Transforming the Zimbabwean secondary school mathematics curriculum to align It with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

Globally, various sectors, including the education sector, have embraced the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to address the challenges faced by African citizens. These challenges include climate change, drought, poverty, inequalities and the need to equip learners with twenty-first-century skills required in an ever-changing society. Zimbabwe is undergoing a socio-economic transformation where mathematics is key to development. Learners must acquire the necessary mathematical knowledge and skills and develop a positive attitude towards the learning area. To equip the learners with skills needed for the future industry and be ready for the 4IR, they need access to the mathematics curriculum that promotes technology-driven pedagogies. Technology-driven pedagogies are essential in fostering learners’ problem-solving skills, critical thinking, collaboration and effective communication. The chapter focuses on how the Zimbabwean secondary school mathematics curriculum can be transformed to align it with the 4IR requirements. We formulated the following research question: How should the Zimbabwean mathematics curriculum be transformed to align it to the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution? The chapter is organised in seven major sections: introduction, the 4IR; 4IR and mathematics education; focus and purpose of the chapter; methodology; findings and discussion; transforming the Zimbabwean secondary school mathematics curriculum to align with the 4IR requirements; and conclusion.