Trajectories of Curriculum Change in Initial Primary Teacher Education in Zambia

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue V, May 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Trajectories of Curriculum Change in Initial Primary Teacher Education in Zambia

Kalisto Kalimaposo, PhD
University of Zambia. School of Education
Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education.
P.O. Box 32379 Lusaka, Zambia.

Abstract. This chapter reviews trends in primary teacher education for the last five decades in Zambia. Since independence, Zambia has undertaken the following curriculum reforms in primary teacher education; the Zambia Primary Course(ZPC), The Zambia Basic Education Course(ZBEC), The Field Based Teacher Training Approach(FIBATTA) which was discontinued hardly three months of trial, The Zambia Teacher Education Reform Programme(ZATERP) piloted in three colleges of education, The Zambia Teacher Education Course(ZATEC-one year college based and one year school-based);the Zambia Teacher Education Course(ZATEC-two year residential course) and the current three year Diploma Primary Teacher Education Programme. The Ministry of Education upgraded all primary colleges of education to Diploma status and affiliated them to the University of Zambia. For a couple of years, the Ministry of Education back peddled and attached all Colleges of Education to the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ), a decision that was roundly condemned as a departure from the SADC protocol on education. Meanwhile, Colleges of Education which were under ECZ have now reverted to the University of Zambia with respect to quality assurance and programme supervision.

Key Words: Primary Teacher Education, Colleges of Education, Curriculum innovation, Zambia

I. INTRODUCTION

During the past five decades, there have been several attempts by the Ministry of Education in Zambia to reform the initial primary teacher education curriculum so that it is relevant and of good quality. In spite of all the efforts made so far, the problem of primary teacher education curriculum seems to persist as some of the changes have been on experimental basis. In addition, some of the curriculum changes or innovations that have been undertaken in Zambia seem to have been initiated by international capital in the name of technical assistance. Ostensibly, the nature of technical assistance that has been given in the past is sometimes based on foreign experience without sufficient local participation. It has been observed that some of the sporadic shifts in the primary teacher education curriculum have been drawn and implemented in a haste without a solid philosophical foundation anchored in research.
Trends in pre-service teacher education in Zambia
Commonwealth of Learning (2005) observed that piecemeal reforms in pre-service primary teacher education in Zambia have not served the desired purposes as some of changes look almost the same. In trying to establish a coherent primary

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