The role of critical thinking in the teaching of History at secondary schools in Masvingo, Zimbabwe : a critical investigation

Abstract

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.