A framework towards enhancing productive units ensuring sustainability in line with Education 5.0: a case study of urban secondary schools in Bindura

Abstract

The study sought to develop a sustainable framework for enhancing productive units in urban secondary schools in Bindura District in line with Zimbabwe's Education 5.0 philosophy. Productive units such as poultry projects, gardens, workshops, and other school-based enterprises are expected to promote experiential learning, entrepreneurship, innovation, and income generation. However, many productive units fail to achieve long-term sustainability due to financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, weak governance systems, limited stakeholder participation, and poor resource management. The study was guided by Education with Production Theory, Constructivist Learning Theory, and the School-as-an-Enterprise Theory. A pragmatic research paradigm employing a convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. Data were collected from school heads, teachers, School Development Committee members, and learners drawn from selected urban secondary schools in Bindura District. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observation schedules were used to gather data. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings from both strands were integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing the sustainability of productive units. The findings revealed that although productive units contribute significantly to practical skills development, entrepreneurship education, and income generation, their sustainability is undermined by inadequate financial resources, procurement bottlenecks, weak governance structures, insufficient reinvestment mechanisms, inadequate infrastructure, and curriculum-related constraints. The study further identified the existence of a "Death Valley" phase in which many productive units fail during the early stages of implementation due to poor planning and limited institutional support. Strong positive relationships were observed between resource availability, effective governance, stakeholder participation, and the sustainability of productive units. The study developed a sustainable framework centred on financial sustainability, governance and accountability, stakeholder partnerships, entrepreneurship integration, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilisation, and innovation-driven management practices. The framework is expected to strengthen the continuity and effectiveness of productive units while enhancing the implementation of Education 5.0 in secondary schools. The study recommends the establishment of ring-fenced financial systems, decentralised procurement procedures, and strengthened stakeholder partnerships, continuous professional development for teachers, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure the long-term sustainability of productive units.