Secondary school classroom practitioners’ perceptions on adolescence in Zimbabwe: an intergenerational comparison

The study attempted to unravel the differences and similarities between adolescent learners of different chronosystems. The study was situated in a secondary school context and theoretically it was oriented towards Psychology of Education. Bandura’s social learning theory, Erikson’s psychosocial theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory formed the theoretical basis of the study. The descriptive survey research design was employed with questionnaires and focus group discussions as data collection instruments. The purposive sampling method was used to generate a sample of 24 secondary school teachers with a post qualification teaching experience of at least 20 years. The study established that while the general characteristics of adolescence were consistently manifested by secondary school learners of different cohorts, there were some marked differences between the ways adolescent learners of different cohorts managed the developmental challenges associated with adolescence as a unique developmental stage. Technological advancement, the degeneration of the extended family network and parenting styles were singled out as responsible for the variability between adolescents of different generations. It was recommended that stakeholders such as parents, guardians, community leaders and teachers should monitor technological and psychosocial changes with the intention to adequately assist adolescents of each generation to safely graduate into adulthood.