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This study sought to examine the clinical supervision model and investigate its role in the professional development of teachers in Zimbabwe. The investigation employed the qualitative research method utilizing documentary analysis. It used secondary documentary sources to gather data. The study findings reveal that clinical supervision model is a vehicle for teacher professional development and teacher growth, leading to improvement in teaching performance, improvement of classroom instruction, and facilitation of student learning. Clinical supervision thus directly influences teacher behaviour in such a way as to promote the teacher’s overall professional development and growth, facilitate student learning and achieve the goals of school organization as it systematically goes through varying phases and series of cycles of planning, observation, and intensive intellectual analysis of actual teaching performance. The clinical supervisor provides leadership and support, serves as a role model, a mentor, an advisor, a resource person, a coach and as a teacher. Despite the school head being at the epicentre of teacher supervision, many heads (supervisors) do not adequately understand the concept of instructional supervision. They confuse it with inspection. This is because many heads do not have specialised training in clinical supervision. The study therefore urges Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) to carefully select and give all would-be clinical supervisors special training in clinical supervision. In order to reduce the number of supervisees per supervisor, a call is made to school authorities to select suitable candidates (e.g. senior teachers, teachers–in-charge (TICs) and heads of subject departments) to also undergo specialized training in clinical supervision.

The study sought to investigate the need to establish a market-oriented culture in educational institutions in Zimbabwe. The investigation employed documentary research method, and used the secondary documentary sources to gather data. The findings revealed that, in the education sector, there have been rapid changes in the marketplace, work environment and job requirements. A large number of schools, teacher training colleges, technical vocational colleges, universities and institutions for specialised fields have been established. The promotional culture of marketing is critical in getting the word out to the target market, i.e. learners and parents, that the institution has something beneficial to offer them at a great value. Accordingly, findings revealed that there is a strong need for educational institutions to establish a market-oriented culture so that they market their products and education services. A typical marketing mix for developing an effective marketing strategy, comprise 4Ps: product, place, price and promotion, which an educational institution, being client-centric, may extend to include three more Ps: people, process and physical evidence. Marketing research facilitates marketing decisions and aids the institution learning about the marketplace, the education industry, pupils, students, products and education services. The study recommended that an educational institution should let the would-be clients know that it exists, and should market its products and education services. Finally, observing that for most institutions, the number one marketing and public relations force is their own employees, a call was made for education institutions to empower their employees to make effective decisions.

The study sought to investigate and analyse teachers’ perception of their role in the school and society in Harare Metropolitan Province and measure the extent to which teachers perceive their role as “diffuse” or just “restricted” to the traditional role of instruction. The investigation employed the survey research design, which was mainly quantitative in nature. The study was conducted in 145 schools: 102 primary and 43 secondary schools. The sample of 360 teachers was randomly selected from145 schools. The research findings revealed that teachers had a very diffuse conception of their role; and perceived their role in the school and society as: Instructor of subject disciplines, moral training, social adjustment of learners, director of sport, and mentor of leadership and guidance in community development programmes. The study recommended that teachers receive adequate training in the social adjustment of learners; and that all teachers graduating from teacher training institutions have expertise in at least two sporting disciplines which they should promote when deployed to schools. The study urged teachers to develop a richer perception of their role for them to more effectively function and be aware of their broader, national and global educational responsibility. Accordingly, a call was made to teachers to be familiar with their ‘diffuse’ role, multiple roles, and have adequate training to perform them effectively. Pursuant to the attainment of these goals, schools and Ministry of Education should conduct relevant faculty and national teacher development programmes so that teachers receive in-service training in their ‘diffuse’ role.

Every day, everywhere in the world, the right of learners and teachers to quality public education is violated (Dorsi, 2014). The quality of education is undermined by a deficit of appropriately qualified teachers more particularly in the rural areas. It has been observed that there has been moral decadence in contemporary society, and a marked decline in the character, moral values and general behaviour of students coming out of our school system. According to Mangena (2006), modern society has become increasingly more corrupt, lawless, violent, undisciplined and permissive, and that the trend is more apparent among the younger generation. There is, thus, an urgent need for the country to strive to provide quality public education and to ensure that the products coming out of schools have moral values and good ethical behaviour. Research studies by Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007) suggest that, among the major school-related factors that influence learner achievement, teachers matter most. Accordingly, the study sought to investigate issues of the right of learners and teachers to quality public education in Zimbabwe. The investigation employed the documentary research method, and used the secondary documentary sources to gather data. The findings revealed that every learner has a right to quality public education provided by quality teachers. The learners’ right to quality public education demands that teachers have a right to quality pre-service teacher education, moral education and in-service teacher education, and continuing professional education, financed by government. Quality education requires quality teachers who also have moral values and good ethical behaviour. The study recommended that government take practical measures to ensure that learners have access to quality education, quality schools staffed by appropriately-qualified school heads and teachers. Finally, a call was made to teacher unions to form a professional teachers’ council and establish a code of professional ethics.

There has been a marked decline in the character, moral values and general behaviour of students coming out of the Zimbabwean education system. Accordingly, this study sought to investigate issues of ethics and professionalism in the Zimbabwean education system, and examine how the trend of the gradual erosion of the moral values among people could be reversed. The investigation employed the documentary research method, and used the secondary documentary sources to gather data. The needed reversal of the trend of the gradual erosion of moral values among people required that the education system inculcates the values of hunhu/ubuntu and ethical behaviour among all learners from early childhood to university level. From an examination of the three normative ethical positions, it emerged that a more fruitful model of deciding right from wrong was to be found within deontological frameworks. A range of approaches to the resolution of ethical issues that may crop up and ethical decision-making were presented. Behaving ethically was at the heart of what it entails to be a professional. Some professional and ethical standards that guide the behaviour of members of the education profession were presented. Opinions differ as to whether or not teaching is a profession. While the general consensus said teaching is a profession, some authors viewed teaching as a semi-profession. Finally, a call was made to educator unions to form Professional Educators/ Teachers’ Councils and have codes of professional ethics.