A Social Realist Account of Curriculum Development and Implementation in Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2004: With Special Reference to the Education with Production Model

Abstract

Following the attainment of independence in Zimbabwe in 1980, the dual education system for blacks and whites was abolished and an experimental education system linked to the Marxist concept of polytechnic education known as Education with Production (EWP) was introduced to model the country’s socialist ideology. The aim of this article is to evaluate, through a social realist theoretical framework, using the concepts of structure, culture and agency the implementation of the EWP educational innovation. This was a qualitative study conducted through interviews and document analysis. The finding in this article is that while structures were put in place to implement the new curriculum, at the level of culture, teachers largely inherited from the colonial education system were not adequately oriented or prepared for the new education system, neither was public debate opened on the envisioned education system. In terms of agency, the paper argues that preparation of personnel and the involvement of stakeholders before an innovation is implemented are crucial for the successful implementation of such an innovation.