1,720,993 research outputs found
Teacher education versus teacher training: epistemic practices and appropriate application of both terminologies.
Full text linkIn this article, the author presents a practice-based
approach, of an analysis of two concepts; teacher
education and teacher training, to preparing candidates
for quality teaching. The emphasis is on understanding
the meaning of the two terms based on what educational
thinkers have come to understand and appreciate as the
reasoning behind each one of them. Thus, the author
delimited himself to what is meant when the two terms
are used rather than providing empirical data on the
quality of teachers produced as a result of which term is
used in teacher preparation. The philosophical stance
in this article is that the meaning of these concepts
influences the design of learning experiences for
prospective teachers, the framing of their curriculum,
and the attitudes teacher educators will have in the
preparation process. Others may actually be tempted
to think anyone can teach since they assume teaching
is innate or natural. However, the author explains the
necessity and urgency of teacher education and training
if quality teachers are to be produced so as to achieve
effective curriculum implementation in schools
Teacher Education versus Teacher Training: Epistemic Practices and Appropriate Application of both Terminologies
Full text linkIn this article, the author presents a practice-based approach, of an analysis of two concepts; teacher education and teacher training, to preparing candidates for quality teaching. The emphasis is on understanding the meaning of the two terms based on what educational thinkers have come to understand and appreciate as the reasoning behind each one of them. Thus, the author delimited himself to what is meant when the two terms are used rather than providing empirical data on the quality of teachers produced as a result of which term is used in teacher preparation. The philosophical stance in this article is that the meaning of these concepts influences the design of learning experiences for prospective teachers, the framing of their curriculum, and the attitudes teacher educators will have in the preparation process. Others may actually be tempted to think anyone can teach since they assume teaching is innate or natural. However, the author explains the necessity and urgency of teacher education and training if quality teachers are to be produced so as to achieve effective curriculum implementation in schools
Rethinking quality assurance in curriculum development and implementation for higher education in Africa.
Full text linkFar-reaching advances and change in technology, climate and global economic integration are
transforming the way we live today in ways that we do not yet fully understand. In sub-Saharan Africa,
these uncertainties make a dramatic increase in population and a rapid expansion and demand in higher
education. This creates challenges especially where higher education curriculum development and
quality assurance are concerned since higher education has to provide the much needed appropriate
work force. In this paper, the author explores the opportunities that quality assurance in higher
education curriculum development can ride on using the thinking behind 21st century competencies. The
chronicle of this discussion combines clear academic definitions of curriculum, curriculum development
and then an analysis of how 21st century competencies may bench mark quality assurance in curriculum
development for higher education. The final section of the paper brings together some challenges that
are real threats and impediments to quality assurance in curriculum development in most African
tertiary institutions. In the conclusion, the author feels that there are no reasons why African countries
cannot transform challenges into stepping stones through quality assurance and improvement of their
higher education sector so as to make it vibrant and productive. This will require a mind-set
transformation
Conceptualization and definition of a curriculum.
Full text linkSome years ago in my first semester of graduate
studies, my mentor, Paul Ogula, introduced me to the
idea that curriculum is “the world in drag,” the way
we dice up the experience of the world into tidy but
arbitrary packages until it is again recoded as it enters
the ceremonies, structures, and rituals of schooling.
I puzzled over this idea for some time, working to
reconcile my initial understanding of curriculum drawn
from my years of classroom practice as a secondary
school teacher. Even in defining curriculum at its most
basic understanding one will find himself surrounded
by a myriad of definitions. This paper offers a basis
for scholars aiming at theoretical and experiential
guidance for conceptualization of the word curriculum.
Rooted in the literature of philosophy of education,
some assumed meanings of curriculum and the
theoretical and experiential views of several scholars,
the author illustrates the foundational elements and
dimensions of curriculum that ought not to miss in a
valid definition of the word
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Full text linkKnowledge has been passed on from generation to generation throughout the centuries to help people navigate life’s challenges and triumphs. It is done not only with purpose, but with an undeniable beauty and flair. That is why there exists an old African proverb that equates the death of an old person to the burning of a library - the wisdom acquired from the forefathers, and his or her own lived experiences go with the person. ZANGO, however, continues to preserve human wisdom and experiences by documenting scholarly writings from different scholars and academic disciplines. The six papers and one book review in this issue of ZANGO (Zambia Journal of Contemporary Issues) are written by 14 authors based at different universities in India, Zambia and Zimbabwe.The scientific and unique styles with which these scholarly papers are written, indeed brings out the undeniable beauty and flair of human experiences and wisdom that are worth sharing with the knowledge thirst minds
Curriculum design in contemporary teacher education: what makes job analysis a vital preliminary ingredient?.
Full text linkAlthough subject matter knowledge and skills for teaching are widely acknowledged as a
central component of what teachers need to master, the design of teacher education curriculum in colleges
of education and universities seems to ignore the fact that prospective teachers need to master the relevant
subject matter knowledge and skills in order for effective teaching to take place. This paper is based on a
study which examined the products and curriculum of the English Language Teacher Education curriculum
of a Zambian university whose curriculum was designed without consideration of the relevant knowledge
and skills that are necessary for teaching in secondary school. The study endeavoured to find out what
happens to the products of a professional curriculum such as that of teacher education when it is developed
without conducting a job analysis to indentify the relevant knowledge and skills for inclusion in the
curriculum. Using data from interviews of ten lecturers, questionnaires and tests that were administered to
final year student teachers enrolled on a four year English Language Bachelor of Arts with Education
programme, this paper explains why conducting a job analysis at the beginning of the curriculum design
process is important for teacher education curriculum design. The main findings from this mixed method
study indicated that student teachers were not being fully prepared for their future job of teaching English
language because they had not acquired relevant knowledge and skills since the teacher education
curriculum that they followed did not exposed them to the skills and knowledge found in the secondary
school syllabus that they had to teach upon graduation
Rethinking the role of teacher education in Zambia: quality curriculum designing as a missing link in explaining teacher's pedagogical content knowledge.
No full textEDITORIAL COMMENT
Full text linkWe once again welcome you to an intellectually rich parked thirty seventh (37th) volume of ZANGO – Zambia Journal of Contemporary Issues. As one Ghanaian saying reminds us that ‘A single bracelet does not jingle’ this edition of ZANGO contains exciting scholarly articles based on well researched topics drawn from studies done in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia. The articles in the current volume have produced a well-mixed academic jingle that provides a soothing scholarly sound to thirsty minds of readers
Teacher transfers from primary schools in Chama district of Zambia: causes of the massive teacher exodus and its effects on learner’s academic performance.
Full text linkScholarly research has shown that the availability of
enough qualified teachers in schools is key to effective
curriculum implementation. In Zambia however,
rural schools experience more teacher transfers to
urban schools. The purpose of this study was to find
out the main causes of teacher transfers from Chama
district of Muchinga province. Researchers in this
study also sort to analyze the effects that teacher
transfers had on the learning process. A descriptive
research design was used to explore this phenomenon.
150 teachers were sampled from 25 rural schools
and each of these school’s head teachers were
also part of the sampled participants. Focus group
discussions and interviews were conducted to collect
data from teachers and head teachers. Human
resource documents and examination performance
records from the district education office in Chama
were also analyzed. The findings of the study showed
that teachers requested for transfers due to a number
of factors such as separation from their spouses,
conflict with school administrators, poor deployment
procedures and social amenities, remoteness of
the schools, fear of witchcraft and qualification
upgrading. It was further noted that all these factors
negatively affected learners’ performance since
schools were understaffed, and teachers demotivated
and at times left schools for a number of days so as
to access social services in town at the expense of
teaching and learning. While each of these causes
needed immediate attention it was however concluded
that the problem of understaffing in schools in rural
Chama due to transfers is a big one which required
national policy makers to invest in improving the
living conditions of teachers in rural schools by
providing social services such as hospitals, roads,
banks, electricity and modern school structures and
staff houses. It was envisaged that if this is done at a
national level most of the causes of teachers leaving
rural schools would be gradually reduced
Policy and Practice: Roles of the Guidance and Counseling Teachers in the Implementation of the Girls’ Reentry Policy in Selected Schools in Lusaka, Zambia
Full text linkThe effectiveness of the guidance and counseling teachers in Zambia is partly determined by the extent to which the schools meet the established girl’s reentry policy guidelines, how they conduct their counseling sessions with the girls and what activities they put in place for the reentered girls so as to help them remain and perform well in school. This paper is based on the study which evaluated the roles of the guidance and counseling teachers in the implementation of the reentry policy from a management perspective in Lusaka, Zambia. The study’s main purpose was to find out the extent to which the school guidance and counseling was helping the reentered girls in reducing teenage pregnancies. The research method design was descriptive in nature and used a qualitative approach. The research population was all the public primary and secondary schools in Lusaka district in Zambia. Head teachers and guidance and counseling teachers were interviewed while information from the reentered girls was obtained through questionnaires. The results of the study indicated that school managements had strived to implement the policy through the help of guidance and counseling departments. It was revealed from the study that the girls who did not want to go through counseling sessions had a lot of problems and dropped out of school due to lack of skills to help them contain the pressure and stigma from their peers. The results of the study also indicated that there seemed to be less sensitization on safer sex and abstinence for the girls in schools. The guidance and counseling teachers did not have regular contacts with the reentered girls as a result the girls faced a lot of problems both at home and at school which they struggled with on their own. Lack of a curriculum for guidance and counseling had also contributed to less contact which the teachers had with the girls. The results of the study also showed that the schools did not have specific programmes meant to help the reentered girls and had no system of following them up when they went on leave hence, most of the girls decided to stop school. The study results had also established that the schools had inadequate qualified guidance and counseling teachers to effectively conduct the sessions with the girls. Keywords: Guidance and counseling, Teenage pregnancy, Reentered girl
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