Textile technology for innovation in Zimbabwean teacher education

The textile technology curriculum in Zimbabwe’s primary teacher education system emphasises technical outcomes with the potential to drive innovation and industrialisation. However, the limited application of signature pedagogies has constrained student teachers’ opportunities to develop the innovative thinking and transversal competencies necessary to advance the goals of Education 5.0 and the national Vision 2030. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, which values contextual knowledge construction, active engagement, and social interaction, this qualitative narrative inquiry explored how immersion in a curriculum shaped by signature pedagogies could empower teacher educators and student teachers to lead transformative reforms in higher and tertiary education. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis from a purposive sample comprising 25 student teachers and five teacher educators. The findings indicate that, while the TT curriculum possesses inherent strengths for promoting innovation and industrialisation, prevailing theory-based assessment practices undermine the development of practical and creative competencies. The study highlights the urgent need to reorient teacher education through the adoption of innovative teaching strategies, competency-based assessment models, and stronger linkages with industry. It recommends a more integrated approach that balances technical proficiency with the cultivation of transversal skills and creative problem-solving. Additionally, the introduction of alternative certification for discrete skill sets is proposed to complement the teacher education diploma. Strengthening collaboration with industry is also deemed critical for improving access to modern resources and technologies, currently identified as key barriers to curriculum transformation.