Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research最新文献

{"title":"Education for Social Justice and Transformation: A Mismatch between Policy and Practice in Juvenile Reformatory Schools in Zimbabwe","authors":"R. Ngara","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V31I1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V31I1","url":null,"abstract":"Few studies have directly examined juveniles’ experiences regarding their academic challenges as they go through reformatory institutions. In this study, 53 institutionalised juveniles responded to open ended interview questions by identifying and describing educational practices that affected their academic achievement. The data from this study revealed four themes of educational experiences, namely correctional curriculum, corporal punishment, recidivism and failure to re-integrate into mainstream society. The key conclusions from the data revealed there is a wide gap between juvenile re-integration expectations and the correctional curriculum that students are exposed to as they do time in the local detention facilities under study. There was a clear disconnection between the officials and how students’ valued their benefits of being detained in the institution.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115077901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Curriculum Reform: The Exclusive Advanced Level Divinity vis-a-vis the Inclusive Updated Family and Religious Studies","authors":"Francis Machingura, M. Hwaire","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V30I3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V30I3","url":null,"abstract":"This paper is a phenomenological discourse on the teaching and learning of Family and Religious studies at Advanced Level. It unravels the ontological turn of the teaching and learning of Family and Religious Studies (FRS) at Advanced Level. The recommendations of the 1999 Presidential commission of inquiry into education and training (CIET) called for the reorientation and reorganization of the syllabi content, aims and pedagogical teachings. The thrust of the recommendations was on the introduction of a multi-cultural approach to the teaching of religious studies in schools. This paper is a comparative analysis of the erstwhile exclusive Divinity syllabus aims, objectives, content and teaching methods vis-a-vis the updated multi-faith Family and Religious Syllabus. This comparative analysis helps to identify the shortcomings of the exclusive curriculum and then the reasons why adoption of multiculturalism was long overdue. It is important to note that the subject has a new title, the first time that it has taken a homogeneous title from form one up-to Advanced Level. Various stakeholders were consulted on the ‘inclusive’ updated 2017-2022 broader curriculum. However, focus of the consultations was on multi-cultural Family and Religious Studies curriculum. The qualitative approach was used in the analysis of data. The research was carried out from March 2017 up to September 2017. As a result, six high schools (church and government run schools) from the Harare Metropolitan Province were randomly sampled; one hundred and fifty religious education learners, twenty parents and twenty teachers (inclusive of five retired Divinity teachers interviewed) were given questionnaires. The six school heads, parents, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Scripture Union personnel, retired Religious Education teachers and one FRS curriculum developer were interviewed. The study revealed that stakeholders with a Christian background were against the multi-faith curriculum particularly its inclusion of Islam and African indigenous religion. The inclusion of the two religions is metaphorically and negatively perceived as elephants in the living room. The paper recommends wider awareness on the significance of a multi-cultural study of Family and Religious studies.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114652920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards Analysis of the Status of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education in Zimbabwe Secondary Schools: Access, Quality, Policy","authors":"Peter Kwaira","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V30I1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V30I1","url":null,"abstract":"The present quantitative study surveyed the status and uptake of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among secondary school students in Zimbabwe. Statistical data for the research was gathered through desk study complemented by physical observational visits at selected schools in all provinces. The study revealed that the uptake of STEM subjects among students was very low as compared to other disciplines in the curriculum such as the arts, humanities and commercial subjects, in comparison with the gross enrolment. This has been the case at both ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels. There is also a noticeable decline in enrolment statistics in STEM related subjects as the level of education increases. Within the sciences, at ‘O’ level, integrated science has high number of entries whilst pure science subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics and computer science registered very few entries. However, even though the enrolment figures are very low in STEM subjects, the pass rates within these subjects have been quite high. There has been also a steady increase in the number of female students taking up science subjects, though the numbers are still on the low side in comparison to their male counterparts. The population with STEM education in Zimbabwe stands at 0.03%. This is besides that the country needs STEM skilled personnel for the implementation of value addition, beneficiation, industrialization and economic development efforts. The MoPSE’s curriculum review and the MHTESTD’s ‘A’ Level STEM initiative though they have been implemented from different political and curriculum view-points, they  support the increment of students taking up STEM foundation subjects to realise scientifically and technologically literate society and address the development needs of Zimbabwe.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125566029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring Student Satisfaction in Higher and Tertiary Education: A Case of One Polytechnic in Zimbabwe","authors":"T. Chirigo, J. Mukaro, T. Chirikure","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V29I3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V29I3","url":null,"abstract":"The research set out to establish the views of students about service provision in higher and tertiary education institutions. A case study approach was used. Important parameters such as tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy were used to obtain students’ views about quality of service provision in higher and tertiary education. The objective of this study was to measure education service quality as signified by student satisfaction using the modified SERVQUAL (EDUSERVQUAL) model. A descriptive cross sectional design was used for a sample of 65 respondents, selected from a population of 1182 full-time students. The SERVQUAL instrument was adapted to measure student satisfaction. This was followed by focus group interviews. Based on the results, negative quality gap scores in all the five dimensions, ranging from -1.72 to -2.22 were identified, indicating that the institution’s education service quality is below student expectations. Although the study has limited generalisability because it was confined to just one institution, the EDUSERVQUAL methodology can be used by institutions seeking long-term sustainable service quality.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121555411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gender Differences in Students’ Perceptions of School Guidance and Counselling Services in Mberengwa District, Zimbabwe","authors":"E. Nkoma, H. Zirima, P. Mudhovozi, C. Zhou","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V29I2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V29I2","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in relation to students’ perceptions of school guidance and counselling (G&C) services in Mberengwa district, Zimbabwe. The convergent parallel design was used in the study. A total of 114 students (68 males and 76 females) randomly selected students participated in the study. Data from questionnaires and focus groups were analysed statistically and thematically respectively. An independent group t-test that compared the mean ratings of availability of guidance and counselling with perceived benefits of G&C for males and females was found to be statistically insignificant. Focus groups interviews showed that students’ acknowledged the presence of G&C but they did not benefit from it. The chi-square test revealed that female students were more likely to voluntarily seek counselling, whereas males were referred by their teachers, χ2 (2, N = 144) = 42.92, p < 0.05. The strength of the association between the two variables is moderate. Female students indicated that they voluntarily seek G&C about family problems and finance while their male counterparts were referred for misdemeanours.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"157 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116468547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perception and Patronage of Aphrodisiacs among Male Students in University of Cape Coast: Implications for Counselling in Higher Educational Institutions","authors":"E. Nyarko-Sampson, K. T. Dabone, E. Brenya","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V29I1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V29I1","url":null,"abstract":"The high patronage of sex enhancing drugs among Ghanaian men, especially the youth is becoming, a public health and social concern. This study therefore sets out to determine the perception and access of aphrodisiac use among male students at University of Cape Coast (UCC). A descriptive survey involving 150 male students was conducted in five students’ residences on UCC campus. Data was collected using a set of questionnaire and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists Version 16.  The results indicate that a large proportion of male students (24.67%) perceived aphrodisiacs as a necessity to improve one’s sex life. Premature ejaculation was perceived to be the main reason why some young men (51.33%) use sex enhancing drugs. Drug peddlers (27.34%) and pharmacies/drug stores (20%) were believed to be major sources of sex enhancing drugs. The study concluded that a substantial majority of young men are aware of the dangers associated with the use of these drugs. However, the urge to exhibit masculinity in sexual performance as perceived by many young men, drive them into the use of these drugs. Based on these findings, the study recommends, among other things, extensive public education campaign by counsellors to create awareness and provide adequate knowledge in order to correct perceptions of sexual performance and use of sex enhancing drugs.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124078834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Relationship between Student Performance in a First Year Agriculture Course and Pass at Advanced Level: The Case of Plant Biology at the University of Zimbabwe","authors":"S. Richardson-Kageler","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V28I3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V28I3","url":null,"abstract":"The threat of cuts in government funding to state universities in Zimbabwe has meant that the state-funded universities must start reviewing ways in which to raise their own revenue. One option is to increase the number of students, which in many cases means lowering the entrance qualifications of degree programmes. In 2001, the University of Zimbabwe doubled the intake into first year at the request of the government. An analysis of one affected course, Plant Biology of the first year of the BSc Honours in Agriculture Degree, was carried out due to the high failure rate (39%). There was also a failure rate of 44% for those students with less than 8 points at A-Level and a failure rate of 32% for those with 8 or more points at A-Level. This was significant using α = 0.10 (p = 0.051). When the pass in Advanced Level Biology was examined, it was found that there was a significant decrease in the average pass mark for students that had less than a 'C' in Advanced Level Biology (p = 0.001). It is recommended that the grade of 'C' or better for Advanced Level Biology should not be changed. For students that registered after the beginning of the semester, there was a decrease in their overall marks for the course (p = 0.017). It is recommended that students who register late should be given make-up lectures, practicals and assignments.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116908524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Philosophy, Disability and Marginality in University Education: The Plight of the Hearing-impaired and Speech-impaired Students at the University of Zimbabw","authors":"F. Mangena","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V28I2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V28I2","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this article was to discuss the challenges faced by hearing-impaired and speech-impaired students who try to enrol for a programme of study at the University of Zimbabwe. Data was collected from a key informant interviewee and the study found out that the main challenges faced by the hearing-impaired and speech-impaired students had to do with the lack of an enabling environment in the university, the lack of aiding resources at the Disability Resource Centre (DRC) as well as the inability of the academic staff to teach these students in the language that they [the hearing-impaired and the speech-impaired] understand, that is, sign language. As a result of these challenges, the article argued that it was important to equip the DRC and to train human resources to be able to assist these students especially in academic disciplines like philosophy which require rigorous argumentation and intensive interaction. In terms of data collection, the study utilized the interview method through the administration of research questions which were directed to the acting coordinator of the DRC.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"99 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116992852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Appraising Capacity Building among Engineering Students in Selected Universities in South-western Nigeria","authors":"K. Olonade, Adedoyin Usman Balogun","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V28I1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V28I1","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examined capacity building among engineering students in selected universities in south-western Nigeria. One hundred and fifty-one final year engineering students took part in the survey. A structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents as a tool for data collection. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis using SPSS. The results showed that 66.9% of the respondents had passion for their choice of engineering courses. Out of 110 students that had access to computer system, about 87.4% had related engineering application software on their personal computer while only 76.2% could use them proficiently. Based on the students’ responses, 93% of them expressed that their departments lacked adequate and state-of-the art equipment for practicals, 54% stated that practicals were carried out occasionally, while 95.6% indicated that Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was very relevant to their study of engineering. The ANOVA conducted on the data showed that SIWES had significant effect on the understanding of their core courses (p<0.005). Also, the core values of the universities were significant to capacity building. The paper concluded that Nigerian universities had potentials to develop the needed human capacity in engineering but they can do better through provision of adequate equipment, strengthening the SIWES programme and laying more emphasis on vocational as well as entrepreneurial skills.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114336761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Anatomy of Curriculum Innovation Failure: The Case of Political Economy in Zimbabwean Secondary School Sector","authors":"M. Madondo","doi":"10.4314/ZJER.V27I3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ZJER.V27I3","url":null,"abstract":"The magnitude of educational reforms and change in the first decade of independence in Zimbabwe is legendary and more or less unparalleled in the history of educational provision in post-colonial Africa. By the late 1980s, it was increasingly realised that for the then guiding educational philosophy of education with production to take root, it was necessary to undergird it with the subject of political economy (PE). It was envisaged that the subject would provide an epistemological understanding of socialism among secondary pupils who would consequently champion a socialist transformation as future citizens and leaders. The attempt to introduce political economy ranks as one of the most outstanding curriculum innovation failures in Zimbabwe. This study, through documentary analysis, informant interviews of some protagonists of the innovation and erstwhile school pupils who encountered the curriculum in schools, proffers that the introduction of political economy failed mostly because it was a top down process of change which was not predicated on a supportive constituency of the various educational stakeholders. The study recommends that planned curriculum change and innovation should always be informed by the values, goals and expectations of the various stakeholders it seeks to serve.","PeriodicalId":420413,"journal":{"name":"Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research","volume":"62 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123950615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}