Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education

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    Promoting Inclusivity Through Quality Assessment in Rural Secondary Schools
    (Springer Nature, 2020) Sibanda, L.; Mathwasa, J.
    The current trend in the education systems globally is the focus on education for sustainable development, which emphasises on lifelong learning for all learners with or without disabilities. The education systems are expected to create environments that promote inclusivity in all levels of education. The aspect of assessment in inclusive education plays a pivotal role in the teaching and learning process. It is critical that the assessment practices adopted by schools should be of high quality to promote inclusivity. Depending on the purposes of assessment, schools mainly employ formative and summative assessments, which are referred to as assessment for learning and assessment of learning, respectively. The assessment practices in inclusive education system should ensure collaboration of all stakeholders to meet the diverse needs of every learner. However, myriad obstacles that hinder quality assessment in inclusive education have been identified in rural schools. These include lack of teacher competencies to deal with diverse needs of learners in regular classes, inadequate resources and facilities, passive pedagogical methods, and inflexible curriculum that offers no accommodation, modification, or personalization. Capacitating teachers through continuous professional development and transforming the teacher education curriculum are some of the suggested intervention strategies that could enhance inclusive education in rural schools. This chapter, therefore, presents how inclusive education can be enhanced through quality assessment in rural secondary schools. The issues of inclusive education concept, principles of quality assessment, types of assessment, assessment practices in inclusive learning, constraining factors to quality assessment, and intervention strategies are dealt with in this chapter.
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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.
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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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    A Case of Selected Hwange District Schools in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe.
    (Cherkas Global University Press, 2024) Mangena, A.; Sibanda, L.
    Apart from the fundamental function of teaching and learning, schools also ensure the realisation of the institutions' aims and vision. This is possible through use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which has been identified as an essential global phenomenon for efficient and effective schools. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine usage of ICT in school management in Hwange District. A qualitative approach driven by the interpretivism paradigm was adopted. A case study design focusing on selected schools was employed. Thematically analysed data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings indicated that the selected school heads mainly used ICT platforms such as WhatsApp, emails and printed documents for communication. Parents, through School Development Committee, provided internet connectivity for easy communication while the school heads used their personal smart phones. The study found that school heads faced various hurdles in using ICT in their management duties. These challenges included lack of resources, inadequate knowledge and skills to use ICT tools, work overload, inadequate funds to acquire ICT hardware and software equipment, lack of appropriate ICT infrastructure, limited internet access and sporadic power supplies. Despite the difficulties encountered, the study concluded that there were visible pockets of good practices in the use of ICT by selected school heads. The study recommended that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should capacitate school heads through ICT training. This will result in efficiency and effectiveness of school heads in execution of their management functions