Wood Technology in the Shona Culture: Implications on Education 5.0 within the Context of Zimbabwe’s Curriculum Framework 2015-2022

Abstract

The emergence of wood as an engineering material is taken back
into history, as far as the very roots of humanity. It is back then,
the relationship between wood and stone is highlighted in the act
of fire-making for the sake of human progress and survival. We
could not have come this far without these two engineering
materials. Interestingly, in present day, most of the engineering
solutions to several problems comprise the application of more
than one material. In Zimbabwe, the advent of Design and
Technology as a subject, together with all its related branches in
Curriculum Framework 2015-2022, has turned out to be the case
of history repeating itself, regarding the issue of problem-solving.
It is within this scenario, that one focuses on Wood Technology
(WT) as part of the Shona culture in a study where the task was
to determine the extent to which the modern-day Design and
Technology Curriculum in Zimbabwe could benefit from the roots
of WT founded in Shona culture. In conclusion, this article brings
to light several opportunities for such benefits.