Teachers’ Institution and Participation in a Lesson Study Project in Zambia: Implication and Possibilities (original) (raw)
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In this study we deconstructed quality education in three public secondary schools through the lenses of 15 teachers in Lusaka District of Zambia. The study applied a qualitative research paradigm with a Narrative design to engage participants through a series of interviews and Focused Group Discussions. The findings of the study revealed fourteen factors that contributed to poor quality education among which were inadequate Teaching-learning materials, negative pupil attitude to schooling, heavy workloads and poor working conditions. Thus, for quality education to be provided to the children in public secondary schools, investment was needed in enhancement of Continuous Professional Development, quality school buildings and improvement of water and electricity access to schools. Furthermore, there was need for an improved teacher pay, supply of adequate and qualified teachers, supply of adequate teaching and learning materials, and provision of adequate grants to secondary schools among others.
This paper presents an analysis of the quality of teacher education at the University of Zambia by combining the findings of two PhD theses conducted at the University of Zambia and in secondary schools in the last two years. Using self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 191 and 200 participants respectively, comprising of students, newly qualified teachers (NQTs), heads of department (HoDs), deans, and lecturers. The findings in the two studies indicate that there are a number of institutional weaknesses in the provision of teacher education at the University of Zambia. Prominent among these weaknesses is the inadequacy of teaching practice experiences for student teachers and the mismatch between subject content offered at the University of Zambia and content taught at the secondary school level. The paper concludes that this combination of poor teacher preparation affects teacher quality, which in turn affects educational delivery by the teachers.
The-Quantity-and-Quality-of-Teaching-The-Way-Forward-For-Teachers-in-Ghana.pdf
The Government of Ghana has since independence in 1957 made a number of reforms to the educational system with the aim to achieve efficiency, accessibility and equity in service delivery. Significant progress in all these areas has since been made over the years. However, what remains a challenge is the quality of education in terms of learning outcomes. This paper is part of a longitudinal study on teaching effectiveness in Ghana. Using a representative sample of 99 teachers in 73 primary schools, this paper examines teacher classroom behaviors. Based on classroom observations, it came out that the teachers emphasized more on the quantitative aspect of teaching which is basic to instruction. The quantity of instruction is necessary but insufficient for successful learning. A combination of quantity and quality of instruction in their right proportions is what can lead to successful student learning. Implications of the findings for teacher professional development are drawn.
Educação e Pesquisa (Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil), vol. 45, e199996. ISSN: 1678-4634, 2019
This research aimed to describe and understand the educational and curricular practices of teachers of moral and civic education in secondary schools in the city of Lubango, Angola. The reason for the investigation lies in the fact that there are no studies that make reference to this theme in the context of Angola. This is a case study research, based on qualitative and interpretive approaches, which studies a real situation in its everyday context. It was carried out in secondary schools and had an intentional sample of 17 participants. The in-depth interview technique and content analysis were used to collect, process and interpret the data produced in the research process. The results show that educational practice is deficient and makes use of traditional teaching and the transmissive model, and it is carried out by teachers who, for the most part, do not have initial training, because the admission criteria only value academic qualifications. The continuous training they receive does not reflect the real difficulties faced by teachers and the work carried out by the school administration in monitoring school activities is little known. For good educational practice to exist, it is essential to invest in the specific training of teachers, in the internal and external evaluation of schools, in order to build more school infrastructure, equip it and give it good management in the face of the current challenges of education.
2011
Bishop (1985) cited Fafunwa as having stated that “of all the educational problems that beset African countries today, none is as persistent or as compelling as the one relating to the training of a competent teacher”. This comment, made in 1967, still remains true about teacher training in Africa generally and in Zambia in particular today. Indeed, teachers have an indispensable role to play in our education system. If we are to have quality education we need sufficient teachers who are well trained and motivated professionals. Professionalism is one of the most important characteristics that should identify teachers...... particularly primary school teachers who are the subject of discussion in this paper. This paper will attempt to give a perspective of the challenges facing basic school teacher training, recruitment and quality in Zambia. The paper will pay particular attention to how primary colleges recruit students, the nature of training offered, the deployment of the studen...
Implementing Quality Education in Low Income Countries
Information was gathered from the following sources:. Government policy documents and circulars, discussion with Chairman of 2002 education review committee as well as personnel of the Ghana Education Service. Government policy documents are a valuable source of determining the philosophy and indicators of quality priority areas in Ghana.. Library search for books, chapters in books, Journal articles and conference/workshop papers on quality education related issues. Indigenous literature on quality education is limited. The Journal of Educational Management (JEM), the Makarere Journal for Higher Education and …… were therefore the main sources of information. Few international Journals were also consulted.. Research findings of education-related Non-Governmental Associations and Research Centres [Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), Centre for Research into the Quality of Primary Education in Ghana (CRIQPEG), Quality Improvement in Primary Schools (QUIPS) etc]. Media commentaries and releases as well as informal discussions with individuals associated with school effectiveness and improvement policies in Ghana.
Assessment of Successful Provision of Quality Education in Zambian Community Schools
Dissertation, 2018
Community schools are currently an important part of the Zambian education system, however there are substantial differences in terms of performance and quality among them. Therefore, the aim of this review was to critically assess the school factors to understand why certain community schools can provide quality education for pupils to reveal how the quality of education can be improved in other community schools. A critical realist systematic review has been chosen as a methodology to identify underlying mechanisms. Case studies and reports from the period of 1992 and 2018 in the topic of primary education in Zambian community schools have been searched. Outcome was measured by grade 7 national exam pass rates. The search yielded 24 studies of reasonable quality, out of which 20 studies included outcome information for comparison. The results provided high level evidence that community schools in the reviewed studies were successful because they met all the three components of education quality conceptualized by humanist, economist and organisational approaches. This included Effective processes, Provision of inputs and Satisfaction of stakeholders. Three critical underlying mechanisms have been identified to achieve quality education: Effective management due to external help and community involvement in educational processes through active PCSCs; Effective pedagogy due to committed teachers; and Satisfaction of teachers due to instructional supervision or training. Without these mechanisms quality education could have not been achieved. Once these mechanisms were provided to the schools, other mechanisms could further improve education quality. These were satisfaction of parents/pupils due to extra services or relevant curriculum along with provision of inputs due to qualified teachers or TLMs. The researcher concluded that government should assist these schools to source partnerships with donors or local businesses to supplement government support. Government-paid qualified teachers should be continued to be deployed to remove financial burden from parents and regular salaries should be paid to volunteer teachers.