Main Article Content
An analysis of students' aspirations, expectations and gains in institutions of higher education in Zimbabwe
Abstract
This study seeks to determine if the students'
expectations, aspirations, perceived and envisaged needs or gains are addressed
by institutions of higher education setting up any new devolution degree
universities. A randomly selected sample of 116 students who enrolled at Masvingo University College to study a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education) degree was
used to determine if students' expectations, aspirations, and needs or gains
were addressed by the programme. Of the 116 randomly selected students used in
this study, 65 (56.0%) were male and 51 (44.0%) female primary school teachers
who held a primary school professional qualification. A 40-item Needs
Assessment Questionnaire that examined students' expectations, aspirations,
perceived and envisaged needs or gains using Eisner's (1985) five orientations,
namely: the development of cognitive processes; academic rationalism; personal
relevance; social adaptation or reconstruction; and curriculum as technology,
was administered to them. While the programme aims at academic excellence, the
study found that 15 students did not attempt A-level studies and 11 had
irrelevant A- level qualifications. This implies that 26 (21.7%) of the
recruited students were ill-qualified for the programme and depended on their
Certificate in Education or Diploma in Education main study subjects as the
basis for their choices of specialisation courses on the programme. Given the
five specialisation courses to choose from, the study found that 115 (31.9%)
candidates opted for Environmental Science; 106 (29.4%) for English; 90 (25.0%)
for Shona and only 9 (2.5%) for Ndebele. Shona and Ndebele are vernacular
languages that are officially used in schools and tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe. Admittedly, it is possible that the limited choice of specialisation courses on
offer had an adverse effect on students' choices. The implications of these
findings to education were discussed in detail in the study.
Journal of Psychology in Africa
2004, 14(1): 47–59
expectations, aspirations, perceived and envisaged needs or gains are addressed
by institutions of higher education setting up any new devolution degree
universities. A randomly selected sample of 116 students who enrolled at Masvingo University College to study a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education) degree was
used to determine if students' expectations, aspirations, and needs or gains
were addressed by the programme. Of the 116 randomly selected students used in
this study, 65 (56.0%) were male and 51 (44.0%) female primary school teachers
who held a primary school professional qualification. A 40-item Needs
Assessment Questionnaire that examined students' expectations, aspirations,
perceived and envisaged needs or gains using Eisner's (1985) five orientations,
namely: the development of cognitive processes; academic rationalism; personal
relevance; social adaptation or reconstruction; and curriculum as technology,
was administered to them. While the programme aims at academic excellence, the
study found that 15 students did not attempt A-level studies and 11 had
irrelevant A- level qualifications. This implies that 26 (21.7%) of the
recruited students were ill-qualified for the programme and depended on their
Certificate in Education or Diploma in Education main study subjects as the
basis for their choices of specialisation courses on the programme. Given the
five specialisation courses to choose from, the study found that 115 (31.9%)
candidates opted for Environmental Science; 106 (29.4%) for English; 90 (25.0%)
for Shona and only 9 (2.5%) for Ndebele. Shona and Ndebele are vernacular
languages that are officially used in schools and tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe. Admittedly, it is possible that the limited choice of specialisation courses on
offer had an adverse effect on students' choices. The implications of these
findings to education were discussed in detail in the study.
Journal of Psychology in Africa
2004, 14(1): 47–59
