The status of physical education in Zambia: a case of selected primary schools in Katete District of Eastern Province

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Date
2016
Authors
Bwalya, Josephine
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Publisher
University of Zambia
Abstract
This study investigated the status of Physical Education in primary schools in Katete district of Eastern Province. The objectives of the study where to establish whether Physical Education was taught in primary schools or not, determine the attitudes of teachers towards the subject and consequently their knowledge of Physical Education as a subject, assess the perception of stakeholders towards the teaching of Physical Education, and to find out the challenges teachers found in the teaching of Physical Education. The research included fifty teachers and five administrators. The questionnaires were administered to teachers and interviews were held with administrators in the selected primary schools. The descriptive research design was used because the research sought to collect information about the respondent’s opinions on the topic at hand. Qualitative data, with the emphasis on participants, lived experience was fundamental for answering the research questions and to augment the body of existing data on the status of Physical Education in primary schools. In general, the findings revealed status of Physical Education in schools was very low. The study established that there was inadequate teacher preparatory, negative attitude towards the subject and lack of in-service teacher training and continuous professional development. Other factors include lack of equipment and above all, infrastructure was found to be a huge challenge in the teaching of Physical Education. Because of the aforementioned factors, the following recommendations were made: the Ministry of General Education should deliberately provide and promote in- service training programmes for teachers in PE; there must be a deliberate policy on CPD covering Physical Education components and that the Ministry of General Education should make available all the equipment and facilities needed in all the primary schools to promote this subject.
Description
Master of Education in Primary Education
Keywords
Physical education and training--Study and teaching--Zambia , Physical education for children—Zambia
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