ACCESSIBILITY TO THE GENERAL CURRICULUM BY LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL

EDUCATION NEEDS A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND UNITS IN

LUSAKA

BY

BANDA DICKSON
(EXAM NUMBER 10028307)

2014 CCE

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 1
DECLARATION

I, Mr Banda Dickson do hereby solemnly declare that this research proposal represents my own work. I
further certify that the work has not previously been submitted for a Diploma in Primary Teacher
Education

Signed ……………………………………………

Date ………………………………………………

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 2
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

This research report by Mr BANDA DICKSON with the exam number 10028307 is approved as a
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the a Diploma in Primary Teacher Education of
Chipata College of Education

Signed ……………………………………

By The supervisor, Mr G Shanzi

Date ………………………………………

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page…………………………………….………………………………………………. 1
Declaration………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Certificate of approval……………………………………………………………………….. 3
Table of content………………………………………………………………………………. 4
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………… 5
Preamble of chapter one………………………………………………………....................... 5
Background………………………………………………………………………………..….. 5
Statement of the problem……………………………………………………………….…….. 6
Purpose of the study………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Objectives of the study ……………………………………………………………………… 6
Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………...….... 6
Significance of the study ……………………………………………………………………... 7
Limitations of the study ………………………………………………………………………. 7
Delimitation ……………………………………………………………………………….….. 7
Definition of terms…………………………………………………………………………..... 7
Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………………. 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………… 8
2.2 The Provision of the Curriculum to learners with Special Educational Needs…………… 8-9
2.3 Factors that hinders curriculum accessibility for learners with Special Educational Needs…10
2.4 Zambian Policy and Special Needs in relation to curriculum accessibility for LSENs…….11-14

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………15

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..…....... 15
Research Design………………………………………………………………………...…… 15
Population……………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Sample………………………………………………………………………………...……... 15
Sampling procedure………………………………………………………………….…...….. 15
Research instruments………………………………………………………………….……... 16
Data collection procedure……………………………………………………………………. 16
Data analysis……………………………………………………………………………...…. 16
Ethical considerations………………………………………………………………….….... 16
References……………………………………………………………………......………..… 17
Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………......... 18

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 4
 CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study,
objectives of the study, research questions, and significance of the study, delimitation of the study,
limitation of the study and definition of the key terms of the study.

1.2 Background to the study

Curriculum is an area of vital importance to the development of education and it is also the means for
achieving educational goals. Historically, the educational services for the disabled have developed in
Western countries in certain sequences following the ideologies of traditional believes, religious
charity, societies responsibility for the poor, normalisation and finally inclusion. The curriculum for
individuals with disabilities remains a great challenge in the Ministry of education and to teachers in
the field of special education in Zambia.

To address these challenges a number of international policies have been put in place to outline rights
and purposes for the education of all children.For example, the Convention of the Rights of the Child
(1989) , the Jomtien World Declaration on Education for All (1990), the Dakar Framework for Action
(2000), the Standard Rules for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1994)
and the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action (1994).

Developing countries like Zambia are committed to these policies it is however essential to note that,
increased accessibility to the general curriculum calls for the presence of qualified personnel and
instructional learning materials which must have a flexible format, individualized learning services,
appropriate teaching methods, a disability- friendly learning environment, guidance and counselling for
the purpose of providing appropriate learning activities.

All these educational services must be in place if Children with Special Education Needs are to access
the core curriculum. However from the studies that has been accessed so far it is not known the extent
of the accessibility to the general curriculum by learners with special education needs. As such this
study becomes worthwhile.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 5
1.3 Statement of the problem

Despite the implementation of sound policies documented in the 1996 educational policy document
(Educating Our Future) that places emphasis on Education for All, the main Curriculum is not
standardized across the nation, more especially for learners with Special Needs. As such it is important
to carry out a study to find out the accessibility to the general curriculum by learners with special
education needs in Zambian special schools

1.4 Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study was to critically investigate the accessibility of the general national
curriculum to learners with special educational needs among the selected special units and schools in
Lusaka,

1.4 Main objective of the study were:

To find out the accessibility of the general curriculum to pupils with special educational needs and the
challenges pupils face when acquiring the general curriculum.

Specific objectives

The specific objectives of the research were to;

i. Investigate the provision of the general curriculum to learners with special educational needs.
ii. Explore the Factors that hinders curriculum accessibility to learners with special educational
needs
iii. Examine the current Zambian policy on education and its facilitation of the access to the general
education curriculum to pupils with special educational needs.

1.5 Study questions

i. How is the general national curriculum provided to learners with special education needs
ii. How accessible is the Zambian general curriculum in relation to learners with special education
needs
iii. How is the Zambian policy on education facilitating the accessibility of the general curriculum
to pupils with special educational needs?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 6
1.6 Significance of the study

It is hoped that this study will help the policy makers as the sponsors of these educational programmes
to come up with means that will allow learners with Special Education Needs access the general
curriculum.

The study will further help in stimulating other researchers to do similar studies concerning curriculum
accessibility of learners with disabilities hence adding to the already existing academic body of
knowledge and information.

1.7 Limitation of the study

Due to lack of available needed resources and long distance between the special schools and units, the
sample will be small. This will however, affect the generalisation of research findings to other
provinces and the country at large. Furthermore, inadequate special education teachers in most school
may limit information needed for the study.

1.8 Delimitation of the study

The study will be conducted in selected special schools and units in Lusaka

1.9 Definitions of key terms

Special Education Needs: This refers to the educational related challenges, which some
learners have because of their emotional, physical and mental
challenges.
General curriculum: It refers to a curriculum offered to non – disabled pupils enrolled in
the regular school system. It is an overall plan for instructions adopted
by the school specifically for the abled learners.
Curriculum access: Curriculum access means the extent to which an individual child is
enabled to participate in the same breadth of curriculum as other children
of the same age and at a level appropriate to their needs.

ABBREVIATIONS
LSEN- Learners with Special Educational Needs
CCE- chipata college of education
CHAPTER TWO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 7
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter presents literature review that is relevant to the study. The literature reviewed is presented
according to the following themes or subheading derived from the study objectives.

2.2 The Provision of the Curriculum to learners with Special Educational Needs

According to the Ministry of Education (2000) as cited by Ojala (2004), it has been recognized, that the
curriculum used in Zambia until lately is compartmentalised, overloaded, and inflexible. This is on the
ground that, the Zambian curriculum emphasises excessively on memorizing factual information and
preparation for passing of examinations. To make the matters worse, the language of instruction which
is been used, is alien to the majority of pupils and school based assessment is used insufficiently as a
tool for the improvement of learning and teaching. Therefore, the curriculum has been going under
reformation. Two core documents pertaining to the new Zambia Basic Education Course curriculum
(ZBEC) are the Teacher’s Curriculum Manual (MOE 2001) and the Basic School Curriculum
Framework. In there, the curriculum is defined there as:

A specification of the desired knowledge, competencies, skills, values and attitudes

which school children in Zambia need to achieve. The curriculum includes an overall
plan of how the schools are to achieve these goals, detailing syllabuses, time tables,
recommended text books, examination requirements, and other Ministry directives
affecting teaching and learning (MOE 2000:6).

The MOE (2000) as cited by Ojala (2004) further argues to state to that, in relation to special education,
the curriculum documents mention that teachers are responsible for adapting the goals and the teaching
methods in order to suit the pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. Advice is given on how special
educational needs can be detected in an ordinary classroom.

The Teacher’s Curriculum Manual further states that in order for CSENs to learn effectively, the head
teacher should ensure that: extra resources are available and school surroundings are modified to suit all
learners; teachers specify individual goals and learning outcomes for each child with special needs as
well as identify what most children should learn; teachers determine the need for extra sessions to
identify and teach pre-concepts, skills and core vocabulary; teachers consider the use of collaborative
group activities, leading questions, stimulating interaction and task analysis (breaking the task to be

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 8
learnt in small steps); teachers work together with the parents or guardians of the child and teachers
evaluate their work to determine whether each child has had equal access to learning opportunities
(Ojala 2004).

However, these guidelines seem to be designed for teaching pupils with learning difficulties also
designed for teaching pupils with learning difficulties in ordinary classrooms and it is further noted that
if the special educational needs cannot met in the mainstream the pupils should be referred to special
education units and schools. Nevertheless, no specified guidelines for the curriculum at these units or
schools are mentioned at all.

The Zambian School general Curriculum favours the able bodied learners and this makes it difficult for
LSENs to fully access the curriculum and effectively benefit from it. This is similar to the research
findings by Kalabula (1991) which revelled that some teachers felt that the Zambian curriculum in
schools favoured the so called ‘normal’ and therefore proposed that a curriculum strictly for special
education be put in place. Kalabula (1991) maintained to note that, the Ministry of Education tends to
consider the needs for the able bodied learners first before they looked at learners with special
educational needs.

According to Kalabula (1991), some of the services that were cited as required in special schools were
those of transcribing information into Braille or sign language. Transcribing is as involving as teaching
itself. The government has not employed transcribes at either national or school levels. Special
education teachers are expected to do both teaching and transcribing. Examination Council of Zambia
(ECZ) also does not have trained transcribes for its examination; this could be one of the reasons for
examination results for learners with visual impairments marked late and results often getting lost.
These are some of the reasons making it difficult for LSENs to fully access the general curriculum
(Kalabula, 1991).

As summarised, the curriculum reform aims at more learning time, concentration on fewer subjects,
basic literacy and numeracy, grouping of subjects into subject areas, a localized curriculum, HIV/AIDS
awareness and protection and learning life skills. In general, the curriculum should be outcomes-based
rather than content defined and it should be encompassed by continuous assessment (MOE 2000).

2.3 Factors that hinders curriculum accessibility for learners with Special Educational Needs

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 9
According to Ojala (2004) there are many challenges that affect implementation of the curriculum and
provision of meaningful education. These challenges relate to working with parents, resources at
school, educational administration, attitudes in the schools and communities and providing education
for all. This study revealed that especially pupils with severe disabilities tend to be poorly catered for
through the current special education provision. Ojala (2004) maintains to argue that, there seems to be
inconsistency in the government’s actions and policies in terms of special education. There is need for
monitoring schools, allocating funds and resources equally and sharing information. This study
however suggests that meaningful education does not only demand more resources but rather good
planning and committed actors.

2.3.1 Lack of accessibility

One of the barriers that hinder learners with special education needs from successfully getting full
access to the general national curriculum is the issue of accessibility. Recent research studies which
were done in India by Alur (2002) revelled that children with disabilities who experience difficulties in
learning are often marginalized and moreover excluded from the school system. The results of the study
also showed that when analysed with census figures it became clear that nearly half of the population
was still not in any school and therefore deprived of any form of education. The study implied a need
for convergence, capacity building at all levels and managing attitudinal barriers for facilitating
inclusive education (Alur, 2002).

2.3.2 Large or overcrowded classes

Large or overcrowded classrooms, is yet another major obstacle impending successful access of the
curriculum to learners with special education needs. In the Zambian context for example, most of
government special schools have classes which are very large and overcrowded making it not
conducive for pupils with disabilities. Such overcrowding of classes is what Mandyata (2002) also
reported to have caused some teachers in Kasama to refuse accepting children with special educational
needs in their classes.

2.3.3. Lack of adequate resources and supports from the government

Successful access to the general curriculum and the implementation of inclusion is hindered by the lack
of adequate resources and supports from the government. This assertion is supported by the research
findings of Muwana (2012) which surveyed University of Zambia students, examining their attitudes

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 10
toward inclusion and their perceptions about supports and resource needs for successful implementation
of inclusion. Results of the study indicated that, overall, University of Zambia students hold positive
attitudes toward inclusion. Several variables were found to be related to student attitudes toward
inclusion. However, students believed that the implementation of inclusion was hindered by the lack of
adequate resources and supports from the government (Muwana, 2012).

2.3.4 The problem of special education training for student teachers

Muwana (2012) argue to state that the current special education training at UNZA and ZAMISE has
some faults that are contributing to learners with special education curriculum have challenges in
accessing the general curriculum, due to the program not offering specialized training in the different
areas of disability. According to Muwana (2012), this could also have contributed to graduates in
special education not to be well qualified.

2.3.5 The problem of curriculum organisation

Wood (1991) notes that, children with SENs face a lot of barriers within their schools and classrooms
starting from organization of the curriculum to teaching methodologies. At times, they are assessed and
identified, thereafter isolated within schools, or even classrooms, to receive discriminatory curriculum.
Curriculum in many developing countries is not child friendly or relevant to the needs of children. It is
content based and children learn by rote and memorization.

2.4 Zambian Policy and Special Needs in relation to curriculum accessibility for LSENs

In Zambia, students with disabilities have been provided special education services for approximately
100 years. The first efforts to educate students with disabilities were made by missionaries in 1903. The
missionaries focused on the education of students with visual and hearing impairments (Kelly, 1991);
the first school for students with visual impairments opened in 1955. Despite the missionaries‟ early
involvement with special education in Zambia, no national policies existed to guide the implementation
of inclusive practices (Kelly, 1991). Zambia did not have an articulated national policy on special
education until 1977 when the Ministry of Education assumed responsibility for educating students
with disabilities. Notably, three policies have provided the foundation for current practices on inclusive
education in Zambia: the Education Reform Document (1977), Focus on Learning (1992), and
Educating Our Future (1996).

2.4.1 The current situation

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 11
The current situation regarding curriculum accessibility and the provision of educational services in
Zambia today especially in the context of special education, 2014 does not seem to have improved in
comparison with the kind of education which was provided in 1964.

Kalabula (1991) has supplemented to suffice that, this is because of having no strong voice to speak for
the children with disabilities. This is all because, the education support which has been given by
international non-governmental organisations and development agencies has been discontinued. In
addition to this, Kalabula (1991) maintains to contend that, Zambian on the other, seems to be in
serious financial doldrums which makes it impossible for it to fund educational and other services to
children with disabilities. However, this situation should not be condoned. The state has the
responsibility to educate children with disabilities. It is better to do so now than to continue handing out
alms for the rest of these children's lives.

Furthermore, the fact that only about 2,000 out of between 160,000 and 250,000 children with
disabilities of primary school age were being catered for in 1995 (Educating Our Future, 1996) is a sure
indicator and evidence enough to conclude that the current special education provided in Zambia poses
a very serious situation. Nevertheless, it is rewarding however, to see that the Ministry of Education
seems to have positive policy pronouncements embodied in "Educating Our Future" which among other
things states that:

The ministry of education will ensure equality of educational opportunity for children with special
educational needs.

The Ministry is committed to providing education of particularly good quality to pupils with special
educational needs.

The Ministry will improve and strengthen the supervision and management of special education across
the country. The argument here comes with the issue of implementation, as good as it may sound, it
will only become a reality if the Government can hasten to enact a Law; otherwise pledges will remain
hollow as has been the case with the two earlier policy documents.

2.4.2 Effects of inadequate policies

Kelly (1991) argues to state that, many declarations and statements have been made in recent years by
the international community through the United Nations and its specialised agencies, as well through
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to promote the right of persons with disabilities (PWDS) and
other learning needs to an appropriate education. Most of these declarations and statements were in fact
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 12
endorsements and /or adoptions of policy proposals and practices already existing in some
industrialised countries (nowadays referred to as countries of the North). In Zambia, similar
pronouncements and declarations have been made through Educational Reform Document of 1977,
Focus on Learning Document of 1992, and the current Educating Our Future Document of 1996.

European and North American countries have since the 1960s been vigorously pursuing principles of
integration and normalisation developed in the Scandinavian countries.

Kelly (1991) maintains to argue that, in Zambia many criticisms can be advanced against these policies,
especially at the implementation level, because special education, apart from being fully unrecognised
by the state, continues to exist as a separate, parallel system, though housed in the Ministry of
Education Headquarters, as camouflage. The following constraints have had a pronounced effect and
have limited administration and provision of adequate services to children with disabilities (Kelly,
1991).

Despite stating high sounding policy statement, there has been no effort to formulate specific laws to
empower children with special needs. There has been no political will to implement any of the six
principles listed above. There has been a serious lack of coherent communications channels between
professionals and parents of children with disabilities and the significant others within and without the
children's localities.

According to Kelly (1999) there has been a very hazy understanding of the real specific needs of
individual children by administrators, teachers, parents and other service providers at different levels of
service delivery and negative attitudes of everybody getting into contact with individual children with
disabilities, particularly ordinary teachers, fellow pupils who have no disabilities and other staff in
integrated schools. Most of all, insufficient government funding and as already alluded to:
government's lack of commitment to special needs education has restricted the development and
implementation of relevant policies in the education of children with special education needs (Kelly,
1999).

According to Educating Our Future (MOE 1996), children with special educational needs should be
integrated into the normal life and activities of the community and into ordinary schools. Lincoln and
Guba (1985) argue an official policy of integration stated by educational authorities, in some case
however, only refers to the process of bringing children with disabilities from special into ordinary
schools without consideration of the curriculum, organisation and required resources to meet their

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 13
needs. Indeed, this might be the case in Zambia as Kasonde and Moberg (2001) suggest. Therefore, the
quality of integration is another issue.

The Zambian policy is following the internationally accepted trend of inclusion. Inclusion, defined by
Steinback and Steinback (1996) can be seen as a philosophy based on democracy, equality and human
rights. In inclusive classrooms the philosophy is that all children can learn and belong into the
mainstream school and community life.

From the Zambian perspective, the challenge of inclusive education is not only to include the disabled
but to better respond to the needs of all children including a large number of children who for one
reason or another have not had access to, are in danger to drop out, or have dropped out of the
schooling system. The performance of pupils in ordinary schools is rather poor and it is recognized that
the schools and the curriculum need to change in order to better respond to the needs of the pupils
(MOE 2000).

The current educational policy is ambitious compared to the actual provision of services for children
with special educational needs at the moment. And in fact, as Kasonde and Moberg mention, there is no
legal instrument for the protection of children with disabilities. Hence, appropriate legislation to clarify
the educational policies is needed (Kasonde and Moberg 2001).

CHAPTER THREE

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 14
METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the methodology that will be used in conducting the study. The chapter is
organized under the following sections: Research design, population, sample, and sampling procedure,
instruments for data collection, procedure for data collection, data analysis, and ethical consideration.

3.2 Research Designs

This research study will use both a case study research design and the descriptive survey design. A case
study will be used because of its ability to collect data from people by using questionnaires, its
emphasis on fact finding and that; it allows the researcher to generalize data. The study will use the
descriptive survey design. The descriptive design will be used because it is suitable for describing the
state of affairs as they exists in terms of the relationship between curriculum accessibility and academic
performance of CSENs. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques will be used because the study
sought to describe the behaviour of participants/respondents.

3.3 Population

The target population will include all special education teachers and all head teacher in special school
within Lusaka.

3.4 Sample

The study will focus on 4 schools. From each school 6 teachers and the head teachers will be
interviewed and this will give a total sample size of about 24 respondents from the entire 4 schools.

3.5 Sampling procedure

Both random and purposive sampling techniques will be used to select the participants for the study.
Random sampling will be used to select class teachers and school managers because they have the same
chance or probability of being chosen as a sample. Purposive sampling will be appropriate because the
number of participants involved may be limited in certain instances that is, in case of Head teachers and
special education teachers.

3.6 Instruments for data collection

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 15
Data will be collect using questionnaires for the class teachers and interviews for the Head teachers.
These instruments were used because the study sought to describe the behaviour of
participants/respondents. The Questionnaires were used because of their ability to collect data from a
large sample and their rigidity against biasness. The other justification is that, a questionnaire was
relevant in this study because it assured the respondents confidentiality and it is of less time consuming
where data collection and analysis is concerned.

3.7 Data collection procedure

Questionnaires will be distributed to all respondents. Respondents who are visually impaired will be
assisted by reading out the questions for them. The questionnaires will be collected from the
respondents to the researcher for data analysis. Interviews on the other hand, will be recorded using a
tape recorder and data will be analysed by the researcher.

3.8 Data analysis

Qualitative data collected from semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and interviews
will be analyzed using thematic categorizations for easy narrations while quantitative data will be
presented in tables and figures to generate frequencies and percentages.

3.9 Ethical considerations

This study will take into consideration the following ethical consideration: permission will be sought
from all participants and respondents before they were interviewed or administer a questionnaire to
them. This will ensure freedom of expression and that nothing will be said or written other than what
they know and believe in. All participants’ details will be treated as anonymous. No delegatory
statements will be mentioned concerning the participants as this could cause psychological harm.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 16
 REFERENCES

Alur, M. (2002) Special Needs Policy in India. Education and Children with Special Needs: From
Segregation to Inclusion, Sage Publications, New Delhi.

Chilufya, J. (2005). “Parents and teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education in selected schools of
Kalulushi district”. Unpublished Med dissertation, University of Zambia.

Florence Chuzu Muwana (2012). Zambian Student Teachers` Attitudes toward including students with
disabilities in General Education Classrooms. PhD thesis, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Kelly, M, J. (1999). Origin and Development of education in Zambia from pre-colonial times to 1996.
Lusaka: Image Publishers limited

Kalabula, D.M (1991) Integrating visually handicapped children into ordinary secondary schools.
Birmingham University. (Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis)

Kasonde-Ngandu, S. & Moberg, S. (2001). Moving Towards Inclusive Education. A Baseline Study on
the Special Educational Needs in the North -Western and Western
Provinces of Zambia. Basic Education Sub-Sector Investment Programme
BESSIP.

Lincoln, Y.S. & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. London: Sage.

Ministry of Education (1992). Focus on Learning. Lusaka: MOE. In Kasonde- Ngandu, S. & Moberg,
S. Moving Towards Inclusive Education. A Baseline Study on the Special
Educational Needs in the North -Western and Western Provinces of
Zambia. Basic Education Sub-Sector Investment Programme BESSIP,
pp.7-8.

Ministry of Education (MOE) (1996) Educating Our Future. National Policy on Education. Lusaka:
MOE.

Ministry of Education (MOE) (2000). The Basic School Curriculum Framework. Lusaka: Curriculum
Development Centre.

APPENDICES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 17
Appendix 1: questionnaire

The information you will provide is strictly confidential and will only be used for academic purposes
only. Kindly assist with my research by providing answers in the spaces provided. For quantitative
questions, kindly tick your option in the box provided. For the open ended questions kindly explain
your answer in detail. I thank you.

1. Gender

a) Male……

b)Female…..

2. Age……………….

Education level

a) Certificate…….. b) Diploma… c) degree…… d) masters….

e) PhD….

3. Type of school

a) Community… b) Government…….. c) Private school……

Describe location: __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

4. Do you have different teachers for each subject you teach?

a) Yes…..

b) No …..

5. How many pupils do you have in one class?_____________________________

6. Is the Zambian current new curriculum relevant to learners with special educational needs?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 18
 a) Yes…..

b) No…..

7. Explain your answer to the question

above______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

8. Since the new curriculum was implemented, have you already received the appropriate teaching and
learning instructional materials?

Are you able to effectively teach the pupils in your class?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________

9. Do you have all the necessary materials you require to teach these children?

a) Yes…..

b) No…..

10. If the answer to the above question is no, what materials are you lacking to allow these children
acquire access to the general curriculum?

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

11. What major problems do pupils with special education needs face that prevents them from learning
effectively and concentrating in class?

12. Do you think pupils acquire full access to the general education curriculum?

a) Yes …..

b) No……

13. What necessary implementations do you think can help pupils with special educational needs
acquire full access to learning at this school?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 19
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

14. Are you happy with the conditions of services in your school?

a) Yes…
b) No….

15. Explain why……………………………………………………………………………………………

16. How is the Zambian policy on education facilitating the accessibility of the general curriculum to
pupils with special educational needs?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

17. What should the Zambian government do to improve accessibility of education to the general
education curriculum especially to pupils with special education needs?

___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

The End

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 20
Appendix 2 INTERVIEW GUID FOR THE HEAD TEACHERS

Name of the school…………………………………………………………….

1. How frequently do you visit the resource of the school unit and talk to teachers

2. Do you discuss issues concerning the curriculum with the parents / guardians of the pupils?
What do they expect from the school? What do they expect their children to learn?

3. How do you assess or decide what kind of goals are appropriate for the individual pupils?

4. How do you follow up/know if your pupils have achieved any goals, made progress & learned?

5. What does your unit prepare the pupils for?

6. Do you think your unit is equipped (with sufficient staff, material etc.) to face the special needs
of the pupils you have?

7. What are the biggest challenges you have working with your pupils?

8. How is the Zambian policy on education facilitating the accessibility of the general curriculum
to pupils with special educational needs?

9. What should the Zambian government do to improve accessibility of education to the general
education curriculum especially to pupils with special education needs?

Thank you so much for your cooperation

-The end-

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 21
Appendix 3 Research schedule or timeline

The proposed study will follow the timeline outlined in table 1 below. Table 1 below shows a summary
of activities, time allocation in months and expected outcome for each of the activities.

Table 1: Timeline, research activities and expected outcomes:

TIME ALLOCATION ACTIVITY EXPECTED OUTCOME

October 2012 – February Preparation of research Research proposal prepared
2013 proposal
February - may 2013 Development of research Developed research
instruments instruments
January -2014 Collecting data Data collected
March - 2014 Entering data Entered data
April - 2014 Analysing data Analysed report
May - 2014 Writing a report Written report
June - 2014 Submitting report Submitted report

3.10 Appendix 3 Proposed budget

Summary of the research budget as proposed will be as follows

Activity Requirement Description Unit Qty Unit Price Amount

Data Stationery Paper Ream 3 40.00 120.00

Collection
Pens 1 10 1.00 10.00

Note book 1 5 10.00 50.00

Transport Petrol Litre 40 10.60 424.00

Data Lunch 5 days 6 20.00 1200.00

collectors

Grand Total 1804.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHANZI Masters of Education in Educational Psychology UNZA 2016 Page | 22