Exploring the extent and developmental pattern of lying among children

A ZJER study on lying patterns of children of a school going age as a form of mental development in Zimbabwe.The present study explored the extent and developmental pattern of lying among 7-10-year olds (Grades 1-4 pupils). The study was premised on the assumption that many children lie and that there is a developmental pattern in children's lying. Participants were 80 Grades I to 4 pupils randomly selected from one school in one of Harare's high density suburbs. The experimental research design was employed. Interviews were used to collect data. Overall, the study established that, first, the majority of children lied, especially 7-8-year olds (Grades I&2,). There were more liars among the 7-8-year olds than among the 9-10-year olds (Grades 3 & 4). Second, children's ability to conceal their transgressions increased with age. The 9-10-year olds were more successful in sustaining their lie by denying their transgression of peeking than the 7- 8-years olds. In view of these findings, the study recommended that people and institutions (e.g. courts, schools, etc) that deal with children should interpret what children say with caution since many children lie. Older children are more able to conceal their lies such that naive adults may not be able to detect the lies

Student Teachers’ Views of the impact of School Experience Programme on their Perceptions of the Teaching Profession

This study analysed the impact of the School Experience (SE) programme on rural student teachers’ perceptions of the teaching profession. This was done through investigating the views of Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and Bachelor of Education (BEd) fourth year students which were randomly selected. A qualitative and quantitative survey through semi- structured questionnaire with closed and open - ended items and structured interviews was conducted. The majority of student teachers (86%) felt that school experience positively socialised them into the teaching profession by providing them with the needed work-based experience. Most of the student teachers in the study felt that a student teacher’s experiences during SE mediate their beliefs, opinions, views and convictions about the teaching profession, making them like or dislike the profession. Ten percent were ambivalent and still an insignificant number (4%) decided against the teaching profession. One of the major recommendations of the study is that since the SE programme is critical in the formation of one’s perceptions about and commitment to the teaching profession, teacher training institutions should design appropriate SE programmes and closely monitor them to ensure they continue achieving the intended goals. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n8p33

And Many Are Never What They Want to Be.

This study explored the career choices and aspirations of ‘A’ Level students in schools which are located in and around Harare, Zimbabwe. Concretely, the aim was to see if schools and schooling in general assists students to realise the career aspirations. A total of 150 ‘A’ Level students (N = 150) were involved in this study. The research design, because of the nature of the study, was a survey type. Data were collected through a questionnaire supplemented by interviews. Percentages and proportion tests were the statistics used to analyse the data. Overall, the study established that many students end up pursuing subjects and therefore careers that are imposed on them either by the school, teachers or parents. It was also observed that male and female students have similar career aspirations. Among the recommendations is the need for schools, teachers and parents to respect students’ subject choices in order to enable students to realise their career aspirations

Testing generative thinking among Swazi children

This study tested and compared the generative thinking of second graders (7-8-year olds) and fifth graders (10-11-year olds) as a means to assess how generative thinking develops among children. Results from this study were compared with results obtained by Mushoriwa (2003) in a similar study in Zimbabwe in order to establish if the development of generative thinking follows a similar pattern in different environments. Data were sourced from 40 second-graders and 40 fifth graders randomly selected from primary schools in Manzini region. The survey research design was used, with interviews employed to collect the data. Crosstabs and a two-sample t-test were used to analyse the data. The study found no significant differences in generative thinking between second and fifth graders in the Swazi sample. In the comparative analyses, while significant differences in eye placements were observed between second grade pupils in Swaziland and second grade pupils in Zimbabwe, no significant differences in eye placements were observed between fifth grade pupils in Swaziland and fifth grade pupils in Zimbabwe. As for reasons/explanations for eye placements, significant differences between Swazi and Zimbabwean children were noted at both second grade and fifth grade levels. The study recommended the use by teachers, of pedagogy that is promotive of generative thinking as well as the need for further research in the area focusing on environmental factors influencing the nature and developmental pattern of generative thinking.KEY WORDS: Generative thinking, Developmental patterns, Hypothetical third eye, Environmental factors

Testing Generative Thinking among Swazi Children

This study tested and compared the generative thinking of second graders (7-8 year olds) and fifth graders (10-11 year olds) as a means to assess how generative thinking develops among children. Results from this study were compared with results obtained by Mushoriwa (2003) in a similar study in Zimbabwe in order to establish if the development of generative thinking follows a similar pattern in different environments. Data were sourced from 40 second-graders and 40 fifth-graders randomly selected from primary schools in Manzini region. The survey research design was used, with interviews employed to collect the data. Crosstabs and a two-sample t-test were used to analyse the data. The study found no significant difference in generative thinking between second and fifth graders in the Swazi sample. In the comparative analysis, while significant differences in eye placements were observed between second grade pupils in Swaziland and second grade pupils in Zimbabwe, no significant difference in eye placements were observed between fifth grade pupils in Swaziland and fifth grade pupils in Zimbabwe. As for reasons/explanations for eye placements, significant differences between Swazi and Zimbabweans children were noted at both second grade and fifth grade levels. The study recommended the use of by teachers, of pedagogy that is promotive of generative thinking as well as the need for further research in the area focusing on environmental factors influencing the nature and developmental pattern of generative thinking