, in An Investigation into the Strategies Used to Teach Geometric Constructions in Secondary Schools: A Case of a Secondary School in Lusaka District investigated the strategies used by secondary school teachers in the teaching of Geometric Constructions. A qualitative method was used to obtain data and richer information about the topic. The study involved three grade twelve teachers of mathematics at a selected secondary school in Lusaka district. Lesson observations were done four times with each teacher, interviews and focused group discussions were also conducted. The study revealed that teachers used learner-centered approaches of teaching which included demonstration, discussion, problem solving, question and answer, inquiry and teacher exposition methods. However, their performance in class was affected due to lack of resources. The study also identified other strategies which could improve learner performance through learner participation. Based on the findings it was recommended that Continuous Professional Development (CPD) on Geometric Construction for teachers should be conducted in order to enhance the in-depth knowledge on the topic to enable the teachers to teach with confidence. Furthermore, the school needs to acquire teaching aids/resources in Geometric Construction to enhance effective teaching because the topic cannot be taught without the required instruments.

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in Perceptions of Teachers on Integrating of Art and Design in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics at Lower Primary School Level in Chipata District reported that the performance in mathematics at various levels of education in Zambia has persistently not been good despite a number of interventions put in place by the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders. And yet mathematics plays an important role in our daily life hence the need for every individual to be numerate. The purpose of the study was to establish teachers’ perceptions on whether integrating art and design at lower primary level could help improve learner performance in mathematics. A descriptive survey research design was used in the study. The sample comprised 84 participants, 4 lecturers from a public College of Education in Chipata; 30 primary school teachers. The study was conducted in 10 primary schools. In total 50 primary schools’ pupils were involved in the study. Teachers were purposely selected. A non-probability sampling procedure known as purposive sampling technique was used to select both teachers and lecturers. Group interview and questionnaires were used to collect information from the respondents. Data was analysed using content analysis, a procedure for the categorization of verbal or behavioural data, for purposes of classification and summarization. Out of the 34 teachers and lectures involved, the study established that 30 respondents representing (88.2%) had positive views towards the integration of art and design in the teaching and learning of mathematics. These respondents felt integrating art and design in the teaching of mathematics at the lower levels of education could motivate and encourage learners to enjoy mathematics. Only four (4) participants representing (11.8%) of the total participants had different views on the subject. The study also established that there were less play and practical activities in the classrooms. The classrooms were void of teaching aids and objects which could enhance learning at this level. Integration of art and design in the teaching of mathematics was very minimal. This also resulted in the use of inappropriate teaching methods which were mostly void of play activities suitable for the lower primary level. The study recommends that art integration into mathematics should start with primary colleges of education where teachers are trained. Teachers should be equipped with artistic skills in the production and use of teaching aids right from the college.
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in Primary School Teachers' Subject Matter Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Number Bases: A Case of Lusaka Province in a qualitative case study explored the mathematics subject matter knowledge (SMK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of Grade 7 primary school teachers with a focus on Number Bases, a topic which consolidates the concept of place value; the basis for all Arithmetic algorithms (Wilson, 2006). Dimensions’ of the Knowledge Quartet: foundation knowledge and transformation were applied to code, interpret and discuss the findings. Thematic analysis of lesson observations, questionnaire, concept maps and interviews was done by applying the pre-specified categorization scheme of the Subject Audit Instrument (knowledge Quartet). Initially thirty participants took part in the questionnaire. Out of these nineteen took part in the concept maps. Then based on the performance in the questionnaire and concept maps two high performers, two moderate performers and two low achievers were selected to take part in lesson observation and post-lesson observation interviews. The findings indicate that primary school teachers face challenges in teaching number bases mainly due to weakness in use of mathematical terminology, inability to identify pupils’ errors and limited knowledge in concrete mathematical representations on number bases. The study recommends that: Lectures training prospective primary school teachers should sensitise their students on the importance of internalizing mathematical language in the context of number bases, they should also familiarize their students on various ways of concrete mathematical representations on number bases. Also primary school teachers should be familiarized with common pupils’ errors in the context of number bases.
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in Secondary Teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching Quadratic Equations: A Case of Selected Secondary Schools in Katete District explored teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching quadratic equations. The study had three specific objectives: (1) to determine teachers’ subject matter knowledge for teaching quadratic equations, (2) To assess strategies used by teachers in teaching quadratic equations and (3) To examine how teachers address pupils’ errors and misconceptions related to quadratic equations. This was a qualitative study involving three participants and data was collected in form of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and questionnaires. Data was analysed using analytical coding in which the researcher identified the conceptual categories into which the phenomena observed were grouped. The study revealed that secondary school teachers possess adequate subject matter knowledge for teaching quadratic equations which was limited to procedural understanding. Subject matter was more influential in the delivery of the lesson than didactic knowledge and knowledge of learner conceptions. The teachers mathematical knowledge for teaching ability to generate different solutions, to address pupils’ difficulties and misconceptions and to choose appropriate examples to teach quadratic equations were based on the depth of the subject matter which played a critical role in their reasoning and decision making in specific contexts. The participants provided a wide range of instances of pupils’ errors in learning how to solve quadratic equations but they were unable to detect the root cause of these errors. The study recommended that mathematics teachers need to be encouraged to present lessons in such a way that procedural understanding is supplemented by conceptual understanding of concepts.
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in Opportunities and challenges of Teaching Mathematics using Icibemba at Lower Primary level in selected Schools of Mufulira District in Zambia reported that the education system in Zambia has undergone a number of changes in terms of language policy from the time the country got independence in 1964 up to now. The most recent change occurred in 2013 when a new curriculum framework was produced. This framework stipulated that teaching at lower primary level (grade 1 to 4) shall be in a familiar language of instruction. The classes that we have in Zambia are largely multilingual. Mufulira district is one of the districts in Zambia that have been implementing the language policy in line with the 2013 curriculum framework and Icibemba is one of the languages used as a medium of instruction. However, it seemed no study had been conducted to investigate the opportunities and challenges of teaching mathematics using Icibemba as a medium of instruction. A study, aiming at establishing how the use of Icibemba as a medium of instruction enabled the teaching of mathematics, was conducted. This study was informed by social constructivism theory and it adopted a qualitative approach. Focus group discussions (FGDs), lesson observations and clinical interviews were used to collect data which was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study showed that teachers used Icibemba throughout to teach mathematics to first and second graders while third and fourth graders were taught in English and Icibemba. The use of Icibemba to teach mathematics gave learners an opportunity to learn mathematical concepts in the language they understood better. This increased their understanding of concepts as well as participation during teaching and learning process. Consequently, lessons were more learner centered and easier to teach. The findings also established a number of challenges that teachers encountered. Among the challenges was the non-availability of textbooks written in Icibemba for third and fourth graders and also inconsistencies in terms of Bemba words used to explain concepts in some textbooks. Among many other recommendations, the study observed that there was a need for Curriculum Development Centre to review the text books that teachers were using so as to ensure that there was consistence in the use of Bemba mathematical terms.
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in the Development of an Assessment Instrument for Numeracy Competence and its Application to Selected Primary Schools in Zambia. The Paper investigated on low achievement in numeracy by primary school students is one of the biggest concerns of Zambia. Since it aims at developing the nation, development of the human resources is an inevitable issue to tackle. This research is to develop an assessment instrument to identify the students’ level of numeracy competence. It pays attention to structure through the relevant previous researches such as Mulligan & Mitchelmore (2014) and Roberts (2015). As a result of the survey, the developed instrument identified distribution of different levels of competence, prevalence of counting-all strategy, and possible solutions to facilitate students’ level of competence.
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in How Does Collaborative Lesson Study Between Science Lecturers at Colleges of Education and Teachers at Nearby Schools affect their Pedagogical Content Knowledge reported that in teacher training institutions in Zambia, subject matter and methodology were offered separately leading to teachers and college lecturers usually with more strength in one of two areas. Furthermore, the Lesson Study (LS) practise introduced in primary and secondary schools since 2005 had not been introduced in the Colleges of Education (CoEs) by 2016 when the Ministry of General Education (MoGE), working with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), started and launched the Project for the Improvement of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (IPeCK): Linking Pre-Service and In-Service Education. The IPeCK Project aimed at improving the quality of education in both pre-service and in-service education in mathematics and science by enhancing Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) among lecturers at target CoEs and teachers at nearby schools through the Collaborative Lesson Study (CLS) practice. Baseline survey of the IPeCK Project revealed that teachers’ and lecturers’ PCK was very low in both the three target (3 provinces) and seven non-target (7 provinces) CoEs and nearby schools. Since 2017, three target CoEs had established links with nearby schools referred to as collaborating schools (CSs) and collaborative lesson study had been conducted regularly. However, by March 2019, the effectiveness of the CLS between CoEs and CSs had not been examined based on the PCK achievements of the lecturers and teachers. This study, therefore, investigated how CLS between lecturers at CoEs and teachers at CSs affected their PCK. The guiding research question was: “What is the effect of collaborative lesson study between science lecturers at CoEs and teachers at nearby schools on their PCK?” The one hundred nine (109) samples were drawn from college lecturers and school teachers of science in 3 target and 3 non-target areas of the IPeCK Project. A total of 47 college lecturers from the target and non-target CoEs and 62 teachers from target and non-target schools participated in the endline survey, respectively. Quantitative research methodology was conducted to evaluate the extent of teacher competence achievement in PCK. The PCK test was written by college lecturers and teachers in the areas where the baseline survey was conducted. The data was analysed by comparing the end line survey results with the ones in the baseline survey after marking the PCK test on 6 domains of PCK. The findings showed that there was a significant increase in the lecturers’ and teachers’ competencies in most of domains of PCK in the target CoEs and CSs compared with non-target areas where the lecturers didn’t record significant improvement. Therefore, collaborative lesson study was an effective method to develop and improve the lecturers’ and teachers’ PCK competencies. The study recommends that the improvement of PCK through the collaborative lesson study intervention be used in all CoEs and schools in Zambia to improve the quality of education in science, in particular, and other learning areas, in general.
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