Knowledge production practices in higher institutions of learning in Zambia: a case of the University of Zambia (original) (raw)
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Knowledge Production and Contradictory Functions in African Higher Education
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Currently, Africa has more than half of the 20 fastest-growing economies in the world, which has contributed to what has been called the era of Africa Rising or a New Africa. In order to further strengthen socio-economic development, African universities need to improve their ability to produce and apply knowledge in effective and relevant ways. In OECD countries there are several public and private sites for knowledge production, but in Africa the university is the only knowledge institution, and hardly any knowledge is produced outside of the university. However, the performance of African universities in knowledge production has not been impressive. It has generally been acknowledged by agencies such as the African Observatory for Science, Technology and Innovation and the World Bank, as well as leading development scholars, that African universities are lagging behind the rest of the world in their knowledge production function. There has been only weak empirical evidence on the...
Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 2015
Manuel Castells (2001), who is regarded as one of the most influential social scientists commenting on the role of higher education in contemporary global consciousness, describes the roles of universities as the generation of new knowledge, the conceptualisation and diffusion of ideology and forms of knowing, the recreation of elites, and the development of skilled labour. The tension between the utilitarian role, on the one hand, and the generation of new forms of knowledge and the contradictions inherent in this, on the other, is the focus of this widely influential new book. The African university, despite calls for it to act as an instrument of development in the post-colony and engine of an African renaissance, has struggled to assert itself within the paced global knowledge economy which requires the university to 'become a central actor of scientific and technological change' and to become the centre of 'cultural renewal and cultural innovation … linked to the new forms of living' (Castells in Cloete et al., 2015, p. 2). Knowledge Production and Contradictory Functions in African Higher Education builds on these premises and explores the trends and debates around the intended and emerging identity of African flagship universities in eight countries by relying on comparative indicators and sets of data. Empirical data from universities and governments on research levels and outputs, numbers of students and staff, and contextual factors, are used to present a textured analysis of the eight flagship universities, which are the
Knowledge management constitutes all the processes in which knowledge assets are mobilised to create value for an organisation. Knowledge is derived from information, which is processed data. In universities, knowledge is generated through research. The current study targeted academic and senior administrative staff at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). It was underpinned by the Socialisation Externalisation Combination and Internalisation (SECI) Knowledge Creation Model. Using a mixed-method approach, a survey and case study designs were used to collect data while a census was used to get a sample of 173. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings of the study revealed that LUANAR, Bunda Campus creates theses, dissertations, emails, memos, policies and minutes as the main types of explicit knowledge while expertise, skills and experiences as the main types of tacit knowledge. However, the curation of plant and animal specimens was identified as a special type of knowledge the University creates. The knowledge is mainly shared through emails and meetings which enhance research, teaching and facilitate learning, help in the curriculum development process and improve decision-making. On the other hand, the study unveiled that inadequate awareness about the importance of knowledge management, lack of top management support, lack of knowledge management policy and lack of knowledge management advocate/champion impede the knowledge management practices. Therefore, the study recommends that top management should initially identify a knowledge management advocate/champion to extensively conduct knowledge management awareness and drive the knowledge management agenda at the institution. The knowledge management champion should also initiate the development of a knowledge management policy and the establishment of a knowledge management unit to coordinate knowledge management activities.
Research that improves/informs educational practice: A Case of Kwame Nkrumah University in Zambia
2020
Killion (2007) submits that research is helpful to teacher leaders and coaches for them to fully understand what they experience in their work, to make decisions, and to improve practice. Hemsley-Brown and Sharp (2004) add that there is need to create a culture in public sector which supports and values research. This study focuses on determing the extent to which research has improved/informed proffessional practice at Kwame Nkrumah University, in Zambia. Kwame Nkrumah University was opened in 1967 as a teacher training College until 2013 when it started transforming into a fully fledged university. The study conducted at this University was qualitative which involved 20 lecturers out of a population of 80 lecturers at the time of the study. Data collection instruments used was face-to face interviews. The study revealed that Kwame Nkrumah University has capacity to promote research among lecturers. It further revealed that there is capacity to improve professinal practice. It was ...