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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 4

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.104.14448. Namonje, E., Halwiindi, H., Zyambo, C., Simui, F., & Muleya, G. (2023). Challenges Faced in The Application of Reflective Practice

on The Public Health Teaching and Learning Process by The Lecturers in Selected Universities in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces

of Zambia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(4). 176-188.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Challenges Faced in The Application of Reflective Practice on The

Public Health Teaching and Learning Process by The Lecturers in

Selected Universities in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces of

Zambia

Elizabeth Namonje

Institute of Distance Education,

University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Hikabasa Halwiindi

School of Public Health,

University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Cosmas Zyambo

School of Public Health,

University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Francis Simui

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7199-2970

Institute of Distance Education,

University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Gistered Muleya

Institute of Distance Education,

University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

ABSTRACT

This study explored challenges faced in the application of reflective practice on the

public health teaching and learning process by the lecturers in selected universities

in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia. The study rids on a case study design

to generate evidence on challenges faced. Data was collected from a total sample of

32 participants. The study found that too much workload by lecturers, large number

of students in class, limited time with a semester system, limited resources for

teaching staff and students, shortage of teaching staff and lack of teaching

qualifications and experience amongst teaching staff were among challenges that

affected lecturers’ ability to reflect on their teaching. Equally, it was found that

lecturers refusing to be evaluated, cultural lag among older lecturers and

differences in backgrounds among teaching staffs had a negative implication on

lecturers’ ability to reflect on their teaching. The study concluded that despite

reflective teaching practice being an important strategy for promoting quality

teaching and learning, higher learning institutions have not paid much attention on

impediments to reflective teaching. Therefore, the study recommends that

Education standards officers should continue to maintain standards in Universities

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Namonje, E., Halwiindi, H., Zyambo, C., Simui, F., & Muleya, G. (2023). Challenges Faced in The Application of Reflective Practice on The Public

Health Teaching and Learning Process by The Lecturers in Selected Universities in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 10(4). 176-188.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.104.14448

and Colleges to control over enrolments and overcrowding in classes so that the

lecturers can teach efficiently and effectively so that students can benefit fully from

the lecturers.

Keywords: Reflective Practice, Public Health, Teaching-Learning Process, Universities,

Zambia

INTRODUCTION

Education worldwide is undergoing radical change and one of the challenges facing Universities

is the demand for the provision of quality education. Research has shown that one of the factors

that can influence the quality of teaching and learning is reflective practice [1]. Reflective

learning is a type of learning in which one explores his or her experiences to become more

conscious, open-minded, and self-critical. The process of Reflective practice takes place when

an individual explores an experience; they have had to identify what happened, and what their

role in the experience was, including their thinking and behavior as well as emotions [2]. This

brings about the ability to come up with strategies that respond positively to similar future

occurrences. [3] also observed that when teachers reflect on their teaching practices, their

awareness of their teaching increases, and they can then unlearn the ineffective teaching

methods which may have undesirable effects on students’ learning experience. [4] also agrees

that asking teachers to reflect on their personal core qualities along with their teaching

competencies allows them to gain deeper awareness of their essence of the classroom

problems.

[5] postulate that reflective practice is essential to medical education and a career in medicine.

The use of reflection in education and training for professional development has been

prominent within the literature for nursing, teacher education and social care, and more

recently in the training of doctors [6] in courses such as public health and health promotion;

the use of reflection is relatively new. While no formal training or teaching of reflection takes

place, it is expected as part of continuous professional development [7]. The process of

reflection and reflective competency are powerful for maximizing deep and lifelong learning,

and for achieving higher levels of responsive professional practice.

Despite the importance attached to reflective teaching in public health, no formal training or

teaching of reflection has been shown to take place [8]. A study by [7] also reported that while

several approaches to reflection were found, none of these were linked directly to public health

practice. This paint a picture that there are no specific models currently recommended or

widely used in public health.

Similarly, to the above situation, a study by [9] revealed that primary school teachers were not

aware of the concept of reflective practice either pre-service teachers during their college time

or as serving primary school teachers. Equally, the study revealed that reflective practice was

still largely not practiced by primary school teachers in Zambian primary schools. Further, the

study revealed that there was no time allocated for evaluation of lesson plans within the school

time table and primary school teachers conducted their evaluation of lesson plans at home after

knocking off.

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 4, April-2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

[10] attributes challenges associated with reflective teaching to inappropriate curriculum,

inadequate qualifications of academic staff; insufficient training materials and equipment; and

poor teaching and learning facilities. However, to avoid speculations, it was cardinal to carry

out an empirical study on challenges faced in the application of reflective practice on the public

health teaching and learning process by the lecturers in selected universities in Lusaka and

Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia.

Statement of the Problem

[11] explains that when lecturers are embedded in reflective practice, they will be able to

examine their practices, implement alternative methods and share the best practices with

colleagues for achieving quality education. This view is in line with the quality of higher

education and its relevance to industry as reflected in Educating Our Future Policy of 1996.

However, this goal remains elusive and unachieved going by higher education performance

reports of 2013-2014. When public health lecturers do not engage in the process of reflective

practice, teaching becomes haphazardly, accidental and superficial [12]. Additionally, [13] note

that when lecturers do not reflect on their practice, they would be more likely to teach in the

same way they were taught and this would result into the repetition of the same ineffective

strategies. Although reflective practice has been viewed by many scholars to be a beneficial

classroom instructional practice in the public health teaching and learning process, its

systematic practice and the challenges faced by lecturers in applying reflective practice on

public health teaching and learning process in Zambia, Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces in

particular is still unknown hence this study.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose was to explore challenges faced in the application of reflective practice on the

public health teaching and learning process by the lecturers in selected universities in Lusaka

and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia.

Theoretical Framework

This study was guided by [14] teaching framework. The Danielson framework for teaching

(2012) “is a research-based set of components of instruction grounded in a constructivist view

of learning”. The twenty-two components are clustered into four domains and include

descriptors of instructional practices toward effective teaching. The four domains include:

planning and preparation, classroom culture and climate, instruction, and professional

responsibilities. [15] emphasized, “Teachers’ professional learning to include self-assessment,

reflection on practice, and professional conversation”. Therefore, using a teaching framework

such as The Danielson framework for teaching can enable teachers to measure their own

teaching performance. This is supported by [11] who argued that following a framework is a

good practice as this can help teachers to generate and receive feedback without the

involvement of a supervisor. Thus, in view of the current study conducted, a teaching

framework can foster self-reflection, promote collaborative inquiry, and increase collegial

dialogue to support teachers’ improvement of their teaching.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This was qualitative research with a case study design. This was targeted at selected

universities offering public health training in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia. This