This study investigated the recontextualising of the NISTCOL environmental education curriculum module for the Primary Teachers’ Diploma by Distance Learning (PTDDL) in Zambia. It focused on three case sites, the NISTCOL EE curriculum module for PTDDL and the University of Zambia, the National In-Service Teacher’s College (NISTCOL) and four basic schools: chalimbana, Bimbe, Chongwe and Silver Rest. The study looked at teacher professional development in environmental education in Zambia. The aims and goals were to investigate the NISTCOL EE curriculum and identifying issues that were associated with lecturers in the recontextualising process and further examine what issues were associated with curriculum recontextualisation in Zambian schools. For the conceptual constructs, the research drew on Bernstein’s (1990) framework of pedagogic discourse, it traced how the pedagogic discourse was de-located from the field of production and re-located into the pedagogic practice of each stated case above. It further examined the continuities, discontinuities and changes in the official environmental discourse as it was recontextualised. The study particularly focused on Bernstein’s conceptual constructs of selective appropriation and ideological transformation. In each case the Bernstein framework is used to analyze the process to identify recontextualising issues influencing pedagogical practice in the Zambian schools and college. The study revealed that each case under focus was unique but through examining the environmental discourse and pedagogical discourse in each case recontextalising issues were identified. Each case was influenced by different factors, such as lack of policy synergy, lack of EE vision at national level in Zambia, experience and knowledge, ideologies and emphasis, and depth of engagement. These factors provided me with a deeper insight into the curriculum recontextualising processes in Zambian schools.

This research was concerned with integrated nonformal education programmes in Zambia. The purposes of the research were: (1) to identify factors thought by administrators to facilitate and hinder the implementation of integrated nonformal education programmes; (2) to establish the relative influence of each factor; (3) to determine the perceived degree of integration from the perspective of four administrative levels; and (4) to determine skills and knowledge acquired from integrated nonformal education programmes through the perceptions of participants. Critical incident interviews and questionnaires were used to gather data from administrators, extension workers and programme participants in Chipata District of Eastern Zambia. Integrated Rural Development Programmes had been in operation since 1972. The critical incident technique was used to interview seventy-seven administrators and extension workers at four administrative levels -national, provincial, district and local. Data from the interviews were used to identify a total of eight factors that were thought to facilitate implementation of integrated nonformal education programmes and nine factors that were thought to hinder implementation of integrated nonformal education programmes. Both facilitating and hindering factors were ranked for each administrative level. Data from questionnaires were used to determine the perceived degree of vertical and horizontal integration from the perspectives of four administrative levels as well as to determine outcomes of integration, through perceptions of programme participants. A total of 106 administrators and extension workers responded to the Administrators' Questionnaire; 50 responded to the Local Level Questionnaire; and 77 selected participants around three local sites answered the Participants' Questionnaire. Survey questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance to determine whether there were any differences between administrative groups. The major findings that emerged from the study were these: 1. Factors perceived as facilitating and hindering implementation of integrated nonformal education programmes rank differently according to the administrative level of respondents. For administrators at three administrative levels (national, provincial and district) seminars/workshops and training facilities is a powerful facilitating factor. At local level, however, administrators ranked seminars/ workshops fourth as a factor facilitating successful implementation. In this research, inadequate skilled personnel ranked as the highest hindering factor at three administrative levels (national, provincial and district) but ranked fourth at local level. 2. Vertical integration is positively correlated with horizontal integration. 3. Administrators at the national level believe that a higher degree of vertical and horizontal integration exists in integrated programmes than do administrators of the other three administrative levels. 4. The small number of extension workers and their inability to adequately cover their constituency, seriously affect the impact of integrated nonformal education programmes. Based on the results of the study, recommendations for theory, further research, and for practice are presented. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

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This study focuses on the teaching of RE in Zambian multireligious secondary schools. The problem faced in secondary schools is that currently RE is being taught with a single religious approach by the RE teachers instead of using a multireligious perspective as directed by the Ministry of Education (MoE). The aim of this study, therefore, was to find out why RE teachers tend to be reluctant to respond to the MoE directive in applying a multireligious approach to the subject. In order to achieve this aim, an empirical investigation was necessary. A quantitative and qualitative survey through self-administered questionnaires and in-depth interviews were undertaken by the 194 teachers teaching RE in selected secondary schools in the Copperbelt Province. The research reveals that the RE teachers' reluctance to respond to the Ministry's directive is a result of their different perceptions which are mostly influenced by their religious affiliations and the syllabuses they use. For example, the majority of the RE teachers involved in the teaching of RE in secondary schools are Christians, therefore, they are reluctant to teach RE that also includes non-Christian religions because they feel it would compromise their consciences and their own faiths. As a result, they prefer to teach the subject from a Christian standpoint. This approach differs from the MoE directive to teach RE from a multireligious perspective. In the light of the different perceptions concerning the problem of teaching RE in Zambian multireligious secondary schools, the following recommendations have been made: (i) Since the Zambian secondary schools have become multireligious, RE teaching should take a multireligious perspective if it is to be relevant to the needs of pupils of diverse religious backgrounds; (ii) The current RE syllabuses (2044 and 2046) require a critical evaluation and revision in order to ensure that they adapt to a multireligious tradition. Finally, the results of this study concludes that the teaching of RE should be firmly placed in an educational context by making no assumptions or preconditions from the personal commitment of RE teachers. The role of RE teachers is that of educators. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Didactics)

<p>This study aimed to explore the gender imbalances that exist in access to education and participation in schooling of the female orphans and vulnerable children, and also how this relates to the continuing feminisation of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Zambia. The study was based on the premise that the girl child is disadvantaged in this area, and the HIV and AIDS pandemic in worsening the situation for female orphans and vulnerable children.</p>

<p>This study aimed to explore the gender imbalances that exist in access to education and participation in schooling of the female orphans and vulnerable children, and also how this relates to the continuing feminisation of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Zambia. The study was based on the premise that the girl child is disadvantaged in this area, and the HIV and AIDS pandemic in worsening the situation for female orphans and vulnerable children.</p>

This study focuses on the teaching of RE in Zambian multireligious secondary schools. The problem faced in secondary schools is that currently RE is being taught with a single religious approach by the RE teachers instead of using a multireligious perspective as directed by the Ministry of Education (MoE). The aim of this study, therefore, was to find out why RE teachers tend to be reluctant to respond to the MoE directive in applying a multireligious approach to the subject. In order to achieve this aim, an empirical investigation was necessary. A quantitative and qualitative survey through self-administered questionnaires and in-depth interviews were undertaken by the 194 teachers teaching RE in selected secondary schools in the Copperbelt Province. The research reveals that the RE teachers' reluctance to respond to the Ministry's directive is a result of their different perceptions which are mostly influenced by their religious affiliations and the syllabuses they use. For example, the majority of the RE teachers involved in the teaching of RE in secondary schools are Christians, therefore, they are reluctant to teach RE that also includes non-Christian religions because they feel it would compromise their consciences and their own faiths. As a result, they prefer to teach the subject from a Christian standpoint. This approach differs from the MoE directive to teach RE from a multireligious perspective. In the light of the different perceptions concerning the problem of teaching RE in Zambian multireligious secondary schools, the following recommendations have been made: (i) Since the Zambian secondary schools have become multireligious, RE teaching should take a multireligious perspective if it is to be relevant to the needs of pupils of diverse religious backgrounds; (ii) The current RE syllabuses (2044 and 2046) require a critical evaluation and revision in order to ensure that they adapt to a multireligious tradition. Finally, the results of this study concludes that the teaching of RE should be firmly placed in an educational context by making no assumptions or preconditions from the personal commitment of RE teachers. The role of RE teachers is that of educators. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Didactics)

This research reports on two action research case studies of participatory materials development in two rural community contexts in Zambia, namely Chiawa and Nalusanga. It aims to explore and articulate the relationships between community-based environmental education and participatory materials development in the WWF Zambia Education Project context; clarify participatory materials development processes by identifying the roles of different ‘actors’ in these processes and identify and analyse the contextual and other factors that may influence development and use of environmental education materials in rural communities. These aims were explored by means of a number of action research cycles of inquiry in the two communities. The study also articulates the significance of considering ambivalent globalising influences such as international conferences, debates, overseas development aid, national policies and how these shape and influence materials development work in a local context. In order to gain more insight into the local contexts, I developed contextual profiles on the two communities. These capture the contextual factors that influenced the participatory materials development processes. They include issues such as language, ethnicity, literacy, power relations and the local social economy, amongst others. Although this study has been predominately guided by the socially critical orientation to research and education, I have drawn on aspects of other research orientations. I have also explored some of the emerging critiques of the socially critical orientation. The findings of this study reveal the different roles participants can play in participatory materials development; participatory materials development processes as a learning process; the dynamics of participation in an African context; the role of language and literacy in materials development; the need for open-ended process models of learning amongst adult learners and the importance of merging expert and local knowledge in participatory materials development. This study opens up possibilities for further exploration of participatory materials development processes within the WWF ZEP context and beyond.

This is a qualitative study whose purpose was to investigate the community radio education practices and the museum outreach education activities with a view to understanding how a museum-radio partnership may be used to engage the Livingstone community in environment and sustainability learning. Environment and sustainability issues require a community approach in order to bring about sustained responses to environmental challenges. As such, the study worked with social learning ideas of engaging the community in environment and sustainability learning. The data was generated mainly from face-to-face semi-structured interviews involving three community radio stations, Radio Listener Clubs and museum experts. The data generated was then presented to a strategy workshop involving the Livingstone Museum and Radio Musi-otunya staff. Arising from this workshop, recommendations were made about the possibility of the museum working in partnership with the radio to engage the community in environmental education. The study has shown that much of the museum environmental education activities have been confined to exhibitions and lectures within the museum building, which has affected the number of people being serviced by the museum. These education activities are arranged such that museum expert-led knowledge is presented to the audience with minimal community engagement on the environmental learning content. The study has also shown that community radio programming provides opportunities for community-led social learning which the Livingstone Museum could make use of to engage the community in environmental learning. Community radio programming allows community participation through Radio Listener Clubs, in identification and presentation of local environmental issues. This makes it a suitable tool to address locally relevant environmental issues, by the local community. Environmental issues are different from one place to another. Therefore environmental education approaches that bring issues into the museum may fail to address the different environmental education issues in different community context. The study concludes by recommending that Livingstone Museum should explore the use of community radio so that their expert knowledge and that of the radio producers could be used to shape environmental education programmes to go beyond awareness-raising.

Magister Artium - MA / This study aimed to explore the gender imbalances that exist in access to education and participation in schooling of the female orphans and vulnerable children, and also how this relates to the continuing feminisation of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Zambia. The study was based on the premise that the girl child is disadvantaged in this area, and the HIV and AIDS pandemic in worsening the situation for female orphans and vulnerable children. / South Africa