The University of Zambia Journals
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Towards a National Policy on Religious Education in Zambia
No full textThis article is largely based on a doctoral study (by the author) whose findings and recommendations have not been widely disseminated or published before. It, therefore, aims at proposing and discussing one of the key recommendations of the study, that is, the adoption and introduction of a national policy on Religious Education (RE) to govern the teaching and learning of the subject in Zambia. In proposing the national policy, the article first gives a brief history of RE in Zambia, focusing on syllabus reform and pluralisation of the subject. Thereafter, the article explains the rationale or reasons for a national policy on RE, focusing on current professional problems in the practice of the subject. Finally, the article puts forward the proposed framework and principles which should underpin both the policy on RE and the nature of RE to be offered in the country. The article ends with a conclusion which emphasises the need to put the national policy on RE in place if the subject is to develop beyond its current neo-confessional and semi-educational nature
PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE FOR INITIAL READING INSTRUCTION: THE PETER EFFECT IN TEACHER EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA
No full textLearning to read is a complex skill requiring systematic and explicit instructions from teachers with specialised pedagogical content knowledge. Without a working knowledge of the role of phonological processing, the teachers’ effectiveness is ominously compromised. This study sought to determine Zambian reading teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of language-based concepts that promote the reading development in beginning readers. A teacher’s knowledge of basic language constructs questionnaire was administered to 110 in-service teachers at one of Zambia’s major universities. Results showed that teachers’ understanding of language concepts was significantly poor to teach reading effectively. Results showed low correlations between teachers’ perceptions of their familiarity and instruction aptitudes, and their actual achievement on a measure of basic language concepts that underlie the reading process. It is recommended that the teacher education curricula incorporates key language concepts, and make teaching-learning guides and reading resources, not only accessible but also easily comprehensible for student
teachers
WhatsApp platform as pedagogical intervention: Experiences of Masters in Education (Languages) students under Covid-19 at a selected state university in Zimbabwe
Get PDFWith the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc globally, the world locked itself down, creating an apparent standstill. Zimbabwe closed all her universities and other learning institutions on 24 March, 2020. However, despite the apparent standstill of certain activities, life itself did not stop. This qualitative study reports on the experiences of 11 Masters in Education (M.Ed. Languages) students at a selected state university on their use of WhatsApp as a pedagogical platform during the Covid-19 lockdown period that coincided with their March to August 2020 semester. A case study was decided as the most useful design. All the 11 students taking the two English modules by one of the researchers were conveniently and purposively selected as the sample but focus was delimitated to only one module. Since there were sensitive ethical issues surrounding a study of this nature, due diligence to ethical considerations was followed. Data were collected through semi-structured WhatsApp interview questions. Questions covered participants’ experiences with the platform, including possible challenges and solutions. Researchers also had the opportunity to analyse some of the WhatsApp chats for the particular group of students. The major findings of the study showed that students acknowledge that despite being a social media platform, WhatsApp could be conveniently used as a learning platform with great opportunities. They identified its potential to enhance active and self-directed learning off-campus, and even in remote areas. They however noted that WhatsApp presented technical, viability and credibility challenges that compromised the platform as one that could promote critical thinking. The positive and negative payoffs from WhatsApp as a pedagogical intervention platform invite further research, not dismissal of the platform as an alternative to teaching/learning platform. The study thus recommends the meaningful combination of WhatsApp platform with other e-learning modes and with on-campus face-to-face learning approaches
Application of Topsis Method to The Selection of a Production Drilling Rig
Get PDFDrilling and blasting are considered to be the first unit of operations in mining. proper rock fragmentation is the key first element of the ore winning process, as it affects the economics of processing. To ensure a proper fragmentation is achieved, a lot of factors are considered, one of them being the accuracy and efficiency of drilling. This makes drilling an important part of the rock fragmentation process, and the selection of a drill rig that will result in achieving desired production rate is thus an important decision for mining engineers. In this paper, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method was applied to the selection of a Production Drill Rig. The methodology involved the application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method in calculation of the weights of the criteria. Expert opinion was used in the formation of AHP pairwise matrices. TOPSIS method was then used to rank the alternatives and finally, the most appropriate drill rig was selected. It was shown that TOPSIS method can be applied in equipment selection as opposed to the traditional trial-and-error methods, which will result in speedy decision makin
Rock Failure Criteria and Mechanisms of Failure for Excavation Stability Design: A Chronological Evolution
Get PDFFailure of rock, when it does occur, follows definite mechanical laws and that its probability, can, at least in some instances, be predicted sufficiently in advance of actual occurrence so as to prevent any great danger to the miner. The article chronologically describes rock failure criteria of some practical and most frequently featured strength criteria for predicting failure mechanism of rocks from rock sample or models (lab scale) to total structure or rock mass breakdown (field scale). A cross section range of criteria, from the typical and indispensable to state of the art ones, categorised under isotropic or anisotropic, stress, strain and energy related failure criteria that are predominantly derived on the basis of Coulomb, von Mises and Griffith theories of failure are reviewed. More attention and discussion has been given to most practical criteria like the Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown. Evolution of mechanisms of rock failure over time by various authors. The paper demonstrates progression of rock failure criteria, and that current theories hinge on classical one
Groundwater Resource Assessment Using Modelling and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Sesheke, Zambia
Get PDFGroundwater is the major source of domestic water supply in rural Zambia. Sustainable
utilization of these resources requires accurate knowledge of its quantity and quality. One the
tools most used in assessing groundwater resources is the use of numerical groundwater
models. The reliability of groundwater modelling is largely constrained by the quality of input
data. Earth Observation data and groundwater modelling can help in quantifying the
groundwater fluxes in an area where data is scarce. This paper discusses the assessment of
groundwater resources in Sesheke using Geographical Information System (GIS), Remote
Sensing (RS) and Groundwater modelling. The aquifer system was modelled using software
Processing Modflow for Windows (PMWIN) as a pre and post processor for MODFLOW
assuming steady state conditions. Only the upper aquifer was modelled under unconfined
conditions represented by three numerical layers of varying thickness 130m to 364m. The grid
cell size of the model was taken as 250 X 250m and 11,863 active cells were used to represent
the entire study area which is 11,501Km2. The model area and the elevation of the top layer
were delineated using Shuttle Radar Topographical Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model
(DEM) and topographic maps. A combination of trial and error method and automatic method
were used to calibrate the model using the observed hydraulic heads until the Root Mean
Square Error (RMSE) reached 17m. From the sensitivity analysis hydraulic conductivity
proved to be the most sensitive parameter of the model. From the pump testing analysis the
average transmisivity was found to be 3.614m2/day and the hydraulic conductivity was in the
range of 0.742 – 2.614m/day for the sandstone and 0.09-24m/day for the loose top Kalahari
sands. From the Surface Energy Balance system (SEBS) the annual average actual
Evapotranspiration (ET) was calculated as 745mm against the annual precipitation of 765mm.
The estimated annual recharge from the groundwater model is 54.7mm in the north and 28mm
in the southern part of the model. The model results suggest that the main recharge area is in
the northern part of Sesheke which agrees well with hydraulic head survey conducted during
the field work where high hydraulic heads in the north where comparable to the southern part
of the District
Kidney Disease for People Living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa; A Systematic Review
Get PDFPeople living with HIV have been known to have a higher risk and threat of kidney disease. Globally, the prevalence of kidney disease for PLWH is postulated to be 6.4%. This prevalence is different for many different parts of the world, with 7.9% in Africa, 7.1% in North America, 5.7% in Asia and 3.7% in Europe. This systematic review set out to review and collect evidence from literature source and to provide a summary about factors influencing kidney disease for PLWH in Africa. We hypothesized that TDF containing ART is significantly associated with kidney disease. A systematic review and search of data was performed and all articles included were English articles from the following electronic databases: PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase. We carried out the selection of titles in three distinct phases: titles alone, abstracts, and then full text articles. 7 papers were included. While TDF was included in the ART regimens in all the studies, there was wide variation in ART combinations and concurrent medications and durations thereof. All studies except one included only adult patients of both men and women. Majority of the studies highlighted kidney disease and mostly these were hospital-based data. the findings establish a significant association between kidney disease and TDF use, but in terms of the clinical significance and weighting the risks against the benefits, we cannot discourage the continual use of the drug
An Audit of the Decision to Delivery Interval During Emergency Caesarean Section at Mansa General Hospital, Zambia
Get PDFBackground
Emergency caesarean section can be a lifesaving procedure for both the mother and the baby. The time it takes between the decision to perform a caesarean section and the time the baby is delivered is known as the decision to delivery interval. The standard of a decision to delivery interval of 30 minutes has not failed to attract controversy. Many argue that assessing the decision to delivery interval alone without an analysis of other factors that may contribute to early perinatal morbidity and mortality may be flawed. Ostensibly, the decision to delivery interval falls within the bracket of the third delay and at Mansa General Hospital, Luapula province of Zambia, there have been attempts to associate obstetric outcomes with the decision to delivery interval. We conducted an audit of the emergency caesarean sections at Mansa General Hospital in Zambia and the factors associated with the decision to delivery. The aim of the study was to describe the factors associated with the decision to delivery interval during emergency caesarean section at Mansa General Hospital in Zambia.
Material and Methods
Using a cross sectional study, we enrolled, a total of 209 pregnant women who were indicated for emergency caesarean section. Data was collected from patient
A Crossover Design for Comparative Efficacy: A 28 Days- Randomized Clinical Trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain of Degenerative Conditions
Get PDFIn physiotherapy practice, a number of patients are known to suffer from chronic pain which results in reduced activity levels, interference in sleep, enjoyment of life, mood, and relations with others. Cognitive behavioral therapy, in this aspect will provide a holistic approach to the available treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy has also been shown to target cognitive distortions such as pain catastrophizing, fear avoidance, overgeneralizing and others, all the while improving physical health, activity levels and quality of life. This study assessed the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy in the management of patients with chronic pain at the University Teaching Hospitals in Zambia. A randomized clinical trial utilizing a crossover design was utilized for the study. A random sample of 32 participants was used in the study after fulfilling the study criteria. Data was analyzed using ANCOVA with alpha of 0.05. The study recorded small effects in the reduction of pain intensity in both phase one and two. In phase one, it also recorded small effects in general work interference, sleep interference and enjoyment of life interference but recorded medium effects in normal work interference and mood interference. Phase two of the study recorded small effect size in reduction of general work interference, normal work interference, mood interference, relations with others interference, sleep interference and Enjoyment of Life interference. Cognitive behavioral therapy ensures the management of chronic pain addresses areas in which an individual is affected by pain and which in turn exacerbate the chronic pain. Physiotherapy provides a more holistic approach when used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy