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The presence of social media platforms in secondary students’ daily life is growing on but it may appear difficult to know which ones are more convenient for academia, particularly among secondary school pupils who are commonly substantial internet-based life clients. This study seeks to understand Zambian pupils’ profiles of social media usage, in particular, in mathematics learning environments, mainly focusing on Facebook. Primary data sources were collected using a validated questionnaire from 288 participants at Wusakile Secondary School in Kitwe comprising of Grade 11 and Grade 12 pupils. Results revealed that Facebook was the most widely used application and that there was no statistically significant difference in pupils’ mathematics Facebook usage based on gender while there was when considering grade level. Results also indicated that Grade 11 pupils’ mean scores for social media usage were higher than those from Grade 12 pupils. Finally, results show that in the absence of mathematics classroom instructions, some pupils are also having mathematics discussions outside the classroom by means of social media, particularly on Facebook, although this academic use is still far from being relevant.

Objective: To determine the prescription pattern of anti-diabetics drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes at Levy Mwanawasa General and Chilenje Level 1 Hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by reviewing the diabetic patients’ prescriptions with diabetic drugs from outpatient department from January to December, 2016. Data generated from this study was analyzed using SPSS version 23. The P value < 0.05 was considered as significant. Descriptive statistics and one way analysis of variance (One way -ANOVA) statistical techniques were used to analyze data. Results: Of the total of 384 patients’ prescriptions, 63% were female and the majority of patients belonged to the age group 51-60 years indicating 28%. 51% of the prescriptions had 2 to 3 antidiabetic drugs written by generic name. Metformin/Daonil combination was highly prescribed with 57%, followed by Metformin as Monotherapy at 19%. Conclusion: This study reported that female patients were significantly more affected with diabetes associated with cardiovascular complications than male patients reviewing 37% for male and 67% female. Most of the patients were on combination therapy of Metformin /Glibenclamide in the frequency TDS/OD. The choice of drug based on demographic data, economic status, associated conditions and complications would give additional insights into prescribing patterns in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

There has been a cumulative increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, recoveries as well as deaths in Zambia as declared by the Ministry of Health on regular basis. Based on the available statistical information, this article will discuss a mathematical model concerning the spread of COVID-19 in Zambia. To predict the spread of COVID-19 in Zambian provinces, a multiple regression analysis describing the inter-play of factors influencing the increase in the number of cases is used to formalize the relationship. To ascertain the accuracy of the mathematical model used, exponential graphs regarding the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) since its arrival over time in Zambia were obtained.

The learning situation in the Zambian education sector has changed in the age of COVID-19 when the first two cases of COVID-19 infection were detected in the country rising to 45 local and at least 1 8 million infections globally by 13th April, 2020 Zambia became one of the many countries globally that has prematurely closed all schools This study examines prospective teachers' online learning mathematics activities in the age of COVID-19 pandemic Cluster analysis results revealed that online learning mathematics activities have significant mean differences in clustering Cluster 2 recorded the best performance, implying that students in this cluster exhibited excellent online learning skills for mathematics in technology-rich environments in which they will be forced to study and work in the future The study reviews various available online platforms and indicates the one that will be opened by the government which is the Educational Channel on TV © 2020 by the authors;licensee Modestum LTD

The integration of ICT in formal teaching and learning environments has become more and more relevant along the last decades. However, its use in the mathematics classroom seems to be still far from initial expectations. This paper shows the results from a research conducted to get some insight about such a gap by analyzing the relationship between pre-service primary teachers’ teaching styles in teaching and learning mathematics and their attitudes towards the use of technology in mathematics classrooms. Analysis of Variances and step-wise multiple regression analysis were performed over the data provided by one hundred and sixty three participants by completing survey questionnaires. The results indicate that pre-service teachers’ year of study has no significant impact on the integration of ICT in the teaching and learning of mathematics while teaching styles and gender do have. Furthermore, age, gender and teaching styles are capable predictors for the construction of the regression model and it is deduced that teaching styles have a predictive ability on the integration of ICT in mathematics classrooms.

Digital learning has reshaped education in many ways. The purpose of this study is to respond to the question of whether COVID-19 is the gateway for digital-learning in mathematics education. To this end, this study explores some uptakes of social media platforms by prospective secondary school teachers. Data was collected from 102 prospective mathematics teachers from the Copperbelt University (CBU). Cluster analysis approach was used. Results revealed that participants’ scores for digital learning in mathematics in cluster 2 were higher than those in both cluster 1 and 3. This is a clear indication that prospective teachers in clusters with low scores are more likely to exhibit low skill levels in the use of mobile technology and the adoption of social media in relation to mathematics pedagogy during the COVID-19 crisis. Results show different patterns. However, overall results show that digital learning could be a positive response to COVID-19 closure period.

This paper aims to investigate in-service teachers’ ICT skills, attitudes, beliefs and the integration of ICT in the teaching of mathematics in Kabwe district. The data collected through the questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 25.0). In order to determine the ICT skills, beliefs, attitudes and information technologies operation level in Mathematics lessons by teachers in Kabwe district, descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used. The study established that one key determinant in secondary schools of Kabwe district that has significantly impacted the integration of ICTs in mathematics lessons has been the lack of ICT skills by the mathematics teachers and the know-how of how to integrate ICTs in their lessons. This paper has clearly indicated the pivotal role of teachers’ internal variable have in the successful integration of ICTs into the school Mathematics curriculum. While teachers need support to develop the necessary technological and pedagogical content knowledge that is uniquely associated with the effective use of technology in teaching mathematics, adequate support has frequently not been provided, so that unrealistic expectations have been made of teachers. The survey findings indicated that Internet, word processing, Presentation software and educational CDs are used by the teachers at least once in the teaching and learning of mathematics in a week while other ICT components are almost never integrated in the teaching and learning in a week. The data based on 92 teachers’ demographic variables showed that at least one teacher on average had previously participated in professional development courses related to integration of ICT, average years of teaching experience was 9-10 years, at least one teacher on average indicated that they have computers at home, Most of these respondents came from schools which on average had at least one computer lab, 23 computers in each lab and zero ICT facilities in the classrooms.