Re-Envisioning Pedagogical Praxis: Decolonizing Health Life Skills and Mental Well-Being Curricula for Teacher Trainees in Zimbabwe

The impetus for this book, Re-envisioning Pedagogical Praxis: Decolonizing Health Life Skills and Mental Well-being Curricula for Teacher Trainees in Zimbabwe, stems from critical observations and extensive engagements on the evolving discourse surrounding Health Life Skills (HLS) and mental well-being in Zimbabwe’s tertiary education sector. Over the years, the conceptualization, operationalization, and implementation of these curricula have undergone significant transformation, influenced by local needs, global trends, and the broader decolonization movement in education. This book seeks to interrogate these shifts, offering a reflective yet forward-looking analysis of how HLS and mental well-being can be reimagined to better serve teacher trainees and, by extension, the Zimbabwean education system. As a senior lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University, Research Fellow at University of Stellenbosch, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and University Counsellor at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the challenges and opportunities embedded in the teaching and learning of Health Life Skills. My experiences—spanning curriculum development, student supervision, and academic research—have revealed gaps between policy intentions and classroom realities. This book emerges from a desire to bridge those gaps by presenting a nuanced, contextually grounded framework for decolonizing and revitalizing HLS and mental well-being education in Zimbabwe. Within these pages, the book traces the historical and contemporary trajectories of HLS and mental well-being curricula in Zimbabwean tertiary institutions, situating them within broader African and global contexts. It examines the conceptual underpinnings of these modules, the structural and pedagogical challenges hindering their effective implementation, and proposes actionable strategies for improvement. Drawing from comparative analyses with other Southern African countries, the book highlights key lessons that can inform curriculum reform, policy development, and classroom practice. My own journey in this field—as a senior lecturer, university counsellor, researcher, and examiner—has deepened my understanding of the intersections between Health Life Skills, inclusive education, educational psychology, and broader societal issues such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and mental health. Having supervised diploma, honours, and master’s students, as well as served as an internal and external examiner in Zimbabwe and South Africa, I bring both scholarly rigor and practical insights to this discourse. My previous publications on gender, educational psychology, and psychosocial challenges further enrich the perspectives shared in this book. This publication is designed to empower a diverse audience—practitioners, administrators, teacher educators, curriculum developers, policymakers, and students—by equipping them with both theoretical and practical tools to enhance HLS and mental well-being education. It is my hope that this book will stimulate critical dialogue, inspire pedagogical innovation, and contribute to the ongoing decolonization of education in Zimbabwe and beyond. Finally, I extend my deepest gratitude to the scholars, students, and institutions whose contributions have shaped this work. The journey of re-envisioning education is a collective one, and this book is but one step toward a more inclusive, responsive, and transformative pedagogical future.