The purpose of this study was to analyse the role of critical thinking in the teaching and learning
of History in three selected secondary schools in Masvingo urban area, Zimbabwe. The study
focused on the challenges Form III learners faced regarding critical thinking. The findings of
the research could assist to reveal the role of critical thinking in the secondary education
system of Zimbabwe and other countries. A qualitative study method adopting the interpretive
phenomenological approach was employed for the purpose of discovering participants’
experiences. The method was the most appropriate for the study since it enabled the
researcher to assess the attitudes of teachers and learners to critical thinking. It also assessed
their experiences with the development of critical thinking in the History learners in secondary
schools. The study used semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, lesson
observations and document analysis to generate data. The study’s main findings reflected a
lack of critical thinking among learners in secondary schools in Masvingo urban area in Zimbabwe. The development of critical thinking was negatively affected by three major
categories of factors. These are: (a) the characteristics of the teaching and learning
environment such as deficiency in teaching and learning resources, inadequate infrastructure
and poor learning and teaching routines; (b) personal factors connected to the negative
attitudes and lack of motivation of teachers and learners to critical thinking; and (c) policyrelated
matters being an obstacle to learners’ development of critical thinking such as policies
that embrace enrolment of learners, the History syllabus, the system of public examinations
and the creation of the examination-oriented education system. The study revealed that
several approaches such as the provision of essential learning resources and the improvement
of teacher motivation could enhance effective implementation of critical thinking in the curriculum of Zimbabwe’s secondary schools. The study also revealed that including critical
thinking in the curriculum could contribute positively to the improvement of the Zimbabwean
education system. The study recommends that the Zimbabwean government, Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education, the secondary school authorities, universities and
teachers’ training colleges and Zimbabwe’s Schools’ Examination Council work together to
develop critical thinking among learners in Zimbabwean secondary schools.
Xikongomelo xa ndzavisiso lowu i ku xopaxopa hi ndzima ya ku ehleketa hi vuenti eka ku
dyondzisa na ku dyondza Matimu eswikolweni swa sekondari swinharhu leswi nga hlawuriwa
endhawini ya doroba eMasvingo eZimbabwe. Ndzavisiso wu tshikilela eka mintlhontlho leyi
vadyondzi va Form III va langutanaku na yona ya ku ehleketa hi vuenti. Leswi kumekaku eka
ndzavisiso swi nga pfuneta ku kombisa ndzima ya ku ehleketa hi vuenti eka dyondzo ya
sekondari eZimbabwe na matiko man'wana. Methodi wa ndzavisiso wa qualitative lowu
tekelaku eka interpretive phenomenological approach ku tirhisiwe wona hi xikongomelo xa ku
kuma mintokoto ya vakhomaxiavo. Methodi a wu fanele swinene eka ndzavisiso hikuva wu
kotise muendli wa ndzavisiso ku kambela mavonelo ya mathichara na vadyondzi eka ku
ehleketa hi vuenti. Wu tlhele wu kambela mintokoto ya vona hi nhluvuko wa ku ehleketa hi
vuenti eka vadyondzi va Matimu eswikolweni swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso wu tirhise ti-semistructured
interview, wu tshikilela na le ka ti-interview ta ntlawa, ku langutisa kunene leswi
endlekeka eka tidyondzo na ku dokumenta vuxopaxopi ku endla vutivi. Swikulukumba leswi
kumiweke eka ndzavisiso swi kombise ku pfumaleka ka ku ehleketa hi vuenti exikarhi ka
vadyodnzi eswikolweni swa sekondari endhawini ya doroba ra Masvingo eZimbabwe. Ku
hluvukisa ku ehleketa hi vuenti swi khumbeke hi ndlela yo biha hikokwalaho ka swilo
swinharhu swa nkoka. Swona hi leswi: (a) swihlawulekisi swa mbangu wa ku dyondzisa na ku
dyondza swo fana na nkalo wa swihlovo swa swipfuneto eka ku dyondzisa na ku dyondza, ku
kala ka infrastrakchara na matirhiselo ya le hansi ya maendlelo ya ku dyondza na ku
dyondzisa; (b) swilo swa vanhu xiviri leswi khumbanaka na mavonelo yo ka ya nga ri
lamanene, na ku pfumaleka ka nsusumeto wa nhlohlotelo eka mathicara na vadyondzi eka ku
ehleketa hi vuenti; na (c) swilo leswi fambelanaka na swa pholisi leswi swi nga swihingakanyi
eka nhluvukiso wa vadyondzi eka ku ehleketa hi vuenti swo fana na tipholisi leti ti angarhelaka
ku tsarisa ka vadyondzi, silabasi ya Matimu, sisteme ya makambelelo ya vadyondzi va mfumo,
na ku endliwa ka sisteme leyi fambelanaka na nkambelo eka sisteme ya dyondzo. Ndzavisiso
wu paluxe leswo matirhelo yo hambana yo fana no nyiketa swihlovo swa swipfuneto eka ku
dyondza na ku antswisa nsusumeto wa nhlohlotelo eka mathicara swi nga antswisa tirhelo
lerinene eka ku ehleketa hi vuenti eka kharikhyulamu ya swikolo swa sekondari eZimbabwe. Ndzavisiso wu tlhele wu paluxa leswo ku katsa ku ehleketa hi vuenti eka kharikhyulamu swi
nga pfuneta hi vuyelo byo antswa eka sisteme ya dyondzo ya Zimbabwe. Ndzavisiso wu
bumabumela leswo mfumo wa Zimbabwe, va vulobye bya Dyondzo ya Prayimari na
Sekondari, vafumi wa swikolo swa sekondari, tiyunivhesiti na tikholichi ta ku letela mathicara
na huvo ya Zimbabwe ya vukamberi bya swikolo swa sekondari ku nga Zimbabwe's Schools
Examination Council, va fanele ku tirhisana eka ku hluvukisa ku ehleketa hi vuenti eka
vadyondzi va swikolo swa sekondari eZimbabwe.
Maikemišetšo a dinyakišišo tše ebile go sekaseka tema ye e kgathwago ke go nagana ka
tsinkelo ka go ruteng le go ithuta thuto ya Histori ka dikolong tše tharo tšeo di kgethilwego ka
lefelong la motsesetoropo la Masvingo, ka Zimbabwe. Dinyakišišo di nepišitše kudu ditlhohlo
tšeo baithuti ba Foromo ya III ba ilego ba lebana le tšona mabapi le go nagana ka tsinkelo.
Dikutollo tša dinyakišišo di ka thuša go utolla tema ye e kgathwago ke go nagana ka tsinkelo
ka lenaneo la thuto ya dikolo tše di phagamego tša Zimbabwe le ka dinageng tše dingwe.
Mokgwa wa dinyakišišo wa boleng wo o dirišago mokgwa wa go hlatholla seemo o šomišitšwe
ka maikemišetšo a go utolla maikutlo a bakgathatema. Mokgwa wo o bile maleba kudu go
dinyakišišo tše ka ge o kgontšhitše monyakišiši go sekaseka maikutlo a barutiši le a baithuti
mabapi le go nagana ka tsinkelo. O sekasekile gape maitemogelo a bona mabapi le go
tšweletša go nagana ka tsinkelo ga baithuti ba thuto ya Histori ka dikolong tšeo di phagamego.
Dinyakišišo di šomišitše dipoledišano tšeo dipotšišo tša gona di nyakago gore baarabi ba fe
mabaka, dipoledišano le dihlophanepišo, ka ditekodišišo tša thutišo le tshekatsheko ya
dingwalwa ka nepo ya go tšweletša tshedimošo. Dikutollokgolo tša dinyakišišo di laeditše
tlhokego ya go nagana ka tsinkelo magareng ga baithuti ka dikolong tšeo di phagamego ka
lefelong la metsesetoropo la Masvingo ka Zimbabwe. Go tšweletša go nagana ka tsinkelo go
amilwe gampe ke mabaka a mararo a magolo. Wona ke: (a) dikokwane tša seemo sa go ruta
le go ithuta tša go swana le tlhaelelo ya methopo ya go ruta le ya go ithuta, tlhokego ya
mananeokgoparara le mekgwa ye e fokolago ya go ithuta le ya go ruta; (b) mabaka a seng ao a amanago le maikutlo a go se loke le tlhokego ya tlhohleletšo ya barutiši le baithuti go
nagana ka tsinkelo; le (c) mabaka a go amana le melawana ao a fetogago ditšhitišo go
tšweletšo ya go nagana ka tsinkelo go baithuti go swana le melawana yeo e amogelago go
ngwadišwa ga baithuti, lenaneothuto la Histori, tshepedišo ya ditlhahlobo tša dikolo tša mmušo
le go hlama ga lenaneothuto leo le theilwego go ditlhahlobo. Dinyakišišo di utollotše gore
mekgwa ye mmalwa ya go swana le kabo ya methopo ya go ithuta ye bohlokwa le kaonafatšo
ya tlhohleletšo ya barutiši di ka thuša phethagatšo ye e šomago gabotse ya go nagana ka
tsinkelo ka go lenaneothuto la dikolo tšeo di phagamego tša ka Zimbabwe. Dinyakišišo di
utollotše gape gore go akaretšwa go nagana ka tsinkelo ka go lenaneothuto go ka ba le seabe
se sekaone go kaonafatšo ya lenaneothuto la Zimbabwe. Dinyakišišo di šišinya gore mmušo
wa Zimbabwe, Kgoro ya Thuto ya Dikolo tša Phoraemari le ya Dikolo tše di Phagamego,
bolaodi bja dikolo tše di phagamego, diyunibesithi le dikholetše tša go ruta barutiši le Lekgotla
la Ditlhahlobo tša Dikolo tša Zimbabwe di swanetše go šomišana mmogo ka nepo ya go
tšweletša go nagana ka tsinkelo gareng ga baithuti ka dikolong tše di phagamego tša
Zimbabwe.
