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This paper presents a conceptual model which explains the challenges of providing high quality sustainable, teacher professional development at scale. It provides a framework to support holistic thinking at a systemic level, applicable across different systems. It draws on sociocultural theories of learning and encourages the user to think about the knowledge and skills required by actors at different levels of the system and the structures required to support their learning. It brings together the needs of teachers, school leaders and Education Officers (at the County, District or Provincial level). The empirical evidence for this model comes from a seven-year programme of activity supporting school-based professional development in Zambia. Evaluation findings highlight the importance of the role of mid-level professionals (District and Provincial Officers) in ensuring the sustainability of gains made through development projects. This is important because the professional development needs of those supporting teachers are often neglected.

Purpose: This paper explores the information sharing between farmers clustered around a formal plant health information source, using six case studies of plant clinics in China and Zambia. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was carried out with 327 farmers; six plant doctors were interviewed and plant clinic records reviewed. Data were analysed using social network analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings: Clinic attendees shared plant health information with an average of 4.6 other farmers in China and 3.8 farmers in Zambia. However, the effective secondary reach of plant clinics, i.e. clinic attendees sharing information with non-attendees, was considerably lower, especially in China, where most sharing took place among clinic attendees. The Zambian plant clinics, managed by public extension services, show a more open pattern where information is also shared with non-attendees. Practical implications: Plant doctors could play a more proactive role in bridging formal and informal networks to enhance the diffusion of plant health information within farming communities. Strategies to optimize the secondary reach of plant clinics should be informed by the agro-ecological and socio-economic context, as well as the type of organization operating the service. Theoretical implications: The type of production system (degree of market orientation) and clinic's institutional setup (private vs. public sector) determine the characteristics of the social network around it. The closed, crop-specific networks in China result in high uptake of advice but limited secondary reach. The open, more crop-diverse networks in Zambia have higher secondary reach but lower uptake. Originality/value: This is the first study examining how information travels within social networks linked to plant clinics, and patterns of information sharing and use.

Researchers have repeatedly identified special education teacher shortage as one of the factors that have stymied the development of special education in many African countries. Highly qualified special education teachers are an integral part of successful national educational systems. In order to ensure an optimum supply of qualified special education teachers in any country, one can start by examining special education teacher preparation programs in the country. In this paper, the authors sought to explore special education teacher preparation in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to identify the characteristics, key features, gaps, and therefore come up with specific recommendations. In doing this the authors hope that this information would be helpful to researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, and organizations that are interested in contributing to the development of special education in these countries through personnel preparation.

This paper describes farmer innovations on improved fallows developed by researchers to replenish soil fertility. The reasons for the innovations and how these innovations are facilitating wide adoption of improved fallows are discussed. Research designed trial results to evaluate the ecological robustness of these innovations are also analyzed in this paper. Areas of future research on farmer innovations are suggested. It is concluded that encouraging farmer innovations leads to empowering farmers to take the lead in experimentation and changing the attitudes and roles of researchers and development workers so that they recognize farmer innovators as equal partners with experiences and skills, which complement theirs. (Contains 1 table.)

Background: A trial of progesterone to prevent preterm birth among HIV-infected Zambian women [Improving Pregnancy Outcomes with Progesterone (IPOP)] found no treatment effect, but the risk of the primary outcome was among the lowest ever documented in women with HIV. In this secondary analysis, we compare the risks of preterm birth (<37 weeks), stillbirth, and a composite primary outcome comprising the two in IPOP versus an observational pregnancy cohort [Zambian Preterm Birth Prevention Study (ZAPPS)] in Zambia, to evaluate reasons for the low risk in IPOP.Methods: Both studies enrolled women before 24 gestational weeks, during August 2015-September 2017 (ZAPPS) and February 2018-January 2020 (IPOP). We used linear probability and log-binomial regression to estimate risk differences and risk ratios (RR), before and after restriction and standardization with inverse probability weights.Results: The unadjusted risk of composite outcome was 18% in ZAPPS (N = 1450) and 9% in IPOP (N = 791) (RR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.6, 2.6). After restricting and standardizing the ZAPPS cohort to the distribution of IPOP baseline characteristics, the risk remained higher in ZAPPS (RR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.0, 2.4). The lower risk of preterm/stillbirth in IPOP was only partially explained by measured risk factors.Conclusions: Possible benefits in IPOP of additional monetary reimbursement, more frequent visits, and group-based care warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines performance of library profession in Zambia in the context of the criteria of professionalism. Highlights include contribution of librarians to the growth of library profession in Zambia; belonging to a professional association (Zambian Library Association); library education; service-orientation to society; publications of the profession; and codes of ethics. (Footnotes) (EJS)

The objective of the study was to measure and compare vegetation structure and elephant utilisation patterns between woodlands of South Luangwa National Park with short mopane and Lupande Game Management Area with tall mopane. In a field survey conducted, 328 coppiced mopane plants were measured from 10 plots in the national park and 70 tall mopane plants from 10 plots in the game management area for difference in woodland size, height and crown size, and were also measured for branch breaking, main stem breaking, stem twisting, bark peeling and tusk marking. Measurements of woodland structure and patterns of elephant utilisation and compared using a t-test for equality of means. The cut off point for statistical significance was set at 5%. Analyses showed a plant height of 12.76 (SD 4.92) m in tall mopane compared to that of 2.71 (SD 0.85) m (p<0.001) in dwarf mopane (p<0.001). The diameter at breast height (DBH) of coppiced mopane was 6.84 (SD 2.48) cm whereas the DBH of the tall mopane was 36.29 (SD 14.74) cm (p<0.001). More coppiced than tall mopane trees were utilized by elephants (branch breaking: 100% vs 12%, p<0.001; main stem breaking: 38% vs 1%, p<0.001; stem twisting: 58% vs 4%, p<0.001; bark peeling: 94% vs 30%, p<0.001 and tusk marking: 13% vs 0%, p=0.003 respectively. Heavy utilisation contributed to change of woodland structure. Thus, woodland vegetation differences increased elephant use of coppiced mopane as compared to tall mopane woodland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Land cover dynamics in dry tropical environments are often overlooked. • Classification accuracy of 79–86% was attained using Landsat data. • Primary forest declined, while secondary forest increased. • Deforestation has continued to increase with low rates of recovery. • Forest connectivity declined by 22% between 1972 and 2016. Land cover dynamics in the tropical dry environments of sub-Saharan Africa are not well understood compared to humid environments, especially on a national scale. Previous studies describing land cover in the dry tropics are spatially or temporally constrained. This study presents the first long-term (1972–2016) nationwide land cover dynamics and forest connectivity analyses for Zambia. We employed 300 Landsat images and an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach with the Random Forests (RF) classifier to map nine land covers at six time steps (1972, 1984, 1990, 2000, 2008 and 2016). Post-classification change detection was used to understand the dynamics, while landscape metrics were derived to assess the forest structural connectivity. Overall accuracies ranging from 79 to 86% were achieved. In 1972, 48% of Zambia was covered by primary forest and 16% was covered by secondary forest. By 2016, 62.74% of Zambia had undergone changes, with primary forest decreasing by 32% and secondary forest increasing by 23%. Our results showed that forests have been recovering by 0.03 to 1.3% yr−1 (53, 000–242, 000 ha yr-1); however, these rates are markedly lower than deforestation rates (- 0.54 to - 3.05% yr-1: 83, 000–453, 000 ha yr-1). Annual rates of change varied by land cover, with irrigated crops having the largest increase (+ 3.19 yr-1) and primary forest having the greatest decrease (-2.48% yr-1). Forest connectivity declined by 22%, with primary forest having the greatest decline, while the connectivity for secondary and plantation forest increased. We showed here that land cover in Zambia is highly dynamic with high rates of change, low forest recovery and decline in forest connectivity. These findings will aid in land use planning, reporting for the forthcoming 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment, and carbon accounting, especially under the reduction in carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation programme (REDD+). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]