Negotiating Education and Motherhood: A Sociological Inquiry Into the School and Community Experiences of Teenage Mothers in Lusaka District, Zambia

Authors

Wilson L. Phiri

Mulungushi University (Zambia)

Jonathan Chitabanta

Eden University (Zambia)

Article Information

DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.10100075

Subject Category: Sociology

Volume/Issue: 10/1 | Page No: 977-1003

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2025-12-30

Accepted: 2026-01-05

Published: 2026-01-22

Abstract

Globally, adolescent pregnancy and parenthood present major obstacles to girls’ educational attainment and future socioeconomic mobility. In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated six million pregnant and parenting girls are out of school, and in Zambia the re-entry of teenage mothers into formal education remains under-examined. This study explores how teenage mothers in Lusaka District negotiate the dual demands of schooling and motherhood within school and community contexts.

Keywords

Teenage Motherhood, Education Re-entry Policy, Community

Downloads

References

1. Adangabe, A. A., Emmanuella, D. A., & Tigtig, J. (2021). Exploring the challenges facing teenage mothers in school and how they cope in the Wa West district. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 2(8), 689-698. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Addeo, D. F. (2013). Hermeneutics as a Research Method: How to do research using Hermeneutics approach. Italy: University of Salerno. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Biggerstaff, D. L. and Thompson, A. R. (2008). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): A Qualitative Methodology of Choice in Healthcare Research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 5(3), 214-224. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and methods. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods, 4th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods, 5th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Central Statistical Office (CSO), Ministry of Health (MOH) & ICF. (2019). Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Lusaka, Zambia: CSO and ICF. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Chavula, M. P., Habib, B., and Halwiindi, H. (2025). Factors Influencing the Re-engagement of School Dropout Adolescent Girls into the Education System Following the Enactment of the Re-entry Policy in Zambia: A Qualitative Study. Sex Res Soc Policy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-025-01123-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Chibuye, M., & Tembo, E. (2021). Exploring the Re-Entry Policy in Zambia: Perspectives from Teenage Mothers. International Journal of Education and Development, 45(3), 211-225. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Chigona, A. and Chetty, R. (2008). Teen mothers and schooling: lacunae and challenges. South African Journal of Education, 28, 261-281 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Creswell, J. W. and Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, 5th edition. London: SAGE Publications, Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Creswell, J. W. and Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 4th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Dorsah, E., Ampah-Mensah, A. K., Ofosuhene, C., Atta Kwenin, I. A., Lumadi, R. I. (2024) Educational Support Systems for Teenage Mothers in Public Basic Schools: Lived Experiences of Teenage Mothers. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 8(5), pp. 2354-2369. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.805170 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Draper, A. and Swift, J. A. (2011). Qualitative research in nutrition and dietetics: data collection issues. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 24(1), 3-12. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Floyd, A. and Arthur, L. (2012). Researching from within: External and Internal ethical engagement. International journal of Research and Methods in Education, 35(2), 171-180. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Gatsinzi, P. (2022). Case Study of the out of School Teenage Mothers’ Lived Experiences and Perceptions on Education in Rusororo Sector, Rwanda: A Back to School Framework. Educational Research and Reviews, 17: 120-30. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Grant, M. J. & Hallman, K. K. (2008). Pregnancy-related school dropout and prior school performance in South Africa. Studies in Family Planning, 39(4), 369-382. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4465. 2008.00186.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Greenbanks, P. (2003). The role of values in educational research: The case for reflexivity. British Educational Research Journal, 29(6), 791-801. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Groves, A. K., Gebrekristos, L. T., McNaughton Reyes, L., Moodley, D., Raziano, V., and Maman S. (2022). A mixed-methods study of resilience and return to school among adolescent mothers in South Africa. Glob Public Health, 17(9), 2111-2124. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1970208. Epub 2021 Aug 25. PMID: 34432605. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Groves, A., Hill, J., & Kruger, T. (2022). Emotional support and persistence in adolescent mothers’ education. Journal of School Psychology, 60, 10-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2022.01.004 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Haipinge, R. & Namakula, H. (2025). “I Believe it is Important and Best to Stay in School”: Resilience in Teenage Mothers Attending School in Omusati Region, Namibia. E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 6(6), 818-830. DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256612 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Hesse-Biber, S. and Johnson, R. B. (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry. New York: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Huberman, A. M. and Miles, M. B. (2002). The Qualitative Researcher’s Companion. Thousand Oaks: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Kasura, S., Senetla, I., Chinakwetu, C., Armstrong, A. & Kelly, J. (2025). ‘6-million young moms in Africa are not in school. They can be’, BusinessLive. Available at: https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/fm-fox/2025-01-27-6-million-young-moms-in-africa-are-not-in-school-they-can-/. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Katwishi, S., Mbozi, P., & Phiri, D. (2023). Navigating stigma: Adolescent mothers and school re-entry in urban Zambia. Journal of Gender and Development Studies, 11(2), 45-62. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Kings, N. and Horrocks, C. (2010). Interviews in qualitative Research. London: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Leedy, P. D. and Ormrod, J. E. (2005). Practical Research: Planning and Design, 8th edition. New Jersey: Pearson, Upper Saddle River. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Lemert, E. M. (1951). Primary and secondary deviation. In E. Rubington, & M. S. Weinberg (Eds.), The study of social problems: Seven perspectives (pp. 192-195). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Maluli, F., & Bali, T. (2014). Exploring experiences of pregnant and mothering secondary school students in Tanzania. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(1), 80-88. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Masaiti, G., & Phiri, L. (2021). The Influence of Cultural Norms on School Re-entry for Adolescent Mothers in Zambia. African Journal of Gender and Development, 9(2), 155-172. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Ministry of General Education [MoGE] (2016). Re-entry Policy Implementation Guidelines. Lusaka: MoGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Mkwananzi, S. (2021). Teenage motherhood and education: Examining young mothers’ lived experiences in Southern Africa. Journal of Adolescence, 89, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.11.002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Moganedi, S. E., & Mudau, T. S. (2024). Stigma and Mental Well-Being among Teenage Mothers in the Rural Areas of Makhado, Limpopo Province. Social Sciences, 13(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13010018 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Msiko, S. W., Jacob, G., and Manyengo, P. (2025). Assessing the Impact of Education Re-Entry Policy on Teenage Mothers’ Retention in Tanzania: A Case of Kyela District. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 13(4), 339-345. https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.17570240 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Mukuna, R. K. (2020). Exploring Basotho teenage fathers’ experiences of early fatherhood at South African rural high schools. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 30(4), 348-353. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2020.1796031 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Mukwato, P. K., Maimbolwa, M., Mwape, L., and Muleya, M. C. (2017). “Experiences, Needs and Coping Strategies of Pregnant and Parenting Teenagers: A Perspective from Lusaka and North Western Provinces of Zambia”. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Muleya, G., & Mayimbo, J. (2023). Barriers to Effective Implementation of the Re-entry Policy in Zambia: A Study of Selected Schools in Lusaka Province. Zambian Journal of Educational Research, 12(1), 45-60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Muleya, G., & Mayimbo, J. (2023). Barriers to Effective Implementation of the Re-entry Policy in Zambia: A Study of Selected Schools in Lusaka Province. Zambian Journal of Educational Research, 12(1), 45-60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Munkoyo, D. N., Zaza, I., and Masaiti, G., (2024). Saving teenage mother learners through adaptation of civic engagement strategies in Zambian secondary schools: Challenges and possible solutions. Namibia Educational Reform Forum Journal, 32(3), 50-61. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Mutua, M., & Wambiya, E. (2023). Perceptions of support and school retention among adolescent mothers in Kenya. East African Journal of Education, 15(1), 55-69. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Mwaanga, C., & Zulu, M. (2022). Understanding the social reintegration of teenage mothers in Zambia: The role of schools and community actors. Zambia Journal of Sociology, 5(1), 34-48. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Mwakililo, P. S. (2025). Reintegrating adolescent mothers into secondary education: investigating the availability and effectiveness of support systems in Mbeya Region, Tanzania. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2025.2552335 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Mwalongo, M. (2023). Implementation challenges of re-entry policy for adolescent mothers in Tanzania. Educational Management Review, 12(2), 77-92. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Ndabala, J. (2025). Teen Mothers Return to School, But Face Big Hurdles, https://makanday.org/teen-mothers-return-to-school-but-face-big-hurdles/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Nkosi, N. N. and Pretorius, E. (2019). The Influence of Teenage Pregnancy on Education: Perceptions of Educators at a Secondary School in Tembisa, Gauteng. Social Work, 55, 108-116. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Nkwemu, S., Jacobs, C.N., Mweemba, O., Sharma, A., and Zulu, J. M. (2019). “They say that I have lost my integrity by breaking my virginity”: experiences of teen school going mothers in two schools in Lusaka Zambia. BMC Public Health 19, 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6394-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Nyirenda, T. (2022). Teenage Motherhood and Social Stigma in Urban Zambia: A Case Study of Lusaka District. Sociology Compass, 16(5), e12930. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Oloo, A. (2025). Kenya’s education gap: Why teen mothers struggle to return to school. https://www.citizen.digital/article/kenyas-education-gap-why-teen-mothers-struggle-to-return-to-school-n358773?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Qazi, S. W., & Rashidi, Z. (2018b). Phenomenological Experiences of Women through Microcredit Programs of Upper Sindh: Stepping towards the Empowerment. NICE Research Journal, 200-222. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Ramatsetse, T. P., & Ross, E. (2023). Understanding the perceived psychosocial impact of father absence on adult women. South African Journal of Psychology, 53(2), 199-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221130194 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Rubin, A. and Babbie, E. (2011). Research Methods for Social Works, 7th edition. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Rubin, H. J. and Rubin, I. S. (2012). Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data, 3rd edition. London: Sage Publication, Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. Saldana, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative research methods. California: Thousand Oaks. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

55. Smith, J. A. (ed). (2008). Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

56. Smith, J. A., Flower, P., and Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: theory, method and research. USA: Sage Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

57. Stephen, E. K., Nzengya, D. M., & Secor, M. (2025). Factors Associated with Adolescent Mother Return to School: A Review of Literature. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 15, 39-52. https://doi.org/10.30845/ijhss.v15p4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

58. Subban, P., Round, P., Fuqua, M., & Rennie, J. (2022). Creating a R.A.F.T to engage teenage parents back into education: A case study. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 852393. https://doi.org/10. 3389/feduc.2022.852393 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

59. The Guardian Report (2024). Re-entry policy for teen mothers: overcoming barriers to education. https://ippmedia.co.tz/the-guardian/features/read/re-entry-policy-for-teen-mothers-overcoming-barriers-to-education-2024-12-06-150119?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

60. Thwala, S. K., Okeke, C. I. O., Matse, Z., and Ugwuanyi, C. S. (2021). Teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of teenage mothers’ school re-entry policy in Eswatini Kingdom: Implication for educational evaluators. J Community Psychol., 50(2), 684-695. Doi: 10.1002/jcop.22656. Epub 2021 Jul 8. PMID: 34237157. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

61. Twalo, T. (2024). Challenges in the prevention and management of adolescent pregnancy and school dropout by adolescent mothers in South Africa. Research in Educational Policy and Management, 6(1), 180-196. https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2024.12 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

62. UNESCO (2022). Gender equality and education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Paris: UNESCO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

63. UNESCO (2021). Global Education Monitoring Report: Inclusion and Education-All Means All. Paris: UNESCO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

64. UNESCO. (2021). Keeping girls in the picture: Adolescent pregnancy and education. UNESCO Policy Brief. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000376285 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

65. UNICEF Zambia (2024). Adolescent mothers and education access. Lusaka: UNICEF. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

66. UNICEF (2022). Adolescent mothers in Tanzania: Challenges and policy responses. UNICEF Tanzania. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

67. UNICEF. (2022). Education and Adolescent Development in Eastern and Southern Africa: Regional Situation Analysis. Nairobi: UNICEF-ESARO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

68. UNICEF. (2022). Realizing the Rights of Adolescent Girls: Addressing Social Norms and Gender Inequality. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

69. Vaca, M. (2020). How Do Mothers Who Were Pregnant as Teenagers Achieve Success? Master’s thesis, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

70. World Bank. (2022). Girls’ Education: A Lifeline to Development. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/girlseducation [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

71. World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). Adolescent Pregnancy. Geneva: WHO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

72. Zimba, S., & Lungu, M. (2020). Assessing the Effectiveness of Community-Based Interventions on School Retention of Teenage Mothers in Lusaka. Zambia Social Science Journal, 7(2), 1-14. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles