International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education, Apr 24, 2024
This study investigates preservice teachers' knowledge of elements and rationale for Nature of Sc... more This study investigates preservice teachers' knowledge of elements and rationale for Nature of Science (NOS). Skill gap is established in the literature on pedagogical practices of preservice as well as novice teachers of science, reflecting deficiency in their professional training and eventual classroom practice. Examining preservice teachers' knowledge in these aspects (elements & rationale) of NOS through a quasi-experiment of one-group pretest and post-test design was done. Instructional intervention over two years along with assignments and presentation with researchers as moderators on the science pedagogy module (History of Science and Philosophy of Science) serves as stimuli over the period. Three research questions and two hypotheses were raised to guide this study. One hundred and thirty-six (112 Life Science and 24 Physical Science) preservice teachers were the participants. Element of NOS (ENOS) and Rationale for NOS (RNOS) were the instruments. Reliability of the instruments yielded Cronbach alpha values of .83, .91 and .86 across dimensions of clarity, coherence and relevance by fifteen experienced science educators. Data was analysed using t-test and ANCOVA. The study found the intervention to effectively improve the knowledge of elements and rationale for NOS. Better prepared teachers (More Knowledge Order [MKO] have the potential to improved Zone of Proximal Development [ZPD] in learners) by implication have the competence to guide learners for qualitative and effective learning. The instruments in this study is recommended for foundational training of preservice teachers on NOS for enhanced instruction.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Sep 1, 2021
Xenophobia, despite various interventions, remains a thorny issue in South Africa with implicatio... more Xenophobia, despite various interventions, remains a thorny issue in South Africa with implications to curriculum practices. Thus, the paper responds to questions and these are; what are the trajectories of xenophobia within the curriculum, and how religious education takes responsibility for it? We used critical emancipatory research to couch a qualitative study that strategically random sampled 12 participants who were school learners, non-South Africans employed as teachers, and principals. The findings suggest that, while South Africa has made strides in many aspects, the issue of xenophobia still taunts the beauty of the rainbow nation, thereby creating African exceptionalism, isolation and social crises that affect learners directly. The study also found out the xenophobia has implications to teaching and learning, thus, requiring the problem to be tackled at curriculum level. We argue that religious education has the impetus to contribute to mitigating the challenges associated with xenophobia from a curriculum angle.
When presented with a new curriculum very few teachers teach in accordance with the prescribed pe... more When presented with a new curriculum very few teachers teach in accordance with the prescribed pedagogies. This study reports on how teachers in Zimbabwe selected their teaching methods in response to a new curriculum reform policy. Using a qualitative multiple case study design and the theoretical lens of sense-making, the study interrogated teachers' understanding of a new history curriculum and their compliance to its pedagogical prescriptions. Although teachers were aware of the methodological demands of the new history curriculum, they complained that they were not adequately prepared and resourced to implement the new pedagogical policy. Teachers' pedagogical preferences appeared to be in line with their personal philosophy to history instruction, rather than what reform policy prescribed. It appears policy makers placed pedagogical reform policy in front of the teacher; like the proverbial case of putting the cart in front of the horse. To augment compliance with reform policy, it is necessary to in-service teachers on how to use innovative teaching approaches before asking them to change pedagogical practice. Teacher capacity building on innovative instructional strategies and creating learning communities may reduce the gap between policy demands and classroom practice.
Research in social sciences and technology, Oct 1, 2021
This paper examines the interaction between class size and teachers' selection of teaching method... more 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.
Teachers unconsciously, and at times intentionally, use metaphors to graphically image new reform... more Teachers unconsciously, and at times intentionally, use metaphors to graphically image new reform policy. This qualitative multiple case-study explores how secondary school teachers employed metaphors to communicate excitement and/or frustrations with a new history curriculum they were implementing in Zimbabwe. Findings from semi-structured interviews and lesson observations indicate that, although teachers employed either reform friendly or reform antagonistic metaphors, their metaphoric representations were consistently evolving. The new history curriculum was viewed as a new baby whose habits everyone was trying to learn. Conversely, it was equated to a dictated peace treaty. The implications of these metaphors are interrogated.
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, Dec 1, 2022
The teaching of natural sciences and technology in primary schools presents an opportunity to use... more The teaching of natural sciences and technology in primary schools presents an opportunity to use innovative approaches to teach STEM-based activities. The subject presents opportunities for learners to experience STEM-based instructional approaches in their early school years; therefore, it is essential that preservice primary school teachers are adequately prepared for the task. This study explored the perceptions of preservice teachers of STEM-based teaching in natural sciences and technology classrooms. Using a qualitative research approach and a single case study of a science and technology teaching methods course at a South African university, five participants were purposively selected from a group of 42 preservice teachers who had participated in a project to develop lesson plans and reflect on how to teach STEM. The data collected were analysed using thematic content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that the preservice teachers used natural sciences as an entry point to teach STEM and underestimated the technology component. The preservice teachers had the perception that STEM is taught through activity-based strategies while incorporating assessment for learning. Although they identified activities that could be used to teach STEM, they did not link the activities with developing specific skills in the lesson plans. The study recommends that preservice teachers be taught to link STEM activities with the development of specific STEM skills. Résumé L'enseignement des sciences naturelles et de la technologie à l'école primaire offre la possibilité d'utiliser des approches innovantes pour enseigner les activités fondées sur les STIM. Cette matière offre aux apprenants l'occasion d'expérimenter des approches pédagogiques axées sur les STIM
In leadership-followership relationships, roles are exchangeable, portraying followers as coconst... more In leadership-followership relationships, roles are exchangeable, portraying followers as coconstructors of school leadership processes. Leadership literature largely focuses on the effectiveness of leaders and neglects the role of followership. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of followership in the construction of leadership processes for secondary school Science and Mathematics. We used a narrative inquiry in the form of a single school case study purposefully selected for being a top performing school in Physical Sciences and Mathematics. Narratives were elicited from seven participants who included positional leaders and teachers. Follower role identities and the leader-follower trade (LFT) were used as conceptual frameworks. An active follower role identity enabled teachers to co-construct and sustain leadership processes for Science and Mathematics. Significant teaching experience, subject expertise and proven records of good results in learner attainments activated the identity. The teachers co-constructed and sustained leadership processes for Science and Mathematics through participative leadership, continuous teacher learning and classroom practice.
International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education, Apr 24, 2024
This study investigates preservice teachers' knowledge of elements and rationale for Nature of Sc... more This study investigates preservice teachers' knowledge of elements and rationale for Nature of Science (NOS). Skill gap is established in the literature on pedagogical practices of preservice as well as novice teachers of science, reflecting deficiency in their professional training and eventual classroom practice. Examining preservice teachers' knowledge in these aspects (elements & rationale) of NOS through a quasi-experiment of one-group pretest and post-test design was done. Instructional intervention over two years along with assignments and presentation with researchers as moderators on the science pedagogy module (History of Science and Philosophy of Science) serves as stimuli over the period. Three research questions and two hypotheses were raised to guide this study. One hundred and thirty-six (112 Life Science and 24 Physical Science) preservice teachers were the participants. Element of NOS (ENOS) and Rationale for NOS (RNOS) were the instruments. Reliability of the instruments yielded Cronbach alpha values of .83, .91 and .86 across dimensions of clarity, coherence and relevance by fifteen experienced science educators. Data was analysed using t-test and ANCOVA. The study found the intervention to effectively improve the knowledge of elements and rationale for NOS. Better prepared teachers (More Knowledge Order [MKO] have the potential to improved Zone of Proximal Development [ZPD] in learners) by implication have the competence to guide learners for qualitative and effective learning. The instruments in this study is recommended for foundational training of preservice teachers on NOS for enhanced instruction.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Sep 1, 2021
Xenophobia, despite various interventions, remains a thorny issue in South Africa with implicatio... more Xenophobia, despite various interventions, remains a thorny issue in South Africa with implications to curriculum practices. Thus, the paper responds to questions and these are; what are the trajectories of xenophobia within the curriculum, and how religious education takes responsibility for it? We used critical emancipatory research to couch a qualitative study that strategically random sampled 12 participants who were school learners, non-South Africans employed as teachers, and principals. The findings suggest that, while South Africa has made strides in many aspects, the issue of xenophobia still taunts the beauty of the rainbow nation, thereby creating African exceptionalism, isolation and social crises that affect learners directly. The study also found out the xenophobia has implications to teaching and learning, thus, requiring the problem to be tackled at curriculum level. We argue that religious education has the impetus to contribute to mitigating the challenges associated with xenophobia from a curriculum angle.
When presented with a new curriculum very few teachers teach in accordance with the prescribed pe... more When presented with a new curriculum very few teachers teach in accordance with the prescribed pedagogies. This study reports on how teachers in Zimbabwe selected their teaching methods in response to a new curriculum reform policy. Using a qualitative multiple case study design and the theoretical lens of sense-making, the study interrogated teachers' understanding of a new history curriculum and their compliance to its pedagogical prescriptions. Although teachers were aware of the methodological demands of the new history curriculum, they complained that they were not adequately prepared and resourced to implement the new pedagogical policy. Teachers' pedagogical preferences appeared to be in line with their personal philosophy to history instruction, rather than what reform policy prescribed. It appears policy makers placed pedagogical reform policy in front of the teacher; like the proverbial case of putting the cart in front of the horse. To augment compliance with reform policy, it is necessary to in-service teachers on how to use innovative teaching approaches before asking them to change pedagogical practice. Teacher capacity building on innovative instructional strategies and creating learning communities may reduce the gap between policy demands and classroom practice.
Research in social sciences and technology, Oct 1, 2021
This paper examines the interaction between class size and teachers' selection of teaching method... more 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.
Teachers unconsciously, and at times intentionally, use metaphors to graphically image new reform... more Teachers unconsciously, and at times intentionally, use metaphors to graphically image new reform policy. This qualitative multiple case-study explores how secondary school teachers employed metaphors to communicate excitement and/or frustrations with a new history curriculum they were implementing in Zimbabwe. Findings from semi-structured interviews and lesson observations indicate that, although teachers employed either reform friendly or reform antagonistic metaphors, their metaphoric representations were consistently evolving. The new history curriculum was viewed as a new baby whose habits everyone was trying to learn. Conversely, it was equated to a dictated peace treaty. The implications of these metaphors are interrogated.
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, Dec 1, 2022
The teaching of natural sciences and technology in primary schools presents an opportunity to use... more The teaching of natural sciences and technology in primary schools presents an opportunity to use innovative approaches to teach STEM-based activities. The subject presents opportunities for learners to experience STEM-based instructional approaches in their early school years; therefore, it is essential that preservice primary school teachers are adequately prepared for the task. This study explored the perceptions of preservice teachers of STEM-based teaching in natural sciences and technology classrooms. Using a qualitative research approach and a single case study of a science and technology teaching methods course at a South African university, five participants were purposively selected from a group of 42 preservice teachers who had participated in a project to develop lesson plans and reflect on how to teach STEM. The data collected were analysed using thematic content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that the preservice teachers used natural sciences as an entry point to teach STEM and underestimated the technology component. The preservice teachers had the perception that STEM is taught through activity-based strategies while incorporating assessment for learning. Although they identified activities that could be used to teach STEM, they did not link the activities with developing specific skills in the lesson plans. The study recommends that preservice teachers be taught to link STEM activities with the development of specific STEM skills. Résumé L'enseignement des sciences naturelles et de la technologie à l'école primaire offre la possibilité d'utiliser des approches innovantes pour enseigner les activités fondées sur les STIM. Cette matière offre aux apprenants l'occasion d'expérimenter des approches pédagogiques axées sur les STIM
In leadership-followership relationships, roles are exchangeable, portraying followers as coconst... more In leadership-followership relationships, roles are exchangeable, portraying followers as coconstructors of school leadership processes. Leadership literature largely focuses on the effectiveness of leaders and neglects the role of followership. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of followership in the construction of leadership processes for secondary school Science and Mathematics. We used a narrative inquiry in the form of a single school case study purposefully selected for being a top performing school in Physical Sciences and Mathematics. Narratives were elicited from seven participants who included positional leaders and teachers. Follower role identities and the leader-follower trade (LFT) were used as conceptual frameworks. An active follower role identity enabled teachers to co-construct and sustain leadership processes for Science and Mathematics. Significant teaching experience, subject expertise and proven records of good results in learner attainments activated the identity. The teachers co-constructed and sustained leadership processes for Science and Mathematics through participative leadership, continuous teacher learning and classroom practice.
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