An Assessment of Research and Innovation Hubs in Teachers’ Colleges in Zimbabwe: Teacher Education in Alignment with Education 5.0

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20506668

Makota Cassian¹ and Tichaona Mapolisa² (Madziwa Teachers College, An Associate College of The University of Zimbabwe¹ and
Zimbabwe Open University, Zimbabwe²)

This study evaluated Research and Innovation Hubs (RIHubs) conceptualisation, availability and impact in teachers’ colleges in Zimbabwe, in the era of e-learning, and the context of aligning with the demands of the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 (HBE 5.0) policy. There were noticeable gaps in lack of institutional research culture, human capital resource incapacity, sustainability challenges, including inadequate budgetary support, and limited infrastructure and technology, despite an enabling policy framework and operating environment. This study sought to establish how RIHubs are understood in TE and how they have impacted the expectations of the HBE 5.0 policy in Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions (HTEIs), in Zimbabwe. This research study sought to enhance perspectives on research, innovation, RIHubs, and industrialisation for sustainable development. It also sought to add to the literature on Teacher Education (TE) alignment with national socio-economic strategies and policies like the Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and HBE 5,0 respectively. The Constructive Alignment Theory (CAT) and the Unified Progression Model (UPM) guided this qualitative study that employed the embedded multiple case study method. The study found that there is a need for teachers’ colleges to upscale the development and utilisation of RIHubs by addressing various challenges that are an impediment to their full establishment and effective exploitation. This study recommended the PFETE framework for research and innovation in TE, which was developed by the author. It can be argued that the construction and effective utilisation of RIHubs in TE is key to the realisation of HBE 5.0 philosophy, NDS1 & 2 and subsequently, sustainable socio-economic development in Zimbabwe.