The Paradox of Administrators in Managing the Implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum in Early Childhood Development Settings in Zvishavane District

Cleopas Zhou
Midlands State University, Zimbabwe
Email: r09608n@students.msu.ac.zw

Abstract: This study explores the paradox of School Heads in managing the implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum in Early Childhood Development (ECD) settings in Zvishavane District, Zimbabwe. The Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) emphasises integrating local cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge and community traditions into early learning to foster identity, values and holistic development. Using a qualitative research approach and a case study design, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with five School Heads, ten Teachers-in-Charge (T-I-Cs) completed questionnaires and classroom observations were done in five schools in the target district. The findings indicate that school administrators face challenges including inadequate resources, limited training in heritage-focused pedagogy, balancing administrative and teaching responsibilities and insufficient policy support. The study recommends targeted professional development for school administrators, enhanced resource allocation and strengthened policy frameworks to support effective strategies to manage the implementation of the HBC in ECD environments. The research contributes to understanding the contextual realities of heritage-informed early childhood development programmes in Zvishavane and Zimbabwe at large and offers practical recommendations for sustainable HBC implementation in ECD environments.