Using a desk review, in this chapter, we provide an overview of the historical context of STEM education in Zimbabwe, highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and interventions to promote access and equity. The Zimbabwean education system has implemented several reforms. One of the major factors driving such reforms was a focus on improving STEM education through increasing practical learning and transitioning from a content-based curriculum to a competency-based one. The aim was to encourage students to continue with STEM subjects. Hence, STEM education is offered at various academic levels, ranging from ECD to higher and tertiary education. Additionally, students from underrepresented groups (e.g., those from rural educational institutions and females) were encouraged to participate in STEM education. Even though Zimbabwe has devoted resources to address various STEM education-related challenges, research has revealed a lack of priority towards consolidating and improving access, quality, and quantity in STEM pedagogy. The inspiration behind emphasising STEM education was to prepare the twenty-first-century workforce by exposing students to related classroom activities that would enable them to solve real-world situations and become competitive in this era of technology. However, the Zimbabwean competency-based curriculum which embraces arts and science education discriminates through STEM streaming, posing challenges to twenty-first-century trends of inclusive education for all. Given such a challenge, this chapter dwells on access and equity in STEM Education in Zimbabwe.

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Access and Equity in STEM Education in Zimbabwe

  • Brantina Chirinda,
  • Gladys Sunzuma,
  • Perkins Muredzi

摘要

Using a desk review, in this chapter, we provide an overview of the historical context of STEM education in Zimbabwe, highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and interventions to promote access and equity. The Zimbabwean education system has implemented several reforms. One of the major factors driving such reforms was a focus on improving STEM education through increasing practical learning and transitioning from a content-based curriculum to a competency-based one. The aim was to encourage students to continue with STEM subjects. Hence, STEM education is offered at various academic levels, ranging from ECD to higher and tertiary education. Additionally, students from underrepresented groups (e.g., those from rural educational institutions and females) were encouraged to participate in STEM education. Even though Zimbabwe has devoted resources to address various STEM education-related challenges, research has revealed a lack of priority towards consolidating and improving access, quality, and quantity in STEM pedagogy. The inspiration behind emphasising STEM education was to prepare the twenty-first-century workforce by exposing students to related classroom activities that would enable them to solve real-world situations and become competitive in this era of technology. However, the Zimbabwean competency-based curriculum which embraces arts and science education discriminates through STEM streaming, posing challenges to twenty-first-century trends of inclusive education for all. Given such a challenge, this chapter dwells on access and equity in STEM Education in Zimbabwe.