Papers by francis muchenje
Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, Nov 1, 2012
Journal of African Education
This study was prompted by the existence of a unique teaching arrangement where there was a tripl... more This study was prompted by the existence of a unique teaching arrangement where there was a triple-shift schooling system at Chikonohono Primary School. The objective was to find out teachers' perceptions of the situation they were actually experiencing. Qualitative methodology was used in which a case study was adopted as the research design. In order to establish teachers' perceptions of the phenomenon of triple shift schooling system, interviews and Focus Group Discussion were used as data collection tools. A sample of ten participants was purposively selected for the study. Data were qualitatively analysed in relation to the interview items. The study found out that while the teachers were doing their best working under very hard and frustrating conditions of triple shift system, they did not support a permanent existence of such a teaching scenario. It also emerged that even the school administration was tired of the system and would want to do away with it as soon as p...
This paper presents the findings of the perceptions of pupils from Nyanja/Chewa speaking backgrou... more This paper presents the findings of the perceptions of pupils from Nyanja/Chewa speaking background regarding the status of their mother tongue in the education system. The study is informed by post modern theoretical perspective which celebrates diversity in society. The study adopted the case study design within the qualitative paradigm. A sample of twenty pupils (N=20), ten from each of the two participating schools was used. Simple random and stratified sampling techniques were utilised. For data collection, the interview and focus group discussion were used. It was found out that Nyanja/ Chewa as an indigenous language is not taught as a subject at Porta and Kintyre Primary Schools. It came to light that Shona is the indigenous language being taught in these commercial farming schools thus neglecting the indigenous language, a situation which the participants labelled unfortunate. The study recommends that the Education Ministry seriously considers that Nyanja/ Chewa be taught ...
This article seeks to show how multicultural education as a form of education for sustainable dev... more This article seeks to show how multicultural education as a form of education for sustainable development can be used to accommodate the cultural diversity found in many African countries for the purpose of nation building. The article contends that nation building and sustainable development require stable nations in which case multicultural education has a role to play. Multicultural education can be seen as a reform movement that seeks to accommodate society’s cultural diversity leading to sustainable living. The concept of culture is discussed at length in order to create a base for the understanding of the concept multicultural education. The article goes on to look at the role of multicultural education in different school curriculum areas such as: language policy, curriculum content, the school environment and the nature of knowledge where cultural diversity has to be reflected. It is the contention of this paper that these different curriculum areas complement efforts direct...
This paper seeks to show the role of a reformed school curriculum in promoting the use of indigen... more This paper seeks to show the role of a reformed school curriculum in promoting the use of indigenous knowledge systems and thus creating an appropriate technology base. An overview of Marxist theory as the guiding theoretical perspective is also presented. The paper goes on to define indigenous knowledge systems and their utility in medicine, agriculture, and nutrition and ethno veterinary science. The paper takes the position that unless the current education system is reformed so as to incorporate indigenous knowledge systems, investment made in education will not bear much fruit. The significance of using different school subjects as vehicles for the transmission of indigenous knowledge has also been highlighted. The paper then concludes the discussion by showing the challenges facing indigenous knowledge systems where issues such as documentation (to preserve the indigenous knowledge systems from being unnecessarily lost) and patenting (legitimatizing ownership of indigenous kno...
Alternation - Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Arts and Humanities in Southern Africa, 2019
The study was conducted in Mbare-Magaba informal industry in Harare in 2016. The aim of the study... more The study was conducted in Mbare-Magaba informal industry in Harare in 2016. The aim of the study was to establish the extent to which women have penetrated the traditionally stereotyped masculine technical trades in the informal industry. It adopted a qualitative research approach and utilised a case study research design. In-depth interviews and obtrusive observations were used to collect data. The sample of the study comprised 12 research participants (eight women and four men) who were sampled using the purposive sampling technique. The findings of the study show that the practice of informal apprenticeship tends to be informed by the principles of African traditional education which emphasised pragmatic skills. However, unlike traditional education, the informal apprenticeship ceases to emphasise the rigid dichotomy between feminine and masculine skills. The study also found out that although the gender divide line remains conspicuous in the informal industry, some women through the informal apprenticeship have demystified the feminine mystique; that women are better-off in the kitchen. Findings from the study also reveal the robust efficacy of the informal apprenticeship in the informal industry in terms of skills transfer to women and producing goods of high quality at a relatively fast rate. The study recommends that the Ministry of Medium to Small Enterprises avails financial and technical support to women in the informal industry. It is also critical that cooperatives in the informal industry form synergies with technical colleges to expedite transfer of skills to Informal Apprenticeship and Gender Dynamics 67 women in the informal industry. The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development should conscientise women on the importance of women's participation in economic activities particularly their involvement in technical jobs.
Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 2009
A ZJER study on the financial difficulties faced by primary school teachers in Zimbabwe and the c... more A ZJER study on the financial difficulties faced by primary school teachers in Zimbabwe and the counter measures they adopted to cope with their low wages and incomes.
Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 2012
A ZJER article on sexuality and development in women using the paradigms of language and gender.
Journal of African Languages and Literary Studies, 2020
Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 2011
The question of the relevance of the school curriculum has been a subject of contentious debate i... more The question of the relevance of the school curriculum has been a subject of contentious debate in a number of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, and was even included in the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were supposed to be fulfilled by 2015. Critics have maintained that Africa is unable to benefit meaningfully from the investment made in education in the absence of a school curriculum that accommodates learners’ cultural backgrounds in the form of indigeneous knowledge systems (IKSs).
This article examines the importance of revitalizing Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSs) by infus... more This article examines the importance of revitalizing Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSs) by infusing them into the content of the education curricular of countries in Africa. Considering the Eurocentric nature of most education systems in Africa, there is need for a paradigm shift in curriculum content in which IKSs are also recognized as legitimate knowledge forms. Postmodernism which celebrates and acknowledges diversity is used as a framework through which this discussion finds its rationale. An argument for the relevance of IKSs in Africa today is called for, bearing in mind the numerous challenges the continent is facing. The discussion links IKSs with culture, deliberates IKSs in relation to both colonial and post colonial states. A case is put forward for the revitalization of IKSs through education curriculum content bearing in mind their significance today. Instances where IKSs have been used in Africa in the aspects of health, nutrition and agriculture have been highlighte...
The study explored teachers’ views on classroom pedagogy and the accommodation of cultural dive... more The study explored teachers’ views on classroom pedagogy and the accommodation of cultural diversity in primary schools in Zimbabwe. The study was carried out in five selected primary schools in Chegutu district. Qualitative research was selected as the research method with phenomenology as the research design. The sample comprised twenty teachers (10 male and 10 female) selected through purposive sampling technique. Data gathering instruments consisted of unstructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study found out that teachers accommodate cultural diversity in a number of ways. Teaching methods employed in the classroom accommodate all learners in terms of varying ability levels. In the teaching of the languages particularly Shona cultural diversity is catered for through providing pupils with equivalent terms in different dialects as well as examples. The teaching of religious and moral education was seen as an area where cultural diversity is addressed th...
Journal of Agricultural Education, 2020
The study sought to explore students' views on the utility of non-formal education in address... more The study sought to explore students' views on the utility of non-formal education in addressing the school dropout phenomenon at secondary school level. Qualitative research approach was adopted and a case study design was utilised. The population consisted of all the students in the non-formal programme at the school from which a sample of 11 students (2 male and 9 female) was selected through purposive stratified sampling technique. Data were gathered through structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Non-formal education was seen to address the school dropout phenomenon by providing school drop outs with an opportunity to continue their education and hence becomes a form of empowerment. A number of challenges such as lack of adequate tuition in some subjects, lack of conducive learning environment as well as negative perception of non-formal education held by pupils in the formal stream and community members were identified. The study recommends that the Min...
Journal of Social Sciences
African Indigenous Knowledge and the Sciences, 2016
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Papers by francis muchenje