Prospects for design and technology with Zimbabwean teachers through distance education - a pilot study

This paper is based on the findings of a pilot study conducted between October and December of 1995 in preparation for a major project where the aim is to design and develop a resource package that could be used to in-service Zimbabwean teachers in Design and Technology through Distance Education. Since the purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility and viability of the project, six objectives were specified, and the idea was to: determine the kind of technical subjects offered in particular schools; for example, Woodwork and Metalwork; analyse the current Technical Education syllabi in secondary schools and find out how these could be related; find out the nature of facilities existing in schools regarding workshops and equipment; determine what areas of design and technology would be relevant in Zimbabwean secondary schools; find out the kind of literature being used in schools and determine its relevance to the needs of the curriculum; determine the possibilities of teachers being able to meet in tutorial groups at regional levels. To achieve these objectives, questionnaires and interview schedules were used. Syllabi were obtained from the Ministry of Education. And, twenty teachers participated in the study.