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Examining instructional leadership practices and perceptions in selected secondary schools in Lusaka district, Zambia.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Educational Administration and ManagementThe focus of the study was to Examine Instructional Leadership Practices and Perceptions in Selected Secondary Schools in Lusaka District, Zambia. The total sample of this study was fifty six (56) that’s 30 head teachers, 26 Teachers from the schools that were identified as research fields. The sample size of 56 was used because it had nearly a good representation of the key population and desired level of statistical power or accuracy supported it. Interviews and focus group discussion were used because their help to explain, better understand, and investigate research subjects' perspectives, behaviour, experiences, and phenomena. The interview questions were open-ended, allowing for the collection of detailed information. This study examines the critical role of head teachers in enhancing teacher effectiveness and overall school success. The findings indicate a need for a better balance between head teachers' instructional and administrative responsibilities. Schools should support delegating administrative tasks to optimize their impact, allowing head teachers to focus more on instructional leadership. The research also highlights the importance of expanding professional development opportunities and implementing recognition and reward systems to enhance teacher motivation and performance. Although head teachers are generally perceived positively in areas like motivation, feedback, communication, and commitment to student progress, the study reveals that consistency in these areas needs improvement. Prioritizing clear communication of the school’s vision, providing balanced feedback, and actively recognizing student achievement will help maintain high teaching
standards. The study concludes that head teachers are essential in fostering a positive school climate and improving teacher performance, with opportunities for growth in professional development and teacher recognition. Closing these gaps will help head teachers carry out their roles as instructional leaders and school managers more effectively, leading to better outcomes for teachers and pupils.
Integration of renewable energy alternatives in response to climate change: barriers and opportunities to effective transitioning.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Science in Environmental and Natural Resources Management.Renewable energy often referred to as clean energy, is an important energy source that comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydro-based energy. Zambia’s installed energy capacity stands at 2,800 Megawatts (MW) of which 85 percent of that is hydro-based and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. In terms of policy, the Electricity Act of 2019 and Energy Regulation Act of 2019 are regulations meant to govern energy; however, they are inadequate to promote the exploitation of renewable energy sources because the two pieces of legislation are biased towards electricity generation and regulatory matters, respectively. The purpose of this study was to develop an atlas of renewable energy alternatives and highlight the barriers and opportunities for effective transitioning, in response to climate change. Furthermore, the objectives included to develop an atlas of energy alternatives with a comparative advantage in different geographical regions of Zambia, to investigate the viability and barriers of integrating alternatives and to explore the opportunities for available energy sources The Methodology involved key informant interviews, Participatory Geographic Information system, literature review of government reports, legislature, journal articles, books and any unpublished material on renewable energy and climate change in Zambia. The research design was qualitative and seven (07) key experts from the energy industry were purposively sampled because each answered a particular need for the research based on position, experience and knowledge. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data and results revealed that renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal are spread across the country. Further, barriers to the adoption of renewable energy alternatives are eminent and the development of methods that can overcome them appears to be constrained. Barriers such as Limited Infrastructure, Financial Constraints, Technical Capacity and Grid Integration continue to impede the process. The implications are that addressing these barriers and capitalizing on Opportunities associated with Abundant Renewable Resources, Policy and Regulatory framework, Job Creation and Economic Growth, significant progress can be made in transitioning to a more sustainable and climate-resilient energy system. The study recommends that ZESCO Ltd, the National Utility and Independent Power Producers should collaborate in investing in alternatives such as solar
for power production country wide among others.
Keywords: Adoption, Barriers, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Integration, Viabilit
An analysis of e-learning as a mode of curriculum implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected Zambian universities: practices, standards and applicability.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Education in Curriculum Studies.University education is an important aspect that needs to be accessible to everyone. E-learning is one mode of ensuring access to education but requires well defined policies and standards to guide technologies, applicability, methodologies, as well as technological infrastructure. In Zambia,
however, the extent to which e-learning should be integrated as a mode of curriculum implementation in universities had been left undefined. This cultivated concerns over the quality of university education provided by universities through e-learning across all study programmes. This study sought to analyse e-learning as a mode of curriculum implementation in Zambian universities to inform and guide the practices, standards, and applicability of e-learning amid the lack of concrete policies and standards on ICT selection and pedagogy. For comprehensiveness, the study was guided by three theories, the ‘E-learning Systems’ Theoretical Framework’; the Community of Inquiry (Col); and the ‘Online Collaborative Learning’ (OCL) theory. Guided by the Pragmatic research paradigm, the Mixed Methods approach, and particularly the Convergent Parallel Design, both interview guides and questionnaires were employed as data collection tools. There were 255 participants in total, out of whom 240 were randomly sampled undergraduate
university students, 8 senior university lecturers, 6 university ICT administrators, and 1 Quality Assurance Director from HEA. The 6 universities, which included both public and private universities, were arrived at by clustering them into 3 groups from which 2 universities were randomly sampled. Collected qualitative and quantitative data sets were analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, respectively. Findings showed that e-learning practices varied across universities primarily due to classifications of programmes offered in universities, investments made by universities in ICT, as well as computer literacy among students and lecturers. Universities developed their own policies to guide e-learning implementation using
guidance from HEA. It was also evident that e-learning had the most limitations in the delivery of natural science-based content, while it was effective in the delivery of social science-based programmes. Blended learning and synchronous modes were also confirmed as the most effective and applicable modes of learning virtually, while 93.7% of students recommended learner-centred methodologies, along with lecturers. The converging of qualitative and quantitative data led to the establishment of a framework for implementing e-learning in Zambia that centres on the Virtual
Learning Environment (VLE) being informed by students, lecturers and content. It was concluded that the applicability of e-learning should be defined with respect to programmes of study in universities. The study also led to the recommendations of having HEA co-create e-learning policies with universities, restricting the application of e-learning to programmes with suitable pedagogical approached, as well as having HEA provide comprehensive technological standards to guide LMS adoptions.
Key Words: Blended Learning, E-learning, E-learning Framework, Curriculum Implementation, Learning Management Systems, Virtual Learning Environment
The state of performance - based contracts in the public service: a case for permanent secretaries in Zambia.
Full text linkThesis of the Master of Business Studies in Management StrategyThis study’s aim was to generate evidence to Cabinet Office of correlates of shortfalls in the implementation of the performance-based contract system for Permanent Secretaries since 2016 that could be used as evidence for improvements in performance appraisal practice. A mixed methods study approach was used. Correlational analysis was done using SPSS version 20 and qualitative data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Appraisals were adequate in just 10% of the cases and in the majority of the cases (90%) they were inadequate. Ministers did not appraise civil service executives every year. The maximum they went to appraise civil service executives was zero and this accounted over half 61.7% and this was not expected. Spearman's rank-order correlation shows a weak, positive non-statistically significant correlation between the two variables (observed outcome of performance appraisals and inhibitors or facilitators (rs, = .0.252, p = 0.87). There was also a very weak, negative correlation between the two variables (inhibitors or facilitators and appraisal implementation process) (rs, = -.002, p = 0.989). There were unclear performance indicators, unclear ineffective rating instrument, overly guessing reviews and political based reviews, immediate supervisors were not available, excess workload and suddenness of conducting appraisals. There was a missing link with Ministers when it comes to appraising, Ministers had less information on how to do the actual appraisal and permanent secretaries experienced a lack of ongoing performance feedback from the Minister. These key issues influenced the poor state of performance appraisal of civil service executives. This study has explored the state of performance based contracts for Permanent Secretaries in Zambia. The conclusion is that the state of implementation of the appraisal process of the performance-based contract system for Permanent Secretaries’ is influenced a great deal by an ineffective rating instrument, overly negative/second guessing review and political reviews, immediate supervisors in ministers who are not available, excess workload and suddenness of conducting appraisals. If all these factors are taken into consideration, then performance appraisal system the potential of being a good performance management tool.
Key words: Appraisal, Performance, Contract, Public Service, Permanent Secretarie
A model of the hydrogen atom for l = 1 and l = 3 using the causal interpretation.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Science in Physics.This study presents a model of the hydrogen atom for the orbital angular momentum l = 1 and l = 3 using the causal interpretation also referred to as the Bohm-de Broglie interpretation of quantum mechanics. The causal interpretation is an alternative interpretation of quantum mechanics that gives a description of underlying physical reality in terms of a single well-defined model which Bohr’s principle of complementarity claims to be impossible. This study presents detailed analytical calculations to determine the electron trajectories for the hydrogen atom states ψ21m and ψ43m. Further analytical calculations were made to determine the net force and magnitude of the angular momentum. The model was also extended to determine the trajectory of the rotated wave function. This was done both analytically and numerically using Maple. Maple was also used to plot the trajectories, net force, and angular momentum. The obtained results show that electrons have definite circular paths which are a result of the net force which is always directed to the z-axis. The results for the angular momentum show consistency with quantum mechanics, as the plots show that the angular momentum vector at various positions of the electron for a given value of m form a cone shape in its movement. The results also show that the electron is stationary form = 0, but rotates anti-clockwise for positive values of m and clockwise for negative values of m. From this work, it can be seen that the causal interpretation can be used to make models of quantum experiments/processes. This research therefore brings new light to the behaviour of an electron in atomic systems, thereby making contributions on the effort to develop a physical reality of quantum systems with implications in quantum chemistry and quantum physics. The presentation of this model also shows the effectiveness of Maple in developing computer models, especially in science and mathematics. Keywords: Causal interpretation, trajectories, wave function, Maple, hydrogen atom, net force, angular momentum
Assessing the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and the profitability of a firm: a case of Zambian Breweries plc, Lusaka plant.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Science Operations, Projects and Supply Chain Management.This study assessed the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives and the profitability of Zambian Breweries Plc, Lusaka Plant. Guided by three (3) objectives, the study first assessed the relationship between ESG initiatives and firm profitability using quantitative data from 160 participants and financial records from 2021 to 2023. Multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the strength and significance of the relationships. The findings revealed a moderate positive relationship between ESG initiatives and profitability, with social initiatives showing the strongest positive and statistically significant relationship, followed by governance initiatives with a moderate positive but statistically insignificant relationship. Environmental initiatives had a weak positive but statistically insignificant relationship, likely due to high initial costs and delayed financial returns. The second objective explored the challenges faced in implementing ESG initiatives. Qualitative data from 10 key informants was analyzed using thematic analysis, which identified key barriers including highlights major barriers, including limited ESG expertise, resistance to change, inadequate stakeholder involvement, regulatory constraints, and restricted access to sustainable resources. The third objective was to propose strategies to enhance ESG implementation for improved profitability. Key strategies that emerged from the data included; continuous staff training, deeper community and stakeholder engagement, ethical governance, and long-term investment in sustainable technologies. The study concluded that while the aggregated ESG initiatives have a moderate positive relationship with profitability, the strength of this relationship varies across components, with social factors showing the most significant contribution to profitability. These findings support stakeholder theory and partially align with agency theory, though they challenge the resource-based view due to the weak relationship between environmental initiatives and profitability. The study recommends that Zambian Breweries Plc focuses more on strengthening social initiatives of ESG while addressing key implementation barriers. Enhanced capacitybuilding, improved transparency, and sustainable investment are essential for maximizing the relationship between ESG initiatives and profitability.
Keywords: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Profitability, Zambian Breweries Plc, Multiple Regression Analysis, Thematic Analysis
Effectiveness of employee performance appraisal process in international non-profit organizations in the agricultural sector: Lusaka, Zambia.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Science in Human Resource Management.The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of the employee performance appraisal process in non-profit organisations in the agricultural sector in Lusaka, Zambia. Despite the existence of an extensive body of literature on performance management systems in Zambia, very limited information was found on performance management systems on non-profit organisations as most studies conducted relate to performance management systems in the public sector in Zambia. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge and data gaps in this area. The researcher targeted donor funded non-profit organisations in the agriculture sector within Lusaka district and these were provided for by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services under the Registrar of Non-Governmental Organisations Department. The objectives of the study were to investigate the effectiveness of employee performance evaluation, to determine the effectiveness of the recognition and reward system on employee performance and to examine the effectiveness of employee feedback on employee performance. The problem identified with the international NGOs in the agricultural sector in Lusaka was high staff turnover attributed to the ineffective employee performance appraisal process which affects the organisation’s critical success factors. The global acceptable employee turnover rate is 10% (Australian HR Institute, 2019). Data from one sampled NGO revealed that the lowest turnover rate in the period under review was 13% in 2022, while the highest was 41% in 2021. On average the staff turnover in the period under review stood at 23% which is substantively above the acceptable rate. This study showed that this problem fluctuates year by year depending on the organization’s performance. Consequently, some funders pullout their resources due to poor organizational performance at large stemming from ineffective employee performance appraisal system. The ripple effect however, is high staff turnover as retention becomes impossible. This study utilized a descriptive research design and mixed-method research was used. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and self- administered questionnaires. Analysis was conducted using SPSS software for quantitative data and for qualitative, thematic analysis was used to identify patterns, themes, and relationships within the data. The main findings of this study were that the outcome from the performance evaluations have an impact on an employee productivity. Unconstructive feedback highly demotivates employees and result into high turnover rate. Findings show that over 80% of the employees did not find the process satisfying due to poor feedback mechanisms. The results also revealed that over 70% of respondents found the rewards and recognition systems not inspiring due to lack of transparency and objectivity with the system. Based on the study findings, it is highly recommended that the INGOs management should implement strategies that guide their decision making in order to be consistent. These include; aligning employee’s goals and objectives to the organisational strategy, policy adherence, improved feedback mechanism, structured skills development, offer performance-based rewards. Not only will this promote staff retention, it will also enhance the overall organisational performance as well as impacting employee motivation, development, and organizational outcomes, including job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Key Words: Employee performance Appraisal, Feedback, Reward System, Agricultural Secto
A modelling of Zambia’s manufacturing finance.
Full text linkThesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Business and Management.This study aims to investigate Zambia’s manufacturing finance, drawing lessons from Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs), with a view to generate policy prescriptions that may navigate Zambia’s manufacturing finance to its optimal level. The study has four objectives: to determine the NICs on which Zambia’s manufacturing finance may be benchmarked, to benchmark Zambia against these NICs, to model Zambia based on NIC models and to optimise Zambia’s demand and supply of manufacturing finance. It pursues a mixed method study composed of benchmarking, modelling and optimisation: applying relative value analysis, data envelopment analysis, structural equation modelling and multi-objective particle swarm optimisation with crowding distance on a firm- and country-level merged dataset from seven countries namely, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and Zambia. The study shows that manufacturing finance is a necessary condition for manufacturing development, which itself is an engine for economic growth. It demonstrates that manufacturing finance has strong linkages with other dimensions of the economy including the financial, legal, and political systems. At the aggregate, the study shows that while NICs such as South Korea evolved their developmental state into industrial states through instituting effective developmental structures and playing active developmental roles, Zambia did not advance to such an industrial state, as evidenced by the deficient manufacturing finance and correspondingly stagnated manufacturing development. The study statistically shows that Zambian manufacturing firms’ access to finance is on the tail end of the study countries, even
when only efficient firms are considered. It shows that high cost of capital, unfavourable legal climate, taxation constraints, firm size distribution, firm financial inefficiency, low firm formalization, low technology intensity, import dependence and predominance of domestic sales in Zambia negatively affect manufacturing firm access to finance. It further highlights deficiencies in the composition of manufacturing firm ownership in Zambia and the utilisation of foreign aid. The study demonstrates that similarities and differences exist between NIC and Zambian firms, and across NICs; showing variations in variable effects across contexts owing to varying political and economic conditions. While acknowledging that NICs carry the more efficient and effective manufacturing finance models, the study argues that effective policy learning requires further analyses into the functional level variations in the learning and exemplar countries. This study shows that beyond generic recommendations about how developing countries can emulate NIC manufacturing finance policy, analysis needs to offer wholistic and quantified policy options to be effective. This approach allows consideration of related policy interests and helps assess the costs and benefits of competing policy options. The study demonstrates that, holding exogenous factors such as manufacturing output constant, Zambia’s prevailing manufacturing finance is below its potential. This implies that a reconfiguration on the input side may yield better outcomes, with positive ramifications on manufacturing development.
Key Words: Manufacturing, Finance, Modelling, Zambia, Newly Industrialised Countrie
An assessment of the effect of the fourth industrial revolution on library services: a case of academic libraries in Lusaka province.
Full text linkThesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science.The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is characterised by a fusion of physical, digital, and biological technologies, has profoundly influenced various sectors, including academic library services. This study assessed the effect of 4IR technologies on library operations within academic libraries in Lusaka Province. The study adopted the positivist philosophical approach and a descriptive survey design, data was collected from 106 librarians through stratified random sampling. Responses to closed-ended questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics, and hypotheses were tested using the Chi-square test at a 0.05 significance level. The study revealed that libraries are becoming increasingly aware of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) tools, with technologies such as digital repositories accounting for 28.3% and artificial intelligence for 18.9% of the identified innovations The findings indicated that while several Library 4.0 (LIB4.0) technologies had been integrated into library services, the adoption remained low. Common technologies included AI-enhanced cataloguing systems were adopted by 37% respondents in their libraries while 21.7% of the
libraries were chatbots showing a disparity between the potential of these tools and their actual utilisation in daily library operations. This uneven adoption suggests that while libraries recognise the value of such technologies, challenges in full integration and effective usage persist. However, innovations like blockchain and robotic automation were minimally explored, accounting for only 18%. Data analytics, cloud computing, and big data were underutilised, with 63.2% of respondents reporting not using them in decision-making. The study also highlighted librarians' growing confidence and skill levels in leveraging emerging technologies. Approximately 85% of respondents reported confidence in using digital library management systems, with 51% frequently engaging in professional development. However, gaps in training and limited exposure to advanced tools like virtual
reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and blockchain persisted. These challenges emphasised the need for ongoing training programs to enhance librarians’ proficiency in 4IR technologies and bridge knowledge gaps in emerging areas. The results of the Chi-Square tests conducted on various factors influencing the adoption of 4IR technologies in academic libraries indicate significant relationships between these factors and adoption. In the first analysis, the perceived usefulness of 4IR technologies was found to have a significant impact on their adoption, as evidenced by a Chi-Square value of 11.376 (p = 0.000). Similarly, the perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) was also significantly related to adoption, with a Chi-Square statistic of 25.772 (p = 0.000), indicating that users' perceptions of ease-ofuse influenced their willingness to adopt 4IR technologies. The results from the attitude towards using 4IR technologies further confirmed this, with both the Pearson Chi-Square and Likelihood Ratio statistics (8.088 and 9.552, respectively, p = 0.000) showing a strong association between attitude and adoption. The study established that integration of 4IR technologies in academic libraries faced significant challenges, including financial constraints (44.3%), inadequate training programs (20.8%), and resistance to change. Additional obstacles, such as limited infrastructure and concerns about job displacement, further hindered adoption. These findings underscored the importance of a multifaceted approach to address technical and human resource challenges, ensuring effective implementation of transformative tools in academic library services. The study recommended that academic libraries should invest in continuous professional
development programs to equip librarians with the necessary skills to leverage 4IR technologies effectively. Since 85.8% of respondents acknowledged enhanced remote access, the study recommends that academic libraries should further develop and refine their digital collections to ensure seamless access for users. This could include improving the user interface of online databases, expanding open-access resources, and implementing stronger cybersecurity measures to protect digital assets. Academic libraries should prioritise budget allocations for the adoption of 4IR technologies in libraries. This could involve securing government grants, forming partnerships with technology companies, or exploring alternative
funding sources such as research grants and donor contributions.
Keywords: Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Librarians, Infrastructure, Ministry of Education, Blockchain Technology, Artificial intelligence and Service deliver
Prevalence of caesarian section and associated factors at Chawama first level hospital, in Lusaka urban district, Zambia.
Full text linkThesis of Master of Science Degree in Midwifery and Women’s Health.Introduction: Caesarean section (C-section) is a major obstetric life-saving intervention for the prevention of pregnancy and childbirth related complications. The goal of Caesarean section is to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes leading to reduced maternal and neonatal deaths. Globally Caesarian section is increasing, as well as in in Zambia. This study identifies the prevalence of C-section and bio-demographic, socioeconomic, health care seeking and socio-culture factors of C-section among women at Chawama First Level Hospital in Zambia.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Data was collected from 219 participants who were randomly selected for interviews using systematic sampling method. A semi structured interview questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20 computer software statistical package. Chi-square, Fisher exact test and binary logistic regression were performed to determine association between the dependent and independent variables. The level of significance was set at 0.05 with 95% confidence interval.
Results: The study shows that women aged 25-29 were 3.448 times likely to deliver through caesarian section while those aged 30-34 were 3.692 times likely to deliver through caesarian section. In this study, maternal education was significantly associated with Caesarian section with the p value of 0.006c. This study also showed a significant association between maternal income and Caesarian section with the p- value of 0.014. The current study showed a significant association between birth weight and Caesarian section with the p-value of 0.002c. The study showed a significant association between Caesarian section and parity. Women with high income were 2.494 times more likely to deliver through caesarian section as opposed to those with low income. Women aged 25- 29 were 3.448 times likely to deliver through caesarian section while those aged 30-34
were 3.692 times likely to deliver through caesarian section. Births which involved big babies were 5.022 times likely to be caesarian section deliveries as opposed to small and normal babies. Normal birth weight babies showed odds of caesarian section delivery to at 2.334. Primipara women were 1.431 times likely to give birth through caesarian section as opposed to multipara women.
Conclusion: The prevalence of cesarean section was high and the predictors of cesarean section were Age, maternal education, Parity Income and Birth weight.
Keywords: Prevalence, Caesarian Section, Associated factors