Role Of Gender In The Teaching And Learning Of Home Economics: A Case In Masvingo Peri-Urban

A ZJER article on gender education in Zimbabwe.This study sought to find out the role of gender in the teaching and learning of Home Economics in Primary Schools with special reference to one selected primary school in Masvingo Peri-urban - Zimbabwe. A case study was used to get insight into the influence of gender role stereotyping on the development of attitudes towards Home Economics and the effect this has on the support of the teaching and learning of Home Economics. Interviews were the tools used to collect data. Forty parents of pupils from grade six and seven were randomly selected for the study sample. The two female teachers who teach Home, Economics classes and are responsible for the laboratories were also part of the sample. The data was analyzed both quantitatively using percentages and qualitatively to establish emerging themes and reported in a narrative form. The study established that (60%) of parents had negative attitudes towards the teaching and learning of Home Economics that were influenced by gender role stereotyping while (40 %,) had positive liberal attitudes. The provision of resources by the parents was a problem especially among parents with negative attitudes. Pupils from parents who had a positive attitude were performing well since they had the support and encouragement. The study recommends that the headmasters, teachers and parents hold regular meetings that enable parents to appreciate the importance of Home Economics. Such meetings should be used by the school to create awareness among all the stakeholders on the need to adopt a non gendered approach to role socialization of children. Displays of well made artifacts should be done during open days as a way of emphasizing and highlighting the contribution of the subject to the children’s education

A Qualitative Study on How Health Professional Students and Their PBL Facilitators Perceive the Use of Mobile Devices During PBL

Mobile devices are increasingly being used by undergraduate students to access online information in the problem-based learning (PBL) process, initially in the self-directed phase, and more recently within face-to-face tutorials. This qualitative study across three undergraduate health professional programs used semi-structured interviews to investigate facilitators’ and students’ perceptions of mobile device usage in PBL tutorials. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically, drawing on the principles of grounded theory. Implications for future practice were identified. Students perceived that mobile devices are useful and convenient for instant access to various sources of information, for note taking, and for visually sharing their research and ideas. Despite some facilitator concerns that mobile devices are potentially distracting in face-to-face PBL tutorials, students prioritized collaboration through brainstorming and sharing ideas with group members in face-to-face tutorials over searching online. Facilitators and students suggested practical guidelines for mobile device usage in tutorials to enhance critical thinking in PBL

Towards low‐cost community networks in rural communities: The impact of context using the case study of Beitbridge, Zimbabwe

Most rural communities in developing countries such as Zimbabwe are underserved and/or unserved with regard to telecommunication connectivity. Governments in developing countries are also under‐resourced to provide adequate digital infrastructure. Thus, community networks are increasingly seen as viable alternatives to bridge the infrastructure gap in Africa. However, new infrastructure interventions in developing countries face many challenges including complex interventions stemming from complex policies inserted into complex sociopolitical environments. The success of community networks in other African countries prompts this investigation into the potential of transferring the community network approach to Zimbabwe. The objective of this article is to frame how context impacts development of digital infrastructure. Zimbabwe's telecommunication regulatory framework is on the verge of countenancing the development of community networks, and for this reason, there is need for research to inform would‐be investors, policy makers, and other stakeholders such as academia, NGOs, and communities themselves, on how the sociopolitical and economic environment impact these efforts. This is important because successful deployment of a community network may result in improved community development, eg, in food security, health, and education

Role Of Gender In The Teaching And Learning Of Home Economics: A Case In Masvingo Peri-Urban

This study sought to find out the role of gender in the teaching and learning of Home Economics in Primary Schools with special reference to one selected primary school in Masvingo Peri-urban - Zimbabwe. A case study was used to get insight into the influence of gender role stereotyping on the development of attitudes towards Home Economics and the effect this has on the support of the teaching and learning of Home Economics. Interviews were the tools used to collect data. Forty parents of pupils from grade six and seven were randomly selected for the study sample. The two female teachers who teach Home, Economics classes and are responsible for the laboratories were also part of the sample. The data was analyzed both quantitatively using percentages and qualitatively to establish emerging themes and reported in a narrative form. The study established that (60%) of parents had negative attitudes towards the teaching and learning of Home Economics that were influenced by gender role stereotyping while (40 %,) had positive liberal attitudes. The provision of resources by the parents was a problem especially among parents with negative attitudes. Pupils from parents who had a positive attitude were performing well since they had the support and encouragement. The study recommends that the headmasters, teachers and parents hold regular meetings that enable parents to appreciate the importance of Home Economics. Such meetings should be used by the school to create awareness among all the stakeholders on the need to adopt a non gendered approach to role socialization of children. Displays of well made artifacts should be done during open days as a way of emphasizing and highlighting the contribution of the subject to the children’s education

Voice pitch characteristics of Cantonese and English produced by Cantonese-English bilingual children

Two-minute spontaneous conversational speech of English and Cantonese was obtained from 86 Cantonese-English bilingual children. As a physical measurement of the rate of vocal fold vibration during speech production, fundamental frequency (F0) characteristics including the mean speaking F0, pitch sigma, minimum and maximum F0 values were measured from the medial 60-second portion of the speech samples by using Praat. F0 data measured from the English and Cantonese productions were statistically compared. Significant correlation was found for speaking F0, pitch sigma, and F0 range values between Cantonese and English. Results indicated that speaking F0 and F0 range values were significantly lower in Cantonese than in English. It is speculated that such difference is related to the tonal nature of Cantonese, although language proficiency may play a role in the discrepant F0 findings