired to technical occupations related to their NFC courses. Teachers and Education Officers were positive about the NFC, even though they were sceptical about the opportunities existing in the formal employment sector. There were conflicting views regarding what pupils, teachers and Education Officers perceived as the goals of the NFC and how useful they thought it was in meeting the different objectives. The study concludes that contrary to the viewpoint of the 'vocational school fallacy', vocational education has a crucial role to play in empowering pupils and enabling them to join either the formal or informal productive sectors in attempts to transform and democratise the inherited 'low-participation' economic system in Zimbabwe.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the implementation of the inclusive education policy in sport in four secondary schools in Masvingo District, Zimbabwe. The case study research design was employed; interviews, focus groups, document analysis and observations were used to collect data. Four school Heads, 4 sports masters, 4 team trainers, 4 team captains, 2 learners with disabilities and a district education officer were purposively selected to take part in this study. Data were presented, analysed/discussed, starting with demographic data in the first section followed by emerging themes. It emerged from the study that all the participants were not knowledgeable about inclusive education and the aspect of including learners with disabilities in mainstream sport. The major barriers identified include inadequate policy dialogue, unavailability of sporting equipment and attitudes. Further findings revealed that there is dire need for knowledge and skills in inclusive sport among teachers in regular schools. Findings also confirmed unavailability of policy circulars in schools. Most teachers were not afforded opportunities to attend workshops and seminars. Findings also revealed that teachers faced major challenges such as funding to undertake courses in SNE and inclusive sport. Teachers were reeled in with a lot of pressure due to congested timetables and large classes. Participants believed that the challenges they faced could be resolved through some proposed intervention strategies. The researcher concluded that teachers in regular schools were not equipped to teach sport to learners with special education needs in the mainstream. The MoPSE was not doing much in preparing teachers to be effective in including learners with disabilities in regular school sport. The study recommended that the MoPSE should put in place provisions to meet the inclusive needs of both teachers and learners. It also recommended that school Heads should be taught about SNE and inclusive sport for them to be able to guide teachers properly. Besides the national policy, schools should design inclusive policies specifically for their respective schools in line with the national policy. The study also recommended that the MoPSE should come up with a comprehensive framework in sport to counter some of these challenges.

The central focus of this study was to determine the extent to which identity formation influenced Zimbabwean A-level female students’ perceptions of and participation in physics. The themes from the sub-problems included the influence of contextual factors on identity formation in relation to physics as a subject at Advanced Level (A-level), facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics, the way in which female students’ perceptions of physics influenced their participation in the subject as well as the factors of identity formation considered as contributing to developing an orientation towards physics by female students. A qualitative approach grounded in an interpretivist paradigm was used. A tri-hybrid theoretical lens comprising of Wenger’s (1998) Social Learning Theory featuring CoP, the Feminist Stand point Theory and Sfard and Prusak’s (2005) notion of ‘telling’ identities or stories, enabled a rich understanding of the influences of identity formation on female students’ perceptions of and participation in physics. The data generating methods used were classroom observation, Draw-A-Scientist Test and semi-structured interviews conducted with nine participants. The data were collated to generate narratives. Key findings: The contextual factors that influenced the identity formation of female students and subsequently their participation in physics at A-level included: Parental and siblings influence; cultural perceptions; impact of the O-level experience; A-level physics teachers’ attitudes; classroom and laboratory experience; male peer influence and other factors such as an understanding of the relevance of physics in daily life. Facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by female students in relation to physics included: being confident, fearless, intelligent, and courageous, liking physics and being determined. These facets motivated them to develop an identity in favour of physics. The female participants studying only mathematics perceived themselves as very intelligent but with a fear of failing physics, lacking confidence and courage. Female students who held negative perceptions towards physics chose to do only mathematics at A-level while those with positive perceptions which influenced the formation of a positive physics identity displayed enthusiasm and commitment to achieve high levels of performance in the subject. Factors of identity formation considered as contributing positively to the development of an orientation towards physics by female students included the importance of v female physics teachers as role models, motivation from O-level science teachers, high self-confidence, high self-esteem, parental support and encouragement, and aspirations towards a physics related career. Gender insensitivity displayed by male teachers, male peer harassment and gender stereotyping are factors in identity formation considered as inhibiting the development of an orientation towards physics by female students. This study provides physics educators, physics planners and the government with detailed information on the role identity formation plays on the participation of Zimbabwean female adolescent students in A-level physics. The findings may be used by heads of schools to sensitise academic staff on the gender dimensions of teaching and learning as well as by counsellors and parents to encourage females to enrol for physics and mathematics as their subjects of choice. This study also contributes to the strengthening of educational research in Zimbabwe, especially research aimed at emancipation of female students in Zimbabwe.

The study focused on investigating challenges and prospects of quality education in rural primary schools in developing countries particularly in Zimbabwe. Reviewed literature indicated that two theories; education as human capital and education as human right advanced increased access to education. Decline of quality of education in the expansion programme portrayed by the decrease of pass rates to below 50 percent, pupils’ low literacy and numeracy prompted investigation. A case study of Ngezi rural primary schools was explored using a sample of 50 respondents selected through stratified random technique. Data were gathered by a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods defined as triangulation. Self- administered questionnaires for heads and teachers, interview guide for grade 7 pupils and SDC and observation guide were the instruments employed for data collection. Analysis of the data was done using descriptive statistics. Findings were that quality of universal education was affected by inadequate supporting inputs and facilities, inappropriate teaching methods and unmotivated teachers. However 80 percent of the schools were staffed with qualified teachers depicting government’s commitment to quality education. 40 % of the schools without qualified leadership were indicative of the effect of poor school conditions to staff turn up. In studies carried out in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and India quality also declined as access was increased due to similar causes. Recommendations were to create a strong collaboration among stakeholders through communication to ensure the four conditions for quality are met simultaneously as they are interdependent and reforming the curriculum to suit means and needs of the people.

This study investigated stakeholder participation in strategic planning processes in three teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. The study was conducted within the qualitative research methodology. Three colleges of education were purposively sampled. All principals in the sampled sites took part in the study. Two Heads of Departments (HODs), two Lecturers in Charge (LICs) two Students Representative Council (SRC) members as well as College Advisory Council Board Members (CACBM) participated in this study. A total of 18 informants participated through interviews. Documents such as strategic planning minutes were scrutinized. Strategic planning meetings were also observed at two sites. The findings were that the practice of strategic planning still appears to be rigid and bureaucratic for organizations that operate in rapidly changing environments such as those in Zimbabwe. Secondly, participation in strategic planning is not all inclusive; only a select few individuals do take part in the planning exercise. Colleges of education and the Ministry focus on the product activities, that is, crafting the strategic plan. They seem to ignore the process activities such as reviewing plans periodically and taking note of key performance indicators which promote continuous improvement. The study also found that participants received no formal training in strategic planning and that the planning process was skewed towards control and compliance; and exhibited managerial accountability tendencies which lie within central bureaucratic approaches. The main recommendations were that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and the Department of Teacher Education, at the University of Zimbabwe, in consultation with relevant stakeholders should, develop norms and standards for teacher education to align Zimbabwe‟s stakeholder participation in strategic planning to the global trends. Colleges should supplement their understanding of operational contexts by exploring possible future trends and circumstances. The criteria for reviewing strategic plans should be developed by peers, and practitioners in the field, in consultation with national norms and standards for teacher education.

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.

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.

The most critical hurdle on the path to sustainable development in Africa and the rest of the so-called Third World is poverty, commonly manifested as food security. A number of factors threaten food security in Zimbabwe, and these include climate change, an unstable socio-political environment and economic depression. The major debates and initiatives on sustainable development often fail to focus on the eradication of poverty in southern Africa. As a result, the trade liberalisation programmes signed by African countries in economic partnership agreements leave smallholder farmers vulnerable to the influx of hybrid seed and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which threaten local agro-biodiversity. This case study has shown that farmers select seed to plant for food as a result of various learning interactions they engage in, which include inter-generational knowledge transfer, farmer to farmer extension and external training by extension organisations and NGOs. A communities of practice (COPs) (Wenger, 2007) framework was used to gain an understanding of the learning interactions among farmers and their stakeholders in Nyanga and Marange COPs of small grain farmers in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe, who have been working with Environment Africa (A regional NGO). A critical realist causal analysis was conducted to unravel the various causal factors influencing choice. A number of underlying structures and causal mechanisms were found to influence learning interactions and choices in these communities of practice, and they include ambivalence, which influences the changing domain and practice. Climate change, drought and risk were found to affect farmer practice, while power relations affect the community, its practice, domain, sponsorship and the learning interactions in the COPs. The political economy was also found to have a profound effect on the domain and practice. A space was found for the influence of capacity and knowledge sharing in participatory frameworks of the communities, implying that extension quality can be enhanced to promote locally adapted and diverse seed varieties for food security improvement. The study shows that a deeper understanding of the mechanisms influencing the context of teaching and learning provides a more refined insight into the learning interactions and choices of farmers. This, coupled with the social processes descriptors provided by Wildemeersch (2007) has given me a more detailed understanding of the nature of learning interactions influencing farmer choices.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD ( Language Education)
Ordinarily, Teacher Development at the level of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) comes in two major phases spread over four years - the theoretical and the practical based phases. The theoretical phase comes in the form of courses based on pedagogical content and professional knowledge in the initial years at the university while the practical based phase comes in the form of school-based Teaching Practice (TP) for real and direct teaching experiences. The initial theoretical phase is often based on the liberal arts-like education to develop the whole teacher for adaptable life-long service. This is translated by a number of subject that can vary according the dictates of the focus of a particular national curriculum. TP on the other hand, provides student-teachers the opportunity to apply not only the knowledge acquired in the initial phase but also the schoolbased curriculum they are immersed in plus other contextual experiences they might have. If well-structured and blended, the two phases may ensure a smooth transition from a novice student teacher to an expert professional teacher for long-life practice.

Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Education Sport, Arts and Culture offers as one of the primary school curricula, an AIDS curriculum which all Grades 4 to 7 teachers in Zimbabwe’s primary schools mandatorily implement with a view to contributing towards the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS among the young primary school learners. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe teachers’ understanding and implementation of Zimbabwe’s primary school AIDS curriculum regarding the ways in which they articulated teaching practices and processes in their classrooms. The study also aimed to elicit the teachers’ views on how personal and contextual factors impact their adaptation and enactment of the curriculum. The study also sought to establish teachers’ perceptions of their practical experiences with the implementation of Zimbabwe’s primary school AIDS curriculum and their suggestions for improving practice. The study follows a qualitative case study design with minimal quantitative results. It involved three purposively selected primary school grade six teachers (n=3) each of whom was asked to teach five lessons while being observed over a period of three months. Each teacher availed his or her teaching scheme/plan to the researcher who conducted document analysis to glean their symbolic conceptualisation of actual classroom practice of the curriculum. This was followed by three semi-structured interviews with each participating teacher to elicit their perceptions. A content analysis using ideas borrowed from the grounded theory approach was employed resulting in thematic findings. The findings of the study confirm and enhance the theoretical significance of the phenomenological-adaptive perspective of educational change and Honig’s (people, policy, places) and cognition model for describing teacher implementation of the mandatory AIDS curriculum. The findings also confirm the complex ways in which human-generated personal and contextual factors played out in framing and shaping teachers’ personal adaptation of the mandatory AIDS curriculum. The study confirms the adaptation claim that as cognitive sense-makers, teachers mutate and enact a curriculum according to their personal subjective interpretations in the context of unique use-setting implementation realities. Although one of the participants’ understanding and practice displayed considerable comprehension of the requirements of the curriculum, the other teachers displayed an understanding of this curriculum in a superficial way, and experienced few positive experiences and several conceptual and operational constraints in its implementation. Drawing on their practical experiences with the implementation of the curriculum, teachers offered suggestions for transforming the implementation proficiency of this curriculum, which formed part of the conceptual strategy I developed for improving practice. Thus the resultant achievement of the study was a conceptual strategy that was constructed from the key findings of the study to provide educational change leaders with nuanced ideas and insights for improving practice.

This study explores a basic paradox. On the one hand, innovations thatappear in the field of language teaching - or indeed any other field ofendeavour - in order to be maximally effective, need in some way to beincorporated into the contexts of their application. However, such contextsare often unfavourable to the reception of new ideas which consequentlyneed to undergo some measure of adjustment prior to theirimplementation in the classroom. As such those ideas are seldomrealisable in their 'true colours'. Furthermore, they are at timesthemselves not very clear even within their own terms, and may suffer tovarying degrees from vagueness, diffusion and instances of contradiction. What I seek to do in the chapters that follow is investigate Communicative Language Teaching in order to (i) establish what the basictenets of the approach are, and (ii) identify those factors that affect the wayin which communicative principles could be made acceptable andeffective with particular reference to the language teaching /learningsituation in japan. As a necessary corollary of this investigation, consideration is givento the implications for language teacher education where, it is argued,teachers-to-be need to be provided with the means via which to mosteffectively evaluate innovative ideas and come to terms with thosedifficulties that arise from attempts to apply general principles toparticular circumstances.

Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study considers a lexicographical intervention in the acquisition and use of English in Zimbabwe. English is the country’s sole official language. This means that it dominates all the other languages in the country in terms of prestige and usage in the high status domains such as government, media, law, education, etc. English is learnt as a compulsory subject throughout the education system up to the General Certificate of Ordinary Level (‘O’ Level) and used as medium of instruction from the fourth grade upwards. The annual national pass rate of around 33% and less than 10% for some schools in this subject has been recorded in recent years. An ‘O’ Level certificate is considered complete if is has registered five ‘O’ Level subjects including English. This means that without an ‘O’ Level English pass, learners have no chance to proceed to the General Certificate in Education Advanced Level (‘A’ Level) or tertiary education, and their chances of getting employment in the public service are limited, if not non-existent. In the mainstream scholarship on language policy and language planning in the country, this situation has resulted in advocating that indigenous languages, particularly Shona and Ndebele, be developed and elevated to the official status currently enjoyed by English. Far from being against the development and status elevation of indigenous languages, this study proposes a lexicographical intervention in the acquisition and use of English as one of the necessary mechanisms that may mitigate some problems associated with this language. It is argued that the problem with English is not simply that it is a language of foreign origin, to be explicit, the language of the former colonial master. Rather, the problem is that the majority of Zimbabweans are not competent enough to function in this language. Of course, this may be related to the fact that many Zimbabweans have to learn it as an additional language since it is not an indigenous language and thus linguistically and culturally distant from the native languages of its learners. Dealing with the field of lexicography, this dissertation considers an intervention with respect to those problems that may be addressed by the consultation of dictionaries. The availability, use and user-friendliness of English dictionaries are investigated in view of the characteristics of Zimbabweans as additional language learners of English, their situations in which lexicographically-relevant problems occur and the subsequent information needs. In doing this, the theory of learners’ lexicography (Tarp 2004; 2004a; 2008) is used. Firstly, it is established that dictionaries are scarce commodities in Zimbabwe, with a very limited range of dictionaries being available for Zimbabweans to buy. Secondly, dictionaries are not actively used in the learning and use of English within the school system, except in the former Group A schools which are elitist in nature. Curriculum developers, teachers, assessors and learners are not very clear about the role of dictionaries within the school system. Thirdly, the dictionaries that are used are not appropriate for the learners who consult them, with advanced learners’ dictionaries dominating the limited presence even at primary schools. Notwithstanding this poor background, it is generally accepted that appropriate dictionaries, despite the fact that there is a general lack of awareness of the differences between dictionaries, may address some of the problems associated with English, especially within the education system. Should this happen, the learners will develop a dictionary culture and regard dictionaries as utility products which they may rely on later in their academic and professional careers in which English continues to be dominant. A model of lexicographical intervention in the acquisition and use of English in Zimbabwe is therefore formulated. This is done against the above background and also the history of both English and Zimbabwean lexicography. English lexicography now sees English dictionaries being produced in a host of countries other than Britain, America, Australia and New Zealand, where English is a native language. This is mainly because of the dominant role that English has acquired in those countries such as South Africa. However, Zimbabwean lexicography has thus far focused on mother-tongue dictionaries in Shona and Ndebele, the main reason being the need to develop these formerly marginalised languages. Accordingly, the proposed model seeks to expand the scope of Zimbabwean lexicography. This is not just for the sake of expanding. On the contrary, in the research it is observed that the dictionaries constituting the envisaged lexicographical intervention have to be produced in Zimbabwe in order for them to effectively address the local needs regarding this language. For example, lemma selection, paraphrases of meaning, illustrative examples and data contained in the outer texts have to be linguistically and culturally relevant, taking into cognisance the native languages and cultures of the target users. It is observed that if the proposed model is to be successfully implemented, local publishers will need to play an important role, while curriculum developers, assessors, teachers and learners have to be lexicographically educated. At present, local publishers with international affiliations distribute externally-motivated dictionaries (Gouws 2005). Where dictionaries are used, no serious consideration is given regarding the appropriateness of the dictionaries. Any available dictionary is purchased regardless of its user-friendliness. Unfortunately this results in a situation where users fail to extract the best from the dictionaries and end up being disillusioned about the usefulness of dictionaries as utility tools. Some of the dictionaries found at schools are just locked in safe cabinets in headmasters’ offices while learners continue experiencing problems that could be solved by appropriate dictionaries. Accordingly, with lexicographical pedagogy, and further research on specific aspects of the model, a lexicographical intervention in the acquisition and use of English in Zimbabwe is considered a worthwhile enterprise.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie beskou 'n leksikografiese tussenkoms in die verwerwing en gebruik van Engels in Zimbabwe. Engels is die land se enigste offisiële taal. Dit beteken dat dit al die ander tale in die land oorheers wat betref prestige en gebruik in die hoërstatusterreine soos die regering, media, reg, opvoeding, ens. Engels word as 'n verpligte vak geleer dwarsdeur die opvoedingstelsel tot by die Algemene Sertifikaat van Gewone Vlak ('O'-vlak) en gebruik as onderrigmedium vanaf die vierde graad en hoër. Die jaarlikse nasionale slaagsyfer van rondom 33% en minder as 10% vir sommige skole in hierdie vak is in onlangse jare waargeneem. 'n 'O'-vlaksertifikaat word as volledig beskou indien dit vyf 'O'-vlakvakke insluitende Engels geregistreer het. Dit beteken dat sonder die slaag van Engels op 'O'-vlak leerders geen kans het om voort te gaan na die Algemene Sertifikaat in Opvoedkunde Gevorderde Vlak ('A'-vlak) of tersiêre onderwys nie, en hul kanse is beperk, indien nie niebestaande nie, om werk in die openbare diens te kry. In die hoofstroomvakkundigheid betreffende taalpolitiek en taalbeplanning in die land het hierdie situasie daartoe gelei dat bepleit word dat die inheemse tale, veral Sjona en Ndebele, ontwikkel en verhef word tot die offisiële status wat tans deur Engels geniet word. Verre van teen die ontwikkeling en statusverheffing van die inheemse tale te wees, stel hierdie studie 'n tussenkoms in die verwerwing en gebruik van Engels voor as een van die noodsaaklike meganismes wat sommige probleme wat verband hou met hierdie taal, kan versag. Daar word geredeneer dat die probleem met Engels nie eenvoudig is dat dit 'n taal van vreemde herkoms, om dit onomwonde te stel, die taal van die vroeëre koloniale baas is nie. Die probleem is eerder dat die meerderheid Zimbabwiërs nie bedrewe genoeg is om in hierdie taal te funksioneer nie. Dit kan natuurlik verwant wees aan die feit dat baie Zimbabwiërs dit as 'n bykomende taal moet leer aangesien dit nie 'n inheemse taal is nie en daarom linguisties en kultureel verwyder is van die inheemse tale van sy leerders. Omdat dit oor die gebied van die leksikografie handel, beskou hierdie verhandeling 'n tussenkoms met betrekking tot daardie probleme wat deur die raadpleging van woordeboeke benader kan word. Die beskikbaarheid, gebruik en gebruikersvriendelikheid van Engelse woordeboeke word ondersoek met betrekking tot die kenmerke van Zimbabwiërs as leerders van Engels as 'n bykomende taal, hul omstandighede waarin leksikografies relevante probleme voorkom en die gevolglike inligtingsbehoeftes. Om dit te doen, word die teorie van aanleerdersleksikografie (Tarp 2004; 2004a; 2008) gebruik. Eerstens is vasgestel dat woordeboeke skaars artikels in Zimbabwe is, met 'n baie beperkte reeks woordeboeke vir Zimbabwiërs om te koop. Tweedens word woordeboeke nie daadwerklik aangewend by die leer en gebruik van Engels binne die skoolstelsel nie, behalwe in die vroeëre Groep A-skole wat elitisties van aard is. Leerplanontwikkelaars, onderwysers, assessore en leerders het nie baie groot duidelikheid oor die rol van woordeboeke binne die skoolstelsel nie. Derdens, die woordeboeke wat gebruik word, is nie geskik vir die leerders wat hulle raadpleeg nie, met gevorderde aanleerderswoordeboeke wat selfs in primêre skole die beperkte aanwesigheid oorheers. Nieteenstaande hierdie swak agtergrond, word dit algemeen aanvaar dat geskikte woordeboeke, ten spyte van die feit dat daar 'n algemene gebrek aan 'n bewustheid van die verskille tussen woordeboeke is, sommige van die probleme wat met Engels verband hou, veral in die onderwysstelsel, kan oplos. Sou dit gebeur, sal leerders 'n woordeboekkultuur ontwikkel en woordeboeke as nutsartikels beskou waarop hulle later kan steun in hul akademiese en professionele loopbane waarin Engels voortgaan om oorheersend te wees. 'n Model van leksikografiese tussenkoms in die verwerwing en gebruik van Engels in Zimbabwe word gevolglik geformuleer. Dit word gedoen teen die voorafgaande agtergrond en ook die geskiedenis van sowel Engelse as Zimbabwiese leksikografie. Engelse leksikografie toon tans dat Engelse woordeboeke voortgebring word in 'n menigte ander lande as Brittanje, Amerika, Australië en Nieu-Seeland waar Engels 'n inheemse taal is. Dit is hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die oorheersende rol wat Engels in daardie lande soos Suid- Afrika verkry het. Zimbabwiese leksikografie het egter tot sover gefokus op moedertaalwoordeboeke in Sjona en Ndebele, met as hoofrede die behoefte om hierdie voorheen gemarginaliseerde tale te ontwikkel. Gevolglik probeer die voorgestelde model om die omvang van Zimbabwiese leksikografie uit te brei. Dit is nie net ter wille van uitbreiding nie. Inteendeel. In die navorsing word dit waargeneem dat die woordeboeke wat die beoogde leksikografiese tussenkoms uitmaak, in Zimbabwe voortgebring moet word vir hulle om die plaaslike behoeftes met betrekking tot hierdie taal doeltreffend te benader. Byvoorbeeld, lemmakeuse, betekenisparafrases, toeligtende voorbeelde en data bevat in die buitetekste moet linguisties en kultureel toepaslik wees om die inheemse tale en kulture van die teikengebruikers in aanmerking te neem. Daar word opgemerk dat, om die voorgestelde model suksesvol deur te voer, plaaslike uitgewers 'n belangrike rol sal moet speel, terwyl leerplanontwikkelaars, assessore, onderwysers en leerders leksikografies opgevoed sal moet word. Op die oomblik versprei plaaslike uitgewers met internasionale verbintenisse ekstern-gemotiveerde woordeboeke (Gouws 2005). Waar woordeboeke gebruik word, word geen ernstige oorwegings geskenk aan die geskiktheid van woordeboeke nie. Enige beskikbare woordeboek word gekoop ongeag sy bruikbaarheid. Ongelukkig lei dit tot 'n situasie waar gebruikers in gebreke bly om die beste uit die woordeboeke te haal en ontnugter eindig oor die nuttigheid van woordeboeke as gebruiksgereedskap Sommige van die woordeboeke wat in skole aangetref is, word net in veilige kaste in skoolhoofde se kantore weggesluit, terwyl leerders voortgaan om probleme te ondervind wat opgelos kan word deur geskikte woordeboeke. Met leksikografiese opvoeding, en verdere navorsing oor bepaalde aspekte van die model, word 'n leksikografiese tussenkoms in die verwerwing en gebruik van Engels in Zimbabwe gevolglik as 'n verdienstelike onderneming beskou.

As young people’s opportunities in the digital and globalised world of work generally dwindle, the situation for rurally based young people in Zimbabwe gets increasingly complex. The Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment reports that young people in Zimbabwe are the hardest hit by unemployment (Murinda, 2014). The 2012 Zimbabwe population census data indicates that young people aged 15-34 years constitute 84 per cent of the unemployed (Murinda, 2014). Governments in both industrialised and developing countries are calling for vocational education reform in the search for remedies for economic crises and youth unemployment. This thesis seeks to establish the place of VET in rural Zimbabwe and, from the perspective of students, teachers and education inspectors, the contemporary factors that influence attitudes to VET. The methodology selected for this study is the explanatory case study approach. Six schools in Murewa district were selected for the study. The research methods included semi-structured questionnaires, focus groups and in-depth interviews with primary and secondary school students, teachers and education inspectors. This study makes methodological contributions to the effective use of multiple data collection methods. My original contribution to knowledge is the exploration of the contemporary views of rurally based students and teachers whose voices are rarely heard in educational policy formulation. A disconnection was discernible between policy-makers, education inspectors, teachers and students. There is evidence that poor teacher motivation, the low status ascribed to VET and the way VET is delivered influence young people’s attitudes. Some young people questioned the relevance of VET, whilst others viewed it as an alternative if the academic route failed. It emerged that many students are discouraged by the way VET is taught and its lack of relevance to their desired careers. Primary school students had more positive perceptions of VET than secondary school students. Lack of professional careers guidance was found to contribute to VET apathy. This study makes theoretical contributions to the VET agenda by proposing a framework of the key factors influencing the vocational student’s learning journey and providing a foundation for perception and attitudinal transformation. This study contributes to an ongoing review of the Zimbabwean education system, which is focusing on young people’s needs and aspirations. This research will inform policy-makers, educationalists and industrialists about how VET can be tailored to meet young people’s aspirations. The study will inform future research on effective careers iv guidance and curriculum development and will apprise policy-makers of the institutional and cultural status quo of VET in Zimbabwean rural schools.

Esta dissertação visa estudar a influência que a educação sócio-cultural e religiosa exercem na educação sexual formal em escolas no Zimbabwe. Para a investigação, foi levantada a seguinte questão: "A educação sexual formal ministrada em escolas está a ser sublevada pela educação sexual adquirida através de normas socioculturais, religiosas das famílias Africanas?” Entretanto, se a educação sexual não é Afro-centrada e culturalmente relevante a nível do conteúdo, ela não pode ser efetiva e as mulheres jovens continuarão expostas aos maiores desafios sexuais de hoje. Ao responder a esta e outras questões da pesquisa, achámos o método qualitativo o mais apropriado para a recolha de dados culturalmente específicos e contextualmente ricos, pois, é esse o objetivo deste estudo. Através de entrevistas etnográficas, a intenção foi a de gravar vozes de jovens mulheres Shonas que, representam todo mosaico sócio-étnico do país. Isso permitiu-me obter informações consistentes e coerentes de como a sexualidade é definida e percebida entre os Shonas, e como a referida perceção se entrelaça com a instrução formal religiosa sobre a sexualidade. Outros instrumentos de recolha de informação para o nosso estudo incluíram análise minuciosa de livros escolares e de documentos do Ministério da Educação, Desporto e Cultura do Zimbabwe. Entre vários resultados curiosos produzidos pela pesquisa, o de maior realce revela que a educação sexual formal ministrada nas escolas no Zimbabwe não incorpora conteúdos suficientemente relevantes para os adolescentes sexualmente ativos. A inadequação baseia-se na abordagem não realista e errônea da abstinência como o método e resolução insuperável para os dilemas da sexualidade. Como desvantagem, a cultura e a religião também são vistas como desafios para a educação sexual efetiva nas escolas. Com base nesses resultados, o nosso estudo conclui com recomendações que devem ser levadas em consideração ao se elaborar um currículo de educação integral mais eficaz e operacional sobre educação sexual; ABSTRACT: Tensions and conflicts between formal and traditional sex education in Africa sub-Sahara This dissertation aims to investigate the interplay between the socio-religio-cultural aspects and formal sex education in schools in Zimbabwe. Because young women fall victim to most of the traditional, religio-cultural sexuality adversities, the research focuses on young Shona women. The study interrogates whether the formal sex education being taught in schools faces setbacks from sex education being instructed through African family socio-cultural and religious norms. Qualitative methodology was found to be the most appropriate for the production of culturally specific and contextually rich data that the research is aimed at. Collection of data was achieved through document analysis participant observation and ethnographic interviews. Of the many intriguing findings of this research, a major finding is that curricula is detached from overarching philosophical worldviews, cultural traditions, and the general actualities of sexually active teenagers. Its inadequacy is based on the unrealistic and erroneous approach to abstinence as the unsurpassable resolution to sexuality dilemmas. The study evidences that the deep-rootedness of some traditional practices, mythologies, and taboos associated with sexuality as well as the tenacity of some forms of traditional modes of sexuality education continue to exert a powerful influence on formal sexuality education in schools. The findings further reveals that the prescriptive and fear-based teaching methods do not foster enough critical thinking to empower students to face sexuality and reproductive health challenges. This viewpoint continues to play a significant role in shaping attitudes, beliefs, and values in relation to sexuality even in contemporary times. Based on these findings, the study con-cludes with recommendations for designers of sexuality education curricula to consider the convergent and divergent aspects and draw from strengths of the co-existing heritages in order to build an integrated sexuality education pedagogy that is culturally relevant for the young women in Zimbabwe.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study explores the post-2000 popular song genre (expressed in Shona) in order to analyze its rhetorical potential in its appropriation as a medium for the construction and contestation of meanings concerning land, history and selected (political, social and religious) identities. The goal is to discover how the turbulent post-2000 period in Zimbabwe is narrativized through the lyrics of popular songs. The rationale to focus on popular songs in the context of this period was my observation of the uniquely high level of appropriation of the popular song in the Zimbabwean public sphere by political parties and the ordinary people to communicate various discourses (of their interest). The period surpasses by far the pre-2000 era in its rate of output of songs. Old songs were revived and new ones composed while new musical genres emerged and existing ones thrived. I also noted in previous researches gaps in both theoretical and coverage of the analyses of popular songs in Zimbabwe. There is little in terms of linguistically-rooted approaches while analyses are largely limited to politically-inspired songs. I therefore, besides the politically-oriented songs, also explore socially and religiously-oriented songs. I adopt a multi-perspective approach combining APPRAISAL, genre, “small stories/voices” and the “rediscovery of the ordinary” frameworks to study the rhetorical property and capacity (to communicate) of the popular song. I employ the APPRAISAL theory to deal with the songs’ language of evaluation in terms of the authorial stances and ideological positions singers adopt. I utilize the genre theory in making a typology of the various popular song texts on the basis of their communicative properties (which determine their rhetorical purposes). I employ the remaining theories to classify the songs into three clusters (‘grand narrative songs’; ‘small stories/voices songs’ and ‘songs of ordinary life’) based the sources of their ideological concerns. In pursuit of the connection between the songs’ language and its communicative effects, I note in chapters two, four, five and six, the high level of intertextuality the post-2000 popular song has assumed. I argue that the unique intertextuality can be explained in relation to the high demands being placed on the language of the song texts by composers and singers in a context in which the state and opposition are pitted in an intense competition for the “power to mean”. The state appropriates the popular song to demonize and delegitimate the opposition at the same time legitimating its hegemony, based on patriotic discourses derived from chimurenga (nationalist) grand narrative values. On the other hand, the opposition manipulates the popular song to legitimate its struggle for change through counter-state discourses exposing Zanu-PF’s political vices and debasing its power. The ordinary people also appropriate the popular song in their struggle to resolve issues of personal concern in their attempt to give meaning to their lives. It is therefore the study’s main thesis that the popular song in post-2000 Zimbabwe narrativizes the period in unique ways as illustrated through the manipulation of its rhetorical potential to construct meanings concerning land, history and identities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie het die populêreliedjiegenre (in Shona uitgedruk) ná 2000 verken om die retoriese potensiaal by die aanwending as ʼn medium vir die konstruksie en omstredenheid van betekenisse rakende grond, geskiedenis en geselekteerde (politieke, maatskaplike en godsdienstige) identiteite te ontleed. Die doel was om vas te stel hoe die turbulente tydperk ná 2000 in Zimbabwe deur die lirieke van populêre liedjies aangebied word. Die rasionaal om op populêre liedjies teen die agtergrond van hierdie tydperk te fokus was my waarneming van die buitengewoon hoë vlak van aanwending van die populêre liedjie in die Zimbabwiese openbare sfeer deur politieke partye en gewone mense om verskillende diskoerse (tot eie voordeel) te kommunikeer. Die tydperk oortref verreweg die tydperk voor 2000 wat betref die spoed waarteen liedjies verskyn. Ou liedjies is opgediep en nuwes is gekomponeer terwyl nuwe musiekgenres na vore gekom en bestaandes floreer het. Ek het ook leemtes in vorige navorsing opgemerk, beide ten opsigte van die teoretiese ontledings van populêre liedjies in Zimbabwe en die dekking daarvan. Daar bestaan min inligting ten opsigte van linguisties-begronde benaderings terwyl ontledings hoofsaaklik beperk is tot polities-geïnspireerde liedjies. Ek het dus, afgesien van die polities-georiënteerde liedjies, ook liedjies wat sosiaal en godsdienstig geïnspireer is, ondersoek. Ek het ʼn multiperspektiefbenadering ingeneem en raamwerke met betrekking tot WAARDEBEPALING, genre, “klein stories/stemme” en die “herontdekking van die gewone” gekombineer om die retoriese eienskap en kapasiteit (om te kommunikeer) van die populêre liedjie te bestudeer. Ek het die teorie van WAARDEBEPALING aangewend ten einde aan die liedjies se evalueringstaal ten opsigte van die standpunte wat die skrywers inneem en ideologiese posisies van die sangers aandag te gee. Ek het die genreteorie gebruik om ʼn tipologie van die verskillende populêre liedjietekste op grond van hulle kommunikatiewe eienskappe (wat hulle retoriese doelwitte bepaal) op te stel. Ek het die oorblywende teorieë gebruik om die liedjies in drie groepe te klassifiseer (‘meesternarratief-liedjies’, ‘liedjies oor klein stories/stemme’ en ‘liedjies oor die gewone lewe’) gebaseer op die bronne van hulle ideologiese besorgdhede. In ʼn soeke na die skakeling tussen die taal van die liedjies en die kommunikatiewe effekte daarvan, wys ek in hoofstukke twee, vier, vyf en ses op die hoë vlak van intertekstualiteit wat die populêre liedjie ná 2000 aangeneem het. Ek voer aan dat die unieke intertekstualiteit verklaar kan word in verhouding met die hoë eise wat deur komponiste en sangers aan die taal van die liedjies se tekste gestel word in ʼn konteks waarin die staat en opposisie in konflik verkeer in ʼn intense wedywering om die “mag om te beteken”. Die staat eien hulle die populêre liedjie toe ten einde die opposisie te demoniseer en te delegitimeer en terselfdertyd sy hegemonie te legitimeer, gebaseer op patriotiese diskoerse afgelei van chimurenga (nasionalistiese) waardes van die meesternarratief. Aan die ander kant, die opposisie manipuleer die populêre liedjie om sy stryd om verandering te legitimeer deur diskoerse te weerlê en so Zanu-PF se politieke gebreke aan die kaak te stel en sy mag te verminder. Jan Alleman en sy maat eien hulle ook die populêre liedjie toe in hulle stryd om kwessies van persoonlike kommer uit die weg te ruim in hulle poging om betekenis aan hulle lewens te gee. Dit is dus hierdie studie se hoofhipotese dat die populêre liedjie in Zimbabwe ná 2000 die tydperk op unieke wyses beskryf soos geïllustreer deur die manipulasie van die retoriese potensiaal daarvan om betekenisse rakende grond, geskiedenis en identiteite te konstrueer.

The study interrogates the marginalisation of the Tonga language in the school curriculum of Zimbabwe. It explores the causes of marginalisation and what can be done by the Zimbabwean government to promote the Tonga language in the school curriculum at all levels in the education domain in Zimbabwe. In the study, the researcher uses a mixed method approach where qualitative and quantitative research techniques are used to corroborate data from different data gathering sources. The postmodernist theory is used in this research because of its encouragement of pluralism in society so as to enhance social cohesion. This is so because all languages are equal and they share the same functions and characteristics. There is no superior or inferior language in the eyes of the postmodernists. Participants for this study were drawn from district officials, selected primary and secondary school educators, primary and secondary school heads, all from Binga district of Zimbabwe and three university Tonga language lecturers, all purposefully selected. Focus group discussions, interviews, questionnaires, documents analysis and observations were used to collect data for this study. The data collected was then analysed using qualitative and quantitative analysis for triangulation purposes. The research established that the marginalisation of the Tonga language in Zimbabwe is caused by both exogenous and endogenous factors. The major factor is Zimbabwe‘s lack of a clear language policy exacerbated by attitudes of the different stakeholders which has also facilitated and enhanced the peripherisation of the Tonga language in Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe has a tendency of declaring policies and not implementing them. Consequently, the government reacts to language problems as they arise. The study also reveals the importance of the Tonga language in the school curriculum in Zimbabwe. It also establishes that, for the Tonga language to be promoted there is need for the expeditious training of educators by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. There is need for the government of Zimbabwe to strengthen their language policy so that the status of Tonga is enhanced and uplifted. A strong language policy will compel different stakeholders to stick to their mandate thereby improving the place of the Tonga language in the school curriculum at all levels of the curriculum in Zimbabwe.
African Languages
D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The study sought to explore possibilities of using indigenous African languages of Zimbabwe as official media of instruction in the education system. The aim was to find out the extent to which indigenous African languages could be used as languages of instruction in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of the education system. The other objective of the study was to examine the attitudes of Zimbabweans towards the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction in schools. A total of 1000 participants took part in this study, which included 200 teachers, 300 parents/guardians and 500 learners. Questionnaires and interviews were the main techniques used to collect data and the processing of the collected data was both qualitative and quantitative. Information collected from the questionnaires was mainly presented in tables and information from interviews was presented qualitatively in words. The study revealed that Zimbabwe inherited from colonial Rhodesia a language policy that marginalizes the use of indigenous African languages in the education system. English continues to be the prestige-laden language enjoying high status while indigenous languages enjoy relatively low status. Study findings clearly show that the majority of the participants prefer English to be the medium of instruction in both secondary and tertiary education because it is a language that gives power and prestige. The study concludes that Zimbabwe can never regain its dignity and cultural identity unless the education system is African oriented. The continued use of English as medium of instruction means that no scientific ideas can be formulated using African languages in the present schooling system leading to perpetual scientific bankruptcy. The study finally recommends the need for a linguistic revolution and calls for a change in the country’s language policy so as to avoid the exclusion of the majority from public and national developmental discourse.
African Languages
D.Litt et Phil. (African Languages)

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)

This study sought to critically investigate the contribution of the ordinary people in the creation of a language policy and its subsequent implementation in Zimbabwe. The study was prompted by the realisation of the near-absence of a coherent language policy framework in Zimbabwe. The language policy situation in Zimbabwe is not clearly stated. A hotch-potch of statutes support the status, creation and implementation of languages that are spoken by the citizens of the country. The country’s supreme law, the constitution is silent about the necessity of a broad-based language policy in Zimbabwe. Only three languages Shona, Ndebele and English are considered to be major in a country with 16 known languages. This situation does not support the development of languages particularly the indigenous languages. Indigenous languages are not considered as a suitable medium of instruction from the third year of primary schooling up to tertiary level. Indigenous languages play a critical role in culture, economics and politics. The study argued that ordinary people have creative ways of contributing to the development of a language policy because these people are constantly creating new words and vocabulary that they implement in their day to day struggle with nature and other social classes. Authorities in Zimbabwe are yet to view the role of indigenous languages in development as a cornerstone of socio-economic and political progress. African languages, particularly the Shona language that was the main unit of analysis in this study revealed its capacity to handle complex ideas. It was recommended that when Shona and other indigenous languages are accorded the status of official languages of the country and then provided with the financial resources and linguistic expertise to develop them then, a coherent language policy can become a living reality in Zimbabwe.
Africam Languages
D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The study sought to investigate how the symbiotic relationship between amaXhosa and amaNdebele impacted on IsiXhosa language and amaXhosa culture in Mbembesi area in Zimbabwe. The study was conducted where two ethnic groups of amaXhosa and amaNdebele coexist. Language policies in the past have disadvantaged amaXhosa by treating the language as a minority language which led to its marginalisation at school and in public life. Dynamic Social Impact Theory was used to explain the concept of the evolution of language. Language contact, language change, and bilingualism are the main terms that were discussed in relation to what happened to the two languages of study. The case study was descriptive in nature. The participants were purposefully selected according to what the researcher desired to achieve. The data were collected through interviews with heads of schools in Mbembesi, teachers, elders and youths of the community. Document analysis was also employed when the Indigenous Languages syllabus and teachers’ schemes were observed. The pupils were given a topic on which to write a short composition in IsiXhosa and IsiNdebele to ascertain if indeed IsiNdebele had impacted on IsiXhosa. A comparison between IsiXhosa of Mbembesi and that of South Africa was made as a way of verifying if there has been a change from the original IsiXhosa that is spoken in South Africa. The two ethnic groups’ cultural activities were also studied as a way of investigating the level of impact in their way of life. After administering the research instruments, the findings revealed that there is a level of impact on IsiXhosa language and amaXhosa culture through their contact with amaNdebele. The terminology in the two languages has overlapped as well as their cultural lives. The Zimbabwean 2013 Constitution has tried to raise the status of IsiXhosa by making it officially recognised but it seems to be still functioning at community level as before. IsiXhosa is still not learned at school although it was introduced in 2013 in the two pilot schools but which discontinued in 2016 reverting to IsiNdebele citing lack of teaching and learning materials. The recommendations from the study include: that the teachers should be trained in IsiXhosa at institutions of higher learning; that amaXhosa educated personnel should spear-head the writing of teaching and learning materials and that the language should be used in public life so that its speakers maintain their identity.
Linguistics and Modern Languages
Ph. D. (Languages, Linguistics and Literature)

Literature indicates that inclusion of deaf children in mainstream schools is a complex process and that it has eluded many deaf practitioners and education systems for a very long time. New research is, however, pointing to the potential for sign bilingual education as a viable strategy for improving inclusivity of deaf children in mainstream settings. The purpose of the current study was, therefore, to interrogate how sign bilingual education was used as a strategy for inclusion of deaf children in Zimbabwe. The study was premised on Cummins Linguistic Interdependence theory and adopted the mixed methods paradigm which is informed by the philosophy of pragmatism. The sequential explanatory design was utilized and participants were selected using random sampling for the quantitative phase and purposive sampling for the qualitative phase. Questionnaires, face-to-face and focus group interviews (FGIs) were used to elicit data from participants. These data were presented on SPSS generated graphs and analysed using frequency counts, percentages and inferential statistics based on the analysis of Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient at 5% level of significance (p=0.005). Consequently, qualitative data were presented as summaries and direct quotes and analysed using thematic and content analyses. The results revealed that the conception, hence the practice of sign bilingual was limited and had challenges, but that it had the greatest potential benefits for inclusion of deaf children in mainstream schools in Zimbabwe. On these bases, the study recommended training of teachers and parents as well as staff development of the teachers and school administrators. The study also recommended adoption of best practices such as early exposure, co-teaching, co-enrolment, multi-stakeholder participation, turning special schools into resource centers for sign bilingual education and inclusion and embracing ICT. A further recommendation pointed to review of policy in line with best practices. Ultimately, the study proposed a framework for sign bilingual education as a strategy for inclusion of deaf children in mainstream schools in Zimbabwe.
Inclusive Education

The study sought to explore possibilities of using ChiShona as a medium of instruction in the teaching of Mathematics in primary schools. The aim was to compare the use of English as a medium of instruction with ChiShona as medium of instruction in the teaching and learning of Mathematics to Grade 4 class. The other objective was to examine the people’s attitudes towards the use of mother tongue instruction in the teaching and learning of Mathematics in Zimbabwe primary schools. A practical teaching experiment was used to investigate the feasibility of using ChiShona as medium of instruction in the teaching and learning of Mathematics to Grade 4 class. In addition a descriptive survey research design which used questionnaires and interviews as data collection methods was employed for its usefulness in exploratory studies. A total of 750 people participated in the research and these were 40 Grade 4 learners (used for teaching experiment) 260 teachers/lecturers, 250 parents and 200 college/university learners. Data gathered was subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analysis resulting in data triangulation for validation. Major findings of the research indicated that the use of ChiShona as a medium of instruction in the teaching of Mathematics to primary school children is possible and that the use of the mother tongue instruction (ChiShona) impacted positively in the teaching of Mathematics to Grade 4 learners. The use of ChiShona as a medium of instruction in teaching Mathematics was effective and comparatively the learners who used ChiShona performed better than those who used English as a medium of instruction. However the research further concluded that people preferred that English remain the only medium of instruction from primary up to university level as English offers them better opportunities for employment compared to ChiShona. The study concludes that the continued use of English as medium of instruction means that African languages such as ChiShona will remain underdeveloped and fail to find their way in the classrooms as languages of instruction in education. The study finally recommends the need for an all-inclusive multi-lingual policy that uplifts the status of indigenous languages and their literature without annihilating English.
African Languages
D. Litt et Phil.