An improved mentoring model for student teachers on practicum in primary schools in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Jeko, Ishmael
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Student teachers -- Zimbabwe , Student teaching -- Zimbabwe , Early childhood education -- Curricula , Teachers -- Training of -- Zimbabwe , Mentoring in education -- Zimbabwe , Lesson planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9571 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1017553
- Description: As part of a drive to improve the quality of teachers, Zimbabwe introduced a school-based mentoring model in 1995, a move which regrettably seems not have borne fruit. Therefore, this study sought to propose an improved mentoring model for initial teacher training for primary school teachers. Efforts to improve the current mentoring could, however, be facilitated if they were informed by an empirically-based understanding of the shortcomings of the existing mentoring system for student teachers and teachers. In order to attain the above objective, this study adopted a multisite case study design, guided by the interpretive paradigm. A core of nine primary schools, drawn from the rural, urban and peri-urban areas of the Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe, was purposively selected to participate in the study. In the participating schools, key participants were student teachers and mentors, while school principals participated when they had time. A secondary group of primary schools were also identified to be used as validation of findings in a wider setting. An in-depth literature study on teacher education and mentoring was also carried out and this, combined with empirical data, illuminated the issues being investigated. The empirical data were primarily gathered through focus group and face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews, while participant observation (used in conjunction with informal unstructured interviews) and questionnaires were used to verify and triangulate data collected through the interviews. To safeguard the ethical integrity of the study, ethical approval from the relevant university committee, as well as the official consent of educational authorities, was obtained beforehand, as was the informed consent of individual participants. The research established that the support rendered to student teachers in the participating primary schools was largely inadequate and of a shallow mode, focusing primarily on facilitating the mastery of technical skills and the provision of psycho-social support, while being sorely deficient in empowering the student teachers with the skills and attitudes to reflectively and critically engage with their own and others‟ teaching practices. The mentoring was taking place in the context of field experience, organised along the apprenticeship model, hence located in an outmoded traditional paradigm of field experience, something which is regrettable at a time when international best practices seek to move towards a reflective-inquiry-oriented paradigm. Secondly, the research found that the participating schools were not structurally or culturally ready to take significant teacher training responsibility; hence the schools, in their present state, could be seen as constraining the smooth functioning of the mentoring model. Thirdly, some mentor-based factors also seemed to inhibit the functioning of the mentoring model. These included teachers who were attitudinally indisposed to accept student teachers as their professional colleagues, preferring to relate to them hierarchically and vertically, thereby limiting the emergence of a culture of professional collaboration and reciprocal learning relationships. In similar vein, the mentors‟ lack of training limited their capacity of mentors to perform the extended range of mentoring functions necessary for supporting student teachers trained in 21st century schools. The above conclusions and implications point towards the following recommendations: Mentor support for student teachers should be extended from the present superficial level to include functions that are oriented towards reflective practice. However, for this to happen, some adjustments will need to be made in the schools. These include, most importantly, making time available for mentoring activities. In order for the mentors to be able to perform their mentoring functions knowledgeably, they must be made fully aware of what they are supposed to do by providing them with the official documents spelling out mentoring expectations in schools. Additionally, the commitment of mentors to their duties could be made more sustainable by putting in place a clearly defined reward structure that is fully recognized officially and integrated into the employee grading system. To make school environments more propitious towards mentoring, schools must be structurally modified and re-cultured to create slots for mentoring activities, provide opportunities for informal professional interaction among teachers, as well as establish professional engagement forums, such as school-based learning circles. The research also suggests that student teachers should be allowed to choose their mentors through providing them with opportunities for early contact with their prospective mentoring partners. In an attempt to close the gap between college-based modules and field-based school experiences, the research further recommends that college-based modules be delivered in a way that ensures that they are fully integrated with student teachers‟ field experiences. Finally, mentoring could be better facilitated if schools and colleges adopted a partnership arrangement that is more aligned to mentoring. This implies provisionally shifting from the present separatist to the HEI-led partnership model, while preparing for the adoption of a fully-fledged collaborative partnership in the long term. The research was, however, by no means carried out perfectly. It was somewhat limited by its failure to take into account the view of officials from the Department of Education, as well as the input of colleagues in teacher education. In similar vein, the researcher felt that a more nuanced and fine-grained picture of the participants‟ mentoring experiences could have emerged if he had spent more time in the field, something which limited resources and work commitments did not allow him to do. Some significant issues arose from this study, but which it could not pursue. These include exploring the possibility of coming up with a model of teacher education that integrates ITE and CTPD in the context of mentoring, as well as conducting a similarly designed research into the mentoring that is taking place in secondary schools.
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- Date Issued: 2013
A model to promote entrepreneurial competitiveness in the South African telecommunications sector
- Authors: Oberholzer, Stephanus Marius
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Telecommunication -- Planning -- South Africa , Business planning -- South Africa , Business enterprises -- South Africa , Entrepreneurship
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DBA
- Identifier: vital:8769 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012150 , Telecommunication -- Planning -- South Africa , Business planning -- South Africa , Business enterprises -- South Africa , Entrepreneurship
- Description: The fast pace of technological advancements is a driver of change in the world. In telecommunications, advancements as well as sector transformation pose challenges to entrepreneurs to remain competitive. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the promotion of entrepreneurial competitiveness in the telecommunications sector in South Africa. In order to achieve this purpose, the objective was to develop and test a theoretical model to promote entrepreneurial competitiveness in this sector. The purpose of the study was that if the factors that influence entrepreneurial businesses in this sector can be identified and recommendations applied, the competitiveness of these businesses can be improved. The approach was as follows: 1. Identify the factors, in a literature review, in three areas related to this study, namely, Entrepreneurial Orientation, Telecommunications and Benchmarking; 2. Develop a conceptual theoretical model comprising these identified factors which formed the base for the data collection; 3. Develop a measuring instrument to empirically test the relationships described in the conceptual model; 4. Empirically test the proposed model and suggested hypotheses by means of sourcing data from entrepreneurs in the telecommunications sector in South Africa and thereafter statistically analyse the sourced data; 5. Formulate the final theoretical model to support the research objective and 6. Propose recommendations based on the results of the statistical analysis. The three areas of literature study analysed were Entrepreneurial Orientation which focused on the entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial process and the positioning of technological entrepreneurs in the sector. The telecommunications section included an overview of telecommunications from a global perspective followed by specific focus on the South African sector. The section on benchmarking covered business performance aspects together with measurement techniques and benchmarking institutions relevant to entrepreneurship and telecommunications businesses. Initially, the literature study delivered four intervening variables (Entrepreneurial Orientation, Opportunity Recognition, Resource Allocation and Strategic Positioning) which influence entrepreneurial competitiveness. Within these four intervening variables, twelve underlying independent variables were identified. All the variables were hypothesised as they were perceived significantly to influence the dependent variable, perceived to be entrepreneurial competitiveness in the telecommunications sector in South Africa. These factors, clearly defined and operationalised, were structured in a questionnaire which was sent to entrepreneurs in the telecommunications sector. A response rate of 37 percent was achieved. Data collected from 301 questionnaires were subjected to various statistical analysis techniques. Cronbach-alpha coefficients were calculated to confirm the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument that was tested whilst the latent variables were confirmed by exploratory factor analysis. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesised significance of the relationships between the variables. Due to the sample size limitation, the conceptual model could not be subjected to SEM as a whole and consequently two sub-models were identified and subjected to further analysis. The SEM results presented the factors influencing entrepreneurial competitiveness whereafter the final model was presented for this study. This study contributed to this specific field of knowledge as follows: 1. New literature contributions are made in the field of entrepreneurial competitiveness in a specific sector; 2. It is the first known research conducted into the promotion of entrepreneurial competitiveness in the telecommunications sector in South Africa; 3. A theoretical model was developed that can be used to promote entrepreneurial competitiveness in the sector and 4. It suggests recommendations on empirically tested factors that significantly influence entrepreneurial competitiveness. Additional knowledge has been gained through the identification and description of how the following individual factors significantly influence entrepreneurial competitiveness in this sector: Benchmarking; Entrepreneurial Mindset; Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurial Orientation; Financial Resources; Infrastructural Change; Regulatory Alignment and Technological Entrepreneurship. The present study was conducted in a time frame where sector transformation is prevalent in South Africa. The current circumstances relating to sector transformation and infrastructural changes will not last forever. The theoretical model therefore is limited to the specific sector conditions in a specific time cycle. In conclusion, the model and managerial recommendations that are presented can act as a guideline for entrepreneurs to adopt in order to improve the competitiveness of their businesses.
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- Date Issued: 2012