Reimagining teacher education

dimensions, complies with governance requirements and integrates the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the teaching and learning processes. Inevitably, the most appropriate teacher education programmes that meet the needs of the future can only be attained through distance education.
The Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) comprises 15-member states with a population of 220 million people of which around 40 percent are under 15. There is high demand for schooling at every level, whose demand cannot be met by the conventional institutions, hence the need for Open and Distance Learning (ODL).
Open and Distance Learning refers to a philosophy of learning that uses an array of educational methods and is based on the principle of flexibility to increase access to and equity in openness with a specific role to achieve a development function, social justice/access, and social mandate aimed at developing human capital.
Generally, poverty and food insecurity are widespread in the Sadc region where about 76 percent-80 percent of the people live in the rural areas, and 60-80percent of the Sadc population depend on agriculture, largely subsistence. Teacher education is therefore of primordial importance in the required human capital development and sustainable growth and development.
In general, the education challenges include quality of teaching, lack of teachers, equitable access (including girls/women), lack of learning materials, use of local languages as a medium of instruction, pertinence of the curriculum, reform implementation, overemphasis on basic education (vs. secondary/higher, lifelong learning, non-formal, TEVT, etc.), HIV/Aids, and the financing/management thereto.
During the period of the economic downturn in Zimbabwe between 2005 to 2008, the human capital challenges were characterised by brain drain, conditions of service and innovation, addressing gender and societal imbalances, curricular reforms, capacity building and re-skilling. Specifically for Zimbabwe, the education for sustainable development is challenged on the following dimensions on the need to:
l Improve access, equity and retention
l Improve quality assurance
l Increase flexibility and responsiveness to meet market demand and the priorities of the national development agenda
l Increase diversity in programmes and forms of delivery
l Increase efficiency and effectiveness by rationalising existing resources, improving management systems, and diversifying sources of finance.
l Corporate governance, e.g. regulatory mechanisms for policy implementation, facilitating regional integration and international cooperation, etc.
l National level institutional challenges (inadequate funding and inappropriate funding mechanisms; maintenance of infrastructure, equipment, ICTs and facilities; and leadership development and planning capacity).
Zimbabwe is rich in human capital and natural resources and is poised to achieve sustainable growth and development. Knowledge-driven sustainable development requires relevant and efficient development knowledge. Knowledge is the centrality of sustainable growth and development in many ways and has become the new currency in the modern age and in spearheading Zimbabwe to become a knowledge-based economy. The modern workforce is now required to possess and amply demonstrate capability of adjusting and attaining investigative skills, thinking critically, working independently with others and application of knowledge and skills to different situations and subject to constant change.
The four pillars of a knowledge economy and sustainable development are:
l Human capital — an educated and skilled population to create, share, and use knowledge well;
l ICTs — a dynamic information infrastructure to facilitate the effective communication, dissemination, and processing of information;
l Institutions —an efficient innovation system comprising academia, firms, consultants, SMEs, etc.;
l An enabling policy and legal framework — an enabling environment with supportive economic and institutional mechanisms.
Information has become a strategic resource, a commodity and foundation of every activity. The emergence and convergence of information and communication technologies has remained at the centre of global socio-economic transformations. As a result of the convergence of information, telecommunications, broadcasting and computers, the information and communication technologies sector now embraces a large range of industries and services that affect education to a great extent.
Generally, investment in the development of the ICT infrastructure will result in improved economic efficiency and competitiveness, more efficient and effective education; healthcare and public administration; opportunities to exploit low factor costs in international markets; opportunities to increase social capital and opportunities to bypass failing domestic institutions.
Reimagining teacher education requires us to address several governance concerns and sustainable development needs that face our education system. These include increasing accountability, Africanisation and social justice, attitude and philosophy of education, building community through education, modern classroom management, communication becoming content, teaching and learning approaches, technology aptitude, academic staff competence in online pedagogy, and staff workload management.
Innovation and reimagining teacher education realigns education to both sustainable development and economic growth require through Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). STI effort is usually measured by specific indicators which normally include science enrolment rates in secondary, technical, vocational, and tertiary institutions; national spending on science and technology education; research and development spending; research output of institutions, etc.
Teacher education is best done through distance education, i.e. distance education is an approach of delivery or methodology where the learner is separated from the instructional base or teacher, either in space or time, for a significant portion of their learning. However, the landscape of distance education has evolved and grown significantly largely due to the developments in technology and increasing accountability.
In “hybrid” classes, a significant amount of the course learning activity has been moved online, making it possible to reduce the amount of time spent in the classroom. Traditional face-to-face instruction is reduced but not eliminated. An overview of the ICTs development in Africa presents both challenges and tremendous opportunities in education.
In spite of its recognised benefits, the availability of ICTs in Africa has remained inadequate. Telecommunications services are now considered to be a basic necessity of all citizens in order to enable them participate in the new information economy.
Promotion of ICT entails the availability of telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure at National and Continental level. However, the gap between “Developed Countries” and “Africa” is wide and limits Africa’s ability to develop competitiveness and to effectively participate in the global economy.
As educational systems expand and develop to meet the needs of citizens, they are required to demonstrate that they are able to deliver significant improvements in terms of increased access, enhanced quality, effectiveness and reduced unit costs. Zimbabwe as a nation has aggressively embraced the introduction, diffusion and adoption of information and Communication Technologies.
President Mugabe championed the computerisation projects in schools for many years and recently launched the national e-learning programmes in Zimbabwean schools on 29th March, 2012 at Chogugudza Primary School near Domboshawa. The programme, launched at Chogugudza Primary School in Goromonzi District, Mashonaland East Province, will spread to 100 more schools under the pilot project.
The Presidential e-Learning Programme follows the success of the Presidential Computerisation Programme, which saw the President donate at least 10 computers to each secondary school. The project is motivated by his visionary desire to see one computer per child in all Zimbabwean schools.
There is an increase in public accountability for higher education which compels institutions to demonstrate quality within the programmes and processes, including those provided online. Access to quality education empowers learners to transform themselves and their social, environmental and economic reality toward greater sustainability.
Meanwhile, ZOU’s vision and mission statements set out its aims for providing a high quality student learning experience. The learning and teaching strategy sets out the objectives for the development and enhancement of the curriculum and the student learning experience. The University’s Quality Assurance Framework supports these aims and objectives by specifying the responsibilities and procedures by which the standards of the academic programme and the quality of the student learning experience are managed, assured and enhanced.
ZOU offers pre-service and in-service ODL certificate, diploma and degree programmes. As an ODL university, ZOU is accessible to students from remote districts in all provinces of the country and reduces urban bias, provides easy and convenient accessibility to higher education, and there are no emigration to far countries.
Teacher education through ODL with ZOU addresses the sustainable development needs, integrates modern trends in technology and ICTs, has e-learning as an integral component, complies with best practices and modern quality assurance frameworks, and is largely aligned to the global trends in higher education.
One of the most effective approaches to teacher education in Zimbabwe is through ODL. The common practice of using the 2-5-2 model in teachers’ training college is an ODL approach where the student teacher spends two terms at college, five terms teaching in schools and then two terms back in college. The teacher education through ODL with ZOU offers tremendous benefits and is mindful of the reimagining expectations.