Zimbabwean Secondary Schools Research Articles

Study of Secondary Schools Students Performance in Mathematics from Zimbabwe

The study was set up to determine some causes of poor performance in Mathematics examinations at Ordinary ('O') levels in Gweru District Day Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe. For the purpose of establishing the causes, ten day secondary schools in the district were investigated. The research design employed was the descriptive survey because of its ability to address current issues during the time of the study. Ten 'O' level mathematics teachers and their heads of departments were sampled. This information was collected through the use of teacher questionnaire and Head of Departments (H.O.D) questionnaires which enabled the researchers to have a wider view on the research problem. The questionnaires were physically administered by the researchers from school to school which facilitated a 100% return rate. Data collected was grouped and presented in tables in the form of numbers and interpretation. The results obtained from the study indicated that teaching methods and negative attitudes by students of both sexes are some of the causes of poor performance by students at 'O' level mathematics. The study recommends regular staff development workshops.

School Guidance and Counselling Needs Assessment in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools

This article examines the status of School Guidance and Counselling (SGC) services needs assessment in Zimbabwe secondary schools as perceived by school counsellors and students. The study is part of a larger study on assessing the effectiveness of school guidance and counselling services in Zimbabwean secondary schools. A survey design based on two questionnaires (one for school counsellors and the other one for students) was undertaken with a sample of 950 participants (314 school counsellors and 636 students). The SAS statistical package version 9.1 was used to analyze the data. The analysis included tabulation and computation of chi-square test, frequencies, percentages and ratios. The study revealed that there were significant differences in the rating of the frequency of assessing the needs of students, teachers and parents among school counsellors and students. Both school counsellors and students viewed the involvement of parents substantially negatively. They both positively viewed year end results, informal student conversation and brain storming as methods used in SGC services needs assessment. Recommendations and conclusions were made in this study.

How do Schools Push Students Out of School? A Case Study of Two Rural Secondary Schools in Masvingo District of Zimbabwe

This article examines school factors that are closely related to the dropping out of students. This is a case study of two rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe. A total of sixteen students who had dropped out of school in the last two years participated in the study. These were selected through the purposive sampling technique. The study adopted the mixed methodology and used a survey research design as the operational framework for data gathering. Data were collected through a researcher constructed 12 -item Likert-type questionnaire administered to the participants. Data analysis proceeded through the compiling of frequency tables and the discussion revolved around the three research questions that formed the pillar of the study. The study established that teacher-student relationships, the nature of the high school curriculum as well as school policies and practices were critical in the dropout problem. The study, therefore, recommends that schools need to transform themselves by creating conditions that not only attract and retain students but also ensure that student survival in schools is guaranteed. For instance, a friendly school climate, where students values and beliefs are respected can go a long way in mitigating the problem of dropping out.

Do Teachers Participate in School Decisions which are within their Zones of Expertise, Experience and Interest?

Teacher participation in school based decisions which fall within their zone of acceptance leads to teacher-empowerment, autonomy and accountability. When teachers are involved in the decision-making faculties which fall within their zone of expertise, experience and interest, they will be motivated to carry out the tasks and will have a greater ownership of the school. The study investigated if teachers were involved in decisions which fall within their zones of acceptance. The study adopted a qualitative/interpretive research methodology and used the case study research design as the operational framework for data gathering. Data was collected through interviews, documentary analysis and observation of two staff meetings per school from 5 secondary schools in Zimbabwe. The population sample comprised 5 secondary school heads and 25 secondary school teachers. The results of the study indicated that teachers were active in the process in certain issues while heads made unilateral decisions in critical issues.

School Counsellors’ and Students’ Perceptions of the Benefits of School Guidance and Counselling Services in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools

The study sought to establish the benefits of school guidance and counselling (SGC) services in Zimbabwe secondary schools as perceived by students and school counsellors. The study is a part of a larger study on an assessment of the effectiveness of school guidance and counselling services in Zimbabwean secondary schools. The survey design was used in this study. The sample comprised of 950 participants of which three hundred and fourteen (165 males and 149 females) were school counsellors while 636 (314 boys and 322 girls) were students. Data were collected using questionnaires in this study. The SAS/SAT statistical package version 9.1 was used to analyze the data. The analysis included tabulation and computation of chi-square test, frequencies, percentages and ratios. The study found that both school counsellors and students believed that the services resulted in personal-social, career and vocational benefits. Overall, both school counsellors and students rated the Zimbabwean SGC services fairly.

Student Teachers’ Perceptions of the Nature, Extent and Causes of Child Abuse by Teachers in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools

This study sought to determine: (a) student teachers’ perceptions of child abuse within the school context; (b) forms of child abuse perpetrated by teachers on pupils in secondary schools; and (c) causes of child abuse by teachers in schools. A retrospective study was conducted using a purposive sample of 28 participants (15 male, 13 female; aged 21 to 45 years) who were attached to experienced teachers as their mentors for a whole year during their teaching practice. Participants were asked to reflect on how teachers interacted with their pupils in schools. The study assumes that since the perpetrator was no longer present, participants were free to verbalize without fear how their mentors treated their pupils during teaching practice. Participants were asked to write an essay explaining: (i) what they understood by child abuse from the school context; (ii) to indicate forms of child abuse that they observed being perpetrated on pupils by teachers in schools; (iii) to suggest causes of child abuse by teachers in schools; and (iv) to recommend the action that could be taken against child abuse perpetrators in schools. Data were analysed using content analysis. The study found that participants conceptualised child abuse as the maltreatment of pupils by teachers sexually, physically, emotionally and making pupils do domestic activities for teachers at their houses. It is clear from the study that pupils are vulnerable to child abuse and hence there is need to protect them against abuse in schools.

Taking the Temperature of Rights and Freedoms: Zimbabwean Secondary School Students’ Knowledge about the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights and Their Support for Its Provisions

The African Banjul Charter is a cornerstone document promoting human rights education in Africa. As Zimbabwe is one of the signatory states to the Charter, a survey was conducted with 265 Zimbabwean secondary students to assess their knowledge of and support for the provisions detailed in the Charter. Fifty-six percent of the participants knew about the Charter and 59% supported the Chart. Knowledge and support were found to be positively correlated. While gender did not influence responses, grade level was a significant predictor of knowledge and support for the Charter). La Charte de Banjul est le document de base pour la promotion de l‘éducation des Droits de l‘Homme. Comme le Zimbabwe a signé cette Charte, une enquête y a été menée auprès de 265 étudiants de l‘école secondaire afin d‘évaluer leurs connaissances et l‘acceptation de la Charte. Cinquante-six pour cent des participants connaissaient la Charte et 59% y adhéraient. Les résultats de l‘enquête montrent une corrélation positive entre connaissance et acceptation. Ils montrent également que bien que le sexe n‘influence pas les réponses, l‘année d‘étude représente un indice important quant à la connaissance et l‘acceptation de cette dernière.

Motivating Zimbabwean secondary school students to learn: A challenge

Motivating Zimbabwean secondary school students to learn has been a daunting task for both parents and teachers. The economic and social situation obtaining in Zimbabwe has not encouraged secondary school students to take education seriously and prepare themselves for service and contribution to nation building and self- development. Thus the study sought to understand factors that militate against student motivation and what can be done to motivate secondary school students to learn, soliciting views from teachers, parents/ guardians and students themselves. The research was a case study of five Masvingo urban secondary schools; employing qualitative data collection methods. These participatory data collection methods were used to get insight and tap into the experiences and views of these three stakeholders on how students could be motivated to learn. The research found that the motivational level of secondary school students was at its lowest ebb mainly because of limited employment prospects and other militating factors. The research recommends that each school establishes a tripartite supervision and communication arrangement involving the parent/guardian, teacher and the student to monitor the student’s school work, behaviour and development. The other recommendation is that Zimbabwe as a nation should seriously embrace student empowerment initiatives by having professionally trained school – based counsellors and increased availability and access to career guidance services thus motivating students to drive their energies towards goals. Key words: Motivation, curriculum relevance, teacher morale, parental involvement, peer pressure.

Strategies of Teacher Participation in Decision-making in Schools: A Case Study of Gweru District Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

Teacher participation refers to the extent to which subordinates or groups who are af fected by decisions are consulted and involved in making of decisions. Participation is not only about taking part in decision-making process but it is also about being valued. Teachers feel rewarded when they are part of the decision-making process. Principals cannot manage schools alone nor take the burden of motivating others to achieve objectives and complete tasks without support from their colleagues, they must actively involve them. This study examined the strategies of teacher participation in decision-making in five schools involving 20 teachers and five heads. Data were collected through interviews, documents and observation of staf f meetings. The study established that in most cases, school heads make unilateral decisions and impose them on teachers for implementation. The study recommends teacher empowerment in critical decision-making processes in schools.

The extent of teacher participation in decision-making in secondary schools in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, there have been some debates on democratisation and decentralisation, which led to the development of policies meant to increase teacher participation in decision-making in schools. However, despite these developments, teacher participation in decision-making in Zimbabwean schools is regarded as insignificant. Teachers work closely with students and have firsthand knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses – they are therefore the most valuable people to develop and implement policies. This study investigated the extent of teacher participation in decision-making in Zimbabwean schools. The study adopted a qualitative/interpretive research methodology and used the case study research design as the operational framework for data gathering. Data was collected through interviews, documentary analysis and observation of two staff meetings per school from five secondary schools in Gweru Education District in Zimbabwe. The population sample comprised five secondary school heads and 20 secondary school teachers. The study established that teachers were insignificantly involved in decision-making despite their eagerness to be involved. Some duties are given to senior teachers or committees even when teachers feel that they should be directly involved. There are times when school heads make unilateral decisions and impose them on teachers for implementation. The study recommends that heads of schools should give their teachers room to come up with ideas and look at all contributions objectively.

RESEARCH SECTION: Examining the nature and perceived causes of indiscipline in Zimbabwean secondary schools

The problem of student indiscipline is an issue of concern for teachers and parents around the world. Teachers need to maintain student discipline and for them to do so it is important that they also understand the nature of discipline problems. This study, by Lawrence Kofi Ametepee, who is studying for a PhD in special education, Morgan Chitiyo, board certified behaviour analyst and Assistant Professor of Special Education, both at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, USA, and Susan Abu, who is currently a graduate student in the Department of Women's Studies at Texas Women's University, was designed to examine the nature and perceived causes of student indiscipline in Zimbabwean secondary schools. The authors anticipate that such an examination will promote teachers’, parents’ and policy makers’ understanding of student indiscipline, which will, in turn, enhance disciplinary policies and practices, making schools safer for all students and more effective in their role as educational and socialising agents.

Effect of Self-generated Concept-Mapping Instructional Strategy on the Achievement of Students in Evolutionary Concept

A ZJER article assessing the impact of self-generated Concept-mapping instructional strategies amongst Zimbabwean secondary school pupils.

Profiling learners and teachers at remote rural secondary schools: a case study

The academic achievements of learners at remote rural secondary schools in developing countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa tend to be low compared to those who attend urban schools. Acknowledging that numerous factors are likely to influence learners’ academic achievement in general, this study focused on two factors, which have been identified by research as particularly significant, namely the specific profile of the rural school learner, as well as the profile of the teacher teaching at these rural schools. Although our actual investigation was in the form of a case study done at only two remote rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe, we believe that these schools resemble most remote rural secondary schools in developing countries, also in South Africa. Based on our findings, we contend that the poor academic performance of learners at these two remote rural schools can be related to the specific profiles of the learners who attend these schools, as well as the profiles of teachers teaching at these schools. Although our investigation did not reveal significant new insights, it once again emphasised the continuation of the dilemma of bimodal distribution of education opportunities to the detriment of (mainly black) learners in remote rural areas. Until such time that this problem is successfully addressed, it needs to remain on the education agenda.

‘History has to Play its Role’: Constructions of Race and Reconciliation in Secondary School Historiography in Zimbabwe, 1980–2002*

This article examines changes in Zimbabwean secondary school history syllabi and textbooks, specifically their treatment of the issue of race; and relates these developments to larger social forces at work after 1980. A nationalist, Africa-centred and Marxist-inspired history syllabus was introduced in 1991; it was revised in 2000 and replaced in 2002 by one that was narrower, less comparative and with less emphasis on the development of critical reading and interpretive skills. In each instance, history was made to ‘play its role’. Drawing on evidence from the syllabi, authors, teachers and schools, this article argues that although the first nationalist syllabi and textbooks were distinct improvements over their Rhodesian-era predecessors, they presented polarising messages along racial lines to a burgeoning school population. In conjunction with the passive ‘live and let live’ style of racial reconciliation in wider society, these educational circumstances contributed to a social avoidance of large-scale racial targeting, while racial identity and citizenship simultaneously came to be seen through the lens of political expediency. Although state-sponsored violence and propaganda certainly spread in the period under review, the article also suggests a possible counter-trend: that the promulgation of ‘patriotic history’ in Zimbabwe might find itself tempered to some extent by the country's educational structures, traditions and conditions.

Analogical reconstruction of the probability knowledge of Zimbabwean female secondary school students

Abstract Analogies were used to facilitate reconstructing the probability knowledge of 54 culturally diverse, female, Zimbabwean secondary school students in cases where there were misconceptions in their comprehension of probability. Ten contextually appropriate misconception‐prone target situations were generated, together with their conceptually analogous counterparts, known as source or anchoring situations. The source analogues were designed to draw out those areas where student beliefs agreed with accepted mathematical theory. Students’ responses to the target situations indicated that probability misconceptions were common and that the source analogues were effective in providing anchors for mathematically correct ideas. The participants were interviewed and knowledge reconstruction was attempted using the source analogues. A success rate of 0.88 was achieved. Testing after one month indicated a stability rate of 0.82 for the reconstructed probability knowledge.

School counsellors' perceptions of headmasters' attitudes towards guidance and counselling in Zimbabwe secondary schoolsskills in secondary school agriculture

The study sought to find out school counsellors' perceptions of headmasters' attitudes towards the guidance and counselling programme in Zimbabwe secondary schools. Two hundred and six (N=206) school counsellors participated in the study. A questionnaire was developed to collect the data. The SPSS 7.5 version was used to analyze the data. A t-test for independent samples was used. The results revealed that headmasters were perceived as having negative attitudes towards the guidance and councelling programme. There was no significant difference between male and female counsellors' perceptions of headmasters' attitudes towards the guidance and counselling programme. Recommendations for improving headmasters' attitudes were made. Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research , Vol. 17 (1) March 2005: pp. 19-29

The Internal Efficiency of the Education System in Zimbabwe: Retention and Transition of Pupils in Primary and Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe (1984-1999)

The Internal Efficiency of the Education System in Zimbabwe: Retention and Transition of Pupils in Primary and Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe (1984-1999)

In Service Education Needs for Science Laboratory Assistants Operating in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools

The study sought to identify the kinds of knowledge and skills possessed by or lacking in persons serving as laboratory assistants in Zimbabwean schools in relation to their effective functioning. Data was obtained through focused group discussions and questionnaires within the framework of a national survey. The informants were 124 designated laboratory assistants, 79 heads of science departments from different high schools and regions and 9 science education officers. The main finding was that these assistants require in- service education in basic repair and service of equipment, preparation of chemical solutions, general laboratory management skills, and safety and calibration of equipment.

Career Perceptions and Visions of Boys and Girls in Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe: Some Implications for Teachers and Parents

The study investigated the career perceptions and visions of boys and girls in secondary schools. Subjects (N=120) were students enrolled in Fonns 1 to 6 who were drawn from secondary schools in ManicalanJ and Masvingo educational regions. An open-ended questionnaire ivas used to generate data. The Pearson Product Moment Conelation (r) was used to analyse the data. Results showed that both boys and girls had similar perceptions about male and female jobs. It was also indicated that relatives were the chief influences in career choice among boys and girls. Male students had higher educational aspirations than females. The study recommended the education of relatives especially parents on careers so as to avoid negative influences on career choice. A vigorous offering of guidance and counseling in secondary schools was also recommended.

Peer Mentoring by resource teachers in Zimbabwean schools

Mentoring is a learning and instructional strategy that could be used effectively, especially in the area of continuing professional development. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential and the capacity of teachers who function as resource teachers within the Zimbabwean secondary school system to mentor their peers. Nine case studies of active resource teachers were examined through in-depth interviews. It was found that the resource teachers were doing minimal mentoring activity in their everyday work as resource teachers. The activity is mostly in the form of dispensing information and organising workshops and demonstrating instructional strategies. Their potential as mentors could be enhanced by simply improving their work environment, developing critical personality traits that embody humility and ‘a culture to serve others’, and raising the level of professionalism among themselves, their peers, and their school managers through education.