Available online at https://tjmr.org Transatlantic Journal of Multidisciplinary Research p-ISSN: 2672-5371 e-ISSN: 2735-9808 19 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5554555 Volume 3 │ Issue 2 │ 2021 EXPLORING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY TWO ZIMBABWEAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Joshua Chitera a , Partson Virira Moyo b , a Eveline High School, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe b Bindura University of Science Education Zimbabwe Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic affected teaching and learning in Zimbabwean schools from March 2020. This study investigated the strategies adopted, the challenges faced and the solutions proffered by two secondary schools during the pandemic. A qualitative multiple-case research design was used. Two school heads, six teachers, and sixteen learners from the schools were interviewed. We also made observations when we visited the schools during their preparations for the examinations. Online teaching and learning augmented by face-to-face teaching and learning were adopted during examination preparations and writing. WhatsApp and Google classroom was used to conduct online teaching. Lack of familiarity with online teaching, limited financial resources to procure technological gadgets, insecure internet connectivity, and expensive data bundles were challenges faced by teachers and learners. Teachers were assisted to buy Tablets at subsidised prices and were provided with a monthly 30 Gigabytes of data. During the restricted face-to-face interactions, the Covid-19 guidelines were observed but social distancing was found difficult to implement. The adopted online applications were found less interactive than face-to-face teaching. Two video conferencing applications, Zoom and HeyHi, could have been used because of their video facility that mimics real classroom interactions.. Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, online teaching, physical face-to-face teaching, internet, strategies, challenges 1.0 Introduction COVID-19 has had a substantial negative impact on the smooth and successful delivery of teaching (UNESCO, 2020). Most schools the world over closed down in March 2020 with teachers and learners being confined to their homes as a measure to save lives (UNESCO, 2020). Schools could not have the usual physical face-to-face teaching and learning. This was because of fears of transmitting the disease in schools especially