The University of Zambia Journals
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The Conceptualisation of Information Literacy and its Relevance to Higher Education
Get PDFInformation Literacy is a broad term that incorporates all forms of information related learning. This paper will discuss the conceptualization of information literacy and its relevance to higher education. Information Literacy is a set of competencies to locate, analyse and evaluate information critically for decision making. These competencies supports the learning process in higher education. The learner is able to locate information amidst information overload and is able to conduct research by employing information literacy skills. In higher education, information literacy promotes originality and innovativeness through critical thinking .At national level, information literacy is a social empowerment that equips the learner with skills they will use for life time. Therefore, Information literacy education in higher education is essential to produce a work force of flexible lifelong learners which is a primary vision for higher education.Information Literacy is a broad term that incorporates all forms of information related learning. This paper will discuss the conceptualization of information literacy and its relevance to higher education. Information Literacy is a set of competencies to locate, analyse and evaluate information critically for decision making. These competencies supports the learning process in higher education. The learner is able to locate information amidst information overload and is able to conduct research by employing information literacy skills. In higher education, information literacy promotes originality and innovativeness through critical thinking .At national level, information literacy is a social empowerment that equips the learner with skills they will use for life time. Therefore, Information literacy education in higher education is essential to produce a work force of flexible lifelong learners which is a primary vision for higher education
Challenges of Using Icibemba in the Learning of Initial Literacy in Selected Primary Schools in Serenje District of Zambia: An Analysis of Views of Teachers and Learners
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to establish views and investigate challenges faced by teachers and learners in the use of Icibemba in teaching initial literacy in primary schools in Serenje district. A descriptive research design supported by qualitative data collection techniques was employed. A purposive sampling procedure was used to select all the participants giving the study a sample size of 56 comprising of 40 grade four learners and 16 of their teachers sampled from 10 primary schools. Researchers decided to have more learners in this study since they were the direct beneficiaries of the curriculum. And thus the need to have a wider view from them. This was also done so as to have enough participants from each school. Data was collected through interviews, focus group discussions and classroom observations of literacy lessons. Lesson observation was used to get first hand information on the learning experiences and helped the researchers to triangulate with what participants expressed during interviews and focus group discussions. Focus group discussions and interviews enabled participants to provide their detailed views of the exact situation learners and teachers encountered. Thematic analysis was used to analyze all the data. It involved organizing data through use of open, axial and selective coding before presenting the emerging themes. The findings revealed that although the Ministry of General Education zoned Serenje district under Icibemba instead of Icilala in teaching initial literacy, learners’ performance was low because the language used in school was unfamiliar to learners. Additionally, findings also showed that there was a lack of teacher’s guide books and learners’ text books to use in teaching initial literacy hence teacher’s delivery of lessons was negatively affected. Researchers concluded that learners performed poorly in literacy due to the fact that the zoned language was unfamiliar to learners in that area where it was used as a medium of teaching literacy. It is therefore recommended that the Ministry of General Education through the Curriclum Development Center should develop and produce and distribute learning materials for the teaching of literacy in grades one to four. Furthermore, lessons for literacy should be taught using concrete and real teaching and learning resources that can enhance learning. Additionally, there is a need to start thinking about the possibility of rezoning the whole country
Formal Induction Practices of Grade 8 Pupils in Three Selected Secondary Schools in Mongu District of Zambia
Get PDFThis study sought to examine the formal induction practices of grade 8 pupils in three selected secondary schools in Mongu District. Formal induction of grade 8 pupils in secondary schools would help to integrate them into the new environment. However, this formal induction is unstructured hence fails to meet its intended purpose adequately. A sample of 3 head teachers, 3 school guidance and counselling teachers (SGCTs), 15 grade 8 teachers and 30 grade 8 pupils were purposively drawn from three secondary schools in Mongu District. A descriptive case study design was employed for this study. Data were collected through face-face interviews with head teachers and SGCTs, an open ended questionnaire for grade 8 teachers and focus group discussion guide for grade 8 pupils. Data were analysed thematically. The study found that formal induction lacked formal structure and the participation of various stakeholders such as parents, teachers and pupils. The study further established that grade 8 pupils faced challenges on transition to secondary school due to the organisational and physical differences that existed between primary and secondary schools among them; many specialist teachers, challenging academic work, school rules and routines, bullying from older pupils, displacement from the social hierarchy, concern with making new friends and being accepted by others. In addition, the study found that the current school induction did not sufficiently guide the new pupils to cope with the academic, personal, social, physical and safety demands of their new environment. The study recommended that the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) should make formal induction of grade 8 pupils a policy to mitigate challenges on transition to secondary school. At school level, all stakeholders should be actively involved in the induction of grade 8 pupils, including senior pupils who should be utilised to guide grade 8 pupils into the school culture.This study sought to examine the formal induction practices of grade 8 pupils in three selected secondary schools in Mongu District. Formal induction of grade 8 pupils in secondary schools would help to integrate them into the new environment. However, this formal induction is unstructured hence fails to meet its intended purpose adequately. A sample of 3 head teachers, 3 school guidance and counselling teachers (SGCTs), 15 grade 8 teachers and 30 grade 8 pupils were purposively drawn from three secondary schools in Mongu District. A descriptive case study design was employed for this study. Data were collected through face-face interviews with head teachers and SGCTs, an open ended questionnaire for grade 8 teachers and focus group discussion guide for grade 8 pupils. Data were analysed thematically. The study found that formal induction lacked formal structure and the participation of various stakeholders such as parents, teachers and pupils. The study further established that grade 8 pupils faced challenges on transition to secondary school due to the organisational and physical differences that existed between primary and secondary schools among them; many specialist teachers, challenging academic work, school rules and routines, bullying from older pupils, displacement from the social hierarchy, concern with making new friends and being accepted by others. In addition, the study found that the current school induction did not sufficiently guide the new pupils to cope with the academic, personal, social, physical and safety demands of their new environment. The study recommended that the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) should make formal induction of grade 8 pupils a policy to mitigate challenges on transition to secondary school. At school level, all stakeholders should be actively involved in the induction of grade 8 pupils, including senior pupils who should be utilised to guide grade 8 pupils into the school culture
Factors Affecting Pupil Academic Performance at Grade Twelve (12) Level of Selected Grant-Aided Secondary Schools In Zambia.
Get PDFThe purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting pupil academic performance of the selected high and low performing grant-aided secondary schools in Southern Province of Zambia at Grade 12 level for the five-year period from 2011 – 2015. The objectives of the study were to identify factors accounting for constant high and constant low pupil academic performance among the schools in the sample and to identify the measures that have been put in place to improve performance in low performing grant-aided selected secondary schools. The study used a descriptive survey design and both qualitative and quantitative techniques to collect data. Two (2) high performing and two (2) low performing schools were sampled. The sample size was 135 comprising school proprietors, District Education Standard Officers, head teachers, deputy head teachers, heads of department, classroom teachers and Grade 12 pupils. The data was collected through self-administered questionnaires, interview schedules, FGDs and document review and was analysed thematically.The study revealed that the excellent performance of the two high performing schools could be attributed to factors like the availability of constant proprietor support, competent administrators and availability of adequate infrastructure, while low academic performance of the low performing schools was attributed to inconsistent proprietor support, and incompetent administrators, among others. The study concluded that the variations in the pupil academic performance in the selected grant- aided secondary schools hinged mainly on the instrumentality of the proprietors and competences of the administrators. The study recommended that proprietors should constantly support the schools they own and thoroughly scrutinize personnel recommended for administrative roles. Grant-aided schools, teacher and pupil motivation, managing agency, academic performance, low and high performing school
Knowledge and Attitudes of Female Adolescents’ Regarding Contraceptive Use in one High School in Manzini, Swaziland
Get PDFAdolescent pregnancy is the leading cause of maternal mortality among adolescents in developing countries. In order to reduce the unintended pregnancies and devastating consequences such as high maternal mortality, dropping out of school, diminished chances for gainful employment opportunities, and the possibility of experiencing numerous vulnerabilities to poverty, contraceptive use has to be prioritized as an intervention in health and education programs. This study examined the knowledge and attitudes of female adolescents regarding contraceptive use in one High School in Manzini, Swaziland.A quantitative-descriptive approach was utilized. A sample of N=60 adolescent girls was selected by simple probability sampling. All participants were female adolescents aged 15-19 years, and were enrolled in Grade 8 – Grade 10 in one High School in Manzini. A structured questionnaire was used as the measure to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Correlation and Chi-square.Most (n= 42, 70%) of the participants had good and 30% (n=18) had poor knowledge about contraceptives. A majority (n=46, 76.7%) had negative and 23.3% (n=14) of the participants had positive attitudes towards contraceptives. This study showed a high level of knowledge but negative attitude toward contraceptive use. The findings indicated that there is an association between knowledge and attitude towards contraceptives (X²=21.234, p= 0.047). There was an association between education and knowledge (r=0.322, p = 0.012), reflecting that with an increase in educational level there was increase in knowledge on contraceptive use. Parents must be encouraged to discuss sexual and reproductive health issues with their children from a very young age so that they acquire accurate information before they are exposed to peers. 
Assessing Soft Skills among Students with Disabilities in Teacher Training Institutions in Zambia
Get PDFThis paper presents results of a study conducted to assess soft skills among students with disabilities in four (4) teacher training institutions in Zambia. The study, conducted in 2014 in two Zambian universities and two colleges of education randomly sampled thirty seven (37) students with disabilities. The study used a selected set of Dr Karen Wolffe’s (2011) ten (10) category transitional competencies. Using a quantitative approach, respondents were required to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to whether they were able to perform certain soft skills or not. Data was analyzed using SPSS. The study discovered that students with disabilities lacked compensatory related skills. They also lacked skills and opportunities for leisure. They however recorded having socialization skills, real life related skills, self-advocacy and problems solving skills. Among the many recommendations, institutions training teachers should design courses or integrate into existing courses the necessary soft skills
Perspectives of University of Zambia Trainee Teachers on Research Proposal supervision
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to examine the experiences and challenges student teachers were facing during research proposal writing supervision and the need for change in the existing theories and models of research supervision. The idea was to explore common themes emerging from lived experiences of University of Zambia student teachers’ perception of lectures’ research proposal writing supervision. Research proposal writing is one of the main components for students taking Special Education in the School of Education but developing a research proposal is often an arduous task for a research student. The participants in the study were drawn from student teachers on the teacher education programme at the University of Zambia. The results from the study showed that student teachers had different perceptions about research proposal supervision. These included lack of guidance from supervisors, unavailability of supervisors, unfriendly supervisors, lack of consistency in the supervisors’ comments, delayed feedback for submitted work, and lack of research materials. The study recommended that more time should be allocated to proposal writing
Teachers’ Familiarity with Communicative Testing Techniques
Get PDFThis paper is based on the findings of a study conducted in selected secondary schools in Lusaka district, Lusaka province, Zambia. The purpose of the study was to establish whether teachers were using communicative techniques in test construction. Data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Questionnaires were distributed to the teachers and focus group discussions were held with them while interviews were held with the heads of department. The major finding was that teachers were not familiar with communicative language testing. Apart from failing to define communicative testing, the majority of the teachers were not familiar with various aspects of communicative testing. Therefore, the study recommended that teacher training institutions should adequately train teachers in communicative testing. Further, courses in language testing should be developed in order to help expose students to recommended language testing techniques
Key issues in designing and managing a successful university adult education programme in a developing country
Get PDFThis paper draws on experiences from the University of Zambia to propose a framework for discussions on designing and managing university adult education programmes in a developing country. The paper is premised on two arguments. The first argument is that the success of any adult education programme largely depends on its responsive nature to the needs of the various stakeholders it caters for. The second argument is that when challenges to adult education arise, the programme should reflect carefully on the appropriate response so as to avoid embracing suggestions that would be inimical to the field and render it irrelevant to society. The paper provides key issues in designing and managing adult education programmes framework that is anchored on the creation of sustainable systems. The basic elements of the framework are: diversity in staffing; responsive programmes, structured succession programmes; a structure for encouraging institutional memory; a structure for promoting communicating and sharing of diverse ideas and innovations; and a strong monitoring and evaluation system
Innocent Mutale Mulenga, Conceptualization and Definition of a Curriculum
No full textSome years ago in my first semester of graduatestudies, my mentor, Paul Ogula, introduced me to theidea that curriculum is “the world in drag,” the waywe dice up the experience of the world into tidy butarbitrary packages until it is again recoded as it entersthe ceremonies, structures, and rituals of schooling.I puzzled over this idea for some time, working toreconcile my initial understanding of curriculum drawnfrom my years of classroom practice as a secondaryschool teacher. Even in defining curriculum at its mostbasic understanding one will find himself surroundedby a myriad of definitions. This paper offers a basisfor scholars aiming at theoretical and experientialguidance for conceptualization of the word curriculum.Rooted in the literature of philosophy of education,some assumed meanings of curriculum and thetheoretical and experiential views of several scholars,the author illustrates the foundational elements anddimensions of curriculum that ought not to miss in avalid definition of the word