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BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

FACULTY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS EDUCATION

INVESTIGATING REASONS WHY THE NUMBER OF GIRLS LEARNING PHYSICS IN ZAKA DISTRICT IS LOW

FAMBISAI MUNASHE

R986028A

A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS EDUCATION. FACULTY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, BINDURA, ZIMBABWE, IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS HONORS DEGREE IN PHYSICS EDUCATION

2017

APPROVAL FORM

The undersigned certify that they read and recommend to the Bindura University of Science Education for acceptance of a dissertation entitled:

INVESTIGATING REASONS WHY THE NUMBER OF GIRLS LEARNING PHYSICS IN ZAKA DISTRICT IS LOW

To be completed by student I certify that this dissertation meets the preparation guidelines as presented in the faculty guideline and instructions of dissertations

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This dissertation is suitable for submission to the faculty of commerce. This dissertation should be checked for conformity with the faculty guidelines.

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I certify, to the best of my knowledge, that the required procedures have been followed and the preparation criteria have been met on this dissertation.

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RELEASE FORM

Name of student : Fambisai Munashe

Registration number : R986028A

Dissertation title : Investigating reasons why the number of Girls learning Physics in Zaka district is low

Degree title : Honours Degree in Physics Education

Year the degree granted : 2017

Permission is hereby granted to Bindura University of Science Education library to produce copies of this dissertation and to lend or to sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purpose only. The author does not reserve right of publication the dissertation. Neither the dissertation nor any extensive extracts from it be printed or otherwise reproduced without the owner’s written authority.

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Date…………………………………………………………..

Permanent address : Muchechetere High School P Bag 157 Jerera

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the participation of the following members whose experience, thoughts and fillings have allowed for a better understanding into why secondary school girls in Zaka district choose not to continue with Physics in their studies in this area.I would like also to recognise the special role played by members of the advisory committee: The D.S.I for Zaka district Mrs Shambambeva for grunting me permission to collect the relevant data from secondary schools in Zaka learners and teachers. Heads of schools and parents just like the whole inspectorate team were very helpful. District inspector madam Makomeke deserves a special mention. She has been a good professional adviser in the research process. My lecturer at Bindura University of Science Education in the Physics department Ms Shonhiwa remains well remembered for her unlimited patience in guiding me through the technical presentation and drafting of this research project. She actually did this on behalf of my project tutor Mr Ndlovu who was then on sick leave. I would also want to thank Mr Ndlovu for handing me over to the caring Ms Shonhiwa. I could see her sacrificing a lot of her time to assist me especially in the use of computer. Finally, I deeply appreciate the role played by my wife Everngelisto for the continuous emotional and physical support. She kept on encouraging me to pursue with my research while she took care of the family needs by herself.

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my colleagues in the first group under the Teacher Capacity Development Honours, for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics (December 2014 to December 2017). I will never forget the group of the 4 ladies and 22 lovely young men that managed through. Had we not worked as a family, I would not see myself pulling through and persevering to this end. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for your most needed support. Special dedication is extended to the whole lot of hardworking lecturers in the Physics department, men and women of the moment, very positive in deed. Thank you my superiors. I will not forget how you tried hard to simplify the impossible. My beloved wife Everngelisto deserves a special mention for her close and motherly love and encouragement.

ABSTRACT This research project was done to find out reasons for the observed low involvement of the girl learners in the subject of Physics in Zaka district. The research was designed through administration of questionnaires to a sample of ten girl learners, ten Physics teachers, and ten administrators. The quantitative data collected was tabulated in a series of tables that were used to make bar graphs and some frequency tables and some pie charts for easier analysis and interpretation. A few learners, teachers and some heads of schools were interviewed to clarify some of the common answers from the questionnaires. The main findings from this research indicated that the girls in Zaka district are not motivated to study Physics because they do not have other women in their surroundings to emulate. The negative attitude the girls have towards Physics is also a results of the poor theoretical teaching methods employed by most of the under-qualified Physics teachers in the district. The rate of turnover of the Science teachers in the district is very high impacting on the negative attitude of girls towards Physics. In most schools the learners are having a new teacher almost after every term. The interviewed learners and some school heads blame the economic conditions that force science teachers to hunt for greener pastures. One head was quick to blame the government for failing to deploy the trained science teachers claiming that there are no funds. In the district of Zaka, there are no special Physics laboratories, coupled by lack of resources, including textbooks, sees much of the teaching methods dominated by teacher-centred theory lessons. Learners share the limited resources and some girls pointed out that the meagre textbooks are given to most boy learners who seem to be more gifted in the subject of Physics. The attitude of these girls may be corrected by deploying more qualified Physics teachers in Zaka district and most of the teachers should be women for the girls to emulate. Some kind of assistance should be given to the remote district of Zaka to improve on teaching-learning resources to attract more girls towards the Subject of Physics.

Contents APPROVAL FORM ...... ii

RELEASE FORM ...... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... iv

DEDICATION ...... v

ABSTRACT ...... vi

LIST OF TABLES ...... ix

LIST OF FIGURES ...... x

LIST OF APPENDICES ...... xi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1

1.1 Introduction ...... 1

1.2 Background of study ...... 1

1.3 Statement of problem ...... 2

1.4 Aim of the research...... 2

1.5 Research questions ...... 2

1.6 Objectives ...... 3

1.7 Assumptions ...... 3

1.8 Justification of the study ...... 3

1.9 Limitations ...... 4

1.10 Delimitations ...... 4

1.11 Definitions of terms ...... 4

1.12 Summary and conclusion ...... 5

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 6

2.1 Introduction ...... 6

2.2 Gender gap found in the learners of Physics in the United States...... 6

2.3 Gender gap in taking the Science Physics in United Kingdom ...... 7

2.4 Gender gap in learning of Physics in Zimbabwe ...... 8

2.5 Conclusions ...... 10 vii

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY ...... 11

3.1 Introduction ...... 11

3.2 Research approach ...... 11

3.3 Research design ...... 12

3.4 Population ...... 12

3.5 Sample and sampling ...... 13

3.6 Research instruments ...... 14

3.6.1 Introduction ...... 14

3.7 Questionnaires ...... 14

3.8 Data collection procedures ...... 15

3.9 Validity and reliability ...... 15

3.10 Pilot study ...... 16

3.11 Ethical considerations ...... 16

3.12 Conclusions ...... 16

CHAPTER 4 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS...... 17

4.1 Introduction ...... 17

4.2 Teachers’ qualification, teaching experience and field of study...... 17

4.3 Teaching methods frequency of practical lessons ...... 20

4.4 Attitude of girl learner towards learning of Physics...... 24

4.5 The girl Learners in the district seem not to like the subject of Physics. Table 4.11 shows how they rate the usefulness of the subject...... 26

CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 29

5.1 Introduction ...... 29

5.2 Summary ...... 29

5.3 Conclusions ...... 29

5.4 Recommendations ...... 31

REFERENCES ...... 31

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LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Figures for the district since 2014 to 2017 ...... 2 Table 3.1 Population sample sizes ...... 14 Table 4.1: Number of teachers who selected the ratings from the questionnaire ...... 18 Table 4.2: Teachers’ qualification ...... 18 Table 4.3: Teaching experience for the ten teachers...... 20 Table 4.4: Responses from the heads ...... 21 Table 4.5 Frequency of practical lessons ...... 21 Table 4.6 Pass rate in Physical Science...... 22 Table 4.7: Special rooms for 10 sampled schools in Zaka District ...... 22 Table 4.8: Learners-textbook ratio for 3 secondary schools ...... 23 Table 4.9: Number of parents who consulted the Physics teacher ...... 24 Table 4.10: Teachers invited by Physics teacher ...... 25 Table 4.11 Girl learners rating the subject of Physics...... 26 Table 4.12: Number of girls enjoying Physics ...... 27 Table 4.13: Rated teacher competences...... 27 Table 4.14: Support of girls by parents ...... 27

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1: Teacher qualifications ...... 19 Figure 4.2: Response for parents invited ...... 26

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Questionnaire for Physics Teachers………………………………………….34

Appendix 2: Questionnaire for Learners…………………………………………………...36

Appendix 3: Questionnaire to the School Heads…………………………………………..37

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction This investigation collects the documentary facts to indicate that the number of female learners is fewer through use of enrolment figures. Questionnaires, interviews and other data collection tools will be used to find out the reasons which will be examined to workout suggestions and recommendations to enable equal participation in the field of Physics for both boys and girls in Zaka district.

1.2 Background of study The demand of Physics should be growing in Zimbabwe due to the promotion of industrial and technological development through STEM subjects and its strong influence in Technological programs at universities, industrial and other tertiary institutions of learning. At independence Zimbabwe inherited an unbalanced gender type of education whereby girls were not encouraged to do practical and Science related subjects (Durango 2002) the new Zimbabwean government, however took to redress the situation. All forms of discrimination were abolished. Every learner, including girls, was allowed to engage in the subjects sidelined by the curricula in the colonial regime. A gender balance hands on curriculum approach was opened to everyone. Elsewhere, like in the United States Science participation is also well documented, revealing that girls engage in Physics activities and Maths courses during the middle and high school (Catsambi 1995; Hansen 1996). The report reveals that significantly more men than women 10% Engineers (National Science Board, 2004; National Science Foundation; Division of Sciences Resource Statistics, 2004) According to another report (U.S. Department of Education, National Centre for Education Statistics, 2000), women comprise just 36% of Physical Scientists. The problem of lower enrolment by girls in Physics is particularly noticeable among girls not only in America but other areas like Australia and most African countries. It locks girls out of participating in careers that are Physics based. Girls form a significant composition in all secondary school going students. The trend of opting out Physics by girls is worrying even in Zimbabwe. The table below obtained from Zaka district in Masvingo shows the involvement of the girl learner in Physics at secondary school level in the district for the years 2014 to 2017.

Table 1.1 Figures for the district since 2014 to 2017 Year girls enrolment Number of girls taking Physics

O Level A Level O Level A Level

2014 8900 100 30 11

2015 10190 110 30 11 2016 10100 145 3312 2017 10940 160 519

From the table above it can be observed that girls involved in Physics continues to be low at district level given that there is a total of 42 secondary schools in the district. Because of these observations the researcher has decided to find why the number of girls continues to be that low, what reasons we have to explain why most girls are not taking Physics after close to 40 years of independence in the district.

1.3 Statement of problem Zaka District is doing well in offering the Science, Physics, at both Ordinary and Advanced level. The enrolment figures, however, are still disturbing for the girl child in this field of Physics throughout the whole district. Statistical records from district annual result analysis sadly indicates that for the past four years only 144 girls attempted Physical Science at Ordinary level against 40140 total enrolments for girls in the whole district. The situation is worse when the figures those only 37 girls continued with Physics to Advanced level in the whole district since the past four year period. This gender gap could not be clearly explained using available literature. Thus, this study investigated factors affecting the uptake of Physics by girls in Zaka District.

1.4 Aim of the research The aim of the study was to find out reasons why the number of girls doing Physics in Zaka district is remaining low.

1.5 Research questions 1. Does the qualification of teachers affect the uptake of Physics by girls in Zaka district? 2. Do the teaching methods affect the learning of Physics by girls? 3. Does the rate of turnover of teachers of Physics affect the attitude of girls towards Physics learning? 4. What are the attitudes of girl learners in the field of Physics in Zaka District?

1.6 Objectives 1. To find out qualifications of teachers teaching Physics in Zaka district. 2. To find out how the teaching methods affect the learning of Physics by girls. 3. To find out the turnover rate of Physics teachers in schools in Zaka district. 4. To find out how the attitudes of girl learners towards Physics cause the low numbers of Physics takers in Zaka district.

1.7 Assumptions In this research it is assumed that 1. The district schools inspector, heads of schools, girl child learners and Physics teachers will cooperate in answering questionnaires during this research. 2. It is also assumed that the sample of the learners, and school heads, participating in this research, will be representative of the general population of Zaka district. 3. The researcher is going to have ample time to carry out the research.

1.8 Justification of the study Zimbabwe, as nation, in line with ZIMASSET theme is promoting the STEM subjects for sustainable development in the industrial sector. Physics is one such a subject that is also affected by the brain drain when most scientifically literate Zimbabweans are leaving the country for greener pastures. It is the hope from this study that promoting the participation of women in the field of Sciences begins from encouraging the girl child to learn the subject. Hence, is the worry that there are very few girls engaging in the field of Physics in Zaka district? Asserting the reasons for this gender gap might increase the number of girls partaking Physics in Zaka district. The hope is that if the mother is an engineer, the children in the families will also follow suit. Physics and Mathematics are the pillars for industrial development. In Science participation in the United States is also well documented, revealing that girls engage in fewer Science related activities and Maths courses during the middle and high school (Catsambi, 1995; Hansen 1996). The report reveals that significantly more men than women 10% Engineers (National Science Board, 2004; National Science Foundation; Division of Sciences Resource Statistics, (2004) One wonders whether there are any reasons to that observation that ladies engage in Sciences and engineering fields during colleges (U.S. Department of Education, National Centre for Education Statistics, 2000), with women comprising just 36% of Physical Scientists and. What could be the reasons and can these reasons be addressed to improve the situation?

1.9 Limitations The validity of the findings in this research will be affected by the fact that the learners, teachers, and administrators participating in this will not have ample time. The distribution of questionnaires was not easy because the researcher was a full time Form four teacher, money and time was needed to move to the to the selected schools. As a result, in this research, the researcher was confined to only ten schools in the whole district. The outcome of this research may not be generalised to the whole district since every school operates at its own conditions and the learners are exposed to different environments.

1.10 Delimitations This research confined itself to rural secondary schools in Zaka district of Masvingo province. The research was confined to only ten secondary schools in the district. The questionnaires were distributed to randomly selected, ten teachers, and ten girl learners and ten selected school heads. The qualifications and teaching experience of ten Physical Science teachers from the ten schools were recorded against number of girls taking Physics at the schools. Visits to these schools followed written appointments and most targeted participants were availed.

1.11 Definitions of terms Sciences Webster New Collegiate Dictionary defines science as knowledge attained through study or practice....as obtained and tested through scientific methods concerned with physical world. The scholar identifies Biology, Chemistry, and Earth sciences as hard sciences including Physics. Physics An article on Definitions, History and Branches Related Study Materials picked from: study.com/academy/lesson, views Physics as the fundamental science that creates the foundation of other Sciences. Physics studies matter and energy. The word Physics was coined from the Greek term meaning “knowledge of matter”. Physics performs repeated experiments sometimes in ad nauseam to formulate and describe repeatedly tested laws to explain how the universe works. According to the source without Physics there is no Biology, no Chemistry, no Mathematics or any other hard science. Physics becomes the most fundamental science. Hypothesis A hypothesis is an intelligent guess or likely answer to a problem (Grinnel 1993). Another authority defines a hypothesis as a prediction between one or more factors and the problem of study (Manion 1995). The two authorities

tend to agree on that both cited an answer to a problem in quantitative study. However, they differ in that the second authority looks at it as an answer which has to be tested. One would therefore view a hypothesis as giving direction to the solution of a problem of study as it is a wise guess to the problem.

1.12 Summary and conclusion Chapter one has given a useful introductory background giving a clear picture on why this project was carried out. It spelt out the problem on the ground that necessitated this study... why study physics and in particular, why the girl child should also participate. The assumptions and limitations caused by lack of funds and inaccessibility of some remote stations in Zaka district of Masvingo were relevantly pointed out to give a sound picture on how the research was carried out. Limitations were also indicated in this chapter and how the limitations were addressed. This chapter also spelt out the aim of this research study followed by clearly pointed out objectives that allowed the researcher to plan the research questions and the research process. Some key terms like Sciences, Physics, hypothesis data and others were also defined contextually as they are being used specifically in this research .

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction Reports in recent years press have suggested that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) gender gap is disappearing. Further analysis of figures, however, reveals that the decrease in the gender gap differs by area of the Sciences and level of the education and career attainment (Britner, 2008). Fewer women pursue careers in Physical Sciences and Engineering. In the United States 20 % of all engineering degrees are held by women and yet only 11% of engineers are women (Fouad 2008). Boys continue to take more Physical Sciences (Physics, Earth Sciences and engineering) (Britner, 2008) while girls dominate in Biology related courses.

Given that boys and girls are in the same classes and exposed to same learning environmental conditions, we must accept that there are other factors that affect whether or not girls should take physical sciences, let alone Physics. In this chapter the literature of the gender gap in America, United Kingdom and selected documents in Zimbabwe are outlined to try and give a picture of the gender gap that appears to be global. The documents studied indicate almost similar reasons affecting why fewer girls take up Physics related courses.

2.2 Gender gap found in the learners of Physics in the United States. Recent study found that while female representation in high school physics has almost reached parity with males’ overly, girls still remain underrepresented in advanced Physics courses. The American Institute of Physics released a study in early July that showed that significant disparities between the sexes persist in Physics courses enrolment.

Between 1987 and 1997 the proportion of girls in high school Physics classes increased from 40 percent to 47 percent, and remained fairly consistent since then. However, girls make up only 41 percent in Physics B and 32 percent in Physics C classroom. This has been an improvement compared to 1993, when girls made up 36 and 27 percent of the classes respectively.

The report also found that girls were less likely than boys to take the tests even if they were enrolled in the classes. About 77 percent of the boys who took the Physics C course took the tests while only 61 percent of the girls took the test. The disparity was similar for the Physics 6

B class where only 50 percent of the enrolled girls took the test. Because the report only looked at raw numbers of students enrolled in the Physics classes, it stopped short of specifying a clear reason for the disparity. “Mathematical rigor does not explain the representation of females taking up Physics”, read the report. “The reasons for lower female participation in advanced high school Physics remains unclear.”

The report also goes on to show that by comparison women receive 40 percent of the Bachelor degrees in other areas like Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics while the is only 20 percent in the Bachelor of Physics degree. The possible reasons for the disparities identified in this report include cultural pressures, problems with the curriculum and stereotyping, but did not identify any definitive cause. These and other questions can only be answered in research which actually asks students these questions. No simple solution can be offered for increasing women participation in Physics if these questions remain unanswered. The American Institute of Physics contacted a representative sample of 3600 across the country to come up with the report for the 2008 to 2009 academic year.

2.3 Gender gap in taking the Science Physics in United Kingdom In yet another recent report the Brunel University in the UK announced that they would provide bursaries for 40 female engineering students studying for their Masters degree. It is part of a financing program launched the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE), which will cover over 2800 masters students on 20 projects at 40 universities from January 2014 to the middle of 2015.

The female engineering students at Brunel are receiving a special care and financial support for a reason. It is because that only a quarter of the engineering masters students in that university are girls, and school heads felt they must do something to encourage girls to take up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) studies. The gender gap on stem studies in the UK has become increasingly high. From 2010 to 2012, the number of boys who took advanced level Physics was 4 times more than that of girls. It was also noted that two thirds of the girls studying at the Sciences at the university did not proceed to STEM- related careers. Such a gap at school has already shaped skewed career demography in the UK, where only 8% female workers were found in engineering jobs.

Elizabeth Truss the Education Minister, in a telegraphic interview on December 8 believed that there was no such gap in Singapore and Shanghai. The minister was, however proved wrong shortly and it the gender gap in STEM studies and careers has been a global problem in many countries. This report questions why girls tend to shun STEM subjects and jobs. They also site cultural stereotype held by the majority that boys generally do better in Maths and Science related subjects, while girls are less likely to achieve success in these fields. Experts have stated that girls are as competent as boys in studying STEM subjects. Ms Truss says the issue lies on confidence and not competence. The stereotype of weakly performing girls in Maths and Physics are holding girls away from the fields. Efforts should be made to influence for the change. Some findings indicate that most girls think that Science related jobs cannot make them neatly dressed like workers in the environment of an office building.

The report also goes on to blame schools for causing girl to shun Physics and Science subjects. Some single-sex (girls-only) schools do not offer STEM courses for girls to choose. Clashing the Stem subjects with art, music or drama activities prevent girls from participating often ignores the in both. Teachers’ fact that the learning patterns of girls are different from boys. Girls tend to be shy and cautious during their studies while boys do not care about making mistakes. The argument is that girls therefore need more encouragement to make up their mind to take up Physics and Mathematics. Unbalanced STEM workforce comprising of a single sex will harm a nation’s economic development. As a result governments and schools should take it seriously and encourage girls to get involved in STEM studies and careers, Physics included. Brunel University has set a good example for all. Countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa are reported to have done much to secure women’s positions in STEM fields .

2.4 Gender gap in learning of Physics in Zimbabwe In Zimbabwe as in other countries in the region, the deficits in technical specialisation lead girls to avoid professions even when they have affinity for Mathematics, Physics and other Science subjects. Richard Nyamanhindi writes about Morgan High School in Harare as full of avid learner’s immersed in scientific theory and hands-on practice. He says the school has an unusual large number of girls’ compared to elsewhere in the country’s secondary schools. He reports of girls making up just a small fraction of emerging generation of women scientists to be. This followed the distribution of Zim-Science project kit from UNICEF in 2014.

The genesis of the Zim-Science kit was motivated by lack of up-to date science equipment in Schools, shortage of science teachers, inappropriate teaching methods apart from the conspicuous apathy towards science and technology education demonstrated by girls in Zimbabwe. The learning of science was dominated by memorisation of concepts according to Ms Jacqueline Levi, a science teacher at Morgan high school. Learners had no real-world experience of what they were learning because there were no practical lessons.

The Head of Department Mrs S. Hungwa also noted that despite most girls passing their primary level a large numbers is still forced to quit secondary school education as a result of soaring financial burdens and social pressures. Due to the same reasons very few girls proceed to do Sciences at Advanced level. Alarming figures from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) reveal that women make up 4.5% of the country’s university students taking sciences despite them make more than half the population of the country. This report also cites that the society believes that boys are smarter than girls and science is so hard that girls cannot cope, contrary to the efforts of the Zim-Science kit.

The head teacher of Morgan High School Mr Bernard Muchenga is quoted here saying “Men in Zimbabwe and Africa in general still dominate science, technology, engineering and Mathematics and this gender imbalance start from the earliest schooling years.” They also attribute the low numbers of girls in Science to gender socialisation that exist in Zimbabwe. They claim that girls are discouraged from playing with machines, which are seen as suitable for boys only. Boys become more familiar with the technical and scientific terms and become naturally a step ahead of the girls. This is what Mr Muchenga says about girls and Science learning. At this high school the socialisation sees the enrolment patterns skewed in favour of boys. The then Advanced level class had 27 boys studying Chemistry against only 8 girls. It was worse in Physics where there were 17 boys and only one girl.

The girl learners at Morgan High School also indicated that they are steered away from the Sciences as they are taught to regard it as unfeminine. Cynthia Nyengera, the only A level girl learner taking Physics, blames socialisation as it told them that some careers like nursing and teaching are appropriate for girls.

Another school of thought from this report creating difficulty in changing social behaviours is that in most communities, women struggle to access resources and those households with more female members are at the risk of poverty. There are several cases in the country where families believe that it better to educate a boy child than a girl child. With such stereotypical ideas about girls’ ability and potential still strongly entrenched in attitudes adopted from parents, and teachers, there is need to encourage girls to participate in the learning of Science where Physics is included. The socio-cultural stereotypes tend to justify the exclusion for girls from the sciences.

2.5 Conclusions The researcher has noted through several reports that there is a worldwide gender imbalance in terms of the number of girls taking science in schools. Various reasons leading to fewer girls taking up science are given as factored in by type of schools, lack of access to equipment, and attitudes of teachers towards the potential for girls in learning the sciences. The attitude of girls towards the perceived demanding science subjects and the curriculum of the school where the science clash with other optional art subjects also have a role to play in pushing girls away from Physics. Whilst it is argued here that a balance in the science-related careers leads to the development of a country so to suggest that girls have to be encouraged to take up sciences as well. The researcher wonders whether some of these reasons for lack of participation in the learning of the Science Physics can also be generalised for the girl learners in Zaka district of Masvingo province. This becomes the basis of this research.

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction This chapter gives an outline of how the project will be carried out. Basically the chapter is displayed under the five following sub headings; the research design, population and samples, research instruments, procedures and data analysis plan. The research design mainly here covers descriptive survey, outlining the use of questionnaire and interviews.

Methodology is a process used to collect information and data for the purpose of making decisions about the research. According to Tesfaye (2012), the aim of methodology is to describe and analyse a range of approaches in research used to collect data, throwing light on their limitations and resources. Clarifying the methods” presuppositions and consequences, relating their potentialities to the twilight zone of the frontiers of knowledge.Another authority, Nyaumwe (2012), the aim of methodology is to venture generalisations from the success of application and to unfold the specific bearing of logical and metaphysical principles on concrete problems suggesting new formulations. However, it can be inferred that methods to techniques and procedures used in data gathering process while the aim of methodology is to help us to not only the products of scientific inquiry but the process itself.

3.2 Research approach Research is approach taken when researching any topic. Quantitative research which is also referred to as positivism research was used in this research. Uwaifo (2012), say quantitative methods are research techniques that are used to gather quantitative data, data that can be sorted classified and measured. This means that the researcher can have time to analyse data before drawing some conclusions on a given phenomenon. This type of research is highly detailed and structured. Thus results can be easily collected and presented statistically. Quantitative research is based more directly on its original plans and its results are more readily analysed and interpreted. It emphasises relatively on large scale and representative sets of data. According to Burns (2000), it qualifies data and generalise results from a sample structured techniques such as online questionnaires and open ordered questionnaires. On quantitative search it does not necessarily mean the researcher must be present physically. Questionnaires may be posted or sent and respondents will complete the questionnaires on their own time and then the questionnaires will be collected.

3.3 Research design A research design is defined as “the planning of any scientific research from the first to the last step.” It is a specification of the most adequate operations to be performed in order to test a specific hypothesis under given condition Bless and Achola (2010).

The research design for this study is a survey. Gottfredson (2001), say a survey involves studying of a sample of the population. This is the generalisation of the outcome. The studied sample is a true representative of the whole population. A research design is often defined by Flick (2009), as the research overall plan for obtaining answers for the research questions or for testing the researcher hypothesis. According Cooper, a research design is defined as a plan of structure of the investigation conceived to obtain answers to research questions. However, a research design is a guide the researcher employs in collecting and interpreting observed facts.

Quantitative research is based more directly on its original plans and its results are more readily analysed and interpreted. It emphasises relatively on large scale and representative sets of data and generalise results from a sample of structured techniques such as online questionnaires. The quantitative design generates numbers which were analysed statistically making comparison and corrected. A survey was chosen in this study because it was mainly quantitative in nature.

The researcher chose ten girls who were doing Physics from a population of sixty girls who were doing Physics in Zaka district. The researcher asked five Physics teachers from a population of all Physics teachers in the district. The results obtained will be unbiased results that can be generalised to some larger population from all schools in Zaka district. The ten girls and five teachers who were chosen were randomly picked which means all teachers and all girls doing Physical Science in Zaka district had equal chances of being selected. This makes the outcome generalised.

3.4 Population In the context of research the term population has been defined as all members of any well defined class of people, events or objects which have been designated as being the focus of any investigation. It is also a universe. It is called a special universe in order to distinguish it to the general universe or population, to which the study’s findings can be generalised, Bless and

Achola (2010), whereas population can be defined as, I quote “all those people about whom a researcher wishes to make statement.” end of quote Finch, (2008; 37). According to Bhatt (2007), a population is defined as a group of individuals that have one or more characteristics in common that are of interest to the researcher. Validya (2003) furthers says a population is a aggregate of all cases that confine to some designated set of specifications. However, a population refers to all the people who are to be studied. The defined population for this study was made up of 10 secondary schools offering the teaching and learning of Physics at Ordinary and Advanced levels. Population constitutes of 10 Physics teachers and sixty girl students in Zaka district and ten administrators in Zaka district. This study sought to assess the research that leads to low participation in Physics by girls in secondary schools.

3.5 Sample and sampling According to Zhaowao (2002), sampling is a process of selecting a number of individuals to represent the large group from which they are selected. A sample is a limited subset of a population being studied a small proportion for a population selected for observation and analysis, Toplis (2012). However, a sample is a subset of the population and contains all the attributes of the population. It can be deduced that it is a portion of the elements of the population. It is only a representation of the whole data. Data derived from a sample in meant to give an overview of the whole scenario. There are a number of sampling techniques. Probability sampling, according to Chambers and Skinner (2003), is defined as having the distinguishing characteristic that each unit in the population has a known non-zero probability of being included in the sample, meaning that every unit or subject has equal chance of being selected from the population. Probability sampling provides an advantage because research” ability of calculating a specific bias error in regards to the data and therefore eliminating the danger of the researcher’s biasing the selection process because of one’s opinions and desires, Barnet (2002). When bias is eliminated the results can be generalised from the sample to the whole of the population because the sample represents the population. There are four types of probability sampling including simple sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling and cluster sampling. For the purpose of this research, simple random technique was used. The researcher opted for this method because it gives each and every individual an equal chance of being selected in the research process. It also reduces chances of the research bias, Barnet (2002). The researcher used random sampling in picking respondents. Small pieces of paper with yes or no were put in a box, shaken and respondents were allowed

to pick. Out of the twenty secondary schools offering Physics in Zaka district ten schools picked a paper with yes. Out of the sixty girls doing Physics in the district ten girls picked papers written yes. Out of the twenty teachers teaching Physics in the district ten picked yes and five administrators picked a yes. Five parents from the twenty schools picked yes. Probability sampling technique was used to determine teachers and girls who would participate in the study. This sampling method gives every element in the sampling frame an equal chance of being included in the sample, Kombo and Tomp, (2006). The sample was represented as in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1 Population sample sizes

Designation Total population Sample size Percentage of sample Physics girl students 60 10 17% Physics teachers 20 10 50% Administrators 20 5 25% Parents 20 5 25% Total 120 30 25%

3.6 Research instruments

3.6.1 Introduction This study utilised quantitative techniques. A qualitative data from questionnaires will be analysed using statistical package. Excel generated tables of frequency and percentages, pie charts will be used in describing distributions of the variables which will be presented in the form of tables.

Barnet (2002), say instruments are tools needed for collecting data from human subjects. They are used to obtain standardised information from all subjects in the sample. The research instrument used in this research was questionnaires filled by Physics girl students, Physics, teachers, school administrators and parents.

3.7 Questionnaires It is described as a list of questions or statements to which individuals are asked to respond to in writing. Bhatt (2007) in Semela (2010) viewed population as a means of collecting all kinds

of data in a research. It is further described as a collection of carefully constructed questionnaire designed to provide systematic information. Questionnaires offer a great anonymity which is free from bias of the interviewer. Use of questionnaires gave the respondents enough time to give well thought responses; the instruments were distributed to Physics girls, teachers, administrators and parents.

Despite the pros that are inherent with questionnaires, questionnaires have cons in that the researcher cannot probe the respondents in case the response is not clear. The respondent might not return some of the questionnaires. The questionnaires were made up of three parts. The first part asked on the background information such as age of the girls’ grade obtained in the previous tests. For teachers it was asking for teachers academic and professional qualifications. A relationship between these variables and the responses of questions to the study was established. Then the second part was asking for the availability of resources and equipment related to the learning of Physics. The third part of the questionnaires was based on challenges of the subject.

3.8 Data collection procedures The researcher sought a letter of introduction from Bindura University of Science Education. To ensure credibility of the study, permission was sought from Zaka district Education offices through the D.S.I to distribute questionnaire to the students and teachers of Physics subject. First the selected girls will be assembled and administered with questionnaires, followed by teachers” questionnaires which will be administered in their respective staff offices and collected back. The last person to be given the questionnaire is the school head.

3.9 Validity and reliability Salim (2011) defines reliability as the degree of consistency that instruments demonstrate. It will be censured by using and checked on a variety of instruments which will be used. Validity can be described as the appropriateness, meaningfulness and usefulness of the inferences a research makes, Malunga (2003). In other words, validity refers to whether the instruments measure what is supposed to measure. All items must be clearly stated and defined so that they have the same meaning to all respondents. According to Wasana, (2009), all data should be pilot tested to see how recipients complete the questions. It also seeks to establish whether all questions all questions and instruments are clear and enable the researcher to remove any items which are irrelevant.

Testing for validity enabled the location of ambiguity in the instrument’s words and questions. Validity in this study will be insured by a pilot study so that the instruments could be amended accordingly.

3.10 Pilot study The research carried a feasibility study with five form three girls that he teaches, since they possess the same attributes as the group that formed the sample of the study. Salim (2011) stated that all data gathering instruments should be piloted to test how long it should take respondents to complete the questionnaires as well as check on their quality. The questionnaires were drafted and administered to find out if they understood the questions and to the Physics girl learners in Zaka district.

3.11 Ethical considerations The researcher was given a letter from Bindura University of Science Education which was an application to carry out the research. Permission was granted from Zaka Education District offices through the inspectorate and the District Schools Inspector. In this study no one was involved as a participant without knowing about the research and without a chance to refuse to take part. This was done by preparing a form that regulates the informed consent. There is also the mutual contract which explains the purpose of the study, the expectations from the participants, and the procedure with the data. There is also no deception of research. All participants” privacy was respected in this study and confidentiality was granted and maintained by use of coding rather than use of names. Participants” views were respected since respect for a person is seen as essential and consideration of the wellbeing of participants was exercised in this study.

3.12 Conclusions In this chapter, the researcher examined the methodology, research approach and research designs that were used in the study. The population, sample and sampling procedures, and research instructions were spelt out. Data collection procedures, validity and reliability including ethical considerations were also given.

CHAPTER 4 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Introduction The main aim of this chapter is to present data, interpreted, analyse and discus it. The data gathered from questionnaires will be presented in a number of ways according to the research questions in chapter one. The data from issues raised and highlighted in sub problems in chapter one and then revisited in chapter two under literature review will be mostly discussed. Frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts were used in the presentation process. The study aimed at responding to the main question which was; reasons for low participation by girl learners in Physics in Zaka district of Masvingo province.

Bvekerea (2011) defines a bar graph as a way of presenting categorical data or any ungrouped discrete frequency observations. They cannot be used for continuous data. Pie charts are simple diagrams for displaying categorical or grouped data. It consists of a circle divided into segments for each category, the size of which is determined by the frequency of the category and measured as an angle of the segment.

4.2 Teachers’ qualification, teaching experience and field of study. Table 4.1 shows the number of teachers who selected the ratings from the questionnaire. Ten teachers filled the questionnaires.

Table 4.1: Number of teachers who selected the ratings from the questionnaire

Bad Good Very good Performance How would you rate of girls in 6 2 2 Physics? How motivated are the girl learners in 6 1 3 Physics How would you rate the support of parents to 7 2 2 the girl child in Physics? What is the general attitude of the girls in the 5 3 2 learning of Physics? How would you rate the preparedness of this 4 3 3 school in offering Physics as a subject? How prepared are you as a teacher in 4 3 3 teaching Physics.

The 4.1 shows generally that most schools in the district are not quite prepared to offer Physics as a subject. It is equally interesting from the table to notice how some of the teachers admit that they are not prepared to teach Physics. The attitude of the girls towards Physics is negatively affected same as their teachers and the parents. The girl child does not do well in the subject. Table 4.2 shows teacher qualifications.

Table 4.2: Teachers’ qualification

Teacher qualifications Number of Physical Area of specialisation Science/Physics Teachers Certificate in Education(C.E) 2 Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture Diploma in Education (Dip. 2 General Science and Ed) Agriculture Bsc 5 Applied Chemistry, Electrical Engineering and Financing Masters (Med) 1 Physics Education

Table 4.2 shows the teachers qualifications for Physical Science teachers in the ten selected schools in Zaka district.

The table shows that the majority of the Physics teachers in the district have a non-teaching degree in the Physics related fields 5 out of the 10 teachers. The same information was also shown on the bar graph; figure 4.1 shows a bar graph for teachers’ qualifications .

Masters

Bsc

Series1 Diped

C.E

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Figure 4.1: Teacher qualifications

The Figure 4.1 shows that 5 out of 10 have non-teaching qualifications. This might be the reason that teachers lack proper teaching and motivational methods. Electrical Engineers and Applied Bio-chemists possess irrelevant skills in the teaching profession. Given that the girl learners in the district already have negative attitudes and stereotyped away from Physics, the need well trained Science teachers who posses skills to boost motivation to the girl learners. Esser (2001) suggested that, “a good teacher should be able to counsel or help learners adjust better when problem arise.” The same authority also went on to say that the good teacher must be able to control the class effectively and willing to ensure that there is positive discipline in the classes. Thus, most teachers who have no teaching qualifications lack these management skills since they were not taught classroom management. The girl learners, who already show an attitude towards the learning of Physics, are left behind this way.

Two of the under qualified teachers revealed that they did not mean to become teachers after all. They were forced by the unemployment situation in the country at the moment. They are still hoping to find their proper jobs in what they called greener pastures. One actually indicated that he is having problems in delivering lessons and interpreting the syllabus particularly in teaching from simple to complex. Such poor teaching strategies push the girl learner away from

Physics. The subject apparently becomes difficult for less gifted learners. Some of the girl learners asked complained that some of the lessons were difficult to follow and that some teachers had problems in simplifying most concepts. Physics becomes such a difficult subject where very few will be left to enjoy. Table 4.3 shows experience of teachers.

Table 4.3: Teaching experience for the ten teachers.

Teaching experience Number of teachers Frequency density 0 – 5 years 6 1.2 6 – 10 years 1 0.2 11 – 15 years 1 0.2 15 years and above 2 0.4

Table 4.3 shows that more than half the number of Physics teachers does not have enough experience, less than five years. Essel (2001) says that the ability of a teacher to explain explicitly will enable the learners to understand what is taught as well as take active part in the classes.

4.3 Teaching methods frequency of practical lessons Table 4.4 shows summary responses given by school heads on the questionnaires. A total of 10 heads of schools completed the questionnaires. Table 4.5 shows how ten girls sampled each from a different school in Zaka district indicated how often they would have practical lessons in the subject of Physics at their schools. This result shows that the teachers at most schools 6 out of 10 are not conducting their lessons practically. It was at one school that at least a practical has to be carried out in every lesson. Another single school organises a practical lesson on weekly basis. When asked again why most girls did not enjoy Physics lessons, the cited lack of practical activities as a major cause for understanding most concepts in Physics. One of the girls lamented that the Physics teacher brings pre-prepared notes for them to copy in his lessons. He would then try to explain the notes towards the end of the lesson. This method dominates nearly all of his lessons and it becomes monotonous and boring to learn Physics. Another girl from the same school gave this as her reason for dropping Physics. The pass rate in the Physics department at most schools could be linked to such poor teacher-centred methods of teaching. The table below shows the

pass Table 4.5 shows that there are only two viable secondary schools in the district that are scoring more than 50 % pass rate. Linking the observations to the teaching methods the researcher noticed that there are only two schools whose teachers are teaching practically and these two schools are doing well in the pass rate. Girls would leave the subject of Physics because of the poor pass rate. Physics is a practical subject. The teaching methods become a factor causing only few girls to do Physics. The teachers however explained that there are no proper laboratories to carry out practical lessons. One teacher indicated that there are no special tables in the ordinary classrooms and it is risky to carry out practical lessons to both the learners and the apparatus most of which are glass ware. Table 4.6 show the distribution of laboratories for selected schools in the district.

Table 4.4: Responses from the heads

Bad Good Very good How would you rate performance of girls in 7 2 1 Physics? How motivated are the physics teachers at 4 3 3 this school? How would you rate the support of parents to 8 1 1 the girl child in Physics? How qualified would you say the Physics 3 4 3 teachers at this school are? How would you rate the preparedness of this 5 3 2 school in offering Physics as a subject? What would you say about the turnover rate 7 2 1 of Physics teachers at this school? How supportive is the ministry in deploying 7 2 1 Physics teachers at this school?

Table 4.5 Frequency of practical lessons

Frequency of practical Every Once/week Twice/week Never at all lessons lesson Number of respondents 1 1 2 6

Table 4.6 Pass rate in Physical Science

School code 3013 2014 2015 2016 A 80 % 91% 91% 94% B 60 % 55% 58 % 63% C 22 % 12% 11 % 13% D 9 % 3% 2% 5% E 0 % 3 % 4 % 2 % F 0 % 0 % 6 % 2 % G 0.5 % 0 % 2.8 % 3.4 % H 0.8 % 0 % 5 % 1.9 % I 7 % 8 % 13 % 11 % J 6 % 14 % 12.4 % 3.9%

Table 4.7: Special rooms for 10 sampled schools in Zaka District

Characteristics of rooms Number of schools from sample With no laboratory at all 6 With 1 unfurnished Science 3 Laboratory At least 1 properly furnished 1 laboratory

Table 4.7 shows that the majority of the schools in Zaka District as represented by the ten sampled schools do not have special rooms to offer Physics, with 6 out of the ten schools with

no laboratory at all. There is only one school in the district of Zaka with a proper and well furnished Physics laboratory. It would appear that those schools offering Physical Science are doing so under limited resources and are struggling. One teacher asked how they operate was quick to indicate that it was not easy and there was a lot of sacrifice on the part of the teachers. The challenges of lack of special rooms and proper equipment remain a stumbling block towards the teaching of the subject of Physics. Most of the concepts are theorised due to lack of apparatus. The apparatus supplied by UNICEF to all secondary schools could not meet the demands of the Physical Science syllabus, lamented one of the female Physics teachers. She was quick to point out absence of Veneer callipers and other essential apparatus for practical measurements. It is not easy to take a class of more than 10 learners at Ordinary level Physical Science if it has to be taught practically. The sizes of the groups in large classes would not allow hands-on experience to the learners because of lack of enough apparatus. The scramble would force the weak girl learners to chicken out on favour of other art subjects.

The UNICEF text books donated in 2012 did not cater for Physical Science and it was only schools with big financial muscles that sacrificed some of their resources to Physical Science text books. Table 4.8 shows the leaner-textbook ratio for only three of the selected secondary schools.

Table 4.8: Learners-textbook ratio for 3 secondary schools

School/ Number of Number of learners in Textbook-learner textbooks class ratio A 5 books 45 1 : 9 B 10 books 40 1 : 4 C 9 books 45 1 : 5

Kehoe, (2007), lamented that in Zimbabwe what were once thriving Physics departments in schools have declined due to inadequate funds. One teacher actually said it is difficult for him

to monitor learners in the Physics practical since others will be idle, seated and watching other learners manipulate the apparatus. Nearly all the girls said they rely on notes since textbooks are inadequate. One teacher said it was difficult for him to distribute the meagre textbooks to the learners. The learner-textbook ratio is very large; average is 1 textbook for every 6 learners. The teacher said that he uses a method of giving the textbooks to learners who perform better in class. A closer analysis of the teachers” asset register revealed that the majority of good performers were boys. It becomes in this way that the girl learners are screened away from the subject of Physics.

4.4 Attitude of girl learner towards learning of Physics. The table below shows the number of parents of girl learners in Physics recorded by five different teachers from five selected schools in Zaka district in 2017 consultation days. Table 4.9 also shows the percentage of parents who consulted with the Physics teachers.

Table 4.9: Number of parents who consulted the Physics teacher

Teacher Number of girls doing Number of parents of Percentage of girl parents Physics who consulted that consulted Teacher A 15 2 13.33 % Teacher B 10 1 10.00 % Teacher C 12 2 16.67 % Teacher D 9 3 33.33 % Teacher E 11 4 36.36 % Totals 48 12 25.00% Table 4.9 shows that from the five schools a total of 48 girl learners are doing Physics. The table shows that only 12 out of the 48 possible parents took trouble to consult. This translates to only 25 % of parents concerned about the welfare of their girl children in the subject of Physics on average. One would be forced to think that parents for girl learners in Physics are not worried about the progress of their children in the subject of Physics. Two of the parents that were interviewed, concurred that communities in Zaka district do not encourage their girl children to do Physics. They believe allowing girls to do Physics is a waste of money and regard Physics as a subject meant for the highly gifted boys. According to the parents, there are no known examples of female school leavers that have pursued in Physics –related courses.

Girls are fit for white collar office work jobs like secretaries, bank tellers, teaching, nursing unlike the dirty engineering fields related to the Physics.

Another record from a single school in Zaka district, table 4.7 shows number of parents who responded to invitations from the school after both boys and girl learners failed to attend Physics lessons from a period of five months covering March, April, May, June and July of 2017.

Table 4.10 shows the parents of boys and girls who were invited by the Physics department after their children failed to attend school regularly. From the table, parents for the boys responded well to the invitations 91 % and went to discuss with the teachers while parents for the girl learners did not respond well 9.6 %. The bar graph below compared the percentage of parents for the boy and parents for the girl learners who responded to the invitations by the Physics department.

Table 4.10: Teachers invited by Physics teacher

Month Total Number of Total Number of Percentage Percentage parents for boy parents parents for girl parents of Boy of girl boys invited responded girls invited that parents parents responded responded responded March 5 4 8 1 80 12 April 4 3 6 0 75 0 May 1 1 10 1 100 10 June 2 2 12 2 100 16 July 3 3 10 2 100 20 Average/ 91 % 9.6 % Month

Figure 4.2 shows the respondents of parents’ invitations for the five months March to July 2017.

July

June

May girls % boys %

April

march

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Figure 4.2: Response for parents invited

The bar graph Fig 4.2 above show that parents of boys who studied Physics are very cooperative and supportive to the education of the children compared to parents for the girl learners. This was shown by their response to the invitations by the Physics Departments teacher. However, the parents for the girls are not supportive as indicated by a very small percentage of the parents who responded to the invitations made in these five months of learning in 2017. Sheldon,, (2009) observed that successful learners in Europe have strong academic support from their parents while Kehoe, (2007) concurred with Sheldon when he says that in Zimbabwe it was noted that effective schools have made real effort in reaching out to their learners” families in order to bring liaison and cooperation. Parents in Zaka district do not support female learners in Physics.

4.5 The girl Learners in the district seem not to like the subject of Physics. Table 4.11 shows how they rate the usefulness of the subject.

Table 4.11 Girl learners rating the subject of Physics

Rating Not very useful Useful Very useful Number of learners 6 2 2

Table 4.11 shows that the majority of the girls do not seem to like Physics because they do not regard the subject as useful to them in life. This attitude may result from how the subject is being taught. The result shows that most girls again do not enjoy their lessons in Physics.

Table 4.12 shows the response of the girls to question 5 on how they enjoyed Physics lessons.

Table 4.12: Number of girls enjoying Physics

Rating Not enjoyable Enjoyable Very enjoyable Number of girls 8 1 1

Table 4.12 shows that from the 10 schools, the majority of 8 girls from 8 separate schools are not enjoying their Physics lessons. Causes of lack of enjoyment could result from how the girls rate the competence of the Physics teachers in the district like is indicated on table 4.13 . Table 4.13: Rated teacher competences.

Rating Not competent Competent Very competent Number of girls 7 1 2

It may be clear why the girls are not enjoying the Physics lessons. They do not rate their teachers well. It could be emanating from the absence of practical lessons of the shortage of qualified Physics teachers in the district. This tallies well with the fact that most teachers in the department are not having the needed pedagogy like is illustrated on tables 4.2 and 4.3 on teacher qualifications and experience respectively.

The attitude may also result from how the girls rate the support they get from their parents in the learning of Physics. Most of the learners do not see their parents supportive. When asked, one of the girls was quick to point out that her parents do not even consult her Physics teacher on consultation days and is not keen to buy her textbooks like she does for other subjects. Table 4.14 shows how supportive the parents are viewed by the 10 girls.

Table 4.14: Support of girls by parents

Rating Not supportive Supportive Very supportive Number of girls 5 3 2

4.5 Summary This chapter covered data presentation and discovered that the low numbers of Physics girl learners in Zaka district is caused by shortage of role models, experimental equipment, and shortage of textbooks and lack of support by parents. Teachers” qualification and experience also plays a pivotal role in the negative attitude of girls learners towards Physics in Zaka district. Most girls do not enjoy their lessons in Physics and seen not to view the subject as being useful in future.

CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction This chapter intends to make a summary of the research problem, methodology and results of the study. Conclusions based on the research process are also outlined. The chapter makes recommendations based on the issues that needed to be considered and adopted to improve participation of girls in the learning of Physics in Zaka district.

5.2 Summary This chapter aims at assessing the causes of low enrolments in Physics by girls in Zaka district. The researcher used questionnaires to gather information. Female learners, teachers, administrators and parents were given questionnaires to complete. The major findings of the study were as follows; ‘shortage of role models is one of the reasons why there are very low numbers of girl learners in Physics in the district, The girls in the district do not have anyone to emulate. Teachers” experience and their subject of specialisation are a contributory factor on lack of involvement in the learning of Physics by girls in the district. The inexperienced teachers use teacher-centred methods which cause girls to have negative attitudes towards the subject. Most schools in the district are poorly equipped in terms of apparatus necessary in the practical teaching and learning of Physics. The scramble for apparatus allows practical lessons to be done in too large groups and most girls drop the subject. The practical lessons are not enjoyed under the limited resources. It was also noted that only one high school in the district has proper Physics laboratories where proper learning of the subject is done. The other schools sacrifice the learning of the subject in ordinary classrooms which will not allow meaningful practical lessons. Girls are more negatively affected than boys. The parents in Zaka district are not as supportive to the girl child as they appear to be on the boys. Most girls in the area of Physics are ignored on consultation days organised by schools in the district where the concerned parents would consult respective teachers on the progress of their children. The parents believe that Physics is for the boys. It was also noted that the parents would not even respond positively when teachers in the district call them to schools to discuss cases of abscond. They are not bothered when the girl child fails to attend Physics lessons.

The attitude of parents towards the learning of Physics by girls eventually makes the girl learner want to move away from learning Physics. The girls do not see any good reason for doing Physics. The girls are not motivated at all. They are also reported to move out of and avoid Physics lessons.

5.3 Conclusions Most Teachers in the Physics departments are not trained to teach Physics as a subject. The majority are just diploma and certificate holders while others lack the teaching pedagogical

skills and there are also holders of non teaching degrees in the district. Girls are very sensitive learners who need patience and tact to motivate them towards the subject of Physics they already regard as a difficult subject. The girl learner in the district of Zaka lack confidence in Physics. The situation in Zaka district is worsened by the observation that Physics is mostly taught by male teachers.

There is shortage of the necessary apparatus to allow active teaching and learning of Physics. The schools cannot afford to construct the expensive Physics labs and buy the much needed apparatus according to most school heads, let alone the provision of the essentially needed Physics text books. It is unfortunate that because girls have a negative attitude towards Physics, the majority perform poorly and the teachers in the district distribute the limited resources with a bias toward high performers and most boys benefit. The girl child is further disadvantaged and gets pushed away from taking part in the learning of Physics. Some girls say that they rely on notes from the already under qualified teachers who lack the pedagogy to motivate the girl learner and one would not dispute the fact that there are very few girl learners doing Physics in the district.

Parents in Zaka district have an attitude that contributes largely towards the limited numbers of girl learners in the subject of Physics. They regard Physics as men’ subject and their lack of support only save to de-motivate the female learners towards the subject. Learners need the support of their parents especially when they are not doing well. They need encouragement from their parents especially on consultation days. The parents would visit other departments and consider the Physics department as for the males. It was concluded that most parents of female Physics learners do not have time to look at the progress of their children in Physics.

It is also sad to note that the government failed to convince UNICEF to include the subject of Physics when they donated text books in 2012. Most parents and their girl children regard Physics as not very important and optional. The importance of Physics as a pillar in the field of Engineering and other science subjects is not properly emphasised. Girls would not take up a subject that is regarded optional. Most girls favour less taxing humanities subjects. They prefer professions that are not related to Physics.

5.4 Recommendations In light of the above conclusions, the following recommendations emerged. These recommendations may be addressed to the Physics learners, the parents, physics teachers, school administrators, ministry of education, the outside corporate world and donors in the education fraternity. From the above conclusions, it is recommended that; female Physics learners need to build a positive attitude and that they are capable of performing well in this area. A special incentive could be given to boost the enrolments in the Physics area like as was noticed in other countries. A certain number of the girl learners would be given special free education for those doing Physics and Physics related courses from grass root levels. It should not be left to the parents alone since most parents say they do not have money to gamble by allowing their girls to venture in the subject they think is difficult and meant for a few gifted males. The ministry of education should train and employ more teachers in the area of Physics and deploy them to the needy rural areas like Zaka district. The gender equality has to be considered when training and deploying Physics teachers. Some kind of incentive has to be worked out to attract the under qualified Science teachers to further their studies in the field of Physics in particular. It may also be recommended that teachers have to exercise gender equality when sharing the limited resources like text books to learners, and girls may not be mixed with boys during practical lessons because the manipulation of apparatus will be dominated by boys. Girls should struggle on their own to gain confidence and direct assistance from the instructors. Girls need to have hands on skills to enjoy the subject of Physics. Schools in the remote rural districts like Zaka should be assisted without delay in putting up necessary infrastructure like Physics laboratories. The district should organise workshops to equip the untrained teachers with the needed teaching methods.

REFERENCES

Barnatt C (2002), Research methods in education (16th edition) Longman London. Bless and Achola (2010) Practical Guide to Research Methods fifth edition New York. Burns, M. (2000) Research in Education .Longman London Bvekera, T. (2011) Research Design (online) availed url: @ syscom.com zw accessed October 2014. Cohen, L and Manion, L (1994) Research Methods in Education, Routledge, London Essel, M. (2001) Strategies for ensuring Trustworthiness in qualitative research (online) availed url: http/www.Herkules Oulus. F1.... x32 Html accessed 23 March 2017. Gotfredson, L (2001) Research approach (online) available urt: http/www. Harare Printers Zimbabwe. Kanyongo, T. (2005), Innovative Science Teaching: for Physical Sciences Teachers. Third Edition, learning P.V.T ISBN Kehoe, S. (2007) improving the practical process skills abilities of metalwork students, European journal of practical Education 3(1): 26-38. Kombo and Tromp (2006) Improving staff performance through in-service education. Boston, Allyn and Bacon. Malunga, S. (2003) Conducting Educational Research Harcourt Brace College Publishers New York. Nyahumwe, P (2004) Research design (online) availed url: http: /www. Mega.net. Au documents/MERJ- 19: accessed 16 January 2015. Salim KR (2011), Levels of practical skills in electronic laboratory. Amman Jordan. Wasanga, P.M (2009) the role of examination results as a feedback tool. The Kenyan experience, 30 September 2014 – 2 October 2014 pp 13-15. Nziramasanga, C.T. (1999) Report: Presidential commission of enquiry into education and training. Government Printers Harare. Sheldon, A.K. (2009), Strategies for ensuring Trustworthiness in qualitative research, Longman, London. Takawira, M. and Gwarinda, T. (2001) Problems in the teaching of practical subjects. College Press, Harare. Validya, N. (2003) Science teaching for the 21 first Century Deed and Deep publications private limited, New Delhi. Zhaoyao, M. (2002), Physics education for the 21 first Centuries: Avoiding a crisis, Physics Education, 37(1), 18-24.

APPENDIX 1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PHYSICS TEACHERS

My name is Fambisai Munashe. I am a student at Bindura University of Science Education and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Education Honours degree in Physics. In fulfilling the requirements of the degree, I would like to carry out my research on the topic: What could be the reasons why few girl learners pursue Physics in Zaka District? You are therefore kindly requested to give a hand in this research through truthfully completing the questionnaire below. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. The information given by the respondents is strictly confidential and will be used for the purposes of this research only.

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Answer all questions truthfully and honestly. 2 Choose your answer by ticking the letter against your correct response. 3 Do not inscribe any of your personal data in this questionnaire.

SECTION A: DEMOGRAPHICS 1 (a) Sex Male...... female...... (b) Age 20-25 26-30 31-39 40 plus

SECTION B: QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND AREA OF SPECIALISATION 1 Qualification (a) Academic...... (b) Professional...... (c) Experience......

SECTION C: QUESTIONS How would you rate performance of girls in Bad Good Very good Physics? How motivated are the girl learners in Physics How would you rate the support of parents to the girl child in Physics? What is the general attitude of the girls in the learning of Physics? How would you rate the preparedness of this school in offering Physics as a subject? How prepared are you as a teacher in teaching Physics. APPENDIX 2 : QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LEARNERS

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Answer all questions truthfully and honestly 2. Choose your answers by putting a tick in the box. 3. Do not inscribe any of your data, in this questionnaire SECTION A : DEMOGRAPHICS 1 (a) Sex Male Female 2 (b) Class Form 1 Form 2 Form 3 Form 4 Form 5 Form 6 SECTION B : QUESTIONS Indicate by ticking against the letter of your choice to questions below about the subject of Physics. 1. How often do you have practical lessons in Physics? (A) Every lesson. (B) 1 per week. (C) 1 per month. (D) Never at all. 2. For how long would you normally have one person teaching you Physics? (A) The same teacher since form 1. (B) A new teacher every term. (C) A new teacher every year. 3. How would you rate your Physics teacher? (A) Not competent (B) competent (C) very competent. 4. How do you rate the usefulness of the subject of Physics in your life? (A) Not useful (B) useful (C) Very useful. 5. How do you find your lessons in Physical Science? (A) Not very enjoyable (B) Enjoyable (C) Very enjoyable. 6. How would you rate the attitude of your parents in the subject of Physics? (A) Not supportive (B) supportive (C) Very supportive

APPENDIX 3: QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE SCHOOL HEADS

SECTION A: DEMOGRAPHICS 1 (a) Sex Male...... female...... (b) Age 20-25 26-30 31-39 40 plus

SECTION C: QUESTIONS How would you rate performance of girls in Bad Good Very good Physics? How motivated are the physics teachers at this school? How would you rate the support of parents to the girl child in Physics? How qualified would you say the Physics teachers at this school are? How would you rate the preparedness of this school in offering Physics as a subject? What would you say about the turnover rate of Physics teachers at this school? How supportive is the ministry in deploying Physics teachers at this school?