Browsing by Author "Shava, G.N."

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    Challenges facing progression of disabled pesrons towards senior managerial positions in the National Association of Societies for the care of the handicapped member organisations in Zimbabwe.
    (2022) Khuphe, W.; Ndlovu, M.J.; Shava, G.N.; Zulu, E.; Shonhiwa, S.
    The purpose of this research was to identify and analyze the key factors that affect the limited progression of disabled persons to senior positions at the National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH), the umbrella body that represents different organizations that advocate and support people with disabilities. The research followed a qualitative approach with some limited quantitative analysis of some of the findings. Ten member organizations were sampled in the collection of data. Out of the fifty questionnaires distributed, thirty fully completed and valid questionnaires were received back and that constituted a response rate of sixty percent. The sample was made up of five organizations of the disabled and five organizations for the disabled. The findings of the research show, amongst others, that prejudice and in some instances, weak corporate governance are strong determinants of lack of progression to senior positions of disabled people at NASCOH and in some member organizations. Although this research was small in scale, that is, targeted only ten out of forty-five NASCOH member organizations; many lessons could be learned from the findings of the project. Further research is necessary to explore deeper the identified factors to influence better policy and practice in the study area. The research study found that disabled employees are less represented in employment opportunities. The study further found that there are limited or in some instances, no programmes designed to promote the advancement and development of people with disabilities at NASCOH member organizations. The key recommendation is that there is an urgent need for NASCOH, with the active participation of disability rights activists to push for the establishment of a national policy on disability by the Government of Zimbabwe. Further research is necessary to explore deeper the identified factors to influence better policy and practice in the study area.
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    Effects of school leadership in enhancing learners' achievement in South African schools
    (2020) Shava, G.N.; Sibanda, L.
    Introduction: School leadership has increasingly been gaining attention from educational policymakers, and the entire educational society. Research has also confirmed that school principals are essential for developing and maintaining effective school systems. The role of school leadership in schools is highly complex and dynamic such that strategies are needed to change underperforming schools. This article reported on a small scale exploratory qualitative study that investigated the effects of school leadership in enhancing the learning outcomes of a cohort of schools in a rural setting in South Africa. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyse the role of principals in enhancing learning achievement in schools. Methodology: The study took a qualitative research approach with an interpretive epistemological and constructivist ontological perspective. Qualitative evidence was collected from six schools in the same district through semi-structured interview question with educators and school principals. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select information-rich cases from the schools and in selecting the schools. Results: Grounded in the accounts of our study participants, results from the study indicated that school principals are the cornerstones of achieving quality teaching and learning through motivating educators, training and providing distributed leadership Recommendations: From the study findings, it was recommended that there is need to improve the basic unit of the educational institution which include structural, cultural and agential conditions to enhance the effective operations of school principals. There is a need to motivate and enhance existing forms of agency in ways that expand learners’ achievement.
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    Enhancing Development Potential of Diaspora Communities, Experiences of Zimbabweans Living in Botswana
    (2022) Sibanda, K.; Ndlovu, M.J.; Shava, G.N.; Zulu, E.; Shonhiwa, S.
    The study examined the development potential of the Zimbabwean diaspora communities living in Botswana. The current study sought to fill a gap in the interrogation of the willingness and capacity of Zimbabweans living in Botswana to participate in development projects in Zimbabwe. The research was carried out in Botswana using mail and electronic questionnaires, in depth interviews and ethnographic data. Fifty mail survey respondents, 7 electronic survey respondents and 12 in depth study respondents were used in the current study. The mixed method approach used yielded data that could not have been obtained with one method only. Using the transnational capability framework, the research established the existence of both skilled and unskilled Diaspora in Botswana. The study observed that the Zimbabwean community in Botswana is actively involved in transnational activities. The study established that there is willingness to participate in the advancement of their families and communities in Zimbabwe. There are some challenges that hinder the full participation of the Diaspora community that were noted in the study. The shorter periods covered by permits affect the migrants’ capacity to access loans from banks or engage in long term planning as they risk non-renewal of permits. On the Zimbabwean side the economic and political uncertainty affect the commitment by some Zimbabweans in the diaspora to invest in Zimbabwe. The possibility of engagement between Zimbabweans in the diaspora is affected by lack of trust between the current government and the citizens in the Diaspora. The study recommended that the government of Zimbabwe should create a database of Zimbabweans living in Botswana to determine and tap the available skills base for capacity building. The Governments of Botswana and Zimbabwe are recommended to discuss extension of permits and granting of dual citizens to Zimbabwean applicants for the benefit of both countries. There is also need for the Zimbabwean Government to reduce duty on capital goods to allow the Diaspora community to bring productive capital for investment.
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    Grounded theory in Educational Research: A literature review of features and processes
    (2022) Shava, G.N.; Tlou, F.N.; Shonhiwa, S.
    Grounded theory which is a systematic methodology of discovering theory from data in social science and educational research is considered a general methodology and a way of thinking about conceptualizing data. Using Grounded theory, meaning is negotiated and understood through interactions with others in a social process. This desk top research provides an overview of the features of grounded theory, and in the process, activities involved in using grounded theory are highlighted. Further weaknesses and strengths of grounded theory are discussed. In this article we argue that using an appropriate research method for an inquiry is critical to successful educational research.
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    Principal leadership and school performance: Integrating instructional and transformational leadership in South African schools context
    (2021) Shava, G.N.
    This study aimed to examine the integration of instructional and transformational models of leadership in sustaining school improvement. The question of how the integration of instructional and transformational leadership in schools can influence learners' performance has received a significant amount of interest among researchers. Literature reviews have found two key approaches: educational and transformational leadership models to establish the most appropriate school leadership model. Therefore, this article reports on qualitative research used to arrive at an in-depth understanding of integrating instructional and transformational leadership in enhancing school performance. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with principals in one educational province. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select participants for the study. Findings from the study established that integrating the two models had the potential to enhance learner performance. This study has shown that the integration of instructional and transformational leadership models led to a climate that promotes a culture of teaching and learning, hence increasing quality learning outcomes.
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    Quality Education for Sustainable Development in Zimbabwean Higher Education: Towards UNDP 2030 SDG
    (2020) Shava, G.N.
    The article explores the challenges and opportunities of achieving Agenda 2030 Global Goals on education for sustainable development in Zimbabwe higher education. The challenges posed by the need to provide for quality, sustainability, and development demand a renewed reflection on the nature and scope of the higher education systems in order to address current issues of education for sustainable development as stated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which proposes that education for sustainable development (ESD) should be addressed at all levels of education. ESD allows every human being to acquire the knowledge to shape a sustainable future including key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning. The vision of Agenda 2030 is to transform lives through quality education, recognizing the important role of education as a main driver for development and achieving proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their vision which is fully captured by the proposed SDG4 “ Ensuring inclusive equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The aim of the study is to explore the complexity of raising higher education quality drawing from the structure and agency theoretical view point to offer deeper insights into the role that agency and structures in higher education may play in achieving the vision of Agenda 2030. In essence the qualitative study provides possible measures for enhancing the achievement of Agenda 2030 Global Goals. Findings from the study pointed to the lack of integrated ESD in higher education professional standards and into curriculum. The study recommends the need to update higher education curriculum, pedagogy, and educational resources to address the twenty-first-century context of teaching and learning.
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    Towards the Attainment of SDGs: The Contribution of Higher Education Institutions in Zimbabwe
    (International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, 2024) Mpofu, F.Y.; Mpofu, A.; Mantula, F.; Shava, G.N.
    The contribution of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Zimbabwe to the attainment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been debatable. Through a critical review of the literature, this paper sought to assess how HEI in Zimbabwe contribute to the attainment of the SDGs, ascertain the challenges affecting this contribution, and make recommendations on how the contribution of these institutions could be strengthened. The review established that HEIs play a fundamental role in contributing towards the attainment of the SDGs in Zimbabwe. The institutions contribute through Education 5.0 which is premised on the five pillars of teaching, research, community engagement, innovation, and industrialization. For example, concerning teaching, HEIs contribute to the SDGs through knowledge creation, skills sharing, and empowerment of students and communities that helps in career development, job creation, entrepreneurial development, innovation, and economic growth. Regarding research, HEIs contribute by identifying research gaps and problems relating to sustainable development, researching these, and making recommendations that can inform policy development and practice concerning the achievement of the SDGs. Even though there are notable contributions informed by the five pillars, there are also several challenges hindering the effective contribution of HEIs to the attainment of the SDGs These include limited resources, bureaucratic constraints, and a lack of coordination among HEIs and other stakeholders. The paper calls for a concerted effort from HEIs themselves, and from the government and other stakeholders to enhance the contribution of HEIs to the attainment of SDGs and building a more sustainable and prosperous future for Zimbabwe.
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    Women in Higher Education Leadership and Parenthood: Experiences from a University in Zimbabwe
    (Springer Nature, 2021-02) Shava, G.N.; Chasokela, D.
    In Zimbabwe and most probably the rest of Africa, the occupational and leadership status of women in higher education leadership is still suffering a wide gap as there is unequal representation in leadership positions between men and women. Although women have made substantial gains in higher education learning institutions, they have not achieved parity with men. Women in Zimbabwe higher education are particularly underrepresented at higher levels of leadership and the percentage of female executives decline with increasing organizational rank. Despite the fact that women constitute the majority of workforce in universities in Zimbabwe, they remain poorly represented in high-level leadership positions. Where women have attained high-level leadership positions, they remain disadvantaged, their progress remain impeded due to parenthood responsibilities. Despite the fact that in Zimbabwe today women earn the majority of college and university degrees, they are less likely than men to experience benefits associated with leadership and promotion and they continue to represent a smaller proportion of leadership positions. This study derived from a qualitative case study undertaken at a university in Zimbabwe was conducted to establish challenges faced by women in higher education leadership. The research findings indicated that cultural and social barriers continue to grow and pose a formidable barrier to women in leadership positions. The researchers argue that organizational structures, parenthood and culture make it difficult for women to rise into higher levels in leadership positions.