Kwame Nkrumah University Multi-Disciplinary Journal - Zambia

NAVIGATING BUSINESS COMPLIANCE AND SUCCESS NOSTRUM:

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Lecturers in institutions of higher learning have for many years taken an active role in practical entrepreneurship ventures. There is overwhelming evidence that shows that entrepreneurship significantly contributes to economic development. In fact, entrepreneurial activities amongst the lecturers potentially lead to significant economic growth with high possibilities of creating employment and numerous business opportunities to the communities. Some of the benefits of entrepreneurship might include solving some critical societal problems hence contributing to quality of life while at the same time helping to enhance lecturers’ retention within institutions of higher learning. However, there is low business compliance amongst the lecturers’ entrepreneurs which has significantly negatively affected the potential for growth and sustainability. The study aimed at ascertaining the levels of business compliance with regulatory authorities (ZRA,PACRA,NAPSA & local authorities) amongst the lectures involved in entrepreneurship ventures in institutions of higher learning. Furthermore, the study sought also to establish the relationship between business compliance and entrepreneurial growth. It employed a pragmatic research philosophy and used a mixed design approach specifically an embedded correlational model, in which qualitative data was embedded within a quantitative design. Data was collected using questionnaires’, interviews guides and focused group discussions. Qualitative data was analyzed using regression analysis while thematic analysis was employed to analyze qualitative data. It was established that there was low business compliance amongst the lecturer entrepreneurs in institutions of higher learning in Zambia. Further, business registration had a significant positive effect on the growth of entrepreneurship ventures

A MICRO-VARIATION ANALYSIS OF THE WORD ORDER OF THE NOUN PHRASE BY MODIFICATION IN LUNGU AND NAMWANGA LANGUAGES

Pethias Siame , Kennedy N. Kangwa — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the word of the noun phrase (henceforth, NP) by modification by accounting for similarities and micro-variations in Lungu and Namwanga languages. Lungu is spoken in Mpulungu district while Namwanga is spoken in Nakonde and Isoka districts in Zambia. Using the micro-variation linguistic theory and the comparative Bantu morpho-syntax theoretical locale, the paper identifies the modifiers which are prominent in Lungu and Namwanga languages and establishes the prevailing word orders in the NP by modification. The study used a qualitative approach backed by elicitation and comparative methods. The paper outlines that the two languages have similarities in the word order of the NP by the modification which suggests that the languages are genetically related. The analysis also shows that Lungu and Mambwe languages have more similarities than variations in their morphology of nouns which are used to form the NP which shows that they are mutually intelligible. On the other hand, the paper reveals that there are some morphological micro-variations in the two languages, though not wide enough to be considered to be mutually unintelligible. Therefore, the common word orders in the NP by modification in Lungu and Namwanga languages include; Poss. Pre-prefix +Adj, N+Adj (NAdj) and N+Dem (NDem).

CONTEXTUALISING SERVICE LEARNING MODEL IN CIVIC EDUCATION TEACHER PROGRAMMES IN ZAMBIA

Exsaviour Sakala, Oliver Magasu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This research focused on incorporating the four elements of service learning which are; reciprocity, reflection, integration, and diversity into the instruction and learning of Civic Education teacher programs in Zambia. The study confirmed the significance of these four elements in the teaching and learning of Civic Education teacher programs in Zambia, although they are currently lacking. It is recommended that the curriculum for Civic Education courses offered in colleges and universities in Zambia be revised to include service learning in the teaching and learning methods, as guided by the four components of service learning. There is also a need to regularly assess the methods used to teach Civic Education to ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in governance, advocate for social justice, and contribute to the development of their communities, civic agency, and community engagement

CHRISTIANITY AND MATRIMONIAL CONSEQUENCES ON WOMEN IN ZAMBIA:

Judith Lubasi Ilubala-Ziwa, Gilbert Kamanga, Maligelita Jofter Njobvu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Research on

Christian marriage and family life has documented less on how Christianity has indirectly influenced the family set-up across ethnic groups in Zambia. Theologians, anthropologists, academicians and other contemporary scholars have not given this concern serious thought, as they have extensively written on the functional aspect of Christianity and less on the dysfunctional. Guided by

Bronislaw Malinowski’s (1922) latent and manifest theory, this study sought to establish the influence of Christianity on the matrilineal system of the indigenous Chewa people of Katete District in Eastern Zambia. The qualitative approach was used to collect and analyse information from participants who were purposively sampled. The findings showed that there were socio-economic changes in a woman whose brother became a Christian, such as the brother stopping to support his sister due to Christian teachings which emphasise that a man should care for his own family. Socially, there is a change in the relationship between the uncles, nieces and nephews since the uncle who becomes a Christian rarely interacts with his nieces and nephews as his obligation is switched to members of his own family. Economically, the woman’s husband suffers the burden of caring for his biological children who, traditionally, are supposed to be cared for by the uncles. The study concluded that Christianity has negatively affected the relationship that existed between uncles and their sisters’ children. Therefore, the study recommends that, although Christianity has been introduced among the Chewa, uncles should not forsake the responsibility of caring for their sisters’ children as this might lead to exposing the children to untold misery related to lack of parental/guardian care

DEFYING THE STATUS QUO:

Chrispine Moono , Jive Lubbungu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper discusses three female characters who defy the status quo in Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat. They defy the status quo by refusing to be intimidated by men. They have gone against the social and political order that defines patriarchal societies in Africa. Succinctly, language is the tool the characters use to express their courage. They publicly rebuke and respond to men’s patriarchal-related treatment as shown in the discourse. Through main female characters like Mumbi, Wambui, and Mukami, we see a clear demonstration that women are core- partners in the fight for social justice in African society. The paper analyses figurative lexical items and other clauses with marked meanings that women use as agents of communication and action. The study applied Contextual, Relevance, and Referential theories. Primary data was elicited from Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat by reading chapter by chapter while taking down key clauses, phrases, and sentences that contain target information. The study used qualitative methodology to collect data. The data was descriptively analyzed since the study’s objectives were meant to describe, explain, and interpret the conditions of the present phenomena. The study revealed that language in use is context-bound and each contextual use of language should be understood from that particular environment of action. The other factor observed is that language can be used as a weapon for social change. Furthermore, the language female characters use in A Grain of Wheat aid in understanding the text’s female characters and their individual and collective personalities.

MULTIVOCAL ELASTICITY AND SEMIOTIC FLUIDITY IN THE MORPHO-SEMANTIC SPECTRUM OF THE POLITICO-RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE OF NATHAN NYIRENDA’S SONG MWE MAKUFI

Pethias Siame , Humphrey M. Kapau — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper analyses the multivocal elasticity and semiotic fluidity in the morpho-semantic spectrum of the politico-religious discourse of Nathan Nyirenda’s song Mwe Makufi Yandi ‘My Knees’. The song is in the Bemba language which is spoken in Zambia and is classified as M42 (Guthrie, 1948). A qualitative approach, document analysis, and desktop research methods were used to collect and analyse data. Multivocality, resemiotisation, and lexical morphology theoretical locale underpinned the analysis of the song in this article. The study shows rich messages in the lyrics of Zambian politico-religious songs such as Nathan Nyirenda’s Mwe Makufi Yandi's ‘My Knees’. The analysis also reveals that apart from using multivocality and resemiotisation to analyse the semanticity of musicology, it is also possible to analyze the morphology and other levels of linguistics using other theories such as lexical morphology. The study shows that the musician of Mwe Makufi Yandi ‘My Knees’ used several noun class prefixes, verbal extensions, and figurative language to present the elasticity and fluidity of the multivocal politico-religious discourses

PRAY, PLAY AND PARTICIPATE:

Joseph K. Hachintu , Judith Lubasi Ilubala-Ziwa , Tomaida Phiri — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Within the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 targets is a section dedicated to sport development. The section emphasises the need to promote sports development to improve the citizenry's physical and mental health and well-being; encourage educational institutions to offer innovative courses that support the sports industry; promote social cohesion; and strengthen sports governance. Zambia’s national sport policy was reviewed in 2016 to align the sport policy direction with the country’s development priorities, to fully maximise the potential of sport in the national development (Sustainable Development Goals of Sports, Zambia). Although there have been massive achievements regarding incorporating sport in education and other social sector institutions, much more effort seems to remain undone at religious institutions. In this discourse, we explore the views of the body of believers from selected church denominations doted across Kabwe Urban in Zambia, to determine how sports have been incorporated into their worship space, and reveal their perceptions of the relationship between religion and sport, and how this is related to their lives. Emerging from the study are invaluable themes such as (1) the Participation of youths in sports at Church, (2) Sports as a tool for evangelism and fellowship (3) Sports for leisure and socialisation, (4) Sports for health, and (5) The relationship between religion and sports. The findings contribute to the realisation of the SDG agenda through advocacy for the need to incorporate sports administration in church programmes.

PRO-ACTIVENESS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ON THE 24-HOUR PRE-TRIAL DETENTION IN ZAMBIA: A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE

Emmanuel Mukelabai Yula , Oliver Magasu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study assessed the pro-activeness of the Human Rights Commission on 24-hour pre-trial detention. The following objectives guided the study; to establish the pro-activeness of the Human Rights Commission on the 24-hour pre-trial detention in Lusaka District, to identify the challenges faced by the Human Rights Commission on the 24-hour pre-trial detention in Lusaka District and to establish strategies put in place by Human Rights Commission in safeguarding the 24 hour pre-trial detention in Lusaka District. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used a hermeneutics phenomenology research design. Data were generated through an interview guide. Findings: It was clear that the Human Rights Commission is responsible for educating and investigating human rights violations, investigating any maladministration of justice, and proposing possible measures to prevent human rights abuse. The findings also revealed that participants had a shallow understanding of the Criminal Procedure Code Act about the 24 24-hour pre-trial Detention. It was further established that the Human Rights Commission was reactive when it comes to the 24-hour pre-trial detention because of among other reasons, delay in the prosecution of criminal cases necessitated by poor investigations (unsubstantiated evidence), and administrative hiccups embedded in the investigative system. The study recommends the decentralisation of the Human Rights Commission office to the police station level, boosting the labour force at the Human Rights Commission and reintroduction and re-launching a continuous human rights-based education to all the investigative wings in the quest to appreciate Criminal justice-timely.

PLAGIARISM DISCOURSE IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING:

Trinity R. Chikwanda , Maureen S. Kanchebele, Astridah M. Musonda — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated students’ understanding and practices of plagiarism at one of the Universities of Zambia’s Central Province. Plagiarism is a common phenomenon, and a menace in higher institutions of learning. Using interpretive paradigm and qualitative approach, the researchers collected data from 120 respondents where 90 students and 20 lecturers answered open ended questionnaires and 10 that is five lecturers and five students took part in interviews. The data collected was supported by document analysis where the university academic policy, undergraduate student assignments and research reports were analysed. Data generated illuminated that students’ knowledge of plagiarism was vague where they knew how to define the term but could not explain what constituted it. The data collected highlighted that students were indulging in various forms of plagiarism knowingly or unknowingly. It further indicated factors such as laziness, peer pressure, ignorance, and availability of information from the internet among others to have exacerbated students’ indulgence in plagiarism. The availability of a weak University academic policy on plagiarism mitigation strategies and non-availability of plagiarism checkers in the institution has made the penalties administered weak hence not preventing students from plagiarising. The study revealed that as an institution not much was being done to curb plagiarism. Thus, researchers recommended that there was need to do more sensitisation on plagiarism and work on the academic policy to give more direction on plagiarism mitigation measures to be enforced in the University to control the levels of plagiarism taking place in the higher institution of learning

FACULTY MEMBERS' EXPERIENCES IN NTERNATIONALISATION OF THE CURRICULUM IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Colious Gondwe, Joseph Mate, Situmbeko Mubita — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the face of an increasingly complex, global and competitive environment, internationalisation has become an important strategic priority for many higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences faculty members in Higher Education Institutions (HELs) face in the IoC focusing on Kwame Nkrumah University (KNU) as a case study. The objectives of the study were to establish the experiences of faculty members on IoC in Higher Education Institutions and to determine how these experiences of faculty members have contributed toward the internationalisation of the curriculum in HEIs. The study found that Faculty members at KNU acknowledge and appreciate the presence of IoC at the university. Improved teaching and learning, increased cultural awareness and language skills, improved international collaborations and visibility of the university were cited as benefits of IoC in the University. Lack of financial support, fewer collaborations with other international institutions and limited access to technology facilities were challenges cited. The University administrators should create a strong relationship with foreign universities, hold capacity-building workshops for faculty members to internationalise the curriculum effectively and adequately fund international programs and activities

NARRATIVES BY PARENTS OF WHAT EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNERS WERE DOING DURING COVID-19 IN COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN AND EASTERN PROVINCES, ZAMBIA

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores what Early Childhood Education (ECE) learners were doing during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. The qualitative study used a narrative approach, employing snowball sampling to select respondents. Data were collected through observation guides and interviews with parents and children, and analyzed using thematic and narrative techniques. Findings revealed that in urban homes, children primarily watched television and played games, with some parents hiring private teachers. In contrast, ECE learners in rural areas accompanied their parents on errands and played with peers, maintaining routines similar to pre-pandemic times. Parents were aware of government initiatives like the "learning on Taonga market" radio program and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) TV4 educational channel. However, challenges included power failures, lack of power sources or batteries, and intermittent connectivity issues. The study observed that effective learning was not taking place for ECE learners during the pandemic, due to various constraints. Parents expressed concerns over the escalating Covid-19 cases, highlighting the need for robust measures to ensure continuous and effective learning for young children. The study recommends incorporating interactive elements such as live teacher-student interactions and hands-on activities into educational platforms to better engage young learners

STRATEGIES FOR AND CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING:

Jackson Julius Manase, Gabriel Walubita, Kenneth Kapalu Muzata — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

As enrolment of students with visual impairments in Tanzanian higher education increases, the need for inclusive teaching methods becomes more pressing. Universal Design for Learning provides a framework to meet these needs. This qualitative case study at a private Tanzanian university explored the strategies and challenges for Universal Design for Learning implementation through interviews and observations involving 12 participants, including lecturers, administrators, and students with visual impairments. Strategies for effective Universal Design for learning implementation include establishing resource rooms, hiring Braille transcribers, providing lecturer training, and creating a university centre for inclusive education. Key challenges identified include inadequate assistive devices, insufficient Braille skills among students with visual impairments and lack of trained lecturers. The study underscores the necessity of ongoing support and resources, particularly for accessible materials in visual intensive subjects. Prioritizing the procurement of assistive devices and up-to-date technology to enhance accessibility and facilitate equal participation in academic activities is essential

THE ROLE OF PARADIGMS IN RESEARCH FOR NOVICE RESEARCHERS IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING

Trinity R. Chikwanda , Oliver Magasu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated four paradigms namely positivism, Interpretivism, pragmatism and critical theory to establish their importance in research especially to novice researchers. The research was guided by a purposive sampling technique using descriptive and applied qualitative research techniques whose objective was descriptive as they exist and arrived at an inductive ex post facto research for descriptive purposes. Using secondary data the findings indicated that paradigms play important roles to novice researchers as they guide them to come up with a research plan. A paradigm it was established guides the researcher in all areas of his/her research plan starting from the aim of the study, research questions, instruments of data collection and analysis methods. The researchers thus recommended that novice researchers be exposed to paradigms before embarking on the research journeys to help them do research within the parameters of a particular paradigm to avoid mixing approaches, methodologies and designs. Having knowledge of paradigms will enable novice researchers to stick to the lane of the paradigm chosen and not crossing the lane anyhow as well as to choose which paradigm for which topic.