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    Student teachers’ conceptions and experiences of pedagogical practices in mathematics education in teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe
    (2021-10) Manyadze, Constance; Mukeredzi, Tabitha; Preece, Julia
    Conceptions about mathematics are crucial as they are conscious formations that convey personal meanings towards mathematics. They are critical for teaching and learning and need to be addressed in teacher education. Many student teachers who enter teacher education struggle to pass the national O level mathematics examinations, sitting at least twice to gain entry into teacher training. Such experiences may shape their conceptions regarding mathematics, and consequently influence learning and teaching of mathematics when they qualify as teachers. This study sought to understand student teachers’ conceptions of and experiences during mathematics pedagogical practices in mathematics education in teacher training. It was those student teachers who struggled to pass O level mathematics to gain entry into teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe who were investigated in this study. This qualitative study was located in the interpretive paradigm, and adopted a multiple-site case design where data were generated from 40 student teachers and four lecturers. Sampling of participants involved convenience and purposive selection for student teachers and self-selection for lecturers. A questionnaire served as the springboard to determine the number of sittings for purposive sampling of the student teachers and data were generated through focus group discussions, individual face-to-face interviews and lecture observations. Data analysis employed manual, eight-step open coding. Theoretical frameworks: Conceptions about mathematics (Dionne 1984) and Socio-constructivist theory (Vygotsky 1978; Kim 2001) guided the study. Findings showed that the student teachers held traditionalistic conceptions about mathematics, but conceived interactive, student-centred pedagogies as crucial during mathematics pedagogical practices. However, student teachers across the four colleges explored were only exposed to the lecture method where there was no student engagement during mathematics pedagogical practices, and only experienced interactive strategies in research. Drawing on the conceptions theory, I argue that student teachers were exposed to traditionalist classrooms (Dionne 1984) where they passively received mathematical knowledge during pedagogical practices. Findings also revealed that these student teachers who struggled to pass mathematics at O level were exposed more to pedagogical knowledge than to mathematics content knowledge which they needed. Private colleges were grossly structurally and materially under-resourced and students did not experience use of technology during lectures. The student teachers explored, who struggled to pass O level mathematics to enter teacher education still struggled with the subject in teacher training. Their conceptions and prior experiences strongly influenced their cognitive and behavioural engagement during mathematics pedagogical practices. They feared mathematics and only studied it because they had to, given that primary school teachers were required to teach all curriculum subjects to the primary school child. The student teachers viewed mathematics as a difficult subject, meant for ‘a select few’. The study recommends bridging programmes for student teachers who struggled to pass mathematics at O level to enter teacher education, and adoption of constructivist pedagogies with active ‘noisy’ classrooms in mathematics education, contrary to the dominant lecture method. The study further recommends provision of adequate physical and material resources in private colleges to ensure student comfort, and enhance learning effectiveness and engagement, during mathematics pedagogical practices. In relation to the theoretical framework (Dionne 1984) my argument is that the framework provides a useful generic, analytical tool for thinking through conceptions about mathematics in pedagogical practices in mathematics education. However, on its own it does not provide a complete lens to make sense of the variations in students teachers’ learning experiences. The thesis therefore argues for an additive model to Dionne’s conceptions theory that may expand the framework and deepen its applicability specifically, in trying to understand issues around student teacher conceptions and experiences during pedagogical practices in mathematics education. The thesis therefore suggests the need for more studies, drawing on the framework and developing it to determine its applicability beyond this particular inquiry.
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    The dynamics of pre-service teacher entry into teacher education : student teacher selection into teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe
    (2022-08-11) Berejena, Bernard; Mukeredzi, Tabitha Grace; Abraham, Jose
    The world over, selecting pre-service teachers for training represents a critical stage of teacher education. The process is meant to ensure that suitable candidates join the teaching profession, strengthen the teaching workforce and enhance education quality. However, discourse on student teacher selection into teacher training worldwide has raised numerous questions regarding whom to select and how to select. To date, there seems to be no consensus on selection criteria, mediational tools and rules for student selection into initial teacher education. This study sought to understand student teacher selection into four selected teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. Through a multiple-site case study involving the selected teacher training colleges, a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm was adopted. A multi-modal approach to data generation which involved focus group discussions, interviews and observations of live student selection interviews was employed. Data were transcribed and manually analysed inductively utilising open coding. Drawing on the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and the Funnel Theory to unpack, understand and describe data, I argue that pre-service teacher selection into teacher training programmes involves many complex and convoluted processes. The findings suggest that mediational tools used in student teacher selection into teacher education in Zimbabwe combine psychological (language, knowledge, experiences and signs), and material tools (databases, SMS, written tests, interview schedules, interviews, print media, social media and word of mouth). The rules that guide student teacher selection into the four selected teacher training colleges include college guidelines, minimum requirements, academic performance, student teacher attributes, Public Service Regulations and quality assurance. Stakeholders respond to the demand for vacancies in various ways. Prospective students apply and attend selection interviews, and some unsuccessful candidates pay fees without the offer of vacancies. Government officials respond by submitting lists, while Responsible authorities, politicians, chiefs and community members also submit lists and demand quotas and lecturers threaten to strike if their relatives are not considered. This study further discovered that colleges invite too many candidates – more than 8 000 competing for approximately 500 to 600 vacancies – using a 20-25 minutes interview as the selection tool. In the absence of Ministry policy, colleges adopt diverse tools and rules for student selection. This study argues for an additive model which combines selection tools, guided by clearly laid down Ministry policy for student selection to provide standardisation across colleges and make the process more robust. The thesis suggests a need for further research into enhancing student teacher selection into teacher training colleges. In relation to CHAT, my argument is that the framework provides a useful generic, analytical tool for thinking through the interactions and relationships between human, non-human and social elements on how student teacher selection happens in the activity system – the teacher training college. However, on its own, CHAT does not provide a complete lens to make sense of what happens in the stage-by-stage movement of the prospective student on the selection journey. The thesis, therefore, argues for an additive model to CHAT, which includes a complementary lens – Funnel theory – to expand the framework and deepen its applicability, specifically in trying to understand student teacher selection processes. The thesis suggests the need for more studies, drawing on the framework and developing it to determine its applicability beyond this particular inquiry.