Schools are traditionally established as the main meeting platforms for awareness, education, training and capacity building in the local communities, and as such, are highly regarded and respected. They are situated and integrated in nearly all local communities. They are thus perfectly suited to reach, draw on and provide capacity building to the communities. Zambia recently introduced a new curriculum aspect named localised curriculum, which makes up 20% of the curriculum. This curriculum area encourages schools to address issues of sustainable development that are locally relevant through this curriculum component, but it is not clear what kind of learning emerges from this curriculum aspect. The study looked at the shift in pedagogical discourse since the introduction of the localised curriculum. Using case study methodology and observation of a number of classroom activities in the Keemba District near Monze in Zambia, I observed social learning interactions taking place in the implementation of the localised curriculum. In particular, I was interested in how the different aspects of the localised curriculum enabled social learning, at different levels. What is important in this research is that it focused not so much on what people should know, or be able to do, but rather, drawing on some of the questions raised by Wals (2007), I considered questions of how people learn, and how social learning emerges in school-community interactions in the localised curriculum. The main research question was to investigate: How does localised curriculum enable social learning in response to environmental issues in Zambian schools? This research drew on a number of associated research projects that were carried out in southern Africa and beyond. In his research, Namafe (2008) states that he saw a great need to institutionalise increased participation of Zambian Basic Schools and their local communities in sustainable development of the country in order to alleviate poverty and achieve equitable development. Hogan (2008, p. 122 ) researching in a different context, argues that contextualisation of the curriculum allowed for indigenous knowledge to come in to the classroom, stating that ‘Weakening of the frames provided the opportunity of closer relationships to give space for knowledge other than teacher selected knowledge or book knowledge to enter the classroom.’ In this study I found that: - Teaching localised curriculum allowed for contextualisation and integration of environment and natural resource management issues - Localising the curriculum contributed to curriculum relevancy: teaching localised curriculum helped learners, teachers and community to develop concern for quality of life and contributed to an understanding of sustainable development - Localised curriculum allowed for frame awareness, frame deconstruction and reframing to take place: this allowed teachers to use methods which promoted active pupil participation and interaction, encouraging learners to be reflexive thinkers rather than just using rote memory - Participation of teachers, community and learners in the implementation of the localised curriculum: The involvement of community members to teach topics of the localised curriculum was useful and articulated processes of inter–epistemological dialogue between traditional or every day and scientific or institutional knowledge - The localised curriculum implementation involved various roles and was influenced by various factors. Of key interest to this study was the fact that neither parents, learners nor teachers saw the localised curriculum as an opportunity for problem solving, but rather emphasised the learning of practical life skills relevant to the community. This differed from the curriculum manuals, and reduced the environmental education potential and also social learning opportunities.

A curriculum is a mirror reflecting the identity, goals, aims and objectives of any nation. The kind of graduates a country has are a reflection of the type of curriculum and the success of any curriculum depends on the involvement of those who implement it. Teachers in particular are the ‘engine’ of curriculum success but can also be the architects of its downfall. Zambia launched the 2013 curriculum framework in January 2014. However, with a worldwide historical trend of discrimination against disability and to some extent against teachers of learners with disabilities, it was imperative to undertake this study to establish how the 2013 revised curriculum was being implemented in teaching Learners with Special Educational Needs in Zambia. Without knowledge of whether special education teachers were involved in the curriculum process or not, it was further imperative to study their involvement in the curriculum development process and its implementation. This study sampled one hundered and twenty (120) special education teachers, twelve (12) Education Standards Officers and two (2) Curriculum Specialists for special education. Questionnaires, interviews, checklists and teacher observations were used to collect data. Questionnaires were administered to special education teachers to collect data of their knowledge about and involvement in curriculum development process, the methods and strategies and the challenges they faced implementing the curriculum. Interviews were administered on Education Standards Officers and Curriculum Specialists for special education to establish their role the curriculum development process, their appreciation of the curriculum change, the challenges they and the teachers faced implementing the curriculum and how they helped to overcome the challenges. By using the observation checklist during lesson observation and post lesson discussions, the researcher managed to collect data about the actual experiences in natural settings – the classroom. The study employed the Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design. Quantitative data was analysed by use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to derive statistical interpretations such as frequencies, percentages, standard deviation, mean, significant differences and relationships. Qualitative data was analysed with the help of NVIVO qualitative data software to create themes by coding density and basic cross tabulations by node attribute values. Results were triangulated to come up with a consolidated conclusion. It was established that special education teachers were not involved in the CDP except at implementation and they were implementing the revised curriculum amidst numerous challenges. Lack of involvement in the curriculum development process was linked to special education teachers’ lack of understanding of key concepts necessary for curriculum implementation for LSENs. The study recommends a deliberative cycle of training of special education teachers in the revised curriculum as it relates to special education. The study further calls for the provision of necessary specialised and adapted materials for effective implementation of the revised curriculum. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Phil. (Education)

The researcher undertook a study of the management of curriculum change in basic schools in Mongu Township in Zambia with a view to provide recommendations for improvement in the management of curriculum change. A conceptual analysis of key concepts relevant to the research was done in Chapter 2, while Chapter 3 presented how curriculum change was managed in several other countries. This formed the theoretical basis for directing the empirical study. For the qualitative empirical study two basic schools were investigated out of the 10 schools in Mongu Township in the Western Province of Zambia. The basic research objective of the empirical research was to investigate the management of curriculum change provided by the managers and class teachers. The qualitative research strategy adopted was a case study. The research methods that were used to collect empirical data were semi-structured, unstructured, and focus group interviews, institutional and classroom observations, and document analyses. The researcher discovered that the management of curriculum change, the implementation of the educational programmes and the interpretation of the educational policies were inadequately executed in the studied schools. Research findings inter alia also indicated: that the managers and class teachers were found to possess inadequate management skills; that professional capacity building programmes had little impact on managing curriculum change; that the job descriptions and management roles of the managers and class teachers were not adequately executed to conform to the management functions model which was used to describe how curriculum change should be managed. The institutional and classroom challenges experienced by the managers and teachers contributed to the inadequate execution of their curriculum management tasks. It was possible for the researcher to indicate many shortcomings in the management of curriculum change and change processes, and to make meaningful recommendations to address them. / Umcwaningi wenze ucwaningo lokuphatha ukushintshwa kwekharikhyulamu ezikoleni eziyisisekelo sokuqala emaLokishini aseMongu eZambia ngomqondo wokwenza izincomo ngokuthuthukiswa ukuphathwa koshintsho lwekharikhyulamu. Uhlaziyo lwemiqondo esemqoka kucwaningo lwenziwe kwiSahluko 2, kanti iSahluko 3 sibeka indlela yokuthi ukuphathwa koshintsho lwekharikhyulamu kwenziwe kanjani emazweni ambalwa. Lokhu kube yisisekelo sethiyori yocwaningo olwenziwe ngezinto ezibambekayo ngaphandle. Ukwenza ucwaningo ngaphandle lwe-qualitative, empirical kuphenyisiswe ngezikole ezimbili zesisekelo phakathi kwezikole ezilishumi zaseLokishini laseMongu kwiProvinsi (isifundazwe) seNtshonalanga saseZambia. Injongo enkulu yocwaningo lwesisekelo lwangaphandle bewukuphenyisisa ngokuphathwa koshintsho lwekharikhyulamu okwenziwa ngabaphathi kanye nothisha bamaklasi. Kwenziwe i-case study njengesu lokwenza ucwaningo lwe-qualitative research. Izindlela zocwaningo ezisetshenzisiwe ukuqoqa i-empirical data, kusetshenziswe amaqembu okugxila ngezingxoxo ngokwenza ama-semi-structured, kanye nama-unstructured interview, kanye nokubukela ngokuqaphela ukusebenza kwamaklasi ezikhungweni kanye nokuhlaziya imibhalo. Umcwaningi uthole ukuthi ukuphathwa kwekharikhyulamu, ukusetshenziswa kwezinhlelo zemfundo kanye nokutolikwa kwemigomo yezemfundo kwakungasetshenziswa ngokwenele ezikoleni okucwaningwe ngazo. Imiphumela yocwaningo phakathi kokunye, ikhombise: ukuthi abaphathi kanye notshisha bamaklasi abanawo amakhono alingene okuphatha; nokuthi izinhlelo zobuprofeshini zokuthuthukisa amakhono zaba nomphumela omncane ekuphathweni koshintsho lwekharikhyulamu; kanti futhi ukuchazwa kokwenziwa komsebenzi kanye nezindima zokuphatha kwabaphathi kanye nothisha bamaklasi kwakungalandelwa ngokwanele ukuze kulandele imodeli yemisebenzi yezokuphatha, okwakusetshenziswa ukuchaza ukuthi ukushintshwa kwekharikhyulamu kumele kuphathwe kanjani. Izinselele ezikhona ezikhungweni nasemagumbini okufunda, abaphathi nothisha abahlangabezana nazo zaba nomthelela ekuphathweni ngokungenele kwemisebenzi yokuphatha ikharikhyulamu. Kwakhonakala ukuthi umcwaningi akhombise ukuntengantenga okukhulu kwezokuphathwa koshintsho lwekharikhyulamu kanye nokushintsha izinqubo zoshintsho, kanti futhi nokwenza izincomo ezibambekayo zokubhekana nokuntengantenga. / Monyakišiši o dirile nyakišišo ya taolo ya phetošo ya kharikhulamo ka dikolong tša motheo tša Lekheišene la Mongu go la Zambia ka kgopolo ya go fa ditšhišinyo tša kaonafatšo taolong ya phetošo ya kharikhulamo. Tshekatsheko ya kgopolo ya dikgopolo tše bohlokwa go nyakišišo e dirilwe ka go Kgaolo ya 2, mola Kgaolo ya 3 e bolela ka ga ka fao phetošo ya kharikhulamo e laotšwego ka dinageng tše dingwe tša go balega. Se se bopile motheo wa teori wa go hlahla nyakišišo ya epirikale. Go nyakišišo ya epirikale ya khwalithethifi, dikolo tše pedi tša motheo di nyakišišitšwe go tšwa go dikolo tše lesome tša Lekheišene la Mongu ka Profenseng ya Bodikela bja Zambia. Maikemišetšo a motheo a nyakišišo ya epirikale e be e le go nyakišiša taolo ya phetošo ya kharikhulamo ye e fiwago ke balaodi le barutiši. Nyakišišokakaretši e amogetšwe bjalo ka leano la nyakišišo ya khwalithethifi. Mekgwa ya nyakišišo yeo e šomišitšwego go kgoboketša datha ya epirikale e be e le dipoledišano tša sebopego sa seripa, tša go hloka sebopego, le tša tebantšho ya sehlopha, tša institšhušene le ditlhokomelo tša ka phapošing ya borutelo, le ditshekatsheko tša tokomane. Monyakišiši o utulotše gore taolo ya phetošo ya kharikhulamo, phethagatšo ya mananeo a thuto le tlhathollo ya dipholisi di be di sa phethagatšwe ka go lekana ka dikolong tše di nyakišišitšwego. Dikutullo tša nyakišišo magareng a tše dingwe gape di laeditše: gore balaodi le barutiši ba phapoši ya borutelo ba hweditšwe go ba ba na le mabokgoni a taolo a go hlaelela; gore mananeo a kago ya bokgoni a profešenale a na le khuetšo ye nyane godimo ga go laola phetošo ya kharikhulamo; le gore ditokomane tša tlhaloso ya mošomo le mešomo ya taolo ya balaodi le barutiši ba phapoši ya borutelo ga se di phethagatšwe ka go lekana go latela mmotlolo wa mešomo ya bolaodi, yeo e šomišitšwego go hlalosa ka fao phetošo ya kharikhulamo e swanelago go laolwa. Ditlhotlo tša institšhušene le tša phapoši ya borutelo tše di lemogilwego ke balaodi le barutiši di bile le seabe go phethagatšo ye e sa lekanego ya mešongwana ya taolo ya kharikhulamo ya bona. Monyakišiši o kgonne go laetša ditlhaelelo tše ntši ka taolong ya phetošo ya kharikhulamo le ditshepetšo tša phetošo, le go dira ditšhišinyo tša go kwagala go di lokiša. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)