Sharing Teacher Expertise Through Subject Specialisation (in the Primary School [STESS])

Abstract

This paper reports on a study carried out to try out subject specialisation by teachers in the primary school, as a possible alternative to the conventional approach where one teacher teaches all subjects to a class. The study resulted from the observation that, in spite of mounting evidence suggesting the need for primary school teachers to specialise in one or two subjects only, little is being done along these lines, in Zimbabwe and in most countries the world over. Nine teams in two rural schools, three urban former Group B (formerly for blacks before independence) and three urban former Group A schools (formerly for ' whites before independence) in Zimbabwe, practised subject specialisation (by the teachers) for three school terms and an evaluation was carried out at the end of the three terms: The study sought to find out whether the main stakeholders i.e. pupils, teachers, school heads, and parents would prefer the approach, whether better learning and teaching would result, and the problems and advantages to be met. The findings suggested that the majority of the stakeholders prefer the approach, and that better learning achievement appeared to accrue. Some problems and advantages of the approach were also identified