Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe

This case study looked at 76 randomly selected preservice science teachers from Mbire and Guruve districts who were learning at the Mushumbi Centre in Zimbabwe and assessed their motivations for enrolling under the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE)’s Virtual and Open Distance Learning...

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Autores principales:	Misheck Mhishi, Crispen Erinos Bhukuvhani, Abel Farikai Sana
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Athabasca University Press 2012
Materias:	distance education open learning Special aspects of education LC8-6691
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/301ec202826b41fcb6c6da23694c7f0c
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:301ec202826b41fcb6c6da23694c7f0c2021-12-02T17:00:17ZScience teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe10.19173/irrodl.v13i1.10581492-3831https://doaj.org/article/301ec202826b41fcb6c6da23694c7f0c2012-01-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1058https://doaj.org/toc/1492-3831 This case study looked at 76 randomly selected preservice science teachers from Mbire and Guruve districts who were learning at the Mushumbi Centre in Zimbabwe and assessed their motivations for enrolling under the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE)’s Virtual and Open Distance Learning (VODL) programme. It also looked at the challenges they faced, their views on how instruction under the programme can be improved, and their deployment preferences after graduation. The districts are located in the remote Zambezi Valley, which is characterized by poor infrastructure, pests and diseases, frequent attacks by wild animals on people, domestic animals, and crops, harsh climatic conditions, and seasonal floods, which make it very difficult to attract and retain qualified teachers. Through targeted recruitment, BUSE’s VODL programme sought to train relief teachers already serving in the area in the hope that personal history and family connections would entice them to continue teaching in these areas after attaining their teacher certification. Data was collected using a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions. Results obtained indicate that despite a lack of funding, a shortage of reading materials, and the nonavailability of e-learning facilities, the students were motivated to join the programme for personal and professional motives and that the students, the majority of whom had taught for two or more years in the districts, would prefer deployments in the area after graduation. The study therefore recommends that deliberate efforts be directed toward the targeted recruitment of school leavers and relief teachers from disadvantaged rural areas who possess the requisite minimum entry qualifications to train as science teachers in order to improve teacher retention in remote areas. Further research into the intrinsic problems in BUSE’s VODL programme and a close scrutiny of its course development techniques are also encouraged in order to overcome some of the problems encountered by both the students and the institution. Misheck MhishiCrispen Erinos BhukuvhaniAbel Farikai SanaAthabasca University Pressarticledistance educationopen learningSpecial aspects of educationLC8-6691ENInternational Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 13, Iss 1 (2012)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	distance education open learning Special aspects of education LC8-6691
spellingShingle	distance education open learning Special aspects of education LC8-6691 Misheck Mhishi Crispen Erinos Bhukuvhani Abel Farikai Sana Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe
description	This case study looked at 76 randomly selected preservice science teachers from Mbire and Guruve districts who were learning at the Mushumbi Centre in Zimbabwe and assessed their motivations for enrolling under the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE)’s Virtual and Open Distance Learning (VODL) programme. It also looked at the challenges they faced, their views on how instruction under the programme can be improved, and their deployment preferences after graduation. The districts are located in the remote Zambezi Valley, which is characterized by poor infrastructure, pests and diseases, frequent attacks by wild animals on people, domestic animals, and crops, harsh climatic conditions, and seasonal floods, which make it very difficult to attract and retain qualified teachers. Through targeted recruitment, BUSE’s VODL programme sought to train relief teachers already serving in the area in the hope that personal history and family connections would entice them to continue teaching in these areas after attaining their teacher certification. Data was collected using a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions. Results obtained indicate that despite a lack of funding, a shortage of reading materials, and the nonavailability of e-learning facilities, the students were motivated to join the programme for personal and professional motives and that the students, the majority of whom had taught for two or more years in the districts, would prefer deployments in the area after graduation. The study therefore recommends that deliberate efforts be directed toward the targeted recruitment of school leavers and relief teachers from disadvantaged rural areas who possess the requisite minimum entry qualifications to train as science teachers in order to improve teacher retention in remote areas. Further research into the intrinsic problems in BUSE’s VODL programme and a close scrutiny of its course development techniques are also encouraged in order to overcome some of the problems encountered by both the students and the institution.
format	article
author	Misheck Mhishi Crispen Erinos Bhukuvhani Abel Farikai Sana
author_facet	Misheck Mhishi Crispen Erinos Bhukuvhani Abel Farikai Sana
author_sort	Misheck Mhishi
title	Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe
title_short	Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe
title_full	Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe
title_fullStr	Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed	Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe
title_sort	science teacher training programme in rural schools: an odl lesson from zimbabwe
publisher	Athabasca University Press
publishDate	2012
url	https://doaj.org/article/301ec202826b41fcb6c6da23694c7f0c
work_keys_str_mv	AT misheckmhishi scienceteachertrainingprogrammeinruralschoolsanodllessonfromzimbabwe AT crispenerinosbhukuvhani scienceteachertrainingprogrammeinruralschoolsanodllessonfromzimbabwe AT abelfarikaisana scienceteachertrainingprogrammeinruralschoolsanodllessonfromzimbabwe
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Science teacher training programme in rural schools: An ODL lesson from Zimbabwe

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