This article explored bottlenecks of electoral violence on electoral process and human welfare in... more This article explored bottlenecks of electoral violence on electoral process and human welfare in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The case study design was employed on a targeted population that comprised of 28 participants. The interview guide was used as a tool for primary data production. The main findings of this research were that violence impacted negatively the electoral process by promoting voter apathy especially among women and those that are physically challenged. It was also found that violence disturbs political self-will for the electorates to make independent decisions. Similarly, it was found that electoral violence creates unbalanced political playing field for the candidates to market themselves to the potential electorates. Equally, it was revealed that electoral violence leads to decline in economic activities, destruction of property and a threat to human life. The article concludes that electoral violence denies electorates an opportunity to el...
The study interrogated teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of Information Communication Technology ... more The study interrogated teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as an examinable curriculum subject in secondary schools of Mazabuka district in Southern Zambia. In 2013 Ministry of Education (MoE) reviewed the National School Curriculum introducing ICT as an examinable subject at the junior secondary school level. This development was, however, received with mixed feelings among different stakeholders across the nation. The study employed Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework to establish the teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of ICT as an examinable curriculum subject. A descriptive research design was used to collect qualitative data from a sample size of 36 participants which included school administrators, ICT teachers, and pupils. Purposive and quota sampling was applied to select the participants. Data were collected using unstructured questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The data w...
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION RESEARCH STUDIES
This study aimed at establishing how disciplinary committees managed learner behaviour within the... more This study aimed at establishing how disciplinary committees managed learner behaviour within the school context. The objectives of the study were to: establish how Disciplinary Committees dealt with acts of indiscipline; explore the perceptions of head teachers, deputy head teachers, senior teachers, class teachers and pupils on indiscipline; and identify strategies used by Disciplinary Committees in handling pupil indiscipline in selected secondary schools of Southern, Zambia. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select the head teachers, deputy head teachers, and class teachers, while random sampling procedure was employed to select pupils who participated in the study. The findings of the study revealed that punishment in form of manual work, suspension, and forced transfers were used. However, the penalty depended on the gravity of the case and this was done depending on the case done by the learners. With regard to the perceptions of the pupils and members of the disciplin...
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION RESEARCH STUDIES
The purpose of this study was to explore parental participation in supporting village community s... more The purpose of this study was to explore parental participation in supporting village community schools in two villages of Eastern Zambia. The involvement of parents in their children’s education has long been considered by educational researchers as a significant factor in positively impacting children’s success. A qualitative case study design was used based on naturalistic phenomenological philosophy that views reality as multi-layered, interactive and a social experience. The interpretive method was preferable because it takes into account the significance of context in relation to meaning. The target population were head teachers, parents, members of the Parent Community School Committee (PCSC), teachers, civic and village headmen. The study found that the role of parents and PCSC members in sampled schools mainly focused on infrastructural development of schools and mobilization of communities for material contributions and labour to the schools. Construction meetings were com...
International Journal of Innovative Research and Development
There are various forms of Media that have a wider reach of communication, such as newspapers, ra... more There are various forms of Media that have a wider reach of communication, such as newspapers, radio, television, internet-based websites, and magazines. These have a major impact on politics, especially television, radio and newspapers. However, media reporting has received a reaction from political leaders and, in some cases, banned for what is deemed negative reporting against the ruling government. This paper explores the relationship between media and politics in the context of democratic tenets. The study used both secondary and primary sources of data collection. A total of 25 participants took part in this study as key informants. These were selected through purposive sampling and several official and academic documents were reviewed to address this study's aim. The collected data were analysed through a thematic, methodological approach. The findings show that the influence that the Patriotic Front (PF)'s time in government was defined by both successes and a shrink...
Managing a school department should be tilted towards achieving set goals and creating value for ... more Managing a school department should be tilted towards achieving set goals and creating value for the education system. There seems to be poor performance in social sciences departments that are headed by females in secondary schools. This inefficiency at departmental levels has negative impact on the overall performance of schools. Therefore, the aim of this study is to unearth issues related to management of social sciences departments by female heads in some secondary schools in Zambia. The study followed a descriptive research design to generate evidence on experiences of female headed social sciences departments in some secondary schools. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews from a total sample of 25 participants. The data was analysed using a thematic approach with elements of comparative analysis especially across the gender spectrum. The findings show that subject loads, constrained resources especially teaching aids, managing high numbers of staff in the depar...
The study sought to assess the effectiveness of girls’ education empowerment program in senior se... more The study sought to assess the effectiveness of girls’ education empowerment program in senior secondary schools in Senanga district in Western Province of Zambia. Following a qualitative approach with descriptive statistics, the Adolescent Girls Accessing Prevention and Education (AGAPE) project was assessed on its key indicators. A total 220 beneficiaries of the programme being studied were systematically selected and 18 key informants were purposively recruited to the study respectively. Data was collected using structured questionnaires for pupils and open-ended interview guide with key informants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical clearance was sought from Kwame Nkrumah University Ethics Committee in Zambia. The findings show that the key factors affecting girls’ access to education established in this study are; financial barriers, gender perceptions, distance to school and menstrual and sexual harassment. The study has revealed that CHAZ interventions in supporting girls’ education had modest positive impacts on sexual and reproductive health knowledge, reduced truancy and improved academic performance among girls. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services come up with policies that support increased education support to girls. The Government of the Republic of Zambia together with its stakeholders should increase efforts to ensure that vulnerable communities especially in the rural areas are educated on the importance of girls' education. The Government and all stakeholders need to provide and strengthen the provision of bursaries to vulnerable, orphaned and girl children in schools. There’s also need for deliberate policies for the effectively implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a standalone in schools, unlike the way it is taught in carrier subjects.
Although civil society organisations (CSOs) are crucial in promoting efficient and effective good... more Although civil society organisations (CSOs) are crucial in promoting efficient and effective good governance and maintaining democratic ideals, their role in political, social and economic development of any country seem to be problematic. This study sought to examine civil society organisation's positionality in Zambia's Governance System, with a specific focus on Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) and Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP)'s political participation. The study consisted of 32 participants. A qualitative approach was utilised and a case study design was followed. In depth interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from CSO staff, government officials and the general public. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the collected data. The study established that CSOs focus on different areas and play an important role in the Zambian governance system. The study also found that civil society organisations sometimes work with the government in the promotion of good governance by offering checks and balances and prompting transparency. The study also identified different strategies CSOs use in the promotion of good governance, these include advocacy as well as sensitization. The study also found that there are a number of challenges faced by CSOs in Zambia in pursuing their duties, among them are: poor funding and lack of financial resources which was an impediment to the effective service provision of CSOs and the bad perception by the government which describes the current state of CSOs as inadequate and weak. The main conclusion of this study is that due to many CSOs' over-dependence on foreign donor funding they have become weak over the years. This weakness simply means that CSOs organisations do not perform their duties; as a result, good governance may be difficult to achieve.
The study focused on identifying innovations deployed by lecturers when teaching online during th... more The study focused on identifying innovations deployed by lecturers when teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Zambia. The interpretivist worldview anchors the study. Researchers adopted a descriptive qualitative case study design. Purposefully and conveniently sampled lecturers (n = 21) took part in key informant interviews from the university faculties: the school of education, the school of humanities and social sciences and the school of health sciences. Thematic analyses were applied to the data collected using face-to-face and telephone interview schedules. Results show that all lecturers fully know online instruction's possible challenges. Lecturers have devised innovations that are lectureroriented, lesson-oriented, resource-oriented and student-oriented in managing online teaching and learning. The success of online teaching in an EdTech low-resourced university depends on the lecturers' desire to learn, the availability of essential ICT devices, the use of open educational resources-OER, the potential of the use of devices and the availability of internet connectivity. However, intermittent internet connectivity, student absenteeism, a lack of primary ICT devices, and EdTech illiteracy persist. External support-such as continuous professional development programs (CPDs), import duty exemptions or corporate sponsorships and donations-should be sought to facilitate online lessons. Innovation in teaching and learning does not only entail high-tech educational technologies but the use of what works best for a community of learners in a particular context. Though focused on Zambia, the study results reflect the situation and experience of universities in other countries with similar characteristics.
This study explored elements associated with electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka... more This study explored elements associated with electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The study rids on case study design which was employed on a targeted population that comprised 28 participants. The data were generated through interviews and document review. The main findings of this research were that electoral violence was associated with low socio-economic status, hunger for power, political immaturity and cadreism, selectivity in the application of the law by the law enforcement agencies, low education background and ethnicity. Further, the study found that high population density coupled with bad road network was difficult to police during election period. Therefore, this study concludes that electoral violence impacts the electoral process negatively as electorates are subjected to exercise their political rights under hostile conditions. Thus, among others, it is recommended that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should sp...
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2022
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluenc... more The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluency. The focus was on evaluating the dynamics of reading fluency, particularly to determine how accuracy and speed skills are affected by orthographic transparency among bilinguals. A sample comprising of 108 fifth and sixth grade children were tested on two reading fluency passages in Nyanja and English writing system in Chipata and Chadiza Districts of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Errors committed and times taken to read were recorded in each language and child. Results reveal that the participants were more accurate in Nyanja in comparison to English, but they were faster in English that Nyanja. Reading fluency variables were highly correlated suggesting a non-significant relationship between the two orthographies. Although our results were in conformity with and the supported the traditional models of reading acquisition and development theories suggesting significant differences as a function of orthographic depth, the mean differences were not statistically significant indicating that variations in reading fluency achievement among Zambian children were as marked as variations reported in comparisons between English and other European orthographies. It could be argued that the non-significant performance resulted from Zambian children’s bilingualism, which facilitates cross-linguistic transfer of reading skills between writing systems.
This paper is aimed at reviewing literature on strategies used in reading instruction in Zambian ... more This paper is aimed at reviewing literature on strategies used in reading instruction in Zambian schools. The observed discrepancies in reading proficiency between Zambia languages and English may, in part, be attributed to orthographic depth. Currently, phonics-based methods are the main reading instruction methods used in schools. However, although these methods have only been slightly effective in transparent Zambian languages, their efficacy in English has been a matter of debate. Therefore, to improve reading proficiency in transparent Zambian languages, we suggest that synthetic phonics and syllabication-based strategies are adopted because the orthographies of local languages have consistent grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPC's). Additionally, analytic phonics instructions should complement synthetic phonics and syllabication methods for inconsistent GPC's. Analytic phonics teaching focuses on syllable patterns and morpheme structures, and the analysis of letter patterns skills, which significantly reduce GPC's and word pattern options that students grapple with in reading the orthographically opaque English language among beginning readers. Finally, teacher educators should ensure that training programs, both in-service and pre-service training, equip teachers with appropriate phonics-based instructions skills if outcomes of reading instructions are to make significant improvements in Zambia.
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2022
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluenc... more The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluency. The focus was on evaluating the dynamics of reading fluency, particularly to determine how accuracy and speed skills are affected by orthographic transparency among bilinguals. A sample comprising of 108 fifth and sixth grade children were tested on two reading fluency passages in Nyanja and English writing system in Chipata and Chadiza Districts of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Errors committed and times taken to read were recorded in each language and child. Results reveal that the participants were more accurate in Nyanja in comparison to English, but they were faster in English than Nyanja. Reading fluency variables were highly correlated suggesting a non-significant relationship between the two orthographies. Although our results were in conformity with and the supported the traditional models of reading acquisition and development theories suggesting significant differences as a function of orthographic depth, the mean differences were not statistically significant indicating that variations in reading fluency achievement among Zambian children were as marked as variations reported in comparisons between English and other European orthographies. It could be argued that the non-significant performance resulted from Zambian children’s bilingualism, which facilitates cross-linguistic transfer of reading skills between writing systems.
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2022
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluenc... more The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluency. The focus was on evaluating the dynamics of reading fluency, particularly to determine how accuracy and speed skills are affected by orthographic transparency among bilinguals. A sample comprising of 108 fifth and sixth grade children were tested on two reading fluency passages in Nyanja and English writing system in Chipata and Chadiza Districts of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Errors committed and times taken to read were recorded in each language and child. Results reveal that the participants were more accurate in Nyanja in comparison to English, but they were faster in English that Nyanja. Reading fluency variables were highly correlated suggesting a non-significant relationship between the two orthographies. Although our results were in conformity with and the supported the traditional models of reading acquisition and development theories suggesting significant differences as a function of orthographic depth, the mean differences were not statistically significant indicating that variations in reading fluency achievement among Zambian children were as marked as variations reported in comparisons between English and other European orthographies. It could be argued that the non-significant performance resulted from Zambian children’s bilingualism, which facilitates cross-linguistic transfer of reading skills between writing systems. Keywords: Orthography, fluency, accuracy, reading speed, Nyanja, Zambia
This paper discusses challenges faced by combined schools in Masaiti district which hinders the p... more This paper discusses challenges faced by combined schools in Masaiti district which hinders the provision of quality education. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation model was used in the study. The study was conducted in all the 8 purposively sampled combined schools in Masaiti district on the Copperbelt province of Zambia. The study sample had 138 respondents comprising 77 females and 61 males. Teachers and pupils were randomly selected while school administrators and the Ministry of General Education officials were purposively sampled. Focus Group Discussions, semi-structured interviews & mixed questionnaires were the research instruments used during data collection. Pupils, school administrators and the Ministry of General Education officials were interviewed while teachers responded to a questionnaire. Qualitative data was thematically analysed while quantitative data was analysed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The study revealed th...
This article explored bottlenecks of electoral violence on electoral process and human welfare in... more This article explored bottlenecks of electoral violence on electoral process and human welfare in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The case study design was employed on a targeted population that comprised of 28 participants. The interview guide was used as a tool for primary data production. The main findings of this research were that violence impacted negatively the electoral process by promoting voter apathy especially among women and those that are physically challenged. It was also found that violence disturbs political self-will for the electorates to make independent decisions. Similarly, it was found that electoral violence creates unbalanced political playing field for the candidates to market themselves to the potential electorates. Equally, it was revealed that electoral violence leads to decline in economic activities, destruction of property and a threat to human life. The article concludes that electoral violence denies electorates an opportunity to el...
The study interrogated teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of Information Communication Technology ... more The study interrogated teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as an examinable curriculum subject in secondary schools of Mazabuka district in Southern Zambia. In 2013 Ministry of Education (MoE) reviewed the National School Curriculum introducing ICT as an examinable subject at the junior secondary school level. This development was, however, received with mixed feelings among different stakeholders across the nation. The study employed Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework to establish the teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of ICT as an examinable curriculum subject. A descriptive research design was used to collect qualitative data from a sample size of 36 participants which included school administrators, ICT teachers, and pupils. Purposive and quota sampling was applied to select the participants. Data were collected using unstructured questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The data w...
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION RESEARCH STUDIES
This study aimed at establishing how disciplinary committees managed learner behaviour within the... more This study aimed at establishing how disciplinary committees managed learner behaviour within the school context. The objectives of the study were to: establish how Disciplinary Committees dealt with acts of indiscipline; explore the perceptions of head teachers, deputy head teachers, senior teachers, class teachers and pupils on indiscipline; and identify strategies used by Disciplinary Committees in handling pupil indiscipline in selected secondary schools of Southern, Zambia. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select the head teachers, deputy head teachers, and class teachers, while random sampling procedure was employed to select pupils who participated in the study. The findings of the study revealed that punishment in form of manual work, suspension, and forced transfers were used. However, the penalty depended on the gravity of the case and this was done depending on the case done by the learners. With regard to the perceptions of the pupils and members of the disciplin...
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION RESEARCH STUDIES
The purpose of this study was to explore parental participation in supporting village community s... more The purpose of this study was to explore parental participation in supporting village community schools in two villages of Eastern Zambia. The involvement of parents in their children’s education has long been considered by educational researchers as a significant factor in positively impacting children’s success. A qualitative case study design was used based on naturalistic phenomenological philosophy that views reality as multi-layered, interactive and a social experience. The interpretive method was preferable because it takes into account the significance of context in relation to meaning. The target population were head teachers, parents, members of the Parent Community School Committee (PCSC), teachers, civic and village headmen. The study found that the role of parents and PCSC members in sampled schools mainly focused on infrastructural development of schools and mobilization of communities for material contributions and labour to the schools. Construction meetings were com...
International Journal of Innovative Research and Development
There are various forms of Media that have a wider reach of communication, such as newspapers, ra... more There are various forms of Media that have a wider reach of communication, such as newspapers, radio, television, internet-based websites, and magazines. These have a major impact on politics, especially television, radio and newspapers. However, media reporting has received a reaction from political leaders and, in some cases, banned for what is deemed negative reporting against the ruling government. This paper explores the relationship between media and politics in the context of democratic tenets. The study used both secondary and primary sources of data collection. A total of 25 participants took part in this study as key informants. These were selected through purposive sampling and several official and academic documents were reviewed to address this study's aim. The collected data were analysed through a thematic, methodological approach. The findings show that the influence that the Patriotic Front (PF)'s time in government was defined by both successes and a shrink...
Managing a school department should be tilted towards achieving set goals and creating value for ... more Managing a school department should be tilted towards achieving set goals and creating value for the education system. There seems to be poor performance in social sciences departments that are headed by females in secondary schools. This inefficiency at departmental levels has negative impact on the overall performance of schools. Therefore, the aim of this study is to unearth issues related to management of social sciences departments by female heads in some secondary schools in Zambia. The study followed a descriptive research design to generate evidence on experiences of female headed social sciences departments in some secondary schools. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews from a total sample of 25 participants. The data was analysed using a thematic approach with elements of comparative analysis especially across the gender spectrum. The findings show that subject loads, constrained resources especially teaching aids, managing high numbers of staff in the depar...
The study sought to assess the effectiveness of girls’ education empowerment program in senior se... more The study sought to assess the effectiveness of girls’ education empowerment program in senior secondary schools in Senanga district in Western Province of Zambia. Following a qualitative approach with descriptive statistics, the Adolescent Girls Accessing Prevention and Education (AGAPE) project was assessed on its key indicators. A total 220 beneficiaries of the programme being studied were systematically selected and 18 key informants were purposively recruited to the study respectively. Data was collected using structured questionnaires for pupils and open-ended interview guide with key informants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical clearance was sought from Kwame Nkrumah University Ethics Committee in Zambia. The findings show that the key factors affecting girls’ access to education established in this study are; financial barriers, gender perceptions, distance to school and menstrual and sexual harassment. The study has revealed that CHAZ interventions in supporting girls’ education had modest positive impacts on sexual and reproductive health knowledge, reduced truancy and improved academic performance among girls. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services come up with policies that support increased education support to girls. The Government of the Republic of Zambia together with its stakeholders should increase efforts to ensure that vulnerable communities especially in the rural areas are educated on the importance of girls' education. The Government and all stakeholders need to provide and strengthen the provision of bursaries to vulnerable, orphaned and girl children in schools. There’s also need for deliberate policies for the effectively implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a standalone in schools, unlike the way it is taught in carrier subjects.
Although civil society organisations (CSOs) are crucial in promoting efficient and effective good... more Although civil society organisations (CSOs) are crucial in promoting efficient and effective good governance and maintaining democratic ideals, their role in political, social and economic development of any country seem to be problematic. This study sought to examine civil society organisation's positionality in Zambia's Governance System, with a specific focus on Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) and Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP)'s political participation. The study consisted of 32 participants. A qualitative approach was utilised and a case study design was followed. In depth interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from CSO staff, government officials and the general public. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the collected data. The study established that CSOs focus on different areas and play an important role in the Zambian governance system. The study also found that civil society organisations sometimes work with the government in the promotion of good governance by offering checks and balances and prompting transparency. The study also identified different strategies CSOs use in the promotion of good governance, these include advocacy as well as sensitization. The study also found that there are a number of challenges faced by CSOs in Zambia in pursuing their duties, among them are: poor funding and lack of financial resources which was an impediment to the effective service provision of CSOs and the bad perception by the government which describes the current state of CSOs as inadequate and weak. The main conclusion of this study is that due to many CSOs' over-dependence on foreign donor funding they have become weak over the years. This weakness simply means that CSOs organisations do not perform their duties; as a result, good governance may be difficult to achieve.
The study focused on identifying innovations deployed by lecturers when teaching online during th... more The study focused on identifying innovations deployed by lecturers when teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Zambia. The interpretivist worldview anchors the study. Researchers adopted a descriptive qualitative case study design. Purposefully and conveniently sampled lecturers (n = 21) took part in key informant interviews from the university faculties: the school of education, the school of humanities and social sciences and the school of health sciences. Thematic analyses were applied to the data collected using face-to-face and telephone interview schedules. Results show that all lecturers fully know online instruction's possible challenges. Lecturers have devised innovations that are lectureroriented, lesson-oriented, resource-oriented and student-oriented in managing online teaching and learning. The success of online teaching in an EdTech low-resourced university depends on the lecturers' desire to learn, the availability of essential ICT devices, the use of open educational resources-OER, the potential of the use of devices and the availability of internet connectivity. However, intermittent internet connectivity, student absenteeism, a lack of primary ICT devices, and EdTech illiteracy persist. External support-such as continuous professional development programs (CPDs), import duty exemptions or corporate sponsorships and donations-should be sought to facilitate online lessons. Innovation in teaching and learning does not only entail high-tech educational technologies but the use of what works best for a community of learners in a particular context. Though focused on Zambia, the study results reflect the situation and experience of universities in other countries with similar characteristics.
This study explored elements associated with electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka... more This study explored elements associated with electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The study rids on case study design which was employed on a targeted population that comprised 28 participants. The data were generated through interviews and document review. The main findings of this research were that electoral violence was associated with low socio-economic status, hunger for power, political immaturity and cadreism, selectivity in the application of the law by the law enforcement agencies, low education background and ethnicity. Further, the study found that high population density coupled with bad road network was difficult to police during election period. Therefore, this study concludes that electoral violence impacts the electoral process negatively as electorates are subjected to exercise their political rights under hostile conditions. Thus, among others, it is recommended that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should sp...
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2022
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluenc... more The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluency. The focus was on evaluating the dynamics of reading fluency, particularly to determine how accuracy and speed skills are affected by orthographic transparency among bilinguals. A sample comprising of 108 fifth and sixth grade children were tested on two reading fluency passages in Nyanja and English writing system in Chipata and Chadiza Districts of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Errors committed and times taken to read were recorded in each language and child. Results reveal that the participants were more accurate in Nyanja in comparison to English, but they were faster in English that Nyanja. Reading fluency variables were highly correlated suggesting a non-significant relationship between the two orthographies. Although our results were in conformity with and the supported the traditional models of reading acquisition and development theories suggesting significant differences as a function of orthographic depth, the mean differences were not statistically significant indicating that variations in reading fluency achievement among Zambian children were as marked as variations reported in comparisons between English and other European orthographies. It could be argued that the non-significant performance resulted from Zambian children’s bilingualism, which facilitates cross-linguistic transfer of reading skills between writing systems.
This paper is aimed at reviewing literature on strategies used in reading instruction in Zambian ... more This paper is aimed at reviewing literature on strategies used in reading instruction in Zambian schools. The observed discrepancies in reading proficiency between Zambia languages and English may, in part, be attributed to orthographic depth. Currently, phonics-based methods are the main reading instruction methods used in schools. However, although these methods have only been slightly effective in transparent Zambian languages, their efficacy in English has been a matter of debate. Therefore, to improve reading proficiency in transparent Zambian languages, we suggest that synthetic phonics and syllabication-based strategies are adopted because the orthographies of local languages have consistent grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPC's). Additionally, analytic phonics instructions should complement synthetic phonics and syllabication methods for inconsistent GPC's. Analytic phonics teaching focuses on syllable patterns and morpheme structures, and the analysis of letter patterns skills, which significantly reduce GPC's and word pattern options that students grapple with in reading the orthographically opaque English language among beginning readers. Finally, teacher educators should ensure that training programs, both in-service and pre-service training, equip teachers with appropriate phonics-based instructions skills if outcomes of reading instructions are to make significant improvements in Zambia.
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2022
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluenc... more The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluency. The focus was on evaluating the dynamics of reading fluency, particularly to determine how accuracy and speed skills are affected by orthographic transparency among bilinguals. A sample comprising of 108 fifth and sixth grade children were tested on two reading fluency passages in Nyanja and English writing system in Chipata and Chadiza Districts of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Errors committed and times taken to read were recorded in each language and child. Results reveal that the participants were more accurate in Nyanja in comparison to English, but they were faster in English than Nyanja. Reading fluency variables were highly correlated suggesting a non-significant relationship between the two orthographies. Although our results were in conformity with and the supported the traditional models of reading acquisition and development theories suggesting significant differences as a function of orthographic depth, the mean differences were not statistically significant indicating that variations in reading fluency achievement among Zambian children were as marked as variations reported in comparisons between English and other European orthographies. It could be argued that the non-significant performance resulted from Zambian children’s bilingualism, which facilitates cross-linguistic transfer of reading skills between writing systems.
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 2022
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluenc... more The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of orthographic opacity on reading fluency. The focus was on evaluating the dynamics of reading fluency, particularly to determine how accuracy and speed skills are affected by orthographic transparency among bilinguals. A sample comprising of 108 fifth and sixth grade children were tested on two reading fluency passages in Nyanja and English writing system in Chipata and Chadiza Districts of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Errors committed and times taken to read were recorded in each language and child. Results reveal that the participants were more accurate in Nyanja in comparison to English, but they were faster in English that Nyanja. Reading fluency variables were highly correlated suggesting a non-significant relationship between the two orthographies. Although our results were in conformity with and the supported the traditional models of reading acquisition and development theories suggesting significant differences as a function of orthographic depth, the mean differences were not statistically significant indicating that variations in reading fluency achievement among Zambian children were as marked as variations reported in comparisons between English and other European orthographies. It could be argued that the non-significant performance resulted from Zambian children’s bilingualism, which facilitates cross-linguistic transfer of reading skills between writing systems. Keywords: Orthography, fluency, accuracy, reading speed, Nyanja, Zambia
This paper discusses challenges faced by combined schools in Masaiti district which hinders the p... more This paper discusses challenges faced by combined schools in Masaiti district which hinders the provision of quality education. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation model was used in the study. The study was conducted in all the 8 purposively sampled combined schools in Masaiti district on the Copperbelt province of Zambia. The study sample had 138 respondents comprising 77 females and 61 males. Teachers and pupils were randomly selected while school administrators and the Ministry of General Education officials were purposively sampled. Focus Group Discussions, semi-structured interviews & mixed questionnaires were the research instruments used during data collection. Pupils, school administrators and the Ministry of General Education officials were interviewed while teachers responded to a questionnaire. Qualitative data was thematically analysed while quantitative data was analysed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The study revealed th...
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Keywords: Orthography, fluency, accuracy, reading speed, Nyanja, Zambia
Keywords: Orthography, fluency, accuracy, reading speed, Nyanja, Zambia