The University of Zambia Journals
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Examination Malpractice: A Study of Selected Technical Educational Vocational Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) Institutions on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia
Get PDFThis study aimed at assessing the management of examination malpractice in selected Technical Education Vocational Entrepreneurship (TEVET) institutions on the Copperbelt Province. Therefore, the study was designed to investigate the forms of examination malpractice, assess the causes of examination malpractice, examine the effectiveness of the TEVETA examination guidelines in curbing examination malpractice, determine the challenges faced in curbing malpractice and establish measures to help in curbing examination malpractice in selected TEVET institutions on the Copperbelt Province. Qualitative methods were largely employed in the study. Case study design was employed in this study, whose study sample was 145, comprising of students, lecturers, Examinations Officers and an Assessment Specialist at TEVETA. Data collection was done through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. Data was analysed through thematic analysis. The study established that examination malpractice was real in TEVET institutions. This was evident from the three forms of examination malpractice that emerged from the study namely individually enhanced, technologically enhanced and collaborative cheating methods occur in the learning institutions. It was also found that personal factors, academic factors, social factors, psychological factors and environmental factors were the causes of examination malpractice in the institutions. The findings of the study further showed that TEVETA examination regulations were effective in curbing examination malpractice. Lastly, the study revealed that the institutions were faced with challenges in curbing the vice which included inadequate sensitization programmes and inadequate implementation of examination guidelines. The study made recommendations that TEVETA should intensify the monitoring of teaching and how examinations were conducted as well as to take an active role in sensitising students about the dangers of examination malpractice
Grief, discrimnation and reconsideration: Examining the Effects of Re-entry Policy on Teenage mothers (TMs) in Zambia.
Get PDFThis study examined the misery and gender discrimination experienced by teenage mothers (TMs) at secondary and primary schools in Zambia. Research indicates that girls who become pregnant in these schools are not re-entering school despite the re-entry policy (REP) having been in place since 1997(Mwansa, 2011, Mutombo & Mwenda, 2010) . The main aim of the study was to examine the reasons for the failure in implementing REP and its effect on the TM’s life trajectories at school in Zambia. The argument is that failure by school authorities to involve TMs in REP formulation has contributed to gender discrimination at secondary and primary school level in Zambia. The study is based on TMs pregnancy life experiences and their stories in Zambian secondary and primary schools. This study reviewed literature related to the public policy implementation in the public service guided by Lindblom’s incremental theoretical mode. The study also used the feminist concept of “intersectionality” to examine gender discrimination at secondary and primary school levels in Zambia. At issue was that the failure by policy implementers to take into account TMs intersectional life stories and challenges associated with child care, financial and social support system make it hard for the latter to appreciate the re-entry policy and renders it a mere piece of regulation on paper. Through TMs stories, the study explores for the uncertain relationship between policies, decisions and implemented programs in Zambia. This study found out that the TMs that re-enter schools in Zambia after pregnancy are few compared to those that get pregnant. This is hampered by many challenges related to the triple (gender, productive and sexual) roles TMs assume after child delivery. The study has affirmed that the existence of the REP alone is not sufficient to eliminate gender inequality in primary and secondary schools in Zambia. As such, it is recommended that increased awareness on the REP be promoted as well as engagement of several stakeholders such as the church, traditional leaders and other government departments. Equally, school policy implementers should consider putting in place robust support systems to address the many challenges TMs experience in schools
Analysis of Users’ Acceptability and Understanding of Three Nigerian English Accents for Teaching and Communication
Get PDFThis study investigated the point of agreement by Nigerian English (NE) users about which of the 3 NE accents, based on regional parameters, is generally understood and accepted as the variety to use with a view to arriving at a possible norm of usage for teaching and communication purposes. The subjects were one hundred and eighty Nigerians of varied socio-economic, educational and ethno-linguistic backgrounds drawn from various offices, institutions in Kaduna, Enugu, Ibadan. This is made up of 60 respondents per region, 20 per accent per region making up a total of 180. Respondents’ ages range between 20 and above 60 years. Two researcher-designed instruments were used. First is the Oral Reading Test for Accent identification made up of phonological difficulties usually exhibited by NE language users. Next is a questionnaire in the form of an intelligibility and acceptability rating scale. Based on the findings, the educated NE accent was the most intelligible and acceptable, followed by the mother-tongue based NE accent and the Regional NE accent, it was recommended among others that language policy makers confront the problem of the NE corpus to be used in teaching and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council be commissioned to produce texts on the phonology and phonetics of the Educated NE accent.This study investigated the point of agreement by Nigerian English (NE) users about which of the 3 NE accents, based on regional parameters, is generally understood and accepted as the variety to use with a view to arriving at a possible norm of usage for teaching and communication purposes. The subjects were one hundred and eighty Nigerians of varied socio-economic, educational and ethno-linguistic backgrounds drawn from various offices, institutions in Kaduna, Enugu, Ibadan. This is made up of 60 respondents per region, 20 per accent per region making up a total of 180. Respondents’ ages range between 20 and above 60 years. Two researcher-designed instruments were used. First is the Oral Reading Test for Accent identification made up of phonological difficulties usually exhibited by NE language users. Next is a questionnaire in the form of an intelligibility and acceptability rating scale. Based on the findings, the educated NE accent was the most intelligible and acceptable, followed by the mother-tongue based NE accent and the Regional NE accent, it was recommended among others that language policy makers confront the problem of the NE corpus to be used in teaching and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council be commissioned to produce texts on the phonology and phonetics of the Educated NE accent
Cost-Sharing and Students’ Affordability of Fees at Selected Public Colleges of Education
No full textThe study investigates Cost-Sharing at Public Colleges of Education as a mechanism being implemented to respond to diminishing government funds. Specifically, the study sought to establish students’ affordability in the era of Cost-sharing and reduced government funding. An Embedded mixed method design was used in which qualitative data played a supplementary role to quantitative data. Inferential statistics was used to analyse quantitative data. The study sample consisted of 248 respondents. Key findings of the study indicated that user fees were not affordable to students at the two colleges and that students faced difficulties in paying fees promptly and more students had challenges in financing for their living expenses. Poor socio-economic status especially low-income level was the major constraint on students’ affordability. Therefore, the challenge of affordability had been compounded by the lack of financial aid to students at public colleges. Henceforth students’ affordability could be realised if there was a reform to the tertiary education-financing framework that was backed by sustained political will coupled with sustainable resources. The study recommended to Ministry of General Education that it should consider: introducing a funding formula based on unit cost and extending students’ loans to needy students at public colleges
Contribution of the Holy Cross Sisters to the Educational Empowerment of Women in Western Province of Zambia
Get PDFThis article is a report on a study that assessed the contribution made by the Holy Cross Sisters (HCS) to the educational empowerment of women in Western Province of Zambia. It sought to analyse the views of stakeholders on the contribution made by the HCS to the educational empowerment of women in the Western Province of the country. The study was guided by Creswell’s (2007) constructivist approach. A qualitative approach to data collection was used with the One-on-one interview method being the main data collection instrument. The population consisted of all the stakeholders of Holy Cross Secondary School (HCSS). Analysis of data revealed that the Holy Cross Sisters contributed to the educational empowerment of women by construction of HCSS. However, there were also barriers arising from traditional attitudes towards women, which were a hindrance to the attainment of educational goals and completion of education among girls.
 
Terminological Abuse versus Inclusion: An Analysis of Selected Terms Used to Describe Persons with Disabilities in Luvale.
Get PDFThis was a qualitative study on how selected ‘Luvale’ words were used to negatively stereotype persons with disabilities. Eight (8) participants were purposively selected based on their experience with the ‘Luvale’ language and their personal explanations of the terms used to describe persons with disabilities. The aim of the study was to explore the meaning of terminologies used to describe persons with disabilities. Interviews were done in ‘Luvale’ local language, and translation and interpretation in English were done by the researcher. Data was analysed by thematic analysis where common explanations given by the participants were grouped together and differences separated. The study revealed that Luvale speakers had different versions of how the selected words were used to describe disability. Some words were used interchangeably while others were correctly explained. Some of the words carried very strong negative meaning that leads to negative stereotyping of disability. It was recommended that ‘Luvale’ Language speakers and specialists should develop appropriate vocabulary that addresses persons with disabilities respectfully in order to avoid negative stereotyping, a vice that is against contemporary inclusive philosophy.  
Publish or Perish: Challenges faced by Academicians in Research Publications at the University of Zambia
Get PDFThis study was undertaken at the University of Zambia, and had a two-fold focus: to establish challenges faced by academic members of staff in publishing their work in scholarly journals; and to illuminate the factors that can enhance publication output by members of the academe in Zambia. Interviews were conducted with 33 senior lecturers and Deans from the 7 schools. Data was analyzed qualitatively using emerging themes from the participants’ responses. The findings show that lecturers at the University of Zambia were involved in both basic and action research and yet, the publication output was low. Among the challenges identified were lack of research funds, overreliance on western researchers who have their own research agendas, lack of mentorship among young lecturers, lack of visibility of internally generated journals to be used as sources when writing which were mostly hard copies and processing time for some journals was longer than expected
Vincent M. Chanda, Another look at Lexicographic Parameters
No full textAll lexicographers and, presumably, most dictionary users know that there are several types of dictionary, which include, among others, general dictionaries, specialized dictionaries (also called special purpose dictionaries), concise dictionaries and pocket dictionaries. They also know that not all dictionaries provide the same amount and the same amount of information about headwords and other types of dictionary entry heads. What this means that all dictionaries share a set of principles, which is why they are all dictionaries, provided by the definition of a dictionary. This paper uses insights from a linguistic theory known as Principles and Parameters (P&P) to give names to the various factors or options explaining the existence of various types of dictionaries as well as differences among dictionaries belonging to the same type. The paper proposes six parameters, namely (a) the One-Language Parameter, underlying the monolingual/ bilingual / multilingual trichotomy, (b) the User Parameter, underlying the differences among dictionaries meant for specific groups of users, (c) , the History Parameter, underlying the fact whether a dictionary is etymological or not, (d) the Scope Parameter, underlying the difference in the amount of content among dictionaries, (e) the Head Parameter, underlying the nature of dictionary entry heads such as the so-called headwords and (f) the Language Parameter, underling the fact that differences in contents among dictionaries may be due to differences in grammar among the languages. Bearing in mind the concepts of principles and parameters, the paper also examines, before concluding, the structure of dictionary entry heads and thee information about them
Teachers understanding and attitudes towards inductive and deductive approaches to teaching social sciences
Get PDFSocial science teachers in secondary schoolsapply a variety of teaching approaches in theirday to day teaching and learning processes.Such approaches are meant to achieve effectiveteaching and learning. Effective teaching refersto teachers accomplishing their planned goals andassigned tasks in accordance with the curriculumobjectives. Therefore, the study investigatedthe use of deductive and inductive methods inteaching social science subjects in secondaryschools, specifically history and civic education.The authors are aware that a distinction betweendeductive and inductive methods is not easy tosustain because the two concepts are usuallydriven by the ideological strands. While, there is noagreed upon standard of teaching history and civiceducation in schools, it is important that this paperattempts to understand the teaching instructionsor approaches that are normally applied in theschools. The study was conducted during the timewhen the association was having their quarterly workshops in Kafue District of Zambia. In tryingto demonstrate how the two methods could be usedin social science subjects in schools, the studyapplied Basil Bernstein’s vertical and horizontaldiscourse. The study was mainly qualitative innature and participants were drawn through theuse of purposive sampling technique. Data wascollected through focus group discussions as wellas an unstructured open ended interview guide andthe taking down of interview notes. The resultsfrom the study shows that social science teachers inschools understood the epistemology of deductiveand inductive approaches but are not followingthe correct procedures in the utilisation of thetwo concepts when teaching. It was also notedthat some teachers did utilise the two methodswhile others were not applying them. The studyfurther noted that some teachers had a negativeattitude towards deductive methods as opposedto inductive methods. The study concludes thatgenerally, teachers of social science subjects inschools did not have the grip on deductive andinductive methods
Special Education Teachers’ Involvement in the 2013 Curriculum Development Process in Zambia: A Case of Selected Inclusive and Special Schools
Get PDFIn January 2014, the Ministry of Education in Zambia rolled out a revised curriculum in schools. A lot of literature especially in African countries reveals low involvement of teachers in curriculum development process. This study was conducted to establish the extent to which special education teachers were involved in the 2013 curriculum development and whether lack of involvement had implications on curriculum implementation for learners with special educational needs. One Hundred and thirty-four (134) respondents that included 120 special education teachers drawn from three provinces, 12 special education standards officers, and 2 curriculum specialists responsible for curriculum development in special education were involved. A mixed method approach informed by the Deliberative Curriculum Framework and the Critical Theory Paradigm was used. Teacher respondents answered questionnaires while Special Education Standards Officers and Curriculum Specialists were interviewed. Teacher observations were also conducted on selected teachers within the 120 sample. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0 while NVIVO was used to analyse qualitative data. Results showed that special education teachers were not adequately involved in the development of the 2013 revised curriculum and they demonstrated limited understanding of the concept of curriculum adaptation, which is necessary for implementing of the curriculum to LSENs. The study recommends a deliberative cyclic training of teachers for special education to understand how to implement the curriculum to LSENs