Principal's role in the implementation of curriculum effectiveness strategy in Zimbabwean polytechnics

Abstract

The central aim of this study was to investigatethe role of principals in the implementation of polytechnic curriculum effectiveness strategy (PCS) in Zimbabwe. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine and evaluate the role and strategic leadership skills of polytechnic principals in the development of PCS, understand the challenges faced by polytechnic principals in the development and implementation of PCS, investigate the extent to which principals provide lecturers with opportunities to enhance their teaching skills through professional development and derive a suitable model to be used in drafting and implementing PCS. The main research question which this study sought to answer was, „What is the role played by strategic leadership in the implementation of polytechnic curriculum effectiveness strategy?‟ In an attempt to realise that end, a mixed method research design was used to collect data, making use of questionnaires and interviews. The participants included 5 polytechnic principals, 123 lecturers, 77 students and 9 company training managers. The participants were selected through purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques drawn from five polytechnics selected for the study. The findings suggest that most polytechnic principals are rendered ineffective in implementing the PCS. Though the principals have a sound theoretical knowledge of their roles, they however experience a litany of practical impediments. These barriers include, inter alia, lack of curricula knowledge in the currere approach, action research, Basil Bernstein‟s and Paulo Freire‟s pedagogical discourses and reconceptualisation of curriculum, shortage of relevant instructional resources and poorly evaluated polytechnic curriculum, low level of staff incentive, training and development. Two systemic impediments in the principals‟ role of implementing PCS are: lack of autonomy in crafting and implementing PCS and lack consensus between Curriculum Research and Development Unit (CRADU) and National Manpower Advisory Council (NAMACO) in crafting policies on curriculum standards.