Ruth Gora - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ruth Gora

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Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 2012

A ZJER article on sexuality and development in women using the paradigms of language and gender.

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, Mar 1, 2012

A ZBTE investigation into the primary school teachers' colleges' preparation of student t... more A ZBTE investigation into the primary school teachers' colleges' preparation of student teachers for the teaching of children's literature.

The study sought to explore perception and attitude towards the study of African languages in hig... more The study sought to explore perception and attitude towards the study of African languages in high schools and the resultant implications on human resources development and management. The research basically explored the diverse perception and attitude that prevail towards African languages in African countries in general and Zimbabwe in particular. The descriptive survey research design was used mainly for its effectiveness in exploratory research. Participants were drawn from selected high schools and universities in Zimbabwe. Questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and documentary analyses were used to collect data. Data gathered were then subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analyses for triangulation purposes. Major findings indicated that the perception and attitude towards the study of African languages in Zimbabwean high schools is generally negative. English language is preferred to and valued more than African languages. Such perception and attitude determine choices of programmes of study at tertiary level and the selective channeling of people into specific professional fields. Consequently, that impact on the development and management of potential human resources in professions related to African languages. The current language policy in Zimbabwe has no clear instrument that defines the place of African languages in the curriculum and work place as is the case with English. The choice of language to study at high school is thus determined by fossilised perception and attitude towards languages in general, coupled with lack of career guidance on the v link between African languages and related career opportunities, in the belief that English is the gateway to success. The study clearly reveals that it is the Zimbabwean education system that should realize the potential of schools as agents of change in improving the status of African languages. Hence the study advocates restructuring of the curriculum. Proposals and recommendations to re-engineer the Zimbabwean curriculum so that indigenous African languages are made compulsory up to 'A' level were made. Such a bold move would uplift the status of African languages and at the same time improve perception and attitude towards their study as well as indirectly, but positively, impacting on human resources development and management in related disciplines.

The paper explores the role of bird characters in African story and myth. Birds are ecological be... more The paper explores the role of bird characters in African story and myth. Birds are ecological beacons in the environment. Their sight impresses humankind visually and their music is aesthetically important. Birds signal the coming of mornings and the setting of the sun. The aim is to show that African societies attach different beliefs to different birds. Some birds are viewed as signs of bad omen yet others as the reverse. For instance, the vulture is regarded as a sign of death whereas the dove is seen as a bird of grace or good fortune. In addition, some African societies believe that certain birds possess significance for specific occasions or ceremonies like circumcision. The argument shows that such beliefs are mirrored in African story and myth. Traditional African narratives include many bird characters, demonstrating the widespread idea that birds are closely related to humans. Since birds are generally appreciated as guardians of human life, they play a positive role in A...

This study focuses on the teaching and learning of Shona novels at 'O' Level with specifi... more This study focuses on the teaching and learning of Shona novels at 'O' Level with specific reference to three selected secondary schools in the High-Glen District, Harare. The main aim of the research is to determine means of making teaching and learning of Shona novels at 'O' Level more effective and meaningful. The attitude of students and teachers towards Shona novels as well as approaches being used in teaching the novels were established. Basing on the research findings, the study makes recommendations for effective and meaningful teaching and learning of Shona novels at 'O' Level while giving room for further research.

Africa has always been a continent with a plethora of languages and dialects. Like most African c... more Africa has always been a continent with a plethora of languages and dialects. Like most African countries, Zimbabwe is a multilingual nation hosting sixteen officially recognised languages (Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20, 2013) namely; Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa. In addition, there are other foreign languages like French, Portuguese and Chinese languages.

Shona is a heterogeneous language in that a number of tribes use different dialects namely Karang... more Shona is a heterogeneous language in that a number of tribes use different dialects namely Karanga, Ndau, Manyika, Zezuru and Korekore. However, in educational circles the Zezuru dialect is regarded as ‘the language’ while the other speech forms are erroneously seen as deviations from the norm, and are therefore stigmatised. This means that learners come to school with a win-lose package depending on the dialect or variety they speak and that impacts on the teaching-learning process. The basic aim of this paper is to show that language variation, especially in Shona, can be an interesting area of study for educationists in indigenous languages. If a learner is given the opportunity to study in a context where language diversity is either discouraged or encouraged, consequently the gap between home and school can be either widened or narrowed depending on which variety of Shona the learner speaks. In light of that, this paper examines the problems faced by, what the layman calls, ‘no...

The teaching profession in this country used to be regarded as a „noble‟ profession. It was a pro... more The teaching profession in this country used to be regarded as a „noble‟ profession. It was a profession that most school- leavers wished to be associated with and happily joined after completing their Standard Six, Form Two (Junior Certificate) or Form Four („O‟ Level). However the situation on the ground currently points to the possible „extinction‟ of the profession, as there appears no one is willing to join the profession and those who have joined did it as a „ last resort‟ and are always looking elsewhere for „greener pastures‟. Explanations ranging from historical to economic reasons have been advanced to explain the present predicament of the profession. This paper is therefore informed by a desire to contribute towards the preceding, regarding the „demeaning‟ or „debasing‟ of the teaching profession and suggest possible solutions. We therefore argue; if this situation is not addressed as a matter of urgency, Zimbabwe risks ending up with no teachers or with the „wrong type ...

Naming aesthetics in Zimbabwe as in the rest of African cosmology have always been incident-based... more Naming aesthetics in Zimbabwe as in the rest of African cosmology have always been incident-based and this trend somewhat persists. The aesthetic of naming is a parent or guardian’s prerogative and expresses that individual/s wishes, joys, fears and attitudes but may not necessarily consider the named’s future perceptions or feelings engendered by the particular name that identifi es them. Various studies have established general naming practices in Zimbabwe and off er many reasons to account for name types. For example, some Shona names are thought repositories of human experience while others are regarded as argument by proxy. Whereas most previous studies on onomastic practices in Zimbabwe have tended to focus on name etymologies and name meanings, the present paper seeks to assess the potential psycho-sociological eff ects of some signifi cantly negative forenames encountered in school registers and on university graduation lists. A name may not have much statistical signifi can...

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 2009

This study was an experimental study which sought to establish how English language teachers used... more This study was an experimental study which sought to establish how English language teachers used computers for teaching composition writing at Prince Edward High School in Harare. The findings of the study show that computers were rarely used in the teaching of composition despite the observation that the school appeared to be adequately equipped with computers. Teachers appear to prefer their traditional way of teaching, perhaps because of conservatism on their part. The study goes further to recommend that English teachers should be taught how to use computers at a general level then they should develop skills that enable them to use computers as a teaching tool in their subject area.

Journal of African Languages and Literary Studies

African Indigenous Knowledge and the Sciences, 2016

Per Linguam, 2015

This article argues that the Zimbabwean high school curriculum has remained largely irrelevant to... more This article argues that the Zimbabwean high school curriculum has remained largely irrelevant to human resource needs for professions that draw expertise from African languages, such as teaching, translating, broadcasting and interpreting. Despite some curriculum reforms after the attainment of political independence, effects of colonial language policy and language planning with regard to the Zimbabwean education system seem to have remained intact. As a result, observations have been made that the system continues to churn out Africans who are still deeply rooted in the belief that the study of foreign languages, English in particular, prepares them for a better and brighter future than African languages would. The belief is largely that a pass in English guarantees them better, higher-paying, more prestigious and more readily available jobs than would African languages. The education system in Zimbabwe today, this paper argues, has negative perceptions and attitudes towards the study of African languages. African languagesrelated professions are therefore filled by people with little or no sound background knowledge in the area. In addition, those who end up being absorbed in professions that draw from the African languages area, in most cases, are not satisfied. The same can be said of most other African countries that were subjected to colonialism in the past and neo-colonialism today, under the vague and obscure concepts of globalisation and modernisation. Against this backdrop, the article advocates for the re-engineering of the Zimbabwean school corecurriculum by incorporating mandatory study of an indigenous language, at least up to 'O' level, in a bid to preserve and promote African languages and at the same time meet human resource needs of professions that draw from the discipline over time.