Browsing by Author "Hleza, S."

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    Quality and Education for Sustainable Development Challenges towards a Transition in Zimbabwean Higher Education.
    (Indiana Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2021-11-30) Shava, G.N.; Tlou, F.N.; Shonhiwa, S.; Hleza, S.
    Purpose The purpose of this article is to examine the challenges of providing quality and Education for sustainable development in the Zimbabwean higher education context. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7 proposes that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) should be included at all levels of education. However there is little guidance towards the achievement of this goal. It shall therefore the focus of this study to understand the challenges towards the transition to achieve quality and ESD in Zimbabwean higher education institutions. Design/Methodology In this study exploratory qualitative and interpretive study was used. The qualitative study was embedded in an interpretive paradigm to explore the challenges of achieving quality and (ESD) in the Zimbabwean context of higher education. The researchers employed interviews because they yield in-depth data with the element of voice in the text. Findings Findings from the study indicated that the transition to achieve quality and sustainability is constrained by multiple challenges emanating from institutional and agential conditions surrounding teaching and learning. Practical implications The study has practical implications for higher education. This is a study conducted in Zimbabwe higher education such that the practical implication is the relevance of findings that are applicable to the higher education landscape. Little literature in Zimbabwe is available on ESD and that being the case this study provides in-depth literature on higher education quality and sustainability. Originality This study is among the first studies conducted in Zimbabwe to understand the complexities associated with the transition towards achieving ESD. Opportunities for enhancing quality teaching and learning are provided for in this study. The study demonstrates that there is strong evidence that exists showing that investing in quality higher education is pivotal to reaching the SDG4 including the aspiration of Zimbabwe's Agenda 2030. This study demonstrates that quality higher education makes for good economic and is a development imperative and must be treated as a fundamental macroeconomic variable and given much priority as inflation, unemployment and budget deficit.
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    Service delivery challenges faced by Zimbabwean local Authorizes: A revisit of the impact of the 2013 ministerial directive
    (International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 2022-10-10) Ncube, B.; Ncube, S.B.; Ndlovu, M.J.; Charumbira, J.; Hleza, S.
    This study was located within an interpretive paradigm and it adopted a mixed method approach which utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the study, the researchers tackled the unprecedented ministerial directive which was issued in the year 2013 to all local authorities in Zimbabwe to write off debts in respect of rentals, unit tax, development levies, licenses and refuse charges owed by individual ratepayers including water and rates charges arrears which had accrued to all residential properties over the period February 2009 to June 30, 2013. It appears the ministerial directive was the first of its kind in over a century old history of local governance in Zimbabwe. It is the unique nature of the directive which has motivated the researchers to study its impact on service delivery and lessons thereof for the future. Thus this study set out to explore the impact of this unprecedented directive on the abilities of local authorities to continue offering quality services to residents. The study was basically a case study of the City of Victoria Falls (CVF) in the interest of time. The study used a sample of one hundred (100) CVF ratepayers selected using stratified random sampling. In addition all the fifteen (15) managers of the municipality were used in the study. The primary instrument used to collect data was the self-administered questionnaire supplemented by the structured and unstructured interview guides. The research adopted a mixed method approach which utilizes both quantitative and qualitative approach. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Analysis of qualitative data involved a special set of interpretive practices and narrative techniques. The evidence from this study suggests that the major beneficiaries of the directive were ratepayers and Zanu PF as an election contestant. The study identified local authorities as major losers as they were adversely affected financially by the directive. The impact has been felt over a period of almost ten (10) years. In addition the study showed that the directive created huge debts for local authorities leading to their failure to meet their financial obligations in a period of almost ten (10) years which include failure to offer quality services. The study advanced a view that for local authorities to avoid being victims of such political directives in future they should intensify their revenue collection efforts which include offering prepaid services.
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    Towards Achieving Quality in Distance Higher Education Teaching and Learning: Experiences from Zimbabwe
    (International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 2022-01) Shava, G.N.; Hleza, S.; Ndlovu, M.J.; Makokoro, P.P.; Tlou, F.
    Zimbabwe has managed to respond to the movement in support of UNESCO’s lifelong learning concept and strategy that seeks to widen and deepen access to higher education through distance education initiatives. Despite the significant increase in students enrolling in distance education institutions, the gold standard of excellence that is sought by many nations has gradually been compromised. There are symptoms of a downward trend in terms of quality in open distance learning institutions. The qualitative study analysed major factors affecting the provision of quality distance higher education with specific reference to the Zimbabwe Open University, the sole provider of university distance education in Zimbabwe. The study focused on three Zimbabwe Open University regional centres in Zimbabwe. The paper seeks to identify major factors contributing to the declining quality of distance education and discusses measures that distance education providers in Zimbabwe can undertake in order to promote excellence for effective learning in the 21st century. The study established that several factors are affecting the quality of distance education in Zimbabwe. The lack of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) facilities at regional and district centres was a major hindrance to effective teaching and learning.