Religious Studies
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Browsing Religious Studies by Author "Chibamba, Agnes Chileshe"
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- ItemPower relations between teachers and head teachers: a case of selected secondary schools in Lusaka district, Zambia(Multidisciplinary Journal of Language and Social Sciences Education, 2020-09-20) Sompa, Maureen; Machila, Nisbert; Chibamba, Agnes Chileshe; Muleya, GisteredThe study sought to explore power relations between teachers and head teachers and its implications on pedagogy on selected secondary schools in Lusaka District, Zambia. The study draws a theoretical framework from Michel Foucault’s notion of power relations. The study employed a descriptive design through the application of qualitative method. Data was collected from 5 secondary schools in Lusaka District. The sample comprised of 20 teachers and 5 head teachers, who were sampled purposively. Data was gathered through interviews and documents and was analyzed thematically by identifying patterns and themes within or across the data. Frequencies and percentages were run to shed more light on the responses from teachers and head teachers and this was presented through the use of figures. The main findings of the study revealed that the causes of power relations between head teachers and teachers varied. Responses from head teachers included absenteeism, late coming, teachers having a negative work culture and not submitting teaching files on schedule. Teachers indicated the following causes of power relations; teachers having higher qualifications than the head teacher, incompetence on the part of the head teacher, unsatisfactory class allocation, and favoritism. Furthermore, the study revealed that power relations have a negative implication on pedagogy such as teachers projecting their frustration on learners, loss of morale on the part of the learners which results in disliking a subject (s) of that particular teacher. The findings of the study further indicated that teachers and head teachers were able to manage their power differences through various management strategies such as confrontation,avoidance, dialogue, maintaining government policy by giving teachers copies of working conditions, charging the teacher, mediation, communication and scolding the teacher. Despite managing the power differences using several strategies, personal grudges between teachers and head teacher still exist. In light of the findings, the study recommends that both headteachers and teachers should undertake a compulsory course on management of power relations in the secondary school teacher preparation programmes. It also recommends that headteachers should also be encouraged to adopt a compromising style for conflict management. Keywords: Power Relations, Conflict, Teachers, Headteachers, Pedagogy, Lusaka
- ItemTeaching of literacy in first grades in Zambia and Norway: exploring some similarities and differences(Multidisciplinary Journal of Language and Social Sciences Education, 2020) Chibamba, Agnes ChilesheThis article presents the findings of the study conducted in Zambia and Norway on the teaching of literacy in the first grades. The aim of the study was to broadly reflect on the language of instruction and initial literacy situation in three grade one multilingual classrooms in both Zambia and Norway, and possibly highlight on the similarities and differences in the teaching of literacy between the two countries. Apart from reflecting on pedagogical and the general implementation in the classroom, other salient features and themes surrounding the topic were also highlighted. This was a qualitative study as data was collected through face to face interviews with two school managers (one from Zambia and one from Norway) from the two selected schools in the two countries. Four grade 1 classroom ( two in Zambia and two in Norway) observations were also conducted. The data collected was analyzed thematically and the findings revealed that there were several similarities and differences between the two countries. Among the noted ones were that both countries are multilingual with the language policy that demand the use of local languages as media of instruction as well as languages of initial literacy. The only difference was that for Norway, Norwegian is used as language of instruction at all levels (grades 1-13) in all public schools, including the University level, while for Zambia a local language is used as medium of instruction from Grade 1 to Grade 4. The other feature was that in both countries some parents supported the language policy whereas, others wanted their children’s mother tongue to be used as both language of instruction and language of initial literacy. In addition, teachers in both countries taught constrained finite skills such as alphabetic letters, letter-sound relationships and how one sound blended with others to form syllables, and slow learners were taken care of by receiving remedial work. Another similarity was that there were talking walls and teaching and learning materials in both countries although for Zambia, serious inadequacy of teaching and learning materials was noted. On the issue of helping children from different language backgrounds other than Cinyanja, results showed that there was no specific policy in Zambia that explained how teachers should be helping pupils in schools that were not speakers of language used to teach initial literacy, while Norway has a sounding policy of helping the minority speaking pupils without sufficient language skills in Norwegian. In both countries there was mutual collaboration between the schools and the community. Finally, the paper commended the working collaboration that exist between the two countries, and recommended for continuity and support from both parties in aspects of good pedagogical practices. Zambia should also emulate Norway in formulating inclusive language policies that do not disadvantage the minority languages in terms of teaching initial literacy. Key Terms: Literacy teaching, language policy, local language, language of instruction, initial literacy, first grade learners