Kwame Nkrumah University Multi-Disciplinary Journal - Zambia

Decolonising Religious Education

2023-03-29T13:25:39+00:00

Since independence in 1964, the provision of Religious Education in schools has followed the path of a ‘religious naturalistic approach’ based on a religious inclusive curriculum policy. However, some learners’ knowledge of non-Christian religions seems to be scanty, especially in some rural areas where Christianity seems to dominate probably due to the ripple effects of colonisation. Guided by Michael Grimmitt’s conceptions and value assumptions of ‘Religious Absolutism’ versus Religious Equality, the study aimed at assessing the learners’ knowledge of non-Christian religions in Chivuna Community of Mazabuka district, and to examine the challenges bordering on the learner factor in the implementation of the naturalistic approach in RE. The descriptive design was used along with a qualitative method to gather data which was analysed using SPSS, based on a sample of 74 respondents from two Primary schools. The findings of the study indicated that the knowledge of non-Christian religions in some learners was quite shallow, and lacking in others. Factors that led to learners’ poor knowledge of non-Christian religions, such as poor reading culture, lack of physical exposure to non-Christian religions, and learners’ rural background, were identified and analysed. The study made the following recommendations: (1) that only well-trained teachers should be allowed to teach Religious Education in schools, (2) teachers to be creative enough in their teaching, by using such methods as blended learning (3) to improve the reading culture (4) to utilise the expertise of guest facilitators from non-Christian religions in the teaching of RE.

Endangered Indigenous Ghanaian Dishes

2023-03-28T15:22:13+00:00

The study sought to identify indigenous Ghanaian dishes that are endangered; examine the factors accounting for the endangerment of the dishes and suggest strategies for ameliorating this phenomenon. This descriptive survey adopted the quantitative research approach to gather and analyze data from a sample of 204 respondents who were chosen from the various regional groups that were formed. Respondents were on an average age of 23 years. A multistage sampling technique comprising Purposive, Stratified Random and Convenience sampling techniques were employed to select respondents. A self-developed questionnaire (Google form) was used to gather data which were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The results revealed that majority (78.2%) of respondents are unfamiliar with most indigenous Ghanaian dishes from their respective localities; indicating their possible extinction.

Decolonising Religious Education in a Multi-faith Nation: Teachers’ Voices on the Naturalistic Approach to Teaching RE in Chivuna, Zambia

2023-03-29T13:23:45+00:00

Conducted in 2020, this study documents the voices of teachers of RE on their experiences of using the multi-faith ‘naturalistic’ approach in teaching Religious Education. The objectives of the study were: to describe the experiences of teachers of RE in using the Religious naturalistic (inclusive) approach in teaching RE, to establish the value of the approach and the challenges teachers faced in implementing it. The study was underpinned by Michael Grimmitt’s conceptions and value assumptions of ‘Religious Absolutism’ versus ‘Religious Equality’/ ‘Neutrality’ ideological influences on Religious Education. The descriptive design was used to highlight the voices of teachers, based on qualitative methods and using structured interviews from two schools in Chivuna. Data were analysed using SPSS, based on a sample of 14 respondents. It was found that Most of the teachers were fairly contented with teaching non-Christian religions; they were focused on teaching these religions and were in support of the multi-faith approach that encouraged non-Christian religions to be part of the school curriculum. However, few respondents had their contrary view that non-Christian religions were not supposed to be part of the school curriculum in Zambia. One of the reasons they advanced was that Zambia was a Christian nation

Absolute Decolonisation of Africa

2023-02-22T14:11:58+00:00

This paper shares the author’s perspective on the notion of decolonisation of Africa. The perspective discussed highlights the challenges and complexities that go with the conversation of decolonisation in Africa. The main argument put forward is that the discourse of decolonisation should not be looked at from a singular point of view only such as politics, education or industrialisation, but that various spheres of the Africanness aspect should be considered.

Decolonisation of Education in the Correctional Facility

2023-03-29T13:08:01+00:00

The purpose of the study was to assess on how decolonization of education has been in Mukobeko maximum prison from 2017 to 2022.The following objectives guided the study: to establish the current education the Correctional Service offers to inmates; to determine whether the type of education being offered to inmates help them to reform and settle in society and, to establish educational strategies the correctional service has put in place to help former inmates settle after being released. A case study design was used. The total population for the study was 25 participants, consisting 10 correctional officers, 10 inmates at maximum prison and 5 former inmates. Simple random sampling was used to select inmates at Mukobeko maxmum prison. Purposive sampling techniques was used to select officers and former inmates at Mukobeko maximum prison. Former inmates were contacted through the use of register and mobile phones. Data was collected using interviews while analysis of data was done qualitatively using thematic analysis. The study revealed that inmates were taught practical courses which were beneficial for their effective rehabilitation. Further, the study revealed that the education inmates got helped them to reform and settled in society. The study established that teachers at the maximum prison face many challenges related to curriculum modification and adaptation. The study further revealed that decolonization of education to inmates would empower them with necessary skills and knowledge.

The Teaching of Social Studies in Zambia

2023-03-29T14:20:25+00:00

This study sought to establish how the teaching of Social Studies in selected secondary schools of Ndola District, Zambia was done. To do so, this study had to find out how teachers were teaching social studies, the challenges (if any) teachers were facing in the teaching of social studies and to establish strategies of improve the teaching of social studies. This study took a qualitative approach and used a descriptive research design. Data was collected using oral interviews. Homogeneous purposive sampling technique was used to target the participants who were fifteen. The key findings of this study were that teachers were facing numerous challenges in teaching social studies and these included: Lack of teaching and learning materials especially textbooks, lack of trained social studies teachers, inadequate time allocation and bulkiness of social studies content. Based on these findings, this study recommends the following to the Ministry of Education: To allocate adequate funds to schools for the procurement of teaching/learning materials especially quality textbooks for social studies, conduct fast track training, recruitment of social studies teachers and to revise the social studies curriculum further through an inclusive process.

The Impact of Examination-Oriented Private Tuitions on Learners’ Communicative Competence in English as a second language

2023-03-29T13:48:28+00:00

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of examination-oriented teaching approaches on communicative competence and learning achievements among secondary school pupils in Livingstone District of Zambia. Along
with interviews, class pedagogical activity observation, this study revealed a number of challenges arising from exam-centric delivery of instruction in many public schools. Because of the progression value attached to passing examination, education is viewed as nothing but the tool for passing examination. Findings were that examination-oriented approaches don't focus
on the acquisition of practical skills, communicative and linguistic competences and attitudes in learners. The major objective of pedagogical instruction is merely to enhance learning institutions attain higher passing rate in national examinations and enable candidates progress to the next academic grade. The study therefore recommends an interactional task based instructional approach that provides second language learners practical acquisition of communicative competence in the target language.

Re-Imagining Education and Curriculum Development through Embodied Learning as a Decolonizing Pedagogy

2023-03-28T15:30:33+00:00

The aim of this article to encourage innovation in education and schooling by embracing embodied ways of knowing. The research questions addressed in this paper are: How is embodied learning conceptualized? And how might it be employed as a decolonizing pedagogy for curriculum development? This article will review the current understandings of embodied learning within the field of education. Examples of innovative approaches for employing embodied ways of knowing in teaching and learning will be provided to argue for the need to implement approaches to integrate embodied learning into curriculum. Embodied ways of knowing have considerable potential to contribute to re-envisioning ways that education can be transformed to address current challenges of colonial oppression by shifting dominant discourses and single worldviews of what education should be.

Decolonisation

2023-03-29T13:45:55+00:00

This paper endeavours to address the colonial mind-set in the management of language education in Zambian secondary schools. The aim of the paper is to respond to the need to decolonise the challenges which hinder the achievement of quality implementation of language programmes in the Department of Literature and Languages in secondary schools. The paper draws insights from “tenets of equitable management” to outline how national, provincial, district, school and departmental leadership as well as language planners, and curriculum developers can decolonise the management of teachers and subjects in the Department of Literature and Languages. The paper is guided by the marginal theory. The paper adopted purposive sampling to identify ten schools and respective Heads of Department of Literature and languages as key informants for the study. Elicitation, face to face interviews, document analysis, descriptive and qualitative approaches were used to collect data to justify the arguments in the study. The study reveals that some subjects and teachers in the Department of Literature and Languages are unfairly and impartially treated as the colonial arrangement still exists to a large extent. Decolonisation is only observed in the distribution of Heads of Department in the sampled schools where they share 50% for each gender. There is great need to decolonise the management of language education in order to enhance equity and motivate all the teachers of languages for the effective implementation of language education and planning policies.