Zambia

Change Project: Incorporating education for sustainable development at ECE through integrative teaching plans and urban gardening

Mushinga Kapelwa Mooto, Mongu College of Education

The CoP identified that an opportunity lay in transformation of Early Childhood Education (ECE) to include ESD principles and practices with particular reference to the natural sciences. The CoP planned to achieve this through the creation of urban gardens, revitalising the ECE curriculum which included introducing Indigenous Knowledge (IK) games and activities. They also embarked on multi-stakeholder engagement to scale up the project and ensure that the transformed learning and the gardens would be sustained beyond the change project.

At the time of reporting the activities achieved (or underway) by the CoP were as follows:
Briefing of the College management on the SST Programme
Creating the CoP
Discussing and re-organising the change project for ultimate implementation
Sourcing the land
Engaging the student teachers to participate in the change project
Micro-setting of the project plot

Securing the land and enclosing the plot
Inscribing the wall fence with information about the change project
Implementing the planting of the garden and organising organic matter to enrich the soil
Teaching the students the transferrable skills of managing crops

The CoP also planned to reach out to the Ministry of General Education at District and Provincial level to establish a strategic partnership. They also planned to lobby for a Standards Officer at a district and a provincial level. A Potential Value (human capital) was that the stakeholders and authorities realised that gardening for ECE learners should be incorporated in the children’s play at school. One of the greatest triumphs of the change project came in the Potential Value (learning capital) attained as parents started small, urban gardens at home after being inspired by the school garden.

Change Project: Mainstreaming sustainability through environmental restoration

Shimuunza, Charles Lwaanga College of Education

The CoP decided to mainstream ESD by embarking on a change project which focussed on environmental restoration. Their project consisted of planting fruit and ornamental trees on the campus and in the surrounding communities. They planned to use the agricultural method of ‘inter-grouping’ by planting exotic and indigenous trees together. The CoP also decided to cultivate a nursery to supply the greening initiative. They stated that, “Indigenous horticulture practices will be used to revive the existing College orchards and nearby community areas. The College will seek to engage community stakeholder buy-in with traditional and civic leaders for sustainable development.” They also planned to revive the bee-keeping tradition in the area.

At the time of reporting the achievements of the CoP were:

Held an Environmental Day on 18 December 2020 and publicised this through the local radio stations and the college website.
Built 5 beehive shelves. One shelf had already been occupied by bees.
Identified two orchards for restoration. One had already been fenced and an irrigation system had been installed.

The CoP planned to network with the local traditional leaders, civic leaders and environmental experts to strengthen the project. The CoP noted that Mr Nakeeye, who is a local environmental expert, had made himself available to them and had offered most useful advice.

Change Project: Promoting Education for Sustainable Development through active learner involvement using interactive teaching and learning materials made from locally available resources.

Theresa Mubanga, Kitwe College of Education

The CoP identified that the teacher-educators who trained the ECE student-teachers did not have sufficient ESD pedagogical skills to pass on to their students who are the future ECE teachers. To remedy this problem the CoP decided to encourage a student-centred approach to foster engagement through active learning. They believed that this pedagogical approach would bridge the gap between the theory and the practice of various ECE topics for the student-teachers.

The CoP made a proposal to the college management which was approved and they went on to recruit four additional lecturers into the change project “who were diverse in thinking and would provide rich regenerative data”The CoP added two more dimensions to their change project, the first was to respond to climate concerns by creating demonstration sites which they planned to centre on ornamental landscaping activities in the area. The second dimension introduced was to take an explicit approach to the monitoring and evaluation of their project. At the time of writing the activities which had been undertaken were:

The enhancement of existing teaching and learning methods to promote a student centred approach and foster ESD.
The CoP had landscaped the ECE play area and planted flowers in order to change the look of the space.

The next step planned was to roll out the programme to other Teacher-educators who teach aspects of the ECE curriculum to the Student-teachers.

Change Project: Going paperless through the use of ICT to enhance quality of education

Claire Hachiboya, Livingstone Institute of Business And Engineering Studies

The CoP committed themselves to mainstream ESD into the whole Institute through the introduction and use of ICTs. They called their project Going Paperless and it involved rethinking the curriculum, campus operations, organisational culture, student participation, leadership and management, community relationships and research.

The CoP expresses their theory of change as follows,

Sustainable learning environments, such as Going Paperless allows educators and learners to integrate sustainability principles into their daily practices and facilitate capacity-building and competency development. [Educators] value education in a comprehensive manner especially in the current era of the Covid-19 Pandemic where online learning and e-learning are emphasised and encouraged globally.

The CoP describes the Potential Value (human capital) offered by this Going Paperless project are a decrease in pen and paper use and costs; it is convenient and fast in terms of teaching and learning; assessments and student communications are done on e-platforms, for example, WhatsApp, email, Institute website and student portals; teaching files are all online; and the establishment of an e-library is underway. Potential Value (social capital) was also being built up between lecturers and students, whilst Potential Value (learning capital) was being attained because learners could access learning in more than one way and promote innovation. The Reframing Value of the change project is that Going Paperless was a change agent in the process of organisational learning towards ESD.

Change Project: Modelling learner centred pedagogies by teacher educators

Mwitwa Bruce Chibuye, Malcolm Moffat College of Education

The gap identified by the CoP was that the poor ESD pedagogical skills of the teacher-educators affected the capacitation of the student teachers. The CoP’s response was to firstly to identify the gaps between theory, practice and curriculum in the implementation of ESD. Based upon this, the CoP decided to design a curriculum template which meant also designing a curriculum model that incorporated ESD.

At the time of reporting the CoP had achieved a number of successes, namely:

The CoP met with the College Administration and successfully achieved the adoption of the change project by the management team.
Teacher-educators practically modelled a variety of ESD-promoting teaching methods.
A broader ESD CoP has been established within the College.
Lesson plan demonstrations with the focus on ESD-promoting pedagogical methods were held at class level, interclass level and institutional level. This was followed by a vigorous review process soon afterwards.

A comment made around the participants of the SST course went as follows, “Their participation in SST programme has greatly contributed to ESD in terms of skills, knowledge and positive attitudes [which are] necessary for the implementation of the ESD change project.”

Change Project: Improving the teaching and learning of practical skills through recycling of materials in the local environment for sustainable development

Brian Malama Chewe, Malcolm Moffat College of Education

The CoP identified that there was a lack of environmental awareness amongst student-teachers. To address this gap, the CoP initiated the systematic collection, separation and recycling of waste on the College campus.

The first activity of the CoP was to engage the College Administration to get their support and approval of the change project. This was achieved and followed by a selection process of staff and students to increase the CoP and to form an Eco-Club for students. To welcome new members the original CoP took the selected participants through an orientation. The second activity of the expanded CoP was to source used litter bins and refurbish them. This also included branding to specify which waste could be put into the bins, for example, ECO-BINS PLASTIC. The CoP initiated a second project which was a compost drive. The purpose of the compost initiative was to both act as a demonstration site for teaching and learning; and to provide on-site inputs for the cultivation of a school garden. At the time of going to report, the CoP were in the process of sourcing more bins.

Change Project: Teaching for the development and acquisition of 21st Century Skills

Leonard Nkhata, Copperbelt University

The CoP identified that an opportunity existed to expand the offering of the University to include teaching for the development and acquisition of sustainability competences. The activities of the CoP saw Immediate Value created as there was a small increase in ESD related research and an increased participation in ESD related workshops and seminars. Examples provided by the CoP include,

The newly proposed communication skills syllabus for student teachers explicitly addresses the 21^st Century and ESD competences. The Sociology of Education Course and research methodology courses have mainstreamed attention on ESD issues in terms of course objectives, assignments and assessment criteria. The newly proposed Departmental journal emphasises sustainability as a core issue in education.

The Potential Value (human capital) is observable in the continued growth of student research outputs which relate to ESD which is based upon a core research group which encourages and supports ESD research. There has also been an increase in the number of students who are participating in the change project. There has been vertical scaling of this change project which includes the Dean’s Students who deal with student affairs. The horizontal scaling of the project may be seen by the inclusion of members of the Mathematics Department; plus a large number of students have been sensitised to ESD issues. The Potential Value (social capital) was realised when the teachers and pupils at the Chipata Community Schools level also indicated that they have benefitted from the change project; and the Potential Value (learning capital) was enhanced by the introduction of action orientated projects for learning which increased learner engagement in the classroom and in the community. The CoP describe the Reframing Value as,

The Department’s newly proposed vision and mission statement demonstrates a commitment to reframing and redirecting the Department’s performance and success to revolve around sustainability related issues. This is a direct result of the activities that the CoP and the Department.

Change Project: Production and use of organic manure for market gardening

Kanyantila George, St. Mary’s College of Education

The gap which the CoP identified was to integrate ESD into the education programmes for institutions and schools by focussing on the survival skills (pragmatic skills) by producing and using organic manure for a market garden. The CoP planned to spearhead the process of managing the compost production and simultaneously integrating compost making and using into the current curriculum. They proposed to build ESD capacity through the introduction of environmentally friendly and sustainability orientated practices for the College staff, the student-teachers and the broader community.

They planned to do the change project in two phases, namely:

Phase 1: Producing a manure heap
Phase 2: Using the manure for a market garden

Training the student-teachers on the creation and use of manure was planned as a co-generative learning process. The knowledge gained through this social learning process will bridge the divide between theory and practice and will benefit the community surrounding the college too. The CoP also reached out to key stakeholders and knowledge experts in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock. An explicit M&E strategy was also included. At the time of reporting a number of activities had been successfully completed, which included the following:

A vegetable garden with cabbage and tomatoes was established as a pilot project using only the organic manure.
A number of multi-stakeholder meetings have been held.
Designed and distributed ESD assignments to the student-teachers
Formed a student-teachers’ club to drive ESD at the college

At the time of reporting the CoP were planning on expanding the pilot garden to grow a greater variety of vegetables and in larger numbers.

Change Project: Transformative teaching and learning at Mufulira College of Education towards education for sustainable development

Dr Brenda Cynthia Haamoonga, Mufulira College of Education

The CoP established the ESD gap by a careful analysis of the teaching practice reports. They found that the majority of the student teachers practiced a teacher-centred learning approach which skewed the teaching and learning towards theory and away from the application of the concepts. The CoP designed their change project to address this gap so that student-teachers are equipped to incorporate a learner-centred approach in their pedagogical approach.

The policy of the College advocated for both Sustainable Development and ESD to be integrated into the curriculum, however, there was a breakdown when it came to the implementation of the policy in practice. The CoP planned a curriculum review which was also aimed at picking up the extent of the understanding which lecturers grasped Sustainable Development and ESD issues. This was done through a professional development slot. Unfortunately the CoP made less progress than they had hoped to make due to severe time constraints in the term calendar due to teaching time lost in the Covid-19 hard lockdown. Nonetheless the Team is committed to continuing their project and to continuing finding answers to two questions:

To what extent does sustainability awareness exist amongst educators and students?
How much sustainability is infused across the education curricula of pre-service teachers?

The outcome of this research will inform how the curriculum and pedagogical approach could be transformed to enhance ESD, and thus be reflective of the policy of the institution.

Change Project: Eco-offices (UNZA- School of Education)

Mirriam Sampa Moonga, University of Zambia

The gap identified by the CoP was that the offices of the institution were run in an unsustainable manner. They identified a number of sustainability issues inter alia, the unsustainable use of paper, electrical appliances and energy resources, poor waste disposal, and the use of cleaning agents which are not eco-friendly. The CoP decided that their change project would improve the sustainability of the offices.

The CoP’s described their response to the gap identified as,

We aim to educate lecturers and non-academic staff on eco-offices. This has meant engaging in the Building Back Better Policy Framework by conducting a UNZA Strategic Policy Review. This will be accompanied by an office audit that will be aimed at creating greener offices. This process is to include the identification of stakeholders, the introduction of innovative systems in the introduction of paperless offices, the use of electrical appliances and other opportunities.

At the time of reporting the CoP was making good progress. They had completed the document review, the office audit, and identified important stakeholders. The had also created a network of colour printers for communal use, and only when necessary. Printing on both sides of the paper was introduced. The CoP has started clearing out all unwanted stuff and the use of electronic memos has started.

Change Project: Realisation of sustainable development through inclusive education

Dr Penda Annie, Kwame Nkrumah University

The gap that the CoP identified was that student with visual or hearing impairments were at a disadvantage and one of the reasons for this was the lack of Educators’ skills to effectively teach these students. The change project chosen was to promote inclusiveness in response to SDGs 2030 4.5 and 5. These SDGs advocate for equal access to education and training, and there is thus a need to create educational spaces which are conducive to life-long learning.

At Kwame Nkrumah University developing inclusiveness meant creating equal teaching and learning for sight and hearing impaired students, for example they should equal access to the full curriculum just like their sighted and hearing fellow students. The change project had a number of phases.

Phase One was to upskill the Educators/lecturers on braille, sign language and methods and technologies which support teaching those who have sight or hearing challenges. The intention had been to roll this training out to Education, Business Studies, Humanities and Natural Science, however, this training occurred only for Education and Humanities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lecturers were awarded Certificates of Attendance.

Phase Two included the third-year students using a peer teaching pedagogy. This included a pilot peer-peer teaching sessions amongst the student-teachers before going into their formal teaching practice off site.

A third phase of this change project looked at the planning and undertaking of assessments for those with visual or hearing impairments. The CoP Team paid close attention to developing relationships with key stakeholders as well as the careful M&E of their project. At the time reporting had plans on the table for the horizontal and vertical scaling of this project.

Change Project: Integration of ESD principles in pedagogy and assessment strategies

Sarah Chama, Mukuba University

The gap identified by the CoP was that courses taught at the university did not have ESD principles or content built into the pedagogy of these courses. The change project was aimed at rectifying this situation by identifying course content that could speak to ESD and to identify courses which could advance transformative methodologies.

The original CoP was established and continues to add participants as the change project gathers momentum. The CoP did a thorough review of the curriculum which empowered them to share their findings with the relevant governance bodies, for example the Body of Studies (review board), departmental management. This is a mechanism for influencing curriculum change. At the time of reporting the CoP had completed a situational analysis around the curriculum, facilitated an ESD capacity building seminar, and identified courses which have content that speaks to ESD. These courses are Agriculture, Geography, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths and all the methods courses. This would be regarded as a whole institution change project. The Reframing Value of this project was the promotion of a paradigm shift away from focusing only on knowledge.

Change Project: Improving practical skill learning for better quality education and sustainable development using bee keeping. (Mwekera Beekeeping Educational Forum)

Musunke Kanyembo, Zambia Forestry College

The CoP perceived the ESD gap to be a lack of practical skills to further ESD or sustainable development. Their response was to establish an apiary which would be used as a demonstration site for teaching and learning about ESD principles as well has the practical skills of bee-keeping. Their aims were to create a ‘buddy-school’ system to develop collaboration between the College, the community and local government. They also planned to earmark a 1 ha site for this project near the Kamatebela Stream. This site will also serve as an example of biodiversity conservation. The change project was designed to ensure that learners of all ages could benefit and that the community could benefit by the ecological services which bees provide, for example, pollination of crops to increase yields.

The CoP stated that,

The modern apiary will have among other things a bill board by the main junction on the dual carriageway. It will have a well set-up classroom [constructed] from sawmill planks for on-site learning and teaching. [There will be] a variety of hives – 10 modern hives, 5 calabash hives, 2 reed mat hives, 2 bamboo hives and 5 bark hives.

The successful implementation of this change project included a stakeholder workshop in Mwekera where the stakeholders were sensitised to the change project and the project was named and formalised with a roadmap and meeting schedule too. A second meeting was held to focus on the selection of the site of the apiary. One consideration was that the site needed to have public visibility as a demonstration site so a space in the forest was chosen within 15 m of the main feeder road. Other activities of the CoP included the marking of the external boundaries of the apiary, acquisition of hives, baiting, construction and placement of the billboard, fabrication of the on-site classroom and tree tagging of trees within the demarked area. The Immediate Value created by this project was described be the CoP as,

Integrated approach to beekeeping by embracing the unemployed youths, scholars, men and women; Enhanced participation by different parties in environmental protection; Establishment of on-site classroom in the apiary site has added value to frequent educational tours to the college by schools; Enhanced vocational skills approach helps to shape the beekeeping curriculum at the college. The College and the Mwekera Primary School are already using the apiary for onsite training practical; Enhanced ecological and aesthetic value to the demarcated apiary site. The Reframing Value of this project has promoted a transformed integrated, vocational and participatory approach to learning and teaching both at the College and for surrounding schools.

Change Project: Enhancing capacity of student teachers in the delivery of Inclusive Education (IE) to achieve Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Ng’andu, Zambia Institute of Special Education

The CoP realised that if the transformation towards ESD was to occur in a just and inclusive manner then special attention must be paid to the pedagogy of Inclusive Education for learners with disabilities. The first step was to transform the Individualised Education Programme to capacitate student teachers to teach the ESD elements in their subjects in an inclusive manner. Learners with learning challenges were included in the student teachers’ lessons. The Potential Value (human capital) gained was that the student-teachers demonstrated that they could apply the Inclusive Education skills in the classroom and even took it a step further to build relationships with the parents with the common goal of helping the learner. The Potential Value (learning capital) was demonstrated in new-found capability of the student-teachers to recognise and help students with learning disabilities. The most significant Reframing Value was the normalisation and de-stigmatisation of learners with disabilities.

Change Project: Food Security: Vegetable production using local manure

Chiyongo, Zambia Institute of Special Education

The ESD and sustainable development gap which Mrs Chiyongo identified was that the families in her community were suffering from food insecurity. Her response was to initiate a change project to address this gap and concurrently it would provide opportunities for both student and community ESD.

In her own words, Mrs Chiyongo describes her motivation for choosing to do a second change project,

What prompted me to choose this change project? After observing the rain pattern, the price of chemical fertilizers, the taste of vegetables and overploughing of the same pieces of land, I though of a way in which small scale farmers can help with their food production that would sustain them for a whole year. I took the idea to my students and members of my community; I posed a question of how a peasant farmer can grow their own food without using chemical fertilizers. What indigenous material could be used to boost degraded land? I was also promoted by low crop yields from members of my community. When I asked most of them alluded the low yields to high prices of chemical fertilizers and having low sources of income to purchase the fertilizer. That is when I thought of going back to the traditional way of enriching the soil by use of organic fertilizer like dry stalks of maize, chicken manure and made some composite manure for use in the garden and some of it will be used in the half acre of maize field. I worked with members of my community in the outskirts of the capital, Lusaka.

The value arising from this project ranges from the re-education of the community around the disadvantages of chemical fertilizers and the benefits of local, free organic manure for food production. Families food security is increasing. Student-teachers will be able to apply what they have learnt in their own communities and be more self-reliant.