The study aims at interrogating the factors that can sustain the development of the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University. It was guided by the use of two objectives: To find out why the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme must be offered at Kwame Nkrumah University and to determine measurable actions that would improve the sustainability of offering a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University. The study uses a qualitative type of research which was conducted by using an interview guide and open-ended questionnaires as data-collecting instruments in 36 primary school from teachers and headmasters. The findings of this study revealed there are a lot of things that need to be done at national level, especially the aspect of sensitisation on the importance of Early Childhood Education.
Sustainable development of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University
Dr Mulenga Rosemary
ABSTRACT
The study aimed at interrogating the factors that can sustain the development of bachelor of education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University. It was guided by the use of two objectives and these are: To find out why Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme must be offered at Kwame Nkrumah University and to determine measurable actions that would improve the sustainability of offering Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University. The study used qualitative type of research which was conducted by using interview guide and open-ended questionnaires as collecting data instruments in 36 primary school from teachers and headmasters. The findings of this study revealed there are a lot of things that need to be done at national level especially the aspect of sensitisation on the importance of Early Childhood Education. It showed that consistent offering of this programme is possible and cost effective in terms of infrastructure to cater for enrolling students. It was recommended that the University management should urgently respond to the needs of students by having some study materials in form of modules since the programme is still using distance mode.
Keywords: Sustainable, Development, Early Childhood Education, reliability
Introduction
The field of Early childhood education in Zambia has recently been expended by a shift in modern educational address. This is the one that seems to have moved Early Childhood Education (ECE) closer to the forefront of what is considered progressive policy formation. International aid agencies, such as the World Bank, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, DfID and others (Freeman & Dooho, 2003), have promoted the creation and expansion of ECE programs in developing nations, often relying on research from Northern nations as a means to form an “objective” theoretical foundation (Penn, 2004) in support of its advancement. Many developing nations, including Zambia, have been caught in this storm of educational policy reform and have, consequently, demonstrated a new commitment to educational provision for pre-primary students. While ECE is ultimately a beneficial component of a child’s educational experience (Aidoo, 2006), a myriad of educational and contextual factors must be considered before governments leap into sweeping national educational reform. In the case of Zambia, the current educational environment seems to indicate that the creation and continued development of ECE programming may be premature and potentially damaging to an already tenuous education system.
This article aims to interrogate the call for ECE programs in Zambia, using evidence from the existing situation in primary schools that are annexed with early childhood centres as the basis. The first section contains Early Childhood Education (ECE) background information regarding Zambia’s educational history and policies. The second section draws on qualitative interviews conducted with 36 primary schools annexed with ECE (Pre-school-Grade7) teachers and head teachers from both rural and urban areas. Publicly-funded ECE is a relatively new concept in Zambia and it is, therefore, necessary to understand the primary schooling situation, as primary schooling has been free in Zambia since 2002 (Global Campaign for Education, 2004; Sampa, 2005) and is much more established than ECE in general. The last section considers the recommendations that the University management should urgently respond to the needs of students by having some trained lecturers on full-time.
ECE Background and Policies
Zambia is a democratic republic located in Sub-Saharan Africa, having gained its independence in 1964 from Great Britain following forty years of direct rule by the British (Küster, 1999). Immediately after independence, the state government acquired almost total control of the educational system and quickly expanded it; the University of Zambia was opened in 1966 and during the next ten years, five new primary teacher-training colleges were opened (Carmody, 2004; Manchishi, 2004). The challenge faced by this newly independent government was to address the needs of children, as well as development demands of the whole country with very limited financial resources (Pence, 2004). Government leaders acknowledged the importance of educating the nation’s children and in 1990, Zambia was a participant in the World Conference on Education for All held in Thailand and agreed to take the necessary steps to universalize primary education and reduce illiteracy before the end of the decade (Lungwangwa et al., 1999). Additionally, Zambia was among 190 countries that adopted the Millennium Development Goals and committed to meeting the goal of achieving universal primary education by the year 2015 (United Nations, 2005). These two events provide an international backdrop for the exploration of Early Childhood Care and Education in Zambia and its potential impact on the quality of life for young children in the country.
Early childhood education is, in theory, of great importance to the nation’s Ministry of Education (MoE). Currently, under the MoE, educational provision is guided by the national education policy document, Educating Our Future, which focuses on equitable access to quality education at all levels (MoE, 1996). The Fifth National Development Plan 2006-2010, a policy paper outlining educational provision by the MoE, defines Early Childhood Care, Development and Education as the level of education, both informal and formal, which a child from birth to age six undergoes prior to reaching the compulsory age (seven years) of entry to a primary or basic school (MoE, 2006). This policy paper outlines critical strategies to develop a national Early Childhood Care, Development and Education curriculum framework and to produce and distribute teaching materials for early learners. Additionally, it states the need to develop monitoring and evaluation instruments for this level of education. Regarding the development of ECCE, it further notes major challenges in this sub-sector in past years: fragmented curriculum; lack of standards, monitoring and supervision; and the confinement of ECCE to pre-schooling instead of offering a more comprehensive learning experience (Kamerman, 2006).
The MoE states in its Strategic Plan 2003-2007 that Early Childhood Education is an integral part of basic education, especially in the rural areas. Pre-schools are operated by local authorities, local communities, NGOs and private individuals (UNESCO, 2006). However, because education at this level is in the hands of private providers, financing of early Childhood Education has remained unclear. Home-based pre-schools in urban areas have mushroomed, albeit at the expense of quality education. It has been documented that much of the curricula of private pre-schools are outdated and inadequate for this age group and the home environments are not conducive to learning (UNESCO, 2006).
In a paper presented by Dr. Sichalwe Kasanda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, at the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Dialog Meeting in Lusaka in 2006, the urgent need for a coherent policy in this area was outlined. Issues such as policy formulation, program implementation and sustainability were examined and the participants concluded that unless these issues are acted upon, it is unlikely that Early Childhood Education policy will make a difference in the life of young Zambian children (Kasanda, 2006). He noted that the philosophical framework for increased early childhood education has already been laid in the 1996 national policy on education and supplemented by the Educational Sector Advisory Group’s proposed vision developed in 2005, which provides for an innovative lifelong Education For All Learners. According to Ministry officials, the broad philosophical goals are clear and encompass education that is linked from one level to another, from early childhood care through basic school and high school to university. The Ministry of Education (2006), which was represented by the Permanent Secretary then stated:
…every learner should have access to Early Childhood Care, Education and Development facilities by 2012 or there should at least be one caregiver to ten early learners by 2020. The targets set based on the available data would have to be prioritized and costed and a clear plan reflecting all programme elements put in place. Under normal conditions, this second level of policy formulation indicators would be judged as more credible than mere expressions of intent or aspirations.
The presentation states that exploration of this program needs to continue if a difference is going to occur in the lives of young children in Zambia. “It will have to be first and foremost, absorbed in the general education development policy framework and made part of a coherent, systematic, comprehensive and proactive development reality of Zambia” (Kasanda, 2006). Indeed, coordination and collaboration across all levels and ministries in the government is essential for a strong and cohesive ECCE policy (Aidoo, 2006; UNICEF, 2008).
While the Early Childhood Education program may have an important role to full-fill in the fabric of Zambian educational policy, it should not become an essential part of the education policy of Zambia until primary and basic schools develop and sustain an adequate learner-friendly environment. Zambia is committed to Education For All initiative to provide Early Childhood Education for all school-aged children in the country and to reduce illiteracy. There are currently overwhelming obstacles hindering the provision of early childhood education and these issues must be adequately addressed prior to new programming being developed which has the potential to draw funds from glaring needs already in existence within the educational system.
Statement of the Problem
The benefits of ECE cannot be over emphasized. Studies have proven on how ECE can impact greatly on an individual as well as a nation at large. Some of these benefits include; low dropout rates, better academic performance, as well as the development of brain cells. Due this circumstance, in 2014, Zambia commenced with the provision of early education in Government schools, which was previously private or church owned, with centres mainly located in urban areas. This has now attracted most of higher learning institutions to design different programmes as a way of addressing numerous challenges facing our communities of which Kwame Nkrumah University has not been left out in this enterprise.
Regardless of its immemorial way of training secondary school teachers only, Kwame Nkrumah University has also started training primary and early childhood teachers on distance and full-time mode of study since December, 2020. The programme is projected to train graduate in the field of early childhood education and prepare them with latest pedagogical knowledge and skills. Therefore, this study is to look at the sustainability of early childhood education specifically at Kwame Nkrumah university.
Purpose of Study
The core purpose of the study was to find out the Sustainability of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University.
Research Objectives
The study was guided by the following objectives;
i. To find out factors that contributed to the development of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University.
ii. To determine measurable actions that would improve the sustainability of offering Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University.
Research Questions
i. What factors contributed to the development of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University?
ii. What measurable actions would improve the sustainability of offering Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University?
Significance of the study
The premise of this study findings will help to address issues such as various concerns adjacent to the consistency of offering Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University. The data may be useful to the general members of public and the University management. The findings of this study will also be used by the University management to formulate long and short-term strategic policies.
Theoretical framework
A theoretical Framework is the ‘blueprint’ or guide for research (Grant & Osanloo, 2014). It is a blueprint that is often ‘borrowed’ by the researcher to build his/her own house or research inquiry. It serves as the foundation upon which research is constructed. For these reasons the theoretical framework will be a guide so that the study does not deviate from the confines of the accepted theories. Thus, there is one theory that has been sampled that are related to the study and this is: social culture theory by levy Vygotsky. This is because the development of children's brains depends on the environment in which they live and on the type of activities they perform.
Socio-Cultural Perspective
The socio-cultural perspective is an exceptional viewpoint in the context where reasoning is based on the knowledge not only of individuals, but also knowledge and interaction that occurs among individuals. In the socio-cultural perspective lies one of the starting points for individuals and groups and how they utilize and absorb resources, both cognitive and physical. The focus here is on the interaction between individuals or as the purpose of the study says –
considering the implications of the current Early Childhood Education situation and its environmental cultural evolution at Kwame Nkrumah university. How reliable is the offering of bachelor of education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University so that it helps students achieve their personal goals based on their learning progress. Constructivism assumes that the student’s learning is based on the active performance rather than passive knowledge acquisition and clearly emphasizes the importance of working with other people. It is noteworthy to notice the various types of relations between the learner and the environment. Hartup (1989) distinguishes two types of relationships: vertical and horizontal.
A vertical relationship generally relates to interaction with an adult (parent, teacher, various authorities) in which someone who has more knowledge, ensures the safety and protection of the child. This person helps in the accommodation of knowledge, but also acts as a supervisor. Relations that are horizontal generally refer to peer interaction, based on the principles of cooperation and complementarily. Such relationships are bilateral - can reverse their direction, as the participants have similar skills.
The theoretical perspective that has been selected as a framework in this study is Lev Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory. Vygotsky's theory concerns both children's cognitive development as well as how society and culture models affect individuals. Based on the socio-cultural perspective on learning the environment is crucial for individual development. Social communication creates a social interaction between different people, the culture and the knowledge, the surrounding community, as well as the environment itself. Vygotsky claims that it is the social environment and the surrounding culture that plays the greatest role in an individual's learning and development. Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the dynamic between the social context and the individual where a dependency exists between social and individual processes. Every environment that an individual is exposed to is not seen as an isolated learning environment, but every single environment is a natural part of a larger socio-cultural community.
Literature review
Furthermore, the paper presents literature from other scholars and researchers related to this study. The literature review was from textbooks, journals; newspaper articles, policy papers, the internet and any other material relevant for the study. The literature review is cited from African content to Zambian context.
Early childhood education in an African context
The indigenous African pattern of childcare differs from the imported models; “it has its own organisational coherence that is usefully oriented toward purposes different from those of foreign origin” (Nsamenang 2005).
The indigenous African system
An African worldview is holistic, pronatalist, and theocentric. It imputes a sacred value on
childbearing and childrearing. Zimba (2002) refers to the “indigenous network of support” reserved for new born and their mothers in southern Africa.
Similarly, African attitudes to children and shared caregiving, even under conditions of hardship. In the indigenous cultures of SSA, educational ideas and practices are embedded in family traditions, daily routines, and social and community life. Kinship, beginning with the family, is the socio-affective base from which individuals develop a sense of selfhood and personal identity. It is from the caring and generative role of the family that children begin to learn about moral life, participative skills, social values, and ways of the world. The sense of community and spirit of mutuality make childcare a social enterprise in which caregiving functions are shared with others (Harkness and Super 1992), including parents, kin, friends, neighbours and older siblings (Nsamenang, 2004). For example, Ogbimi and Alao (1998) report that in present-day Nigeria, kin and older siblings provide care to infants and pre-school children when their mothers are busy in food gardens, marketplaces, or at paid work.
Africa, with its distinct regional, cultural, religious, and political traditions, as well as its ethnic variety, has various forms of ‘public education’, or ways in which families and societies transfer beliefs, values, knowledge, and skills between generations. The diverse ethnic politics of Africa developed organised systems of indigenous education, such as the rites of passage in much of SSA (e.g., Uka 1966; Jahoda1982). The Liberian educational institutions, for example, include the poro (for boys) and the sande (for girls) (Gormuyor 1992,). Given the centrality of age in Botswana, “education on sexuality was according to age groups and was administered to young people to mark their transition from childhood to adulthood when they reached puberty in what is known as bogwera (for boys) and bojale (for girls) rites of passage” (Shumba and Seeco 2007). Feldman-Savelsberg (1994) and Tchombe(2007) report on ‘maturity’ rites in Cameroon; Harkness and Super (1992) discussed initiation rites in Kenya, and Zimba (2002) identified rites of passage in the Southern Africa region. Such practices of seclusion and training can still be found in some SSA ethnic communities as important means for preparing the next generation for meaningful cultural life.
Early childhood education in Zambian context
In the Zambian context, the field of early childhood education stands as a prelude to the entire development of the child in future. Early childhood education (ECE) aims the total development of the child- physical, motor, emotional, social, cognitive, language and moral. However, there are many challenges inhibiting in delivery of educational provision to pre-school children are apparent in conversations with teachers and administrators who are currently teaching within the governmental school system. In 2006 and 2008, interviews were conducted with teachers in Southern Zambia and certain themes kept recurring, indicating common concerns about the current educational system. Because these interviews occurred at the end of a six-week teacher training module, the headmasters and teachers were already well acquainted with the interviewer and were perhaps more honest in their responses because of this familiarity (Hesse-Biber & Leavy, 2006). This was qualitative study using descriptive research design to enable the researcher to adequately explore the views of people on the ground by way of administering interview guide, carrying out oral interviews and report the issues as they actually exist on the ground.
Research Design and Methods of Data Analysis
The study used a qualitative approach or method in which the descriptive research design was utilised. The design was suitable because the study sought the in-depth information on head teachers’, teachers’ and parents’ opinions and experiences towards sustainable development of offering early childhood education in Zambian education. Therefore, the descriptive research design was chosen in order to increase the reliability, validity and generalisations of the findings.
In this study, all interviews were recorded using an audio tape recorder and transcribed. Also, field notes were taken by the researcher to form the basis for the observation study. For the sake of familiarity and precision of the data, the transcripts were checked and re-checked for easy inductive analysis. It is argued that where the phenomena of interest to analysts are social in nature or when text are involved, quantitative measurement has serious shortcomings that only competent human can overcome (Krippendorff, 2013). Qualitative analysis demands a high level of creativity to categories meaningful data to address the research problem from large data sources (Cresswell, 2014).
The study embarked on qualitative type of research which was conducted by using interview guide and open-ended questionnaires as collecting data instruments in 36 primary school from teachers and headmasters. In response to an interview question regarding the major challenges facing ECE teachers in Zambia, the most frequent response offered concerned the managing of ECE programmes at 36 primary schools annexed with ECE centres:
The major challenges for ECE teachers these days…most of our administrators lack knowledge of the essential of Early Childhood education and they have negative attitudes towards. You find that the headteacher does not put first priority to ECE programmes.
Another ECE teacher added:
Lack of ECE infrastructure. Currently, like at this school, we don’t have enough atmosphere for even creating conducive environment such Mary go round, play parks and so on for exploration. We need play parks for exploration. That’s why you’ll find some pre-school learners lack the aspects exploration and creativity (ECE teacher D2, personal communication, May16, 2021)
Non deployment of ECE teachers as ECE is considered not among the first priorities from the administrators in charge of teacher recruitment. Due to this non deployment of ECE teachers, it discourages many people to pursue early childhood educational programmes:
Coming to the issue of non-deployment of ECE teachers in big numbers, that discourages us more as trained diploma ECE teachers to advance in this field of early childhood education (Teacher D4, personal communication, May, 28, 2021)
Indeed, if ECE teachers are not deployed in big numbers to meet the high demand from most of the public institution, it seems likely that primary and other levels of education will be negative affected
The lack of ECE trained teachers is solely also an issue for reliability of offering ECE lessons. An insufficient number of ECE teachers is problematic for its evolution in most of the primary schools that are annexed with ECE classes. One Deputy Head teacher noted that the reliability of offering ECE lessons and provide quality early childhood education we need to do the following:
In our school we do not have no trained ECE teacher instead we only have one primary school teacher with the passion of teaching pre-school learners. So if we are to do well in this field, our school requires to have teacher specifically trained in ECE. Then the other thing there is need to sensitise the community, administrators and other stakeholders who have no ideas about the importance of Early Childhood Education. Other factors affecting quality provision of early childhood education include: staff-to-child ratios; qualifications, skills and training of staff; program planning and leadership; and the physical environment/facilities (Deputy Head teacher, personal interviews May,20,2021).
One recurring theme in the interviews was the extended length of time for graduates of teacher training colleges to become posted by the MoE. ECE Teachers usually wait two or three years until they are posted because there are insufficient funds in the education budget to hire the necessary number of teachers each year. Despite these known restrictions, students still attend teacher training colleges and desire to become teachers; there is no shortage of educators who are waiting to be posted. One ECE Teacher commented on this situation:
When I was completing my ECE certificate training I got employed to a private school meanwhile my friends who had done primary were deployed in public schools because by then ECE was still under private sector (ECE teacher, personal communication, 3, 2021).
One headmaster with 34 years of teaching experience has not seen a change in posting time:
It’s getting worse and definitely impacting negatively on the teacher that comes because by the time he has come out to actually start work he has been off the line of teaching for three or four years… all the methods are forgotten. …so this teacher just comes as a new person. That’s why they are finding it difficult to teach and they are finding it difficult to teach (Headmaster D, personal communication, May 16, 2021).
Discussion of the findings
Additionally, the paper further studied the results of findings of the factors that can sustain the development of offering the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah. It is of interest for the reader to note that there were two primary research objectives initially mentioned earlier:
i. To find out factors that contributed to the development of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University.
ii. To determine measurable actions that would improve the sustainability of offering Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University.
From the teacher and administrator, interview responses reveal grave concerns for the consistency offering of Bachelor of education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University and provide a platform to inform national leaders of the urgency for renewed interest in Early Childhood Educational provision. Some findings of this study concur with others done in Kenya on teacher satisfaction. Makoti (2004), for example, found good conditions and terms of (private) preschool teachers’ service to be a source of motivation. Further, Waithaka (2003) found good learning atmosphere, management of the preschools.
Similarly, this study supports the concept of offering bachelor of education in early childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah university as it is a new programme in the ministry of general and higher education. Additionally, the outcomes of this study also showed that, Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University withstands.
The lack of human ECE capital in most of the primary schools that are annexed with the facilities of Early Childhood education was a theme that consistently emerged from the respondents.
It is due to the fact that Early Childhood Education is a newly introduced programme and it still has attraction of so many people from public and private domains in terms of job opportunities. In other word, this programme of Early Childhood Education will still remain essential as it continues unfolding by offering educational foundation.
Similarly, the theoretical perspective that has been selected as a framework in this study is Lev Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory. Based on the socio-cultural factor perspective on learning the environment is crucial for individual development. Social communication creates a social interaction between different people, the culture and the knowledge, the surrounding community, as well as the environment itself.
From this theoretical point of view, it is an obvious circumstance that the reliability of offering bachelor of education in early childhood education at Kwame Nkrumah in inevitable in terms of infrastructure. Nevertheless, findings have also shown that there is urgent need to employ an ECE trained lecturer on full-time basis in order to address the needs of the students and nation at large. There is also a need of sensitising the non ECE trained full time lecturers on most of the ECE concepts such as strategies and methods of teaching in Early childhood education and putting in place an institutional demonstration pre-school that should help student teachers to practice before they are sent in the field for their school experiences.
The socio-cultural perspective is an exceptional viewpoint in the context where reasoning is based on the knowledge not only of individuals, but also knowledge and interaction that occurs among individuals. In the socio-cultural perspective lies one of the starting points for individuals and groups and how they utilize and absorb resources, both cognitive and physical. The focus here is on the interaction between individuals or as the purpose of the study says – considering the implications of the current Early Childhood Education situation and its environmental cultural evolution at Kwame Nkrumah university. How reliable is the offering of bachelor of education in Early Childhood Education programme at Kwame Nkrumah University so that it helps students achieve their personal goals based on their learning progress?
Lastly, from the analysis, it was apparent that some respondents were strongly supporting the idea of introducing the bachelor of education in early childhood education at Kwame Nkrumah university. These respondents also argued that early childhood education seems to be a new phenomenon in the ministry where some of the facilities are lacking such as fully ECE trained teachers. As a result, they also admitted that there is need to sensitise the public on the importance of providing early childhood education to all Zambian children. Consequently, there is need to employ ECE trained teachers in all primary schools and also in all the higher learning institutions that offer ECE courses.
Conclusion and recommendations
Early Childhood education is where the educational foundation of the child is laid. Several studies have proven the benefits of Early Childhood Education, which ought to put an end to the debates on the impact of early education in achieving a nation’s development agenda.
The examined call for ECE programs in Zambia, using evidence from the existing situation in primary schools that are annexed with early childhood centres the basis. The first section contained Early Childhood Education (ECE) background information regarding Zambia’s educational history and policies. The second section drew on qualitative interviews conducted with 36 in primary school annexed with ECE (Pre-school-Grade7) teachers and headteachers from both rural and urban areas. From this study, it is clear that the programme of offering bachelor of education in early childhood education is a brilliant move as it will help to bridge the gap of having few graduates in this field of ECE. In the same vein, the programme is relevant to the Zambian communities as it aimed at lying the foundation of basic and tertially education. There is urgent need to put in place all necessary logistics such as creation of an institution demonstration pre-school and also advertising the offering of this programme on community local radios. The University administration should also employ an ECE trained lecturer on full-time basis who can also capacity build the already employed members in the areas of pedagogy in early childhood education.
Consequently, given the mandate of the Kwame Nkrumah university to manage bachelor of
Early childhood education in the Zambian context. This study recommended that the University not only enrols students but also creates the environment for ECE facilities. For instance, Waithaka (2003) encourages good learning atmosphere and management of Early Childhood Education.
From this study, it is clear that if the University was to maintain the consistency of offering this bachelor of education the following aspects should highly be considered:
- The University should create an institution demonstration Pre-school where ECE lessons should be demonstrated.
- Secondly there is need for the University to at least employ a full time ECE trained lecturer who can also help to do the capacity building to other lecturers who have the interest in ECE during Continuous Professional Development as the programme continues to expand to full time.
- Fourthly on the part of Curriculum for Early Education and according to the Zambia Education Curriculum framework (2013), ECCDE focuses on the holistic development of the child in the following areas;
(i) Physical development- fine and gross motor skills development
(ii) Social, emotional, spiritual and moral development
(iii) Language development (receptive and expressive language)
(iv) Aesthetic development or appreciation of beauty; and
(v) Cognitive and intellectual development
There is urgent need for material production in form of modules in all study areas that should play a guiding role to students so that they are holistically trained
- The fifth aspect is that there is also an urgent need to create a conducive environment for ECE lessons such as an ECE classroom where teaching and learning materials should be displayed by students for learning corners. E.g., Possible Classroom Lay out is shown below:
Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten
Source: (Council and the Day Nursery Act of 1957)
References
Aidoo, A. A. (2006). Ensuring a supportive policy environment . Paper presented at the Third
African International Conference on Early Childhood Development.
Libreville, Gabon: Association for the Development of Education in Africa.
ADEA (Association for the Development of Education in Africa) (2006) Proceedings of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa Biennial Meeting held in Libreville, Gabon, March 27–31, 2006.
Ball, J. and Pence, A.R. (2006) S upporting Indigenous Children’s Development: Community–University Partnerships. Vancouver, Canada: UBC Press.
Carmody, B. P. (2004). The evolution of education in Zambia. Lusaka, Zambia: Bookworld Publishers.
Department for International Development (2005). From commitment to action: Education.
HM Treasury: Department for International Development (DfID).
Essa, E.L. (2003 ). Introduction to early childhood education ( 4th ed.). Canada: Thomson Delmar learning.
Freeman, T. & Dohoo, S. (2003). Local solutions to global challenges: Towards effective partnership in basic education. Final report, joint evaluation of external support to basic education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Global Campaign for Education. (2004). Undervaluing teachers : IMF policies squeezeZambia’s education system. Oxford: Global Campaign for Education.
Gakii, M.C. (2003). Preschool teacher factors that influence the teacher child relationships in Miringa Mieru Divisions, Meru central district, Kenya.
Unpublished M.Ed Thesis, Kenyatta University.
Hanyona, S. (2005, 15 January). Teacher crisis blamed for poor results . News from Africa. SAGE Publications.
Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2006). The practice of qualitative research . Thousand Oaks: Kamerman, S. B. (2006). A global history of early childhood education and care. Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong foundations: Early childhood care and education. UNESCO: Paris.
Kasanda, S. (2006). Early childhood care and development policy for Zambia: How will it change the quality of life for the Zambian child? Paper presented at The ECCED Dialog Meeting. Lusaka: Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from http://www.mulumbo.net.zm/documents/Dr%20Kasanda%20Paper.pdf.
Kelly, M. J. (2000). What HIV/AIDS can do to education, and what education can do to HIV/AIDS. Retrieved October 9, 2005, from http://www.sedos.org/english/kelly_1.htm.
Komakoma, J. (Ed.). (2003). The social teaching of the Catholic bishops and other Christian leaders in Zambia: Major pastoral letters and statements , 1953-2001. Ndola,
Zambia: Mission Press.
Makoti, N.M. (2005). Terms and conditions of service and their relationship to motivation of preschool teachers in Kwale District, Kenya.
Unpublished MEd thesis, Kenyatta University.
UNICEF (2004) The Young Face of NEPAD, New York: United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF)
Waithaka, E.N. (2003). A study of preschool teacher job satisfaction by type of schoolsponsorship in Thika Municipality. Unpublished MEd Thesis,Kenyatta University.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main focus of the study "Sustainable development of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University"?
The study investigates the factors that can sustain the development of the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education program at Kwame Nkrumah University.
What are the objectives of this study?
The study aims to: (1) Determine why the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education program must be offered at Kwame Nkrumah University, and (2) Determine measurable actions that would improve the sustainability of the program.
What research method was used in this study?
The study used a qualitative research approach, collecting data through interview guides and open-ended questionnaires from teachers and headmasters in 36 primary schools.
What are some of the key findings of the study?
The study found a need for national-level sensitization on the importance of Early Childhood Education. It also suggests that offering the program is possible and cost-effective in terms of infrastructure. A key recommendation is for the university to provide study materials in module form, as the program currently uses a distance learning mode.
What recommendations are made regarding the sustainability of the program?
The study recommends that the University management should urgently respond to the needs of students by providing study materials in the form of modules. The university should also hire trained lecturers on a full-time basis.
What is the theoretical framework used in the study?
The study utilizes the socio-cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky, emphasizing the importance of the environment and social interaction in children's cognitive development.
What are some of the challenges faced by ECE teachers in Zambia, according to the study?
Challenges include a lack of knowledge and negative attitudes towards ECE among some administrators, insufficient ECE infrastructure, and the non-deployment of ECE teachers.
What is the significance of the study?
The study's findings are intended to address concerns related to the consistency of offering the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education program at Kwame Nkrumah University. The data may be useful to the public, the University management and for formulating long-term and short-term strategic policies.
What are the key keywords associated with this study?
The keywords are: Sustainable, Development, Early Childhood Education, and Reliability.
What does the literature review discuss?
The literature review discusses early childhood education in both an African and Zambian context, drawing upon textbooks, journals, newspaper articles, policy papers, and the internet.
What are some of the indigenous African ways of childcare mentioned?
The indigenous African system is holistic, pronatalist, and theocentric. Childcare is a social enterprise in which caregiving functions are shared with others including parents, kin, friends, neighbours and older siblings.
What aspects of early childhood education does Zambia emphasize?
Zambia emphasizes physical, motor, emotional, social, cognitive, language, and moral development in early childhood education.
What does the study recommend for Kwame Nkrumah University to improve the ECE program?
The study recommends the creation of an institution demonstration pre-school, the employment of a full-time ECE trained lecturer, and the production of study materials in module form. It also mentions creating a conducive environment for ECE lessons, such as a dedicated ECE classroom.
- Quote paper
- Rosemary Muma Mulenga (Author), Joseph Mwale (Author), 2022, The Sustainable Development of the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at Kwame Nkrumah University, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1280196
