David Mtetwa

Developing a cognitive theory from student teachers' post-lesson reflective dialogues on secondary school mathematics

This article describes phases of post-lesson reflective dialogues that were enacted by secondary school mathematics student teachers with their peers. Five pairs of student teachers on 12 weeks of teaching practice provided data through lesson assessments, post-lesson reflective dialogues, and end-of-teaching-practice reflective interviews. A cognitive theory of collaborative reflection with a peer that encapsulates phase characteristics of a post-lesson reflective dialogue is proposed. Dialogue at each of the phases of the theory may not easily change student teachers’ conceptions of teaching, but could provide a platform and structure for reviewing, modifying, or even maintaining teaching cognitions. While the older and more familiar ‘apprenticeship’ models are based on an expert teacher coaching a novice student teacher instructional skills, this fresh ‘social’ model is based on novice student teachers and their peers coaching each other teaching skills. An important implication of this observation is that current discourse on strategies for improving the quality of student teaching may move towards a consideration for a fresh school attachment model.

Classroom Language Use in Multilingual Settings: Mathematics Lessons from Quebec and Zimbabwe.

This article is concerned with language use in mathematics lessons in settings where the language of instruction is a second language for all or most of the learners. Four lessons taken from primary schools in Montreal and in Zimbabwe are compared, illustrating ways in which teachers in each setting couple development of the target second language with teaching of subject content. By doing so, we believe that instruction is effective in helping children to make the shift from the primary school emphasis on computing numbers to the secondary level emphasis on solving problems; in the long term children are also better prepared for the language-related demands of higher education.

Some Characteristics of Mathematics Teaching in Zimbabwean Infant and Primary School Classrooms.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some observations made in a recent study aimed at describing the nature of current practice in the teaching of mathematics in Zimbabwean infant and primary school grades. It has been observed that the teaching is characterized by, among other things, a preponderance of chorus responses, non‐questioning pupils, lack of problem solving, teaching more than mathematics, more product and less process orientation, and small group work with group leaders. It is proposed that if teachers wish to improve the quality of their teaching then an appropriate starting point is that of apprehending and understanding what they currently do in their classrooms. Such an understanding can be developed through deliberate and serious observation of and reflection on their own current practice. This paper is intended to stimulate that process. It is also suggested that the observations described here can be turned into research questions for investigations that can provide insights into ways of increasing effectiveness of mathematics teaching and learning in primary schools.

Experiences in the dissemination and utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) research findings from three southern African Universities

Abstract The dissemination and utilisation of research knowledge produced at universities has been debated in recent times. Recent changes and developments at universities suggest an entrepreneurial model of academic research production in which universities have the responsibility not only to carry out research and teaching but also to disseminate research outputs directly to the users for economic growth of the society. In this paper, we present findings on the nature of ICT research studies conducted, the dissemination and utilisation of the research findings in the past five years at the three universities in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. A major finding of the study was that many ICT studies conducted at these universities did not target particular community groups for dissemination of knowledge generated and consequently, research outputs from these projects were not delivered to their potential end-users. The ICT research knowledge findings remained located mostly in university departments, libraries, and donor or government ministry offices. The main challenge was that of effective dissemination and utilisation of research knowledge outputs by these academic institutions. The main recommendation emerging from the study was on policies and strategies to monitor research outputs and to intensify dissemination and utilisation of academic knowledge produced.

Mentoring in Mathematics Teaching and Teacher Preparation in Zimbabwe

The main aim of this paper is to stimulate discussion on mentoring that might lead to generation of fresh research questions. A more specific aim is to examine more closely the challenge of mentoring within the mathematics subject area and consider its implications for the training and education of mentors within the currently evolving schemes of preparing mathematics teachers in Zimbabwe.

Structural aspects of primary mathematics lessons in Zimbabwe : prospects for change?

While analysing data gathered for a study investigating current primary school mathematics learning environments and instructional practices in Zimbabwe, we made an incidental but interesting observation that Zimbabwean primary school mathematics lessons have a common and seemingly invariant structure. That structure can be summarized schematically as: whole group [recitation/quick review] ---> whole group [illustrative examples] ---> small group [exercise mirrored on illustrative examples] ---> individual [written exercises] ---> whole group [discussion of the exercise and issuing of homework]. This paper elaborates on and discusses this lesson structure with a view to stimulating other primary (elementary) school mathematics teachers to reflect on ways in which they organise delivery of their own lessons.

Features of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of School Mathematics Teachers in Zimbabwe

Abstract This paper describes some characteristics of continuing professional development (CPD) for mathematics teachers in Zimbabwe. The characteristics were identified from the pilot phase of a study with an objective of understanding the nature of mathematics teacher CPD programmes across 11 selected countries. Data were gathered from purposively sampled ministry officials, CPD providers, and teachers using through interviews and questionnaires. Findings were that the government in partnership with other stakeholders including non-governmental organizations provides CPD; teachers engage in CPD activities on voluntary basis; there are few mathematics teacher-targeted provisions outside standard university programme offerings; teachers seem to value CPDs essentially for personal career, while providers value CPDs in terms of improving the pass rates. The main observation was that the style of CPD provision for mathematics teachers in Zimbabwe is characterized by fairly stable structural arrangements, but the associated resource and support mechanisms render operational aspects largely dysfunctional.

School mathematics, out‐of‐school mathematics, and Zimbabwean youngsters

Problem solving is a buzz phrase in conversations, workshops, and conferences on mathematics education in many parts of the world. Largely influenced by the constructivist ideology of knowing, research in problem solving has led to a recognition by many educators that (a) beliefs about the nature and practice of mathematics can exert a strong influence on the problem‐solving process, and (A) both school‐based and out‐of‐school‐based (cultural) mathematical experiences contribute in shaping the kinds of beliefs and conceptions about mathematics that students cultivate. Findings from a recent exploratory study investigating beliefs about mathematics held by Zimbabwean secondary school students indicate that the students believe “traditional” ethnomathematics exists; is legitimate mathematics; is the foundation upon which school mathematics expanded; but is too elementary, basic, and routine to be regarded as serious mathematics. Such beliefs, of course, need to be interpreted within the context of the stude...