1,720,960 research outputs found
An investigation into the possible alternatives of managing domestic solid waste in the city of Bulawayo.
No full textThe disposal of solid waste is a problem in the world and in Southern African Cities including Zimbabwe, Bulawayo. This problem continues to grow with the increase of people in the City of Bulawayo and regional cities; the population growth is from within the City of Bulawayo or by immigrants from rural areas and other surrounding settlements or smaller cities and towns complemented by consumption increase. Disposal 01 waste in open spaces has become routine in majority of places in the City of Bulawayo due to insufficient, inconsistent waste removal by the City of Bulawayo Waste Sector. As the Municipality o f Bulawayo cannot cope with these large quantities of solid waste are not collected, are not treated or are not properly disposed of in designated sanitary land dump sites. This research study investigated how the City of Bulawayo Waste Department can improve waste removal and management by implementing possible waste management alternatives (Incineration, Recycling, and Sanitary Landfill) already in use in developed countries and in South Africa, in order to reduce waste removal and management challenges. The researcher used general observations on the residential areas and streets of Bulawayo, critique of written documents including Classical and Contemporary Urban Sociology writings and logical analysis in investigating the possible alternatives of managing domestic solid waste in the City of Bulawayo. From general observations, critique of written documents and logical analysis the researcher deducted major premises from renowned waste management scholars’ opinions, researches and the Bulawayo Waste Removal Statutory Instrument Work Plan, Document of 1979, and there after synthesized the premises to map out the current way of managing waste in the City of Bulawayo and the possible alternatives of waste management in the world using specific international examples, for all regional waste management approaches and challenges are almost equal and similar not worthy to use as good examples except for south Africa to a smaller extent. Waste management alternative examples were examined and recommended for their practical strengths and their complementary outcomes to Zimbabwe social and economic needs. The research study found out that some of these alternative ways of treating waste were already practiced in Bulawayo however on a willy nilly basis, they are not legally enforced by city relevant authorities, they are not included in the City of Bulawayo Waste Removal Statutory Instrument when this research was written. These alternatives are also not being practiced at a larger business scale to bring in required much needed revenue and supply large scale electricity through incineration of waste to the City o f Bulawayo due to a variety of challenges, both internal and external challenges like Central Government inconsistent policies, political instability, marginalization, centralization of decision making, poor urban planning and management, corruption, lack o f good governance practices and lack o f willingness and mental attitude, resistance to adopt and embrace change for the sake o f advancing development following international waste management trends and protocols. This research also found out that despite political, economic instabilities and lack of good governance, some o f the possible alternatives of waste management like Reduce. Reuse and Recycle approaches simply need change of attitude, education and dedication to implement, more than
political and economic stability. But the challenge to implement willingness attitudes to citizens and City Council in order to address the City of Bulawayo waste challenges is hindered by lack of creative thinking, cronyism and nepotism worsened by denial of diverse or different opinions, population increase, residential stand expansion but stagnant physical/urban waste built environment
TEACHER EDUCATION DEADWOOD NOT CONSIDERED A HINDRANCE: REALITIES, A CASE OF ‘HALF BAKED’ PRIMARY TEACHERS
Get PDFDevelopment initiatives affirm the critical importance of teacher education and the role played by well-trained reflective teachers. However certain aspects of effective teacher education are not closely aligned to the subjects offered in the primary curriculum. Today teacher education should adequately prepare trainee teachers for the exact subject content they will teach in schools. Currently there are challenges in preparing teachers toward subjects’ specialisation. In making such observations qualitative research approaches were applied, mainly analysis of textual documentary sources of literature through constant comparison, note taking and coding data into themes, headings and subheadings. Research findings indicated that, all primary trainee school teachers in the 2.5. 2. programme specialise on a single major throughout their training, yet during teaching practice and after training they will be required to teach four-twelve subjects. This study concluded that, the current Zimbabwe teacher training programme is not adequately training primary teachers to be competent skilful teachers on all subjects offered in the primary school curriculum. Therefore there is a need to revisit the above concern. In alignment to the conclusion, this study recommends all primary teacher trainees to specialise in four major subject areas instead of specialising on a single major as currently prevailing. Article visualizations
“THINGUMBOBING AND CASTING OF LOTS” IN FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT DURING TEACHING PRACTICE
Get PDFFormative assessment is vital to the learning process, because it promotes valued thinking tactics, skills and strategies. In most African schools today, the most visible assessment is summative. Yet research indicates that, teachers who use formative assessment approaches and techniques are better prepared to meet diverse students’ individual learning needs. Through qualitative research, paradigm approaches of observing trainee teachers on teaching practice, and reviewing written documents on assessment, the researcher observed that the use of scientific formative assessment approaches are a challenge. Data analysis found out six major barriers to wider practice of formative assessment. The most common challenge being found to be lack of scientific diagnostic assessment procedures like use of anecdotal notes and observation checklist to provide detailed and accurate assessment information instead of “Thingumbobing” or “Casting lots”. Data synthesis led to conclusions suggesting that reviewed formative assessment challenges are a result of three major causes: lack of rigorous emphasis, psychological training on assessment before teaching practice, negative attitudes by trainee teachers on detailed assessment procedures and, lack of motivation, seeing justification to carry out proper assessment procedures. In consideration of the above findings, the research recommended improved emphasis on scientific assessment procedures in teacher training programmes, mandatory policy requiring assessment record keeping during teaching practice and improvement of teacher working conditions. Article visualizations
DEDUCING EPISTEMOLOGIES FROM PRE-COLONIAL AFRICAN COHESIVENESS FOR CONTEMPORARY ACADEMIC, CITIZENSHIP RECOGNITION, AND SUSTAINABLE ALLOCATION
Get PDFThe current paradigm shift in the world toward promoting reduction for civic purposes and sustainable development gravitates between philosophies of cultural revivalism and cultural relativism. The ancient axiological debate between universal eternal forms/ideas and dynamic modernity world view theories is immortal and inevitable given contemporary African knowledge-power-politics nexus favouring revitalisation of African indigenous knowledge systems for citizenship recognition, sustainable allocation and empowerment. Historically, citizenship, community empowerment, good governance, democracy, scientific inquiry, organised management and other developmental principles were regarded by some scholars of Western origins. History is constantly changing, new facts are found about old events, and old facts are reinterpreted. Revisiting ancient and contemporary texts using critical analysis in tandem with qualitative philosophical inquiry paradigms, this study questioned ethnocentrism, distorted perspectives and relativity of ancient pre-colonial African epistemologies implications in today’s educational civic responsibilities. Research findings indicated applicability of ancient pre-colonial epistemologies today and in the future given the cumulative dialectic essence of knowledge. Pre-colonial epistemologies can play significant contributions in multiple education aims of responsible, self-reliant, productive participation and reflective citizenship. Given the infinitum potentiality of pre-colonial epistemology implications, this research recommended adaptation of pre-colonial pedagogies into worldwide formal contemporary education systems. However, mainstreaming ancient pre-colonial epistemologies will be a challenge without decolonising and deconstructing contemporary pro-Western teacher education systems. Article visualizations
THE ROLE OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF STEM
Get PDFAll human developmental requirements, including socio-economic transformation demands, depend on the effectiveness of its education system. This research seeks to find out the role teacher education (TE) can play as mass intellectual output in promoting the sustainability of technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a necessity for socio-economic transformation. There is a need to examine possible suggestions on how to improve TE curriculum to focus on STEM for socio-economic transformation dynamics literacy and cognition. Literature reviewed showed that TE and teacher expertise are one of the most crucial basics for cultivating STEM appreciation culture. The results of this research revealed that current TE has been criticised for not producing innovative, competent teachers with skilful thinking relevant to motivate students to be agents and active participants of STEM subjects. Data analysis indicated that TE faces challenges in making an impetus to contemporary STEM needs because TE remains traditional, focusing on teaching ‘course content’ instead of higher order–activities like critical thinking, creative thinking and problem solving. Literature reviewing and data analysis took a qualitative paradigm. The ‘analytical model of constant comparison’ was mainly used in gathering and analysing data. The major conclusion to this research was: if teacher education institutions produce effective teachers, these teachers will be in a position to use innovative pedagogies and reflective approaches to enhance critical thinking and cultivate a science culture in schools which is essential to the promotion of STEM. The research recommended a consideration of introducing sciences for all from tender learning levels compared to sciences for only gifted students, review of TE entry qualification requirements, change of TE curriculum to be inclined toward STEM orientation. Article visualizations
THE RELEVANCE OF TEACHER EDUCATION AS A TRAJECTORY IN DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING INCLUSIVITY IN THE DIGITAL CLASSROOM
Get PDFAll human developmental requirements are cultivated by an effective education system, adapting and embracing technological invention and advancement. Education and teachers are cornerstones to all human development. This research seek to find out, the role teacher education (TE) can play in promoting and cultivating a culture of technology designing, invention, digital utilisation as a necessity for African socio-economic transformation. However, not possible without an inclusive science oriented education system embracing contemporary techno-digital teaching-learning approaches. Also, seek to examine possible suggestions on how TE curriculum can improve grooming digitalised products, historically not achieved and in some cases still not achieved. Literature reviewed indicated effective TE as one of the most crucial basics for cultivating digital inclusivity, a techno-oriented education culture, yet current TE in most African countries has been criticised for not producing innovative, competent teachers with adequately relevant techno-digital skills to inculcate students’ 21st century and future science diverse needs. Data analysis indicated that TE face challenges in embracing techno-digital teaching approaches remaining traditional, focusing on chalk-talk-approaches and setting an incorrect precedent. The qualitative ‘analytical model of constant comparison’ was used in gathering and analysing data. The major conclusion to this research was based on the argument that, if TE institutes include techno-digital courses its product are likely to pursue, follow and cultivate a sustainable scientific culture in schools for both immediate and future ends. The research recommended introduction of sciences for all, at all learning levels, inclusion of compulsory technology, media and design innovative pedagogies course in TE. Article visualizations
EDUCATION CHALLENGES AFFECTING RESEARCH AND SKILFUL TEACHING-LEARNING (PEDAGOGIES) IN ZIMBABWE
Get PDFAlthough Zimbabwe has tried devoting resources to address educational challenges, literature reviewed has indicated that Zimbabwe education system still needs priority towards the consolidation and improvement of both quality and quantity. Even though both quantity and quality issues are interrelated this study focused more on qualitative challenges affecting research and skilful teaching-learning (pedagogies) in the classroom. Through data collection and analysis four major challenges affecting skilful teaching were deduced, teacher incompetency, teaching being more teacher-centred preparing students to pass examinations, limited critical thinking teaching-learning activities and ineffective initial teacher training. Quantity challenges directly linked to skilful instructing are mainly, inadequate schools-infrastructure and insufficient resources. The above research findings were reached through qualitative analysis of published literature sources on challenges affecting research and skilful teaching. This research concluded that, the solution to most qualitative classroom based challenges can be solved by teacher competency gained through rigorous teacher training and consistent research/application of innovative pedagogies. Besides realigning teacher education, research funding, consistent teacher in-service and incentives for teachers were recommended. Article visualizations
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
INCLUSION OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY IN CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN EDUCATION SYSTEMS AS A KEY PHILOSOPHICAL ORIENTATION IN TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL IDEOLOGY
Get PDFIn most if not all, African countries since their independences education still lacks Africanness and education discourse has focused on two related developmental issues. The need to change a Western influenced education orientation linked to undermining African intellectual capabilities and knowledge systems. On the other hand, some Afrocentric scholars have criticized the paid-labour-technocratic literacy education systems adopted by African countries from colonialism after independences as Western conservative and reaffirming schooling as a guardian of Western civilisations. This paper presented a summary of major theoretical and historical perspectives on why African philosophy currently continue to remain excluded as the most dominate philosophy of education in African education institutions in contrast to time and efforts granted Western philosophies of education. This paper argued that lack of Afrocentrism in education hinders self-actualisation, multi-culturalism, democracy, freedom of choice, academic diversity, independent thinking hence restricting sustainable education, self-driven development, but furthering African intellectual, design and technology dependency on the west. This paper concluded by calling for refurbishment and redefinition of the purpose of education and the nature of how teachers are trained since they are agents of change and disseminators of developmental goals. Contemporary African education and teacher training to target schooling as an agent of modernity, democracy, difference, diversity, cultural and socio-economic relevance was recommended. Above all recognition and inclusion of indigenous knowledge and other aspects of African philosophy were recommended too. This research took a qualitative paradigm. Using purposive sampling-data was collected from both primary and secondary documentary sources from libraries and the internet using the ‘Analytical Model of Constant Comparison’. Data collection and analysis took place simultaneously. Article visualizations
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