The University of Zambia Journals
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Diagnostic Accuracy of the Alvarado Scoring System in Patients Undergoing Appendicectomy at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka.
Get PDFBackground: The use of the Alvarado scoring system as a tool for diagnosing acute appendicitis has been associated with a reduction of negative appendicectomies. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the Alvarado scoring system at predicting acute appendicitis in patients undergoing appendicectomy at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
Methods: A prospective study was done to evaluate the diagnostic value of the Alvarado score in patients undergoing appendicectomy at the UTH. Data was collected from the participants diagnosed with acute appendicitis and undergoing appendicectomy. The Alvarado scores for all the participants enrolled into the study were tabulated and correlated with the histopathology results. The sensitivity and the specificity of the Alvarado score was determined and used to construct the ROC curve using the SPSS version 20. The area under the curve was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Alvarado score in this study.
Setting: The University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.
Results: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Alvarado score the ROC curve test was run in SPSS version 20. The results showed that the area under the curve was C=0.842 with SE=0.047 and 95% CI from 0.750 to 0.934. The area under the curve represents the probability that the Alvarado score result for a randomly chosen positive case will exceed the result for a randomly chosen negative case. It shows from the ROC that the Alvarado score is a good indicator to anticipate acute appendicitis. In other words, these results have confirmed that the Alvarado scoring system has very high predictive ability to discriminate acute appendicitis from normal appendix subjects.
Conclusion: The use of the Alvarado scoring system as a tool for diagnosing acute appendicitis at UTH will reduce the rate of negative appendicectomies. This will lead to a reduction in unnecessary operations, which are a burden on the health care syste
How do Teachers Understand and Apply the Text Based Integrated Approach in Secondary School Classrooms?
Get PDFEnglish language is a compulsory subject in Zambia from grades five to grade twelve. Therefore, it is vital that learners are equipped with the necessary skills to improve their communicative competence. The purpose of this study was to establish teachers’ understanding and application of the Text-based Integrated Approach in the teaching of English language to Grade Eleven pupils in selected secondary schools of Luanshya District in Zambia. The study employed a mixed method design which incorporates both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Interview guide, lesson observation guide and the questionnaire were the data collection instruments used in the study. A sample of 54 respondents comprising 45 teachers of English language and nine Heads of Language Departments participated in the study. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and were merged into common themes according to the research objectives. The findings showed that despite teachers affirming that they understood and applied the Text-based Integrated Approach in their teaching during face to face interviews, quantitative findings revealed that only 59% of the participants understood the approach, 28% held misconceptions about the approach and 13% bluntly stated that they did not have a slight idea about the method. Further, through the teachers’ responses in the questionnaire and the interviews, teachers had limited knowledge about what approaches the syllabus recommended for the teaching of English language at senior secondary school level. Classroom lesson observations data showed that teachers were not implementing the Text-based Integrated Approach as stipulated in the syllabus. In view of the findings, it is recommended that the Ministry of General Education should organize formal and comprehensive in-service training for teachers on how to apply the Text-based Integrated Approach
Effects of Contextual and Service Learning Strategies on Civic Attitudes of Junior Secondary School Students in Ijebu Land, Nigeria
Get PDFDespite the introduction of civic education in basic and senior secondary, and citizenship education at the tertiary education levels, there still exists a decline in expected social values among the youths. This has been partly attributed to the use of teacher-centred instructional strategies in the teaching of Civic/Citizenship Education, the consequent inability of the students to make connections between what they have learnt and its application within the society. There is dearth of evidence on the adoption of Contextual Learning Strategy (CLS) and Service Learning Strategy (SLS) on civic attitudes of students in Nigeria. This study therefore, determined the effects of Contextual Learning Strategy (CLS) and Service Learning Strategy (SLS) on civic attitudes of Junior Secondary School (JSS) students in Ijebu land, Nigeria. The moderating effects of gender and school location were also examined. The study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design with 3x2x2 factorial matrix. Six JS1, three each were purposively selected from Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu North-East local government areas. Treatment lasted 12 weeks. Civic Attitude (r =.74) Scale and Instructional Guide for each of the strategies were the instruments used for the study. Data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance, and Scheffe Post-hoc test at 0.05 level of significance. Treatment had a significant main effect on students’ civic attitude (F(2,524) = 18.62; η2= .07). Thus, contextual and service learning strategies enhanced civic attitudes of junior secondary school students in Ijebuland, Nigeria. Both strategies are recommended for use in the teaching of civic education to promote civic attitude
Translanguaging as commodified semiotic resource among traders and customers of Soweto market in Lusaka Zambia
Get PDFMotivated by the practical and theoretical need to interrogate the place of urgency, actorhood and convergence of semiotic assemblages and resources in places of trade and business, this paper investigated the use of translanguaging as a commodified semiotic resource among traders and customers at Soweto market in Zambia’s Capital City. For in-depth appreciation of the phenomenon, data were obtained by the semi-structured interview, audio recording and general observation within the broader context of qualitative ethnography. A careful analysis of translanguaging practices among traders and customers during a transaction revealed that speakers in a market setting of Lusaka place high premium on stylizing their multiple languages as commodified semiotics, which invariably results in dissolved traditional linguistic boundaries through the use of the extended linguistic repertoire from their language system. Consequently, the speakers combined English lexemes with bound morphemes from their local languages, the standard and non-standard language forms, as well as fragmented pieces of languages as semiotically motivated act. Revealingly, therefore, it is contested that translanguaging, as a commodified semiotic resource, is deployed to engender a clearer conveyance of messages that strive for inclusivity, and multiple deployment of identities as marketization strategy. Of course, one cannot deny the fact that these marketers have the ability to use language in whatever way they feel for meaning making. This entails that, for speakers, the type or form of language to be used in informal contexts does not matter as along as the cause for which the language is being used is met. Which means all bits and pieces of language are treated as meaning making resources in their own right
Caregiver Experiences: Caring for a Child with Cerebral Palsy Presenting with Speech Impairment at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia
Get PDFBackground: Many children with cerebral palsy present with disturbances in sensory, cognitive and motor development which subsequently affect the child’s speech, language and communication development. Caregivers taking care of such children are heavily burdened and if not addressed such cumulative burden may in turn have influence on the quality of care for children with cerebral palsy. we set out to explore the experiences of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy who present with speech impairments and to identify which strategies they use to communicate with their children.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was used. Data was collected using in-depth interviews from a purposively selected sample of 8 caregivers of children with cerebral palsy presenting with speech impairment at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.
Results: Three themes emerged from the data on caregivers’ experiences caring for a child with speech impairments and one theme from data on communication strategies used by caregivers. The themes on caregiver experiences included impact of speech deficit; beliefs about speech impairment; and Lack of knowledge. The theme on communication strategies had three sub-themes namely understanding through the gaze; a different kind of sound; and trial and error.
Conclusion: This study has revealed that caregiver beliefs, lack of knowledge on availability of speech therapy and special education make it difficult for them to understand speech problems experienced by their children. Furthermore, the study also showed that caregivers devise their own strategies of communicating with their children despite the absence of speech and language therapy services
Factors Associated With Alcohol Use Among Medical Students at Ridgeway Campus, University of Zambia
Get PDFBackground: Alcohol use among students has been found to be significantly associated with suicide ideation, physical fighting, and poor academic performance. Consequently, the regular use of alcohol during the adolescence and early adulthood stage can be seen as a risk factor or an indicator of possible future health and social problems. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with alcohol use among medical students at Ridgeway campus.
Methodology: The study enrolled 259 medical students at Ridgeway campus who completed an anonymous, self-applied questionnaire. SPSS version 20 was used to verify the correlation between alcohol use and variables. The significance level was set at 95% (p>0.05) interval.
Results: Alcohol consumption was 60%. Year of the study was related to alcohol use. Additionally, other related factors were boredom (
Promoting Professional and Ethical Conduct Amongst Teachers in Zambia
Get PDFTeaching as a noble profession requires that all teachers conduct themselves professionally and ethically. Teachers have a huge responsibility to shape the current generation into responsible adults and leaders of tomorrow. Apart from equipping young ones with relevant skills and knowledge, teachers as role models, have a direct bearing on the values, attitudes, conduct, and behaviour that young ones take up. Teachers thus are expected at all times to conduct themselves professionally and ethically at and off school to gain and maintain public confidence. Teachers who engage in professional misconduct cannot teach values of morality, honesty, and integrity to learners. Literature shows that a lot of teachers in primary and secondary schools, especially public schools, have continued conducting themselves unprofessionally in their course of duty. They engage in sexual relations with learners, report for work drunk, and general lack of dedication to duty. This is despite being trained as professionals in their fields of specialization. Several strategies have thus been put in place to promote teacher professionalism but the issue of teacher misbehaviour appears to be unabated. This paper, therefore, is set to illuminate the essence of the knowledge of educational laws in the enforcement of ethical conduct amongst teachers in Zambia as a way of promoting ethical and professional conduct amongst teachers. Through a comprehensive analysis of both local and international research evidence on teacher professionalism through a desk review, we examined the influence of the knowledge of legal aspects of education on teacher professionalism and ethical conduct. We argue that if teachers are well acquainted with the various legal aspects of education, their conduct is likely to be more professional and thus avoid unnecessary liabilities. The paper also draws lessons from international practices on how best professional conduct can be enhanced in the teaching fraternity from a legal perspective. The authors suggest among other things, the need for teachers to be well acquainted with the provisions of the code of ethics and the introduction of a course on legal aspects of education in all teacher education programs. Lastly, we recommend the need to undertake a large scale study regarding the knowledge of educators on the legal provisions that impact the professional practice of teachers in Zambia
Management of Teaching Experience at School Level and Linkage with Knowledge Perceptions in Basic Language Constructs among Early Childhood Education Pre-Service Teachers
Get PDFThis study is an establishment of how policy on management of teaching experience at school level impacts on early childhood education pre-service teacher’s knowledge levels in basic language constructs. Teaching experience exposes pre-service teachers to their first formative experiences to their teaching careers, hence the need to have mentors who know their roles in this pertinent process. During their training, teachers are exposed to pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge. The research took a survey approach among fourth year early childhood pre-service teachers. The cohort had 24 pre-service teachers and their experiences where solicited. The students were grouped into groups of three depending on the type of school they had undertaken their teaching experiences. These groups were those who went to public, private and grant aided in particular catholic schools. The findings of the study showed that pre-service teacher’s pedagogical practices in teaching of basic language constructs can be improved if there is focused coordination between teacher training colleges and early childhood education centers. In schools mentors should be well endowed with what is expected, and they should be models to the trainee teachers and provide guidance. Based on the content to be taught, pre-service teachers should be encouraged to be reflective and more importantly thrive on peer networks and school communities
Internal Efficiency Indicators in Education
Get PDFThe article sought to examine the nature of secondary school dropouts in selected secondary schools in Mongu district. The objectives of the paper were anchored on understanding the causes of secondary school dropouts and to establish the proportion of learners that dropped out for the period 2012-2017 in Mongu district. This article employed a concurrent mixed method design that involved combining qualitative and quantitative research. In qualitative perspectives, interview guides were central while the usage of questionnaires were key in empirical quantitative investigation. Purposive and simple random sampling were used to select interviewees and respondents respectively. The sample size was 232 participants who included; 90 teachers and 122 pupils that responded to the questionnaire, and 6 Head teachers, 3 planners, 1 DEBS and 10 dropouts that were key informant interviewees. Furthermore, qualitative data was analysed according to emerging themes while quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in which factor analysis was employed. The result of this study established that pregnancy, financial challenges and truancy were the major reasons explaining the nature of school drop outs among pupils in Mongu district. Pregnancy emerged as the single most influential factor accounting for dropping out amongst girls and financial challenges was the major reason for boys. In order to reduce dropout rates and improve opportunities for pupils in the secondary school system, the study recommended that there be an introduction of a form of financial support and intensify sex education among the pupils
Burden and Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease in Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia Aged 5 – 16 Years at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka - Zambia
Get PDFImproved medical care has led to the improved life expectancy of sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients hence complications associated with SCA such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) are being seen more frequently. Globally, nephropathy of varying severity occurs in 5 to 18 % of the SCA population across all age groups with a third of the adults proceeding to develop CKD while over 30 % of paediatric SCA patients have CKD in Africa. The mortality rate in SCA patients CKD is high. This study sought to determine CKD’s prevalence and risk factors in SCA, which was not available in Zambia before this study. This information will guide targeting and timing of screening for CKD in SCA in children in our population.
To determine the prevalence of haematuria, proteinuria, abnormal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), CKD, and risk factors of CKD among the steady-state SCA patients aged 5 to 16 years at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka.
This was a prospective cross-sectional study of 197 children aged 5 to 16 years with SCA at the UTH - Lusaka conducted from August 2014 to July 2015. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Urine and blood samples were used to determine the urine albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) and full blood count /blood biochemistry, respectively. CKD was defined and determined using the Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative 2012 guidelines employing urine ACR, dipstick urinalysis and eGFR. In this study, spot urine ACR and dipstick urinalysis were done and repeated three months later if initial tests were abnormal.Data was analysed using SPSS version 21. Chi-square and t-test were used to compare proportions between groups. The relation between study variables and CKD were examined using logistic regression.
The mean age of the participants was 9.6 years (SD ±3.6). Male to female ratio was 1:1. The median age at diagnosis of SCA was 22 months (IQR = 44). The prevalence of haematuria, proteinuria and CKD among the study participants was 14.2%, 36% and 36 % respectively. Low haemoglobin and elevated mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were associated with CKD-AOR 0.62, 95% CI; 0.46-0.84 and 1.04, 95% CI; 1.01 – 1.08, respectively. Recurrent admissions (due to VOCs, severe anaemia and febrile illness) were also risk factors associated with CKD- AOR 0.52, 95% CI; 0.27-0.98. CKD was not associated with age at enrolment, sex, age at diagnosis of SCA, recurrent Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOCs) or abnormal liver function tests. The prevalence of CKD among the SCA patients at UTH- Lusaka is high (36%) with lower haemoglobin, elevated MCV and recurrent admissions being risk factors for developing CKD. SCA patients should be screened for CKD routinely at least once a year. Interventions such as the early introduction of hydroxyurea, proactive blood transfusions, and ACE inhibitors can reduce CKD’s risk and its progression to end-stage renal disease