Developing Shona-physics Diction for Possible Use in the Teaching of Forces at Ordinary Level Physics in Shona

Abstract

Several local researchers advocate for indigenous languages to be used as media of instruction in different subject areas to prevent misconceptions and ambiguities. Justifiably, Zimbabwe has sixteen indigenous languages but physics is still being taught in English. Local craftsman and innovators are still writing their instruction manuals for their products in the English language even for the local consumers. This paper was aimed at developing a Shona-Physics text that will be used in the teaching and learning of Forces at Ordinary level physics. The corollary of this aim was to promote deeper understanding of Forces while developing an indigenous language diction that would help in the industrialization of products. Focus group interviews were conducted in two high schools in the Chiweshe area under Mazoe District, in Mashonaland Central province of Zimbabwe to obtain Shona-Physics diction necessary to write a text that could be used in teaching and learning of forces at ordinary level. Twenty-five learners, three physics teachers, two language specialists and a retired head teacher purposively drawn from the local community participated in the research. The obtained diction was cleaned through gleaning of pertinent literature and consultation with Shona speakers who are physics teachers. A Physics text in Shona for ordinary level Forces was developed after a qualitative document analysis of the Ordinary level Physics syllabus. The findings indicate that content on Forces is sequenced from simpler skill to higher order skill and the evaluation of the text made indicates that it is now easier for the physics educators to explain physics concepts using the current text. We recommend that more studies be done to cover all physics topics at Ordinary level. This would make it easier for the nation to offer physics at junior primary school level.