Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education

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Faith of many colours: reflections on pentecostal and charismatic challenges in Zambia.
(Self Publication, 2009) Banja, Madalitso Khulupirika
This book, Faith of many Colours; Reflections on Pentecostal and Charismatic Challenges in Zambia, is an attempt to present a balanced approach on many ecclesiastical issues which have been detrimental to the fundamental nature of Pentecostalism, and have affected the spiritual state of the general Pentecostal church today. My projection and presentation of this material is not intended to condemn the Pentecostal church. On the contrary it is meant to stimulate the Pentecostals to a “wake up call “ to restore the true identity of Pentecostalism, revisit its spiritual foundation and maintain its Christian qualities. This book was born out of concern at the fact that in most Pentecostal and Charismatic circles there appears to be something amiss. Regarding this Karkkainen (2007:8) records: Pentecostals are often critical of older churches' perceived complacency toward those church members who presumably live in conscious sin and yet are considered members in the church….While traditional churches may too easily dismiss this call as a Donatist bias-let alone those cases of Pentecostals' own lack of moral integrity being a far cry from their calls to holiness… Given that the majority of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches were born out of dissatisfaction with mainline churches, it appears that Pentecostal churches have over the years developed their own fundamental shortcomings worthy of attention. It is not an overstatement to say there is growing and widespread discontent and disenchantment with the state of the church among Pentecostal-charismatic believers themselves. Part of the motivation for writing this book was generated and fuelled by the consistent encouraging comments I continued to receive from Pentecostals, clergy and laity alike, regarding the truth of my concern, a concern that many of them shared with me. It became clear that I was going to speak on behalf of many within the Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. It is my hope that this book will inspire honest and spiritually meaningful debate and discussion that will result in practical steps being taken to remedy and check this apparent spiritual decline. I must mention also that the Evangelical non-Pentecostal denominations and the cultic religious movements, do criticize and regard the Pentecostal church as a Christendom who have no spiritual significance and social influence in the communities around the world. The moral and spiritual state of the Contemporary Pentecostals leaves the Pentecostal church with an ugly spiritual portrait. I do not pretend to be an expert in either Christian theology or Pentecostal history. However, inspite of this, it is my considered view that disagreement regarding issues raised in this book does not take away anything from the truth of the salient issues raised. Therefore, when all is said and done it is my prayer that the Lord God Almighty Himself gets the honour and praise for any positive impact that this book brings within the PCCs. To God be the Glory.
Sexual objectification of women in female initiation rites: the case of the chisungu female initiation rite.
(New Voices in Psychology, 2009) Munsaka, Ecloss
In this paper, I examine sexual objectification in the chisungu initiation rite performed among the Bemba speaking people of Northern Zambia. This paper explain and interprets the sexual objectification messages that are contained in the songs and various imageries that initiation instructors use to teach the young women who enter puberty. From the analysis of the lore, it seems the female initiation rite promotes sexual objectification of women by emphasizing the sex roles that young women have to fulfil when they get married. The paper proposes that, initiation, being a vital means of passing cultural values from generation to generation, has an influence on how the young women who are initiated construct their identity.
Mastering the psychology of teaching and learning.
(University of Zambia Press, 2011) Munsaka, Ecloss
A number of books have been written on theories of learning. Most of these books have presented learning theories alongside topics that deal with developmental aspects of learners such as cognitive development, social development, personality development, and physical development. Some books have even incorporated issues pertaining to special education. This approach of covering the theories of learning has been helpful in that it has enabled teachers, at various levels, to have a more comprehensive understanding of their learners. Nevertheless, though, this holistic coverage may have made it difficult for some educators to appreciate the depths of each learning theory. Thus, this book has been written in order to give the four main theories of learning, namely; behavioural theories, social cognitive theories, cognitive theories, and the humanistic theories, a more specialised focus. To make educators have a better understanding of these learning theories, examples depicting real classroom situations have been used throughout the book. These examples have been further brought to life through linking them to motivational techniques that are used in different learning theories. I hope that educators, at various levels, and parents, find the material contained in this book, a useful instructional tool both in formal and informal teaching-learning situations.
Economic life of Zambia’s university students: the case of the university of Zambia.
(Bank of Zambia, 2012) Ndhlovu, D., Kasonde-Ng'andu, S., Banja, M.K & Serenje, J.
The University of Zambia has a cross section of students which includes school leavers, non-school leavers and in-service students. Some of these students are on Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) bursary sponsorship scheme while others, are sponsored by their employers or are self sponsored. However, students indicated that they face economic challenges in pursuit of university education. This study found that 85% of the respondents rated the cost of living at the University of Zambia as high, even though the majority are on Government sponsorship. In order to cope with the high cost of living, 21% of the respondents engage in business activities, 15% in vacation employment while 64% do not engage in any activities to raise extra funds. The high cost of living at the University of Zambia has a negative effect on the academic performance of most students.
The relevance and adequacy of university education to occupational demands: the case of Zambia.
(Zango; Journal of Contemporary Issues, 2012) Banja, Madalitso Khulupirika
This article draws on the findings of a study carried out in Zambia to establish the relevance and adequacy of university education to occupational demands. The study surveyed university graduates and their human resource managers. An analysis of primary data collected through self-completion questionnaires, and in-depth personal interviews shows that the training offered by the two universities under study was relevant to meet occupational demands. However, the article reveals that university graduates had insufficient hands-on-practical experience during their training compared to their non-university colleagues. This created an imbalance in their skills profile and caused problems of adaptability and consequently compelled employers to retrain the graduates in order to bring about specialisation and easy adaptation to their occupational demands. University graduates were perceived to possess higher technical analysis and reasoning compared to their non-university graduate colleagues. Further, the study found that there were no differences in adaptability and performance attributable to gender among both university and college graduates. The article concludes that the current training regime does not fully meet the needs of the graduates and the expectations of employers and ends with a number of specific suggestions on how to improve the practical orientation of university education.
The teaching profession in Zambia: myth or reality?.
(School of Education, University of Zambia, 2012) Banja, M.K.
This article addresses the question of whether teaching in Zambia can be considered as a profession. Sociologists and other scholars worldwide have grappled with the question of whether or not teaching is a profession. No universally accepted This article addresses the question of whether teaching in Zambia can be considered as a profession. Sociologists and other scholars worldwide have grappled with the question of whether or not teaching is a profession. No universally accepted definition of a profession exists among social scientists. Nonetheless there does exist a combination of characteristics which are associated with professions. The article is divided into three sections. The first section examines the major characteristics of a profession. The second section evaluates the teaching fraternity in Zambia against these characteristics with focus on the factors responsible for the failure of the teaching fraternity to attain the status of a profession in Zambia. The third section suggests remedial measures considered necessary in the drive to make teaching a profession in Zambia.
Review of Ballantine’s. The sociology of education: a systematic analysis. 6th edition.
(Zango; The Journal of Contemporary Issues, 2012) Banja, Madalitso Khulupirika.
This book by Jeanne H. Ballantine and Floyd H. Hammack is a thirteen chapter, 449 page book. Its sheer volume has ensured that issues in the field of sociology of education have been discussed in rare depth.
Provision of learning and teaching materials for pupils with visual impairment: results from a national survey in Zambia.
(2012-02-22) Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa; Munsanje, Joseph
The aim of this study was to determine the provision of learning and teaching materials for pupils with visual impairment in basic and high schools of Zambia. A survey approach utilizing a questionnaire, interviews and a review of the literature was adopted for the study. The findings demonstrated that most schools in Zambia did not provide adequate and suitable learning and teaching materials to pupils with visual impairment. Further, many schools did not have resource rooms for storage and use of learning and teaching materials for these pupils. Though most schools have a policy for procurement of learning and teaching materials, their budgetary allocations for such activities are usually too small or non-existent. Consequently, most children with visual impairment appear to perform poorly in their studies and are required to drop science and mathematics subjects due to lack of teaching and learning materials. The study recommends that a good infrastructure is required to ensure the development of quality learning and teaching materials, a workable procurement system, an effective and efficient distribution system of learning and teaching materials, and teacher training in the use of materials for the children.
Status of primary school teachers and Its effect on the delivery of primary education in Zambia.
(National Science Centre, 2013) Banja, MK & Chakulimba, O.C.
This study has provided information on how primary school teachers perceive themselves with regard to social status; how they are perceived by others in the society and more importantly how their perceived status affects their service delivery in the primary education sector. The first part of the paper argues that public perception is that the status of primary school teachers in Zambia is relatively low compared to other occupational groups such as law, medicine, accountancy and so on. The paper also discusses numerous reasons perceived to be responsible for the low status of primary school teachers which include low salary and poor working conditions such as poor accommodation which leads to low motivation levels among primary school teachers. The paper concludes that the low status of primary school teachers does have a negative effect on the delivery of education and provides examples of how this happens.
Distance education students’ experiences of learning from audio recorded lectures: a case of Mufulira and Nkrumah colleges of education.
(The International Journal of Education Chronicles, 2013-12) Muzata Kenneth Kapalu
This was a study of Distance Education Students' Experiences of Learning from ARLs (Audio Recorded Lectures) at colleges of education in Zambia. Distance education students go through difficulties in their pursuit of the much needed upgrading qualifications. They learn in hurry during residential school, miss residential school due to different challenges and sometimes would go back after residential school without modules, their main mode of learning. Having observed this, live lectures and topics that were not taught during residential school were recorded in Educational Psychology and given to students at MUCE (Mufulira College of Education) in 2010. In 2013, when the same problem was observed at NCE (Nkrumah College of Education), ARLs were also recorded and given to students in Learning Disabilities Course. The study aimed at establishing the students' perceptions and experiences towards learning through ARLs. Students were exposed to this mode of learning for the first time. The objectives were to ascertain the extent to which students appreciated the use ARLs, to establish their perceptions on the effectiveness of using ARLs and to establish other new innovations they would wish college administrations should introduce for their learning. To achieve the stated objectives, the study employed a qualitative approach. Participants either answered questionnaires or were interviewed face- to- face and via telephone. Study results showed students' high appreciation of ARLs. ARLs helped them improve their learning performance through content retention, passing of examinations, improved study habits, easy access among others. Students with visual problems found the ARLs more helpful than relying on their colleagues to read for them. Relevant education bodies and distance education providers should ensure that multimedia learning opportunities are provided to students on distance learning programs.
Pedagogical experiences of students on school teaching practice: a study of two teacher training institutions on the Copper belt and Central provinces of Zambia.
(International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR), 2014-02-21) Muzata, Kenneth Kapalu
This was a study of pedagogical experiences of students on school teaching practice conducted on two teacher training institutions on the Copper belt and Central provinces of Zambia. For ethical reasons, we gave the colleges pseudonyms. The Copper belt Based College of Education Copper belt Based College of Education (Pseudonym) (CBCE) trains teachers at Diploma level while the Central Province Based College of Education Kabwe Based College of Education (Pseudonym) (KBCE) trains teachers at Degree level. The study was both quantitative and qualitative. It used the case study design. Comment sheets on observed lessons were collected from both lecturers and students for study and analysis to establish the students’ experiences in teac hing. The instruments used by lecturers (supervisors) as guidelines to observe students and award marks were also studied and analyzed. The main findings were that students adopted one common way of introducing lessons; the lecture and group discussions method of teaching were the most prominent methods of teaching. While students exhibited knowledge of their subjects, they had difficulties using the discussion and group work methods. Problems of time management made them fail to conclude lessons on time. There was also less use of real objects as teaching aids and generally the use teaching and learning aids was limited. The quality of guidance provided to students by lecturers was good but requires to be improved. Lecturers contradicted each other on comments to guide students and did not comment on student files. While one college had adequate instruments for comments and guide for award of marks,another did not have the guide for award of marks.We recommended that training institutions should devise uniform instruments for assessing student teaching practice, minimize the numbers of students to be supervised by each lecturer, students teaching specialized subjects be supervised by lecturers specialized in those subjects and that there should be adequate orientation for students’ before they embark on teaching practice.
School factors that influence female learners’ development of a negative self-concept in mathematics: the case of a rural high school in central Zambia.
(New Voices in Psychology, 2015) Chongo, Nachivula; Munsaka, Ecloss
The study was aimed at ascertaining school factors, which influence the development of negative mathematics self-concept in female learners. The study used a case study approach. A sample comprising 7 grade 11 female learners with low mathematics self-concept from Kalale (pseudonym) Girls’ Secondary School, situated in a rural area of central Zambia, was purposively selected. The Rosenberg self-concept scale was used to identify learners with low mathematics self-concept. In-depth face-to-face interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted with the participants. Data were analysed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. Findings revealed that there were six school factors that influenced the female learners to have a negative self-concept in mathematics. These factors are: bad personality attitudes of mathematics teachers; lack of support from teachers; teachers’ mathematics related gender stereotypes; few female mathematics teachers; lack of adequate and consistent guidance and counselling programs in the school; and poor organisation of the mathematics club in the school.
Contribution of the free education policy to pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to primary school education in Zambia.
(School of Education, 2015) Ndhlovu, Daniel; Mtonga, Thomas; Chipindi, Janet Serenje-
Despite mixed views, Free Education Policy on primary education (grades 1-7) has made significant contribution on pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to education in primary schools in Zambia. Notable areas cited by participants include: reduced absenteeism, increased gross intake levels, increased grade 7 completion rates and improved academic performance. Although there was no significant positive contribution on dropout rates, participant felt lack of sponsors, failure to qualify to grade 8, early marriages, pregnancy, too big to learn with young pupils, negative attitudes of both parents and pupils and failure by parents to pay boarding and other fees on behalf of their children to some extent contributed to pupils dropping out of school.
Contribution of the free education policy to pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to primary school education in Zambia
(School of Education, 2015) Ndhlovu, Daniel; Mtonga, Thomas; Serenje-Chipindi, Janet
Despite mixed views, Free Education Policy on primary education (grades 1-7) has made significant contribution on pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to education in primary schools in Zambia. Notable areas cited by participants include: reduced absenteeism, increased gross intake levels, increased grade 7 completion rates and improved academic performance. Although there was no significant positive contribution on dropout rates, participant felt lack of sponsors, failure to qualify to grade 8, early marriages, pregnancy, too big to learn with young pupils, negative attitudes of both parents and pupils and failure by parents to pay boarding and other fees on behalf of their children to some extent contributed to pupils dropping out of school.
A comparative study of deaf and blind pupils’ access to primary school education in urban and rural areas of Zambia.
(The University Of Zambia School of Education, 2015) Ndhlovu, Daniel; Mtonga, Thomas
The article compares pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to primary school education in urban and rural areas of Zambia. Data were collected from 408 respondents in fifteen primary schools. The study revealed that more children with hearing and visual impairments in rural areas entered grade one between 2006 and 2012 than their counterparts in urban areas. However, more pupils in urban schools progressed to grade seven than their counterparts in rural areas. This situation implies that more pupils dropped out of school in rural areas than their counterparts in urban areas. As regards gender, 44% of the female pupils in rural areas dropped out of school compared to 21% of their counterparts in urban areas. Long distance to schools, failure by parents or guardians to pay fees demanded by schools, negative attitude of parents and children towards school, poor academic performance and early marriages contributed to the high dropout rate.
Mentorship of novice lecturers at the University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University
(School of Education, 2015) Banja, Madalitso Khulupirika; Ndhlovu, Daniel; Mulendema, Peter
This article draws on the findings of a study conducted in 2011 to examine perceptions of lecturers towards mentorship of novice lecturers at the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University. Data were collected from 47 respondents. Two separate self-completion questionnaires, one for senior academic staff and another for novice lecturers, both with quantitative and qualitative elements, were used to the collect data. Data revealed that both the senior academic staff and novice lecturers perceived mentorship to be necessary for the professional development of novice lecturers. However, the data further revealed that the absence of policy on mentorship of novice lecturers, indifferent attitudes by senior academic staff, overrunning programme schedules encountered by both senior academic staff and novice lecturers and unwillingness by some novice lecturers to be mentored negatively affected the mentorship of novice lecturers. Those who provided mentorship did so informally on humanitarian grounds. On the basis of these findings, the study recommends that the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University should develop policy on mentorship and that mentorship be included among the duties of senior academic staff to avoid unscheduled work overloads. In so doing, the two universities might establish mentoring of novice lecturers as a norm. To achieve this the paper recommends that senior academic staff should be trained in various aspects such as purposes of mentorship, needs of novice lecturers and benefits of mentorship. Lastly, the two universities should consider making mentorship of novice lecturers count
Contribution of the free education policy to pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to primary school education in Zambia.
(The University Of Zambia School of Education, 2015) Ndhlovu, Daniel; Moonga, Thomas; Serenje-Chipindi, Janet
Despite mixed views, Free Education Policy on primary education (grades 1-7) has made significant contribution on pupils with hearing and visual impairments’ access to education in primary schools in Zambia. Notable areas cited by participants include: reduced absenteeism, increased gross intake levels, increased grade 7 completion rates and improved academic performance. Although there was no significant positive contribution on dropout rates, participant felt lack of sponsors, failure to qualify to grade 8, early marriages, pregnancy, too big to learn with young pupils, negative attitudes of both parents and pupils and failure by parents to pay boarding and other fees on behalf of their children to some extent contributed to pupils dropping out of school.
Mentoring as a quality assurance approach in the professional development of newly qualified teachers.
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 2015) Banja, Madalitso Khulupirika
The primary goals of this paper are to elucidate the grounds for the institutionalisation of mentorship of newly qualified secondary school teachers in Zambia through policy formulation.. The article draws on a range of sources, both empirical and theoretical to review briefly the concept of mentorship in general. It proceeds to discuss the purposes of mentorship. It further explores the numerous challenges confronting newly qualified teachers in Zambia as well as the benefits of mentoring newly qualified teachers. The paper concludes by advocating for training in mentorship and suggests specific strategies to help newly qualified teachers achieve effectiveness and competence and improve learner outcomes; and argues that mentorship should interest policy makers, teacher educators, teachers, newly qualified teachers, school administrators and anyone else with an interest in improving the quality and effectiveness of the school teacher.
Zambian preschools: a boost for early literacy?.
(sciedupress., 2015-10-15) Mwanza-Kabaghe, Sylvia
This study examined whether and how Zambian preschool education stimulates learning to read. A total of 216 children including 118 with a preschool background were tested at the start of first grade and again approximately eight months later. The Basic Skills Assessment Tool for reading and writing (BASAT) was applied at both measurements. Basic skills at the start of first grade were not better when children had been to preschool but did predict academic success in first grade. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that preschool even had a negative effect on reading and writing at the end of first grade when we controlled for basic literacy skills at the start of first grade. We discuss the use of English in preschool as a possible explanation for the negative effects of preschool.
Student perceptions of the school of education PhD programmes at the university of Zambia.
(National Science Centre, 2015-12) Banja, M. K
This article reports the perceptions of PhD students in the School of Education at the University of Zambia regarding the nature and administration of the PhD programmes. Based on the results of a 2011 study, the article examines the level of preparedness of the School of Education to run PhD programmes. The study found that students perceived a horde of challenges, particularly the long duration students took to graduate and the lack of a well laid out programme and guidelines for prospective and current students. Other challenges were the lack of course work and the inadequacy of appropriately qualified senior academic staff to supervise students. In addition, seminar presentations were perceived to be inadequate, thus denying the student the opportunity to benefit from an informed discussion. Furthermore, the study established that PhD students faced difficulties in accessing the latest information. However, the students perceived that the School was prepared to offer doctoral study as it had amongst others, a committed and qualified, if inadequate cadre of PhD supervisors. The article concludes that many of these challenges could be resolved through effective management of the PhD programmes.

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