The applicability of the phenomenological method to the teaching and learning of religious and moral education in tertiary primary teacher education institutions in Zimbabwe : a case study of Mkoba Teachers College

Abstract

This research is a case study conducted at Mkoba Teachers’ College from 2017 to 2019 which aimed at establishing the applicability of the phenomenological method to the teaching and learning of Religious and Moral Education (RME) in Tertiary Primary Teacher Education institutions in Zimbabwe. The majority of the student teachers were Christians and had a negative attitude towards African Indigenous Religions (A.I.Rs). They also showed little knowledge of concepts in African Religions yet the old and new syllabus in RME and Family, Religion and Moral Education (FAREME) respectively required them to use the multi-faith approach and to view all religions they may encounter in the classroom with equal importance. This research sought to determine the extent to which the phenomenological method can change the student teachers’ negative attitude to/ and increase their knowledge of A.I.Rs, thus preparing them for the task of religious education in future. In the theoretical framework, the researcher discussed the concept of Religious Education (R.E) and reviewed related literature on approaches to R.E, the history of R.E in pre-colonial and post-colonial periods in Zimbabwe and recent researches in R.E in order to gain insights on historical developments and current trends in the field of R.E. The researcher selected ten (10) participants who belonged to various Christian denominations using the purposive sampling strategy. Qualitative methods of generating data used were unstructured interviews, field work, both participant and non participant observation, and focus group discussion. After field work, participants applied the phenomenological method to the bira ceremony and discussed religious artifacts encountered during field work. On the whole, the phenomenological method increased the participants’ knowledge of A.I.Rs and significantly changed their attitude towards it. Despite the participants’ strong Christian background, they were able to separate the demands of their commitment to personal faith and the requirements of the phenomenological method. The study makes some recommendations,some of which are the use of the phenomenological method together with the multi-faith and comparative religion approaches in the College R.M.E curriculum.