Strengthening Community and Sports Associations’ Collaboration with Tertiary Institutions: Bachelor of Science Physical Education Students’ Perceptions on their Experiences of Industrial Attachment in Masvingo Region -Zimbabwe

Abstract

This research study undertook to find out the perceptions of Bachelor of Education in Physical Education students who are enrolled by the Zimbabwe Open University about their study programme in as far as it empowers them to become effective P.E. practitioners. Its intention was to investigate how these students viewed the ways in which these students can strengthen community and sporting associations in which they are involved. According to the University regulations for the programme, students enrolled on the programme are expected to go on Industrial Attachment for a period of 8 weeks in two successive years in local sports-related organizations or associations so that they get hands on type of sporting experience in that particular organization. The study investigated students’ perceptions of their experiences during this period of industrial attachment as a way of assessing their impact strengthening community and sporting association. It used a descriptive research design through a questionnaire that was distributed to all the 15 Physical Education students in Masvingo Region who were on their industrial attachment and three who have already completed their attachment on the suitability of their programmes. The results revealed that most Zimbabwe Open University Bachelor of Science Physical Education students believe that their study programme needs to be strengthened if it has to meet the attachment needs of different sporting and community associations. In its present form, students feel that the study programme’s time frame for industrial attachment was rather too short to enable them to learn adequately from their attachment, so that they would have loved the time on attachment to be increased for fruitful benefits. Students also believe the frequency of their practical coaching and guidance by their University tutors is inadequate as they would have wanted more visits from University tutors that thoroughly interrogated their expertise in the various sporting issues capacity to enhance their participation in various sporting and community attachments.

Key words: industrial attachment, sporting associations, sports related organizations, practical coaching, hands on