Zimbabwean Secondary Schools Research Articles

The Value of a Pilot Study in Educational Research Learning: In Search of a Good Theory-Method Fit

This article shares the authors’ reflections and experiences gained from a pilot study that was recently used in completing a larger qualitative educational research study on the challenges and opportunities for instructional leadership in inclusive secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Historically, pilot studies have not been reported. When interest in this area started to emerge, the focus was on quantitative research, especially in health-related disciplines. In recent times, there has been growing debate on the place of pilot studies in qualitative and mixed methods research. However, a number of questions still remain unanswered, especially in the area of educational research. One of the worrisome features of these questions seems to be the taken‑for‑granted assumption that once a researcher conceives of an educational research idea, they are automatically clear and specific on the onto-epistemological and methodological tools that may best be employed to answer the questions at hand. This view is reflected when, for example, the few writers on pilot studies generally specify a particular research approach, such as importance of pilot studies in quantitative research, importance of pilot studies in qualitative research, or importance of pilot studies in mixed methods research, and do not talk about the value of a pilot study in educational research learning as a search for a good theory-method fit. This article focuses on pilot studies in educational research learning in order to close this gap. The central theme in this article is that pilot-studying may itself determine, for example, whether a study should follow a qualitative, mixed methods or quantitative approach. It also determines the appropriateness of research tools for the task at hand. Specifically, pilot-studying helps especially student researchers to find an appropriate theory-method fit and thereby makes researching possible. Following a pilot study, educational research that was originally planned to be mixed methods research or quantitative research may end up embracing a qualitative approach and vice versa. Our desire to share reflections and experiences gained in completing the main PhD study which informs the current article, coupled with ongoing debates on pilot studies in educational research, inspired us to pen this article. The article contributes to scholarship by elaborating and adding new insights on the work of earlier writers on the important research practice of pilot-studying in educational research processes. 
 
 Received: 29 September 2021 / Accepted: 8 December 2021 / Published: 5 March 2022

Trialling open educational resources for technology-supported teacher professional development in rural Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT This study reports on the adaptation and outcomes of a teacher professional development (TPD) programme in a rural Zimbabwean secondary school. The programme incorporated Open Educational Resources (OER), specifically OER4school materials, that were provided via tablet computers for teachers and students. A mixed-methods case study was employed to explore teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, experiences of interactive learning and teaching in relation to this TPD, as well as their perceptions and experiences of the role and value of using technology to support student learning. Video data from structured lesson observations were triangulated with teacher post-lesson interviews and thematically coded. The interviews indicated that all teachers demonstrated a change in mindset and a clear understanding of interactive teaching methods. However, the structured observations revealed that only half of the teachers were using these interactive methods. Teachers also emphasised the value of OER and tablet technologies in improving lesson planning and making classroom learning more authentic. The use of technology, as both a TPD medium and as a classroom tool, showed potential to enhance the quality of TPD and teacher quality. Yet more specific teacher development to support the interactive use of technology within the classroom would be beneficial.

Predictors of Behavioural Intentions of Teachers to Adopt and Use Information and Communication Technologies in Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) also known as educational technology in the teaching and learning context, has become a new normal in all sectors of education world-wide. The most important driver of the use of ICT in education has been the rapid advances in technology and to some extent, natural disasters such as COVID-19 that has affected access to education across all sectors of the education system. As a result, it has become very important that teachers in secondary schools adopt ICT for their teaching. This study therefore seeks to establish factors influencing the behavioural intentions of secondary school teachers to adopt ICT in Zimbabwe. A sample of 251 teachers were selected using stratified random sampling strategy from 10 secondary schools to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire adapted from the Oscarson Scale for Measuring Adoption-proneness (OSMA) was used for data collection. Results of the study showed that the use of technology in teaching, professional development, attitudes toward ICT, gender and ICT support services have a significant influence on the behavioural intentions of secondary school teachers to adopt ICT. A number of challenges that affected the adoption of ICT in secondary schools were also identified. The study has implications on both policy and practice with regard to the adoption of ICT in secondary schools.

Instructional Leadership in Inclusive Secondary Schools of Zimbabwe: Balancing Multiple and Competing Expectations

This article explores school heads' enactment of instructional leadership practices in inclusive secondary schools in Zimbabwe. It provides answers to the central question: How do school heads enact instructional leadership practices in inclusive secondary schools and how does sense-making by school heads explain instructional leadership practices in this instructional environment? The article forms part of a larger study on the challenges of and opportunities for instructional leadership in inclusive secondary schools of Zimbabwe. The study employed a qualitative multiple case study research approach and was informed by the enactive sense-making theory. The cases comprised three secondary school heads purposively sampled in line with the extent to which they embraced inclusivity in terms of serving differently abled learners. Data were collected using a combination of semi-structured interviews on instructional leadership thought and practices, non-participant observation and documents analysis. The data were analysed using the interactional narrative analysis approach and presented using the case-by-case method. The study revealed that participants understood instructional leadership in their schools in the morphed sense of the concept as a multidimensional and stakeholder-based social activity built on equity principles. However, the concept of

Resurgence of Large Class Sizes and Pedagogical Reform in 21st Century Secondary School History Classrooms

This paper examines the interaction between class size and teachers’ selection of teaching methods while implementing a new history curriculum in Zimbabwean secondary schools. Policy makers, parents, teachers, and students are worried about large class sizes because they are associated with higher dropout rates, less teacher-student interaction and rote pedagogy. Although class sizes had significantly declined in the latter half of the 20th century, the growth of online learning has witnessed class sizes ballooning in the 21st century, reigniting the class size debate. The large class size challenge has re-emerged in the developed North although the problem has never been resolved in the developing South. Using the theoretical lens of symbolic interactionism and a qualitative multiple case-study approach, data were collected over an eight-week period using document analysis, semi-structured interviews and lesson observations. Results seem to challenge the conventional view that large classes coerce teachers to use rote pedagogy and small classes encourage learner-centric practices. Teachers’ choices of teaching methods were neither linked to class size nor new pedagogical policy. Instead, teachers’ personal philosophy to instruction appeared to be the decisive factor to the teaching methods they used, rather than the size of the class. To promote pedagogical change, improving teacher quality appears a more valuable and cheaper investment than constructing new schools and employing more teachers to reduce class sizes.

Policy Failures with Learner-Centred Pedagogy: Case Studies from the Zimbabwean Experiment on Project-Based Learning

Globally, policy reform in education has recommended learner-centered pedagogy for more than a century, but its practical implementation remains an illusion in many classrooms. This study describes history teachers’ experiences while experimenting on project-based learning (PjBL) in Zimbabwe’s current curriculum reform initiative. Project-based learning has gained acceptance as an indispensable approach in developing learners’ 21st century skills of creativity, critical thinking, research, and problem-solving. Using a qualitative multiple-case study, four history teachers were observed and interviewed while implementing PjBL at four secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Results indicate policy failures with learner-centered pedagogy. Where some participants and their students had made significant progress, others had done very little at the time the policy reformers withdrew the projects. Feasibility studies could have circumvented some of the pitfalls experienced while enacting PjBL.

An E-safety Framework for Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

An E-safety Framework for Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

Juvenile Delinquency as Manifested by Drug Abuse in Gweru Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

Juvenile Delinquency as Manifested by Drug Abuse in Gweru Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Policy in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools: Teachers’ Views

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Policy in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools: Teachers’ Views

School principals' perceived knowledge towards information and communication technology in teaching and learning in Zimbabwean secondary schools

School principals' perceived knowledge towards information and communication technology in teaching and learning in Zimbabwean secondary schools

School principals' perceived knowledge towards information and communication technology in teaching and learning in Zimbabwean secondary schools

School principals' perceived knowledge towards information and communication technology in teaching and learning in Zimbabwean secondary schools

Heads of Department's role in implementation of History syllabi at selected Zimbabwean secondary schools: an instructional leadership perspective

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores the school-based instructional leadership role of Heads of Department (HODs) in the implementation of different History syllabi. It seeks to establish the practices that History HODs carry out in order to improve the teaching and learning of the subject. HODs are subject specialists who are responsible for establishing and ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in their subjects. This study is a response to the claim that History HODs often fail to rise to expectations in ensuring effective curriculum implementation in the subject. Qualitative data was collected through the study of circulars and policy documents and by conducting structured, in-depth interviews with fifteen key informants sampled from selected schools in the Glen View/Mufakose district in Harare. The key finding from this study is that the HODs were the de facto instructional leaders during the implementation of the History syllabi and that their level of involvement determines the success and/or failure of History syllabi. The paper concludes by asserting that HODs play a critical role in the implementation of History syllabi, since they are at the chalk face and directly supervise the implementation of changes in the subject as illustrated at five secondary schools used in the study. Keywords: HOD; Instructional leadership; Implementation; History Syllabus; Supervision.

Interrogating the role of parents in promoting improved science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in rural day secondary schools in Zimbabwe

Since the establishment of the School Development Committees (SDCs), Zimbabwe has seen increased participation by parents in the governance of schools. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of parents in promoting improved science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in rural day secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Drawing on a qualitative inquiry, data were gathered by means of five interviews, five focus group discussions and document analysis of minutes of SDC meetings, schools strategic plans and school budgets. The study concludes that parental involvement helped decentralize school decision making, improved school accountability to their communities, provided the avenue for parents to question decisions, and helped accelerate infrastructural development. The study further concludes that inadequate funding in the wake of economic challenges bedevilling the country and low levels of literacy among SDC members militated against effective participation of SDC members in the governance of schools. The study recommends capacitating SDCs executive members through training, empowering them to raise funds for capital development in these schools, and clear delineation between SDC roles and the instructional roles of school principals and teachers.

Creating autonomous learners in the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) in Zimbabwean secondary schools : a reality or a myth?

This study explored the utility of the learner autonomy concept in the Zimbabwean O Level English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom focusing on three Gweru urban high schools of the Midlands Province. The researchers intended to establish whether learner autonomy was a reality or just a myth in Zimbabwean classrooms. A qualitative multiple case study design was applied focusing on teaching strategies, availability of resources, challenges faced and ways of optimising it. Questionnaires and document analysis were used for data collection. The findings revealed that the concept did not manifest in explicit terms, the learners did not participate in decision making, and the teachers were not adequately prepared to administer autonomous processes with students. For it to be a reality, the Education Ministry is recommended to establish a comprehensive framework of how autonomous learning should be implemented. Teacher training should explicitly focus on how to develop autonomous learners. Teachers ought to be flexible enough to accommodate learners' contributions towards their learning.

The commodification of education: Trends and effects in the Zimbabwean secondary school system

The commodification of education: Trends and effects in the Zimbabwean secondary school system

Learning to teach for mathematical proficiency: Behavioural changes for pre-service teachers on teaching placement

This study reports on an investigation of how field experiences in teaching prepares pre-service teachers (PSTs) to effectively deal with the challenges and complexities of teaching mathematics in Zimbabwean secondary schools. The study was premised on the view that improvement in learning secondary school mathematics in the classroom is related to practitioner development in teaching. However, despite overwhelming research on mathematics knowledge for teachers, the problem of mathematics failure in high schools has not been addressed. A mixed methods approach, based on the perspectives of PSTs on teaching practice (TP) was employed to depict how their practices impact on their knowledge development for teaching mathematics. The study, found that a proficient mathematics PST is considered one who embraces knowledge of mathematics content and the ability to teach it. Hence, the development of mathematics knowledge for PSTs requires them to be mentored and workshopped by mathematics subject specialists who are well positioned in terms of mathematics pedagogy and mathematics content knowledge.

English

Physical activity specifically in relation to Physical Education (PE) forms a crucial part of total education of primary and secondary school learners. The aim of this paper is to explore various challenges in promoting PE and sport activities in Zimbabwean primary and secondary schools. This paper reviewed and content examined curriculum documents for the determination and identification of the challenges of teaching PE in Zimbabwean primary and secondary schools as well as possible solutions for the identified challenges. Content breakdown identified main thematic areas which can clarify the challenges educators face in teaching PE in various Zimbabwean schools. There is need to be an increase in the knowledge of the teachers and the learners, and to see the important benefits of PE. Key words: Physical learning, primary and secondary schools, sport activities.

The Impact of Child Abuse in Kwekwe District Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

The Impact of Child Abuse in Kwekwe District Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

Impact of the Language of instruction on Writing Competence of Learners in Zimbabwean secondary Schools: A case of Gweru Region

Impact of the Language of instruction on Writing Competence of Learners in Zimbabwean secondary Schools: A case of Gweru Region

At-risk students in selected schools in Zimbabwe: An ecological perspective

This study investigates the impact of socio-economic conditions on at-risk students in 2 selected Chitungwiza secondary schools in Zimbabwe. At-risk students are characterised by irregular school attendance, high dropout rates, poor grade retention or sustained diminished academic achievement. At-riskness has increased in Zimbabwe’s school population since the adoption and subsequent failure of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP), which has contributed to concomitant poor social conditions. A qualitative narrative enquiry on the impact of socio-economic factors on at-risk students explored the life stories of 3 male and 3 female students from each of the 2 selected Chitungwiza secondary schools. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory, where the individual is viewed as developing within a complex system of relationships, informed the study. Semi-structured interviews with participants, based on the Dan McAdams Framework were used for rich data gathering. The findings confirm the notion that poor socio-economic conditions experienced by families in Zimbabwe make a major contribution to at-riskness in secondary schools. Based on the empirical inquiry, the study recommends family support to enhance the functioning of socio-economically stressed families for the improvement of parent-child relationships/intra-familial relationships towards regular school attendance (The Children’s Society, 2013). Further recommendations are presented for a more inclusive educational model to reduce school at-riskness in Zimbabwe.Keywords: at-riskness; Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory; life story research; secondary schools; Zimbabwe