Reimagining Synodality: Listening to Students' Voices in Zimbabwean Catholic Schools

Madzivanzira Martin

Etd

Reimagining Synodality: Listening to Students' Voices in Zimbabwean Catholic Schools

Public Deposited

MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Madzivanzira Martin . Reimagining Synodality: Listening to Students' Voices In Zimbabwean Catholic Schools. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/f9b35b16-a462-4be1-9c86-5f5d23f8a987.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

M. Martin. Reimagining Synodality: Listening to Students' Voices in Zimbabwean Catholic Schools. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/f9b35b16-a462-4be1-9c86-5f5d23f8a987

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Madzivanzira Martin . Reimagining Synodality: Listening to Students' Voices In Zimbabwean Catholic Schools. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/f9b35b16-a462-4be1-9c86-5f5d23f8a987.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Madzivanzira Martin

Keyword

Synodality, Listening, Students' voices

Rights Statement

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

This thesis examines the transformative potential of synodality in Zimbabwean Catholic secondary education, with particular attention to the role of student voice in shaping learning environments and institutional culture. Drawing on Pope Francis's vision of a participatory, listening Church, the study argues for a paradigm shift in Catholic school governance — one that prioritizes inclusivity, communal discernment, and collaborative decision-making as constitutive dimensions of ecclesial and educational life. Employing a qualitative case-study methodology, the research was conducted across three Catholic secondary institutions: Minda High School, St. Bernard's High School, and St. Pius Enkanyisweni Technical College. Data were gathered through structured interviews and focus group discussions with students, educators, parents, and clergy, with the aim of identifying both the barriers that impede meaningful dialogue and the conditions that enable it. The findings reveal that while synodal principles enjoy broad theological affirmation, their implementation in Zimbabwean Catholic schools remains uneven and constrained by hierarchical cultures, limited structures for student participation, and inadequate formation in synodal praxis. The thesis proposes a contextually grounded framework — informed by Ubuntu philosophy, Catholic social teaching, and the theology of synodality — for fostering a culture of listening, mutual accountability, and shared responsibility within Catholic educational institutions. Primarily, this study seeks to advance educational practices that honor the dignity, agency, and diverse experiences of students, thereby contributing to a more authentically synodal expression of Catholic schooling in the Zimbabwean context and beyond.

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