The University of Zambia Journals
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In-Vitro Potential of Crude Extracts of Selected Garden Herbs for Mastitis Management in Zambia
Get PDFThe advent of bovine mastitis associated antimicrobial resistance has necessitated development of alternative herbal remedies. In this study, the researchers tested, in-vitro, the antimicrobial efficacy of three crude extracts [1] aqueous, [2] ethanol and [3] ethyl acetate extracts of Zambian cultivated AloebarbadensisMiller (Aloe vera) and Curcuma longa(Turmeric) and made comparisons to synthetic anti-mastitis formulations.
The active compounds of these herbs were obtained as crude extracts using the solvents water, ethanol and ethyl acetate. The test microbes comprised of ten recognized controls including Escherichia coli andPseudomonas aeruginosa and eighty-four field isolates (all gram positive bacteria) from clinical and subclinical mastitis milk samples from selected districts of the Southern province of Zambia belonging to the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus and Lactobacillus. The agar dilution method was used to determine the antimicrobial activity by observing the susceptibility, which was graded, as susceptible, intermediate or resistant. Commercial synthetic anti-mastitis preparations served as positive controls and their susceptibility was compared to that of the herbal preparations. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of the herbal formulation was determined using two-fold serial dilutions.
On average, the agar dilution trials revealed; 41.8 per cent resistance, 13 per cent intermediate and 45.3 per cent susceptibility for the herbal formulation while the synthetic antimicrobials produced 23.5 per cent resistance, 5.2 per cent intermediate and 71.3 per cent susceptibility. The gram negative controls tested were generally resistant.. Mean MIC was 11.5mg/ml at the 5 per cent serial dilution for the herbal extract compared to the Cephalexin (semi-synthetic antimicrobial) MIC for S. aureus at 0.5mg/L or 0.0005mg/ml.
The herbs Aloevera andCurcuma longa from Zambia showed antimicrobial efficacy on bovine mastitis causing microbes at 5 per cent MIC and could prospectively be assessed as an economical alternative to synthetic anti-mastitis preparations as well as an effective adjunct in fighting antimicrobial resistance to the benefit of the most affected and resource limited small-scale dairy farmers
Quantitative Exposure Assessment to Vibrio cholerae through Consumption of Fresh Fish in Lusaka Province of Zambia
Get PDFFresh fish is one of the widely consumed sources of proteins in Zambia. Consumption of contaminated fresh fish has been linked to zoonotic transmission of diseases in humans as fresh fish harbors several spoilage bacteria and pathogens including V. cholerae which cause cholera in humans. This study aimed to conduct a quantitative exposure assessment to Vibrio cholerae through consumption of fresh fish in Lusaka Province of Zambia. We used Swift Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (sQMRA) model to estimate the risk of exposure. We obtained data from reviews of scientific literature, government reports, questionnaire survey, and expert opinions. We categorized fish consumers using three risk pathways; restaurants, households with low socioeconomic status, and households with high socio-economic status.
Results revealed that at a serving portion of 100g in households with low socioeconomic status, a concentration of 50 cfu/g, and infectious dose 50 (ID50) of 106 cells, one person out of 2,251,898 population at risk would get ill, representing a probability of 4.4x10-7. At a serving portion of 200g in households with high socioeconomic status, a concentration of 330 cfu/g, and ID50 of 106 cells, 13 people out of 2,251,898 would get ill, representing a probability of 5.7x10-6. At an average serving portion of 200g in restaurants, a concentration of 50 cfu/g, and ID50 of 106 cells, 47 people would get ill, translating to a probability density of 2.02 x 10-5.
These results indicate that the risk of exposure to Vibrio cholerae through the consumption of fresh fish among the population at risk in Lusaka Province of Zambia is extremely low through all risk pathways. Cross-contamination during preparation and consumption is the main source of exposure to the Vibrio cholerae. Therefore, improvement in good food safety handling and processing would further minimize the occurrence of foodborne illnesses
Assessment of Techniques in Inculcating Moral Character on Islamic Studies Students in Senior Secondary Schools, Kwara Central Senatorial District, Nigeria
Get PDFThis research investigated techniques used by senior secondary school teachers in inculcating moral character on Islamic Studies students in Kwara Central Senatorial District, Nigeria. The aim of the study was pointing out whether or not gender, qualification level and experience of teachers were linked to techniques used to inculcate moral character on Islamic Studies students in Kwara Central Senatorial District. The paper was a quantitative research by using questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The population was drawn from secondary school Islamic Studies teachers. Similarly, purposive sampling technique was used to select 166 schools. The validity and reliability of the instrument is also established by the three experts. A Test-retest method was conducted for the questionnaire and the results were used to calculate the reliability coefficient which was 0.78. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences vision 23.0 was used to analyse the data collected from the respondents. Majority of the respondents believed that using different techniques during the classroom instruction make meaningful outcome. It is further agreed that qualified Islamic teachers employed multiple techniques in inculcating moral character on the learners that were on Islamic Studies in senior secondary school than nonqualified teachers with the larger mean score of 19.120. This paper makes a new initiation by recommending the community inquiry to teach Islamic Studies in secondary schools. This community inquiry technique is mostly used for science students. However, if the community inquiry technique is recommended and used to teach Islamic Studies in Nigerian secondary schools, it will make the students to be critical thinkers in leaning
Comparative Analysis of Public and Private School Students’ Academic Performance in Islamic Studies in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Get PDFPoor academic performance of students in Islamic Studies, particularly
among public and private schools seems to be rampant and concerned
to all and sundry. This paper investigated comparative analysis of public
and private school students’ academic performance in Islamic Studies in
Kwara State, Nigeria. Causal-comparative research type known as “ex
post facto” research method was used for this study. All ninety one (91)
public and private senior secondary schools in Ilorin south constituted the
population. Stratified sampling technique was used to select four public
and private senior secondary schools. One hundred and sixty (160) senior
secondary Islamic Studies students III were selected using simple random
sampling technique. Students’ academic performance test in Islamic Studies
was used to determine their performance. The instrument was validated
through face and content validity and reliability index yielded 0.68. Three
hypotheses were postulated and tested using t-test statistical tool at 0.05
level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that a significant
difference existed between public school male and female Islamic Studies
students' academic performance in Ilorin South. Based on the finding, it
was recommended among others that only competent and trained Islamic
Studies teachers should be allowed to handle the subject and not just a mere
believer. It was also recommended that students, irrespective of their gender
should be exposed to conducive environment in the teaching and learning of
Islamic Studies in order to facilitate better performance
Chemistry topics perceived as difficult to learn by secondary school pupils of Kasama, Luwingu, Mbala and Mungwi districts of Northern Province of Zambia
Get PDFSenior secondary school pupils have, for some time now, exhibited
unsatisfactory performance in some chemistry topics that are perceived
as difficult to learn in their school certificate and General Certificate of
Education (GCE) Examinations.
This study was a survey and aimed at identifying topics pupils perceived
as difficult to learn in secondary school ‘O’-Level chemistry. It was conducted
in 8 secondary schools in Kasama, Luwingu, Mbala and Mungwi districts.
The study also established reasons for pupils’ learning difficulties. Eight
heads of departments, 16 chemistry teachers and 221 secondary school
pupils constituted the sample. Data were collected through questionnaires
and semi-structured interviews. Heads of departments, chemistry teachers
and pupils completed questionnaires. Sixteen (16) chemistry teachers
and 68 pupils attended follow-up oral interviews. Qualitative data were
analysed by noting patterns, themes and categories (Cohen & Morris,
2008). Quantitative data captured in this study were analysed by making
use of software, Excel. This analysis made use of descriptive statistics
which involved: frequency tables, charts and percentages. Cohen & Morris
(2008) recommend this and state that numeric data analysis can easily be
performed using software packages such as SPSS, Minitab or Excel. Results
of the study revealed that the most difficult topics were: mole concept and
stoichiometry, electrolysis, organic chemistry and Redox.
The reasons for pupils’ challenges included: general learners’ difficulties
referring to poor pupils’ mathematical skills, complex scientific terms and
language, lack of teaching and learning resources, lack of practical work or
activities and pupils’ poor attitude towards chemistry as a subject; teacher’s
incompetence which embodies inadequate explanation, unsuitable pace of
delivery, lack of knowledge, difficult language and terminology used and
inexperience; inadequate infrastructure referring to lack of laboratories
and equipment, apparatus and other materials, and unsuitable teaching
methods used as the only teaching methods used were ‘question and answer’
sessions, group discussions, demonstrations and lectures
Prevalence of HIV Infection in Patients with TB Spine Admitted to the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia
Get PDFBackground: Extra pulmonary TB is an AIDS defining opportunistic infection in patients with HIV infection. TB spine is the commonest form of bone TB and whose clinical picture depends on the site and the presence of HIV infection
Method: This was a retrospective review of patient records (n=101) over a two-year period (2008-2010) at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. Clinical and radiological features, laboratory data were analyzed
Results: One hundred and one patients (57 male: 44 female) had TB spine in this period. The mean age was 37.22 ± 14.29 years. The main presenting complaint was backache in 71(70.3%) patients and the mean duration of symptoms was 2.68 ± 1.23 months. The Gibbus was present in 77 (76.24%) of the patients while neurological deficit was identified in 32 (31.6%) patients. The lumbar spine the most affected in 64(63.4%) patients. The mean ESR was determined to be 59.43 ± 32.23 mm/hour. The prevalence rate of HIV infection in the patients with TB spine was 24.8 %. The average CD4 count was found to be 262± 121.3 cells/μl. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of HIV infection (24.8%) is higher than that obtaining in the Zambian general population (13.7%) but lower than the general prevalence of HIV infection in patients with TB (68%)
TEACHERS’ AND HEAD TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SYLLABUSES 2044 AND 2046 IN SELECTED SCHOOLS OF KAPIRI-MPOSHI DISTRICT
Get PDFThe objectives of this study were to find out the attitudes of head teachers and teachers of RE towards RE as a school curriculum subject, and the attitudes of teachers of RE syllabus 2044 and their head teachers towards syllabus 2046 and vice versa (i.e. teachers of RE syllabus 2046 and their head teachers towards syllabus 2044). Six secondary schools in the categories of grant-aided, government or public, and private were chosen for the study in Kapiri-mposhi District of Central Province of Zambia. From each of the selected schools, the head teacher and three teachers of RE were purposively sampled for the study. Data were collected through interviews by using interview guides. The interview guides were designed in such a way that the items of discussion therein elicited responses that revealed respondents’ attitudes (feelings, opinions and views) towards RE as a school curriculum subject and towards the two senior secondary syllabuses. The data collected revealed that all teachers of RE and most head teachers had positive attitudes towards RE as a curriculum subject, though one or two head teachers regarded the subject as a second class subject. Data further revealed that the teachers of RE syllabus 2044 had negative attitudes towards syllabus 2046 while negative attitudes towards syllabus 2044 were equally found among teachers of RE syllabus 2046. The study therefore, established that the teachers of RE syllabuses 2044 and 2046 had positive attitudes towards the syllabus they taught and negative attitudes towards the other syllabus. The study therefore recommended that the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) through the Directorate of Curriculum and Standards, Curriculum Development Centre, should either merge the two syllabuses to foster professional harmony among the teachers of RE. Additionally, offices in charge of inspection or monitoring of educational standards (SESOs, head teachers, HODs and HOSs) should be proactive and ensure that the subject is competently taught in schools
PROVERBS: AN INNOVATION IN PEDAGOGY
Get PDFThis article is in the area of pedagogy. It propagates the use of proverbs in the teaching of history and explains both the advantages of the proposed method and its procedural aspects. In explaining the use of proverbs approach to teaching history, the article provides a specimen lesson plan on ‘Lozi Economic Activities’ and fully illustrates each of its stages. The author also makes it clear that the method is more suited to the junior secondary level of the Zambian Secondary School system generally and particularly to those areas or topics of the syllabus that deal with the activities of the country’s ethnic groups. The article begins by reporting that the method being propagated was successfully tried with the University of Zambia Secondary School (UNZA-Sec) class in the 1990s
Youth and adult literacy in Zambia, alternative strategies for financing, policy formulation, curriculum design and monitoring
Get PDFThis qualitative exploratory article attempted to engage with the subject of youth and adult literacy in Zambia. The inspiration was based on the author's experience in the field including supervision and marking of post-graduate work on youth and adult literacy. Most of the reports on youth and adult literacy tend to focus on the problems and not the solutions. Underscoring the importance of literacy to both an individual, the community and society as a whole, this article presents possible interventions in youth and adult literacy learning programmes in Zambia. The interventions are in form of alternative strategies for financing, policy formulation, curriculum design, and monitoring of literacy programmes. The interventions on financing include the introduction of government grants to literacy providers and the development of sustainable self-financing based literacy programmes. Policy formulation to include research-based data, a decentralized and participatory process. Stakeholder engagement is crucial for enhancing political will in the formulation of adult literacy policy in this regard. Similarly, curriculum design would require a decentralized participatory process and give attention to the growing diversity of adult learners in terms of needs and also both the local and global context of adult learning. Where digital skills, collaborative learning, active engagement and knowledge construction, problem-based learning, and critical thinking are emphasized. The monitoring of literacy programmes includes the reorganization of literacy programmes to allow for effective monitoring mechanisms
A transformative view on relevance of orientation counselling service to first year undergraduate students at a public university in Lusaka, Zambia
Get PDFThe study sought to investigate how students considered the orientation received in terms of its relevance to their social and academic adjustment at the selected public university. A sample size of 130 was used which comprised 128 students and two Deans from Schools of Education and Humanities and Social Sciences. The study was guided by the Student Departure Theory which focusses on three stages students pass through (separation, transition and incorporation) from home to a new learning institution. The cconcurrent transformative design was used. By using the concurrent transformative design, quantitative methods were embedded within a qualitative design. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected at the same time during one data collection phase and priority was placed on the qualitative methods and data. The quantitative data was embedded to support the qualitative data. Questionnaire, interview and focused group discussion guides were used to collect the data. Microsoft Word Excel was used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. It was found that 57% of the students viewed the orientation received as relevant to their social adjustment while 43% had contrary views. Notably, 111 of the 128 students either missed or partially attended the orientation. From a transformative view point, it is therefore, recommended that all first year full time students must attend orientation programme