Education In Zambia Research Articles

Stakeholders' Experiences and Preferences Regarding Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Zambia: Implications for Determining Programme Priorities and Strategies.

Understanding and exploring stakeholders' perceptions and preferences regarding comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is critical in enhancing programme acceptability. We conducted this qualitative study to explore stakeholders' experiences and preferences of CSE in Kitwe district, Zambia. We employed a qualitative descriptive design within the interpretive paradigm at nine purposefully selected secondary schools. Data were collected through classroom observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. In depth interviews were undertaken among 21 pupils, 17 teachers, 4 policymakers, 4 parents, and 4 religious leaders. Two focus group discussions were conducted among 14 pupils with each group having seven pupils. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Interviews continued until data saturation. Our analysis yielded themes on stakeholder experiences of CSE which included: a lack of pupil-centred pedagogy; a lack of stakeholder engagement; a lack of CSE competency and skills; holding back culturally sensitive topics; a lack of guidance from the comprehensive sexuality curriculum; and a lack of CSE prioritisation in schools. Themes on preferences included: the formation of community advisory boards; the need to enhance teachers' professional competencies, linking CSE with community SRH services, pupils SRH needs assessment. A community participatory approach to the design and implementation of a CSE programme is critical in enhancing programme acceptability in schools. While understanding the experiences and preferences of pupils regarding CSE can help determine programme content and priority, improving teachers' competency and skills through appropriate CSE training can help to reconcile teachers' personal beliefs and the content of CSE.

Stakeholder perspectives on the need for professional education and competence in pharmacovigilance in Zambia: A cross-sectional survey

Background: Knowledge and skills in pharmacovigilance (PV) are required to mitigate adverse events associated with medicine use which are among the leading causes of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This study explored the local perspectives and needs for PV education in Zambia. Methods: A mixed-methods study utilising a descriptive cross-sectional survey with an embedded desk review was conducted from November 2021 to December 2022 in Zambia. The quantitative survey used a self-administered questionnaire distributed to 150 participants drawn from key stakeholder groups identified. Qualitative information was extracted from the respective university websites for the desk review. Results: Out of 150 targeted participants, 144 (96%) responded to the survey. The majority (92.4%) affirmed the need for formal PV education programmes locally. Most (95.8%) perceived that training professionals in PV would add value to strengthening the health system. Furthermore, 45.1% preferred a postgraduate diploma and a master’s degree in PV. About half (48.6%) preferred an interprofessional training approach. Only 6/1207 (0.5%) of the universities in Sub-Saharan Africa offered PV education programmes. Conclusion: This study underscored the pertinent need for formal PV education programmes and identified the type of education, expected competencies, and suggested educational strategies to guide curriculum development. These findings serve as a starting point for developing programmes to consolidate PV practice in Zambia and beyond.

Effects of Free Education Policy on the Provision of Primary and Secondary Education in Zambia

The study sought to establish the effects of the Free Education Policy on learner enrollment, school infrastructure, financing and the quality of teaching and learning in community primary and secondary public schools in Zambia. The study participants included the District Education Board Secretaries, head teachers, class teachers, learners and parents from 10 provinces, selected using probability and non-probability sampling techniques. Quantitative data was collected from teachers through a structured questionnaire. In addition, qualitative data was collected from the District Education Board Secretaries, learners and parents through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussion guides. Quantitative data was processed, cleaned and analyzed using the SPSS 23.0 to produce descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was transcribed, sorted and analyzed along with survey data to establish emergent trends. The study found that the implementation of the Free Education Policy had increased school enrollments and government funding. The increase in the number of learners in schools has put pressure on the already overstretched educational resources like teachers, desks, textbooks, toilets and laboratory facilities, indirectly affecting the quality of education. The study suggests that Zambia's Free Education Policy implementation can be strengthened by prioritizing desks, textbooks, sanitary facilities, teacher deployment, modern classroom construction, especially in rural areas, and enacting sustainable financing legislation. The study, within the lens of the Capability Approach, has practical implications on how the implementation of the Free Education Policy can be strengthened in Zambia.

What the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light about journalism education in Zambia: A reflexive analysis of the transition to online teaching and learning

What the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light about journalism education in Zambia: A reflexive analysis of the transition to online teaching and learning

Decoloniality and women's agency in sex education in Zambia.

In 2018, 22 teachers and four government officers started a six-month development process, designed to integrate a gender-equity lens into sex education in Eastern Province, Zambia. The initiative was funded by the Dutch Government. In this article, I explore the emancipatory potential and limits of this gender transformative approach. Civil society privileges the empowerment of women's and girls' voices through participatory methods. This situated women-led 'encounter of change' between men and women addressed the 'harmful practices' of Chewa initiation, transcending patriarchal opposition in the process. Using an applied anthropological lens, I explore what enabled this contingent change in narrative among teachers, but I also question the coloniality inherent in efforts to transform the gender and sexuality of others through the ubiquity of voice.

Exploring Modalities Best Suited for Public Private Partnership Concession Agreements in the Education Sector of Zambia

The Zambian public sector has been known to face several challenges in the provision of infrastructure among others education infrastructure. Thus, the introduction of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). In as much as the education sector of Zambia can benefit tremendously from the PPP initiative, poorly designed PPP concession agreements risk worsening existing educational sector challenges. The objectives of the paper were to establish the extent of application of PPPs in the Zambian education sector, identify the challenges surrounding concession agreements in PPPs in Zambia, and suggest the right modalities that could be applied to PPP concession agreements in the Zambian education sector. Both secondary and primary data was collected to establish that no private sector entity has had or is currently engaged in an ongoing concession with the Government in the procurement of infrastructure for schools. Challenges surrounding concession agreements in PPPs included contract misspecifications, lack of contractual flexibility, opportunistic behaviour by either party, and shielded concession agreement creation and process. In view of the foregoing, right modalities that could be applied to PPP concession agreements in the Zambian education sector include proper risk allocation, adequate concession period, clear allocation of roles and responsibilities, and inclusion of stabilization clauses.

Cross-Country Document Analysis of Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education in Zambia and Beyond

This research examined the incorporation of play-based learning in Early Childhood Education (ECE) policies across Zambia and twenty other diverse countries. Through document analysis, it uncovers commonalities and disparities in play-based learning principles. While both Zambian and global documents emphasise the significance of play in child development, they differ in scope, regional practices, and emphasis on global advocacy and cultural variations. Zambia’s documents highlight specific practices, while global perspectives offer a broader international view. Both stress the multifaceted benefits of play in physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. In summary, the findings underscored a global consensus on the significance of play-based learning in early childhood education, emphasising its role in holistic child development. Additionally, they highlighted the imperative of recognising cultural diversity and aligning policies with child rights, particularly in the Zambian context. Furthermore, the recommendations were aimed at bolstering the effectiveness of play-based pedagogies in early childhood education. They advocated for celebrating diversity, fostering holistic development, and ensuring the availability of appropriate resources and guidelines to support this approach. These recommendations ultimately seek to enhance the quality of early childhood education in Zambia by embracing cultural diversity, promoting global collaboration, and aligning play-based pedagogies with local and international best practices.

An Investigation of the Relationship between Career Development; and Organizational Performance (Customer Perspective) with Dynamic Capability as Mediating Factor: A Case of the Ministry of Education in Zambia

This study sought to investigate the mediating role of dynamic capabilities on the relationship of career development with organizational performance (customer perspectives) in context of Public Service of the Ministry of Education of Zambia. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of career development on dynamic capabilities, assess the effect of dynamic capabilities on customer perspective, demonstrate the effect of career development on organizational performance (customer perspective) and validate the role of dynamic capability on the relationship between career development with organizational performance (customer perspective) in the Ministry of Education in Zambia. The study was founded on a positivist research philosophy and utilized a descriptive and cross-sectional research design. The population consisted of 1288 secondary schools. Primary data was collected from 301 respondents using self-administered questionnaires selected using a proportional stratified sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the characteristics of the study variables and structural modeling equation analysis was conducted to determine the nature and magnitude of the relationships between variables. The findings revealed that career development positively and significantly affect the dynamic capabilities. Further, dynamic capabilities were found to have positive and significant effect on organizational performance (customer perspective). It was also revealed that sensing and transforming contributed positively and significantly to the relationship of career development with organizational performance in terms of customer perspectives. The results were also found to be consistent with the previous research on these constructs. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should develop career development practices that could be implemented in rapid changing environment within the available resources. The Ministry of Education should also be aware of every change in the environment and develop deliberate policies to do with environmental scanning for organizational customer performance in relation to career development. The Ministry of Education should also take affirmative actions to help develop the other dynamic capabilities that would help in enhancing performance in the rapid changing environment.

The Catholic Marianist Brothers’ Contribution to Moral and Integral Boys’ Education in Zambia (1966-1991) Part II

The article focuses on the contribution the Marianist Brothers made to moral and integral boys’ education in their education philosophy at Matero Boys Secondary School popularly known as MaBoys. Cox’s theory of phenomenology of religion was used in order to generate empirical data from religious and lived experiences of the Marianist Brothers as well as the narrated stories from both former teachers and pupils of the first twenty-five years at MaBoys, (1966 to 1991). The objective intended to be achieved was to determine aspects of morality that have been integrated with education by Marianist Brothers of MaBoys. The study was purely qualitative and specifically used a follow-up case study design to capture and understand the Marianist applied pedagogical practices in enhancing former pupils’ lives after leaving the school. The findings indicated that the Marianist education was the core of morality. The Marianist education policy: One Education Ministry integrated the pedagogical practices of the five-fold Marianist charism in their education philosophy and formed Christ in souls of young people. The charism included the virtues of educate for formation of faith, provide an integral quality education, Education in Family spirit, educate for service, justice and peace and Education for adaptation and change this can be seen as evidence in that the Marianist imprint remained in the boys’ lives long after school.

Violence and Higher Education Quality in Zambia: A Theoretical Framework

Violence, in the same measure as shortage of adequately qualified teaching staff, inadequate infrastructure for teaching and learning, and inadequate capacity to develop curricula, poses a significant threat to the quality of education in the higher education institutions in Zambia. Through the lens of a theoretical framework, this research paper delves into the effects of violence on the educational landscape by examining the perceptions of students, faculty, and administrators. With a comprehensive approach that includes 100 interviews and 10 focus group discussions with students, faculty, and administrators to explore their perceptions of violence and its effects on the quality of education, this study aims to shed light on the intricate dynamics between violence and education quality. Violence in higher education institutions is a multifaceted issue with significant ramifications for the quality of education provided. In Zambia, where higher education plays a crucial role in national development, understanding the dynamics of violence within these institutions and its effects on educational quality is imperative. This theoretical framework aims to provide a structured approach to investigating the relationship between violence and the quality of higher education in Zambia, drawing on existing literature and secondary data collected by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). By employing a theoretical framework that integrates diverse perspectives, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of violence in Zambian higher education institutions and its implications for the quality of education. The findings will inform evidence-based interventions to address violence and enhance the educational experience for students and faculty.

Low Academic Performance in Mathematics amongst Learners with Visual Impairment; A Case of Two Colleges of Education in Zambia.

Low Academic Performance in Mathematics amongst Learners with Visual Impairment; A Case of Two Colleges of Education in Zambia.

Ultrasound Scanning Competencies in Midwifery Education in Zambia: Findings from a Desk Review and Needs Assessment

Ultrasound Scanning Competencies in Midwifery Education in Zambia: Findings from a Desk Review and Needs Assessment

UNEARTHING VULNERABILITY PROFILE OF THE ‘GIRL CHILD’ IN SELECTED SINGLE-SEX SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

The purpose of this study was to explore the vulnerability profile of the ‘girl child’ in selected single sex secondary schools of Lusaka district of Zambia. The study applied a qualitative approach with a Hermeneutics Phenomenological research design. The sample comprised of 38 participants who included 8 vulnerable girls in each school and 4 guidance teachers. Interviews were used to collect data from the guidance teachers while focused group discussions were used to collect data from the pupils. The study established that the vulnerable profile included lack of proper dietary habits and good nutrition. Under household responsibilities, girls were overworked at home and performed many chores which made them to underperform in schools. Meanwhile, economic vulnerability included lack school materials like bookracks, desks, and brooms, lack of money for school upkeep, lack of proper school uniforms, shoes, socks, jerseys, necktie, and no lunch money. The parents of the girl children could not afford school extra tuition, school related books and materials. Lastly was the emotional vulnerability which included various emotional abuses which the learners underwent in the community and school indirectly and directly. The study concludes that secondary school girls were vulnerable differently in the secondary schools and these should be looked at with critical analysis for learners to excel in schools. The study recommends that teachers and parents should work together to ensure that they support their children for them to perform better in the Zambian education system.

Stories and early literacy education in Zambia: donor-initiated projects, educational policy and teacher beliefs

Limited access to reading material written in local languages is considered a contributing factor to poor reading achievement in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several non-government projects are attempting to compensate for this by providing extensive reading material. One such project is the non-commercial, donor-initiated African Storybook. This article examines the premise on which African Storybook and similar donor-initiated projects build, namely that providing stories in local languages can significantly improve early literacy achievement. Understanding literacy as social practice, we investigate what experiences with stories inform the literacy-related beliefs of pre-service teachers in Zambia, and how these beliefs may shed light on their response to storybooks as part of early literacy education. Our data comprises a questionnaire with 26 pre-service teachers and focus group interviews with six of them. The pre-service teachers’ beliefs were found to reflect their childhood experiences with stories and the Zambian official National Literacy Framework. Our findings indicate that neither their childhood experiences nor their teacher education had prepared the pre-service teachers to use stories for extensive reading in early literacy education. These findings lead us to question whether literacy delivery is best served by initiatives that are not coordinated with both national literacy policy, curriculum and local teacher beliefs.

Social Justice and Diversity in Zambia: The Role of Civic Education and Teachers

This article explores the role civic education plays in social justice and diversity in Zambia from the civic education teacher’s perspective as well as establish the extent to which teacher’s themselves are actively engaged in social justice and diversity. Predicated on the fundamental role civic education plays in teaching and promoting diversity and social justice, it is highly expected that civic education teachers should be the lodestars in undertaking this activity. It is noted that teachers of civic education can bring about social justice in society; this can be achieved through active participation in local communities and consolidating the teaching of democracy, human rights and promotion of participation within people’s local communities and global level for social justice. Therefore, the teaching for diversification is of great significance in the delivery of Civic Education in Zambia both at teacher training and secondary school level. Anchored on the explanatory design as a methodological bedrock, this study found that teachers where not actively engaged with issues of diversity. The study concludes that there is little to no engagement among teachers in diversity and in bringing about social change especially on matters that affect the wider community. This is partly attributed to the impractical nature in which Civic Education is delivered at secondary school or tertiary level. The study recommends that different approaches to the teaching of civic education must be introduced in the civic education curriculum.

Effects of Poverty on Early Marriages: A Case of Mansa District in Luapula Province, Zambia.

Early marriage perpetuates the feminization of poverty, preventing girls from attaining their full potential in terms of developing their social capabilities. Poverty on the other hand, is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Education in Zambia was a road to success and every child desired to have access to education and finish without any difficulties but many children failed to succeed in school because they were victims of early marriages. Poverty was the main reason behind early marriages in rural areas as most families had large family sizes. Hence, the study aimed at exploring the effects of poverty on early marriages in Mansa district of Luapula Province in Zambia. The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative methods and a descriptive research design that sampled community headmen, parents and girls from the selected areas. Data was obtained from the respondents by means of interviews and questionnaires. Frequency tables, graphs, figures and pie-charts were used to analyze the qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed by the use of software MS access and MS Excel. The findings revealed poverty to be at the epitome of early marriages hence, girls drop out of school at an early age due to poverty and end up marrying early because of not having anything meaningful to do. Other causes include cultural practices, teenage pregnancies and to a lesser extent cultural erosion. The study, therefore, concludes that the effect of poverty on early marriages exists and it affects the girl child education in Mansa district. In this respect, the study recommended that girl children and parents should be given microfinance early to finance girl children for education as well as empowering them. In line with this, there should be a deliberate policy movement aimed at dealing with underlying factors such as poverty among rural people coupled with heavy sexual reproductive health awareness among the young people in the District.

A study of inclusive education provision in Zambia: Curriculum reform

Background: The study is conducted to investigate whether curriculum reform for learners with special education needs (SEN) is taking place in Zambia.Objectives: The study objective were to investigate the extent to which curriculum had been reformed to facilitate the inclusion of children with SEN in Zambia; and determine stakeholders understanding of inclusive education policy, to evaluate the success of an inclusive programme in supporting the full inclusion of learners with SEN.Method: This study used a mixed method research design which involved data collection in seven provinces of Zambia. The researchers employed purposive sampling. The largest number of respondents were SEN teachers and administrators. The qualitative data collection tools included semi-structured interviews of individuals and focus groups. The quantitative data came from a questionnaire completed by teachers and supervisors as well as from government documents. The quantitative data were analysed using SOFA Statistics, while the qualitative data were analysed using ATLAS-TI 7.Results: Limited curriculum reform remains one of the main impediments to the implementation of the inclusive policy for children with SEN in Zambia.Conclusion: It is concluded that without curriculum reform the implementation of inclusive education in Zambia will be challenging.Contribution: There is a dearth of information regarding curriculum reform in Zambia. This is one of the studies that is attempting to plug the information gap on curriculum reform.

Implications on the Effectiveness of Online Tertiary Education at Higher Education Levels of Imparting Education in Zambia

This article aims at analyzing the effectiveness of the online tertiary education at higher education levels in Zambia. The background of this study is based on the policy direction of the revised curriculum of 2013 where stress and emphasis was given to teaching in Colleges and Universities using online teaching and learning platforms. The need for online teaching and learning methods has become the priority in most institutions of the world and in the space taken to study in this paper. This type of system is to enhance teaching prospects to students staying in distance from the place of the establishment of the institution. Furthermore, the pandemic effect on society in most parts of the world favored the tertiary teaching learning methodology and strategizes the innovative approach to imparting of education that became the most need to the reality in modernity. Nevertheless, this paper harps on the effectiveness of such an approach and a sample space was taken to comprehend the practicality of such usage. On analytical performances to derive a positive result, questionnaire method was taken to practice, which was specially designed to be used amongst the students of higher education levels. More than 100 students were taken for sample space and the students from the universities and colleges of varied professionalism took part in the survey. The survey turned to be a positive expression of effectiveness as taken to study.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interactive Virtual Patients for Medical Education in Zambia: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Zambia is facing a severe shortage of health care workers, particularly in rural areas. Innovative educational programs and infrastructure have been established to bridge this gap; however, they encounter substantial challenges because of constraints in physical and human resources. In response to these shortcomings, strategies such as web-based and blended learning approaches have been implemented, using virtual patients (VPs) as a means to promote interactive learning at the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU) in Zambia. This study aimed to evaluate the students' knowledge acquisition and acceptance of 2 VP medical topics as a learning tool on a Zambian higher education e-learning platform. Using a mixed methods design, we assessed knowledge acquisition using pre- and posttests. In a randomized controlled trial setting, students were assigned (1:1) to 2 medical topics (topic 1: appendicitis and topic 2: severe acute malnutrition) and then to 4 different learning tools within their respective exposure groups: VPs, textbook content, preselected e-learning materials, and self-guided internet materials. Acceptance was evaluated using a 15-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 63 third- and fourth-year Bachelor of Science clinical science students participated in the study. In the severe acute malnutrition-focused group, participants demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge within the textbook group (P=.01) and the VP group (P=.01). No substantial knowledge gain was observed in the e-learning group or the self-guided internet group. For the appendicitis-focused group, no statistically significant difference in knowledge acquisition was detected among the 4 intervention groups (P=.62). The acceptance of learning materials exhibited no substantial difference between the VP medical topics and other learning materials. In the context of LMMU, our study found that VPs were well accepted and noninferior to traditional teaching methods. VPs have the potential to serve as an engaging learning resource and can be integrated into blended learning approaches at LMMU. However, further research is required to investigate the long-term knowledge gain and the acceptance and effectiveness of VPs in medical education. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) PACTR202211594568574; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=20413.

Views of College Lecturers on the Integration of Music, Art and Design and Physical Education into Expressive Arts in Zambia: An Exploratory Study

The concerns of an overloaded curriculum persisted in Zambia’s education system as far back as 1992. This lasted until 2002 when the number of subjects was reduced from 11 to 5 in primary schools and from fourteen to six in colleges of education. The study established lecturers’ views on the integration of music, art and design and physical education subjects into expressive arts in colleges of education in Zambia in order to gain insights on prospects and challenges of how the process of integration was done and its implications on the subjects involved. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study in order to gain an understanding of arts integration through the views of college lecturers who train primary school teachers. Twenty-four lecturers were conveniently selected from ten colleges of education. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed along common themes that arose from participants narratives. The findings revealed that college lecturers saw arts integration as the merging of three subjects into one, a combination of more than two subjects that are related to one another in a number of ways such a s having similar competencies, and merging them into topics. The study reported some benefits and prospects of arts integration as ranging from according lessons a more practical approach, enhancing creativity among leaners, promoting transfer of learning, to supporting collaboration among lecturers and learners. Further, it was found that there were a number of challenges to arts integration ranging from time constraint, lack of human resource, lack of teaching and learning materials to limited knowledge to teach subjects as integrated. The study concluded that lecturers lacked a philosophical understanding of integration and were largely unable to integrate the subjects as expressive arts in actual teaching.