Authors: Sandra Chewe
Abstract: School-community partnerships represent a critical mechanism for improving educational outcomes, yet remain underdeveloped in many rural Zambian contexts. This study explored the influence of school-community partnerships on business practices and cultural transformation in Chipangali District, Zambia. The research employed a mixed-methods design, collecting data from 200 participants comprising 20 administrators, 50 teachers, 80 parents, and 50 students across five schools. Questionnaires, interview schedules, and focus group discussions served as primary data collection instruments. The study revealed that school-community relationships in Chipangali District are predominantly weak, characterized by minimal collaboration and mutual engagement. Three categories of barriers emerged: school-based factors (institutional operations and teacher attitudes), home-based factors (poverty and negative parental educational experiences), and community-based factors (culture of individualism and degenerating cooperative spirit). Despite these challenges, the study identified seven strategies for strengthening partnerships: open communication, collaborative partnership frameworks, parental involvement initiatives, community engagement programs, mutual respect, shared goals and values, and cultural sensitivity. The findings contribute to understanding how educational partnerships can be systematically developed in resource-constrained rural settings. The study recommends policy interventions mandating structured partnership frameworks, increased resource allocation for relationship-building activities, and community sensitization programs. These findings have implications for educational practice, policy development, and future research on school-community collaboration in similar contexts.
DOI: http://doi.org/
