Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify secondary school teachers' conceptions of literacy and how they influenced their classroom practice. The study was conducted in Zimbabwean secondary schools among students and teachers whose home language was Shona. Shona was taught as a school subject and English was the medium of instruction. The data was collected through a survey (N=811), classroom observations, and interviews with teachers. The majority of the teachers had narrow conceptions of literacy that were primarily oriented towards recall of information, literal meaning, and mechanical skills. The primary teaching goal was to prepare students for national examinations. The main policy implication of the study is that the Ministry of Education should come up with a national literacy policy that addresses the shortcomings of the language curriculum