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Papers by Dickson Mtonga

This research was conducted with the hypothesis or belief that establishing good learner council ... more This research was conducted with the hypothesis or belief that establishing good learner council leadership was the best way to achieve efficient and effective school learner management in schools.

Learner councils had been duly recognized in schools in Zambia by the Education Act of 2011, Article 29, it was very clear in North-Western Province that the significance of learner councils was not fully recognized by 2017. As a result, two things happened: either very few schools or none at all formed learner council executive committees in the Province. The main problem was that the impact of learner councils was apparently not generally appreciated and conflicts between learner council leaders and prefects increased intensely.
The main objective of this research dissertation was, therefore, to assess the impact and challenges of learner councils in schools where they were formed in the period 2017 -2021, and make recommendations for efficient and effective school leadership and management in North-Western Province.

The main question was, therefore, how learner councils could more significantly contribute to the effective leadership and management in the schools in the Province. To answer this question, the main methodology used to collect data was by a questionnaire-based survey accompanied by focus group discussions and interviews in 10 randomly selected primary and secondary schools in Solwezi District in North-Western Province. 200 respondents answered the questionnaire, 176 were learners while 24 were school staff.
The main findings of the research were that to a great extent, learner councils influenced school policies and regulations, inculcated good behaviors amongst fellow learners thus lessening indiscipline, promoted improved academic performance, compelled school infrastructure and environment development as well as improved relations amongst each other and with teachers.

The main conclusion from the study was that with continuous and consistent support to learner councils in schools, schools benefit from having greater efficiency and effectiveness in school leadership and management. Based on this conclusion, it was the recommendation of this study that schools and the government should invest in restructuring learner councils to make them more responsive to the challenges in learning institutions by being the sole learner leadership bodies there, and by capacity building them through a formal leadership mentorship curriculum for the learners in the schools.

In conclusion, the study revealed that learner councils in schools had great impact on school management but the councils could have better impacted the schools if the learners were well guided throughout the period under review.

Key Words
Educational Leadership, Educational Management, Peer Mentorship, School Learner Councils, School Effectiveness and efficiency, School Stakeholders

An Alternative to Corporal Punishment in Schools in Zambia , 2018

This paper gives an elaborate procedure to come up with an alternative to corporal punishment to ... more This paper gives an elaborate procedure to come up with an alternative to corporal punishment to enforce discipline in schools in Zambia

The crux of the following research work report was to assess the impact of the educational policy... more The crux of the following research work report was to assess the impact of the educational policy of the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, of the Republic of Zambia, which was launched in 1996 and had taken root by 2003 when the first National Implementation Framework (NIF) of 2003-2007, was launched to actualise the decentralisation policy under Sector Funding.

The main questions of research were:

a) How effectively was the process of decentralization of the education system done at District Level in Zambia in order to give its needed impact on the quality of education at grassroots’ levels?
b) Was there any significant relationship between decentralized education system and the rising or falling literacy levels in the learners?
c) What lessons and recommendations could be made out of this study in order to improve on the challenges of the decentralization of the education system at District and school levels in Kasempa District, and the country as a whole?

The Study was carried out by means of desk research, questionnaire, and interview techniques. The focus was on the impact of decentralisation on the education system in Zambia, particularly at District and School levels. Kasempa District of North-Western Province in Zambia was the case of the Study.

The following findings were observed and noted:

a) The decentralisation policy was loosely implemented at District and School levels, and hence, the expected impact of the policy on educational standards in schools in the district was not realised to a large extent.
b) And therefore, the relationship that was expected to be evident between the decentralised education system and quality of education attained by learners in schools was not fully realised.

Based on the above premises, it was recommended that:

i. For Education Boards to function more effectively in terms of improving educational attainments at school levels in the District, more funding should be given to the Schools than to the District Education Office where actual educational activities took place.
ii. Fresh sensitization of the education officers on the values of educational decentralization was urgently needed to maximize the benefit of that policy. It should, therefore, be Government policy that every school (primary or secondary) was further empowered with policy guidelines and manuals on the decentralization policy especially on the roles of schools in improving learner performance.
iii. The District Education Office and all Schools should take tangible steps to involve the local and corporate communities in the campaign for improved literacy levels in the District.
iv. The mechanisms to track literacy performance in schools should be clearly drawn and understood by all stakeholders (teachers, learners and parents) in the Schools, in order to increase predictability of performance and selection and implementation of remedial measures to improve literacy levels in the schools.
v. At School levels, more practical and traceable measures should be adopted as suggested in this report such as school literacy clubs, competitions in public speaking, reading and writing skills, and literacy or remedial classes for all primary and secondary school learners.
vi. At the Local Government level, there should be an office dedicated to educational issues just like the Public Health Office, to enable the Councilors to support the efforts of the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education to increase literacy levels in schools and the community at large. That would be more sustainable than just allowing the Councilors to sit on education boards.
vii. Finally, selected primary and secondary schools should be subjected to action research where ideal decentralized conditions should be applied in reference to quality educational improvements. The selected schools should initially be provided with necessary financial, human and material resources to implement hands-on strategies to accelerate literacy levels drawing on experiences of grant-aided and private schools where high performance was usually the norm.
In conclusion, it should be noted that this study was not conducted as scheduled and in the manner planned, but it sufficiently helped us ascertain the impact of the decentralized education system with regard to literacy levels in Kasempa District, and recommend on the sustainable measures to be implemented in future decentralization policy implementation initiatives. Future research of practical nature was desirable into this subject.

The main questions of research were:

The following findings were observed and noted:

Based on the above premises, it was recommended that:

Thesis Chapters by Dickson Mtonga

The study sought to establish the relationship between the head teacher's leadership style and pu... more The study sought to establish the relationship between the head teacher's leadership style and
pupil performance at Chavuma Day and Zambezi Day Secondary Schools of North Western
Province. The two variables in the research were head teacher's leadership style as an
independent variable and pupil performance as a dependent variable. The researcher adopted a
comparative approach to this case study. It was both qualitative and quantitative. The sources of
data were head teachers (two), teachers (twenty-eight) and grade 11 prefects (twenty).
Questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observations and documents were employed for data
collection. Purposive, flexible and opportunistic and cluster were sampling techniques
The study found out that the head teacher at Chavum a Day secondary school scored the highest
in democratic style and the head at Zambezi Day secondary was directive. Both head teachers
were bureaucratic in the manner they exercised power. This was typical of public schools. Pupil
performance in the grade 12 national examinations was slightly above average at Chavuma while
it was below average at Zambezi. The quantitativ e data revealed a significant relationship
between the leadership style and pupil performance at the two schools.
In conclusion, the findings showed a significant relationship between the head teacher,s
leadership style and pupil performance in the national examinations. It is therefore recommended
that participative approaches to leadership be embraced by head teachers in public schools such
as Chavuma and Zambezi. Moreover, head teachers must receive the necessarv skills in
leadership and management in order to enhance pupil performance..
Key words: Head teacher, Leadership Style, Relationship, pupil performance

Drafts by Dickson Mtonga

This study seeks to test the efficacy of the learner-to-learner behavioural change theory through... more This study seeks to test the efficacy of the learner-to-learner behavioural change theory through a school-based learner leaders' peer mentorship programme in secondary schools with the following expected outcomes:

Gives an alternative to corporal punishment to maintain discipline in schools in Zambia. Positive... more Gives an alternative to corporal punishment to maintain discipline in schools in Zambia. Positive discipline is proposed to be the best way to go in school discipline. Schools should have school codes of conduct to achieve this.

Conference Presentations by Dickson Mtonga

Describes positive disciplinary procedures to be undertaken in schools to maintain discipline in ... more Describes positive disciplinary procedures to be undertaken in schools to maintain discipline in Zambia instead of corporal punishment which is outlawed

Key Words
Educational Leadership, Educational Management, Peer Mentorship, School Learner Councils, School Effectiveness and efficiency, School Stakeholders

An Alternative to Corporal Punishment in Schools in Zambia , 2018

The main questions of research were:

The following findings were observed and noted:

Based on the above premises, it was recommended that:

The main questions of research were:

The following findings were observed and noted:

Based on the above premises, it was recommended that: